Fire! Both Digital and Real!

I am terrified of the power outlets in our home! Yes, I admit it. Every time I plug in anything that requires a converter I am petrified of the coming explosion of sparks and smoke.

Little background, in Singapore the voltage carried in the outlets is a lot higher than back home. Instead of 120 volts, its around 200-240 volts. The result, plug in any surge protector or device that can't handle that and even with a voltage converter you'll only get a puff of smoke burst in your face. Check here for the different international standards.

It all started nearly a month ago, when my boyfriend believed that by plugging an American surge protector into a converter for Asia, we could plug all our American devices into one easy row of outlets, instead of dangerously overloading the power outlets in our bedroom. Boy were we off by miles. The result, a whine of electronic agony, then a pop and smoke rising from the eight power plugs which all now looked suddenly sad for some reason. Read about it in my first real post from Singapore: Sparks Fly.

Fast forward a month and I am setting up my Xbox 360, all excited to get my hands on the newest zombie game of the year, State of Decay. So blinded by fandom I plugged the converter in into the Asian surge protector, slapped in the plug for the Xbox AC adaptor and flipped the switch. Unlike Dr. Frankenstein who cackled with triumph when lightning struck, my words were entirely different when I realized the mistake I had made.

"Oh shit! Oh shit! No... crap! Oh shit no, no, no!"

But electricity moves at the speed of light and before I could slap my hand back down on the power switch the moment I realized my folly, the AC adaptor had already shrieked in agony, let out a sound like a balloon popping and smoke burst out in a tiny mushroom cloud from both ends of my adaptor. Thankfully it had done its job and protected my Xbox from any damage, but it had died valiantly in its effort... and I was royally annoyed at my stupidity.

I was left with a now unplayable game I had been waiting for months to get my greedy hands on... disappointment didn't begin to describe it... exasperated annoyance at my misfortune and stupidity was more like it.

Shopping for a replacement 'electronic gaming accessory' in Singapore is a annoying exercise in futility and after being spoiled by Best Buy, Amazon and Google Shopper it was even more obnoxious. For the first time in years I had to call stores to confirm if a product was present and most just wrote down my information promising to call back. Of the eleven stores called and left to call me back, none have done so... I expect to hear from them sometime between now and the energy death of the universe.

With the complete failure of this endeavour it was off to the mall to hit the ground running. The Singapore store Challenger is possibly the closest analogue to Best Buy or Circuit City that this country has. But unlike at home, they rarely sell replacement items for full sets, you either can buy the complete assembly of parts or they just kind of shrug at you. Two stores down and while I could see the exact AC adaptor I wanted, it could only be possessed with the purchase of an entire brand new Xbox 360.

I was ready to scream in rage, both at my own annoyance at myself and to the actual fact I had to make an effort to find what I needed. It was only after my third time trolling through another Challenger store, seriously they're as numerous as K-Mart or Wal-Mart are at home, that I achieved some success.

Sales people in Singapore are very aggressive, when compared to their American counterparts. Expect if your shopping in most stores, barring maybe clothing, to actually be stalked by a whole mob of sales people. They will stand very overtly behind you, remaining completely quiet, then the instance you show any interest in something they pounce on you. But ask for something they don't have in store, something they can't sell you and expect to blank shrugs and for them to suddenly scatter before you can ask a second round question.

Customer service leaves much to be desired in Singapore. It was only on attempt three that the kid behind the phone counter at least pointed me towards a store that could possibly provide me with the part I needed. From the way he clammed up as a much older employee walked by him I'd have to guess providing helpful information or direction on products a store does not carry or is held by a competitor is generally frowned upon.

But the mission finally had some concrete information I was dashing to a little out of the way store across from the massive Challenger store, a store called Playtecnix PTE LDT... long name, I know... It barely rated bigger than a supply closet, every ounce of space was covered in shelves stocked to the breaking point, boxes lined the floor with just enough space to allow one person to walk by single file, the distinct smell of some's very aromatic lunch filled the entire shop with stomach turning power.

