Phuket, Thailand

Aloha Everyone,

Phuket is the size of Singapore. It is an island as well as Thailand’s richest province.

The passengers were transported from Emerald Princess by tender to shore. Reviewing a list of must-see things provided by the ship’s excursion staff, J.J. and I decided to hire our own van and a driver. It was a fortuitous that we joined Nick, Merzuka and their daughter Rubije from Australia and Rajeshwaru and Jayesh from London.

Wat Chalong, the most ornate and the biggest of the 29 major Buddhist temples in Phuket was truly impressive.

While the rest of our group climbed the temple, J.J. and I walked the grounds and watched 4 couples having their wedding photos taken. Dressed in traditional Thai clothes looking every inch like the characters from the “King & I”, they looked regal and beautiful. But I felt bad for the brides who had to endure ornate tiara, thick make up, body hugging gown and long trains in the heat of the day.

Feeding bananas to a mother elephant and her two months old baby was fun.

This was followed by visiting a beach and going to a scenic lookout. It turned out to be a wonderful and adventurous day. Now, when we hear Phuket, the two of us will recall multiple images of the island in addition to one of our favorite Thai restaurants in Honolulu. 

Aloha -- Cathi

Penang, Malaysia

Aloha Everyone,

Temples and Penang famous homes was the name of the tour J.J. and I joined. Our air-conditioned motor coach traveled to the capital of George Town where we were introduced to over 200 years of history and culture.

Our tour guide, a third generation ethnic Chinese Malay, injected historical facts with humor which Westerners can relate to.

Lee Enclave, a housing area built on stilts, has a couple of interesting facts. Under British rule, a land tax was imposed. Chinese immigrants with no money built their homes on the water supported by stilts. No land, no land tax.

Only families with Lee (and this has to be a particular Lee) may buy and sell houses in this complex. Non-Lee’s may rent but according to our tour guide, they feel excluded.

We also visited two magnificent mansions both belonging to wealthy families from China.

Wat Chayamangkalaram is a Thai temple with a reclining Buddha. Across the street is a Burmese Temple with a standing Buddha.  Both were impressive, beautiful and photogenic. While I noticed some similarities of words to Filipino, the national language of the Philippines, Malaysian is staccato sounding and difficult to pronounce.

Tropical heat and high humidity tires you. We felt wilted after nearly 4 hours. The great news is taking photos of fantastic dragon statues that I look forward to drawing with my granddaughter.

Aloha -- Cathi

Port Kelang, Malaysia

Aloha Everyone,

Yesterday we bid our temporary farewell to Singapore to embark on the first segment of a 21-days cruise. The cruise terminal was the most modern and the cleanest we have seen. The check-in procedure was very efficient with uniformed personnel wearing big smiles.

The only discomfort J.J. and I, along with some of our fellow passengers experienced, was when our passport was confiscated. In exchange, we were each given a card that stated that this is a receipt of your passport. It has to do with submission of legal identification to each of the country we will be visiting. With over 3,000 on board, how they process individual passports is unclear. We were informed that our official document will be returned at the end of our cruise. 

At Port Kelang, J.J. and I rode a shuttle bus ($15 US) each and went to AEON Mall, a large, modern air conditioned shopping complex located about an hour from Kuala Lumpur. With international brand name stores, restaurants, a large supermarket, it could have been anywhere in the world.

Malaysia is a Muslim country. White Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, sleighs attracted parents and children to experience the Christmas holiday. Parents were taking pictures of their children in front of the display. The only thing missing was a Santa Claus.

There was also no nativity scene. It was interesting to witness coexistence of religions amidst the commercialism.

Aloha -- Cathi

Singapore, Foodies Paradise

Aloha Everyone,

It’s no secret that J.J. is adventurous when it comes to food and he enjoys a wide variety of ethnic dishes.

Singapore is truly a paradise for Foodies. A couple of times, we ventured and tried street food, but the rest of our meals were eaten in ultra clean restaurants where servers greeted us with smiles :-).

My favorite was a basket full of delicious steamed dumplings which melted in your mouth.

Our cruise begins this afternoon. The first 7 days, we go to Malaysia and Indonesia, then return to Singapore before continuing for another 14 days.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday seasons and for those of us celebrating Christmas, have a Merry Christmas! 

Aloha -- Cathi

Singaporeans

Aloha Everyone,

We are always curious about what makes people happy. The Singaporeans we came in contact with are not the super rich or successful people depicted in the book and movie, “Crazy Rich Asians.” Taxi drivers are often good candidates to talk to.

One of our opening questions, “What do you like and dislike about living in Singapore?” Beyond the standard response of the city is very clean and safe, we get some interesting insights.

For example: you have to work long hours in order to afford extras in life. Most people live in government housings (high rises) which one applies for by showing a marriage certificate and proof of citizenship. This is an upward mobility society and accumulation of wealth is a big part of their success image. With two incomes and jobs in tech or financial sectors, many younger people can afford to have a live-in maid from less affluent neighboring countries to take care of their young children. For those who are single, one of the fathers we spoke to lamented that his 39 years old son still lives at home to save money.  

Up to high school, education is compulsory. A small tuition is required to attend government run schools. For those students who are scholars, they are given scholarships and maybe a chance to study at one of the elite private universities.

As with many Southeast Asian counties, Singapore promotes medical tourism. However, we were told that only the rich could afford world class medical care. Others go to subsidized government clinics..  

While government requires everyone to save towards retirement, now 65 years, many continue to work into their 70’s and 80’s because their pension is small.

75% of Singaporeans are ethnic Chinese. 13% are Malay, 9% Indian and the remainder in the “others” category. Each ethnic group has their own social support system including early learning centers, language schools and religion.

Singapore is a well-run money making machine. It has replaced Hong Kong as the top financial center in Asia. Singaporeans smugly tell us that if you want to do business in Asia, Central East, Middle East, Australia or Europe, you need to have a base in Singapore.  

Individualism is set aside and citizens live within strict guidelines set by the government. One man told us that Singapore is a poor country. She has no natural resources. Singapore even purchases water from Malaysia. 

To my comment that Singaporeans are not simpático (kind), J.J. added that they are stoic. Most would not freely give smiles to strangers unless one gets something back in return. So do we like Singapore? Yes, this is a very clean and safe city. The buildings are modern high rises. The food is varied and delicious. What seems lacking is the ability to enjoy life.

Aloha -- Cathi