Singapore Slinging

February 28th - March 5th, 2013

Singapore, the modern land of tantalising cuisine, diversity and clean streets, promises the adventurous traveller so much. It is without doubt, however, that Singapore is a country for the wealthy, especially if you are holidaying there. The cost of living is rising all the time and the materialistic culture is evident everywhere you look in the windows of Louis Vuitton and Prada stores, with the queues of eager shoppers waiting outside. 

Backpacking, certainly, is not quite as affordable as it is in other south-east Asian countries. Transport, food, accommodation and entertainment are all rather expensive. And many say that besides dining, shopping and going to the cinema, there is not much to do in this city state. Don't believe them. You can do many things on a budget, no shopping or movies included at all.

Take a leisurely walk along the water at Marina Bay and pop into the mall to do a little window shopping while enjoying the relief of the air conditioner. 

The Botanic Gardens are a visual and sensual treat for any nature lover. The grounds are exquisitely designed and there is certainly something for everyone, from healing and children's gardens to the well-know National Orchid Garden. But one could simply spend the day on the beautiful lawns with a picnic and a frisbee. 

Dress up (or don't) and visit the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel, home to the original Singapore Sling cocktail and well-known for the tradition of throwing peanut shells to the floor. The Sling is very expensive for a backpacker or someone on a budget but one can certainly eat one's weight in roasted peanuts which could be seen as a big plus. 

Enjoy a rather expensive Singapore Sling at the Long Bar, Raffles Hotel.

The Singapore Zoo is a most impressive place and well worth the entry price. Those who worry about how animals are treated in zoos may be surprised at the system in place. Animals are given as much freedom as possible, it seems, and the grounds are clean and well-maintained. One can see animals, insects, reptiles and bird life from all corners of the globe and learn a lot about conservation and the prevention of some species' extinction at the same time.

The Singapore zoo is a fun and educational outing for people of all ages.

For many, food is Singapore's biggest attraction. Because it is a country of such diversity, one can find culinary delights from all over the world. You'll find the best value for money at hawkers markets. Lau Pa Sat Festival Market in Raffles Square offers nearly every kind of international cuisine at affordable prices.

Don't forget Sentosa Island, a big and expensive tourist attraction where you can see the aquarium and a pink dolphin show. You can even swim with the beautiful creatures if you are willing to pay the price. China and India Town are areas of remarkable culture and ethnic diversity, red lanterns, hawker shops, familiar food smells and Tiger Beer umbrellas. Arab Street boasts the magnificent Sultan Mosque and lovely little streets lined with several fantastic eateries.

The dolphin show at Sentosa Island.

It must be said that not all Singaporeans live a life of luxury. Like any big Asian cities, one moves from modesty to extravagance in just a few subway stops, one travels through areas of grimy buildings to business centres with glass skyscrapers towering above, one sees "ordinary-looking" people in the streets and then suddenly there are supermodels walking past.

One thing to be careful of when planning your trip to Singapore is choosing your accommodation well. Even if you are backpacking, don't go for the cheapest hostel option, as you might just end up staying in a rather strange area or the red light district even. It might be worthwhile to spend a little extra and find a hostel or budget hotel with good reviews and ratings. 

Singapore certainly lives up to its reputation of a rule-driven state. There are fines for so many actions acceptable in other countries, from eating and drinking in train stations or chewing gum in public to carrying the durian fruit (which has a most pungent smell). But all these rules and regulations maintain the safety, security, organisation and cleanliness of the country. Do be careful to be aware of the rules, so you do not end up paying a $500 fine for taking a sip of water on a train platform, for example.

Whatever your travel expectations and budget, Singapore has much to offer in culture, history and experience and is well worth a visit.

An (un)fortunate series of events: Jayne and Pippa on tour

I had been anticipating and planning Mom's visit for months. In fact, even though the rest of my south-east Asia travel with friends has been "plan-as-we-go" and on a serious budget, I'd made a concerted effort to have a basic schedule for each day of the short two weeks Mom was with me. I researched the best routes and accommodation areas and gathered information from friends who had done the same trips before. I sent Mom email upon email of travel tips and reading preparation. Sometimes, however, all the planning in the world does not help. Before Mom even arrived, things started to go a little awry. 

