29 July 2003: Frankfurt

Frankfurt is the first opportunity I have had to see some truly old buildings. I am sure that this will eventually all become blase, but the beautiful 16th century buildings are pretty damn cool at this point to me! Beside the Dom, a wonderful cathedral were a bunch of Roman ruins which I got to wander as well.

In contrast to Singapore, very few Frankfurters seem to speak English but with appropriate handwaving you can make yourself known.

By marvellous coincidence Paul and Sheila were having a bit of a holiday from Geneva and going to Germany, so they kindly picked me up from the airport and have been taking me around with them exploring Frankfurt and its surrounds.
Their two kids seem to have shot up since last I saw them, and both Daniel and Nicholas are lovely chatty children, who dealt remarkably well with the travelling and disturbance. Paul and Sheila were absolutely wonderful and picked me up from the airport at 5.30 am and dropped me off again too, and took marvellous care of me.

My digestive system has been in protest ever since the plane trip from Singapore - I blame the unidentifiable cubes of gelatinous goo that came with breakfast; these were surrounded by some prawns and squid rings and as I tend to be a bit sensitive to seafood, I reckon they were the problem. (I didn't eat the prawns or squid rings). Mind you I haven't given my body a rest since I arrived in Germany either with wurst and noodles for lunch and a pepper hamburger/steak with fried potatoes for dinner.

I feel like I have been having the grand German culinary experience.

Finding Burg Frankenstein was pure accident really. We were on our way to Heidelberg, missed the turnoff and saw a small sign. Curiosity overwhelmed and we just had to take the chance. Well worth the effort indeed!

Well wurst upon wurst later and a trip to the zoo and off to London I flew. For my London journal, take a look at the current journal.

Busy day today.  Booked out of the hotel room and headed for the MRT (trains) station.  Caught the train to the harbour and then took the cable car to Sentosa Island.  I was terribly brave/foolish and decided to get the glass bottomed cable car so got an all around view of the trip.  It was grand. 

I took heaps and heaps and heaps of pictures at the butterfly house, so I have much to show anyone willing to sit down for long enough. I will, however, make them a separate webpage so you don t actually  have to have it inflicted upon you.  The beach at Sentosa looks like something out of a movie set, and the view from the 37 metre high merlion was pretty impressive.  But the thing I liked most (apart from the butterflies) was the dragon walk.  Make sure you take a look at the photos once I have them up.  Sentosa is one of those places where it costs you to breathe, but I was very frugal, and only paid for the transport, island entrance, merlion and butterfly house. The musical fountain, monorail, dragon walk etc. were all free.  I advise buying your touristy things in Chinatown rather than on Sentosa; something that costs you $15 will only cost $3.30 in Chinatown. 

My real indulgence for this visit to Singapore was a butterfly pendant. Two of my friends gave me a butterfly pendant on a chain before I left, and I have decided that I am going to attempt to buy a butterfly in every country I visit, so thanks so much for my Australian butterfly, and being an inspiration guys!

28 July 2003

Postscript. I have concluded that Singapore is dead in the morning, but boy does it rock at night!

Just around the corner from the hotel at which I am staying, are all sorts of great street markets. I discovered this morning that nothing really opens before about 11am, however this evening I wandered Smith street and had a great dinner from the street vendors there. Dinner was a bbq pork bun (the best I think I have ever eaten)(S$1), some noodles with pork and vegetables (S$4), and dessert (S4). I couldn't decide between ice kachang and bean celang, so I had both and ate half of each. The bean celang was kind of odd but good; red beans and strange green wormy things, with coconut cream over the top. Relatively normal compared to the ice kachang.

