Five Little Things I Learned in Singapore Part 3

Oh, hello again, Changi!

1.  I was so busy holding off sarcasm and incredulity I totally missed the fact I may have been subjected to discrimination. But I'm giving the immigration officer the benefit of the doubt. He's just doing his job, after all.

Immigration officer: Is this house? (pointing at the address on my immigration card)
Me: Yes.
IO: In a building?
Me: What do you mean?
IO: Is this apartment?
Me: No.
IO: Condo?
Me: No.
IO: A real house?
Me: Yes.
IO: On a land?
Me: Uh, a house built on a land, yeah.
IO: Stand alone house?
Me: Yes.
IO: Not building?
Me: A house. A real house. Built on a land with neighbors next door, yeah. Near the American School?
IO: Ah. Okay. Here you go. (finally hands my passport back)

 2.  13th floor exists in Singapore! Ha! I didn't know that from previous visits.

3.  Me and Orchard Road? We click. My cousin and I would leave the house together and then split once we arrive in Orchard. She would go about her business and I was left to my own devices to explore. And explore I did.

4.  Traffic. There's traffic now in this city-state, even along the expressway. What's happening? I asked the taxi driver on my way to the airport.

Me: Is there traffic?
Taxi driver: Here and there, ye.
Me: I noticed that. What's with all the road construction everywhere?
TD: Ha! They keep digging and digging.
Me: Why?
TD: We don't know! The electric company is digging and then when they finish, the telephone company will dig again! And water also. They dig and dig on the same spot. Never-ending!
Me: That's sad.
TD: I know! That's why there's traffic. We don't have them before.

5.  I saved the best for last. Let me just take a moment to fully appreciate and celebrate this. My phone is working! I mean, I had a working phone. In Singapore! The first time I was in the country I didn't have roaming service and that's when cellphones don't have Wi-Fi connectivity yet. Then I lost my phone the same hour I arrived on my second visit. This time was a success.

Singtel was having problems the whole week so the internet at the house comes and goes. Sounds familiar, eh? Props to Takashimaya, Paragon, and Ion for their very good internet access. The other malls have to keep up. I can get network reception at Causeway Point better than the other malls in Orchard. We had breakfast every day at Starbucks but their Wi-Fi access is asking for a Facebook password. Not happening. We didn't feel comfortable with that. 

Overall, I had an exceptional time. I didn't get to sight-see but that wasn't the purpose of the trip. I learned a lot about myself that I didn't know before. It was raining also so any spur of the moment plans I may have had were immediately canceled. The wet season in Singapore is not until September so it was a bit unusual. The taxi driver told me climate change did that. He was very chatty, that one.

Did I mention it was my birthday week? By far my most memorable one.