At first I turned my attention to the younger man behind the counter. As an avid game shopper, I instantly turned to the gentleman expecting that he'd put down the hand held game he was playing to assist me. However instead it was a petite woman with a pair of thick rimmed glasses that stepped up to intercept me. I know that most game shops do employ women and anyone taking a dive into multi-player gaming will eventually run into a female comrade during even the most violent Halo or Call of Duty games. I guess because I was so focused on my mission, I was a bit taken a back when a woman who looked no older than my sister and dressed as if she had been lounging in an old arm chair just seconds before, glass of wine and reading a good hardback novel in hand.

I will admit right out, pastel sweaters are very off putting in a video game store!

I explained my problem, my stupid mistake and instantly like someone who had heard such tragic confessions and mistakes a thousand times before, she offered me her condolences with a knowing grin and then produced the part I so desperately needed.

Now for you gamers out there moving to Asia listen up because this is the wisdom she imparted to me:

• While the actual power plug for a Xbox or PlayStation can remain the same, only requiring a voltage converter to be plugged in, the actual AC Adaptor (the big black box on your power cord) needs to state very clearly its voltage range. Anything that doesn't hit between 200-240 is doomed. Heads-up, the Xbox 360 Kinetic is safe. If it doesn't say it, assume based on where you bought it, the device will ONLY match the local voltage.
• American laws on gaming content are some of the most lax in the world... I know surprising! Restrictions in Asian countries are very restrictive, however can be avoided by purchasing a game abroad or on an on-line site for download.
• Some gaming stations are region locked, meaning it can't be played outside the country of its purchase (less common on American purchased models, more so on European and Asia ones). It is good to confirm on your warranty that your system will work fine because if you log onto the internet, it could assume the device is stolen and lock it down. 
• Warranty repairs are only covered in the country of your device's purchase. You'll have to hold out long enough to get it fixed on vacation, find a friend to deliver it for you or in some cases, sell it for almost nothing and have it stripped for parts. 
• Return time in Singapore is 14-days. Anything after that is un-returnable no matter what. Don't bother to argue, they won't budge. 
• Pirated game versions don't work on Xbox or PlayStation (unless you hacked your system by sacrificing your warranty). Don't listen to people trying to sell bootleg versions at the local market. First off, it the Xbox realizes you have a pirated copy, it can lock you from your system and damage the CD in the process. On the other-hand, game pirates are very good at artistically recreating the packaging and art on the front of the game CD. Only go to reputable places to buy if you're looking for used games, like malls, NEVER open markets or trading posts. 
• Never declare that you are carrying video games when travelling or when ordering from abroad. On most airport x-ray machines, the cases just look like DVD's and most security forces will ignore them. If you do, you could have the Singaporean Media Development Authority confiscate your things, censor them or force you to send them back. Same goes for videos. This is the same government ministry that also made porn illegal in Singapore... don't ask how I found that out! If it contains anything ranging from violent gore (Gears of War), blatant sexuality or homosexuality (Mass Effect and Dragon Age) or condones violence or criminal activity (Grand Theft Auto), expect that it is either banned or highly restricted for people under 18.

And with that I departed with my new Asia speciality AC Adaptor for Xbox. I instantly dashed home, turned on my game and began smashing the heads of zombies with concerning glee. 

However it was still several hours later than I intended because of my terrible attention to details like voltage and safety warnings!

Forgotten Sleep & 3G Plans

So my first official week in Singapore is almost over and what have I learned from my in my first foray into Asia? Very little surprisingly! Hey, stop being so judgmental! You get over a 12-hour jet lag in four days and see how bright eyed you are! My sleeping habits are already the worse on the planet, I tend to stay up all night, drink a dangerous amount of coffee to compensate and then repeat it to the great determinant of my health.

Also I'm not a morning person... I'm more of if you speak to me before coffee, or get between me and previously mentioned coffee, I am well withing my right to disembowel you while shrieking like a banshee!

