2011 - NZ To SF - Day 61

Day 61: (13 July 2011):
- Wake up with Logan. Pack. Longish wait for Logan, leave ~8:20 am.
- Say bye to Logan on bus. Catch airport bus. Arrive ~9:30, slow traffic. Take pictures of Singapore on sign.
- BK for breakfast, appropriate pre-flight food. Realise maybe should have had pie.
- only ~5-10 min before boarding when get to gate. Big plane (A330). Glad I changed seat to an aisle seat. Originally assigned a middle seat.
- A bit rainy on take off. People on flight clearly excited. A few clap/cheer on landing. Some girls seem not to have flown before, talk about ear, freak out in bumps. the guy sitting besides me seems not to be too happy. Argintinean.
- Flew past Brisbane, between Alice Springs & Darwin, then up through Indonesia. Close to Bali, etc. Gretty excited to see map in that area, haven’t flown there before. Excited to cross equator.
- Plane is very old-style: A few drop-down screens & old movies.
- Nap, DS, write, read, watch TV. Kept myself pretty entertained for 11 hours.
- Things expensive on board. water $6, I pre-bought package for $35. Argintineas bought meal & soft drink: $26. I had that plus a small meal & another soft drink before landing.
- Fly over outback, feel strange: haven’t flown over land for so long in a while.
- Argentinean keep shades down. At landing, excited to see SE Asia land for first time.
- Cross over rivers (flowing backwards - due to tide?) then see JB & Singapore in distance as we land.
- Free internet before immigration, but decide go through first.
- Bathroom sign that leads long way.
- Change at Subway, call Matt: only 10c for 3 min call.
- Find train to city. Airport way out classes Auckland in size & features.
- MTR station, person help me buy ticket, then asks me to fill out survey on her performance.
- Station is big & modern, outclasses Auckland again.
- Trains are very modern & clean. Haven’t been on subway or modern transit trains in so long. More people than expected on train. Safety barriers at stations. Sometimes not fully lined up.
- Transfer at Tanah Mera & City Hall. Reach Dhoby Ghaut. A bit lost, but eventually found the station control after almost finding it & going back.
- Found Matt easily. Walk around long way to home.
- Matt teaches HS history.
- Very warm & humid. Sweat on short walk at night.
- Notice many CS hosts here live with family. Apparently ~80% of Singaporeans live in government subsidised apts, & single men do not get apts of their own until 35yo. Promote family & people marrying & having kids. Common saying that Singaporeans propose by asking gf to apply for an apt. together.
- Impression of Singapore is very modern & clean.
- Grandma is quite. Mom is friendly & talkative. Have dinner there, IKEA food & homemade food. Mom from Philippines.
- Father came back ~9-10. Church minister. Originally from Fujian (or just family from there?). Many Chinese here from Fujian & other South China places.
- Sleep ~11:15pm. He said he sleep 11-12, but I realised I might have been keeping him up. I would gladly have gone to sleep earlier due to 4hr time difference from Akl.
- Sleep: open windows, fan, no covers. On a roll-out bed from under Matt’s bed.
- Wake up only a few brief times during the night & maybe once with knock on door or Matt leaving.