Here we go again

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I'll start at the end - Singapore is an amazing city. It is now a candidate to be add on my short list of great cities together with New York and London.

But Let's start at the beginning..

I have not blogged my trips since 2012. Not for lack of opportunity . We have traveled as a family in 10 countries on 3 continents. The immediacy of Facebook and Wattsapp defused my will to sit down a week or two after the fact and write down what I did and what I felt. We send photos in real-time, get the prompt likes and comments so sending something written in delay seems redundant.

However, traveling alone with 2 children I find myself in need to share my experience not only through a few photos on an Instagram story. I am feeling a new and different kind of loneliness traveling in this group. In the past traveling with friends or Hagit Goclaw-Binder there was someone to share the daily dilemmas and feelings with. Traveling by myself for 8 months in South America I was never alone and was able to hook up with fellow travelers for a drink for all except 4 days. I have a suspicion that I will have little adult company in the next 5 weeks. We sit down for a meal, take a taxi drive or walk around the city and the two children talk and chatter among themselves and I stare at the passing by. I act as a tour guide, explaining what we do next. Act as a teacher, finding ways to stimulate their thoughts and as a parent sharing love and silent admiration. And I can be part of a childish conversation whenever I want...

The flight to Singapore was long and uneventful. We flew through Tashkent, which I plan to tour in 2.5 months. I never understand parents for giving the long flight as an explanation for the reason not traveling with kids. No matter how difficult the flight may be, after 24hr it is over and you arrive at a new and exciting place.

Singapore was indeed super exciting and I totally connected with it. It has a multi-cultural and international feeling to it. Few cities can transcend above thier own nationalism to create a melting pot that result in something larger than it's parts.

Singapore bursts at the seams with modern style. Never over-the-top, it's downtown, museums, parks, malls, sidewalk sculptures and art all ooze of crafted elegance and lights. The city's different ethnic quarters bombard the senses and authentically send you to China, Arabia or Malaysia. I found the Indian part jaw dropping and tasty. I don't think you can seek any type of food at any price range that you cannot find there.

In no place were my senses so challenged as in Singapore's ART-SCIENCE museum. The permanent exhibit has only 5 rooms. The 1st room has only 6 artworks. They are colorful, changing and interact with the viewers. They even interact between one artwork to another. We stayed in that first room for a full hour. One hour on 6 artworks! Arriving 1.5 hours before closing we had to rush through the other 4 rooms in the next 30 minutes. They literally had to drag me away from the last room after which I sat outside for another half hour contemplating what I just experienced.

Singapore is clean and organized
It's public transportation fast and convenient. It's as if an intelligent group of people designed a livable city, implemented thier thoughts and then maintained it. So simple, yet so uncommon.

Singapore is now a strong candidate for my short list of great cities. A list that now includes only London and New York. In order to be include in the list, I will need to visit here again and see that the feeling is not a temporary result of the circumstance. (San Francisco could have also been on the list had it not been so related to work)

I feel the burden of responsibility traveling with children as I am solely responsible for thier well being. The biggest challenge so far is food. They will not eat anything unfamiliar so we are stuck eating at McDonald's and KFC. I find it rewarding that I was able to also find things for them at Starbucks. Feels healthier. Our evening routine is finding dinner for them before moving to a more ethnic restaurant for me. At least they eat a healthy breakfast at the hotel.

A second challenge was a small skin infection Ariel had. Not something serious but I wanted to get it looked at before moving to less advanced destinations. So I made a doctor's appointment for mid-day. In the middle of our day at Universal Studios, we left, hopped on a taxi back to the city, saw the doctor and took a taxi back to the theme park to continue our fun. Normally such fun diverting and rationale thought falls on Hagit's responsibility. I guess I am experiencing personal growth here...

And with that, our 1st week is already gone by

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