My Turkish friend would be insulted; "I'm Turkish, NOT an Arab" he used to say, if I spelled his name wrong.
Disembarkation in Singapore was about 13 hours ago. The accommodation arranged for me is on Beach Road opposite the end of Arab Street.
From the apartment I have a view of the rather splendid Sultan Mosque dominating an area of low rise that even from here I could see has an abundance of cafes and restaurants, narrow streets, cut-throughs, orange tiled roofs, brightly painted window shutters and bunting (and people, crowds, throngs....)
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| Haji Lane |
Beach Road might once have been the beach but a steady program of land reclamation has set it inland a block or two. From the other side of this buidling I can see the the ferris wheel (the Singapore Flier) at Marina Bay.
Determined to reset the body clock asap i went for a walk along Arab Street and was immediately pulled into a world of Turkish silk merchants, Turkish and Lebanese restaurants, Turkish lamps, surfaces covered in patterned tiles (walls, floors, tables, even chairs), and even blue charms to be used against the Evil Eye. (Don't tell my Turkish or Greek friends but I could almost be back in Greece - heat, blue glass eyes, food just like our favorite place in Piraeus, family run, the grandparents of whom had moved there from Smyrni last century.)
Might need an extra bag to go home - came over with two cabin bags and as one was balf empty, I stuffed a man's pullover worth of knitting wool in just in case I'm sitting about in the evenings with nothing to do except watch the city breath and knit. That, unfortunately made the difference between half full and stuffed to it's limit.
Silk doesn't take up much room does it? Or perhaps I should get another case and then have to purchase enough to fill it...... There are no shortage of colours and patterns and weights of silk cloth to choose from - from floaty to almost canvassy. Some are quite stiff and structured and others soft and draping.
Wonderland for a fabric hoarder like me. (They have probably seen me coming.)
Even Gail failed to resist purchasing some silk on a business trip to Singapore in 2013, conveniently ignoring the fact that there is not much call for wearing items made of silk in Aberdeen...
ReplyDeleteOh Nobby did you not know that silk can also be warm? (You just need a lot more of it.)
DeleteIt sure does look Greek....or Turkish lol. The silk sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHow's the humidity?
Humidity fine by me - i cope with humid heat reasonably well. The greenery here is 'lush' which helps a lot.
DeleteThanks for taking us along the Singapore Silk Road TM. Fab photos!
ReplyDeleteIt's a feast for the eyes and silk doesn't take up much room - it depends how much you buy, of course. Perhaps another case would be advisab le.
ReplyDeleteI hope the body clock adjusts quickly.
I'm pretty good about jetlag and didn't arrive with odema in my feet and legs so am well set up to 'hit the ground running' as they say. Give my best wishes to Gilbert for his birthday surprise!
DeleteOh how abso-flippin-lutely marvellous. I am as green as a green thing with envy.
ReplyDeleteWe have been to Singapore three times now and I loved it.
Wish I could join you.
Go on then - lets meet up in a bar at Raffles!
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteIt's a shoppers paradise, after all... and a photographers. Some gorgeous teasing postcards here! YAM xx
Am not a shopper by nature but excused myself when i saw the silks and linen on the basis that apart from leggings last winter I've neither bought nor made clothes for myself in about two years. Perhaps for professional reasons I should make an effort to look less scruffy.
DeleteI think another case is called for, to add in linen to the silk you're clearly going to buy.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree. I have gifts in mind with Xmas coming up.
DeleteHow long will you be in Singapore? you may have said in the post when you told us you were going, but if so I did not retain it. I can see how that fabric store would keep you enthralled for hours. I like how they have the materia draped to look like dresses. I am sure there will NOT be a lack of beautful photos to show us.. Hope you are happy with your work environment.
ReplyDelete1-2 months; it's a bit indeterminate at this stage, depends how successfully i do my job. If I like the place perhaps I should be less than successful and need the second month. On the other hand if I am less than successful they won't want me blundering on. I guess whichever way you look st it, that really means 1 month. Frankly, for purely professional reasons, I don't hink you can genuinely reshape office culture in just one month, but there is a limit to the expense of trying.
DeleteHow exciting. I bet the weather is lovely too.
ReplyDeleteDo what I did. I packed stuff up in post boxes and sent them home via air mail
I had to do that twice and still my bags were over!
It was lovely to get here and my stuff was waiting for me to unpack
As my checked luggage was just a small cabin bag I think a new proper suitcase might be the answer. Although I was thinking to myself as I checked our mailbox one day before I left, how boring post is these days; how wonderous letters from friends and family overseas were with stamps and handwriting and onion skin envelopes with blue and red edges. I miss that and the grandkids will never enjoy experience of running in with the post waving a letter or postcard from cousin Howard in some remote overseas place. Which reminds me, I must snd them postcards.
DeleteThose are places and things I would be going through with a fine tooth comb and no doubt spending alot of money. Fabric is to you what wool is to be, dangerous stuff.
ReplyDelete