Singapore 1st half

7/28 Thursday- Arrival and evening out at the East Coast

The day I left for Singapore was an early start. Thursday morning I caught the 5:12AM train to Mito. I met two friends at Mito Station and took a bus to the airport with them. Three more friends joined on the way. We all exchanged money at the airport to get Singaporean dollars before boarding our flight. It took about 7 hours to reach Singapore, with only one hour time difference.

My friend Ying Ying and her older brother met me at the airport. The Pastor of Bedok Church of Christ and his son came to meet the rest of the group. My friends from Japan that I flew with were all traveling together to Chang Mai, Thailand to attend the Asian Mission Forum. While they were in Thailand I stayed in Singapore to visit with my friend for a week. On August 5^th, I met up with my other teammates from Japan that I would be traveling with to Cambodia.

I met Ying Ying at Tokyo orientation last summer when she first arrived. She is Singaporean and came by the Jet Christian Fellowship table during the AJET fair. That’s when I found out she was going to be living in Iwaki, in the prefecture just north of mine. We met again at a JCF Retreat and later she came to visit me and I introduced her to her first Thanksgiving at Mito Church of Christ. Her town is fairly close to the Fukushima power plant and after the March 11^th earthquake she made the decision to return to Singapore. I had planned to go to Cambodia back in March, but had to cancel my plans after the earthquake. It worked out that I had to reschedule my trip for August because it allowed me to visit Ying Ying and her family in Singapore.

After leaving the airport her brother drove us to an open air food court near the beach. We drank coconut juice out of huge coconuts and snacked on beef, chicken and mutton satay.

We walked along the beach along the East Coast of Singapore and looked out at all the ships. Most of the ships had nowhere to go since business was really slow, so many park their ship in the free harbor.

As we were looking out at the sea we saw a strange looking creature. At first I thought it might be a giant crab, but it was flipped over on its back so it was hard to tell. Ying Ying thought it was some kind of sea cockroach. Her brother Yang helped flip it over and it scurried back into the water.

I flew into Changi Airport, which is on the East side of Singapore and Ying Ying lives on the West side. So we had to drive through the city and downtown area of Singapore to get to her house.

They took me to watch the night show near the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Seeing all the skyscrapers, crowds and diverse population reminded me of Chicago.

After the show ended we walked inside the lovely air conditioned Marina Bay Sands Hotel for while. I was surprised to see an iceskating rink and man made river complete with gondola boats! We walked around the mall and shared our earthquake stories over smoothies.

Some interesting things I learned about Singapore were that you can be fined up to $5,000 for cutting down a tree and you can also be fined for chewing gum and littering! People do not use dryers for laundry, but rather hang their clothes outside on bamboo sticks since the weather is hot all year round.

According to my friend, Singapore only has two types of weather- sunny and rainy with monsoon season at the end of the year. I was also happy to hear her say that Singapore sits in the middle of a tectonic plate, so there haven`t been earthquakes in Singapore!

7/29 Friday- New foods and shopping

Ying Ying and I slept in and then walked around her neighborhood and ate lunch at the local Hawker centre. Hawker centre means food centre in Chinese. They are usually open air complexes with many stalls that sell inexpensive food. Our brunch that day cost about $5 total including drinks! Brunch included minced beef, mushroom, meatball, noodles with hot chili sauce, accompanied by rice flour cakes with sweet minced beef and chili sauce and sugar cane juice.

These Hawker centres were where I ate many of my meals in Singapore. We headed back to her place after brunch to relax a little before heading out again. I met Ying Ying`s younger brother who is an university student. Ying Ying took me to one of the many malls in Singapore and we shopped for a few hours before going to dinner at a Hong Kong Restaurant. I ordered Cheese baked rice and we split French toast with peanut butter. This was a first for me and the French toast was two pieces of bread with peanut butter in the middle and honey drizzled on top, it was so delicious!

After dinner we visited Keppel Marina and Bay and walked along the boardwalk and pier.

It was really relaxing and saw the resort/theme park Sentosa all lit up at night. We also caught a little bit of the fireworks show. We left the bay and drove to the airport to pick up Ying Ying`s parents who were returning from a short trip to Hong Kong. Her parents only spoke Chinese and knew very little English, but we learned to communicate with each other using simple English and gestures. On the way home from the airport we stopped for a late supper so her parents could eat. They offered me something to eat, but I was still full from dinner, so I just ordered a malt drink. Her father wanted me to try durian fruit, but decided it was best to save it for another time.

