Blogs from Singapore, Asia - page 325

In bad need of some rest, I holed up for 5 days in a reasonable posh 'otel, called the New York at Johor bahru, (25 floors, I was on level 14, with huge window, sitting area etc) I read a couple of excellent books, slept alot, swam each day, shopped a little in the nearby plaza and as my sense of adventure returned, caught the bus to City Square plaza, right near the causeway to Singapore. I spent quite alot of time in a great, nearby, internet cafe, where John and I could MSN with vid cam and sound, so we could talk and make faces at each other at the same time. I have received many emails and comments of encouragement and THANK YOU all very much. How did travellers used to manage without contact ... read more

It doesn't matter at the end of the day whether you are going to book a trip from me. I am satisfied if I could offer my frank opinion of the place!" I am in this travel consulting business with X Travel Agent where there were occasions when I need to lie in order to close a deal. For our Europe Tours, a minimum group size of 16 is required for a confirmed departure. Usually, even when there is not a single person in the group, we are required to lie that there are already 10 in order to instill confidence to prospective customers. At first I found it hard to accept, now it has become like a normal routine to me. Usually, there are requests from customers to fax our itinerary to them. I am ... read more

Two days in Kuala Lumpur was more than enough to remind us why big cities are best avoided, and after numerous trips to the post office trying to sort out sending a package, tickets were booked to the old colonial port of Melaka. Arriving in the brand spanking new bus terminal was more like walking through an airport than an asian bus stop, and after some searching we found the local bus section, where we boarded a bus that had definately seen better days, and headed for the centre of town. After a short journey we found our way to a pleasant hostel that provided a great room (by Malay budget standards) and one of the warmest welcomes we have received so far. We took a walk across the road to the local Mall for some ... read more

A Blogging Son of a Sailor's Whore The Straight Times and Today are the governments two vehicle of mass media propaganda. You won't read anything critical of government policies in either of these two publications. " Never Question Authority" is what every living, breathing Singaporean is brought up to think. The minute you start to think critically, and make those criticism publicly known or worse yet, broadcast them in the mainstream media, which is to say government controlled television, radio, and the two soft dailies, you get shut down fast, swiftly, coldly, like a child misbehavin'. You could be a man in your thirties with a wife and kids, and still you get treated like a child. That's exactly what happened to a blogger who tried to be too clever, airing out his criticism of government ... read more

I took a couple of days this week to go to Singapore and escape the chaos of Hanoi for just a little while, and it was great! People say that Singapore is a boring place, and perhaps if I'd come there straight from TO I might have been less enthusiastic, but I loved it! I was lucky enough to stay with Barb and Ian, friends of my sister, and they had another guest, Melissa, who I could explore with. It really is a beautiful city, very green and wide sidewalks and interesting architecture. I just walked around with a silly smile on my face for 2 days because I was walking without dodging things, and cars actually STOPPED when I was crossing right in front of them and I could finally buy dental floss!! It was ... read more