Meanwhile, my 1 year anniversary living in Singapore passed by, ironically, while I was in Thailand. I wonder if/when I leave Singapore, if I'll keep coming back because I didn't see/do enough to be at peace with moving on...there are definitely some things about this city I am a bit fond of. They are really subtle and specific, like the quirky friendliness or grumpiness of random uncles you encounter, or the buzz of Clarke Quay on a Friday night (with not a single brawl in sight).
That's not the interesting story of this post though - I'm sure when I do leave, I'll have a lot more to say about the highs and lows of my Singapore experience. The highlight of my month, funny enough, was the realization of a strange urge I had a while back to actually take a vacation AWAY from Asia, and head to Europe to blow some cash and freeze my butt off. Originally some friends in Thailand planted the idea in my head to take a dudes trip, but I'm the only one who manned up and went! Good thing I have mates in London to visit. I decided on that city and Amsterdam, two of the hot spots I hit up with some of my best friends in college some years ago.
Fourteen hour flights would usually suck, but I ran through it with Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire, followed by a decent sleep. Jai Ho!! I've always been good with passing out on planes, even economy. I guess they are one of the few places I allow myself to just relax with no other aim than to rest.
*Classic London
Sunny, but still cold - that was the first feeling I got as I stepped onto the travellator tunnel (I just made that word up) from the plane to Heathrow' massive concourse. It had been a long time since I used my UK passport to actually enter the UK. Felt good to get into the short line with a load of really English-looking people. Some of them looked at my a little funny, as if I was one of those fools that couldn't read properly and got into the wrong line. Imagine if I had opened my yank mouth?
Adam was kind enough to lessen the financial sting of my trip by lending me his Chelsea condo couch for the week. A pretty posh place to call home base I must say. I managed to go for a lung-chilling run along the harbour a couple of times. It actually felt damn good afterwards! Unlike the sweat bath I'm soaked in following outdoor activities in Singapore such as walking home from work, or sticking my head outside the window.
Is it weird that I was a little excited and nostalgic to see classic double deckers, and made it a point to take pictures of streets/buildings only when the buses also passed by?
*Guinness pub "The Toucan" near the office
Random thought: do you have any "can't live without" products? Consumer goods that you really really wouldn't want to substitute with some other brands? My post-shave healer is one of those wallet-suckers, as well as my lip balm, facial moisturizer, and music player. I'm not naming brands, cuz they aren't paying me!
How do you like Obama's first months in office? Pretty solid? Room for improvement? What a mess of a job to inherit? Whether you agree with his policies at home or abroad, or can't wait until 2012, at least the man admits his mistakes when he makes them. Oh, and he swats flies with his bare hands - BEAST
Most of my London leg was spent catching up with friends and visiting spots I used to love, but I did get to fly by a few sights I hadn't even been to yet. St. Paul's cathedral - pretty amazing place, even if full of tourists. I miss that sort of classic architecture. Portabello road was also quite fun, and an easy spot to pick up Guinness souvenirs from little shops. No they don't give those out for free at Diageo. And no the picture above doesn't have anything to do with Portabello road, but that pub was pretty cool regardless. Good spot to pop into after work drinks at the Diageo HQ bar nearby (which is MASSIVE and stocked with 4x as many brands as the Singapore bar).
*Tottenham Hotspurs vs West Brom (1-0)
So I really wanted to see a football match while in London, and we got hooked up with some solid Spurs tickets (North London). The audience was 90% men, 90% English (amazing for London), and 100% cynical. Adam, Ryan, and I had a few laughs listening to the random complaints about Robbie Keane's laziness or ability comparisons to obscure menial jobs from the 1800s. A good experience though and worth the sweaty 45 minutes on the tiny tube where a light breeze is your only friend.
Did you know that almost all F&B service staff in London come from Eastern Europe now? Maybe you did - was news to me. I also didn't realize that American branded restaurants were getting quite popular in London. Just like American media, for all the crap Brits like to talk about the U.S. and its people/culture, they still can't get enough of the most stereotyped forms of the country. They are like bitter young cousins. Hmm maybe I should watch what I say. And hey I'm actually half English (traitor!?)..