So I guess that has been my quest for the week, conquering jet lag in only four days. Now if your on vacation in some foreign land, the thrill of adventure and exploration with the idea that you'll be going back to a hotel who will be catering to your every need can help to squash some of the fatigue. Here we aren't tourists, we are going native... when we are literally in a timezone the exact reverse of at home.

That's right, Singapore is exactly 12-hours difference from New York City, meaning that 1:00 PM at home is 1:00 AM here, meaning why at dinner time I for some reason have the taste for pancakes and coffee instead of the pork/chicken noddles we had for dinner.

Apparently there are a few easy steps to conquer or at least preempt it:

1. Fly west instead of east, you'll be going with the twilight and against the rising sun. Its easier to stay up late instead of going to bed early... I ended up sleeping for 20 out of 21-hours on my plane... very bad!
2. Do over-hydrate, do not over-eat. Eating a big meal makes you lethargic, where hydrating keeps you awake... I think coffee is hydrating... or so that barista at Starbucks tells me when I order my fifth venti non-fat double espresso skinny mocha latte... seriously that order is not made up!
3. Don't go to bed when you arrive, force yourself to stay up... air pressure changes make people tired, meaning that being on that plane actually makes you sleepy! Crafty ploy you lazy stewardesses.
4. Set an alarm, don't wake up with your body internal clock... you body will betray you if it thinks it can get away with it! Sure college keg parties have taught you that your liver is a vengeful bastard when it doesn't get its way but your in control, your brain is the real organ that leads... and the spleen!
5. Try to arrive at your destination at the start of their day, that way you can find distractions for staying awake more readily. 

At least two of these I did correctly... and failed horribly at the other 80 or so I didn't list. I highly recommend first time international travelers to read this posting by Wikihow author Jcomeau_ictx, his article on Avoid Jet Lag is the best I've found and the pictures are hilarious!

So now that we are passed the part on getting over my crappy jet lag what news do really I have to offer you? Well right now its job hunting and getting some local grub to eat... no they don't sell grubs... weirdos why would you think that! 

Holland Village is the local expat area for Singapore, located north to main bulk of the downtown region. Its not officially the expat area anymore, years ago I guess it lost the title as more foreigners moved out to the rest of the island but it still frequented by a far number of westerners... fine Caucasians! This is the first time I've seen so many white people since I got here, sure accents swung all over from French, English, American, that odd-Ikea language they call Swedish. 

And that is the moment I realized exactly why it seems every Asian person that visits, vacations, moves, magically appears in a cloud of smoke... goes right to the NYC Chinatown or/and K-Town. Inside I am actually excited and a tiny bit relieved to recognize product brands and restaurants, even foods that a simple glance at the name tells me what they are, not having to read the descriptions... and then have to ask for my boyfriend to clarify what the hell half the words in said description mean. Instantly I bookmark this place in my head and vow this is my new homesick retreat, where I will be found when my heart aches for some good old KFC or french toast, or nice cold hoagies (again readers that is a cold, deli sandwich).

This thrill of delight is however demolished as I sit down at the table with a group of friends, inter-spliced with native Singaporeans and their foreign-born spouses (a rising trend I and a with a dab of concern, the government, has taken notice to) that I get a text declaring that my phone card has S$0.01 remaining. 

Yep, that S$38.00 pre-paid phone card I bought from M1 not three days before is empty. A slew of curses followed, the kind that would make my Catholic grandmother's good morals curdle in horror if she heard. How much were all have those bastards been charging me for all two calls I've made? I'm fuming when my boyfriend asks what data-plan did I sign up for? I said none, I didn't want data until I could get a real phone contract from SingTel, StarHub or M1... that of course gets him to slap his hand to his forehead. 

"Do you have 3G on?" he asks me, I note to my pertubness, that he is perturbed. 

"Yeah, why?" I answered. 

"Because you never signed up for a data plan, you just bought a pre-paid card," he answers slowly. "If you don't turn off 3G or sign up for the other, the roaming charges will eat through you pre-paid minutes instead... and there goes S$30.00 well spent."

