Everything leading up to the island

Thank God for facebook because this post could easily be nothing, but a story in pictures. Because it is sort of a hassle to post especially multiple pictures on the blog, I will have to refer to you taking a gander at my Diego Garcia photo album. I pretty much captured everything along the way. From Korea, to Singapore, to my month on the island, and back again.

Not sure if it's good writing structure to kick-off a story with the conclusion first, but I get to make the rules here. I'm glad I was able to go and experience this. I get to get chalk this up as another opportunity for me that the navy has offered, and I get to walk away from this adventure to my desk and write a thick, juicy chapter in the story of my life. I saw some incredible things, met some extrodrinary people, did some once in a lifetime things, and accomplished things few I know have, or ever will. It has made me rethink a lot of things in my life and my path, and I'm very thankful for this.

So there I was, traveling farther east than I ever have in my life. Diego Garcia is 3 hours behind Japan, and it took many hours of flight time and miles to get there. I started out in Fukuoka on a 90 minute flight to Seoul, South Korea. I had about a 3 hour lay-over there and I was on a plane headed for Singapore. While in the Korean airport though, I did stop at a little resteraunt and had a Belgian wheat beer. Wasn't Hacker-Phsorr, but it was the next best thing. It was gold hit my lips. The entire airport had wi-fi, and because I brought my computer with me it was a no-brainer I capitalized on the service. Their power was different than America so I couldn't charge my computer in the process. After that though I really didn't see much Korea though I tell people I've been to Korea. Much like when I tell people I've been to Washington DC though it was only Dulles Airport. I stopped by and picked up a Korean edition of Twilight for my friend, Jenna. Everywhere I go in the world, I get a different copy of that country's language.

The trip to Singapore was an experience more painful than enjoyable. It was a 6 hour flight from Korea to Singapore, but luckily I was hooked up with an aisle seat. I think I've been flying enough where the novelty of sitting at a window and looking outside has worn off. Especially when you're flying over an ocean for most of the trip, and at 35,000 feet. There really isn't that much to see unless you're factoring take-off and landing, but that isn't worth sacraficing the mobility and "extra" leg space an aisle seat offers. I do remember though flying back to Korea from Singapore on my way home, and a Korean woman was so small and petite (she spoke English and told me she was 31, but didn't look a day over 24) that she was able to cross her legs in the airplane chair! Yeah, she had the window.

My original intentions of first arriving in Singapore was to see it's nightlife. I flew in at about 2200, but was tired from traveling. My hotel was on the military base which was like a 40 minute drive (after factoring traffic). Add in a day of traveling across the world, checking in, and trying to understand what everyone is saying through their accents, I was too tired to go out. It was around 2330 when I finally arrived at my hotel room. Nicer place though especially for only $75.00 USD. The exchange rate while I was about $1 USD = $1.40 Singaporean dollars. Not bad especially coming from Japan where the currency was $1 USE = 84 Yen (or about 84 cents USD). I did find out though that the McDonalds close by delivered and yes, I capitalized.

I was to be picked up at 1130 the next morning and taken to the airport originally, but there was a delay and we had a chance to drive to the shopping center, Orchid Street. Understand that the official language of Singapore was English, but the country in itself was a true melting pot of culture. There is a huge demograph of Chinese, Mayalasian, and Indonesian influences. I really liked Singapore from what I experienced. Extremely clean and safe. They don't tolerate any foul play. They have no problem caining you and are very adamit about the death penalty. Singapore doesn't tolerate drug trafficing at all and it's a garuntee death penalty, no matter what you have or how much you have. That said it's a very libral country. Prostitution is legal, banking and information services are it's biggest exports, and there is no such thing as a homeless Singaporean. The government takes care of its people by subsidizing housing, giving allowances during the hard times (the recession doesn't affect Singapore). There also isn't any corruption in government, and from what I was told is because the officials are nicely paid and aren't tempted by a higher paycheck because they already are paid nicely. Besides learning English and their parent's language, Chinese is also taught in school. This is because China isn't getting any smaller and they are so close to Singapore. I don't know how many BMW's, Mercedes, Lamborghinis, and Ferrarires I saw.

Singapore is also a bartering country. If you go into a store and see something you like, it is almost improper and rude NOT to barter with them. I'm kicking myself for not picking up a suit there. Lots of Luis Vuton, Rolex, Gucci, and other top shelf fashion stores were also there. The only depressing thing I can say about Singpore is the outstanding prices on alcohol, and that is because the government taxes the Hell out of it to deter people from by it. A pint of its homemade beer, Tiger Beer, was $15, and that's after the conversion! BTW Tiger Beer is quite delicious and I drank more than one pint.

Taxi's are dirt cheap unlike Japan, and because they spoke English I was able to rack their knowledge of the city/country. The city is the country; Singapore's borders are only 500 sq km, but they are in the process of "taking back the sea" much like what the Dutch have done since the beginning of time. With a country that rich they can do pretty much anything they want.

I flew out of the military base. It was a MAC flight and didn't cost anything. In 4 1/2 hours I would be arriving on the island. Another post will tell all.