singapore-indo
Out of context: Reply #7
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- Vinney20
Malaysia, Singapore and a wee bit of Thailand.....
Last email was from KL, Malaysia. I saw off Hayley from the airport there and went back to The Golden Triangle, very near my hotel to get some food and sulk a bit. I hummed the theme tune so famously appreciated by all travelers "The Littlest Hobo". "Keep on traveling, making new friends, maybe someday I'll settle down again" or something like that.
I arrived in a favorite street of mine in The Golden Triangle that sells great cheap Chinese food. I asked for the chicken & rice. For the first time in my 3 months in Asia, I got some un-edible, uncooked green-looking chicken. I took it back, they said they would get me some more chicken, cook it this time, and bring it to me again. "Well if it's not too much trouble" I didn't say. The second dish was (and this really is VERY irregular) barely dead. I actually had a feeling the sliced chicken was going to put itself back together Terminator 2 stylee, and calmly strut off down the road. I walked off to eat elsewhere.
As with most of Asia, hocking-up (phlegm) appears to be publicly acceptable. As I walked along I saw a woman phlegming with all her might. In the bathrooms of the hotels I have stayed in I have been overjoyed to hear many locals hocking-up phlegm with such a passion, it sounds as if they are physically turning themselves inside out. Tonight this woman on the street took it a little too far and accidentally threw up. As I walked on a collection of rats dived down an alley way. I felt sick, and fed up. My mood, which was already flat, was getting worse. It was definitely time to move on.
Next day I left KL and headed South by bus a few hours to a town called Melakka in Southern Malaysia, then South more, as much as possible in fact without a boat; Singapore.***
Melakka was alright. It's the most historical city in Malaysia by far. It was around before KL was even thought of. It has museums that are informative and some interesting architecture. It’s got a big choice of food, too. Worth a visit if you are interested in Malaysia's history but really nothing to get too excited about if you ask me. Malaysia's history is violent. First the Arabs came along and spread Islam, then a long time later the Portuguese who had already done a good job in Brazil, invaded and pretty much took over, taking a lot of gold and jewels back to Portugal. Cheeky to say the least. Then, later the Dutch had a pop, guns a blazing and pretty much took over. Then more recently still, The Brits came in, a lot more subtly than anyone else ever had in fairness, and well, they pretty much took over. Oddly it is because of the British that there are so many Chinese and Indians there. They were encouraged to hop on over and enjoy a good bit of tin mining. This cocktail-sandwich sized history is the basics of it, and if you want to expand your knowledge, Melakka is the place. Melakka is also the place to get the boat to Indonesia. Other than that, it aint rock and roll.
I fancied a change. Oh my god did I get one next. Singapore is a country the size of greater London, it is also an island, and compared to the rest of Asia, a rip off. I had to check it out.***
Singapore or Singers, as, er, only I call it, is not a rip off if you work there of course. But I don't work there so to afford it at this end stage in my trip I was only going to be able to visit it if I could get free accommodation. Kerching!
I met Kham in Rio nearly a year ago now, and once again in Oz, she is a Chinese/English girl married to a Chinese/English man. He is Wei, and he works in Singapore. I went to meet them there. They were kindly going to let me stay with them in there 4-bedroomed apartment overlooking their swimming pool in down town Singapore. Things were looking good. On the Thursday I have been staying in a hot dorm in Melakka with 10 beds in it, it was also home to some bats. On the Friday I was in a rich country and things were highly different. I was given the whole upstairs of Wei's stunning apartment. It has an indoor waterfall for f*cks sake.
Now Singapore is odder than a bottle of crisps. It just doesn't seem to fit in with South East Asia. It's the cleanest country I have ever seen, which is, well, nice I suppose. It's one of the smallest countries I have ever been too, which is er, nice and its well, it can be a bit dull really.
