Leaving the Lion City

Counting down my final days in Singapore, I finally find myself at ease and ready to return to the states. One thing that I usually do before leaving a country is to make notes about what I've noticed. There are many subtle differences that you'll find in Singapore that you won't really experience in the states, and I think the most obvious difference is the humidity. Since the country is right above the equator line, the weather stays warm and humid all throughout the year so that you'll never have to worry about wearing a sweater. From what I'm hearing from people back in California, the weather is freezing! Another thing is the overly authoritarian government that prohibits even the most trivial misdemeanors such as littering, vandalism, and jaywalking. It's great for the country in a sense that they want to keep it clean and safe for their citizens, but stuff like outlawing chewing gum is a bit extreme in my opinion.

There's also a huge Indian population in Singapore, so the culture and the city is slightly influenced by the Indian demographic.

From what I can recall, things have been so hectic lately. Singapore has been more crowded than it has ever been, but after the New Year celebrations have died down... the city has slowly returned back to its normal pace. I'll try to recap the past few days to the best of my knowledge.

After I got back to Singapore from KL, I headed right back for the Marina Mandarin to put all my stuff down. I was about to join my family up for lunch in the Marina Square and then afterwards, head down to Orchard Road for a little shopping. I think around this time was my birthday, so my family wanted to take me out to dinner with their friends.

Once I was done with dinner, I headed over to Clarke Quay to meet up with Emily and Anne from Absolutely Fobulous so that we could head out to Zouk afterwards. The place was packed! I ended up getting lost in the crowd and separated from everybody else. The day after, I hit up the Supper Club with a few friends (which is right across from the Raffles Hotel). All I can say is... since I've been back, it has been nonstop partying and clubbing! My knees are sore as we speak, so the fatigue has definitely kicked in fast!

I set aside the rest of the week to just hang out with my production crew and talk about new business. In the last two days, they took me to all of the places that I had on my list.

David introduced me to Max Brenner Chocolate in the Esplanade, which I'm totally obsessing over now! I'm pretty sure they have it back in the states, but I'm not sure where if it's in the West or East coast. Hot chocolate isn't something you would usually order in Singapore because of obvious reasons, but they do it beautifully here. My suggestion is to hit up this place anytime you're in the area.

My favorite part about the return back was our visit to the Newton Circle to eat a wide variety of Singaporean seafood. The list goes on and on: Sambal stingray, fried rice, beef and chicken satay, oyster omelette, prawns, chicken wings, etc. You name it, they had it! Another place that we went to for a late night dish was the Roti Prata House in Thomson. I had no idea what prata was, but once I tried it... it was amazing! The best way to describe it is like a fried pancake with toppings. So much great food all in a span of a few days!

All I can really say is that other than work, walking the city, and eating... most of the remainder of my stay here consisted of playing Left 4 Dead 2 really late at night and clubbing with a bunch of girls here and there! I think this trip is exactly what I needed to clear my mind and head back home. As I'm currently counting down my last few days here, I'm eagerly going through my digital camera and looking through some of the stock photos that I've taken (many of which I've already shared with you). While I'm looking, I'm simply amazed of how many beautiful places that I've come across. I've also come to realize that I've made some great friends over the past few weeks, and I finally got the chance to hang out with my Singapore buddies that I've collaborated with so many times online.

Although I've been incredibly busy with studio recording and post-production, I consider it one of the most memorable experiences to get the opportunity to explore Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Just thinking about it, I can understand how my production partner BLT felt when he had to leave Singapore four years ago. I definitely feel a bit of sadness that I won't be able to see the guys for at least another year. I consider them my close friends now, and I hope to return to Singapore and see everyone again soon. Well, that wraps up the end of my three week excursion throughout Southeast Asia. I'm looking forward to a great new year!