*Ministry of Sound
What would a vacation be without a good night out? In London, a good night out can mean many things, but if we go Asia style it means going large - VIP section at MOS with 800 quid worth of alcohol. So much alcohol, the ~10 of us were suffering to finish it by 5am and threw up the white flag - not literally thank god, but Lyndy certainly came close, the poor trooper.
*Ministry of Sound
It was quite a happy night despite some little dramas here and there that usually happens in Western clubs where people drink too much. No hard feelings between anyone the next day though. Of course on the dance floor we were going insane, looking a bit more happy that the average miserable Londoner out for the hell of it. A couple dudes took notice and asked me for pills. I said I had no idea and they looked at me like a selfish b*stard.
*Ministry of Sound
I had forgotten how strict clubs were about drinking over your personal limit. When the bouncers saw Lyndy a bit more drunk than normal, they immediately told her to get some fresh air, permanently. She wasn't that bad, and more tired than anything, but they were very adamant about her departure. At least Ryan was able to get her back in half an hour later when she looked in better shape (the cold air has a way about waking you up in London).
*Ministry of Sound
Adam found us a good underground jazz club to check out in Chelsea. I had never been to a jazz club for more than an hour before. We stuck around all night and had a really good but different time listening to a woman who had the voice of an African American classic jazz legend, it was amazing. Even more shocking to hear her regular English accent when she spoke in between songs.
*606 Jazz Club, Chelsea
I bought a few things on Oxford Street towards the end of my trip, but my best purchase was probably a whippy ice cram cone. Oh my lord it was satisfying - I still remember the foamy but cold texture, with the taste of cheap rich vanilla and condensed milk. Woohoo! I did almost buy the new England football kit too, which now that I think about is actually kind of ugly and just too retro for me. Still, everytime those England World Cup songs come up on my Ipod (damn, I mentioned a brand!), I can't help but get falsely inspired.. "It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming, football's coming home
*Oxford Street ice cream
I did a day of work in the HQ at Henrietta Place while Adam had work. The office there was just as quiet as the one in Singapore, but people mostly ate lunch at their desks (sandwiches - very English). I don't want to judge but, that must suck. At least Singapore does have lots of cheap eats around for lunch, even if they are all crowded. You can still hold down a table with a packet of tissues. Try that in London, I dare you!
*Adam, Ryan, and I stuffing into an old phone booth
If you are Asian and have been to London, chances are you have heard of the Cantonese restaurant called "Four Seasons", near Baker Street. The duck there is apparently world famous, and loads of HK Chinese and even Thais are known to order full ducks for take away on flights back to their countries. I'll admit it, good stuff - but THAT good? I guess I'm just not a true duck connoisseur.
*Covent Garden - hangin' at Paul Smith's
Some of my favourite places in London - Trafalgar Square for hanging out, Khan's Indian restaurant (open since before I was born and frequented by said child since I was 7), Picaddily Circus for people watching (not long like a stalker), and Hyde Park.
*Khan's, some of the best Indian food in London and my childhood favourite
I was recommended to visit a quaint little cocktail bar in Notting Hill called Beach Blanket Babylon. God knows what I was expecting with a name like that, but what I did find was a cool little Victorian style house with scintillating drinks! Check it out if you are in town.
*Drinks at Beach Blanket Babylon, Notting Hill
Alas I had to do some shopping for my Mom at the High Street Kensington Mark's and Spencers. She has built up this lifelong habit of asking people to grab random exotic goods from all over the world - stuff that has a perfectly acceptable substitute in California but just isnt as cool as the original product with a foreign label and thousands of miles on its legs. 10 pounds of jasmine rice from Thailand too? 6 pieces of white truffles from La Maison du Chocolate in a Parisian suburb? You gotta be kidding me!!
*Piccadilly Circus
I've been trying to read more recently, somewhat unsuccessfully. On my plate at the moment are weekly issues of the Economist and Marketing, monthly Men's Health's mags, and "The 10 Day MBA" which I'm hoping will have a bit of influence on my tee-tottering thoughts on going to grad school in the next few years. Oh, those naughty issues of Playeur have stopped coming in because unfortunately the magazine is now defunct. I guess the visionaries overestimated Singaporeans penchant for the racy, or at least being seen in public being interested. Or maybe it says more about companies in Singapore and their somewhat more conservative stance on advertising choices.
