I haven’t been able to update my blog or even do much of anything connected with the online world since I’ve been in Singapore for a job interview for the past few days. The job thing didn’t turn out so well, though I’m still holding out some hope that I might get some freelance from these folks Still, since my wife and I had planned on it being a short sightseeing trip as well, at least it didn’t turn out to be a complete waste of time. As always, whenever I visit Singapore, the most striking thing is how orderly everything is. For example, even pedestrian footpaths closed for construction have signs saying, “Footpath closed. Please do not walk on the road. Use the footpath on the opposite side of the road instead.” It’s as if every little thing in Singapore, no matter how small or insignificant, is filed in a huge database somewhere and assigned under the responsibility of a specific bureaucrat. It’s an amazingly efficient way to run things, but in a way, it’s also a bit scary as well.

On the other hand, because we stayed in a dingy hotel in Geyland to save money, we got to see the seamier side of Singapore as well. I’ve known about Geylang’s less than savoury reputation of course, who doesn’t, and I even warned my wife about it and told her that we could pick a more expensive hotel if it bothers her to stay in a red light district. All the same, I was surprised, after having checked in to the hotel and going out in the evening for dinner, to see dozens of scantily clad prostitutes lining the road right in front of our hotel. I expected something, but not that many of them wearing so little clothes standing so brazenly out in the open.

I didn’t dare to take any photos, though I would have dearly loved to do so. If I had tried, I think the pimps in the expensive looking MPV lurking nearby might have a thing or two to say about it. Neither my wife nor I are prudes though, and I admit that I enjoyed the eye candy and even walked around the surrounding streets to see what was going on. It turns out that either I was very lucky, or very unlucky, depending on how you see it, in picking the hotel because it turns out that this hotel was the main congregation point of the more expensive sex workers from mainland China. A little further down and I found a street with mostly Indonesian ones.

The rest of the sightseeing was boring compared to that. We spent our one free day mostly at the Jurong Bird Park which both of us had not been to in many, many years. It was pleasant enough, with a professionally run but sort of routine show, but probably not worth the S$18.00 entrance fee. The oddest sight was the sight of these birds incessantly flapping their wings.

Anyway, I’m back in Malaysia for now, though I’m traveling to Kota Kinabalu on the 20th May to help my father-in-law set up a new office there. I’m not yet sure if I’m going to stay there permanently yet. The odd thing about not having a regular job is that you really get as much personal free time as you’d think. I’ve found it hard to find time to just sit down in front of a computer and just do some writing or even browsing my regular forums and blogs. Partly it’s a question of not having a fixed schedule in my life any more and partly because everyone thinks I have plenty of free time and so I’m regularly called upon to help out with various errands. I guess I really need to impose some order or else I won’t get anything done.