12 in ‘12

Well, New Year’s Eve is here and 2012 is almost history. But, oh, what a year it’s been! Back in January 2011, I set a goal for myself: to set foot in eleven different countries over the course of the year. It didn’t seem like a very far-fetched dream, but somehow, by year’s end, I had only hit a dismal eight of my intended targets. So I revised my objective upwards to twelve countries for 2012, and I’m happy to report that this time, I was successful.

At the end of last year, I posted one photo from each of the preceding twelve months as a quick visual summation of my 2011. Now, I’ve collected twelve more pictures, this time including one from each of the countries I was lucky enough to spend time in over the course of 2012. Old Blue Eyes once sang, “It was a very good year,” and as the pictures below will attest, this one indeed was.   

Singapore

My 2012 actually started in Singapore, since I came down here to celebrate last New Year’s Eve in late December. Little did I know then that eleven months later I’d be moving down for good. Here’s a photo I snapped during the New Year’s fireworks display over Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay, literally during the very first seconds of 2012.

Vietnam

Chinese New Year is perhaps an expat’s greatest chance to escape the city and discover someplace new. Our Costa cruise this past Janaury gave me and my friends the opportunity to visit three ports of call in two countries: Vietnam and China. Here’s our crew—Silja, Sonia, Amy, Chiara, Andrea and me—on our private cruise around Halong Bay, our first stop in Vietnam. The next day we would pull into Danang and the day after that we arrived in Sanya, China. Less than one year later, we have all moved on from Hong Kong. Silja has gone back to Germany, Sonia is (luckily for me) here in Singapore, Amy is home in London, and Chiara and Andrea have relocated to Shanghai. It sure was swell while it lasted!

China

You know, it’s funny… The Chinese border sits a mere seventeen miles north of downtown Hong Kong, where I spent the vast majority of the year. In the end, though, I only wound up in China on two occasions—and only for a couple of hours each time! In fact, of the twelve countries I hit this year, China is the one where I spent the least amount of time. The first visit was our port call in Sanya, the so-called Chinese Hawaii (or Cha-waii) on Hainan Island, where Silja, Chiara, Andrea and I made the most of our short time on land. Then in April—one evening after work—I crossed the border into Shenzen to do some shopping and grab a bite to eat. Perhaps my biggest “regret” of my time in Hong Kong is not exploring more of our vast neighbor to the North while it was right at my doorstep. Here’s a snap of Andrea, Chiara, Silja and me atop the highest point in Sanya.

Thailand

A vacation in Thailand is always a very special experience. The country is geographically diverse, offering everything from white sandy beaches and lush rainforests to major cities and rugged mountains. Mix in a one-of-a-kind cuisine, friendly people and a fascinating traditional culture and you have perhaps Southeast Asia’s single most exciting travel destination. I was lucky to spend another week in Thailand this Easter with my friends Ally and Courtney. Our second evening in Bangkok, we took a nighttime bike tour of the capital, stopping at the illuminated War Arun (Temple of Dawn) where we encountered a gang of laughter-prone baby monks.

Macau

I went to our sister SAR too many times to count this past year. OK… that is slightly an exaggeration, because I actually went through my passport stamps and counted. I have fourteen from Macau from 2012 alone, meaning I arrived and departed seven times. In fact, the bulk of my passport is taken up by Macau stamps accumulated over the past three years. But I truly love the place. And each trip was full of what makes the former Portuguese colony so special, from its glittering casinos to its quaint Sino-European heritage, from great food to unforgettable parties. This shot is from an April visit, when my friend Silja, my roommate Rich and I went to see LMFAO perform at Club Cubic at the City of Dreams. It was April 14^th, and a night to remember for sure.

The Philippines

It was a short trip to the Philippines but a sweet one for certain. About two years ago, our friend Kareem (Sonia’s brother) quit his job in Hong Kong, bought a boat and moved to Boracay. A killer host, he graciously offered us a couple of nights on his catamaran this past May. So on a Friday evening, Silja, Chiara, Andrea and I flew down to Cebu, met up with Sonia, Amy and Matt, and joined Kareem to sail around Bohol, an island in the Visayas. By Sunday evening we were en route back to Hong Kong, but the brief mini-vacation was further proof that there’s no end to the wonders waiting to be explored in this nation made up of over seven thousand islands. Here’s a picture of me and Sonia on her brother’s boat, as the sun set over the crystal clear waters and day turned to night in our tropical paradise.

