Sunday 21 October 2012 Singapore and on to Auckland

Late breakfast outside on top deck

We were going to take picnic to Botanic gardens for lunch but there was  huge ongoing thunder, lightning and heavy rain from about 10 am so scrubbed that idea. Thai for lunch about 1 pm at local food hall, then bus to Little India again for Lyndsay to get her new gear and Sam to get new clothes for Diwali.

 

 

 

Did online check in with Singapore Airline then taxis to airport by 6 pm. Checked in bags and then off to McDonalds ( only time on this whole trip for Lyndsay and I) for coffee and Happy Meals, Sammy pleased as scored 2 trucks from Happy Meal packages.

 

Through to Departure Lounge by about 7.30 pm. met Helen and Rod who had flown from Frankfurt and had debrief about what we had all been doing over past 2 weeks, they had been in campervan in Loire and then in Paris for last few days.

Uneventful flight home except for one screaming baby, watched 2 movies, Columbus Circle (bit far fetched) and Salmon Fishing in Yemen ( fantastic with Kristin Scott Thomas magnificent as the political spin Dr ) plus 2 episodes of "The Newsroom" a new Aaron Sorking TV series -reserve judgement.

Arrived at Auckland Airport Monday 22^nd about 11.30 am   and Caro was  waiting with Honda (complete with new COF and rego), so dropped her home and then the four  of us  headed for Devonport, dropped Rod and Helen at their house and Lynds and I headed off  to Anne and Chris’s house for 2 nights as cant return to our house until 28^th.

Saturday 20 October 2012 Singapore

The Singapore Civil Defence, which runs both Fire Engines and Ambulances, has an open morning every Saturday from 9-11 am at the Central Fire Station, the original one in the city, now a heritage building though a fully functioning fire station. Sammy was very keen that we should see this as its one of his favourite places to go. 

 

 

 

 Great PR/recruitment tool and magnet for kids and bigger people who get to sit in /on fire engines, use the hoses etc. In the middle of our visit the fire alarm went off, firemen started running around and we saw one of the motorbike units roar off with sirens and  lights flashing.

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a small museum there which is very well done with quite creative audiovisual displays including info on their Urban Search and Rescue teams who went to Christchurch to help after the 2^nd earthquake there.

 

 

 

 

Lunch was in a flash food hall with lots of choice, I had great chicken teriyaki bento box for $6.50.

 

After lunch it was Lyndsay’s turn for a surprise as Ruth and Marco had booked her into the Fish Spa where you dangle your feet in a pool full of little fish who nibble away at dead skin on your feet. Apparently a rather weird sensation.

 

 

Later Sammy and I had another great session in the pool with underwater swimming and further refinements to the falling backwards into pool to be like scuba divers entering the water backwards.

Lovely salad dinner at home on the top deck and then with Marco we watched the  movie “The  Lady” which is about  Aung San Suu Kyi whom Marco had met and interviewed for his newspaper shortly after her release from house arrest.

 

Friday 19 October 2012 Singapore

Ruth and Marco’s son Sammy, who is nearly 6 years old, goes to the Overseas Family School and today they were celebrating United Nations day for the kindergarten classes at school with families invited, so we went in our capacity as honorary grandmothers.

 

There are about 90 different nationalities at the school with the kindergarten classes having about 45. All the teaching is in English so all the kids end up speaking English quite well and can communicate with each other.

 Celebration took the form of all kids wearing some sort of national costume, flags being marched into the hall and then a half hour concert of international songs and dance, just the right length to keep attention span both of kids and parents.

 

 

 

 

 

After the concert in the hall, during the morning rainstorm, we all moved off to individual classrooms for lunch provided by parents and lots of talking. This school sells copies of the United Nations charter in the stationery shop !!

 

 

 

 

After finishing at school we walked down to Orchard Rd to a huge  bookshop called Kinokunija  to buy Sam a copy of the  Guinness Book of records plus visits to SinTel to check out iPhone prices here (pretty much same as NZ for unlocked phone not on a plan) and the huge  electronics shop for some iPod speakers.

 

Sammy reading his new Guinness Book of Records

 

After siesta time Sammy and I spent sometime in the pool working on our “falling backwards into the water” technique as this pool is too shallow for diving.




Lynds by pool with flowers in her hair

Looking like my father




getting ready !!

Then we go not quite synchronised !

After dinner we went to symphony concert at the Esplanade Centre in central Singapore with American cellist Lyn Hurrell.

 

Nice walk back along water front viewing buildings by night.

 

 

Thursday  18 October 2012 Singapore

Up early to go down and wave Sammy goodbye on school bus.

 

Medical Centre next door obviously has obstetric centre as lots of new babies coming out doors. Signs inside and on the van about saving your grandchild’s cord blood for the future.

 

 

 

 

Today in taxi to Little India, left Marco at home working and went shopping for some new cotton tops using our lost baggage dosh from Lufthansa, “silk shop syndrome” though, too much to choice to be able to make a decision.

 

 

 

 

Me one shirt for $10, Lyndsay material for 2 shirts same as one she had on.  Marco  bought spare T shirt so she could leave with the tailor when joined us for lunch,  then we walked via Mackenzie Rd to bus home.

 

Got home just as Sammy arriving from school.

Bit of discussion about whether to buy unlocked iPhone 5 for Lynds here as she needs new phone cos the Samsung we bought in Washington is a lemon and then Ruth loaned Lynds her old iPhone 3s for a trial.  Also bit of an iPhone tutorial for me and Ruth helped me reorganise my apps  and get a new  app for radio stations anywhere and discovered we could have been listening to 7 am RNZ news each day complete with bird call.

Bit of a rest, then into taxis again and out to the Swiss Club for an evening of swimming and diving, Lyndsay, Sammy and I doing a threesome synchronised dive, dinner (schnitzel and chips, Swiss meat loaf, creamed spinach and mashed potato, greek salad and bottle of Sav Blanc) outside on balmy night (helicopters overhead again tonight) and home by 8.30 pm for cake. Sammy asleep by end of dinner and all way home.

 

 

 

 

Wednesday  17 October 2012 Singapore

Great views from this apartment

Apartment is top right corner

 

 

 

 

View through living room windows

 

Sammy went off to school in school bus then us with R& M on bus to China Town, great look around plus we all had a foot massage, lunch in food hall plus lots of talking and catching up.

 

First experience of a Singapore afternoon thunderstorm and downpour.

 

Walked back to bus through old parts of town.

 

 

 

 

  In evening went in taxis to Fire eaters and Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo. What an amazing evening.

 

 

 

We took the train ride past hippos, rhinos, tigers, lions,elephants,many sorts of deer and cattle beasts  then walked the Wallaby trail in the dark and looked at animals from different perspective.Then caught the little train again and repeated the second half of the tour. Bit difficult to take photos without flash. 

 

Lyndsay and Sammy waiting for train 

 

Zebra Chair

 

Nice washbasins with jungle view at ladies loo
 

Lots of military  helicopters overhead.

 

Bags arrived while we were out !!