Greetings from Singapore (cough, cough, wheeeeze.) That's right, the land where all good obsessive- compulsives go when they die. I looked into changing my travel plans to avoid Singapore, but it seemed like it would be impossible to get where I'm going without having to at least go through the Singapore or Hong Kong airport. And if I'm going to fly out with people who have been in those cities, I might as well keep my original plan to spend a day in Singapore. Besides, they seem to have SARS pretty much under control here, and WHO no longer lists Singapore in their travel advisory. But I have my mask for the flight out.
Singapore seems quite nice--not the most exciting city, but very clean, easy to get around. Every good city has a personality, and Singapore's seems to be Ned Flanders. But as with anyone who seems immaculately pure and pristine, below the surface beats the heart of a dominatrix. (Anyone who has been taught by nuns is perfectly aware of this.) You can't help but walk around here and not wonder whether some common thing that you are doing is going to get you fined--like jaywalking, chewing gum, smoking in a public building, littering--all things which exact a heavy fine. And you wonder just what you would have to do to get caned. That just seems so incongruous with the overall impression you get here.
Anyway, today was my day in Singapore, spent walking around town-- Chinatown (where I am staying), Arab Street, Little India, the river side. My stomach is still a bit weird, so I was only hungry for one meal, which I ate at a hawker center--a place where all the street vendors ply their trade since it is illegal for them to actually do it in the streets anymore. I wished I was hungrier--there was more stuff I wanted to try.
Tomorrow morning I fly out.
In my last message, I was still in Fiji. My little intestinal bug that I got there seemed to be gone as soon as it came, but it was just on a 48 hour reprieve. I got up in the middle of the night and puked, then released from the other end. It seems to be gone now, but my stomach is still sensitive, and stuff seems to sit there. I have to force myself to eat, since I don't usually get hungry.
I spent the remainder of my time in Fiji in the cities--Suva and Nadi. Suva is fine, Nadi is a pit. I would advise anyone going to Fiji to spend it on the little islands and not on the big one.
Running out of time.
Bye,
Sid
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