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Sunday in Singapore
Jun. 10th, 2007 11:25 pmI had a much better night; I thank your good thoughts and the melatonin, in that order.
Our host had a houseguest over the weekend other than me, and we all went out to lunch together. He's from KL, and works in clothing design. Very nice chap, David's the name. I conducted him to the MRT station, then turned to walk to the loo before getting on the train myself. I had one of those back spasms that will absolutely paralyse you. I managed to get to a pillar and stand against it, to the bemusement of a very hot guy across the path. I stood for a while and finally the spasm went away. Then I was off to Sim Lim Square to look around (but not shop).
One thing that has become clear to me is that Singapore has gotten much more crowded of late. The malls are more crowded, the streets even more crowded (and few people other than mad dogs and Englishmen walk on the streets in the midday sun here), and the MRT is crowded; I only got a seat twice out of six trips today.
My friend George gave me a call and said that he could have dinner tonight and that as his bf is going out of town for a meeting tomorrow, tonight would be best. So I went downtown again to meet them in Chinatown. We ate at Xinmin Vegetarian Restaurant, 29 Kreta Ayer Road, open each evening except Monday. They had a very nice Ma Po beancurd, and sweet and sour mock pork. Their English is limited, so you will have to point if you have no Chinese. But the food's worth it and not too dear.
Afterwards we met HWMBO and his brother for tea. We passed the new Temple of Buddha's Tooth in the centre of Chinatown. Apparently the temple was built right across the square from a big Methodist Church, which has taken exception to such a heathen building springing up so near to them. They are just pig-ignorant. Most Protestants here are even more fundamentalist than coldwater Babtists, and ignorant on top of it. Some feel that meditation is the devil's work, because Buddhists do so much of it. Tell that to the chaplain of Dunwoodie seminary, who made us meditate for 1/2 hour each morning back in the mid 1970's.
Tea, then home again. Early start tomorrow for the Chinese Embassy and my visa. Hope it goes OK.
Our host had a houseguest over the weekend other than me, and we all went out to lunch together. He's from KL, and works in clothing design. Very nice chap, David's the name. I conducted him to the MRT station, then turned to walk to the loo before getting on the train myself. I had one of those back spasms that will absolutely paralyse you. I managed to get to a pillar and stand against it, to the bemusement of a very hot guy across the path. I stood for a while and finally the spasm went away. Then I was off to Sim Lim Square to look around (but not shop).
One thing that has become clear to me is that Singapore has gotten much more crowded of late. The malls are more crowded, the streets even more crowded (and few people other than mad dogs and Englishmen walk on the streets in the midday sun here), and the MRT is crowded; I only got a seat twice out of six trips today.
My friend George gave me a call and said that he could have dinner tonight and that as his bf is going out of town for a meeting tomorrow, tonight would be best. So I went downtown again to meet them in Chinatown. We ate at Xinmin Vegetarian Restaurant, 29 Kreta Ayer Road, open each evening except Monday. They had a very nice Ma Po beancurd, and sweet and sour mock pork. Their English is limited, so you will have to point if you have no Chinese. But the food's worth it and not too dear.
Afterwards we met HWMBO and his brother for tea. We passed the new Temple of Buddha's Tooth in the centre of Chinatown. Apparently the temple was built right across the square from a big Methodist Church, which has taken exception to such a heathen building springing up so near to them. They are just pig-ignorant. Most Protestants here are even more fundamentalist than coldwater Babtists, and ignorant on top of it. Some feel that meditation is the devil's work, because Buddhists do so much of it. Tell that to the chaplain of Dunwoodie seminary, who made us meditate for 1/2 hour each morning back in the mid 1970's.
Tea, then home again. Early start tomorrow for the Chinese Embassy and my visa. Hope it goes OK.
