Well, after a longish break I'm back with another post. The past week has been busy work-wise, so I haven't had as much time to post (I know, I know; excuses are for chumps). Last weekend seems like a distant memory now but it was one to remember because of a series of firsts.

1) First time I have partied till the sun comes up

Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures from Friday, but it was a good night. At home all the clubs close at 2, here its more like 4:30. Although I would never have guessed I could stay out that late, I suppose I have proved myself wrong because not only did we close down the club at 4:30, we went to an after party where the host cooked positively the worst meal I have ever smelled in my life. The supposed Philippino main course consisted of one whole garlic (no just a clove or two, the whole effing thing), about a pound of pork, and enough soy sauce to make the 'Iron Chef' blush. After simmering for about 30 minutes, it was ready to eat - and then quickly regurgitate. Fortunately, I was able to weasel my way out the impending embarrassing situation and make it home by about 7 AM, well after the sun had come up.

2) First boxing experience, with two of the fights being world title fights!

So it may not have been the ‘Thrilla-in-Manila’, but it was exceptional fun to watch. The first title fight was between an Aussie and a guy from Thailand. It was a very even bout, except for the guy from Thailand just kept passing out. I guess he got hit a little too hard early on and just never recovered.

The second fight was a better fight; this time between an Aussi and a Philippino. The fight went the full 12 rounds at 3 minutes each. I can’t even imagine how tiring that would be. The brochure for the event had a picture of the Australian boxer showing off the title belt he had won in his last fight. The picture showed his nose which was literally attached to his right cheekbone. I guess even in the lower weight classes these guys take a beating. Here are some pictures:

From Boxing and Se...

This picture is right at the start of the main event of the night. They did all sorts to build up the fights, especially the last one. Our seats were only about 50 feet back, and closer and we would have been splattered by sweat.

From Boxing and Se...

This picture shows the Philippino who won the main fight after a full 36 minutes of boxing. It was a little scrappy because the other guy kept trying to get cheap shots and tackle the eventual winner.

All in all, this was a lot of fun and I would definitely watch boxing again.

Sunday brought relaxation and recovery and was capped off with a night at East Coast Park. This is where all the locals go when they go to the beach, not the pseudo-Disney Sentosa Island. The park is about 5 miles long with running paths the whole distance; it is also known for its seafood, which is why we went. Here are a few pictures.

From Boxing and Se...

I am obsessed with the number of container ships here. Notice at the horizon all of the boats, each one is probably at least 200 feet long. It really is incredible. This next picture shows the same seen at night. It looks like a city across a lake, but its really just all the boats waiting to come to the Singapore harbor.

From Boxing and Se...

Here are a couple pictures of the Singapore skyline at dusk and at night. It really is quite beautiful at this park, in spite of the industry that is floating just offshore. I guess I am just a fool for the ocean.

From Boxing and Se...

From Boxing and Se...

For dinner we got two of the traditional Singapore dishes, black pepper crab and drunken prawns. The crab was spicy crab, just like you would expect, and quite good. The drunken prawns are a whole different experience, and sadly we didn’t catch the full spectacle at this restaurant. To make them, the chef takes live pawns and put them in a frying pan filled with boiling alcohol. They are supposed to do this at your table to prove they are live pawns, but sadly they didn’t that night. Apparently, when they do, the prawns jump out of the pot and start running around the table. But AH!! Not so fast!! It’s not that easy to escape my dinner plate!! Back in the pot with you prawn!!

This weekend I have a friend coming in from home. I have recently learned that the audience of this blog is larger than I thought, so this friend will simply be known as ‘The Yellow Dart’. Soooo, check back next week to see what sort of trouble ‘The Yellow Dart’ and myself can get into; and then hopefully back out of. One thing remains certain; what happens in Singapore - stays in Singapore (ironic that I would say that in a blog about my trip to Singapore...).