Singapore Day 1 Wrap-Up
More Starbucks differences: the Starbucks cards themselves are not displayed on the counter, only samples--you have to request the actual card. Most, maybe all, of the 12 stores I visited on Tuesday did not have bathrooms.
On the way back to the hostel I passed a ridiculous number of massage places, and also day spas. I thought Houston was the capital of massage and day spas, but Singapore, at least this part of Singapore, in Chinatown and nearby, could certainly give H-town a run for its massage money.
After nine stores I decided to take a break, and headed back to Chinatown to try out one of those parlors. I had no idea what to expect, but given the prices, 35 (x .78) for 45 minutes, I had to give it a try. The massage was actually pretty good, but nevertheless the place was still a front for prostitution. About 30 minutes in the masseuse asked if I wanted "service", and described a couple of options. I told her I wasn't interested (didn't want to "go out like a sucka", as they say (in places you've never heard of)), and she started to plead, saying I was her first customer and that she depending on the "service" to make a living. Still, I wasn't interested, but the price was so low that I tipped her 20 anyway--still a good massage for the price. Afterwards she explained that most of the parlors in Chinatown were like that.
Later in the afternoon, while sitting and waiting for a frame to clear of some lollygagging hotel guests, I noticed that my veins seemed unsually blue, and kind of "swollen" (not sure if that makes sense). I thought back to the massage, and to how the masseuse had offered me a cup of warm "water" before she started. I took just a sip, because my mouth was dry. Now maybe this is normal in Singapore, but I had to wonder if there was something in the water that was supposed to make me susceptible to her proposition, or perhaps woozy and easy to rob. I'm probably being paranoid, but I wondered if it was possible that the sip of liquid I consumed was enough to make me sick and make my veins swell. I've no idea, but regardless I'm worried about all these random welts, rashes, and itching that I've been noticing since I left the United States. I really don't want to look like those old people I see all over with weird stuff on their skin. I think I'd rather be dead. Good-looking corpse, right? Well, maybe it's too late for that.
But there was good news! Around 1:00 I had a pretty good call with SBS TV in South Korea, and it looked like I would be going to freeze my butt off in Seoul for a few weeks. But hey, if they're paying, I can handle the cold, right?
And my laptop finally stopped spewing ants--yay.
Crazy weather. One minute it would be sunny, the next a downpour, the next sunny, the next a drizzle, and so on throughout the day.
BBQ Chicken, a South Korean chain with locations all over Asia, and even Iran--had the chicken spaghetti, and it was pretty crappy for the price. Bah. To make up for my folly, I went the rest of the day without eating.
Across the river from the Fullerton store is this spectacular building, perched atop three towers. I was told this is a hotel, and that I would need to be a guest in order to get up to the top floors, and that the rooms probably cost in excess of $200. I have no idea how much of this is true, but as much as I would love to get up there, I'm not paying $$$ for that reason... unless I managed to find some hottie to spend the there with me. In that case, it would be worth it.
Along those lines, I had a long chat with a Canadian named Carrie-Ann who was on vacation from her librarian job in Wuhan. She showed me photos of the Raffles Hotel, where she had a very expensive ($25), but famous, drink, the Singapore Sling. Coincidentally, someone had posted to my FB that I should do this, and I responded that I certainly wasn't going to go have that drink by myself. Now if one of these hostelers that I've been chatting with would man up (in the campaign 2010 sense) and actually ask if I wanted to go get a drink, I'd gladly buy her as many Singapore Slings as she wanted. But what kind of witchcraft I would need to make that happen, is beyond me. And hey, let's, just put commas where, ever.
Anyway, Carrie-Ann had me add her on FB right before she left. Now let's see if she actually accepts my request when she gets back home to her computer.
Who wants to bet on this?