The Aggies have arrived alive and well

Last night I got the opportunity to talk about Chinese Culture Revolutions with Mr. Han. I learned about the government splitting families up to live in different areas so that they can learn about the entire Chinese Culture. This was done when China citizens where allowed to have more than one child. China, due to over population limits households to one child. The harsh government can force adoptions and abortions if the mother becomes pregnant again. I learned alot that farmers live very primitively and as the farm land is developed the farmer looses there source of income. The farmer is left with only skills as a laborer and forced to work at cheap wages in the many Chinese factories. It was an enlightening cultural experience!

Today I woke up to a lovely breakfast of eggs, fresh shrimp, and rice and red bean porridge. It was a great Chinese breakfast! Red bean is a sweet type of bean that is used to sweeten many Chinese desserts. There is even a red bean ice-cream! In Vietnam they use the green bean as a sweetener. The beans are quite tasty and provide a healthy alternative to sugar.

The Han's where really hospitable to me. They provided me with a phone card to call the US and an EZ link card for the MRT and bus systems. Ms. Han also gave me a small dog toy because in the Chinese Calendar I was born in the year of the Dog. I hung out at the flat until about 3:00 and then I caught a taxi to the Crown Prince Hotel in downtown.

Affandi, the in country coordinator for the MSC LT Jordan International Living Abroad Program met me in the lobby to check me into the hotel. I settled in and took an awesome shower. It was probably the best one I've had in two weeks. Its amazing how much you underappreciate the little things like a decent shower. I felt so refreshed. I decided to go out into the city and do some exploring.

Singapore is hosting the Asian Food Show, similar to the Food Marketing Institute I attended in Chicago, throughout the summer. Vendors from most of the Asian countries come together and present new products and cuisine to try. Dinner tonight included chicken steak with mushrooms. It was so delicious and a welcomed change of pace from Vietnamese food. I also tried the redbean ice-cream I talked about earlier. I got some fresh fruit with chili sauce. I forgot to tell you about chili Sauce in Asia. Americans eat ketchup with nearly every meal, the Asian Culture eats spicy chili sauce with each meal.

I then found a super market to explore within the convention center that was hosting the food show. I smelt the pungent odor of Durian. This is a spiky fruit on the outside with a sweat yellow fruit in the inside. The key is getting past the odor! There are actual signs posted that say No Durians allowed in this area. I saw many familiar fruits that I saw in Vietnam such as longums, lychee, and pineapple. Singapore is defiantly influenced by the western world. I saw an Old Elpaso Taco Mix Display in the store. Whoop for food from Texas!!

Singapore has malls everywhere! Orchard road, where our hotel is at, is the prime shopping area of the country/city. I walked through the area for several hours and found good buys on some items. I decided to wait until I get settled in with my host family before purchasing anything.

I decided to stop into a bar called the Honky Tonk bar. I walked in and found the atmosphere to be similar to that of the Texas Hall of Fame. Asian's wearing Cowboy hats and wranglers was an interesting site. Before I could even order a drink I was approached by several young ladies. I thought it was odd. I looked around and saw lots of youn asian girls, and every single white guy had a lady talking to him. I knew I was in the wrong bar. I quickly finished my drink and left the bar and my newly acquired friends. I went through several shops one my way back to the hotel.

When I got back to the hotel I sat in the lobby for awhile watching CNN's coverage of the London bombings. I then turned in and awaited the arrival of the Aggies.

Around 2:30Am they arrived! IT was great to see familiar faces in foreign places! Affandi took us to a night food hawker where we enjoyed Singapore's famous spicy crab. We enjoyed catching up with each other and hearing about the journey to Singapore.

We all turned in at about 4AM.