That is where I went wrong, being spoiled on phone contracts my whole life and having a smartphone since they first launched, it never even clicked until it was too late. Because I never specified what level of data consumption plan I was on, M1 charged me for out of my pre-paid minutes. Usually you'd pay one set price a month for 1G to 10G of data... around S$20.00 extra. Because minutes and data are not the same thing... the simple act of checking my email once wiped out everything in less than 30-seconds.  

That was nearly S$37.99 for all 10 MB of data... goodbye pre-paid phone card! I shall miss you!

So pay attention to my cautionary tale. If you want data but no 3G, turn it off... for those that don't know, on an iPhone its under Settings>Cellular>Off. After that you no longer have 3G and you must rely on the kindness of password free WiFi. 

Other than the jet lag and the my self-inflicted pre-paid phone card debacle, the days here are now being spent job hunting. I will try to get out and explore a bit tomorrow, hopefully without the boyfriend's supervision. If you hear about a crazed American being captured and bagged in Singapore as he terrorized the locals, you'll know my attempt was not successful. 

Until next time!

Homesickness & Pizza Hut Pasta Hurts!

Day two has arrived and this one came in with a crashing boom, a flash of light and me nearly falling out of bed thinking the North Koreans had finally grown a pair and done attacked. Nope, its just the early morning thunder storm, arrived just on time to scare the crap out of my jet lagged brain.

That's the norm here for this week, rain so heavy you swear Noah's Ark is going to be floating down the street any second... then snap, not a cloud in the sky and the sun so hot you swear birds in flight will burst into flames... leaving delicious roasted meat to fall from the sky! Thankfully the rain seems to drive the humidity into submission for a few hours... before it returns with a vengeance I doubt few could conceive! I have established that I can no longer wear any dark colors or heavy fabrics because its ability to suck in every ounce of heat in the room... which is cause for concern considering my wardrobe tends towards Earth-tones... well its not totally black! I do have a few blue and green shirts so we can call it Earth-tones instead of Gothic!

Whatever fashionista! Onto the news from the Ang Moh!

Well yesterday I finally got my SIM card to start making some local calls. I'm not going to hand it out here, learned my lesson after I left it in a truck stop bathroom once... it was a JOKE! How was I suppose to know that old joke was 100% true! Beside Jim Joe sounded very nice on the phone...

Anyways, in Singapore there are three major phone companies, the biggest apparently is SingTel, next and almost as common is StarHub and finally little M1 bringing up the rear.

I ended up going with M1 because it was the cheapest one with the best data plan, SingTel was a bit too expensive when I tallied up all the charges. Altogether it came out to be S$45 or $36 in America. Now for those foreigners that don't know, you need to bring two things to the store when you are buying a prepaid phone card:

• Passport (all cards have to be registered with the government with federal level ID)
• Unlocked Phone (You have to get your current service provider to unlock it before you leave, not after!)

Now to unlock you phone its just the matter of calling your phone company before you leave the country. Most of the new smartphones unlock instantly when their contracts go over a year but if you are sporting that brand new phone and going abroad like I was, a simple call to your phone company can get them to unlock it. Just say you are traveling abroad and if that company doesn't have a branch or affiliate in the country of your destination, they almost always sigh in annoyance, quibble for a few sentences, then unlock your phone. Some even (Verizon and AT&T do) will explain how to go about getting a new card for your benefit and give you some tips and suggested Apps to use when calling abroad.

Once you have the card... and in my case get a free umbrella for spending over S$30, its the simple matter of popping out the new SIM card (they come attached in little plastic cards) and inserting it into your old phone. I don't know about most other phones but for the iPhone 5, just look on the right side and you'll see a little pin hole at the midpoint. Just press a needle or a paperclip in and a little draw will drop out and you can then insert your new SIM card. KEEP THE OLD ONE! If you ever go back home getting a new one will just be a waste of money!