I went to the Hua Lamphong train station in Bangkok a few days early to book a scenic day train and bus to Krabi, in the south of Thailand, so that we could enjoy a bit of the Thai countryside. What I'd failed to notice while doing all that previous research was the major fact that it was Thai New Year. And over Thai New Year, Thai people travel. Bigtime. Needless to say, there were no train seats available for the day or night. There were only overnight buses, so Mom and I would have to forego our first night's accommodation in Krabi and spend it on a bus. I booked a "direct VIP bus with air conditioner", hoping it would make the experience a little more pleasant for all concerned.

Little did I know that Jayne's plane to Bangkok would be delayed by nearly seven hours. Therefore, after travelling for close to two days, I then subjected her to another uncomfortable 14 hours but not before an "interesting" attempt at a shopping day in Bangkok, being royally ripped off by a tuk-tuk driver and dropped in the middle of nowhere, a good old catch-up and a hearty lunch supplemented with several Chang beers in apology.

Lowlight: Ripped off by tuk-tuk driver
Highlight: Reunited over beer and laughs

It took very little time for Mom and I to realise that the bus was not at all VIP, nor was it direct as promised. We were also delighted to learn that some passengers had paid half the price and were travelling even further than us. Ben, a German-Kiwi seventy-year old man was our saving grace throughout our non-direct trip. At each stop, he made sure we were on the correct mode of transport at the correct time. He entertained us with stories of his extensive travel experience and his various business adventures. He is truly a remarkable man and a reminder that one is really never too old to travel. 

By the time we arrived in Krabi, we were both relieved and exhausted. We spent a splendid six days there swimming, walking, visiting the beautiful surrounding islands and beaches, eating good food, spending times with friends from South Africa (they had also completed the “VIP” bus trip which we laughed about for hours) and swimming some more.  Mom turned even browner than ever and slept better than ever. 

Highlight: Bamboo Beach, Phi Phi - magnificent water and swimming

Besides both of us suffering a few minor travel ailments, everything ran very smoothly. We even managed to fit in a Thai cooking course with Bin and Noh. We learnt so much about the country's culture as well as the delicious food. We sampled so many dishes that we inadvertently steered clear of Thai food for the rest of the trip.

Highlight: an afternoon of Thai cooking at Siam Cuisine

Both of us were devastated to leave Krabi a day early again for transport reasons. We convinced each other that it was part of the real Thai experience. It was a lengthy trip; first by bus to Surat Thani, then a long wait at the train station and lastly the sleeper train to Bangkok. Mom's period of sleeping well was over but we saw some magnificent scenery and enjoyed the cooling relief of the rain.

Lowlight: a six-hour wait at Surat Thani train station but still smiling

I had booked what I thought was a hotel on the infamous Khaosan Road for a night. We'd have easy access to some good eateries and Mom could do a bit of gift shopping and sightseeing. Our timing and my booking could not have been any worse. For one thing, it was the opening day of Songkran, the water festival held all over the country in celebration of Thai New Year. The Grand Palace and other sights were teeming with tourists and locals and absolutely none of the shopping stalls were open. What we did find were throngs of people armed with water pistols and buckets of freezing water to throw on us unsuspecting few.

As for our "hotel", it was actually a filthy hostel in a dark alleyway called Susie Walking Street. The staff was unhelpful, we had to drag our bags up 6 flights of stairs, there was cat pooh all over the corridors (tail-less cats kept appearing from all over the place) and the walls were surely made of paper. Heck, we didn't even have a basin in the bathroom.  Mom found it all rather amusing (it took me a little longer to see the funny side). We took cover at a restaurant and watched the madness unfold around us while consuming a lot of Chang beer in wet clothes. We even caught a glimpse of the Queen of the Thai royal family on her way to officially open the New Year celebrations.

