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03-19-2000 Back to all Archives Back to 2000: January - March Archives Back to Current Entry list |
I'm in this incredible hotel, sitting next to a giant picture window. Outside, I have this incredible view of Singapore and part of the marina......well, I could see the water if it wasn't still pitch dark outside. It's kind of fun to idly watch the cars go by......and realize belatedly that they're driving on the opposite sides of the road than what I'm used to. This room is very nice. I have decided I just want to take the entire bathroom home with me - garden tub and huge shower included. However, I could do without the whole electricity set up here. When you walk into the room, you have to stick your room key in a little slot by the door. Or else you don't have any lights. Nor do any of the plugs work. This is fine and dandy if you know to do this. However, when I checked in at about 1am in the morning, half dead from 16 hours on the plane, I did not immediately think to look for a little slot by the door so I could turn on the lights. I just automatically fumbled for light switches. I should mention here that the switches are opposite as well. What I'm used to as 'on' is really 'off'. So by the time I figured out the whole 'card in the slot = light' thing, I still had to go around and whap at switches some more. I also discovered that the handy plug adapter I brought with me didn't work for these outlets.....luckily the hotel had them to borrow. It's humid. Very much so. And the fact that the hotel gives you an umbrella should, I suppose, have been a really good clue, since most of my group here has been caught out in the daily rainstorm at one time or another by now. However. Watching these nightly thunderstorms from the window of an 18th floor hotel room is pretty spectacular. And now for a quick scan of the past few days. Going shopping and being amazed by the sheer volume of eyewear stores, travel agents, and electronics stores. The sheer volume of shopping malls, period! The grouchy guy in the gold turban (I am not kidding) who was directing the taxi line we stood in for nearly 45 minutes the last time we got stuck in the thunderstorms, and who kept blowing his whistle every other minute. Eating dinner at the top of a hotel in this restaurant that spun very slowly so we had this incredible view of the city. The surreal moment when we were serenaded by a Chinese mariachi band singing John Denver tunes while eating French food in Singapore. There ya go. |