More sites
Engin must be very persuasive as a large bottle of Raki appeared, and Sheila had to get stuck in. It started to get cool so Zeynep got Sheila and herself blankets while the men toughed it out, being very macho. It was a great night. We went back to their apartment and got a taxi back over the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn to our hotel, and went to sleep quickly after another great day. The sites of a city can be great, but the thing that is the most memorable is the people that you meet, and Zeynep and Engin have given us very happy and warm memories of our time in Istanbul.
Thursday this was to be our second last day in Istanbul ; we got up about 09.00 and had our usual feast for breakfast about 09.30, a very slow start after a late night, last night. We took a cab to the ferryboat terminal near the Galata bridge, our quest for today was the spice market. As we wandered in what we thought was the approximate direction we came across a pharmacy, and decided to try and buy some medication, recommended by Zeynep, to help reduce the painful swelling that Sheila gets in her legs. It was called Diflon. (It proved very successful and when we went looking for an local equivalent our local chemist read the label and identified it as something called ‘Biofalavonoid’, sold by Blackmores, it has proved to be equally good.)
Our approximation proved to be just that, and only after some advice from a policeman did we find the Spice Bazaar via the Gypsy Market where very cheap clothing is sold on the market day. There were I guess about thirty or more different shops selling spices and Turkish delight, and every shop owner claimed theirs was the best, and we were given samples to endorse their claims. The array of spices and their aroma was spectacular. We also came across a shop selling cheeses, and one of the cheeses in particular was a huge creamy cheese that was encased in a full goat skin that still had the hair on the outside. Adam and Rosalind had mentioned this from their visit, and we decided to try the sample we were offered. It was excellent and we bought some to have that night and also another piece ‘Kryovac’ packed to take to Singapore. We also bought some ‘Salep’, powdered orchid root, to use in my imitation of the excellent ice-cream. We also decided that we would ‘eat in’ tonight, and went into a small supermarket in the spice bazaar. They spoke no English and it took us a while to work out the shop’s system. That was, select your goods, get a docket with it’s description, take the docket to a cashier, pay the cashier, take the receipt back to the assistant who served you, and then get the goods in return for the receipt. It seemed a bit convoluted, but I guess they have their reasons.
It was pretty warm and humid, but we decided to walk up the hill towards the Blue Mosque, and then find our way back to our hotel. Sheila’s foot was a bit sore, so after we got to the top of the hill we headed down the other side in search of our hotel.
View across the Golden Horn.
We found our way with no problem but were feeling a bit weary when we got back and started to think about preparing our dinner. We decided that we would just have a small dinner that we put together ourselves, and eat on our balcony back at the hotel. Well to be strictly accurate, Sheila put it together, the goat cheese, bread olives, sun-dried tomatoes etc, and we ate it washed down with a couple of bottles of local beer. It made a nice change to not finish the day exhausted and just enjoy watching the endless procession of ships on the Bosphorus. Every time I see the ships I think of my time at sea, and the many months of boredom when there was nothing to see, but the sea, relieved only by the watch-keeping in the engine room every eight hours. It was for me many lives ago, and I was pleased that it was.
Friday morning, we both agreed that we did not want to try and do too much today, and Sheila was keen to see another of the urban shopping centres that we had seen on a previous day. So this time it was the ‘Galleria’ in the suburb of Atakoy. It was just across the highway from the ‘Carousel’ in the suburb of Bakirkoy. The ‘Galleria’ is even more modern and near a marina centre. It was three storey’s of shops, and both ends joined by two long galleries of shops, stocking merchandise from Paris, London, New York, and other places. Sheila was thrilled with this retail therapy at its most potent. The fact that Sheila was able to buy Helena Rubenstein cosmetics was a great joy, that was enhanced by a knitted ‘top’ from Marks and Spencer. I was also persuaded to get some Gant shoes and sandals, that I am told were a bargain. I am amazed that the best part of a day was inspecting every shop at least twice, but I guess that it is a cross that the dutiful husband needs to carry, at least a couple of times on a holiday. We did a bit of packing of our suitcases so that it was not all a last minute rush in the morning.