We left for Cambodia early the next morning as the water festival party-goers were only going home, having done no shopping or sleeping. Looking back at Mom and I sharing the equivalent of a single bed, giggling and cursing at the couple next door having a ridiculous drunk argument for several hours, inventing ways to block out the rave music coming through the window (besides it being "closed") and dodging the cat pooh, I still can't quite believe it. One thing is for sure; Jayne is a better backpacker than I will ever be. 

I had been to Siem Reap, Cambodia, two years previously. A friend and I had stayed at Palm Garden Lodge, a lovely little guesthouse with a convenient location, quaint atmosphere, good prices and the big selling point: a pond where the fish would nibble at your feet. I found the website and booked there again for Mom and I. My friend, Bronwyn, also booked there upon my recommendation. The three of us were dropped us off at the Palm Garden Lodge. But hang on. This was not where I stayed two years ago. We checked the address and the website and sure enough, this was the guesthouse I had booked online. It had just mysteriously changed location, manager and the general ethos of the place. By now, I was a giggling-swearing mess of a human being and resigned myself to the fact that all forward thinking should be thrown out of the window. I think Mom was most upset about the lack of the fish pond.

Highlight: Fortunately, we still managed to have the fish eat our feet

The Angkor temples are something of wonder. We happened to be exploring the temples on the first day of, wait for it, Cambodian New Year. Although it was ridiculously busy, it was a fantastic experience to see how the local people celebrated with music, dancing and good food. We moved on to the capital of Phnom Penh via bus. Cambodia’s capital city was pleasantly surprising and we spent a culturally-enriching two days learning and being shocked by the country’s violent history, driving through the outskirts of the city and ambling along the wide streets of embassies, temples and government buildings decorated in gold.

Highlight: Angkor temples

Our only minor issue at our last destination was when we took our laundry to a little place on a side street. When we went back a day later to collect it, they couldn’t find our laundry at all. In fact, our bag of laundry had not been touched at all and was sitting along with the bags of rubbish ready to be thrown out. Mom and I looked at each other in disbelief and shrugged. It was nothing that a Chang beer and some hand washing could not fix.

Unfortunately, hardly any of my planning proved successful. While travelling in south-east Asia, sometimes it is better to simply go with the flow and have no set schedule at all. Fortunately, it was an unforgettable two weeks of laughs, tears, ridiculous journeys, some of the most beautiful sights in the world, more laughs, major perspiration, fresh food and fruit and too much Chang beer.

And fortunately, I have the most wonderful mother. She makes the absolute best of every situation. Not once did she complain; she simply took it all in her stride. In hindsight, we'll only laugh at all the mishaps and treasure the best memories of a most (un)fortunate series of events.

Highlight: Railay Beach, Krabi and Leo beer

A taste of Tokyo

"Please discover your own Tokyo and take it home with you as a precious souvenir," said the tourist brochure we picked up at our 84-bed mixed dorm capsule hostel in Akebonobashi. It was New Year's Eve and we were a Irish lass, a Scotswoman and a South African. We had no idea what Tokyo had in store for us. It proved to be a highly entertaining trip of many a fall, fail and fantastic discovery.

Japan, and especially Tokyo, is a very expensive place. Before departing, we'd decided to "see" rather than to "eat". Marian, the Irish lass and our resident Japan expert, stressed, however, that we needed to try one specific dish called okonomiyaki; a Japanese savoury pancake containing various ingredients. With our main goal in mind, we drank a highly classy can of beer in the departure lounge and hopped on an airplane with the least amount of seating space in the world.

