Hi. I'm blogging from Epcot Center. Oh wait no, I'm blogging from Singapore.

Singapore, being a fairly recent country, feels as if the ribbon has just been cut only a few days ago. Our first morning we asked the guy at our hotel what the greatest hits were that we couldn't miss - he suggested Chinatown to eat and shop, for more shopping we could head to the 24 hour department store in Little India, and then to Orchard Road for a little more shopping. He reccomended that the following day we hit up Zico City, a mall built just a little bit out of the city limits, that is essentially a city under one roof, great for shopping and eating. I was a little surprised by the emphasis Singaporeans put on shopping (i was used to the 24/7 eating from Thailand). but come on? mall after mall after mall, might as well go to King of Prussia. But I've been a little blown away. It's been raining since we stepped off the plane so being that most of the city is either entirely indoors or undercover, the rain has not been an inconvenience. just to get to the MRT (subway), you take the underpass, which only turns out to be another mall built underneath the city. Parts of city still resemble the past, colonial architecture and all, but just behind the low two story Havana-like buildings towers great space-age structures. And then there are the riverside outdoor malls that have been built to mirror that colonial look - each building housing a different ethnic restaurant: thai, korean, japanese, chinese, persian, greek, you name it. Each country is represented in its most Disneyfied way in Singapore. It's really strange here - English is the local language because it is the common thread between everyone who lives here - in one way or another the entire population is some sort of an ex-pat: American, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, etc. Singapore is more of a melting pot than New York or LA. ...

But, I'm getting ahead of myself, allow me to backtrack a few days. ..

I know I've mentioned Bangkok, but did I say how crazy it was?? In the three days there I think I saw it from every perspective and every possible mode of transportation. Low Bangkok: 16 year old thai girls arm in arm with 60 year old farangs (foreigners), Backpacker Bangkok: Ko Shan Rd. where Thai massage parlors, hostels, irish pubs, go-go bars and laudrymats line the street, stray cats are rampant, and after 2am they cannot serve alcohol, only Whiskey or Vodka. Highend Bangkok, luxiorious hotels (did not stay, just stopped in to use the loo), restaurants and clubs that are packed with eastern european models.

After Bangkok was Ko Sumui, which was dissappointing when we arrived and learned there was no beach because of a typhoon, and bad weather expected for the next few days. During our stay the crowds picked up and we had a great time with the Swedes and Aussies - Americans are rare in Thailand. Took the ferry to Ko Pha Ngan for a night - home of the new moon and black moon parites. Ran into the brits we did the jungle canopy tour with back on Sumui, drank some special shakes, and laughed with them all night. From PhaNgan we headed to the other side of the thailand penninsula, just 250 miles away, only it took all day and 10 different legs of transport to get there. Once there I saw blue skies for the first time in a few days, it was fucking beach weather finally!. From Krabi you can hire a long boat to take you to the different islands - saw Maya Bay where The Beach was filmed among other beautiful spots. The thing with this part of thailand is that it attacts so many people because it is so stunning, which then takes away from that serene thai beach you hold in your mind... Farangs everywhere.

so now in Singapore. going to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon. I know there's o much more I wanted to write, but its too late in the early morning.