A quick flight from Sydney, 3 films and two dinners and we arrive in Singapore. Immediately the humidity hits you like a hot towel, the temperature changes and it is a all new kind of heat, but not entirely unpleasant. Matt and Lap y los ninos have just moved here from England and are layed up in some serviced apartments in the centre of town. We head there in a very air conditioned taxi.
Great to see Matty, Lap, Tamsin and Kai and their swish apartment on the 21st floor of 'Great World'. Apartments, shopping, swimming pool and your whole life in a block! Its a halfway house for gringos coming to live in Singapore and every nationality is represented.
Singapore is very clean, in fact so clean you could drop your cheese sandwich on the pavement, tread on it by mistake, kick it around the drains, leave it 'til breakfast and you would be completely safe...but don't try that at home.
It is truly a 21st century town in ever sense. Four levels of transport, higher and lower flight, MRT, overland and underground and it all runs like clockwork to all the places you need to go and a lot of it is free. This doesn't account for the 'Mall' effect which overcomes you after 4 days in the Mall 'serviced' Apartments. Symptoms are snacking, adoration of sushi, slight jitters on leaving serviced apartment, desire to return to safe haven of apartment, lavish treatments in mall (reflexology, massage etc) leading to eventual breakdown of normal functions and browsing of Mall 'style' magazines and purchase of flat from internet!
We visit Chinatown, Little India and other old style areas which retain the last vestiges of old Singapore. Fascinating lines of old shop houses in the old style, which are reflected in the new 'Living Malls' we are staying in: variation on a theme of shop/apartment living. This is essential now as it is so hot and everything needs to be air conditioned. It is strange to wander along the street in stifling heat and every so often pass a mall door and feel the cool air flooding out onto the street. How did they manage the heat pre-electricity and air-con. I guess movement was at a premium and one didn't work 9-5 in the heat of the day for HSBC.
And then of course we visit Orchard Boulevard and press our noses up against every shop window and dribble over 98" plasma screens, Ipods (variegated colours) and all manner of indulgencies of the sensory purchase organs. Its heaven for gadget-oholics and people here SHOP!! Your credit card spookily finds its way into your hand (much like the ring that Frodo and Bilbo have to look after) and you move towards shops unconsciously aching to purchase - its unnerving, you could get seriously credited-up here!
On the Sunday the whole gang go to Raffles for the Tiffin Curry. This is a 33 dish curry event that goes on every day in the Tiffin Room at the Hotel and it is a festival of flavours. All the curries are exquisitely prepared to the highest level of taste orgasm. One small trifle of each dish is enough to send flavour flares to the outer reaches of you pleasure nodes and bathe you in sherbet baths of delirium.
So its not half bad. The lavish decor of the hotel and the white gloved waiters take you back 100 years to a time when one had the time to lunch, digest and rouse for high tea without fear of interruption from working practises...i talk of course of the idle classes. Its such a pleasure to then digest lunch wandering around the hallowed archways of Raffles which has been lovingly restored and then sold to a Chinese hotel chain. (used to be owned by Swisshotels until they fell into admin with Swissair although i find it hard not to utter a titter at any financial problems to befall Swiss companies as they are generally so smug, with their smart window boxes and perfect chocolate...pah!!!) It is also the Autumn festival in Singapore and there are lanterns adorning every building and park, with food stalls and stages set up in everywhere for evening celebrations.
On our final night we go for a small celebration at the East Coast restaurant 'resort'.The meal is amazing and we are in the biggest restaurant in the world. We are on table 548 and we are surrounded by 500 people, one of 10 restaurants...all the waitresses have PDA's and order on these, the food then arriving minutes later 'fresh as' and all correcto!!