Now I have a working phone and a new umbrella... and not one of those cheap compact ones that you can get at the drug store and then lose in your car. This is the old style kind, the ones that can double as a cane for walking... or a cane for hitting! Now I know most people just roll their eyes at these relics, when the smaller pop up kind can be tossed in a backpack or back seat and forgotten about until your caught in a storm and its 50-miles away but in Singapore, after the first rain storm started, you realize how necessary these massive radar dishes can be.

Rain in Singapore doesn't come down in a light dustings, in more clouds of heavy mist than rain. It comes down in boulders, more like being hit by a wave of water then a fleet of droplets. Those little pop up umbrellas may be economical to buy and efficient when you store them in a purse or backpack but against this weather, mother nature shall laugh maniacally as this polyester shield collapses under her harsh hand.

But their necessity doesn't stop there. Most people I've seen here continue to use them throughout the day, to shield themselves from the powerful sun that glares down all day. It's common to see mothers walking strollers with one hand steering and another holding up a massive umbrella, in an attempt to shield both herself and her young ward from any UV contact.

Thankfully I have yet to experience the Singaporean mosquito population, which from what I hear is a plague on everyone... but for which most Singaporeans seem immune to! Oh that doesn't mean I haven't gotten a few stares of confusion when I've gone outside, as if I were covered in tiny red bites. I guess here when compared to New York or Philadelphia, I am a very obvious minority. I mean I'm Caucasian but on top of that I have traditional Irish skin... meaning that I'm the white people of the white people. We don't tan, we just turn into tomatoes with freckles!

I'll chalk that up to the fact that when I left the United States, winter was just starting the long and agonizing break into spring, so my skin is so white right now I'm verging on albino. Maybe its best to ignore the stares, possibly that small Malay lady who nearly walked into a wall while staring at me in the mall was just distracted by the glare of my porcelain skin... like staring into the sun for too long!

Get your giggles out of that because now I have a confession to make... I had some western food yesterday.

Worse yet, I had pizza!

I know, shame on me, but my excuse was that I was looking for something cold to eat. Do you realize in this country how hard it is to find something to eat that's not already steaming hot? I mean its a tropical country on the equator, you'd think there would be a lunch dish that didn't automatically come with steam pouring from it. Hey, ice cream doesn't count! I guess after searching and failing for two hours I was starting to feel the pangs of homesickness, for something... anything that I could eat that didn't require me to blow on.

And that excuse loses all its weight when I end up walking into the Pizza Hut at Tampines Mall. Fine, hiss at me, call me out but at that point I just wanted to eat some food I knew against trying to figure out how to pronounce the names on the menu at the 34 ramen shops down stairs.

I guess my excuse for when this happens is that I also was curious to see what western food in other countries tasted like.

Now everyone who has been to a Pizza Hut in America knows them for their greasy foods, in poor attempts to mass produce the basic Italian meals. I mean if it wasn't for their thick, crispy crusts (my personal favorite), they'd have been an epic failure decades ago. But here in Singapore, Pizza Hut wasn't some take out place with a few tables, the whole place smelling like grease and plastic. Instead it was like a real restaurant  with three different menus (appetizers, specials and the mains), with waitresses dressed in fine vests to seat you and a full bar to grab a cocktail with your greasy pizza. The only difference I guess at dining here was the waitresses don't take your order per say, instead you fill out a check-off card with what you want and at what quantities and then pass it off to the waitress who then will return with your dishes. I got a nice personal pepperoni pizza, garlic bread and a orange mirinda (orange soda) while my boyfriend went with the shrimp pasta, salad and root beer.

The pizza tasted a lot like at home, a lot less cheese but all the same. The pasta however was the surprise, it came with the Aglio Olio sauce, bits of basil and even shrimp... along with hot peppers all over the place. I guess in Singapore, if you can't psychically make it hotter, then you should make it taste hotter. My boyfriend nearly couldn't finish and chugged his entire root beer almost half way through. A single fork for me of the spiraled noodles and I nearly choked it was so spicy!

That's another hallmark of Singapore food I've noted. If a food doesn't look hot (i.e. red and steaming) that means it's going to be far, far more worse for your soon to be burn victim of a tongue!