7/30 Saturday- Sentosa theme park and resort

We slept in again and went to Ying Ying`s grandma and grandpa`s house for lunch. They live in the next block over, about a 5 minute walk from Ying Ying`s place. Every Saturday her grandma cooks lunch and invites the family over. When I first walked in the door her grandma started speaking to me in Mandarin and Ying Ying had to explain to her that I wasn`t Chinese and didn`t speak Mandarin. Her grandma cooked quite a meal including rice, sweet/spicy shrimp, marinated pork and mushroom, egg and veges, another vege dish and soup. It was a little similar to a Japanese meal in the sense that there were many dishes. But, the flavors and way of eating the meal was very different. Singaporeans like sauce and gravy to pour over the rice and eat it together. They do use chopsticks, but usually eat with a spoon and fork. It was great having a home cooked meal and we finished it off with herbal tea.

Ying Ying and I drove to Sentosa which includes Universal Studios, casino, beaches, indoor skydiving, zipline and dolphin shows just to name a few. I really wanted to do the zipline, but Ying Ying had already done it once so I decided to do it alone. She agreed to take pictures and meet me on the other side. The Megazip was 450 meters over trees, beach and lagoon.

There was an amazing view of the South China Sea from the top of the tower where the zip line began. It was a quick, but fun ride and I ended up getting stuck over the lagoon. They had to throw me another cable and pull me the rest of the way!

We walked to a few beaches before deciding on one to lay out on. The sun was shining brightly as we looked out at the clear, blue water.

Later in the afternoon Ying Ying and I walked across the bridge to an island that is the southernmost point of Continental Asia. We went up to the lookout towers just before sunset and the view was stunning.

August 9^th was Singapore`s National Day, so we saw many military jets flying the national flag over the sea.

After taking lots of sunset pictures we headed to McDonald`s for dinner. I have never been a huge fan of McDonald’s and try to avoid eating there especially while visiting other countries, unless it is a last resort. However, being at a theme park food was quite expensive and Ying Ying said that I must try the Mcspicy chicken sandwich at McDonald’s since you cannot get it at other McDonalds. I agreed and that sandwich lived up to its name and was definitely spicy! Another unique aspect of this McDonalds was dipping our fries in chili and curry sauce. This was the first time I also tried the drink Milo. I liked Milo because it tasted like chocolate milk and cocoa. After dinner we took a lift for the luge ride. This was the first time I had taken a lift that was not at a ski resort. Ying Ying is afraid of heights, but was a good sport and went anyways, but kept her eyes firmly shut on the lift. It was fun going down the lit up track in our go cart/luge vehicle at night.

After the ride we went to watch the Sounds of the Sea show; a musical, light, fire and water show.

7/31 Sunday- Chinese Church

I decided to go to the Chinese service with Ying Ying, since that is the one she usually attends. There was an English service in the morning, but I wanted to experience something different and meet her friends. Since the Chinese service wasn’t until late afternoon we went to eat chicken rice with her family and grandma at a Hawker centre. Her father told me that the place we ordered the chicken rice from was the best in Singapore.

Even though this was the only chicken rice I had while in Singapore I would have to agree! The rice is so flavorful because its cooked with chicken broth and the chicken was juicy and tender. During this meal I tried another new drink- avocado milk juice, which wasn’t too bad.

We took the train to church and I was surprised that they have plastic, reusable train tickets! When you return the ticket on the same day you get your $1 back. I also saw signs that read $500 fine for eating and drinking in the station. The famous smelly fruit, durian is also prohibited in train stations.

Ying Ying goes to Calvary Bible Presbyterian Church, on the more traditional and conservative side. The service was all in Chinese and Ying Ying tried to translate here and there for me. I recognized most of the hymns and the order of worship was similar to CCP`s. As we were singing the hymns I recognized some of the kanji characters, but the pronunciation was different from Japanese. After service went downstairs for refreshments and met some of Ying Ying`s church friends.

