Day 4 - Rainy and slow

Not too much going on. My camera battery ran out so I don't have any pictures. I wasn't anywhere very interesting to take pictures anyway. Had a couple of meetings at work and didn't really do too much. Helped a guy out with some software problems and I was a little bored so I spent some time working on some Harry Potter 6 stuff they are doing here.

After work I walked down to the California Pizza kitchen for dinner. It wasn't really all that great but it was pizza. While I was eating it started to absolutely pour outside. My umbrella was...in my hotel room. Note to self, bring umbrella to work. I went with some people to a local place for lunch. Not local like the hawker stands, it was a proper sit down place with napkins and the food was good and not overly expensive. We went by a big Singaporian military base. It kinda looked like a prison to me. We were right next to the coast and I guess it was a location were the Japanese were obliterated by the Singaporians when they tried to invade a long time ago. Rumor has it that there are lots of ghosts in this area. The people I was with said at night the area was popular with boys who like to dress like girls. They suggested that I might not want to come back for dinner unless I was into that sort of thing.

Singapore is full of contradictions. When I was leaving for work this morning I was hungry and decided to swing by a Carl's Jr. that is close to see if they had breakfast. I had noticed earlier that they had a big sign in the window that said 'Open 24 Hours'. When I got there I saw a closed sign on the door next the 'Open 24 Hours' sign. Ironic.

The government wants to keep the filth from the western world out. They censor movies and tv shows so there isn't any nudity. They wrap the Cosmopolitan magazines in plastic so you can't open it and see the scantily clad models by accident. Yet they allow prostitution. Ironic.

Homosexuality is more than frowned upon in this part of the world. In neighboring Malaysia there is big scandal because a high ranking government official was accused of hooking up with a male aid. The punishement? 40 years in prison, even if it is consesual. I don't know what the penalty is here but I would expect something of the same. Yet Singapore is well know for have a large community of boys who like to dress up as girls. I have seen several of them, not in the seedy areas but just around town. Ironic.

Random observations-

The cab drivers here are ALL men, if you call them uncle it is considered a sign of respect.

They don't have take out food here they have take away.

McDonalds delivers.

They don't have diet soda's here they are called light. Coke Light.

Many middle and upper class people have live in maids. You can hire one for 300 to 400 a month. The Phillipino ones are usually higher priced because they have a basic education and speak the best english. They work 6 days a week and the nice family will give them Sunday off. You have to provide them a place to stay and all their food, etc. You also have to pay for them to go back to their home once a year. I have seen an English family or 2 out around town with their Maid following behind them.

Maylasia is right next door and there is a long bridge connecting them to Singapore. Things are much cheaper there especially gas. You cannot cross he border with less than 3/4 of a tank of gas. If you try they will send you back. I guess they don't want people spending all of their gas money in Malaysia.

I got some gelato from a roadside stand tonight and they had Red Bull flavored gelato and the ever popular Choclate and Red Pepper gelato. There was a large red pepper on the top of the gelato in the display case. Yuck.

There was a guy on the MRT tonight that wouldn't quit staring at me. I don' know why. I couldn't tell if he was just wondering why I was there or he was mad that I was there.

Alot of people ride motorcycles here. It seems to be common that the motorcycle riders where a jacket...backwards. I guess it keeps the bugs off of their shirt but I still don't know why they don't put in on the right way.

Most of the construction workers here are Indian. It kind of reminds me how many of the agricultural workers in California are Mexican. It can't be fun being a construction work in this heat.

It sucks coming home to an empty hotel room every night.

Did I mention that it is really freakin' hot and humid here?