Day 1 Tampa - San Fran - Singapore

Getting ready for the 23 hours and 34 minutes on a plane with an hour layover in San Francisco. Melodie is taking me to the airport with my two bags to check (one has nothing but Kurt and Kim's Amazon purchases in it so I'll have lots of room coming home!), my backpack and my CPAP machine.  Hoping to get some sleep on the 17 hour leg out of California.

Worried (a little) about the Corona virus but I've prepared by taking my meds and purchasing an N95 (actually sold out so I had to buy a P95) surgical mask.  Hopefully I won't need it but Kim said they could have used a mask on one of their Cambodia transports that kicked up lots of red dust on the ride.

Can't wait to see my family! Will experience the Asian version of Lyft/Uber by using Grab for my airport shuttle to their home. Will have to wait until I get to Changi Airport to enter my card info since the Grab app wants to send me to their "partner" Uber when I try to set it up here.

Will post more here once I get to my destination at 8am Sing time on Wednesday and 7pm Tampa time Tuesday night. Stay tuned!

NEW ADDITION! 

The trip was uneventful with no problems with which to contend. The Tampa-San Francisco leg arrived early which gave me more than an hour to get to the international gate.  It was a leisurely walk and well marked.  A brief wait at the gate and we were boarding once again.

Once boarded, we left the gate right on time at 10:35pm PST. Suddenly, the plane stopped and didn’t move. An announcement informed us that someone was in the bathroom being sick and they were checking to see if they had to return to the gate or could continue on. An hour later we were taking off!  Keeping my fingers crossed, I ended up with a 3 seat row all to myself so I was able to make a little bed with the 3 pillows and 2 blankets along with my new neck support purchase.  

It was uncomfortable to keep my legs bent so I didn’t stick my feet out into the aisle. So I tried on each side and then spent some time sitting up to stretch my legs and do some exercises for circulation. I guess I must have slept at some point.

Dinner was served an hour after reaching altitude. A snack of a turkey mini sandwich was handed out halfway through the 17 hour flight and then breakfast was served 90 minutes before landing. Not bad food but I sure could have used some leafy greens and veggies.

We arrived early at 0740 Singapore time and we were presented with a dense fog that obliterated the terminal from close-parked plane at the gate!  People were donning their masks and I feared that the fog was really smog but was pleasantly surprised as it cleared quickly.

Can YOU see the terminal?

Ships lined up to unload their cargo!

Sunrise over the Singapore Strait.

Having downloaded the Grab app back home, I now paused to set up my credit card for payment when the time came to book a Grab and then proceeded to baggage claim. Passed through Customs without a hitch, found my bags on the carousel and now would have to text Kim to find out where to go for a Grab pick up.  Tired from the flight and anxious to find my way, I didn't search/find the beauty of this Changi airport but did capture two photos as I made my way. Will have to spend more time in the airport when I leave for Thailand in 10 days.

It's the Year of the Rate so this little fellow can be found in many places in the airport and around the city.

Time to queue up for entry presentation of passport and informational card and, of course, the many questions of reason and place of visit.

Grab works just like Uber/Lyft. I found my way out of door 5, requested my driver for that door location and was given his name, cost of the ride and license plate. It was 18 S$ (Sing dollars) equivalent to $13 USD plus a 3 S$ ERP (Electronic Road Pricing - congestion tax) for my early morning transport through downtown for a total of $15 USD. The driver was chatty and I quizzed him about the beautiful trees and bougainvillea that lined the roadway and he pointed out many beautiful structures and gardens along the way. He also told me that undercover enforcers are everywhere for the items listed at the end of this blog.

Kim met me outside the apartment complex and I was thrilled to see an elevator to her 5^th floor domicile. Kurt was home and hard at work. I got the nickel tour of their beautiful home, unpacked their suitcase of goodies and then Kim and I grabbed a Grab for a ride to the meat market.

