Off to a great start

The Exposition

I arrived in Singapore Friday morning after 26+ hours of travel from Chicago thru San Francisco (unexpectedly) and connecting in Hong Kong.  Besides some minor delays the travel was mostly painless.  I ended up sleeping a lot and watching the video options offered by United.  My original plan was to dive deep into a new tv series (Game of Thrones or The Wire) but the lack of wireless on the flights stymied that.  Probably for the best to avoid getting sucked into TV.

A cab took me from Changi airport (one of the world's nicest) to Megan's apartment where I will be staying.  That apartment, The Sail @ Marina Bay, is amazing. I'm grateful to have such a great place over my head.

There are some peculiarities about the building for sure.  One thing is that it has a Karoake room which can be rented for parties.  It's unclear to me what the appeal is of belting out Don't Stop Believing from the comfort of my own apartment building.  Another peculiarity is underwater workout equipment.  As awesome as it sounds, Megan and I tried out it today and were a bit disappointed.  The workout bike was herky jerky and the treadmill didn't turn over (sorta a core requirement).  Another cool amenity is a Grill area which Megan and I hope to use to host friends during one of our non-travel weekends.

 
I'm excited to catchup with some of my friends here in Singapore.  Through my previous time in Singapore, Megan's new friends and my networking there are a number of people I plan to see.  I also hope to make plenty of new friends as well.

Workout under the Sea!

One theme throughout my time here will be Food.  Singapore is a foodie paradise due to it's cosmopolitan nature and intersection of many Asian cultures.  One example of this is the Hawker centers, where delicious Chinese, Malaysian, Indian and other Asian food is available alongside Western dishes.  I've had some fantastic food already including Satay, Prawn soup and Pineapple Friend rice with Pork Floss (super scrumptious).  In the future I plan to post food pictures and explain what I've learned about the dishes.

This evening Megan and I leave for Cambodia.  We'll fly through Kuala Lampur to Siem Reap. In Siem Reap, we'll take a Cambodian Cooking Course and explore beautiful Khmer temples such as Angkor Wat.  We will also travel to Phnom Penh to explore the countryside, learn about Cambodia's history, and experience the nightlife.  This trip has been on my bucket list so I'm excited we're doing it so soon.



To make sure I'm getting the most of my travels and trip I've developed some goals below:

• Travel around SE Asia to explore new cultures and see amazing sites
• Try new foods and learn to cook a few of my favorites
• Find intellectually challenging employment and/or volunteer opportunities
• Stay physically fit and healthy
• Relax and enjoy myself