Singapore imports everything it eats, drives or washes with. It is an incredible city of contrasts, energy and ingenuity. On top of that where do all the builders come from? In England you can't get somebody to tile your bathroom and here everywhere is a building site. We are very smug in Europe but the impression is that
the East has got a lot further towards 'many people city living' and sharing the same space comfortably...town planners, please come to 'Red Dot'
Made a lucky escape from the mall and got out with credit virtually in tact, phew. Still feel slight jitters in the legs when i leave any mall...must aleviate with visit to Shakspeares house!!!
Wednesday 26 September 2007
Thursday 20 September 2007
23000km later, Sydney and birthdays
A quick flight from Ballina and back to the starting point in June, lovely, gorgeous Sydney! Time flies and we arrive back in Sydney with a better view of Australia as a country and its potential for its occupants. Its a massive country with vast wealth in mineral, cultural and landscape terms. The people are optimistic, proud and determined to let the world share in their fortune. The word competitive springs to everyones mind with the mention of Australia in the sporting arena, and rightly so, but i think that pertains mainly to sport and they are much more thoughtful and level headed in other areas. The countries treatment of the Aboriginies is rubbish but England doesn't have too much to be proud of in the treatment of Indigenous populations and to support Australia in this sticky issue is the most constructive approach. Great to be back with Nick and Nikki and to have CloDeli around the corner again for large breakfasts and a place to sit and watch the world go past in Clovelly. Its a busy mini street with all the essentials available: Clodeli is the hub and people who breakfast from all walks are in and out for take outs or a sit-downs.
The 'Tagine' is particularly yummy, hot and tasty with poached eggs laced with peperoni sausage in a spiced sauce washed down with a frothed flat-white (latte in anybody elses language).
We are in for a birthday treat with some old KJCérs coming around for a catch up and a supper. A double celebration as Nick is off to climb Kilimanjaroo and is leaving the next day via Dar Es Salaam (Always sounds exotic and dangerous) before setting off to climb the peak which is 5895m although it is made up of three distinct peaks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kilimanjaro
We have a fantastic dinner with some great company complete with a highly competitive game of 'Articulate' which became competitive as a direct result of the formation of teams - Old KJCérs against the rest of the world...which arouses the latent competitive fire in any aussies gut...game on!
Lovely evening with a little back-slapping about how good we all look for our age and how there couldn't be a better looking group in the world sitting down for dinner
looking less like their age etc etc...foolish words man. Please welcome..the 40+ hangover that takes a week to clear...the sort an average student can shake off by 11 before joining the Olympic drinking team for a weekend saturated in spirit...alas, i knew you well, once.
We set off on the Sunday (still a day to go before the birthday but this is one to last a few days) for Melbourne with Jetstar who drop us off at Avalon airport on the west side of Geelong. We set off north which will take us through Ararat, Warracknabeal, Ballarat and places to Brad, Sue and Wills house. Them we met in Heron Island live in a beautiful agricultural area north of Warracknabeal. This is our final destination. On the way we stop in at Ararat to meet Brian Bourne (no relation to Jason), our guru and friend from Henley who is working a locum in a chiropractic practise. It is very cold here and this is it...its beautiful, the sun shines but a cold wind runs up the high street, up your trousers, through every crack in your house and you remain cold for a good portion of the year. We lunch and then Brian kindly gives us a treatment in the new practise. It feels like home!!
Next stop, Gualquil and the house that Brad and Sue built...with a little help from Will, their son. We arrive late in the evening and there is a supper and the largest choco cake sitting waiting for our attention. Great night and a chocolate cake that really is just chocolate...marvellous...we have to finish it off in the morning.
We get a tour of the farm in the morning, the land is parched a little and rain is needed now or as soon as..it is distinctly possible that it may not! Its a fertile area but is in a rain shadow and it is always a close thing on the crops. The wheat is looking a little short and there is brown appearing in sections...water please. We visit the goat colony - 500 or so - very popular with the Asian market and are good hardy animals to rear, they remind me of Isla Juan Fernandez - or Robinson Crusoe Island and the goats there which lived in perfect isolation without any particular problem for 300 years or so. Its a lovely farm and a real insight into the farming community in Victoria and Australia...bit like blighty really, same public indifference to the farmers plight. Will has just mastered the bi-cycle and it is an onour to see him careering around the yard for the first time.
