Singamore

Singapore -  same day as the last posting-   we had two specific destinations in Little India: Haji Lane and the Tekka Centre.  Now Haji Lane is a tiny and warm strip of LES boutique shops that I still wish we would had spent more time on.  We arrived a bit too early, but the few shops that we went into had featured local designers with many items that you'd be hard pressed to find outside of Singapore. And the craftsmanship on many of the shirts was impeccable.  Meanwhile... at the core of the Tekka Centre it was a giant cauldron of Curry and Sri Lanka crabs.  Slurping and steam swirled about.  And so did storm clouds outside.  In order to avoid a soaked walkabout we made a quick exit to get to our next destination- Orchard Street.

We made a mad dash to the underground metro of Singapore and were off to a more metropolitan side of Singapore.  --->>>> A side note on the public transit systems of Tokyo, Taiwan, and Singapore- they make NYC's defunct system look like something out of the dark ages.  The trains are clean, always on schedule, the communication is clear (in English), library quiet, and people automatically move to the center of the car.  The center of the car. Yes, the center of the car.  Not in the middle of the doorway we're people enter and exit.  It's an amazing concept.  No graffiti. No unidentifiable sticky liquids spilled and oozing across the car floors to leap over. No fragrant vagrants. No mariachi bands. No on board gymnast.  It's train heaven.  And we were welcomed through those heavenly gates without being crushed by any early closing doors.

Orchard Road - picture what it might look like if Rodeo Drive and 5th Avenue gave birth to a child.  A orgy of department stores and designer chains all smattered in holiday decor.    Shopping. What can I say about shopping? It was more people watching than any shopping. And you know something... people watching makes one hungry-  we settled on a resting spot in a food court beneath the surface dwellers-  Din Tai Fung.  An establishment known worldwide by dumpling enthusiast  as one of the daily freshest.  Pork and shrimp dumplings, with an even better lightly fried rice. Then in a cab back to the dome for a swim and sleep.