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Published: February 4th 2011
Hello guys!!! Sorry it has taken me a while to post my first real blog but I've been out and about most of the time since getting here so hadn't managed to make it to a computer.
It seems to weird after having talked about it for absolutely ages to actually have got on a plane and started travelling! I was surprised with how ok i felt when i got up to go to the airport. I honestly thought I was going to have a repeat of how I felt before I went to Rome; with that horrid sick feeling deep in my stomach and the conviction that I did not want to go, but instead, I was excited! I'm not sure my parents could quite believe it either, my dad kept asking me if I was alright and what I was most worried about.
Going through the security gate and having my last glimpse of my parents was hard, though I didn't cry, heartless being that I am. Though to be fair, I think I didn't cry because I didn't truly believe or comprehend that i was going away for a year and therefore would not be seeing them again for a whole year. That concept is something I just can't get my head around, even now, when I am finally in Singapore...
My trip got off to a good start. I got through security quickly, found the appropriate things in duty free to take to my friends as pressies and made it to the right gate on time. However, while I was sitting there waiting to be called to board the plane, I enjoyed the experience of a slight heart attack when my name was called over the loud speaker and I was asked to 'make myself known to a member of staff'. As you can probably imagine, the first thing that went through my head was, 'crap, what have I done wrong already?'. So I got up from my seat, remembering to pick up my massive carry-on bag and made myself KNOWN. Lol. Thankfully, my fears were unfounded and they just wanted to inform me that they had changed my seat number......and that I had been upgraded to
premium economy!!!! Woop woop. Once I got on the plane it became apparent that premium economy meant as much leg-room as I could possibly ever want for my short little legs and a glass of orange juice as soon as I sat down!!! (It could have been champagne but at this stage I still wasn't quite sure if they were then going to make me pay for it!! Proof of my common upbringing, lol :P).
As we were all sitting there waiting to be given the go ahead for take-off, the pilot informed us that we were expecting clear skies all the way, except for a couple of bumps over Afghanistan.....needless to say most of us weren't sure if this was a joke or not, with the lady sitting next to me commenting that 'only an aussie could say that and get away with it!'
With the flight finally underway I found out another difference between premium economy and cattle class, the food is soooooooooooooooooooo much better. I got salmon with this yummy sauce and as much wine as I wanted for lunch 😊. And as the flight progressed, every two hours or so, a member of the cabin crew would come through with a tray of snacks which you could pick from: chocolate, biscuits, fruit and an array of other yummies. Couple this with being offered drinks all the time and it was cemented in my mind that I absolutely must make it into business class and first class at least once during this year. If premium economy was that good then how amazing must the next two levels be????? I did sneak a peek in business class and they did have these cool lil pod things that meant that the seat could recline much further back than my seat, but what other perks they get, I don't know but hopefully I will find out!
Somewhat unwisely, instead of trying to get some sleep on my 13 hour flight, I decided to watch 6 movies back-to-back....so I was slightly tired when I arrived in Singapore at 8am local time (midnight english time). The view as we landed into Singapore was pretty spectacular. Through the windows on the one side of the plane I could see hundreds and hundreds of boats floating on the sea, shrouded in a thick, humid smog and illuminated by the morning sun so that all you could make out was the shadowy outline of the boats, back-lit by orange and yellow. To the other side of the plane, there was sky-rise after sky-rise. And I don't mean the ugly ones you see around London (though of course not all the Singaporian skyscrapers where pretty), but these huge, oddly shaped and generally multicoloured buildings, covered with greenery. By covered with greenery, I mean literally covered. They grow plants down the sides of some of the buildings and on some of the rooves, as Singapore is very big on being green at the moment.
I was met by Jasmin and Louis (my housemates from Rome) and Louis' girlfriend at the airport. As we left the airconditioned lobby we were hit by 26 degrees of humidity, which the others shrugged off with the comment that it was actually pretty cold and that the usual temperature was 30-31 degrees. I have to say that I was immensely glad with this relatively mild introduction to humidity, not sure how I would of coped with it being any hotter (having left England at a cool 3 degrees).
I was taken to Jasmin's house to dump my stuff (as that is where I was to be staying for the whole of my time in Singapore) and then whisked straight out for breakfast (even though I'd had breakfast on the plane) so I soon realised that sleep would have to wait a while.... Breakfast involved so funny indian donut things, deep-fried and with whole prawns in them. Quite nice but not exactly what I would usually consider breakfast food. Jasmin had to head off to work so it fell to Louis and his girlfriend to look after me. They decided to take me to Orchard Road, the main shopping area of Singapore, where I bought, I swear, the biggest coffee I have ever seen. Necessary to keep me awake. After a nice chilled day of mooching around the shopping area (embarassing myself in the supermarket by continually asking Jen what everything was! Bless her for being so tolerant and gamely answering all my questions) and being driven around being shown some of the sights it was back to Louis' house for a nap to prepare myself for going to ChinaTown later. As it was Chinese New Years Eve and ChinaTown is apparently the place to be. So after a dinner like I've never had before (Steam Boat, where you cook everything and anything in this pan of boiling water in front of you and just pick bits out with your chopsticks, yum!) it was off to ChinaTown.
Right guys, that'll have to do for the moment, will tell you about ChinaTown and the first few days of Chinese New Year later, as now I've got to get out of my pjs and presentable because Jasmin is taking me to where the Singaporian president lives, as it is open to the public during this holiday period!
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Lucy
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Jammy
Cor, that was jammy, getting the upgrade n all! Sounds like a good start, no glitches and perfect timing for the new year celebrations. I hope the luck and ease at which you have taken to it so far, continues. xx