Its government is repressive. You will get heavy fines for jaywalking or littering and all that stuff. There is a ban on chewing gum, and their laws on censorship are beyond me. Which means it's well, nice. The thing is that in a lot of South East Asia, You can wrap yourself in chewing gum, drive a motorbike the wrong way down the road, and enjoy all sorts of porn if you’re that way inclined. It's more alive outside Singapore. It's more humming with crazy vibrancy elsewhere. My oddometer was on the move, but the odd stuff was the rules. Rules and regulations. My frustration sometimes in Sydney. On the beach a sign says "You are strongly advised not to sit under the palm trees for risk of falling coconuts" and in the back of a taxi, on the headrests the sign "Please cover your mouth when sneezing".It's got some great things about it. We drank Singapore Sling cocktails in Raffles. Thats a tacky must-do but it's a good one. We ate damn good food for damn good prices. I tried Dim-Sum which was great. It's like a Chinese version of Tapas. Singapore has beautiful people, a bunch of great cinemas and, it has some wondeful electrical shops. If you like it very hot, Its got a great climate all year round. Its transport system is pretty good. Above all, Singapore is safe. Very safe indeed.
If you were mad enough to do drugs there, or steal something, you would be punished massively. It's got no welfare system, so taxes are low and people live affluently. It's got highs and lows. People work hard, and the competition is massive amongst the people here. They don't like to loose. There is a terrible arts scene because it's no real money spinner. Why put your kid through drama school for example? Trading or accountancy is a money spinner. It's just all a bit bland (with the complete exception of China Nights for great live music, and Zouk for clubbing, although Zouk is going to hurt your wallet at S$35 entry, that’s about £12) So in conclusion, Singapore is a pleasant place, but it lacks a soul. A politician there once said on TV, "We need to take fun more seriously". I rest my case.
***
All good, it was time to hot-foot it through Malaysia on a 14hr bus North back to Thailand. Hat Yai, which I have now visited 4 times. You go there to get anywhere. I have now been into the same travel agent so many times they all know me well so I was that day taken out to lunch by the girl that works there. Only in Thailand. I felt like I was home again. I love Thailand so much it is ridiculous. It’s just paradise sometimes. Just look at it. It's the easiest country in the world to get around in, it's got one of the most friendly peoples I have ever seen, it's got beaches growing out of its ears, rock-climbing, snorkeling yadda yadda. I love it.
So, time to go back to the islands, this time Kao Tao. In Koa Tao, you dive. This is one of the world’s best diving islands. Alas, money is far too tight for me now, so snorkeling would have to do. It's a very beautiful place.***
"Are you a White?" said the tall, dark haired, Irish-eyed man. "Yes, Vinney White - f*ck, are you Andrew White?" And so it began. I hadn't seen my cousin since I was 13, and neither of us can remember that anyway. He is currently lapping the world so it was a good idea for a reunion. Koa Tao, It was 5pm and he already had a beer. Things were looking good. We sat and chatted, and I soon became aware we were of very similar nature. He got the beers in. Chang is a good Thai beer. Too many and you will get a Changover the next day. We talked for a while, and then I introduced him to the English bunch I had recently met up with. Two of them I knew from meeting them in Bangkok, they swelled to 5, as tends to happen, now with Andrew and I it became 7. The next day, we all left for Koh Pan Nang. Where I already been for new years eve. We were a big group now, and we were heading for a big party. The Black Moon Party.
As you might know from my email about New Years Eve, KPN is a crazy place. Usual deal, move into a bungalow and go for a party. Now Andrew, not unlike myself, likes a drink. After our first drink at a beach bar, our big group grew even bigger. We met some Canadians who insisted we drank vodka with them. The music was pumping, and the wind was hot. As everyone danced I realised this was unreal. I was on fire with energy. Andrew was all over the shop. I had to explain to him the next day what had happened. There was a bloke on the beach with an enormous bird of prey. Andrew took a liking to it so he sat it on his shoulder, then he stroked it, then he kissed it, then - still with it on his shoulder - he got up and danced in the sand with it. I had to tell Andrew all of this the next day at lunchtime, he had just got up, and just realised he had spent the night in the wrong bungalow – the one next to his. "Andrew do you even remember anything?" "Er - a beach?" "No, come on - what about the kestrel you had on your shoulder for 10 minutes?". He thought I was making it up. I've done a lot in my years, and I have had some crazy times. I'd like to think I could remember a huge gawping kestrel on my shoulder.