After a very stressful week of cleaning up shop in the US, John left for Singapore on May 4th 
and I left on the 16th. Arriving in the pre-dawn hours the airport was quiet and customs was a breeze. (I still can’t believe I was on airplane for 18 hours) I anxiously awaited my luggage which all appeared. I probably shouldn’t have been so nervous, after all the Singapore Airline service had been nothing, but stellar from beginning to end. After spotting John through the thick glass walls, I met him just past the sliding glass doors. I must say it felt really good to see him and solidified the relief I had flight when I felt those airplane wheels hit the ground.
My first impression of our temporary apartment was that it was much larger than I imagined. It’s clean and modern. You get the benefits of staying in a hotel, but a bit more sense of home because it’s a large apartment. The electric system is interesting as the majority of lights are controlled from a panel by the front door. The ACs are individually controlled units, thus you have the ability to control the cooling room by room. It reminds of how I heated my house in Japan. The view is really beautiful from the apartment overlooking the Islamic area of the city. 
As well as an unobstructed view to a very large art deco building, that truly looks like something out a Batman movie. The pool is also beautiful and you cannot help but find your mind wondering to thoughts of Pina Coladas or the classic Singapore Sling.
There are several large malls within walking distance. All of them boast very tasty food courts. I would have to say that Singaporeans seem to love their food and their shopping malls. Food here is quite interesting as it’s a fusion of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Islamic cultures. 
Of course you can easily find western food. Singapore boosts dozens of what are referred to as a “Hawker Centre,” this is where the old Singapore meets the new. The government rounded up the street cart food vendors and put them in large eatery centers. (You can find the same thing in Hong Kong) This type of food is cheap –it’s probably cost as much to prepare a meal at home as it does to eat at one these centers. The restaurants are good, although some seem to try too hard to be western. The most of the food you will find is spicy and hot. They really enjoy soup, which I find a bit funny, since it’s so hot here –the last thing I want is soup. For the Starbucks Lovers, not to worry they are all over the place.
We are continuing to look for an apartment. It’s going to be a tough choice. Each place is degree of amazing, whether it be location, view, amenities. I think the most interesting/amusing thing we have discovered is the “open air” kitchen. These kitchens have no window or door. It’s simply exposed to the outside. You have to request for the landlord to put in a window or a door. One Realtor told also that we could absolutely not put in a door. It is an interesting concept because it does help with the natural airflow of the apartment, but I wouldn’t want to see a bird or worse a monkey (joking) enjoying food that I accidentally left out!
