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Published: December 7th 2006
Sultan Mosque Singapore
I did not really notice the Sultan Mosque during my late evening checkin but I sure knew of its existance at 6am!Bonjour to all from Paris.
Well I've been away for nearly a week now and its all gone well so far. It all started off brilliantly when I turned up to Melbourne airport, jumped the long checkin queue as I had checked in online( can recommend this - 5 minutes online saves a lot of time later at the airport as there is a separate queue for online checkin) and then was unexpectedly upgraded to business class on the leg to Singapore. Was more good luck than good management I think, but I made the most of it while it lasted. It hasn't happened since
Its my secnd night in Paris but will talk about the highlights of my other travels to date. I'm hoping to add photos later but probably won't be able to do this until I get to my brothers in Ireland next weekend.
Singapore/Johor Bahru
I stopped off in Singapore for 3 days to catch up with friends Sam & Ewen who are based just over the border in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Had one night in Singapore when I arrived though, staying in a hostel nearby the Sultan Mosque; Didn't I know
about that at about 6am. In the equivalent decibel (or maybe even higher) of church bells, a senior member of the mosque sings a hym calling all members to prayer; Despite the early hour, the voice projected an uplifting but peaceful tune. I learn't later that this ritual is part of the Muslim faith and is common throughout Malaysia where the muslim religion is strong amonst Malay people.
Later that morning before catching the train to meet Sam and Ewen, I took the opportunity to look at the shops in Orchard Road and walk past the Raffles Hotel, which looks good at the moment with Xmas decorations added to its colonial facade. Caught the train across to Johor Bahru(JB) to meet Sam and Ewen. JB is only a few Kms away from Singapore but what should be a shorter train ride takes about an hour because of the complications of going through Singapore and Malaysian immigration. But that went off without a hitch and I was ready to experience life in JB for a few days.
JB suffers when compared to the efficiency of neighboring Singapore. There has been much investment in infrastructure the past years in JB
with new roads and shopping centres but progress is slow. Modern shopping centres now have a mixture of shops to cater for Malay nationals and the many expat westerners that live in the region but differing standards in building, roadworks and road safety laws show there is still a way to go in bringing JB to become the modern city that compares with Singapore . But considering the complex combination of traditional religious values with western influences, day to day life seem to flow smoothly and I found locals I spoke to friendly and helpful.
But there is one exception, the traffic. With Singapore nearby, traffic across the causeway link is caotic and is much the same in JB. I was glad not to be driving but Sam drove and Ewen drove around locally with me a few times and I got the chance to observe life around JB as a passenger in calm and capable hands.
It was great to catch up with Sam and Ewen and hear about their experiences in living in a country with many different customs to Australia. I mentioned before about some new shopping centres and could not help but to
take advantage of a favourable exchange rate and some good sales along the way. It was a relaxing few days and appopriately Sam, Ewen and I enjoyed dinner at a local French restaurant before we headed off to Singapore airport so I could catch my next flight to Paris.
I've spent one day in Paris so far and its as vibrant city as I remember it but more on that in my next blog in the coming days.
I hope this first travel blog to you finds you all well. Although, I've kept up with news from home and hope that some badly needed rain can help our firefighters bring the Vic bushfires under control soon. Sadly these fires have been coming all too regularly in the past few years.
Bonjour for now
Alison
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Jill Stephens
non-member comment
Bonjour Monamie
(Hello my friend!) How goes it in Paris. This is fantastic and I look forward to following your travels !! Love Jill