"Low Crime Doesn't Mean No Crime"

Introducing Singapore: the asian retreat from asia, and also the smallest country we've been to since the Vatican. We had a fantastic time in Singapore over the past week, especially since we could visit with real live Canadian friends from home. This city/country is SO unique, especially in contrast to the rest of asia. It's really the best of all worlds: European city planning, world class public transit systems, asian culture and cuisine, orderly (usually overly) and familiar western customs, and all of it in a constant 28C tropical environment. In many respects, this is utopia. AND we don't have to rely on charades and primal pointing and grunting when ordering food or asking directions because they all speak english. We haven't been in an english speaking country since September 9, 2008, so this is a big deal for us.

The Sights

Esplanade theatre on the river

Stanford Raffles, the man who started it all.
The uber posh Raffles Hotel. (note the Lamborghini parked beside the Bentley) (And play "Where's Kelsey?")
Clarke Quay
The Fullerton Hotel

The Signs

Singapore is the overprotective parent of governments. Granted, it does pay off in that the city is extraordinarily clean and efficient. Here is a small smattering of the signs plastered everywhere that someone might have the smallest opportunity to break the rules.

A special one for those pesky Malaysians. (Sorry it's blurry.)

And Finally, The Friends

For the first few days here we stayed with our friend Aaron. He gave us a tour of the university and got us settled in the grad student ghetto, where all the best hawker centres are. He also taught us some of the subtler Singaporisms, such as how to interpret the fear campaigns generated by the government to maintain a high level of "vigilance" among singaporians. For example, "Low crime doesn't mean no crime", and "They Breed - You Bleed", a campaign to reduce the risk of mosquito borne diseases from becoming a problem, which it isn't in the first place. Aaron always sees it straight.

Jazz by the beach
We spent the last few days with Kevin and Joanna, who showed us an amazing time here as well. We had nothing but fun with these cats. Well, fun and a lot of really delicious Singaporean food. Oh the goodness... And between exploring and eating, we got to kick back in their HOME! Until you've been backpacking for almost 8 months, you can't fully appreciate the comforts of a real Home. Nevermind one with a pool! Yeah Baby!
Good ol' gluten balls in sesame paste for dessert.
The dudes know how to pick the real goods: shaved ice with mango and strawberry. (that bowl of tar on the side is sesame paste. Have fun with that, girls.)
Beating the heat in the pool
A random assortment of goods for sale in Chinatown.

Delicious, ice cold soy milk. That's my look of sincere anticipation.
Way better than it looks. It's like maple bacon jerky, if you can imagine it.
Our favourite game at "Minds", a board-game cafe. What a great idea. You can rent a table and pick from a massive library of board games, and have drinks and snacks. This is "Hamster Rolle", a simple, yet genius German game of skill, creativity, boldness, and physics. Yes, I find that fun.
And so concludes not only Singapore, but also our time in Asia. There is of course SO much about our time here that can't be portrayed in blog form, but will instead settle into perspectives, memories, and stories.
From here we head to Australia for the last month of our trip. It all of a sudden seems like the trip is going by too fast, especially now that we're counting down in weeks instead of months. We're looking forward to home, family and friends, but are also realizing that our glory days of carefree frolicking around the globe are numbered. At least for a while.
T.

PS, HEAPS OF LOVE AND THANKS TO AARON, KEVIN AND JOANNA FOR MAKING SINGAPORE SO GREAT FOR US.