Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Singapore

... it off with a drive down Orchard Road in the evening to see all the Christmas lights. This is really the first reminder that we have had that Xmas is looming, and Singapore definitely deals to it with style.

Thanks Gloria for a great afternoon!

The number of shopping malls in this city is amazing. There is mall after mall after mall. Many are very upmarket and glitzy with 100’s of designer shops. Fortunately I am not really a shopper ...

... at most. We walked from the station to Arab Street with its shop houses and on the Sultan Mosque.

We read the dress code and as we complied we took off our shoes and walked to the entrance where were were greeted by a man at the front of the mosque who welcomed us and waved us on into the mosque. As we turned to enter the mosque a lady offering audio guides asked if we wished to hire one. We declined politely and went to enter the mosque ...

... We hail him over, put our bags in and speed off. We pay him while he drives to save time. Explain the gravity of our situation. Almost 7:30 now, surely the gate will be closed. The driver picks up the pace and soon we screach to a halt outside the depatures gate. We have this rehursed. I'll grab my bag and run, while kate and sam unload the car. I see the check-in. There is no-one there. No passangers, no check-in clerck, no-one.... No, wait ...

... with getting the set menu...jellyfish, baby squid, shark fin soup, etc. I had to pass on that!

On the way back home, we stopped by the Baybeats show. They had a weekend full of musicians from all over SE Asia playing indie, rock, punk, etc, in an outdoor setting. The best bit was that it was all free. They still have the joss stick and burnings going on through out the city, as we noticed a eery ...

... to keep us there we got the local bus to Batu Ferrnghi where we would be staying for the next 3 nights. It seems that no matter where you go or what country you are in you always get the same annoying 14 year old lads talking **** and pestering girls on buses! Ok not denying that I was once like that but now I’m 25 and its just annoying now even more so after an epic 24 hour bus ride from Bangkok! Other than this we reached Batu Ferringhi without any problems.

Batu Ferringhi ...

... and language of newspapers left lying around I managed to get a completely inaccurate idea of who was staying there. Poirot I am not. Later on I met Andy and Mike, two of my dorm buddies, and we went out for a cheeky beer together. Andy is a German chap and Mike hails from Plymouth. We initially intended to only have a couple of drinks but a group of really nice Singaporeans invited us to join them, plied us with drinks and helped me regain faith in Singapore and it's ...

... and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind. It is this observation-based, self-exploratory journey to the common root of mind and body that dissolves mental impurity, resulting in a balanced mind full of love and compassion.

The scientific laws that operate one's thoughts, feelings, judgements and sensations ...

... 20 minutes of swearing at bank machines and trying all of our bank cards later, we managed to get some money out… the driver dropped us off in one of the main streets of KK and we found accomodation at the Stay-In lodge which was a large apartment block shared with other KK residents. It was really shabby but it was a bed for the night. Two things are for certain…. we would sleep tonight and we wouldn’t be staying very long at the Stay-In…..

... suddenly struck with the different resonance that that particular location can evoke between people of different generations. For me Changi has been one of the world’s most efficient and pleasant airports to spend a few hours in transit, and at this moment in particular we had the novelty of our impending first flight on the double-decker Airbus A380 Superjumbo (or, the Flying Dugong as I like to call it, due to the distinctive shape of the front of the ...

... me but for a worthy cause. From Kentar we left and sailed to Nongsa Point Marina, our first taste of civilisation for quiet a while. The marina at Nongsa Point was very modern and welcoming and we stayed two nights eating at the restaurant and frequenting the bar. We then departed the marina and gave notice to the Singapore Straits traffic control that we wanted to cross. This was essential not only for our own safety but those of the other boats. When the time ...