Hong Kong

The hardest part of 2012 was definitely saying goodbye (at least temporarily) to the Pearl of the Orient. Hong Kong has been a home to me for the past three years, and the people I’ve met there have added so much to my life. Of the literally thousands of photographs I have from the SAR this year, this one is probably my favorite, if only for the sheer number of amazing friends who are in it. It’s from our housewarming party when Rich and I first moved into our new flat in Happy Valley. Not a day goes by when I don’t think of the people in this photo and the times we had.

England

Not just a highlight of the year but indeed of my entire life, my time in London this past August is branded into my brain, burning as brightly as the Olympics torch itself. It’s practically impossible to summarize the experience in any amount of words, but hopefully the picture above is worth the proverbial thousand. It’s me and Amy, in patriotic garb, preparing to enter the Olympics Stadium for the men’s one hundred meter final.

France

Paris… my Paris… Few places in the world hold fonder memories for me. My semester abroad there in 2007 paved the way for my Asian adventure that has taken my life on a whole new course. I’ll always take advantage of an opportunity to return to the City of Light, and London is so close that there was no way I wasn’t fitting a trip across the Channel into my summer plans. Not wanting “post-Olympics depression” to set in, I hopped on the Eurostar the day after the Closing Ceremony. That first night I joined up with my friends Abby and Melissa. We had all studied abroad together, and we made sure our time in Paris this summer overlapped so we could have one incredible reunion. There was a lot of reminiscing, and it was a perfect first night back—just like old times.

The United States

Home, sweet home! Instead of my usual once-a-year-visit to the good ole US of A, I got two trips this year. I made my first homeward journey in July, relishing the New Jersey summertime and fitting in my first trip to Las Vegas for my buddy Joe’s bachelor party. And then in October, I came back to the States for his actual wedding in Minnesota, which was a blast. This snapshot is from the October trip, the night before Joe’s wedding, when we all went out in Saint Paul after the rehearsal dinner. Groom Joe is second from the left, and my friends Ryan, Shea and Jen round out the gang.

Malaysia

Located across a short causeway from Singapore, Johor Bahru makes for a fascinating escape from the glitz and glitter of the Lion City. Derided by Singaporeans as a dangerous fen of crime and grime, the city I visited was surprisingly pleasant. It bore little resemblance to the sordid slum I had been told to expect. Picturesque old streets and alleys exuded character, and the local food—and bargain prices—will draw me back for future trips. My favorite attraction was the Sultan Ibrahim Building, which once housed the government offices of the state of Johor. Majestically floodlit by night, the ancient-looking building was—surprisingly—constructed between 1936 and 1939 and opened in 1940. Apparently, there is talk of turning the historic complex into a museum, which would give me yet another reason to return to this unpolished Malaysian gem.

Indonesia

With the calendar running out, and only one weekend to go before the end of the year, I completed my goal by taking a ferry from Singapore to Indonesia. Believe it or not, of the twelve countries I hit this year, Indonesia was only the second that I had never been to before. (The other was Vietnam.) I was blown away by Bintan, the island I visited. I met some Malaysian college students and spent the afternoon with them on Penyengat, a historic island just across the harbor from the provincial capital of Tanjung Pinang. I didn’t have nearly enough time to see all the place had to offer! I should have given myself at least a night or two to fully appreciate all there is to explore there, but mark my words: Indonesia will become a frequent destination for me in 2013!

Christmas in the Tropics

Merry Christmas from Singapore! What a great time of the year to have moved to this new city. Singapore takes the Christmas season very seriously, festooning its streets and buildings with stunning lighting displays and effectively promoting the festivities with shrewd marketing, luring in thousands of tourists from around the world.

