Day 1 - We Arrive!

Today T and I arrived in Singapore.  The flight was long, but lovely in a way.  Our seats were comfortable, we managed to sleep well, and I watched movie after movie as T read "Post War" beside me.  

As we flew, and passed over countries increasingly further than my ken, I was struck--possibly for the first time--how big the world is.  I say "possibly" because we love to travel, and maybe I have had this feeling before - maybe in Mauritius? Maybe in Budapest? As our flight map tracked our journey, north over Canada, the ocean, the Nordic countries, then arcing south through eastern Europe, Russia, Turkmenistan, Myanmar, I was struck by the fact the vast majority of my travels thus far have been centered on a rather small quadrant of the world. 

Its hot here.  When we landed, the windows of our plane fogged over, and beaded with condensation.  Arriving in the early morning, we drove into the city while it was still dark.  The downtown had yet to shake the mantel of night lights from the shoulders of its buildings and cranes.

We went to Arab town this morning.  As we walked between bolts of silks and polyesters, shopowners and tenders encouraged even the most fleeting glance.  As a New Yorker, that made me want to walk faster--not slower.  Was this right?  Will I settle in to these next two months, to this lack of settled-in-ness?

 

Nothing like food - even the unfamiliar - to help one settle in, and we did like pros.  With the auspicious sign of "Fish Head Curry" and a large handful of patrons enjoying an early lunch, T and I ducked into Al-Baik Mariam.  The cook behind a hot stove twirled thin, thinner, and thinnest dough between his hands.  When placed on the cooktop, it bubbled up as he sprinkled hot water on it.  Then a topping of that most foreign of ingredients - Kraft Singles -  to make a lovely bread.  

Two of those, please! With some fish curry and red chili chicken for good measure.  That's what I love about T--he dives in head first!  The breads were both chewy in parts, and papery thin in others.  Together wi

th a bit of the chili sauce, or a piece of fish, it was a welcome introduction to our adventure!

The thing about this heat and humidity t

hough, is that it really saps you.  We walked around Arab town a bit after lunch, walked around the Old Mosque, and came back to the hotel around noon.  Upon which time, we promptly settled in for a 5 hour nap!