Singapore/Melbourne

Hello mate

Insane 5 days have just passed. Quite an adventure, I'll try and keep it short and schweet.
Flew to Singapore, stayed in a gorgeous hotel. Went shopping in Bugis Street (shopping markets etc) and had some freaky local Singaporean food (preferred to travel alone, am getting quite good at it now) because crew wanted to go eat at fancy restaurants, shop in malls and take cabs. Boring!!!!
Ate some freaky fruit (beautiful bright pink skinned with snow white inside and black little pips, tastes like kiwi). Weather in Singapore was tropical, hot humid and raining. Loved it.
Then we went to Melbourne, Australia where I started losing my sleep (all the timezones confused my body terribly). Melbourne city felt like Cape Town to me. I traveled to Geelong (75kms from Mel, which felt like Stellenbosch) and met Param's brother, sister-in-law and their cute son. Spent the day with sis in law. Took train back, the train has this awesome toilet system with doors sliding open by the push of a little button, full length mirror inside, and very spacious and clean. Amazing what we get used to in SA:) Getting onboard is like getting on an aircraft, haha. Getting greeted, friendly service and getting information by the driver. Back in Melbourne, I went around in the city, looking for a specific street. After a long time, getting stressed because I'm running out of time, and already out of airtime (stupid prepaid) I finally meet Rochelle!!!! Yes, and it was SO AWESOME to see her there. She came back to my hotel, laughing and taking photos of me with a scary cloth mask on my face trying to re-energize my eyes and skin because of no sleep and again on my way to my next flight back to Singapore. Melbourne was cool, weather like Cape Town's - 4 seasons in one day. Their money is even more colorful than Monopoly's. For example bright seablue with yellow patches, haha etc. On the flight back, we experienced the worst turbulence ever (never want to go through that again). It was not expected and it lasted for about 25 mins. I was just praying all the way.
Back in Singapore, I crashed on my bed and woke up with my phone underneath me. Never heard the alarm, but obviously the body responded and switched it off. Anyway, had very good sleep, was later than planned, but not too late to travel. Took the trains again (my word, now this place's train system seriously impressed me) I was taking trains back and forth as if I've been living in Singapore for years. Excellent, you just can't go wrong. I traveled to Sentosa island, very close. It is very commercialized unfortunately, however I had great fun. Had to go see the PINK dolphins (no, this is not a band's name, but real dolphins that are pink). They have this cool ride called, the LUGE. It's almost like go-carting. Uses no petrol, works on gravity. Oh, Singapore is extremely clean and totally into recycling and being green. Loved it. You get fined a 1000 dollars if caught smoking in the trains, or even just eating or drinking and littering where you're not supposed to. So, traveled all over Sentosa island, even did a quick Dragon Trail nature walk in the rain forest.
People in Singapore I experienced as REALLY friendly and helpful. I had a nice chat to one of the locals as we were going in the same direction walking back to my hotel. Even befriended our crew busdriver (he's a local), and he gave me a little history when we were coming from the airport. Lots of Indians in Singapore, and Chinese, Malays, Thais, etc etc

Then I went to Chinatown. Man, this was cool. I heard a few tourists talking lovely Afrikaans. Did a little shopping, had some crazy local Chinese food (nothing like the stuff we ever get in take away shops). Then got a Chinese massage. I had fallen sick by this time (symptoms of a cold), because I was in need of rest. I wanted to go to Little India also, but had to choose between that or a little snooze before my flight back to Dubai (which was right through the night).
I also understand now why people are going on about the crime in SA. Whenever someone I meet hears I'm from SA, that's the first thing they talk about. Again, we are used to it right? But now these few places that I've traveled to, are so damn safe. It's so cool.
Difficult to choose which photo's to put here, but LOTS more on facebook.
Hope you enjoyed the news
Merrrry xmas to you all!!!

Good day, see you later (as the Australians said as they left the plane)
A

a journey of a thousand miles... (Birmingham)

Well hellu

Imagine going to work and you step into your office, or class, or shop, whatever it is you do - and everyday you enter, you have a different manager and a different supervisor, a whole different team of between 11-19 people that you work with. And you have to become one, a team within 5 minutes and within 1hour you feel like you've known them for years. And after a sometimes hard, sometimes short, sometimes long day, you leave your office/class/shop and step out and just happen to be in another country, haha. Breathe in some Pakistani air, or watch the sunset in Istanbul, or feel the rain in Paris. But just to take this a step further, you loose the definition of what a day really is. Or rather the definition of a day changes into anything that is 24hrs. You might be going to and/or leaving your office 2am or 11pm or 3h15pm and sleep for 8hours whenever your work has finished. Now this last step might give some of you the creeps, thinking that there is no routine. This is the part I love most. It is quite crazy and I don't feel bad for sleeping till 3 o'clock in the afternoon anymore:) Everyday is literally a new day...

So, I saw my pookie in Johannesburg and it was magical;) Say no more. Was good seeing the love of my life.
Then I did Bahrain and Doha both in one day, sheesh what an experience. And now I have just returned from Birmingham. My first time in the UK. Unfortunately I have only one photo, dunno if I did something wrong when charging the camera battery:( but it died on me. My cousin came to visit me while I was there, what a nice surprise (she knew I was coming, and found out where I stayed). Took me to this beautiful lake and park. Afterward, when they left, I was too tired (and the weather too miff) to travel around and just went shopping. Found the cutest things in shops - believe it or not, but they have VERY healthy items in the shops and I sommer did grocery shopping because of all the things I found. Service in Birmingham I found extremely good, friendly and helpful, even the cleaners speak with their posh accent giving me professional (because everything sounds PROFESSIONAL in real English, haha) to the loo's. The robots (gosh, people think I'm little loony when I say that here, so traffic lights from now on) turn orange again before they turn green. I thought that was nice. I quite enjoyed my stay I must say, although the flight back was awful. 6 hours of no breaks, these English drink too much, hehe.. I am starting to (after 3 weeks of flying) get the hang of things. Finally finding my way around the (different) aircrafts, or getting there at least:)

Now I chill again (and recover from jetlag) for 3 days, then I go to Joburg again.
Well that's all for now. Looking forward to any replies.


Wishing you all a very happy and festive season, a merry xmas - and may the year 2008 be the beginning of yet more learnings, discoveries, new insights and great changes and prosperity. Sending you lots of good vibes and love.

Goodbye then
A