Lost Horizons

The Little Red Dot

My flight to Singapore, yesterday was made almost tolerable by the fact that I was flying business class, only because it is part of a much longer flight that the company will pay the extra dosh for. Usually Singapore is under the four hour rule where we get more leg room and the wine is almost palatable.
Arrived here in the evening, and the change from Hong Kong was immediately noticable, more so than the similarities; such as far less pollution, people are slower, the traffic, even on the busy roads doesn't seem to me as snarled up, and its cooler.
Arrived at the Shangri La and they were their usual service at any costs smiles. Had a smoking room, and the girl who came to turn my bed down asked if there was anything else she could do for me. I was sort of tempted, but no.
I took a stroll down to the four floors. It was early, but the main problem there is finding places where you can smoke, so I ended up in Ipanema, which seemed to be full of girls from Vietnam (who looked old), katoeys and girls carrying a lot of silicone (obviously been around long enough to earn the dosh required for the op). Apart from that it was like the arctic in there, which didn't relly enhance my pleasure. The smoking room there is signed up that you can't take food or drink in there - which seems strange, but most people were ingnoring te signs and taking their beers in there with them. After three beers I headed back to the hotel; on the way, I was propositioned several times by some pretty ladies from China and a katoey (I didn't have to be sober to realise this).
My meetings today went well. Pipe Welders & Flange Fitters International have moved their HR department for my project to Singapore, recently. So it was worth going in there. They were kind enough to treat me to lunch at an eatery called Garuda, which was pleasant.
Another quick meeting in the afternoon, then back to the hotel. The hotel then phoned me up to ask what I wanted as my free gift for being a Golden Circle member, and she ran through a list of things like beer, coke, coke zero chocalate, milk and cookies, and said I was allowed to pick three gifts. I said, "That's easy. Beer, beer and beer, please" "Cannot sir, they must be different" I thought about this for a while, and said, "OK, just bring me the beer, and forget the other two gifts." "But Sir you must pick three!" "I did pick three but you said that wasn't allowed, so now I am picking the only gift I want"
Sure enough the young girl comes around with two bottles of Tiger, which i am supping as I write this missive.
Back to the airport soon to catch a flight to "the seat of Mars"

posted by Luke @ 5:40 PM