*View of Big Ben from Trafalgar Square
The tube really is miserable in the morning. And you can't escape getting smashed next to 3 strangers, 1 of which has B.O., another wearing too much cologne/perfume, and the last holding a very pointy bag into your kidney. I'm even more glad I live a 5 minute walk from the office now. In London that would just be impossible to afford.
*Earl's Court tube station
*London Business School at Regents Park
I had a few hours to visit he world renowned LBS, one of my top choices for a potential full time MBA as I mentioned before I am considering. It was small and quaint, but had an aura of intensely rich academia and ambition. I bought myself a water bottle as a silly reminder. I'm also thinking about Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and a couple others (two of which I'll visit in the States next month since I'll be in town anyway). My GMAT (top 1%) is fine and my experience should be good, but I still don't know if it will be worth the huge financial bomb and 2 full years away from the real world. If I do go, I'll definitely have to develop a clear exit strategy first to make sure the effort is truly worth the trouble and opportunity cost.
*The Thames river, by Chelsea Harbour
I'm glad I went to London and dropped a couple G's - I probably won't be back to walk those old dirty streets for a few years yet, and the folks I caught up with may be in very different places then. Life is just as much about the people you meet and know as the places you go and things you do. It's worth my time and money to reconnect with those people - after all, friendships that span many years are rare, and those that reach across oceans rarer still.
And so my bud Ryan (based in London with Morgan Stanley, but previously in Singapore) and I took off for Amsterdam, one of the free-est cities in the world. Cobblestone lanes, loads of old-school bicycles, and thousands of fluent English-speaking Dutch folks awaited us only 90 minutes away from the Fog capital.
*Vincent Van Gogh museum
Yes, we went to museums! The Van Gogh, the Rijksmuseum (sort of like a National Museum, with art collections i.e. Rembrandt), and even the House of Bols (the liqueur brand). Couldn't resist an alcohol museum with complimentary cocktail tasting at the end.
*Obama Burgers in Leidseplein! Way more popular than Bush.
Amsterdam is a great city to walk around in. It's not very large either. We spent a good day exploring mindlessly by foot, stopping into little shops here and there and enjoying some food by the road. The random drug dealers whispering to us every 20 yards in the more touristy part of town was a bit annoying, but whatever, it's Amsterdam. We actually walked into a coffee shop and asked for beers, and the lady at the counter replied "guys...you can't buy a drink here. You can smoke, or leave." Ouch. I immediately thought of Green Day... "Don't wanna be an American idiot!!"
*Dam Square
We grabbed a crazy good deal from my Mom on the hotel - half price and in the center of downtown! I had to semi-pretend I was a travel agent but what the hey.
*One of the "infamous" coffee shops. Straight to the point on that window!
We went out on a Friday to one of the hottest spots in Leidseplein - Jimmy Woo's. A good mixed crowd of locals packed the place by midnight, mostly looking to see or be seen. Not exactly my type of joint when I'm with one friend in a new town and I left my pinstripe at home. Good ratio of girls to guys I guess, but no one seemed to be dancing. Must have been uncool? We bounced after not too long to some local bars serving the most bitter dark beer I have ever had in my life - tasted like bloody alcoholic black coffee made from an illegally strong Indonesian roast.
*The House of Bol's liqueurs
Holland is ranked in 2009 as the 3rd happiest country to live in (behind Belgium and Denmark I believe), based on a 3rd party study on quality of life surveys around the world. The US wasn't even close, despite people generally accumulating more wealth there in a lifetime. Something to think about people. Being 70 years old and riding a bike around town to your favourite coffeeshop and eating Dutch pancakes after may very well be the secret to elderly satisfaction, not a Benz and a skyscraping penthouse.
*The House of Bol's liqueurs
One of the highlights of our trip must have been a day journey to Keukenhof Gardens, a gigantic tulip park that one could get lost in for days and starve to death. Joking aside, this was one beautiful and colorful area that is definitely worth a couple hours by train to see.
*Keukenhof Gardens
*Keukenhof Gardens - you can't go to Holland and not see a windmill!
*Keukenhof Gardens
Normally I don't take many pictures of nature, but this place brought me into Nat Geo mode. I had never seen such an assortment of floral art.