We have very important dinner date in Melbourne for the third of its kind on this birthday...never tire of it. We arrive at Julien and Nicoles for a slurp of champagne before off for a top nosher at The Sails restaurant on Elwood seafront. It is brilliant and rounds off the birthday celebrations...a real treat and gracious, thanks to all those that took part!!
Back to Sydney via Jetstar for our last few days in Aus. Nikki, Nick and Alice have bought us tickets for Il Tricotto, Puccini at the Opera House...what an absolute treat and a great send off from Sydney. The performance is totally brilliant, the cast, the orchestra and the setting. Great birthday all round.
Now Asia and the Orient...with lashings of green curry, toast, Marmite and afternoon tea!
The 'Tagine' is particularly yummy, hot and tasty with poached eggs laced with peperoni sausage in a spiced sauce washed down with a frothed flat-white (latte in anybody elses language).
We are in for a birthday treat with some old KJCérs coming around for a catch up and a supper. A double celebration as Nick is off to climb Kilimanjaroo and is leaving the next day via Dar Es Salaam (Always sounds exotic and dangerous) before setting off to climb the peak which is 5895m although it is made up of three distinct peaks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kilimanjaro
We have a fantastic dinner with some great company complete with a highly competitive game of 'Articulate' which became competitive as a direct result of the formation of teams - Old KJCérs against the rest of the world...which arouses the latent competitive fire in any aussies gut...game on!
Lovely evening with a little back-slapping about how good we all look for our age and how there couldn't be a better looking group in the world sitting down for dinner
looking less like their age etc etc...foolish words man. Please welcome..the 40+ hangover that takes a week to clear...the sort an average student can shake off by 11 before joining the Olympic drinking team for a weekend saturated in spirit...alas, i knew you well, once.
We set off on the Sunday (still a day to go before the birthday but this is one to last a few days) for Melbourne with Jetstar who drop us off at Avalon airport on the west side of Geelong. We set off north which will take us through Ararat, Warracknabeal, Ballarat and places to Brad, Sue and Wills house. Them we met in Heron Island live in a beautiful agricultural area north of Warracknabeal. This is our final destination. On the way we stop in at Ararat to meet Brian Bourne (no relation to Jason), our guru and friend from Henley who is working a locum in a chiropractic practise. It is very cold here and this is it...its beautiful, the sun shines but a cold wind runs up the high street, up your trousers, through every crack in your house and you remain cold for a good portion of the year. We lunch and then Brian kindly gives us a treatment in the new practise. It feels like home!!
Next stop, Gualquil and the house that Brad and Sue built...with a little help from Will, their son. We arrive late in the evening and there is a supper and the largest choco cake sitting waiting for our attention. Great night and a chocolate cake that really is just chocolate...marvellous...we have to finish it off in the morning.
We get a tour of the farm in the morning, the land is parched a little and rain is needed now or as soon as..it is distinctly possible that it may not! Its a fertile area but is in a rain shadow and it is always a close thing on the crops. The wheat is looking a little short and there is brown appearing in sections...water please. We visit the goat colony - 500 or so - very popular with the Asian market and are good hardy animals to rear, they remind me of Isla Juan Fernandez - or Robinson Crusoe Island and the goats there which lived in perfect isolation without any particular problem for 300 years or so. Its a lovely farm and a real insight into the farming community in Victoria and Australia...bit like blighty really, same public indifference to the farmers plight. Will has just mastered the bi-cycle and it is an onour to see him careering around the yard for the first time.
We have very important dinner date in Melbourne for the third of its kind on this birthday...never tire of it. We arrive at Julien and Nicoles for a slurp of champagne before off for a top nosher at The Sails restaurant on Elwood seafront. It is brilliant and rounds off the birthday celebrations...a real treat and gracious, thanks to all those that took part!!