Day 1:
We arrived in Tokyo on New Year's Eve, which was of course very exciting; the idea of bringing in the new year in a foreign land. It had to be better than the overrated, try-and-glue-your-eyes-open-'til-midnight New Year's experiences we've all had in the past. The hilarity started early on when Kerry, the sober Scotswoman, fell and rolled four times across the road parallel to our hostel, leaving bottles of Sprite in her wake.
And it got better because as soon as we had arrived in our 84-bed mixed dormitory, we made a few new friends; some Australians passing through Tokyo on the way to the ski slopes. With them, we headed to Shibuya, an area which is famous for its "scramble crossing". It is located right in front of Shibuya Station and it stops vehicles from all directions to allow pedestrians to take over the entire intersection. What did we do when the clock struck twelve? We followed the rest of the thousands and crossed the intersection several times; it was a sea of people running, skipping, New Year's kissing and bumping into policemen. It was just so much fun. We also gave numerous hugs and had photos with many a Japanese person. It was an apt start to our Tokyo adventure, some would say it was the best New Year's Eve to date.

Needless to say, we did not eat okonomiyaki on our first day. Instead, we brought in 2013 with what I thought, at the time, was the best pizza I'd ever tasted.

Happy New Year from a Scotswoman, a South African and an Irish lass!

Shibuya's "scramble intersection" on New Year's Eve. 

Japanese love and New Year's wishes.

Day 2: 

The start of 2013 did not impress all of us as much as we'd hoped. Eventually, the Irish lass, the Scotswoman, the South African and the Australians managed to head out to explore the sights and sounds of Tokyo city. Not long after leaving the hostel, we were crossing a rather intimidating main road, when we heard some hooting and shouting. The man on a scooter was pointing to something on the road behind us. It was none other than Marian's cellular device in the middle of the pedestrian crossing. 

After the fortunate rescue of the phone, we headed to Shinguku to purchase a One Day Tokunai Pass which would allow us to travel to all the tourist spots by train. Yoyogi Park, open from dawn to dusk, is beautiful and one of the few open spaces for people to meet. We came across much street food here and we even saw okonomiyaki for sale but we decided to save it as a treat for another day.

The line for Tokyo Tower was particularly long being New Year's Day. We made the decision to climb the stairs, one I still regret, as our layers of winter clothing came quickly off and we arrived, sweaty messes, at the top of the 150 metre climb to a most average daytime view and a very full, stuffy room. We also managed a brief walk through the famous Harajuku shopping street, catching a glimpse of a few women dressed in "lolita" fashion (a Japanese subculture fashion based on Victorian-era clothing).

New friends.

Marian and I at Tokyo Tower.

Day 3:

Our third day took us to a new hostel in a more cultural part of the city, Asakusa. Before heading to see the sights, we stopped at a small vending machine restaurant. We were particularly fond of these establishments as we could look at the picture, see the price and simply buy a ticket to hand into the kitchen. Absolutely no Japanese language necessary. Each meal tray came with noodles in soup as a side dish. There was little space on Level 1 of the restaurant and so we traipsed up the windy stairs to Level 2. Marian was the last of us to get her meal. I could hear her behind me saying, "I am so proud of myself. I haven't tripped." Well, she didn't trip until the very last step. The noodles and soup went flying all over the floor. I stand to be corrected but I believe the staff member who had to mop up her mess was the only really unfriendly/unhappy Japanese person we came across on our trip.

We spent a good long time in line to see Sensoji, an magnificent, ancient Buddhist temple. In fact, it is the oldest in Tokyo and today, one of the most significant.  It was particularly busy because it was still the New Year's holidays but it was worth the wait to see.

Sensoji Temple.

The crowds of Japanese and tourists alike waiting to visit Sensoji Temple. 

Asakusa also offers a great view of the Tokyo Skytree the tallest tower in the world, and is home to one of Tokyo's most recognisable modern structures; Asahi Breweries headquarters (the famous Japanese beer brand). The building boasts a giant golden flame. We all thought it looked more like a root vegetable.

Tokyo Skytree and Asahi Breweries.

In the late afternoon, we ventured to Akihabara district to wander around Electric City and the plethora of adult shops very much in open sight.

We were desperate to try okonimiyaki for dinner but had to settle for a delicious Japanese curry instead for lack of available restaurants serving it.