Since I only arrived four weeks ago, it’s practically been “Christmas” since the minute I stepped off the plane. For example, one of the first things I remember upon checking into my hotel that day is that all the employees were already sporting Santa hats, even though it was only November 27^th. In the hallways there was a constant hum of light Christmas music emanating from unseen speakers. And in the Waterfall Lounge—just off the main lobby—nightly live entertainment consisted of a bevy of well-known holiday tunes.

And merry decorations were everywhere, not just in my hotel but also in all the office buildings in the Central Business District and any given store in pretty much any part of town. Most of the displays were pretty traditional, but a few were a bit quirky, namely the LEGO Christmas tree in the ticket hall of the ArtScience Museum in front of the Marina Bay, coinciding with their special LEGO exhibition, The Art of the Brick. 

Another interesting Christmas tree is in the lobby of the historic Fullerton Hotel, made entirely from plush teddy bears! And even the Singapore Flyer, the world's tallest Ferris wheel, joined in the festivities with it's own illuminated "tree" made of strands of green lights in the shape of a triangle. The city has really embraced Christmas, and the Singaporeans are very proud of their eye catching, tourist-drawing holiday highlights.

Carolers have been performing in public spaces for weeks, adding a lot to the Yuletide ambiance. Some have been amateur local groups while others have flown in from various parts of Asia, and happening upon their concerts has done a great deal to get me in the Christmas mood. Whenever I could, I would stop and listen to at least a few songs. 

The official Singapore tourism office has been hard at work promoting their “Christmas in the Tropics” marketing campaign for a long time now, and by all accounts it seems to have worked. Hong Kong really quiets down at Christmastime. Most of the expats leave town, and though the lights on the buildings are mesmerizing, the city itself can feel slightly (and thankfully) empty.

The opposite is true here. Although the expat community still takes the opportunity to either return home or go on vacation, an influx of foreign visitors from every corner of the globe has descended upon the Lion City. They all seem to have taken the tourism board’s message to heart and decided to spend their holiday in our exotic, humid locale. There is a veritable buzz in the city, with crowded streets, bars and restaurants.

Of course, I've always had a little trouble getting into the Christmas spirit in Southeast Asia’s warm climate. Even in Hong Kong, where Christmastime temperatures hover in the low 60s, I longed for truly cold weather, worthy of hot chocolate and a log on the fire. Singapore is even hotter, usually hitting the mid- to high-80s at this time of year. Apparently it’s about as cold as it gets here, and today, I was shocked to overhear the following exchange between a local couple discussing the mercury level, which might have dipped as low as 82° this afternoon:

Singaporean woman: “It’s very cold today.”

Singaporean man: “Do you want to buy a sweater?”

Singaporean woman: “Yes, maybe.”

Come on! You’ve got to be kidding me. I was literally wiping sweat off of my forehead every couple of minutes, and here was some lady considering buying warmer clothes. Give me a break!

Still, the combination of ever-present Christmas melodies and the vibrant decorations is practically enough to make it feel like a true Christmas. Mix in some holiday movies, a few visits to fauxfire.com (a website that shows a roaring fire while playing holiday music) and glacial air conditioning and I was on the way to having myself a merry little Christmas. 

Of course, it goes without saying that I miss my family at Christmastime. For me, just like everybody else, the season brings back floods of memories of Christmases past—my mom's chocolate mousse, the special ornaments adorning our family tree, candlelight church service on Christmas Eve, luminaries lining our street and family drives around the neighborhood to gaze upon beautifully decorated homes. But being far away also helps me to remember and appreciate all these things, and I know it will also make it all the more special to go home for Christmas next year after having stayed away for the last two.

Of all the decorations in town, two particularly stood out for me. I’ve written before about Singapore’s most famous hotel, the world-renowned Raffles. As you would expect, they classily decked the halls—and façade—with boughs of holly, evergreen wreaths and simple white lights. Overflowing with elegance, the Raffles’ iconic exterior has been one of my favorite Singaporean Christmas sights these past weeks, looking like something straight out of the world of Charles Dickens.