For dinner we decided we would again walk up to the Sultanahmet Square and eat at a place that we had not been to before. It was again another excellent meal at a little street café. Initially we opted for a table on the rooftop, but then decided that we preferred a table on the pavement so that we could watch the passing parade of people. At the next table were a couple of people, from Melbourne. They both worked at the Melbourne museum, I think, and had only arrived that day from Paris. We exchanged information about our travels, a bit of world news gossip and then took our leave, and headed through the back streets to our hotel.
We felt pleasantly fatigued, but relaxed, and now that the time was here looking forward to seeing Adam and Rosalind in Singapore.
We flew to Singapore on Saturday 06 October 2001 leaving Istanbul 12.05 arriving in Singapore on the Sunday morning about 06.30 to be met by Adam and Rosalind. Gee it makes a big difference to be met by someone, and not have to think about transport to you next pillow, that was calling us very loudly by now.
We were staying in Singapore for over two weeks, and the last weekend Adam and Rosalind said that they were taking us to the Banyan Tree resort on the Indonesian Island of Bin Tan.
We drove to the ferry terminal on the Friday morning and it was strange to me how much it was like an airport terminal, with ticket counters, immigration customs etc. It was only a forty-minute ferry ride, but it is a world away from Singapore. Because of the extreme pleasure that we experienced in Istanbul, I was concerned that I might be a little disappointed by Bin Tan.
No it was not to be! When I die I will know that I have already seen and experienced paradise.
We were taken by limousine to the Banyan Tree resort. Resort is not an appropriate word as it conjures up images of ‘holiday resorts’ and hedonistic tourists frenetic in their pursuit of the maximum activity, trying to ensure maximum return for their dollars.
The tone was set in the reception area, where we were met by three young ladies, and two young men, very beautiful, smiling and friendly. All were very well dressed in local costume, one offered us ice cold handtowels, that were very appreciated. When we thanked them, their response was “You are very welcome”. It was said with a warm smile that convinced you of their sincerity. This salutation was repeated many times over the weekend, and it never failed to leave us with a sense of peace and tranquillity.
As Adam had brought his golf clubs and diving gear we were transported to our villa by two buggies.
Our villa is described as a ‘bay front villa with a pool’.
The villas are perched on very tall concrete columns set into the very steep slopes that merge from the jungle into the beach.
The entrance is through two large wooden doors, set into a white painted archway in the centre of a high wall that screens the villa from the narrow pathways that meander through the complex. The villas are about fifty yards from each other, and there did not seem to be that many, so privacy is guaranteed.
Floor plan of the villa.
Once inside the doorway we crossed a small wooden bridge to a huge marble courtyard covered by a thatched roof. In the middle of the courtyard was a raised wooden platform on which were two long benches covered in cushions separated by a low wooden table.
View across ‘our’ pool.
Over the top of the table I could see the pool that was part of this villa. It was about 8 metres long and 4 metres wide by 1.4 metres deep. The water of the pool flowed over the far edge of the pool and merged into the sea.
Over the edge of the pool was a 5 metres drop to the sea below. In the bay in front of us was a small jungle covered island. As a ‘seasoned traveller’ one likes to appear sophisticated and blasé. But faced with this view it is impossible, hyperbole and expletives abounded as we tried to express the depth of impact that the view and the villa has upon Sheila and I. This is exceeded when we explore the rooms that we have, Adam and Rosalind one side of the pool and us the other.
View of Sheila and my side of the villa from Adam and Rosalind’s side.
We had our own private wings that contained bedroom, study, shower bathroom toilet, and an ‘open air’ stone bath, for each wing.
From our bedroom looking out to the bay.
The rooms are all marble floors, and the bed was a huge four-poster with mosquito netting draped around. On the beds were towels each with a fresh orchid on the top. We unpacked and had a swim in the pool and settled back on the cushions with large gins and drank in the view.
