Arrived in Singapore

I got to sleep in this morning until 6:30 AM. I wish I could sleep that late every day. I probably could, but I would have to sacrifice too much to make it worthwhile.

Today was the Presidential election day in Indonesia. Just like the last election, the government declared it a national holiday. Their was some question as to whether or not it would actually be the election day. The trailing candidates felt they were gaining momentum and delaying the date by a week or two would give them a better chance of winning. They actually filed a formal request to move the election date, and had a good chance the date would move. Ultimately, the date stayed the same.

For us, the holiday meant there were no cars on the road when we left for the airport at 7:30. It also meant there were no shops or restaurants open in the airport, so we went without breakfast. Because we do not have our official tax ID cards yet (it takes 181 days), we had to pay the fiscal tax (basically, a tax on expats working in Indonesia) in order to leave the country. I brought $750 - enough to pay the tax for myself, my wife and my daughter. I forgot about the $15 per person airport tax, dropping me to $705. I was worried I was going to have a problem getting us out of the country. Thankfully, I learned that I can now pay the fiscal tax by credit card, and that people under 23 are not required to pay.

The ninety-minute flight to Singapore was uneventful. As soon as you enter the airport, the stark contrast between Jakarta and Singapore is evident. We've been here less than 10 hours and already have a list:

1) Cleanliness. Nothing in Singapore is dirty, cluttered, littered with trash. It is a very clean city. The streets are smooth, painted, lined with manicured landscaping and aren't cluttered with traffic.
2) The people are cleaner, taller, and healthier. You don't see beggars with missing limbs, severe burns, or malnutrition walking around or coming up to cars.
3) The air doesn't have an odor or a polluted tint.
4) Bule are everywhere. We are still the minority, but we do not stand out like we do in Jakarta.
5) Shops and food establishments are familiar. We had lunch at a Subway.

We did a lot of walking today (actual sidewalks, and they are wide and spacious). Our hotel is very near the main strip of Singapore - Orchard Blvd. Mostly malls filled with stores selling brands that are too expensive for us - Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vitton, Cartier, Rolex, etc. We didn't buy anything. We did, however, go to a movie and saw Ice Age 3. The theater required us to pick a reserved seat. I think the US would benefit from doing this same thing at our theaters.

I'm unimpressed with our hotel. I think it is considered one of the better hotels in Singapore. The service is not nearly the quality it is in Jakarta, the rooms remind me of the hotels in NYC - small, cramped and over-priced. We have two twin beds and had to order another bed for our daughter. All around disappointing.

Tomorrow we will go to the hospital - about 2oo feet from our hotel - for the checkup on our soon-to-be son. We are planning what we'll do the rest of the week. We're thinking the night safari, probably a day at the beach, and the zoo. Beyond that, we don't know.