Back to Sydney via Jetstar for our last few days in Aus. Nikki, Nick and Alice have bought us tickets for Il Tricotto, Puccini at the Opera House...what an absolute treat and a great send off from Sydney. The performance is totally brilliant, the cast, the orchestra and the setting. Great birthday all round.
Now Asia and the Orient...with lashings of green curry, toast, Marmite and afternoon tea!
Friday 14 September 2007
Brisbane to Byron Bay
We arrive in Brisbane and check into the same hotel as Malcolm and Mike, in fact the next room with a view over the Brisbane CBD where building is going on at a rampant pace...the same as the rest of Australia. Brisbanes population is anticiapted to rise from 1.4 million to 4 million by 2020...phew!
Quick dinner with Malcolm and Mike in the Southbank which bears a striking resemblance to Londons Southbank although the view across the harbour and relentless water taxis whisking people to all ports on the harbourside is where the comparison falls lame. Londons underused waterway, one of the greatest in the world is a travesty, even the Romans had water taxis to the northshore for 15 dinari!
In the morning we catch the Byron expressbus. It takes you straight to Byron through the attractive rolling hills along the highway going south. Byron is an island of serenity amongst towns bearing a striking resemblence to its US brethren with all things 'fastfood', allbeit with a charming addition of the Aussie slant. Every town has a blockbuster out of town shopping mall to augment the small line of original shops trying to 'bust' a living on scant takings. The growth of all the coastal towns is stratospheric...what is the legacy?
Byron is still as 'Byronesque' as we arrive in Shirley Street. People of all ages and degrees of hippydom parading with a definite feeling that you have come to animal farm for backpackers. The average age has plummeted from 52 to 27 by crossing the railway line (disused) at the entrance to Byron and the lines of shops implore you to strip off and get on the boardies.
The beach which stretches off into the distance northward has a few surfers near the wreck and a scatter of people soaking up the rays. We settle in to our apartment and nip off to woolworths for a fridge fill.
Byron has notoriousley fickle weather at this time of the year, beautiful sunny days interspersed with rain and storms.
Byron is awash with alternative medicine, treatments, crystal shops etc all pertaining to the health of the body, mind or spirit. Already relaxation has set in and its a town where you can sit in a cafe all day and let the passers-by wash over your visual senses. If you like vegan, vegetarian, fishatarian, low carbo, no gluten or a great side of kangaroo, there is an outlet on the corner.
I check in for acupuncture, a nutritionist, a homeopathist and a chance meeting with a numerist in a jewellers supplies a complement of the treatments on offer. The numerist particularly states some remarkable personality traits for Fo and I from just a birthdate and declares us imcomplete without the third member of the 17/11 gang..i refer of course to domenicus bertellius. We have to replace him with a blue stone which we must grip in our hand from its pocket refuge. Dom if you are there, its not as gripping or satisfying as having an evening of merriment in your company, although clearly a lot cheaper (not relevent).
My acupuncturist is a co-founder of the settlement of Nimbin which rose from the resistance movement which tied themselves to trees in the forest to the northwest of Byron some 30 years ago. From this grew the town which is a testament to freedom, free-love and top quality grass with a slight identity crisis in the rampant free-market economy Australia has become. It still holds on desperately to its roots and there is still a sense of great creativity of thought, music and art. This is evident at the local Sunday market in Byron Bay where food, music and art are all mixed in equal amounts in a scene which would sit comfortably in the San Fran of the 60's, including the odd Geri Garcia lookalike.
When the weather is unsettled in Byron we comfort ourselves with the great devil television but it is the US Open and the World Athletic Championships. How wonderful is television when you can just drink tea in Byron Bay, Aus and watch the Williams sisters in the baking humidity of New York...i must remember not to knock it in future.