Adam and found it hard to do nothing so we took snorkels, masks etc and found our way down to the beach. The tide was a fair way out, so although we started to swim quite soon after getting to the waters edge, we were swimming through sea grass for a few hundred metres. After we cleared away from the sea grass we started to see an abundance of different fish, especially around the rocks and coral formations.
It did not take me long to feel a bit weary, and we headed for the beach and the lane back to the villa. More swimming in the pool, shower and then more gin was the order of the day.
For dinner Adam and Rosalind had ordered a ‘Banyan’ feast. This was delivered by two boys on little buggies, it was in four huge wicker baskets and set up on a dinning table in an alcove on one side of the courtyard. There were dips, salads, soups and satay sticks by the million. To cook the satay they brought an electric ‘hibachi’, of which Adam took charge. About halfway through the meal Sheila told me that I had to keep eating, as I was leaving crayfish, salmon etc etc. I could not comply I was full, full, full and could not eat another thing. We had also borrowed a monopoly set and sat on the central seating area, and lost heavily to the canny Scot Sheila.
Morning was an early start as Adam had Sheila and I booked in with him to play eighteen holes of golf before lunch, so it was a 07.30 tee off.
We had two buggies to carry us between tees, along narrow concrete pathways that are throughout the course. The course was designed by Greg Norman, and I am told it is one of the most spectacular golf courses in the world. Even if one does not play golf the course is a joy to walk around and hit divots. It is a very large course in area and has both jungle and ‘bay front’ tees. I do not claim to be a golfer and my major concern was to reduce the embarrassment to my playing partners. The first tee was not an auspicious start. “Yes I will give it a go with a wood” I said, with more bravado than confidence. Test swing looking good, this time I will hit it, I thought. Ah well! Second test swing looked good as well. Now whack, click, crash. The ball had gone about fifty metres straight up the fairway, and the head of the club somewhere into the nearby jungle. “Don’t bother looking for it dad there could be cobras in there” was the sage advice from Adam.
I only need to be told once about the presence of snakes, and I am a fast learner. I found that the ‘irons’ were easier and when someone explained that they are that much shorter than the woods I began to understand why. The buggy that Sheila and I had did much stopping and starting as we hacked our way up each fairway. I was enjoying the driving, and especially when Sheila explained how to put the parking brake on, and stop it rolling away down the hills.
As it got a bit warmer and more humid, the walk from the buggy to the tee became tiring and Sheila and I were getting slower and slower. Adam then suggested that after the tee shot we would take our second and subsequent shots from where the best ball of the three of us landed. That is to say after the tee shot Sheila and I picked ours up and took our second and subsequent shots from where Adam’s had landed.
After the tenth hole Sheila’s feet were aching so she drove our buggy and I drove the ball. Well hit it around a bit. The hole that sticks most in my mind, apart from the first, was the seventeenth. It is one of the shortest holes, but the tee is right next to the beach and the ‘fairway’ is across an inlet from the sea, and between two high mounds of rocks. My first shot hit a rock and bounced back, and I teed off again, and it landed on top of the second mound of rocks. The gap seems to be about 3 metres, I know it is not, but it seems like that when one is trying to thread a ball through it. Adam lost one ball in the sea, but got his second one to just by the green. Which reminds me the greens were immaculate, the grass was so green and smooth that they seemed to be like the tops of snooker tables. The eighteenth hole is in a long deep valley ‘up hill’ and it took me about five goes to get it off the tee more than two metres. “Very hot and humid” I claimed and “I am exhausted” was my excuse and I am sticking to it, like the shirt to my back. Back to the club-house for some long cool drinks and lunch.
Dinner was in the resort restaurant and was again fabulous. Sunday breakfast was another feast delivered to the villa. This was followed by more swimming and gin. Adam persuaded Sheila to try snorkelling for the first time and through Adam’s patient teaching an experience that she enjoyed very much.
View of the pool and the beach on Bin Tan.
So much was packed into this weekend that was an out of world experience, that we will never forget.