The ice kachang had the same green wormy things, red beans, some dark purply noodly sort of things, three transparent blobs of um..... I have no idea what. On top of this rather appetising sounding mixture was a mountain of shaved ice (which was SO welcome in this stifling heat). Poured over the shaved ice was a green syrup which didn't seem to be sweet, a red syrup which tasted like brown sugar, and creamed corn. Yes creamed corn. I had to take a photo but I don't know how well they will turn out. The final concoction was, well, strange. Not sure if I liked it or not. It was cold. I liked that.
The whole day looks to have cost me $80. Not too bad; three meals, sore feet, many bottles of water, and some great food. Yet another tailor tried to persuade me to get a suit made, and not one clothes shop had anything I would be willing to wear, in my size. I could have bought a Kamahl outfit for $20 but somehow I was able to resist temptation.(grin)

I do hope to buy a butterfly charm tomorrow, or maybe a mer-lion.

28 July 2003

My first day in Singapore. It is steamingly hot; about 30 degrees and humid as hades. Still at least the sun is shining! I arrived last night at about 9.35pm, when it was still 28 degrees. After booking in to my hotel, I wandered across the road to a little cafe where I had my first Singaporean meal; ginger chicken and rice. Food here seems to be pretty cheap, depending a little where you get it. This cost me S$4. I am glad I made the choice not to pay the extra for a hotel where breakfast was included.

I had a good long wander around Chinatown, and was accosted by tailors. Yep, tailors. All the other shop keepers around seem to be happy for you to wander into their shop or not, but the tailors have head hunters that do nothing but wait outside the shop to persuade you in. As much as I would dearly love to have a tailored jacket, skirt and top, the S$450 is just not something I have handy!
I took a business card however, and will pass that on to someone who I know would love to get a suit made one day.

The hotel is quite ok. It is renovated chinese shops, and although the rooms are absolutely tiny they have everything I need, including a good firm bed, and a safe for some of my valuables.

Little India was a bit of a dive; terribly battered and a bit dodgy feeling. I did get a great laksa nearby; headed for the food hall filled with Singaporeans. I had a great chicken bun in Chinatown for breakfast - I think I might be doing the culinary tour of the world, as I can't afford much beyond the food I am eating! Still, I picked up a few little bits to send home to mum for people to play with from a shop which was basically filled to the brim with party accessories.

Jenny would have a field day in that one... just seemed to be her sort of place.

Anyway, my internet access is a bit limited, and I can't actually download the little program I need to open it all up the way I need it to, so you don't get any pics yet. You will all just have to wait!

24 July 2003

My last work day. Its quite amazing how much bumpf you can collect over 7 or so years in a Department! Still, there was less than I actually expected to have, and it has given me the chance to sort some of it out and dispose of it thoughtfully.

23 July 2003

Today was my work farewell. Lunch with the Branch which was lovely; they gave me a wonderful book on working in the UK and a travel journal, which will be great for writing down everthing as I go, so I can update this journal in the evenings.

Afternoon tea with all sorts of friends from all over the Department. Friends from choir, AQIS, fire wardens and people I know from all over the place came around. I got some more tips for the travel tips page, and lots of warm encouragement both to have a good time, and to return.

22 July 2003

So much to do, so little time!

The weekend was filled with farewells, and I was hard put not to spend most of it in tears. I know I will have a great time in Europe, but I know too that I am going to miss everyone here heaps. Saturday was lunch at the Pide house and Saturday night a party at my friend Kate's. Both were heaps of fun and when I left Kate's house at 3.30am there were still people partying.

Monday night was my final rehearsal with Concordia Mirabilis (I am a member of an early music ensemble). We have been recording a cd of renaissance dance music. There is still some recording to go, but all the bits in which I play are, for better or worse, done.

I finish work on Thursday and am rushing around packing and clearing my desk. I bought a suitcase and some money at lunchtim - $107 bought me 55 Euro. They are really rather pretty, I will have to get a photo of them and load it up for you to look at. I was given some English pounds and coinage on the weekend, so am feeling all cashed up. ;-)

Sadly I still haven't managed to sell the car.

10 July 2003

Now trying to sell my car.. anyone want to buy a great Hyundai Excel?

3 July 2003

Picked up my tickets today. It is all beginning to become very real, and I am getting a bit panicked about it all!