It rains a lot in Singapore. A lot. And, at the drop of a hat, too. I ended up buying a tiny little umbrella to carry with me everywhere I go so as not to be caught in a downpour unexpectedly. This all strikes me as hilarious since upon packing for my move here, I sent my rain boots and umbrella to Goodwill. Hindsight's 20/20.
One thing about living in a high-rise apartment complex that I need to get used to, or perhaps just not do, is forget things. Once you get home, walking up 22 flights of stairs or experiencing the long wait to take the elevator, and realize you have forgotten something that is downstairs, or vice versus--forgetting something upstairs after you've gone all the way downstairs--is a pain. The same thing applies with rain.
I was at the pool all morning on Saturday--it was beautiful out! Families were splashing about and the water felt awesome! So, I decided I would go into Little India and take some pictures. I jumped up, went upstairs, got dressed, and came back downstairs only to find that it was pouring.
But I trudged onward. I had my umbrella with me, so this rain was not going to stop me. Plus, you never know how long it will rain for, so I figured I'd cut my (wet) losses and continue on my journey. Halfway to the train station I was soaked. Not only soaked, but the shuttle (yes, there is a shuttle that I could've taken) from my apartment complex stopped on the road--packed with people, including my friend Tanya--and gave me a lift. I felt like Mr. Rooney in Ferris Bueller, during the ending credits, when he is picked up by the school bus. Ah, humiliation.
I got to the train station, got on the train, got off at the Little India station, got upstairs to the road, and found hundreds of people huddled under the building overhang because of the rain. So, I went back downstairs, got on the train, got off at the Boon Keng station, and walked back home. Defeated.
But, it turned into a good day. A great day, really! I began my costume designs for the musicians in Buoyant Echo. I drew the original drawing of the cellist in a round boat at the hotel last week. Then I placed it underneath another piece of paper and drew the cellist in her costume on top. So, the top drawing eventually becomes the finished watercolor, and the bottom one--the original--can be used to create another design or used for lay-out purposes: spacing, choreography of the boats, etc. PS: It's so awesome to have this kind of view when working . . . And, take note, it was not raining when I shot this image. Grumble, grumble.
I also stopped off at a bakery on the way home from the train station. I picked up several yummy items for the low, low price of $9. Two of the items spotlighted here.
A tiny blueberry cheese cake that I couldn't pass up. It's so cute! (I'm still not sure why tiny things are cuter, but somehow they are . . . ) And below, the most amazing waffle-y, pound cake-y bites ever! I bought a bag of them for about $3. They are perfect with coffee, especially on rainy afternoons. (When feeling a bit defeated.)
About halfway through the afternoon, a jet came screaming past my balcony. Scared the watusi out of me . . . Not. Even. Kidding. It sounded like a train was coming through my apartment. I came out to the balcony (as if this would've helped, if in fact a train was coming through my apartment) to find 3 jets and 3 helicopters meandering about, one of the helicopters carrying a huge Singapore flag. I can only imagine that this, and the fireworks that followed later on (see below) were in celebration for Singapore's Independence Day. See? Another great thing about staying in . . . I got to see the whole fireworks display. It was beautiful!
So with rain comes humidity. And, with humidity comes crazy hair. You don't realize how humid humid actually is until you live in it. Scratch that. Until you have curly hair and you live in it. In the spirit of humiliation, I have to post the following image.
It's incredible what my hair does in this city. I'm sure right about now, my friends and family are wondering why I would post such a horrific picture: no make-up, crazy hair, and shine for days (I mean, seriously, you could check your teeth in that glare on my forehead) . . . Regardless of me being the subject of this picture, this is a hilarious image! Anyone who knows me, knows my relationship with my hair. I've had to really think about it since living here. I wasn't joking when I mentioned contemplating ways to handle it on my post from the plane. I bought all new products to work with, because the ones I used at home are not available here. And, I found a place that can do dreadlocks--just in case. I'll keep you posted. So, in the spirit of humiliation . . .
Oh, and the very best thing I learned by staying in yesterday? I can see an island from my balcony . . . Through the buildings, past the cranes and the ships, across the water. It's green and tree-filled. Someday I will visit that island. And, I'll post about it here. Until then, peace out.
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