CHAPTER TWO
‘The roar of the traffic and the perfumes of the pagoda’.
Sunday 22nd of September 2002, Sheila and I woke very early, 05.00, keen to leave on our trip. We had packed the night before, and had managed to keep it to one large red case, and a small green carry-on bag. A vast improvement on last year when we carried a lot of clothing around with us that we never wore.
We left Bathurst at 08.30 under clear blue skies and a fresh clean morning. As we were going via Windsor to Sydney, we went via the Bells Line of Road. Chloe was in the back of the car with all of her things as she was being left in kennels for a couple of days until she could be picked up by Sharon and Mark, who would being looking after her until we returned. Among Chloe’s things was her anti-barking collar, which lets out a high-pitched noise if a loud noise, like a bark, occurs near the collar. Well for some unknown reason, car noise resonated with the anti-barking collar. Between Bathurst and the kennels, in Schofields road, we stopped at least four times trying to find a place in the car that we could bury it, so that we would not have the high-pitched noise constantly assaulting our ears and making Chloe very anxious.
At the kennels we provided our old clothing that the kennel owner had requested to give Chloe some ‘comfort material’ with our scent. As we walked out the gate I saw Chloe trying to climb up out of her arms onto her shoulders to see where we were going. Not a happy dog!
Adam and Rosalind had booked the four of us into the Park Hyatt at ‘The Rocks’ in Sydney, which we found with no major dramas.
Adam and Rosalind had flown down from Singapore overnight on the Friday, so that that could attend a wedding on the Sunday afternoon, and also travel back with us to Singapore on the Monday.
After we booked in Sheila asked for a message to be given to Adam and Rosalind to let them know that we had arrived okay.
When we got to our room Adam rang, and said that they had just woken up after a ‘bit of a night out’ and they would catch up with us for afternoon tea/ late lunch.
We wandered around ‘The Rocks’ for a while, and ended up at a café with sails over a paved area. I can’t remember the name, nor do I want to pass it on. The service was so slow that Rosalind and Adam had to rush their food, when the meals, at last arrived. They had to get back to the hotel and get ready for the wedding, and Rosalind thought that Adam’s fifteen minutes to get ready was a little frugal.
Sheila and I wandered slowly back to the hotel, and just sat on the balcony of our room for a while admiring the view past Circular Quay to the Opera house, and the harbour beyond. We both felt that it was a pity that the views of, and from the Botanical gardens had been partially blocked by the ‘toast rack’ building. Sheila and I considered our dinner options, and decided that we would again walk around the Rocks, and find somewhere that appealed.
Well after a couple of circuits we had not found anywhere that appealed to us. We had looked at the beer tavern, and a couple of little restaurants, but the menus seemed very limited and over-priced. The aspect that surprised us the most was how cold we felt, and we were not tempted at all to join the hardy diners at roadside tables.
We ended up going to the up-stairs lounge of a pub, and having beer battered fish and chips, and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.
There was a group playing ‘music’ downstairs and we could feel the music vibrating through the floor. We were really starting to feel the cold, so walked briskly back to the hotel and decided on an early night before our flight in the morning to Singapore.
Monday 23rd September 2002.
The four of us had agreed to meet for breakfast at 08.00. We asked for a table for four, that gave us great views to the Opera house that we could enjoy while we ate.
I thought that 08.00 was a bit optimistic for Adam and Rosalind, but we waited for a while before we placed our orders. Eggs Benedict, with spinach, was the choice of us both with a very good coffee. The kitchen of the restaurant is on a raised platform behind the dinning area, and I thought that the chefs there must have the best view of any chefs in Sydney, or perhaps the world. Looking past the Circular Quay to the Opera house, rather than buried in the depths of a building never seeing the light of day.
Sheila was getting a little anxious, so at 08.30 we asked for a message to be passed to Adam and Rosalind that we were at breakfast.
