Thoughts from Singapore

1: We have inconveniently sized feet: we must have spent a combined ~10 hours searching for shoes in the Land of the Mall (more on that to come), and came away with a total of 1 pair each. Matt couldn't find any flip-flops wide enough for his stupid American feet; Lia's footsize is too popular and all the good shoes were sold out.

2: Singapore's Metro is the Future: seriously, people, why can't America figure out a subway system that's clean, efficent, quiet, and cheap? The subways here are silent, immaculately clean, run at least every 10 minutes, and cover the entire city. It's phenomenal.

3: Zoos without fences are scary: maybe it's just us overreacting to the whole "Tiger escapes from SF zoo" fiasco last year, but when a 600 pound White Tiger steps to the edge of his moat-encircled enclosure, stares you in the eye, and looks like he's gonna make the leap, your confidence in the zoo designers' calculations regarding the necessary moat width can't help but be somewhat shaken.

4: Pao / Pau is the universal food: We've had them in Thailand, Malaysia, and now Singapore. Steamed rice buns stuffed with various delicious meats are our go-to snack/meal.

5: The English may not actually deserve to be mocked for High Tea: nevermind that it cost the equivalent of 3 days of my travel budget, High Tea at the Tiffen Room of the Raffles hotel was totally worth it.

6: Malls will break your spirit: Even the most ardent anti-shopper (Matt) will eventually cave and buy things he probably doesn't need (but those polo shirts are totally cute on me and SO cheap!), and even the most dedicated bargain hunter (Lia) has her limits (haven't we already been to this one? they all looks the same). Singapore is basically one massive system of interconnected malls. We spent an entire day walking, to the point that our feet and legs cried out for mercy, and basically never saw the light of day because you can travel from mall-to-mall without ever leaving the comfort of their air-conditioned confines and underground walkways. Also, how many Guchi, Fendi, Dolce & Gabana, Rolex, Tag, and Zara branches can this city really need? I'm pretty sure whatever the answer is, they've got at least double that.

7: We're ready to be "Travelers" again: I'll admit that both of us were feeling the stress of squat toilets, suspect drinking water, questionable accomodations, cockroaches, and the other little "perks" that make traveling such a joy. Singapore, though, has swung the pendulum back the other way. We're poor. We're well rested. We're ready to get back on the road.