Jeremy in Singapore

Since I last wrote, my brother FINALLY arrived in Singapore. After driving from Ithaca to Buffalo and flying to Michigan, then Portland, then Tokyo THEN SINGAPORE, he arrived at our house last night around 1:30. I almost didn't recognize him in the airport, because his shoulders have gotten more broad in the last six months. Luckily, he stood out, because he was white.

Today was a public holiday in Singapore - it's Hari Raya Haji, which my taxi driver told me remembers Abraham's almost sacrifice of Isaac and also the people who do the Haj. Apparently Malay all around Singapore sacrifice goats at their mosques. Anyway, basically this meant that we didn't have to work.

Jer and I woke up and went to the wet market by my house. We first had some prawn noodles for breakfast along with a plate full of awesome fruit and lime juices. This man and his son invited us to sit with them. He said they don't ever see foreigners in that food court. That's the same food court where my parents met people each time they went. Apparently this is the most friendly food court in Singapore - or at least in Bedok (where we live).

We walked all around the wet market. Some highlights included mangoes, fish heads, SUPER long beans, and some things that we have never heard of (we bought one - chinko or something like that).

We then went to pick up my shoes that were being repaired and visited our first mall of the day. Jer appreciated the Christmas tree in the almost totally Chinese HOT as hell country. We bused to Esplanade and walked all around there and up the river to Clark Quay and then over to Orchard Road (that's a long walk). Jer appreciated the huge "umbrella" over Clark Quay which makes it feel like it's not raining or sunny and it turns colors at night.

We ate great dim sum, walked around malls, looked around a huge Japanese department store called Takashimaya and then headed over to Little India. We didn't do anything too exciting there, but we ate really good food.

Now we're exhausted and headed to sleep, because tomorrow at 4:30 Jer and I are getting up to go to the airport to go to Chiang Mai. I will blog as much as I can from the road.