Day 6
Last night after I posted my blog I walked down to the nearby hawker center for a late night dinner. On the way there I ran into the cab driver who helped me get my fare comped by the hotel the night before. We shook hands and talked for a minute and then I continued on my way. I sat down and my waiter from the night I first arrived greeted me. He was excited to see me and told another waiter I was his girlfriend. (I felt so popular for the first time since I've been here. I actually get very little attention from the locals. I guess they're not into blondes.) I didn't know what exactly I had ordered but my waiter/boyfriend assured me it would be vegetarian. When he brought me my food he said he was coming back to America with me and I went along with it, thinking of the promise I made my friends that I wouldn't bring anyone home from this vacation.
I really do miss everyone by now although I'm having a great time. I don't know that this trip was life changing, but I feel I've satisfied what I've been missing. I reached a point back home in which I felt I needed to get as far away as possible. I've met people here that I wouldn't have crossed paths with otherwise and I've immersed myself in so many different cultures this week. I really am amazed by just how globalized the world is, but it's nice to see a different perspective on it all.
Sunday morning I made my way back to China Town to pick up the last of my souvenirs for my people. I was stopped by a student reporter who could tell I was on holiday and he asked if he could interview me for a story he's working on about tourism in Singapore. It makes perfect sense to find a tourist in China Town. I let him interview me and felt it my was time to pay it forward as I've stopped so many people for interviews in my day. Again, he was shocked I only came to Singapore and asked if I would go anywhere else. I told him next time I would go all over Asia. There will be a next time down the road. I love Asia, but Latin America is next.
I finished my shopping and figured out my way back to the hotel using the bus and I was so proud of myself. No waiting on a shuttle at the airport for me today! Although the train system is very efficient (despite the fact it doesn't service my side of town), the bus system has failed me about three times now, (due to my own ignorance). I got back to the hotel, unloaded and went to lunch at a nearby North Indian restaurant called Saanjha Chulah. A very nicely decorated, cozy spot playing traditional Indian music, just walking distance from the hotel. I was nice being close by today so I could enjoy the hotel's pool, do some day drinking and be available via wifi so that my new friends here would be able to contact me.
I took a swim and a nap and around nine I met my friend from Argentina for Coronas at the local hawker center. We met through a Singapore Facebook group. He speaks about as much English as I do Spanish. He is here with his futbol team for eleven months. It was refreshing to be able to use my Spanish and I'm sure he felt the same way. There were times we had to break out Google translate but we made do. It was nice to have someone to talk to. We said goodbye early so he could take the train back to his place on the other side of town and I walked back to my hotel. Overall today was the typical relaxing vacation day.
No comments:
Post a Comment