Day 4:
We arrived at the very well-known Tsukijishijo, home to Tsukiji fish market, just in time for a lunch of the best sushi any of us had tasted. The market is the biggest wholesale seafood and fish market in the world. Many tourists flock there to see the tuna auctions, held in the early morning. Sadly, because of the time of the year, the market was not open to the public while we were there.

The best and freshest sushi in the world served right here.

Tsujiki Market.

After our rather disappointing experience at Tokyo Tower, we headed to Roppongi, a district famous for the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night scene. Roppongi Hills Mori Tower offers a brilliant view from the Sky Deck, far better and higher up than Tokyo Tower.

The view from Roppongi Hills Sky Deck.

A highlight was the Mori Art Museum, where Aida Makota's artworks are being exhibited. The museum brochure hails him as "one of the most noted contemporary artists in Japan today". Although much of his art is "grotesque and erotic in style, Aida's work displays an incisive critical faculty when it comes to political and historical issues" (Mori Art Museum brochure). From my very short time in Tokyo, it seems he projects much of modern Japanese society, a chaotic clash between the conservative and the 'out-there' sides of Japanese culture.

No time to even look for okonimiyaki on this day.

Day 5:
Our last day was reserved for the big trip to Fugi-Q amusement park. The Irish lass and the Scotswoman really wanted to go to the scariest haunted hospital in the world. The South African was a little hesitant and rightly so. It was frightening and it was also, sadly, the better part of the day. From then on, it went steadily downhill. We stood in a mightily long queue for two hours and fifteen minutes to participate in a Fortress challenge, only to be kicked out after 5 minutes because we didn't pass the first stage. Never mind that everything was in Japanese! The amusement park food was awful and the beer even worse. The day's saving grace was the first-class view of a snowy Mt Fuji from the park's grounds.

Mt Fuji.

We were flying very early morning, so had planned to spend the night in Narita Airport. Upon our 9pm arrival, however, we were told that Narita (an international airport for one of the busiest and biggest cities in the world) is not a 24 hour airport and no shops or restaurants were open. It seemed our dreams of an okonimiyaki last meal were lost forever. We promptly turned back and slouched on another train ride to find a hotel; our most expensive accommodation for the shortest number of hours. We found a McDonald's at 11pm and returned to the hotel to bring in midnight with mini bottles of wine, which Marian and Kerry had kindly birthday-surprised me with. 

The same Tokyo tourist brochure (which we collected at our 84-bed mixed dorm capsule hostel on the first day) also offered insight about the people of Japan which was immediately evident upon arrival: "Japan has a culture of hospitality. Offering fine service and showing consideration allow guests to enjoy safe and comfortable trip. There is neither showiness not intrusiveness; only thoughtfulness that makes guests thankful." If you have the money to make the trip, I cannot recommend Tokyo enough. The people are hospitable, the streets and buildings clean and the entertainment plentiful.

We arrived back in Pohang exhausted, no okonimiyaki eaten and a host of terrific memories; our own Tokyo discovered and a "precious souvenir" brought home.

SoKo: My Top Ten

My South Korean adventure is coming to an end. To celebrate some of the goodness in the culture-enriching, mind-broadening country that has been my home for two years, here are the ten things I will miss the most about life here.

#10. Kimchi poses:
One would be hard-pressed to find a photograph of me on any of the social networking sites where I am not making some sort of 'kimchi' pose. It has become an instinctual reaction; as the photographer counts to three, my hand naturally pops up next to my head to make a peace sign. Instead of hearing, "Say cheese," you hear, "Kimchi!" Korean girls are particularly prone to the pose phenomenon. Sometimes, they hide so much of their faces, you can't see what they look like.

#9. The respect system:
At present, elderly people generally enjoy a lot of respect in South Korea, which stems from the values of Confucianism which stresses respect for age and seniority among other things. Because of these ingrained social values, Korea remains one of the few countries where the elderly still attract respect. It is so refreshing to see the elderly very much at the centre of society.
Sadly, many of the traditional values appear to be eroding; more and more one sees youngsters sitting in spaces reserved for the elderly on the trains and buses or speaking or behaving really rudely to teachers and parents, for example.