*Keukenhof Gardens
By the way, random convenience stores in Amsterdam sometimes sell legal mushroom roots. The shop clerk asked me if I wanted some while I was buying gum and toothpaste. At my first sign of hesitation, he showed me a bag of pills labeled "Bad Mushroom Trip Ejection Pills," which he claimed would return a user back to normal within 10 minutes of eating them. Not really worth the risk pal, not at 3pm in a foreign land hahaha. Plus I had just seen a guy passed out by the road while some bike cops just arrived on scene to check him out. It did NOT look good - I couldn't see if he was breathing or not, and his skin emanated pale inactivity.
*Keukenhof Gardens - my legs, Ryan's torso (optical illusion)
*Loads of bikes near Centraal Station - apparently newer mountain bikes are the first to get stolen, so everyone just uses 15th hand models from before the war, the First World War that is
Did I ever mention that I have some sort of shoe problem? I have at least 20 pairs, stacking 3 shoe racks. Is something wrong with me? I have some consolation in the fact that my housemate Nick does have about as many at least. I only use 10 pairs often, and the rest come out about once a month. I guess I don't really throw footwear away except for overused athletic trainers. But still, this "collection" makes me feel a bit more metro than I ever wanted to.
*Rjiksmuseum
You know you are in a liberal society when you're flipping through tv channels in the morning and you get porn commercials in Dutch. Mad trippy.
*A nice Amsterdam lane
In California at the moment, the legistlature is considering proposing a bill to legalize and tax marijuana, given its wide use amongst the population anyway and the huge budget deficit the state currently faces without solution. A tax, with proper enforcement, would yield millions of dollars in revenue. If those folks are doing it anyway, why not make it safer and get some cash out of it? Just a question, don't jump on me! Not in the mood for a drug debate. Funny thing is, Gray Davis (the former Governor who I used to work for before he was recalled and Arnold came in during 2003) faced the same budgetary problems, but not as bad - now the Governator at least has the national economic slowdown as an excuse, but he will likely have his hands full with Cali's economic issues (a top 10 economy in the world, if it was its own country) long after the rest of the nation is starting to recover.
*Sex shops are almost as common as coffee shops
After two refreshing but busy weeks, I bid farewell to Europe and came to my senses to return back to Asia, the vast land I have found so dynamic and unpredictably exciting for the past two and a half years. In 2010 my holiday wish list is shaping up to incorporate:
- Taiwan
- Myanmar
- Japan
- Bali (again)
While I'm out here (for long I hope but you never know), I might as well see more of the destinations nearby that I haven't yet. By 2012 it would be sweet to also check out Brazil, the Czech Republic, Nepal, and Africa too. Maybe that's being a little ambitious, especially the last one there (I hear it's quite a big continent), but you gotta aim high to get even close, right?
Back in Singapore, Stew held his birthday party at none other than the Butter Factory, centered on his permanent table in Bump VIP. Throwing out a theme, I had to participate (to represent all American college grads that miss those theme parties, themes for any freakin' reason inclusive). Busting out the muay thai outfit, I felt a little self conscious about wearing the shortest shorts in the club, but hey you either go big or go home with these things. Or you just get made fun of. Screw it, I had a damn fun night! hah
*Stew's sports birthday @ Butter Factory
*Stew's sports themed birthday @ Butter Factory
Though I had a few good nights out in Europe, there's nothing like coming back to Asia and ordering bottle after bottle like it's no biggie. Four drinks deep in the UK and you could have ordered a bottle of Black Label in Bangkok.
*Stew's sports themed birthday @ Butter Factory - Ben getting a double titty twister from Rachel (newly crowned Miss Universe Singapore wooot!!) and I
*Stew's sports themed birthday @ Butter Factory
*I was just givin' him a birthday bear hug but Ben took advantage...
Sylvia convinced me shortly after my Singapore return to come out for some touch rugby with the Bucks. I still love the sport, and so found the time to get off work before 6:30 so I could make the bloody practice in the middle of nowhere (Turf City?). Two hours of running around in this humidity is an insane workout, and a very good test of your fitness gas tank. I really need to do more interval training and outdoor exercise if I'm going to last the distance productively. I haven't been again since but definitely will make it a point soon. The session was all a little bittersweet because I'm so used to contact and using my power/aggression (it's rugby for goodness sake), but couldn't succomb to temptation in pure touch.