After mingling and chatting with people a group of YY`s friends , YY and I piled into one cars and went to dinner. It was interesting to learn that all of her friends have Christian or English names in addition to their Chinese names. Ying Ying use to go by her Christian name when she was younger, but prefers being called by her Chinese name now. At the restaurant we sat outside on the patio and ate fish head curry, bbq sting ray and some other seafood.

I enjoyed talking and hanging out with her friends. When traveling I sometimes enjoy spending time with people more than sightseeing because I get to learn from the people that actually live there and what their life is like. Went for ice cream after dinner and tried a scoop of durian flavored ice cream. This was my first taste of durian and I had been warned that durian has a strong smell and taste. The verdict: I did not care for it! I ended up ordering the mint chocolate, a much safer and tastier choice. As we munched on our ice cream Ying Ying, her friends and I laughed and talked about our future dreams, travel destinations and cultural differences. It was a great end to the night.

8/1 Monday- Pulu Ubin Island

Some of you may have noticed some themes in my travels such as the fact that I love to eat and try new foods, shop and meet people. Everyday YY made it her mission to introduce me to a new food and drink. So Monday was no different and started off with a tradition Singaporean breakfast of toast with kaya, a green colored coconut jam, half boiled egg mixed with soy sauce and strong coffee. We took a bus and train to the East side of Singapore where YY and I bought lunch called nasi lamak at another Hawker centre to take with us to Pulu Ubin island. Nasi lamak consists of rice, chicken, hard boiled egg, dried anchovies, cucumber, roasted peanuts and spicy sauce all wrapped in a banana leaf. We took a bum boat to the island which took about 20 minutes to reach.

Once on the island we rented bicycles to ride around. Our first destination was the Marshlands where we walked along a long bridge surrounded by water.

We ate our lunch in the shade on a bench overlooking the ocean. It was a delicious lunch with a fabulous view! After eating lunch we continued riding around on our bikes. The paths were not always paved, so a few times YY and I had to push our bikes up the inclines. We visited the quarry, a lake of deep, turquoise blue and snapped some pictures.

It was so hot and sunny that day and combined with riding our bikes, we were very sweaty. But, it was a nice tropical retreat with an added bonus of exercise! We said goodbye to Pulu Ubin and rode the bum boat back to Singapore.

Back in Singapore we headed to a mall for some air conditioning. YY wanted me to try some traditional snacks made out of rice and coconut. We decided to watch Harry Potter and movie tickets were so much cheaper than in Japan! The movie was so good, but sad that it was the last in the series. YY`s older brother came to pick us up from the mall and drove us to the top of Mt. Faber to see the view of the city at night.

It was a very clear night and the sky was amazing. We spent quite a bit of time at the top because the three of us had so much fun experimenting with our cameras and taking turns being models.

On the way home we stopped at a 24 hour Indian restaurant and ordered some Indian flatbread called prata with curry dipping sauce.

8/2 Tuesday- Culture Day and Night Safari

Waking up late soon became our routine and we headed to Toastbox for brunch. YY ordered something called pork floss toast and I ordered chicken curry and rice. Pork floss is thinly shaved pork on top of thick toast. I tried a bite of hers and it was interesting and surprisingly tasty. I was really craving some good bubbletea, so we went and stood in line in front of the popular Koi bubbletea. Whenever I order bubbletea in Japan I am always disappointed, but Koi’s bubbletea was one of the best that I’ve had and definitely worth the wait.

We decided to take a bus to Chinatown instead of the train so we could drink our bubble tea drinks. One thing I noticed at Chinatown in Singapore is that it is not as gaudy and decorated as the one in Yokohama in Japan. It was another hot day as we walked up and down the streets looking at the stalls of goods. I bought some souvenirs and Ying Ying helped me bargain to bring down the price.

After leaving Chinatown we headed to Little India. As soon as we stepped out of the train station the smell curry hit us. We walked down the street admiring flower lei necklaces being made by some of the locals. My friend encouraged me to get henna on my hand since I'd never done it before and the design lasted about a week!

We went into a few shops and made our way to Arab Street. There was a huge mosque called Sultan’s Mosque and lots of food stalls set up for Ramadan.

There were so many smells and interesting looking food, but we were meeting Ying Ying’s parents for dinner that night. We met them at a place near Ying Ying’s home and ate claypot rice. It reminded me of fried rice that had been cooked in a clay pot with soy sauce, chicken and Portuguese sausage.