#8. Bukbu Beach:
At first glance, Bukbu Beach is a rather dull-looking piece of coastline with the 'beautiful' Posco steel factory to one side of the bay. But to us local Pohangers, it is a place of wonder and summertime bliss. I will miss the long, lazy afternoons there, cold Cafri beer in hand. I will miss the fireworks and watching groups of middle-aged women doing open-air aerobics classes. I will miss the volleyball tournaments and beach parties and Ultimate Frisbee practices. I will miss the hours of greatness spent with friends.

#7. Teachers' dinners:
Business or work dinners, in my mind, make me think of awkward moments, being on one's best behaviour and polite chatter. The teachers' dinners I have experienced in Korea seem more like a celebration of life; the alcohol flows (if that is what you like) and food is a-plenty, the conversation seems more relaxed than during school hours and often, the evening often ends in a singing room, which brings me to #6.

#6. Noraebang:
Many people will testify to my love-hate relationship with '노래방' (Korean singing rooms/karaoke). But I think I am going to seriously miss ruining some of the great musical hits. More than that, I will miss the random evenings with co-workers and forty bottles of soju or the late-night visits with good friends and Billy Joel's 'Pianoman'. I do not recommend a sober visit to 노래방 if you have any sort of ear or musical background as it can be a painful experience. Usually the people who enjoy singing rooms the most are the people who can't really sing at all.

#5. Konglish:
'Konglish' is the name given to the words in Korean colloquial conversation originally derived from the English language. Often the words are shortened ('apart' for apartment block), words are fabricated ('handphone' for cellular phone) or meanings are entirely changed. A favourite example of the latter is the word, "fighting", which is a term of encouragement in Korea. When someone is having a bad day, about to write an exam or about to play a spot of tennis, you'll hear this expression.
Along with my close friends here, we have developed a whole Konglish language of our own. I am certain Korean people would be weary of our butchering of their language. But I am not looking forward to have to use the word 'yes' again instead of '네', or 'nothing', 'gone', 'finished' instead of '없어요', etc. I am devastated, in fact.

#4. 24 hour restaurants:
There is something to be said for the 24 hour restaurant where one can get good, wholesome food in the middle of the night. My favourite Korean dish just happens to be 해장국 (haejangguk), a spicy, hearty soup made from beef or pork bone broth, soybean paste and various vegetables. It is also known as the 'early morning' or 'hangover' soup because it is often eaten after a heavy night of drinking. I love it any time of the day or night and it is the one dish I am going to miss dreadfully.

#3. Being told I am beautiful:
I will seriously miss being told I am attractive several times a day. Even on my worst day ever, students and strangers will comment on my 'beauty'. By not being Korean, one has a distinct beauty 'advantage' here, apparently. I am not looking forward to a return to plain Jane status in my own country.

#2. Transportation excellence:
The South Korean public transport system has to be one of the best in the world. There are intercity buses to  just about everywhere in the country and they always depart and arrive on time. The inner city buses are also incredibly reliable (although not much can be said for the actual stop-and-start, jerking, speeding bus driving. If one is standing, one has to really hold on in case of a sudden halt throwing one across the vehicle). Taxi trips are ridiculously affordable, which makes early morning or late night travel simple and effective. In the bigger cities, subways abound and the KTX speed train allows one to travel across the country in record time. Sadly, Pohang does not benefit from either of the above-mentioned options.

#1. The unbelievable people I have met:
I have, without doubt, made friends for life in this country. And this is the main reason it is difficult to leave. It has been so easy being a member of the Pohang community especially; the tennis players and Greenball Club kept my love of the sport alive, my co-workers at all four schools, Ultimate Frisbee friends and fun, making theatre happen with the Pohang Players, staff members at Tilt and Porto's and the 'Korean Street' bars, the 107 bus drivers, the cashiers at Home Plus who (embarrassingly) know me by name, and my students for which reason I am actually here and make every day horrendous or magical.

It has been an unforgettable two years, South Korea, unforgettable...