Hong Kong and Singapore
Blog 7
Hong Kong and Singapore November 2015
This trip was centred around a 2 day teaching assignment in Hong Kong and and business development meeting in Singapore for a new academic partner. A new place to visit, which is always exciting.
The trip to Hong Kong was uneventful and enjoyable, engaged students who listen and want to learn are a novelty at any time of the year. What was enjoyable was the fact that after teaching on Sunday the of the college in Hong Kong took me for a meal, I love Hong Kong Dim Sum, and the restaurant was hosting a wedding reception at the time and they were happy for us to join, this was Sunday evening, and in the morning the restaurant had hosted a Mahjong tournament, I thought it was just a game on my iphone!!
I enjoyed evening walks around the Temple Street Market and the Ladies Night market, which is seriously not to be confused with the Ladies of the Night market. I had another trip to the tailor in HK and purchased some lovely shirts. All very mundane.
The second part of my trip was to Singapore, a two day stop on the way home to do some academic programme planning. It was my first trip here and I can only describe Singapore with one word, WOW. My hotel was conveniently located next door to the iconic Raffles Hotel, a global sign of lost British Imperialism, and more importantly the place where the Singapore Sling was invented. I ventured into the Long Bar and proceeded to watch the drink being mass produced for a steady stream of tourists. As is always the case on these trips when I’m on my own, I sat at the bar and struck up a conversation with the barman. He informed me that a real Singapore Sling has to be handmade and uses a special type of gin and liqueurs. The mass produced ones on sale have the generic brands of drinks for ease. He offered to make me a special one with the correct method and drinks, when in Rome!!!!!!!! The drink was beautiful and I could feel a fuzz rising from my feet, I was quickly sobered up when I received the bill!
I had the most enjoyable meal on the bay and was served the local special dish of chilli crab, which I enjoyed immensely. I loved Singapore and will definitely be back, it is also home to the most bizarrely spectacular building I have ever seen, the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which is three towers and boat on top of all three.
I also found that Singapore Airlines is my new favourite airline, all in all it was a good trip, I could get used to this.