But if the Raffles’ decorations are subtle and refined, the ostentatious lights along Orchard Road are the polar opposite. And just as memorable! Orchard Road—Singapore's Champs-Élysées—is a shopping Mecca, quite literally lined on both sides with back-to-back malls. It's almost a mile and half long, with wide sidewalks, outdoor cafés and shady trees, and it's the place to see and be seen in Singapore. Earlier this year, a French-based survey even placed Orchard Road atop a list of the world's best shopping streets, so it's only natural that it has become the epicenter of the city's Christmas scene.

For its entire stretch, Orchard Road is strung with countless lights, spanning across all lanes of traffic connecting one sidewalk to the next. Doves, hearts, reindeer, nutcrackers and snowflakes all contributed to the one-of-a-kind spectacle. I've seen Christmas displays in cities all over the world, from New York to Paris to Hong Kong, but I've never seen anything quite like Orchard Road.

As Christmas was approaching, my time at Citadines Mount Sophia, my serviced apartment, was drawing to a close. In fact, Christmas day itself marks my fourth full week in the Lion City, and so my company’s Christmas present to yours truly was the end of my month of paid accommodation this morning! Luckily it all worked out for me. My good friend Sonia is in London for the holidays, and she desperately needed someone to take care of her two cats—Tommy and Wellington—and look after her house while she’s out of town. So for the past few days I’ve been cat-sitting for her, and I’ll keep doing so until January 11^th, when I return to Hong Kong for a couple of weeks. The benefit is that I now have a new place to stay!

Sonia’s home is lovely. It reminds me of a tropical villa by the sea, what with its red Spanish-style roof tiles, beautiful garden and nice outdoor patio. To boot, it’s located near the Kembangan MRT station, which happens to be on the same subway line as my office, making for an easy morning commute. I’m so lucky it all worked out.

Christmas Eve is a working day in Singapore, just as it is in the United States and Hong Kong. So I had to be in the office as usual yesterday morning. Of course, markets were dead and nobody was focused on finance, so I made an executive decision that I was only going to work a half day.

Two friends from Hong Kong—Alison and Ric—were in town and staying with friends for Christmas, and we all met up for lunch at Din Tai Fung, one of Asia’s most popular dumpling chains. It was an atypical Christmas Eve meal for this Italian-American but a delicious one none-the-less.

Around 4pm I arrived at my customer Christian’s home. You see, Christmas Eve happens to be Christian’s birthday, and he also happened to be turning 50 this year, so he planned on duly celebrating. In fact, about twenty friends had flown over from Europe to be with him for the milestone, making for a very memorable celebration. After a couple of hours by his pool, we all headed to Tanjong Beach Club on Sentosa. With palm trees swaying in the breeze and powdery white sand beneath my feet, I was again celebrating Christmas Eve in an uncommon fashion... but I loved it. Does a party on a white sand beach count as a white Christmas? I'm sure it's not what Bing Crosby had in mind, but I'll take it.

I had to head to Kembangan after the beach party, in order to feed Tommy and Wellington. Tired and not at all interested in taking the MRT back to Citadines, I just slept at Sonia’s, hooking “fauxfire” up to the television, dozing off on the couch while Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald crooned over the image of a burning Yule log. 

The Christmas morning mass I attended today was at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, near Citadines. Mass began at 10am, and I only arrived a few minutes early, so I wound up having to stand in the back of the colonial church for the packed service. It was beautiful, though. When the choir entered singing O Come All Ye Faithful, I got chills, and the music on the whole contributed to an unforgettable Christmas mass. One standout was A Singapore Carol, which lamented popular focus on the commercial side of the holiday when the spotlight should be on Christ and his miraculous birth:

Look at the crowds on Orchard Road

Shoppers buying their presents and clothes

Air filled with songs about Santa and snow

But the infant’s forgotten – left out of the show

What is Christmas all really about?

He’s just not present amidst the crowds

What is Christmas all really about?

Jesus – we seem to have left Him out

What Child is This and the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah made appearances as well, and following the recessional hymn of Joy to the World, the choir broke out into Feliz Navidad, with the congregation clapping and singing along. It was a joyous end to the mass.

