Changi

Changi is the name of the Singapore international airport (there is no domestic airport in Singapore, as it's a city state, so no where else in this 'country' to fly...).

I find it a very appropriate name, just with reference to the Indonesian language, where 'changi' actually means ultra-modern, super-fancy, chic... and that's certainly a great description of the Singapore airport, and most of Singapore for that matter!  It was officially classified as a 5-star airport, and also unofficially on sites like sleepinginairports.com has been recognized as a fabulous place to be stuck in transit (if one has to be stuck in transit).

So that's what I am... and that's why you're hearing about this airport (from an ultra high-speed free internet connection in a swank free lounge/relaxation oasis)...

From Wikipedia:
There are many versions for the etymological roots of the name Changi. One source says that it comes from a climbing shrub, the changi ular(Apama corymbosa), which grew in the area. Another claims that it gets its name from a tall tree, the chengai (Balanscarpus heimii), which abounded in the area in the early nineteenth century. Changi could also be a variation of the local timber named chengai. This heavy local timber is commonly used for buildings and furniture, and is valued for its strength and renowned for its deep rich colour.

Road Rash

Yikes - I am thankful that I'm here to write this post to you all... I took a little spill off my motorbike yesterday for the first time... and hopefully last.

I was pretty darn lucky!  The entire lane was full of oil and I don't think there was any avoiding what happened...  The bike lost all traction, and all I had time to think was "Oh shiitttt...", then my head bounced off the pavement and I proceeded to skid on my chin for about 50m along the road with an unsettling view of oncoming headlights. Before I had even skidded to a stop I jumped up and ran the 50 more metres that the bike slid, picked it up and got it off the road, and then I checked myself over for missing appendages etc.  I was fairly shocked to find I was pretty much in tact, minus some major road rash that hadn't started to sting yet (side note:  post-adrenaline let down they have proven insanely painful!)  Apparently I was the 4th bike to slide out on it - and after I made sure they covered it with dirt to soak up the oil and avoid anyone else going down!  But I drove myself home, cleaned out the wounds and am hoping for a quick healing process.

I am not big on taking a lot of hard-core chemical drugs in general... so I'm hoping the good ole magic cream will do the trick!

Baguettes and Brunettes

That would've been the by-line for our French road-trip tour... And I can't believe I haven't written a thing about it in my blog and two years have passed already!

So I'm reminiscing, cuz I'm missing my companions, I suppose... although don't tell them that.. they don't read my blog anyway, so they'll never know, and I can still feign indifference when our next attempt at a reunion comes up!  ;)  I'm also briefly in Singapore with a fabulous internet connection (which I never have), so am taking advantage and uploading pics...

Anyway, whatever the cause, it means you get treated to a story or two, and lots of pics!  I didn't journal, or blog, while we were on our trip, which is sad, because it was such an amazing time, full of lots of laughs, along with a few tiffs… we did and saw so much… but the things that stick most in my mind are the meals… not just because of the incredible food and wine (which it really really was, by the way), but because of the family and friendship and chats shared at the table amidst good French ambiance… Hey!  How exciting - I can actually use that word in relation to the place of its origin!  The funniest thing is that when I was searching photos to upload for this post, food and meal photos were noticeably lacking... hmmm... maybe it's like diving - I just let myself absorb and enjoy more without being behind the camera!?

Memorable Meals and Moments:

Chez Boizeau & The Moulin Rouge!!!

Parks, Palaces and Picnics in Paris

Rediscovering #14 in Paris!?

Dancing Sur le Pont d'Avignon

Creperies & Cafes

The roadtrip mobile... and familial send-off!  (The only thing in that car that made us uncomfortable was Lucette, aka 'the bitch'!)

Castles and Culture

The Picturesque Dordogne

Porquerolles Hashing

Perfumerie at Grasse

"The Last Supper":  Moulles Frites (Mussels) in Nice

And of course... what trip to France would be complete without a trip up the Eiffel Tower!?

Les cousines at Traocadero with a fabulous view of the light show at Le Tour

We walked it...  

Whirling Dervishes

With a 6 hour transit in Istanbul on my way back to Indonesia last month, instead of hanging out in the airport, I decided I would like to see a little of this city steeped in history.  Turkish Airlines actually offers a free city tour if you are in transit for 8 hours or more, but that didn't apply to me, unfortunately, so...

I hopped on the subway, transferred to the tram, and bumped and jostled my way into the heart of the old city... one that has been the heart of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, and spans two continents!  As I watched the sunset over the Blue Mosque, I walked along the Bosphorus, feet firmly in Europe, and gazed over at the full moon rising over Asia, dolphins frolicking in the foreground.