Her parents drove YY and I to Night Safari on their way to bowling. Night safari was really cool because we were able to see all kinds of animals at night close up. We watched an animal show with all sorts of nocturnal creatures and rode the tram to see animals like rhinos, elephants, tigers up close. We took a walk along some trails to look at other animals like deer, otters and bats. I was surprised at how few bugs there were and I didn’t get bit by any mosquitoes!

8/3 Wednesday- Malaysia

YY had wanted to show me the canal by her place, so we walked to see the canal and ate fresh roti prata for brunch. I tried tissue roti prata which was an extremely thin, flaky and sweet version of the flatbread. YY’s father came home from work early because he offered to drive the family and I into Malaysia for the day. We prepared our passports, entry forms and exchanged money into Malaysian ringit. We drove north and crossed a bridge that connected Singapore to Malaysia. I was surprised at how quickly we reached Malaysia- about 40 minutes. We went shopping at a big mall in Johor Bahru. Her family wanted to take me to eat pork rib tea at a well known restaurant just over the border before going to the mall, but it was closed that day. Her father made some calls and found a sister restaurant a little farther away that we would go to for dinner. We ate at an Australian restaurant called Nandos in the mall. Afterwards, we all got root beer floats at A&W since there aren’t any A&Ws in Japan or Singapore. We walked around the mall and shopped until we dropped! I have never been to a mall with so many shoes and shoe shops. On the second level of the mall there were literally five shoe shops side by side and the prices were so cheap! It took all of my self control not to go shoe crazy and I ended up just buying one pair of sandals.

Ying Ying’s father’s brother lives in Malaysia and we drove to his house because he was joining us for dinner. In the car on the way there YY’s brother had a story to tell us. While the girls were busy shopping he had gone to the food court and ordered a cold coffee mocha drink from one the coffee shops. As he was drinking he saw something in his glass, but didn’t think much of it and just thought it was a big chocolate chip, so he ate it. But, it soon became clear that it was not a chocolate chip he was eating and tasted nothing like it. He saw another “chocolate chip” in his glass and this time took a closer look at it, only to realize to his horror that it was a cockroach! He had told the manager about it and the manager had simply apologized and given him another mocha free of charge. He had taken a picture of it on his phone and showed us in the car. I could tell he was quite disgusted and traumatized and YY and I felt so bad for him. Welcome to Malaysia…

While waiting for Ying Ying’s uncle we stopped at a durian stand. Durian is a very popular fruit in Singapore and Malaysia, but after tasting durian flavored ice cream I was dreading trying the real thing! The stand owner cut one open for us and her family and I gathered around the smelly fruit. Her brother does not like durian so he went off to look at DVDs. YY and her parents dug right in and started eating pieces of durian. I was handed a piece and took my first bite. As you can see by the reaction on my face it was as bad as I was expecting it to be. Not only is durian smelly, but it is also warm and creamy to the taste. Her parents encouraged me to finish my piece, but it was difficult enough to eat another bite. The taste also lingers in your mouth and hands. Needless to say I barely survived my durian eating experience and was confident that it was my last, but unfortunately it wouldn’t be.

We met up with YY’s uncle who drove us to the restaurant. Since it was farther away we drove for quite awhile which allowed me to see more of Malaysia. It was pretty different from Singapore with many more shops, strip malls and more run down looking. Once we reached the open air restaurant we sat down around a circular table and the waitresses came to take our orders. The ordering happened so quickly that I wasn’t quite sure what was happening until the waitresses came back with bowls of rice and dipping sauce. Picked veges and fritters were brought out along with the main course of marinated pork, intestine and liver. I tried to eat most of the meal, but passed on the intestine and liver. One thing I noticed in Singapore and Malaysia is that people do not linger over meals. The food is eaten quickly and people are quick to leave so the next group can sit down. So as soon as the meal was finished we left and headed back to her uncle’s house. We said goodbye and drove around to find a good massage place. Massages in Malaysia are really cheap, so YY and her family like going when they are in the country. Upon finding a good place YY’s father treated all of us to 45 minute foot massages. The message was strong and at some points hurt a little, but really loosened me up. We drove back over the border, this time entering Singapore from the west side. At customs they did a thorough check of the car and even checked the glove compartment. I asked YY why they checked there and she said they might be checking for gum since it's banned in Singapore!

