I just typed a huge blog that somehow was deleted.... Now I'm upset and this one might not be as good :(
I have been a bad blogger. The reason I haven't updated in a while is because I'm really busy finishing up my time here in Malaysia. I'm saying goodbyes and attending meetings and hanging out with my AWESOME AWESOME students before we part ways, which is going to make me cry like a little girl for a few days. I've become so attatched to these kids here and thinking about leaving them now, with only 1 week left, already wells me up with tears. I'm never a really emotional person!! What is happening... Malaysia, what have you done to me?!! haha
Anyway, my visa extension expired and I had to high-tail my butt out of Malaysia before the police arrested me. I fled to Singapore on the advice of my program administration. However when going through Malaysian immigration in Johor Bahru, the border town by Singapore, I was detained... DETAINED! Apparently my visa from the Terengganu government was not valid and even if it were, it was never approved... according to the immigration officers. So I was at the counter and they pulled the classic line, "Sir, can you please follow us?" I freaked and my mom is proof because she was on the phone with me. (PS, mom, what are you doing calling so early in the morning. Ask Lindsay how I feel about people calling in the morning, haha). I was escorted to a little trailer on the side of the road where I was semi-interogated for about an hour. The immigration officers wanted to get to know me rather than do business so they began asking me the typical questions that Malaysian ALWAYS ask me. "Do you take rice?" or "Are you married?" or "How much do you get paid?" and so on. I was scared and angry but answered them anyway. Finally it turned out that one of the officers was from Terengganu, go figure. Even better, his fiance is from Kuala Berang, the town where I teach, go figure. He asked me to speak Malay and in a Terengganu dialect I answered "I don't want to speak Malay" (translated of course) and he and the other officers gave the same prescribed reaction everyone in Terengganu gives me when I use their dialect: shocked, surprised, laughter, clapping. The man was so impressed that he stamped my passport and sent me on my way! I was so happy I didn't even have to pay anyone off, which I thought was going to happen since my contact at the Terengganu governement would not answer my desperate calls for help. Thank god this is NOT Mexico!
Anwway, I crossed over Malaysia via the bridge in Johor Bahru. The traffic is so bad at this crossing that it takes 1 hour to cross a bridge which is equivalent in size to the Broad St. bridge in downtown Columbus, Ohio. 1 hour to cross it!! You have not seen traffic congestion until you have been on this bridge!
This is just the left side of the bridge where the motorbikes enter... madness!
So, here's the part where I give a little info on Singapore. Singapura, the Malay name, means Lion City. Singapore, historically, has always been a part of Malayisa. In 1819, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles came to Singapore and established it as a trading post for the British, which encouraged its development as well. Well, in 1963, Malaysia gained its independence from the British. A large concentration of Malaysian Chinese were in Singapore doing their thing. Malay Malaysians were afraid the Chinese were becoming too powerful, or at least had the potential, because everyone knows when it comes to business and restaurants the Chinese dominate with their work ethic. Malays didn't want the Chinese to become the majority so in 1965 Singapore was expelled from the Malaysian Federation.
This was scary news for Singapore because it's a tiny island that has absolutely NO natural resources. How could Singapore make it as a sovereign nation with nothing? Well, here enters the amazing leader Lee Kuan Yew. This Chinese man had his crap together and pretty much kicked butt whipping Singapore into shape. He believed Singapore had one potentially effective natural resource, its people. So, Singapore, a country with nothing worked hard and united to now have one of the strongest economies in the world. It's amazing that this island went from nothing to the sprawling metropolis of 4 million that it is today. Singapore now has income from oil refineries, tourism, and technology thanks to the Chinese.
This is a view of the business district in Singapore... that's where all the action happens
I spent the first of three days alone. I traveled around and explored the sights while orienting myself with the city. I also enjoyed some delicious delicious Subway. I had a Italian BMT on parmesean oregano and it was just like home!! So, here are some sites I saw.
This wonder is called the Merlion. It is part Mermaid and part Lion, in case you missed that. This statue has become the symbol of Singapore and some say it's as famous as the Eiffle Tower. I didn't remember it but when I was in Singapore I kept thinking to myself, "Isn't there some Lion thing I should see?" It's as if my subconcious took control and took me to this stunning piece. A vomitting merlion, who could ever ask for more?
Also, at the merlion statue a family from Indonesia approached me. They asked me to take a picture of them in front of the merlion. With nothing better to do I took the picture. Afterward they said to me, "Well, we really just want to take a picture with you." Haha. I was really flattered and of course I posed with them and the mother was hugging me in the picture. One thing I'm going to miss here is the attention. I will admit it, the attention is nice. I am a freaking celebrity here for doing nothing at all. I will have some serious culture shock when I move home and become nothing again. So, to ease the transition, just ask me for my autograph every now and then, haha.
This is the Raffles Hotel. If it doesn't sound at all familiar it should because this is where human creativity gave birth to the Singapore Sling.
This drink was $17 Singapore dollars which is about $11USD. It's expensive, but it's also complicated and it's classic. The original recipe is barely used outside of the Raffles Hotel. It's pretty much a Tom Collins with cherry Brandy, or so I'm told. It was good none the less and I'm glad I had one.