The day ended somewhat early, after getting my phone setup, lunch and a key to get into the apartment we are sharing with the boyfriend's parents, jet lag took its toll and by 6:00 PM (6:00 AM back home) I was passed out in the bed at home and snoring as loud as the storm that would eventually wake me up in 8-hours... which by the way has now died down enough that the sun has begun to shine through the overcast sky.

Plans today are nothing other than some job hunting but I'll keep you posted!

Sparks fly on the First Day... Seriously They Did!

So its my first official day in Singapore and what trouble have I gotten into in this new land you may ask?

First things first, all those warnings about the humidity were lies... bold face lies I tell you... cause the reality is far... far... far worse than you could image.

Within 20-minutes of arriving at our new home in Tampines, 10-minutes drive from Changi Airport, I had sweated through my t-shirt, jeans and everything underneath. I looked as if I had been out in the morning storm and it wasn't that comfortable kind of wetness that you get after jumping into a pool with all your clothes on. Its that sticky kind of feeling, where your clothes feel like the weigh a ton and are clinging to you like chain-mail.

A quick remedy to this, take the coldest shower of your life and that causes all your sweaty pores to close right up. By the time you've dried and gotten into a nice t-shirt and shorts, the unbearable heat actually feels as if it drops to a more acceptable range. I would definitely recommend avoiding heavy fabrics like knits, denim or wool, they are fashionable death traps! If you are not going to be inside and air conditioned, completely abandon socks unless totally necessary! Believe me, your nose will thank you at the end of the first hour in Singapore!

Next up after unpacking all our clothes was setting up some of our electronics. Now this is the one thing I should mention with EXTREME WARMING! Never plug a surge protector from North America into an outlet in Asia. Even with a voltage converter it will not work! A surge protector is literally designed to dissipate sudden spikes of electricity and it completely bypasses the converter.

The end result is your boyfriend suddenly jumping back from a sparking surge protector, a whine of an electronic origin and then smoke rising from the eight power outlets on the surge protectors face... and then you have one very dead surge protector that will never work again! Just go buy a local one and a few more converters, it will save you from having to toss out a melted piece of smoking plastic.

About two-hours after arriving and one 'almost' fire it was off to the stores for a new SIM phone card, a key to be made and grocery shopping. Driving on the other-side of the road wasn't too much of a surprise, I've been in Europe before and even driven a bit so its not that odd to me. But in Singapore, the traffic is so much faster and more congested that your mind that has been trained to drive on the right side of the street keeps screaming every car is going to collide with you head on! It was like ducking in and out in a crowd and I quickly declared mentally to myself I would never... and I mean NEVER drive in this country.

However watching the motor bikes and scooters snake in and out of the traffic congestion was fun, they were like fish in those Shark Week documentaries, darting around those much bigger bodies without fear of being crushed and seeming to know where every short cut existed on these ever changing streets.

I quickly announced that the moment I had a job and enough money to afford an apartment, I would love to drive one of those bikes. My boyfriend was quick to point out the last time I had just a regular street bike in Philadelphia during college I had been hit by cars no less than three times in a year, with a motor bike he felt as if I was just going to double that number. I was quick to point out that only one of those impacts was with a moving car, the other two had been a parked car and a pedestrian... but that didn't help my case one bit and I conceded... for now.

Back to the shops, malls here are not like the one's back home, where going from one to another to shop means driving in the car for a few miles. In Singapore, its walking across the street! The only distinction between one to another is the fact they lay only a few hundred feet apart, the stores in each are different enough you won't even notice the transition.

We had lunch in a food court like place called East Link. This was no hawker center that I have heard all about, more like something you'd find back home with row table seating. The only difference was that they served only Asian food and my stomach was desperately hankering for a hoagie... for you none East Coast natives that a cold, lunch meat sandwich.