Huber’s Butchery is a meat market to end all meat markets with lamb, beef, chicken, sausages, whole suckling pigs and so much more with all kinds of food items for sale from around the world. I love the smell of a butcher shop. It brings back memories of growing up in Michigan where all good meats were purchased here instead of grocery store. Kim has found purchasing her meats here are the freshest and tastiest compared to other places that offer meat. And they are decorated, of course, for the Chinese New Year!

Kumquat tree represents the wish for good fortunes for the coming year. Individually wrapped mandarin oranges are presented to friends and family when you visit. Being individually wrapped extends greater wishes for a prosperous 2020.

Oooh the smell is divine!

A Grab ride home and then we were off for a walk just down the street to the ABC, Artisan Boulangerie Co. for lunch.  Dinner will be a walk out again to keep me moving and awake until bedtime. Can’t wait to see Sophia soon when she gets home from school!

We met Sophie just downstairs at 1530 as her large van of children pulled up to let her off. The "Auntie" opened the door and helped her out. Every child transport has an "Auntie" (as they call her this for respect for an older woman) along with the driver. Sophia gets picked up right in front of the apartment complex doors in the morning as well around 0740.

We freshened up to go out for dinner. Not thinking clearly but focusing on easing the burden of carrying extra "stuff", I left my phone and camera at home and missed all of the beautiful lights and sights so we'll just have to walk the two miles again so I can capture the beauty of the nightlife.

Here are some of the special ordinances in Singapore. Can you imagine having these in the U.S.?

1.     The first-time penalty for the selling of gum can be as high as $100,000 or a prison sentence of up to two years. You are not permitted to bring gum into the country unless it is for medical reasons.

2.     Singapore's statutes state that playing an instrument in a public place in "a manner as to cause or be likely to cause annoyance to any person lawfully using a public road or in any public place shall be guilty of an offense" that includes a fine of up to $1,000. 

3.     You can get a fine of up to $5,000 if you happen to be flying a kite or "playing any game" that gets in the way of traffic in any public road. 

4.     If you’re caught singing or uttering songs that have either obscene lyrics or obscene “ballads” in any public place, you’ll face a punishment of imprisonment for up to three months, a fine, or even both.

5.     Spitting isn’t the classiest act, but do it in any public place in Singapore and you'll be slapped with a fine of up to $1,000. 

6.     The distribution of any materials deemed "obscene" is prohibited in Singapore. Any violation of this — whether it is photographs, a DVD, books, or figures — can get you up to three months in jail, a fine, or both.

7.     Singapore’s Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act defines using another person’s Wi-Fi network as hacking. If you’re caught doing the deed, you can be fined a whopping $10,000, face up to three years in jail, or both.

8.     While flushing a public toilet is common courtesy, in Singapore, there is an actual law. If you're caught leaving without flushing the toilet, you're looking at a fine of around $150. 

9.     Wandering around your house nude with any open curtains can land you a fine of $2,000, imprisonment for three months, or both. Both being nude in public and being nude in a private place where you are exposed to the public are considered public nuisances.

10. Feeding the birds in Singapore by throwing food scraps on the ground will cost you $500.

11. In Singapore, some public elevators come equipped with Urine Detection Devices that set off an alarm and close the doors until the police arrive when any odor or urine is detected.  

12. You shouldn’t litter in any country and it isn’t uncommon for littering to be against the law, but in Singapore, you’ll find yourself paying a $1,000 fine for it.

13. In Singapore, vandalism can get you both arrested and caned. Singapore’s vandalism laws first shocked the media in 1994, after an American teenager received a caning as punishment for destroying cars and public property. Earlier this year, two men visiting the country also faced prison time and caning for painting graffiti on a public train.

14. Penalties for drug possession in Singapore range from fines as high as $20,000 to 10 years in prison. In certain cases, if the amount of the drug is high enough, the punishment can even be a death penalty. Singapore officials have the right to conduct anonymous drug tests without a warrant, so any drugs taken before you enter the country can still put you at risk.

15. Attempts were made last year to change the Singaporean laws which forbid two members of the same gender from being able to have sexual relations, but unfortunately the regulation still stands. The punishment for gay sex in Singapore is a two-year jail term.