I had my regular Saturday morning/Friday evening calls with some family members back home (love the Skype!). My DHL delivery actually came before noon like they said. Then, I was off to the theater.
I spent a little more than 2 hours headed back to Nanjing, China in 1938 with a war between the Japanese and Chinese. Nanjing (City of Life and Death) was the capital of China then and was overtaken. It was a great movie, but I don't know how I could ever support a war going foward. It was terrible. It made me feel for all of our troops that have ever been involved in combat. At parts I cried, covered my eyes or stared in disbelief. I am so thankful for the peace where I have lived (U.S. and Singapore).
I needed to perk up and happened across Mango on my way out of the theater. Only one of my favorite stores from my time in Spain!! I got a new shirt and, if they'd had the right size, I'd have a new jacket now too.
After sidetracking, I continued on my way to Little India. I have only passed through on a bus previously and with the holiday today (Happy Deepavali!) I thought it might be a good time to be a tourist. Armed with my new camera and a walking tour, I got off the train at Little India and started walking. It's funny how you can still be in Singapore but it feels like a different place all together. The air smelled different with Indian spices, people were walking in the streets and the ethnic Chinese were clearly in the minority. The streets were lined with decorations and lights and the Hindu temples were full - well the neighborhood mosque happened to be full as well. It was definitely alive - here are some pics. I did stumble across the closest thing to Wal-Mart here, Mustafa Center - only browsing and price checking today.
The evening was to end with some groceries at a store nearby my apartment (well nearby the bus to my apartment). Chili's was in the same complex and I decided I could use a margartia - one I could count on to be made to my liking. I was transported back home. Hadn't seen so many Americans (heck - even Caucasians), since I arrived. Sat next to 3 teenage boys celebrating a birthday, which involved the b-day boy getting a face full of mashed potatoes (I think). Then there were the obnoxious middle-aged men across the way who had a couple of young Asian women join them for dinner and margaritas at the bar. I don't know what was going on, but I was highly judgemental and assumed the worst. Let's just say it did not look like long lost pals reunited or husband/wife double date night. Then I had another American guy to the other side of me, he was all business though - sat after me and was gone before me.
I finished dinner, got my groceries and headed home. But not before seeing the Singapore take on a "sidewalk sale", I think it might be closer to a garage sale. I continued on and took the bus home to fall asleep back in Singapore. I got one more reminder of the diverse place I've moved to when before bed (~10pm) I saw the parade down in the street in front of my condo. In celebration of Deepavali, I presume.
It was a long, good day and I slept well :).
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