A Day at the Beach and a Night on the Town

Yesterday was a bit slower for me. After my 5 am wakeup and blogging, I finally fell back asleep around 10:30 and slept for 2 hours. I had contacted a guy I met over Expat Singapore Friends around 8 yesterday morning, and we decided to meet up at 7:30 for dinner and drinks. When I got back up, I decided to head back to Suntec to find a hair dryer (so my hair wouldn't look a total mess) and grab some lunch. I finally figured out how to get the hot water in the shower to work - you have to flip a switch outside the shower! Brilliant!

I stopped in at a big drugstore in Suntec, but no luck for the hair dryer; they told me to try a place called Carrefour in the mall. Ok, Carrefour is just like a Wal-Mart. Everything you could possibly want under the sun, with a weird smell to boot. But I got my hair dryer! YAY!!!

I then headed down to the food court to get something to eat. I decided to have another go at the noodle bowl thing. But this time, I was ready. I grabbed my chopsticks and spoon and found a place to sit that was tucked away so I could make a fool of my self in front of as few people as possible. I had a much easier time with it this go round. I also watched (from a distance) another guy, so I could see exactly what he was going. I only had chicken this time, no crazy prawns, but I am happy to report that I finished all my noodles without the aid of a fork. Go me! LOL!

After lunch I decided to check out East Coast Park. After a different bus ride and stopping to ask a few people for directions, I made it. It is great - biking, walking, and rollerblading trails; lots of folks out and about; and a little beach. The beach was a bit rocky, with calm waters. It's a man-made beach kind of like the beaches on the Coast (of Mississippi); the breaker islands provide a barrier. But the water was nice and clear (no sewage). In the distance you can see all of these big ships and tankers. I found a nice place shaded by palm trees and parked in the sand there on the beach towel I had brought with me, next to a lady and her 2 year old daughter. We began chatting; she is originally from Canada and been living here for 6 years. She gave me some tips and places to try and was very helpful.







After an hour sitting on the beach relaxing and enjoying the view, I decided it was time to head back to the hostel and get ready for my "date." I gave myself an hour to get back because I wasn't sure exactly how to and didn't want to get turned around. But I made it without getting lost! I decided to walk the whole way back as exercise, and to help with the next time I wanted to go. It took 30 mins, and by the time I got back I was dripping with sweat. I took a cold shower, got dressed for the night out, and hopped back on the bus to head back to Suntec where I was meeting Sunil.

About Sunil: he is of Indian heritage, but was born and raised in Malaysia. After college, he moved to Australia to get his Master's degree (IT) and worked there for awhile, until his job transferred him here in December. He works for Fortis and is head of their IT department for the region. Very nice guy; extremely respectful; close to his family; etc. He took me to Swissotel - it's the tallest hotel in Asia, at 72 floors. At the top, on the 72nd floor, there is a bar and restaurant. The view is AMAZING - you can see the entire city! We ordered a bottle of wine, and just sat there talking and getting to know one another. We hit it off immediately; no weird awkward pauses or forced conversation - it was fantastic, and so nice to be able to chat with someone! I wish the pics I'm posting were better - they really don't do justice to how absolutely stunning the view was.





After our wine and some sushi (really good btw), we decided to head to a place called Clarke Quey (Key). It is this really happening district with a lot of night life, and tons of ExPats from Australia, the UK, the US, among others. We went to this great bar/club that had a live band that played covers of US music from the 80s - today: even Sweet Home Alabama! Ha! We had a few drinks, shot some pool, talked more, and people watched. The people watching was HILARIOUS. Some guys were doing these crazy drinks called flaming Lamborghinis, where the bar tender actually sets up this crazy really tall bottle on top of a martini glass, and lights it on fire. I thought they were going to burn the place down! That, and we saw a group of old white guys (not sure where from) dancing with these young Asian girls (we decided working girls - prostitution is legal in some parts of the country). The old men were hilarious. They were dancing with the girls and Sunil and I nearly fell off our chairs laughing! Their moves were a little dated, to say the least. I tried to take a video of this nonsense, but it was too dark.

After that, Sunil and I took a walk. Clarke Quey is located right on the river, so we walked along the river just talking. By that time it was getting pretty late, so we said our goodnights, and have plans to meet up for a casual dinner on Sunday after I get settled in my apartment. He was so sweet all night - very complimentary, opened doors, would not let me pay for anything, that sort of thing. I am excited to see him again on Sunday and have my first friend here! :)