I don't know if you all remember this from my earlier blogs but it is HOT here. The HOT I'm talking about can't even be defined using English words. Unless you've been here you have no concept whatsoever how HOT it is. It's so HOT that you can be driving in a car with the wind blowing all over you, essentially cooling you down, but you end up sweating through it anyway. It is disgustingly HOT. After 6 months my body has managed to not adjust to the HEAT. I guarantee I will not sweat at all this summer back in the States. Well, Singapore is about 10 times HOTTER than Malaysia. It was insane.
Although Singapore is mostly made up of Chinese people it still has its own China Town. I swear the Chinese are EVERYWHERE, and you know what, thank god for that. Someone told me that the furthest restaurant North is a Chinese restaurant... I'm not surprised. What podunk town on Earth doesn't even have a Chinese restaurant? Even Podunk, North Carolina, where the name originates, has one.
My friends Katie and Amy P met up with me the second day I was in Singapore. Katie and I walked around the entire city hanging out. We went down to the Singapore Cable Car and just rode on it while eating lunch. Most people use it to go to Sentosa Island which is a touristy amusement island. Others go to Mt. Faber to see views of Singapore. Well, Katie and I just sat on it and rode it between both points enjoying delicious Subway subs and maybe a Heineken or 2.
After the cable car we went to this place called Haw Par Villa. The inventor of Tiger balm, from Singapore, was a devout Buddhist. He opened this village in Singapore for one specific purpose. To remind sinners what the consequences were for defaulting on moral values in the present life. This theme park's main attraction is a site called "The 10 Courts of Hell." How could I ever pass it up??
Before you make it to "Hell" you pass by lots of really funny paper mached statues.
I don't know... there's just something about giant pigs and crocodiles that I can't resist.
This picture just epitomizes Asia for me. When I think of Asia this is exactly what I imagine. It doesn't make sense. It's a tiger personified as a little girl with a giant balloon head. Who does that? But somehow it's fun and evokes a spirit of completely wild and unique. Asia just does that.
Once you make it past the landscape full of marvelous cartoon character statues you enter "Hell." There are 10 different tableaus depicting a different court of Hell. The all seeing and knowing judge of Humans is present in each court where he does not absolve anyone of their sins, but rather watches in a saddistic and gleeful manner. Each tableau is bloody and gruesome and specifically defines what sins will buy you a ticket to that court. For example, anyone stealing food from a local grocery store will be cut in half and tied up with their own intestines in court 4. All prostitutes are crushed by huge boulders in court 6.
I think this specific court was for anyone who has ever lied. You are thrown onto huge spikes in the side of the wall. You know, the inventor of Tiger balm must have an amazing research team to have found such specifics as hell. I mean come on, who would ever think religion is a joke when Truths such as these are revealed to humans?
This is Orchard Rd. It's the famous shopping road in Singapore and it's lined with expensive designers like Versace and really cheap outlet malls too. I hate shopping so I didn't really enjoy this, but it is a good street to walk down and do some people watching. I would advise a dark pair of sunglasses so you can stare at whomever you want.
This is a huge Buddha. This temple is called the Temple of 1,000 lights, for obvious reasons. One reason I came here was the fact that Buddha has a door in his behind that you can go into. I thought it would be wonderful to say I walked inside of Buddha, but it just so happend to be Vesak Day. This is a major holiday for Buddhists because it is the day Buddha was born, enlightened, and died. There were too many people to make behind Buddha, so I just snapped some photos and peaced out.
Singapore was nice and I had a good time. I had some culture shock as well. I went for a banana leaf (that's an Indian food meal where you each lots of delicous slop on top of a banana leaf) and I ate with my hand. I eat with my hand every single day here in Malaysia. However, I guess it's an anomaly when Mat Salleh use their hands in Singapore because an entire street stopped and stared at me in either utter amazement or disgust by my actions. Whatever, I think eating with the hand is the second best idea after beer.
The people of Singapore are very polite and respectful. As one taxi driver told me, "It's so easy to scare and control people here because the country is so little. That's why Singapore is such a great country." I don't know about all that but Singapore is fun. It is, however, just another city not different from any others. I would like to come back to Singapore to party one day when I have money. I am broke now, BROKE, and I had to spend so much money in this expensive shopping Mecca. So, if anyone wants to donate to the "Keep Zach alive in Asia before his return" your kindness would be appreciated.
I land in Columbus, OH at 4:55pm on June 11 and I couldn't be more exited to be coming home!! I'm going to miss Malaysia a lot because of the friends I've made here. One thing I will always give credit to Malaysia is the fact that the world's nicest people live here. People here will drop whatever they are doing to give a helping hand and the hospitality has been impressive. I'm going to miss my students so much!! But, there comes a time in one's life where he/she must make a decision. If a country does not have cheese you just have to leave. It's a tough call. Mom, please stock the fridge with 40 pounds of every single kind of cheese you can buy at Whole Foods... I'm coming home!!!!!