*VERY Singaporean - nowhere else can cigarettes and tissues hold down your seat at a busy food court
Nick and I recently splurged on the full band set of Guitar Hero, one of the only games worth buying off the store racks, and super addicting but only in a fun and non-serious-gamer way. I played the drums back in the day but always wanted to give the Guitar a go (sometimes I end up air-guitaring it to my favourite songs at home). GH is the game that let's every rock fan live out that fantasy without actually putting in the weeks of practice. Plus, it's a good party game.
*Guitar Hero giving a huge "YESSSSSSSS!!!"
I flew out to Jakarta for a couple of business trips between May - June. Truly anything goes in that city, I had no idea before. It's outsider image of being ultra conservative (the largest Muslim nation in the world, and 4th biggest overall by population) is spun on its head if you experience the local nightlife. Those conservatives just stay home, and the folks that do go out really don't care what you do or how you do it! It also isn't as dangerous as its reputation may suggest - a night in Oakland or Detroit would be waaay more risky, trust me.
Again I flew to Bangkok for a weekend of reunion dinners, carefree celebrations with friends, and BB gunning. Of course it's nice to see the woman in my life, lovely Kae, after a long time apart (even by our standards).
*How charming for an RCA restaurant to put up
I always make it a point to get a foot massage at Healthland in Bangkok when I drop in. I like em semi-soft and weak though - if those mamas get hard on my feet I find it extremely difficult to relax. I want to get loose, but be able to fall asleep drooling if I so choose.
*Route 66 - the fellas
Busse started his SEA retour in Bangkok before heading to Singapore to crash at mine and check out the city-state for a week. We had to get into trouble in our old stomping ground first though. Funny that we grew up in the same metro area, went to the same University and both worked in Mongolia at some point, but only met later in Thailand.
*Route 66 - the ladies
What's a big night out without Troy going a bit over the top? The fella has a real knack for surviving these episodes though, despite fooling us into thinking his lifeless body is in trouble. Mate you better keep your fingers crossed!
*Somebody get homeboy water and a stretcher!!!
Back in Singapore I showed Brian a mini scan around the food and drinks of town and got a little Muay Thai in there, before we decided to escape the weekend up to KL. Have you guys ever noticed hip hop music blasting before and after takeoff on some Air Asia flights? This was my first time anyway, and I felt right at home.
*Muay Thai session in Singapore with Brian
I hadn't seen a few friends in KL for months - and everyone knows how I love to travel. Can't stay put, this big monkey!
*Coming out of KL Airport
KL has its charms, even if it isn't especially known for one standout thing or another (by ignorant me anyway). The partying (at KL Zouk) was outrageously heavy, and the crowd totally Malaysian Chinese. Thanks the stars our hotel (Maya) was just a short walk across the street, but not before I bought some ice cream in a bread bun outside for a few ringgit. Score!!
*Gobbling up some "famous" street noodles and beef balls in KL
The other week I caught a sore throat after a mild Wednesday night out at Butter Factory. That sore throat turned into a lost voice over the weekend (Jakarta didn't help). On Monday I show up to work and the look of dread on one colleague's face. Why? Apparently someone at Butter Factory that Wednesday night days later tested positive for Swine Flu (H1N1), and I was a hot suspect!! My raspy voice only made people more worried, so I worked from home the rest of the day and hauled butt to the doctor in the morning. Negative - and not worth the long q-tip swab test they shoved all the way up my nose. At least I didn't cause a panic (which is what this disease is turning into, even with no fatal cases in SG yet). Butter Factory even closed for a week (and my liver has thanked that sensible decision).
*Weekend trip to KL, posing with Brian in front of the Petronas Towers
I go back to California for a week next month, along with a week to visit one of my best friends in New York. Sincerely looking forward to the break but a bit anxious to get a load of work out of the way beforehand. Nothing is worse than a vacation full of office worries. That said, I want to check out the NYC office to see what all the hype is about. Smirnoff's global brand team is headquartered there as well (one of the more fun brands to manage - vodka is closely associated with release after all).