Malcolm and Mike drive down from Brisbane to join us for a few days and walks to the Lighthouse with amazing views in all directions and possible dolphin sightings, meals in Why-Dot (Why-not with a cold and a bad font), Fresh and a couple of tight bands at the Beach Hotel round up a trip to the wonderful Byron. The bubble may be bursting though as building is becoming more onerous and expensive and shops with tricky expensive labels seem to creeping in under the cross-wire, ah well, plus ca change! Time to return to the beginning of the round Australia trek, 23,000km later.
Quick dinner with Malcolm and Mike in the Southbank which bears a striking resemblance to Londons Southbank although the view across the harbour and relentless water taxis whisking people to all ports on the harbourside is where the comparison falls lame. Londons underused waterway, one of the greatest in the world is a travesty, even the Romans had water taxis to the northshore for 15 dinari!
In the morning we catch the Byron expressbus. It takes you straight to Byron through the attractive rolling hills along the highway going south. Byron is an island of serenity amongst towns bearing a striking resemblence to its US brethren with all things 'fastfood', allbeit with a charming addition of the Aussie slant. Every town has a blockbuster out of town shopping mall to augment the small line of original shops trying to 'bust' a living on scant takings. The growth of all the coastal towns is stratospheric...what is the legacy?
Byron is still as 'Byronesque' as we arrive in Shirley Street. People of all ages and degrees of hippydom parading with a definite feeling that you have come to animal farm for backpackers. The average age has plummeted from 52 to 27 by crossing the railway line (disused) at the entrance to Byron and the lines of shops implore you to strip off and get on the boardies.
The beach which stretches off into the distance northward has a few surfers near the wreck and a scatter of people soaking up the rays. We settle in to our apartment and nip off to woolworths for a fridge fill.
Byron has notoriousley fickle weather at this time of the year, beautiful sunny days interspersed with rain and storms.
Byron is awash with alternative medicine, treatments, crystal shops etc all pertaining to the health of the body, mind or spirit. Already relaxation has set in and its a town where you can sit in a cafe all day and let the passers-by wash over your visual senses. If you like vegan, vegetarian, fishatarian, low carbo, no gluten or a great side of kangaroo, there is an outlet on the corner.
I check in for acupuncture, a nutritionist, a homeopathist and a chance meeting with a numerist in a jewellers supplies a complement of the treatments on offer. The numerist particularly states some remarkable personality traits for Fo and I from just a birthdate and declares us imcomplete without the third member of the 17/11 gang..i refer of course to domenicus bertellius. We have to replace him with a blue stone which we must grip in our hand from its pocket refuge. Dom if you are there, its not as gripping or satisfying as having an evening of merriment in your company, although clearly a lot cheaper (not relevent).
My acupuncturist is a co-founder of the settlement of Nimbin which rose from the resistance movement which tied themselves to trees in the forest to the northwest of Byron some 30 years ago. From this grew the town which is a testament to freedom, free-love and top quality grass with a slight identity crisis in the rampant free-market economy Australia has become. It still holds on desperately to its roots and there is still a sense of great creativity of thought, music and art. This is evident at the local Sunday market in Byron Bay where food, music and art are all mixed in equal amounts in a scene which would sit comfortably in the San Fran of the 60's, including the odd Geri Garcia lookalike.
When the weather is unsettled in Byron we comfort ourselves with the great devil television but it is the US Open and the World Athletic Championships. How wonderful is television when you can just drink tea in Byron Bay, Aus and watch the Williams sisters in the baking humidity of New York...i must remember not to knock it in future.
Malcolm and Mike drive down from Brisbane to join us for a few days and walks to the Lighthouse with amazing views in all directions and possible dolphin sightings, meals in Why-Dot (Why-not with a cold and a bad font), Fresh and a couple of tight bands at the Beach Hotel round up a trip to the wonderful Byron. The bubble may be bursting though as building is becoming more onerous and expensive and shops with tricky expensive labels seem to creeping in under the cross-wire, ah well, plus ca change! Time to return to the beginning of the round Australia trek, 23,000km later.
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