a couple of photos from Tessa's visit to the Botanic Gardens in Singapore - free entry to the gardens and 1 dollar instead of 5 dollars for seniors to view the Orchids (one of which was named after Margaret Thatcher) - now that is what I call a reduction!
I will admit to having a large lump in my throat and more than one tear in my eye as we bade farewell to Chun See at Changi's budget terminal for our flight to Kuching in Sarawak. It has taken me 46 years to get back to Singapore and who knows if there will be another opportunity to visit. There we were, two ageing management consultants, joined together through the internet with a common interest in Singapore of the 60s when of course culture and class would have meant we would never have met, but now feeling like the oldest of friends - Chun See called me 'My Kampong Friend' which I take as a great honour. You can see some more pictures of our visit to Singapore on Chun Sees' blog - there is a link to 'Good Morning Yesterday' to the right of this blog so please visit.
For both of us Singapore has been a very special experience, the chance to see family related places from the past and the chance to meet some present day Singaporeans. There were probably many places we did not get to but we felt we saw all the places we really wanted to visit. And seeing how Singapore has been transformed has been an extraordinary experience for me, it was hard to look at places and remember how they used to look. The Garden City approach largely works well, some of the expressways with dense planting of large trees beside and between the carriageways are also rather attractive - I would never have thought I would say that of a road!
From the air Kuching can be seen lying alongside a river that seems to wind endlessly back on itself and although what is a large modern city lies on the flat there are sharp hills rising nearby. We are staying in a large rambling house very near the centre which was the home of the Speaker of the Assembly until a few years ago. The owner and his wife are both currently away which adds further to the 'make yourself at home' and 'do it yourself' approach to staying here.
Unfortunately Tessa has still not recovered from her Kolkata illness and seemed worse as we arrived here so with the willing help of Amad who is looking after the place and a phone consultation with the absent house owner we got her to a local health centre and she now has the anti-nausea and anti-biotics which hopefully will see her on the mend. This morning I found six ladies from Singapore at the breakfast table and they soon had me making some toast and peanut butter for Tessa plus a tea which she has drunk, then together with Ann a pensioner from Australia I was invited to 'join the seven old ladies' for breakfast. And I have just had a call from our good friend Diana Cook from Cambridge who unexpectedly is still in Kuching with William her son and will be taking me off to get some food and fruit to get Tess eating again!
Brian
4 comments:
Good grief. I've been drinking brandy all evening and I suddenly remembered the Blog. Thought I'd have a look. There seemed to be a lot of it but then I spot illness. We older people aren't keen on illness. I think I'll have a proper look tomorrow with less booze swilling around the system. But it looks to have worked itself out. We older people like happy endings. With a view to those iron on loon badges from the 70s "Keep on Truckin'" Chris
Well Chris keep on trucking sounds just right to me as well - and we are hoping not to be defeated by age or anything else!
Brian
Good to see that you are enjoying your return visit after 46 years, bet you are wondering what took you so long. Like you say Chun See is a great person to be with and it is wonderful to have bridged the divide that existed betwen our communities all those years ago.
John Harper
Even though Spore is so tiny, I too got to see some places that I have not seen before during your trip; such as Opera Estate, the spot where we saw the Johore Causeway close up and the view from the top of the block of flats near the immigration.
Don't forget your plan to behave like 'old tourists' is Kuching. I think what you guys need is a break from your holidaying. Just laze around for a couple of days and read a book by the Kuching Waterfront.
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