Afternoon with Mooiness & Afterthoughts

Went to meet up with Mooiness for lunch today.
From his hotel, we crossed the road to Carlton.


And took the lift with 1 million people.
Erm... my camera cannot do close ups.
AHAHAHAHAH!!
This is actually the lift panel directory beside the floor buttons!!


And got to Wah Lok!!!
Actually hor... there was damn a lot of people outside Wah Lok wating and I insisted that Mooiness had to pose with the sign.
He said,"Faster lah!!" <--- Hee hee hee!!!

We finally got a table inside.


Hor... I didn't take this pic!!
My 'Good Fren' did!!!
Notice I am wearing my beige polo-Tee?!!
Mooiness noticed it the minute he saw me!!
AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!


After lunch, he had time to kill before his next appointment. <-- Fwah!! Very busy tourist oh!! So I suggested either Clarke Quay or Hol V. He picked Clarke Quay and we were meant to go to Cafe Iguana for drinks but it was closed?!!! Hence, we had to cross the bridge to walk around a bit in Clarke Quay. Seriously, I think the UFO things are hideous. It makes Clarke Quay look more circus-y then before.

And not to mention the designer flower/lily/lotus/whatever outdoor refreshment areas. They look like they were bought off the shelves from IKEA.

My 'Good Fren' insisted that these things under the lilies/lotus/flower things were shower heads. <-- HAHAHAHAHAH!!! Check out the perforated metal sheets?!!
A closer look at the UFOs.

WTF are these things?!
I guess it's some device for ventilation, so that the shaded areas won't feel stuffy. And probably lotus-inspired.
But hor... where the hell are the lotuses in Singapore?!!!
[Maybe that secret place I mentioned in my earlier entry??]

My 'Good Fren', still obsessed with the showerhead concept, insisted that the UFOs collected rainwater and these holey things were meant for water-release.


Ok, we had beer at this tapas bar. <-- Forgot the name oredi. But I like the glass case. The oozing from the shophouses makes the space constantly busy, even when the tables are empty. Absolutely cool!!

Ok, after like 1.5 beers, I was totally red.
Check out my fair Mooiness?!!!


We spoke of many things over a jug of beer.
We tried to explain why Americans had not been as good with arithmetics as Chinese/Asians, but America had been the host to the Sillicon Valley and they are much better at developing IT.
We also tried to rationalise why marijuana could not be legalised in Singapore.
Mooiness enlightened us about the sheep industry and the latest developments in Australia's welfare system.

Apparently, while I was in the loo, these two guys disturbed the waitress. They saw that the waitress had a tattoo, so one of them lifted up her shirt partially.
BLOODY HELL!!!

You see... we are such a transient society with non-institutionalised rules which we only apply to ourselves, the locals, that the visitor does not respect them.
After my 'Good Fren' told me about the incident, I insisted for him to take a pic of them!!! PUI!!!!
And Mooiness confirmed that they were speaking in an Australian accent. BAH!!!

Heh heh heh!!! =)))


Here's a fine example of a good visitor who respect our institutionalised rules!! He insisted to dump his cig butt in the legal manner. =))))
Well Done!!! =))
It's not so hard to survive Singapore, isn't it?!!


Tsk Tsk Tsk...
This is the corridor where the MOS queue snake along.
Check out the footprints on the wall?!!!


Ok, as we were trying to get back to the other side of the river, my 'Good Fren's sweet tooth was seduced by the Haagen Daaz booth.
Then this guy (Manager or Something) from Haagen Daaz started to speak to my 'Good Fren'.

Guy: Hello! Are you a tourist?
GF: Eh... No?
Guy: Good Good!!
GF/BM/Mooi: ?????
Guy: Our 13th outlet is opening this Wednesday. *points to the alley where the tapas place is* And there will be good discounts... Please come!!


Then we saw this sign for The Ultimate Fried Rice?!!
So hor, my 'Good Fren' said this Wed's plan was to have fried rice and ice cream for dinner?!!
Ok lor... You happy can oredi!! =))))


Have you ever been to the upper levels of the Robertson Walk Building?! No?
Neither have I. =)))
It's quite quiet, but I found this shop which sells really ah ngia stuff.


And of course, there is the Singapore History Museum on the 3rd Floor, but few people know and give a shite.
WAH LAU!!!
How sad is that?!!
But nair mind.
Its location is just temporary. It will be relocated soon, I think.


After that, I sent Mooiness back to his hotel.
It has been a strange experience.
These 2 people whom I have just spent the afternoon with??
I wouldn't have known them without my blog.

And because I signed up for a free account with Blogger, went to a party in my school uniform, I got to know them and many more.
Looking at it this way, it is a futuristic kind of life, isn't it?!

Did I go out of my way?
No.

What did I do?
I was just experimenting a little with small things that came my way. I took whatever that came my way.

I asked Mooiness why he took 10 years to come to Singapore again. He said that he's here because of the people, i.e. people he knew.
It's because of the relationships he has formed with Singaporeans at different points of his life.

Then I thought of something.
To increase visitor arrivals and help the increasing demand for visitor accomodations, more has to be done than allowing homestays in HDB flats.
It has to be concerted effort.
(1) To round up the hosts, i.e. get them registered in some way.
(2) To educate these hosts in some basic way <-- Not the 'Nah... these are the places your guests HAVE to visit" manner hor!!
(3) Aggressive marketing to the WORLD.

I know some people are already conducting homestays.
Starting from friends, then spreading by word of mouth.
But if this can be carried out in a major way, it will be more accessible for both the hosts and the visitors.

We can build the Tourism Bubble (Casino, Convention Centre, Theatre, Sports Stadium, loads of shopping centres etc) in Marina Bay and its vicinity, but so can the next Chinese/Asian city.
And they can do it bigger and better.

But what we are not showing the world is the true Singaporean life.
That despite the so-called 'controlled environment' we live in, we are very much alive. And we live well.

Imagine this.
The visitor can have a choice of staying with the 'ethnic families' and experience their food, their celebrations (Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali etc), their way of life?!
The visitor can go shopping at the market or NTUC with them.
The visitor can also be present at the wedding?
What's more Uniquely Singapore than a Malay Wedding at the void deck?!

Well...
No harm thinking about it.

"Anything But Ordinary" - Avril Lagvine

Sometimes I get so weird
I even freak myself out
I laugh myself to sleep
It's my lullaby
Sometimes I drive so fast
Just to feel the danger
I wanna scream
It makes me feel alive

Is it enough to love?
Is it enough to breath?
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
Is it enough to die?
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be anything but ordinary please

To walk within the lines
Would make my life so boring
I want to know that I
Have been to the extreme
So knock me off my feet
Come on now give it to me
Anything to make me feel alive