I walked the narrow cobblestone back alleyways of Sultan Ahmet, admiring history in the patchwork of layer after layer of building materials used to rebuild crumbling walls after each of the many earthquakes that have plagued the city.  And I covered as much ground, and absorbed as much of the life as I could in the short time I had.

After prayers, when the devout streamed out of the mosques as the sun set, the city came to life, and I realized that there was no better time to be here than during the fasting month of Ramadan!  The public plazas were filled with colourful decorations, families and lovers, music, and FOOD!  I watched the Whirling Dervishes - to be perfectly honest, I had no idea that this was something that actually existed... I guess I had a vague inkling that it was a term for someone running around crazy like a chicken with their head cut off, or perhaps a Tasmanian devil type figure... Now that I have delved into the story, I can say that it's just the opposite of that silly notion!  In fact, the Whirling Dervishes are a sect of Muslims, and the dance symbolizes the harmony of life - the motion is that of the earth and every molecule there-in, just as electrons revolve around the nucleus of all existing matter.  You can see more about the Whirling Dervishes on this interesting page.

I sat in the evening plaza, munching on my doner, and reveled in partaking in the routine daily life of this Turkish city.

Sticky, sickeningly sweet candy-on-a-stick in hand, I headed back to the airport, utterly exhausted!

Timmy Ho's

It's 9 am at Toronto Pearson Airport.  I have an extra-long transit time in the Toronto airport since arriving on my flight from Ecuador while waiting to catch the bus which will deliver me home...
I arrived, zipped through customs and found an out-of-the way comfy chair to set myself up an enclave for a nap, a read, or to enjoy the (finally!) free wi-fi at the airport.

It is also strategically located with a view of the Tim Horton's lineup.

I took up my post at 7am.  I'm not in a rush... I have hours to fill until 2pm... so I decided I would wait to make my approach on Timmy's until there was no lineup.  It's been 2 hours, and it's not looking promising!  There has been a constant line of at least 10 people, at times 2- and 3-deep!  All I wanted was a Timmies, now back on my home soil... or perhaps it's the cloves that have me craving... ???  Anyway, it's an eye opener at the lucrative coffee business of Timmies!

Montserrat - The Emerald Isle

I have nothing but fond memories of living on Montserrat... and would love to go back for a visit again some day.

It was back in 1987, and what posessed my fabulous, adventurous parents to relocate us for 6 months to a small caribbean island, i'm still not quite sure... but i am so glad they did!  No doubt memories of a 9 year old are distorted by the fact that one can't yet entirely distinguish fantasy from reality, but...  I remember the places we lived as tropical palaces, the local people as happy easy-going purple-black friends, the fruit new and exotic, the roti spicy and intriguing to my budding taste buds, and the Island as massive and varied.  I just spent some time on Google Earth trying to figure out the lay of the whopping 16km island once more, with a little difficulty, since, in addition to a volcanic facelift, it looks like there has been A LOT of development since '87!


I remember also a trip up to 'the middle of nowhere' in the mountains to eat some famous food... it was Miss Ann Morgan's goatwater stew.  To be honest, I don't remember whether I liked it or not, and I can't imagine how the name stuck, but when I did a little online search, I found out that she is still serving up the national dish in the same spot!

Most people had never even heard of Montserrat before the Soufriere volcano erupted consistently from 1995 through 1997, destroying half of the island, including the capital of Plymoth, the airport, and certainly, the tourist industry along with it!  You can see the extent of the impact in the map and the satellite image below.  I remember taking a family trip to hike up into the Soufriere hills to visit the volcano... twice actually (because we took a wrong turn and didn't make it to the volcano the first time around!?).  It was my first exposure to the yellow-sulphurous rocks and stinky fumaroles of a 'dormant' volcano - well, obviously it was brewing something up, since it was less than ten years after that things really heated up!

I certainly hope that the Monsterratians are still limin' on their beautiful beaches!  ... I hope they still have some of their beautiful beaches, and that they don't all look like the lava fields above!?  Limin' is local lingo meaning chillin' or 'hangin' out, and is apparently a popular term throughout the West Indes.

As a British dependent territory the island flies the United Kingdom (UK) flag. The coat of arms dates from 1909, and shows a woman dressed in green, holding a cross and harp. The cross is symbolic of Christianity, while the harp and woman recall Irish immigrants that settled on the island in 1632.  Erin is the symbol of freedom for Ireland.  (worldatlas.com)