8/4 Thursday- Orchard Road

Tried another Singaporean dish called duck rice. I’ve eaten duck in the states, but never duck rice. It was similar to chicken rice where the rice is flavored and the duck was really tender with dark sauce on top. YY and I went to Orchard Road known for its many many shops and malls. It’s similar to Michigan Avenue in Chicago and Ginza in Tokyo, but with more malls and department stores and not all high end. We went into Tang’s Department store to look for a black, chiffon, knee length, sleeveless dress for the wedding I’m in, in October. We didn’t have much luck in Tang’s so we went into another mall where I found the perfect dress for the wedding at a good price! I was so happy and thankful for my friend and all her help. We continued walking and shopping in various malls and shops. I don’t shop for clothes much in Japan and am not a huge fan of the flower and lace style. But, shopping in Singapore reminded me of shopping in Chicago with so many good stores! There were also quite a few English shops that I remember seeing and shopping at while I was in Brighton and London. After dinner my friend suggested we go to another area to shop, so we headed to Burgois Junction. The shops at Burgois Junction weren’t as crowded and overwhelming as Orchard Road. But, this was literally a shop till you drop day and we were both exhausted after shopping for the entire day!

8/5 Friday- last day with Ying Ying

Ying Ying went into work in the morning and left the house really early. She works at a school as a teacher. I slept in and packed up the rest of my things. Her mother came home while I was packing with food for her brother and I. I ate lunch with her brother and mother. Her mother left to go visit a relative, so we said our goodbyes. I tried to speak in simple English and she was able to understand me for the most part vice versa. I walked to the train station near YY’s place and met her after work. We walked around a little and then her father came and picked us up with my luggage already in the car. He drove me to Bedok Church where I was suppose to meet up with the rest of the group from Japan. The church was on the east side and we got a little lost trying to find it. Eventually, we found it and the Pastor’s son met me at the church. I said goodbye and thanked Ying Ying and her father for their hospitality.

Kevin helped me with my luggage and showed me where I would be staying. The church building where the sanctuary is located also has a living space with common area, three bedrooms, bathroom/shower and laundry room. That is where my teammates and I from Japan stayed while in Singapore.

The second leg of my trip was a mission trip to Cambodia. I was joined by 10 other people from Japan, mostly friends from Mito Church, 9 Singaporeans from Bedok Church and a couple from Malaysia. We gathered for a seafood feast that evening and enjoyed fellowship together. After dinner we walked along the coast and watched the planes fly into Changi Airport.

8/6 Saturday- Culture Day

On Saturday we went to Changi Chapel, which is a museum about the Japanese occupation in Singapore during WWII. It was difficult at times to look at the pictures and read about the horrible treatment of POW’s during that time. There were also accounts of POW’s that were forced to work on the Burma-Thailand Railroad. After walking through the museum our group discussed our reflections. For many of us, including myself it was the first time to learn about this part of Singapore’s history. It was even a first for many of the Japanese in our group. Learning about this part of history helped me realize the important bond between the Singapore and Japan team and the partnership they have together in Cambodia. It was an insightful experience and I am glad I had a chance to visit that museum.

Next stop was Arab Street to eat some Malay food and visit the Sultan Mosque. I had to wear a long, full length robe inside the mosque and I nearly passed out because it was so hot. It was my first time to enter a mosque and it was interesting to read about the various aspects of Islam. Singapore is very unique in the fact that there is such a mix of cultures and religions.

We headed back to Bedok Church that evening to meet in our planning groups for Cambodia to prepare materials for teaching. I met with the three other people I would be teaching English with and we prepped our flashcards and games. Members of Bedok Church cooked a potluck style meal for the Japan team that night and we enjoyed good food and fellowship with them.

8/7 Sunday- Church and Departure for Cambodia

It was nice to wake up, get ready and walk across the hall for worship service since we were staying at Bedok Church. I enjoyed singing praise songs, listening to scripture and hearing a message on “Does God Grieve?” There were two parts to the worship service- the morning was ministry of the word and the latter, ministry of the table with communion. In between was a tea time with a light meal (but more like a lunch). My Japanese Pastor and another Japanese teammate shared their testimonies that morning. After service some of the church members drove us to the airport. We boarded the plane for Cambodia and arrived in Siem Reap in the late afternoon.