*This little python could grow up to 30+ feet long - don't mess with it
Today the President of Diageo Asia Pac stepped down and handed over the reins to the new guy. I was never close to John (the former President - wow, weird to say that now), but a part of me is saddened that the face of this region's leadership, energy, and spirit (no pun intended) is leaving so suddenly - he is the only one I have known since I joined. Still, the new fella seems to have a great attitude and a heap of experience. One thing struck me in his welcome speech: "I truly believe in the power of people, and of passion in what we do...I started off 16 years ago as a level 7 (low) Brand Manager in the tiny market of Lebanon...look where this company has brought me today." He has handled over 100 markets and is on the global exec. I hope that sort of rise is still possible in today's environment - it's pretty inspirational as a standalone story, and you could tell in his voice and eyes that he really believed in his words.
*Apparently the KLCC Tower has a mini-zoo
Checked out T4 back in Sing - not bad I guess, and I liked it better than the ridiculous chapter before it with the cyber-CGI lady. Moon Bloodgood looked a lot hotter than when I met her during the filming of Street Fighter. Did I ever mention that during that shoot, she made it a really stern point for the camera not to capture her butt directly on film, because she hated how flat it was? Oh Hollywood. Or is it just all women? I'm not judging!
Two weekends ago I had the pleasure of a Bangkok rendezvous with two old buddies from High School, and my Mom + little sister. This meant for very little alone time, but it didn't matter one bit. I really enjoyed seeing them all, and a part of me secretly desires to show more of my old friends/family what life is really like out here on the ground, so they'll understand why I left everything behind for now. Seeing is believing. Who knows how many of them even glance through this blog anymore, but the stories they'll hear when mutual friends return home from a visit - that's the stuff that will resonate.
*Chris and Shota in town from California (high school buds), Brian returning from HK - Muse in Bangkok
Clubbing, eating, shopping, and massages - that's all I really want to get them into. The local variety though - I already pointed them in the direction of all the touristy sites before I was able to meet up with them for the weekend. Unfortunately I didn't brief them enough, and low and behold some schiesters took them for a ride (the tailored suits variety this time). I landed to a quite frustrated pair of Californians (well Japanese and Palestinian Californians) new to the workings of Asia. I just told them to be patient and open-minded, and above all be assured that those few Thais that ripped them off do not represent the average local person that rarely deals with wide-eyed, fat-pocketed foreigners nor needs to for his/her living. I do wish I had more time to show them a full week in my old life.
*My first go at wakeboarding in Bangkok at the cable ski in Bang Na. Just tried again over the weekend on a boat in Singapore, which was much more fun / easier to get the hang of. Brian's vague tip of "I dunno how to describe it man, you just gotta feel the water" did not prevent me from falling for the first hour in my Bangkok try.
I didn't want to tell my sis she gained a few pounds (20?), but I was a little bit thrown off when I first saw her. That said, she seemed generally happy and I felt the same to see her - it had been a long time since we last met. Short visits are good - no arguing!
*Family reunion in Bangkok - Mom comes to the club again, and doesn't drink (phew)
My Mom is a sweetheart, what can I say? She only spent a day in Singapore and I came home from work exhausted, to a huge plate of beef strauganoff. Gotta miss that home cooking! She's always so bright and a bit quirky, despite her age and laundry list of experiences. If there is someone whose travels I may never top as well, it's her. Can you actually inherit a travel bug gene?
*Brian, crocodile hunter, trying to feed grilled chicken to giant monitor lizards in Bangkok's Lumpini Park
My first trip back to the states in one and a half years should be a riot, but I know I'll be back before I can taste the California life again. I at the very least hope to taste real Mexican food, oh my god I can't find authentic at all in South East Asia. I'm never going back in December again by the way - life out here has reinforced my hatred of cold wind/rain, and early sundowns.
P.S. I went to the TexMex American restaurant Chili's in Singapore last night with some homies, and PIGGED OUT. I now realize why a load of my classmates are now gaining weight over there. No offense if you are one of them! It's damn tough to resist, haha. "Chili's..baaaby back riiiiiibbs,
1 comment:
I always want to go to Ministry of Sound in EU. Do you know we had one in Bkk long time ago?
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