I rushed back to Citadines afterwards, finishing up my packing and saying my goodbyes. I only spent three weeks there, but I really liked the place. In those few weeks, my love of Singapore escalated to a new level, and for that I’ll keep fond memories of the short time I lived there.

After a quick pit stop at Starbucks, back to Kembangan I went, unpacking and playing some festive music while getting ready for my night. Alison and Ric were doing Christmas dinner with their friend’s family, so I decided to head off to Orchard Road for the grand finale of “Christmas in the Tropics.” The normally traffic-clogged street was shut down to vehicles from 1pm to 1am, leaving the famous boulevard instead jam-packed with pedestrians as various music groups performed where buses and taxis normally zoom by.

I was very pleased to see such an emphasis on the religious side of Christmas. This is something that is pretty much absent from Hong Kong’s version of the holiday. All along Orchard Road, there were displays of the nativity, religious-themed floats in the middle of the street and signs reminding passersby that Jesus’ birth is the reason behind the holiday. It looks like they took the lyrics of A Singapore Carol seriously! 

In fact, the official "Celebrate Christmas in Singapore" magazine (titled Christmas fala lah!) featured the following quote on it's opening page:

"[Jesus] could have had colic, or been fussy, or hungry like any other baby. After all, that was the whole point of Jesus – that he didn't come down on a cloud like something out of 'Amazing Comics', but that he was born and lived... a real person."

There was even a recreation of the "inn that turned away a King,” a slightly uncommon but nevertheless interesting aspect of the Christmas story to put on display. Right there, on Orchard Road, was a plywood version of a Biblical-era inn, complete with a description of its role in the nativity. 

After soaking up the scene on Orchard Road, I spent about an hour or so wandering around the historic core of Singapore, snapping photos of the National Museum, the Singapore Art Museum, CHIJMES and several churches in the Christmas moonlight. And I wound up strolling all the way back up Orchard Road afterwards, finally hopping on the MRT and making my way back to Kembangan, capping off a great holiday!

So I’m ready to judge my first Christmas in Singapore a success… from my nighttime strolls past the illuminated monuments of Singapore and the Christmas trees standing proud all over town to the bright holiday lights adorning the public squares and the festive celebrations with my friends, I am very pleased with the way everything worked out.  Next up, New Year’s Eve!

On a Little Street in Singapore

Greetings from Singapore, my new home! I’ve been here a little over a week now, and this whole thing has gotten off to a great start. Our office is in the heart of the Central Business District, just off the river and an easy walk to Boat Quay, the Esplanade, Chinatown and plenty of other intriguing neighborhoods. The hotel where I stayed the first week—Furama RiverFront—was a very leisurely thirty minute walk up the river from the office, and strolling along the water after a long day at work was the perfect way to unwind and relax. I usually had a huge smile on my face and sometimes couldn't stop myself from actually giggling. I love breathing the air down here and smelling the flowers and trees. It’s a garden of a city, and I’m already a big fan.

On Tuesday I moved from the hotel into a serviced apartment off Orchard Road, called Citadines Mount Sophia. It’s not quite as nice a walk home after work now, but I still pass colorful row houses and plenty of impressive colonial buildings, and the apartment itself is truly wonderful.

I know I’ve been to Singapore before—and written quite a bit about it on this blog—but in all honesty, I’m really just beginning to get to know it and understand how the city fits together. I spend most of my free time wandering around from one quarter to the next, exploring side streets and back alleys that look interesting and putting it all together as sort of a mental puzzle. And I’m loving every minute of it.

I don’t have too much to tell you about yet, so I figured this might be a good opportunity to simply post some pictures of this photogenic little town. I’ve gone through and chosen my favorite shots from my past few trips down and, especially, since I moved here last week. Hopefully this will give you an idea of some of the hidden charms waiting to be discovered in the Little Red Dot, as Singapore is popularly known.

The song in the video is an old, slightly obscure Frank Sinatra tune—On a Little Street in Singapore—that tells the tale of the singer’s romance with a mysterious woman in the then-exotic locale. I figured you could play it in the background as you scroll through the photos... Enjoy!