I do not recommend eating duck in front of people, yes the salted and roasted meat is among the most delicious thing I have ever had the chance to sink my teeth into but the bones... that is my one complaint about duck, the bones are browned to the point its almost unnoticeable from the meat and biting into it means chewing about to get rid of them. Don't even think of ordering this dish if you want to present yourself as an articulate and savvy Human being because eating this dish is going to make you look like a dog with a chew toy, all teeth, gnawing and gross, pained faces. Best tip, use a fork to hold down your slice of juicy meat and spoon to tear the bone free. Oh and there are no dinner knives! Cooking knives yes for slicing and dicing, meal-time knives are a nope as far as I saw in this place.

I adore a nice roasted duck with some white rice below it... but never will I again eat it in public!

Once we were done our meal it was back into the crowds of the mall. Now if the streets of Singapore are congested and crowded, the crowds in the malls were worse. But instead here the people were like the motor bikes, the fish darting in and out between the sharks, minus the sharks. In three hours walking about I only bumped into two people, emphasis on bumped, no epic impacts, no landing on my butt, nothing. I even apologized for the hits, they were my fault after all because I kept trying to read every sign but not a person paid it any attention. In NYC, you'd be cursed at, called an idiot, something unsavory about your mother would be uttered and then with a flip of the middle finger before the stranger would disappear down the street. In Singapore, it didn't even register as worth a glance back.

I attempted to buy a SIM card, in order to get a number in Singapore to use in my job hunting. SingTel is the one I'd recommend, they are the most numerous I've seen so far (I've only been around the airport and the east side of Singapore so take my words with a grain of salt) but you can top off your phone card at any drug store like 7-Eleven... Yes, they have those here too! Overall you can get around a card for S$30 (Singaporean Dollars) and every minute costs around S$0.16. Number one thing to bring is your passport. All disposable phones, data plans and/or calling cards have to be registered with the government and a United States drivers license is not enough. Took 30-minutes of hashing out the best phone plan for me only to find out I couldn't even buy it. Well now we have an new errand to run tomorrow!

The last activity of the day was some grocery shopping. Now other than a few things, the grocery store in Singapore is mostly the same as it is at home. Produce section, deli counter, heck most of the items save a few Asian additions is almost the same. There are even a lot of Western brands among the items, I even got a nice slab of Virginia Peppered Ham for lunch sandwiches tomorrow! Of course the one aspect to take quick note of it that some of the prices really swing from the high to low points. A lot of the meats in the deli section seemed very cheap compared to at home... but the confectionary treats... like Ben & Jerry's ice cream... was outright highway robbery!

S$23.00 for one pint... a PINT of ice cream. Don't believe me, here's a picture to back up my outlandish claims!

And now for what you've all been waiting for, I have met the boyfriend's Singaporean parents and they seemed to have welcomed me. I know the concept of two men being in a relationship in this country is probably new verging on alien. Singapore is just around where the USA was in the 1980s and 1990s when people were just starting to come to the conclusion that homosexuality wasn't truly a mental condition or a life choice but something your born with. Now Singapore is a bit of a conservative society and has a long way to go but they have embraced the world of modern media and information with a zeal that would make some people's head spin and they know for a fact the LGBT community exists. I honestly do expect they will go through the evolution of LGBT rights a lot fast than most of Asia, almost certainly at a rate that will make the United States feel some degree of shame over how it's dragged it feet on the issue. Change and evolution is coming and Singapore definitely is a place where it seems to be the fabric of the very society itself.

I will admit I was anticipating some reservation on the parent's part, maybe not outright confrontation or fighting but more of uncertainty at entering into a new situation you have no previous experience with. After all our level of interaction over the last three-years has been limited to a few sporadic Skype video sessions and one totally unplanned encounter in Macy's two-years ago (don't ask, just know irony and confusion were the themes of that meeting).

Perhaps I'll save our interactions for a later post, I want to spend some time getting to know them, to integrate into the family as much as I can before I allow any opinions to formulate.

Well jet lag is setting in and it is probably best I pass out soon, I'm going 38-hours no sleep and must be presentable to the family.

Good night and best wishes from the Ang Moh newly arrived in the Far East!