30 Hours - and plenty to say

As I write this, I giggle at the fact that it's really only been 28 hours since my departure, but when you've had as much sleep as I have (which isn't a lot) and wake up in a pile of sweat that reminds you of being 8 years old, and cursing that dream that led you to pee your bed, you realize it's okay to take joy in a simple giggle.  I can't help but think about the last photo I took in Vancouver as we sped to the airport through English Bay.

I'm looking out my window at perfect example Singapore's "natural environment", and even though I know that the majority, if not all of the trees have been imported to create a certain vibe, I've got to say I like the vibe. The pale blue sky is brightening with every passing moment, and it's masked in a light whisk of clouds. Local birds are awake, as I listen to the "Doobie Brothers" lay down another track on my laptop.

Singapore Airlines

Air Canada officially sucks (fact). Singapore Airlines was the best flying experience to date. The only one that comes close is when I flew to Australia with my Mom and I got hooked up with a lasagna dinner (sweet!), and chilled in 1st Class. Below are 3 simple reasons as to why - you may not appreciate all/any of them, but it made the difference for me:

Great Service (with a smile)

The staff of Singapore Airlines are amazing. When I arrived at the check-in desk, I asked a woman (in a way that used the Norms of Social Reciprocity of course) for an aisle seat, because I had been booked on a window, and I'd prefer the leg room over the view. She said that she couldn't help as all the seats were booked. As I was boarding the plane I noticed the same woman, I gave her a smile and she remembered. She asked me to stand on the side and grabbed me an aisle seat (which also had noone sitting beside me so I had double leg room). Booya. During the flight - everything they did had a sense of purpose and not once did I hear the attitude that usually clings to Air Canada employees. Lastly, even though I don't have yellow fever - they were pretty hot.

Movies/TV & Video Games

Singapore Airlines basically picked all the movies that I wanted to see, and put them into there "Movie-on-Demand" list. I watched KungFu Panda, Prince Caspian, Iron Man (again). Between movies, I checked out their inventory of TV shows I could watch and it was all the best (Arrested Development, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock, Simpsons, House, All the CSIs, etc.). Finally, I was able to re-live some childhood classic game boy games. Every seat came with a remote which allowed me to rock out on "Zelda: Link's Awakening" "Wario's World" "Tetris", "Pokemon". To say the least, I was having fun.  As you can see I was having a great time...

Real Food & Tiger Beer

My family will attest my strong dislike of airplane food. I'm not sure if it's whether I've expanded my taste buds or not, but the food was really really good. I had some grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, pasta salad and a couple other delicious meals. Lastly - beer was free and I drank a bunch. Enough said.

We made a quick transfer in Korea.  This is me landing in Korea...

Inspiration from Ernesto

My teammates and sweet friends from Energy Aware (the clean-tech startup I worked at this summer) bought me a copy of the "Motorcycle Diaries" to get me ready for my journey down south. I started reading the novel on the plane and this book is more fitting than its geographical relevance. I'm not going to spend my time comparing myself to a 23 year old Che Guevara, but there is a certain something in his writing that seems to ring true with me even a couple chapters in. He begins by explaining how his journey is "...not a story of heroic feats...It is a glimpse of two lives running parallel for a time, with similar hopes and convergent dreams." 

He goes to comment on the impact of travel by explaining how "The first commandment for every good explorer is that an expedition has two points: the point of departure and the point of arrival. If your intention is to make the second theoretical point coincide with the actual point of arrival, don't think about the means - because the journey is a virtual space that finishes when it finishes, and there are as many means as there are different ways of "finishing". That is to say, the means are endless."

I draw the comparison to my year ahead because Ernesto "Che" Guevara is a simple university student, bored with his current reality, dreaming big and craving for significance of a magnitude that will satisfy his needs. He doesn't see his future as a rebel, but you get hints for his distaste for the current state of Latin America, and his desire to be a part of positive change. I too yearn for the same sense of significance and desire to make a difference. Although I know my journey, much like Che's is not a story of heroic feats, it feels right in every way and I'm excited for my ends to one day respond to the means of this journey.

Seeing Old & Making New Friends

After admitting defeat, and realizing my "Welcome Buddy" wasn't going to show up, I took a cab ride from the airport along the crafted gateway to Downtown Singapore, which also doubles as an emergency landing for airplanes (according to my driver). I arrived at Prince George Park Residence ready to get settled in and call it a night. Security directed me to the check-in centre where I got my keys, signed forms that said I wouldn't sublet the apartment, and was taken to my room by a volunteer. Along the way, he showed me where the bus loop was, kitchen, restaurants, etc. As we arrived at my door, the room opposite mine opened and out walked Hao. We looked at each other and laughed. "What are you doing here?". What are YOU doing here? Hao Su was an exchange student at UBC last year that I met on a number of occasions. We caught up on life and just laughed at how funny it was to see him, living literally one step away.

Hao was good company as I unpacked my luggage to discover my spray-on sun screen had decided to break and empty itself in my bag. After a quick clean job I was setting up my computer. I decided that 2:30 in the morning was as good a time as any to try out my "international plug". Well of course, the first thing I try to plug into it is the one piece of technology I didn't check the required wattage, and according to wisegeek.com, this is why I blew the fuse, almost electricuted myself and realized that a room in Singapore without a fan is not one you want to sleep in. Hao laughed and said that us Canadians always have to start with a bang. After talking with a couple offices, and realizing it's going to be slower than I thought to learn "Singlish" (Singapore English), I technical person showed up at my door and got my power back on. Even though I didn't get much sleep last night, it would have been 1000 times worse if I didn't have the fan to keep me alive.

About a 1/2 hour later, my Welcome Buddy Chu Hwai shows up at my door with 100 apologies and how he'd been at a different terminal waiting for the wrong flight.  We planned to meet up at 10am to get me a bunch of stuff for my room.

I'll be spending the next couple days doing errands, doing some orientation and seeing the city.  I'll post again as soon as there's something worth posting...

Word.  I love you all.

- Conor