Adam arrived at 08.45 saying that Rosalind would be down later as she had not been well, and was still showering. I suggested that perhaps a ‘crook’ canapé at the wedding had caused a little stomach upset. Adam laughed, he said it might well of been the pizza they had about 03.00, but was more likely the grog which had flowed like water. It had been a ‘big night’ after the wedding, and they had not got to bed until 0330, and Rosalind had been spending a fair bit of time ‘talking with Bill down the porcelain telephone’.
Adam was putting on a brave face, but I did notice that he had to swallow his eggs Benedict a few times.
Rosalind did not make it to breakfast.
We agreed to meet in the foyer at 10.00 to leave for the airport.
Rosalind arrived in the foyer at 10.15 looking very, very ill. If Rosalind was attempting the Gothic look, she was a great success. All with no make-up!
Our flight was at 11.45 and we left the hotel at 10.15. Adam was his usual sympathetic self, and suggested that Rosalind would benefit from a ‘bogie’ sandwich and other such ‘stomach settling’ concoctions. Sheila felt very concerned for Rosalind, and told Adam to stop making such revolting suggestions. Rosalind just wanted to expire quietly.
When we got to the airport Adam gathered up our passports, tickets etc to get our boarding pass. Where was Rosalind??
Rosalind had to make a very urgent dash for the ladies toilet. When she returned she looked even whiter, almost translucent.
After all the formalities had been completed we wandered down through the Duty Free shops. A sports store and a shop assistant who was hitting a ‘golf ball’ off a mat intrigued me. Upon closer inspection the ‘iron’ had ‘Velcro’ on the blade, and there was also ‘Velcro’ on the ball. The principal was the ball would stick to the club, and one could analyse whether one ‘hooked’ or ‘sliced’ one’s drive.
“I’d like a go”, I declared, “no worries” was the reply, but he did not looked very enthusiastic, and he should have gone with his instinct. The ball was on a plastic tee that was fastened to a metre square rubber mat. “Check you grip, weight on toes not heels, slow swing back, aim to hit the tee not the ball”.
Yup hit the tee alright, the tee and the mat ended up at the feet of a Federal policeman walking past.
Adam decided that we should go into the Frequent Flyer lounge of Singapore Airlines. The lady at the door said that he could only take one guest into the lounge, as we were all travelling economy. Adam ‘persuaded’ her that we all would go into the lounge. We tried Rosalind with some dry biscuits, but she was still at the stage that water was even too toxic.
We had managed to get our seating preference for Rosalind, Sheila and I, ‘the exit line over the wing’ and this gave us good legroom, and easy access to the loo. Adam was just forward of the wing, and had a couple of seats to himself.
Rosalind curled up in a blanket, took no food, or fluids for about five hours, and woke with at least a little more colour in her cheeks.
“That feels better, never again” was the affirmation from Rosalind.
Adam and Rosalind had left their car at the airport so it seemed to take very little time to get to their house in Cairnhill Rd, and sit down to a number of large pizzas that they got delivered. We chatted for a little while and then had an early night to recover from the travelling.
Lilly, their maid, had ‘our’ room ready, and we were soon asleep, not bothered by the air-conditioning.
Singapore: The Republic of Singapore lies approximately 137 km (85 miles) north of the equator off the southernmost tip of the Malaysia, separated from it by the Straits of Johor. Its territory consists of the island of Singapore, and 58 islets of which more than 20 are inhabited. The main island of Singapore is about 48 km from East to West and 23 km from north to south, with 137 km of coastline. In the ‘hilly’ central region of Singapore, the highest point is Bukit Timah at 165m. About 50% of the island is devoted to residential, commercial and industrial development and some 2% is agriculture land. ‘High-tech’ agro technology parks supply approximately one-third of the domestic demand for fresh produce. The remainder consists of forest reserves, marshes, and other undeveloped tracts. With its proximity to the equator, Singapore has a tropical climate with a uniformly high average daytime temperature of 31 degrees centigrade, and a minimum of 23 degrees at night throughout the year. The average relative humidity is about 85%, sometimes moderated by a cool sea breeze.
Early records of Singapore are vague, though it seems to have been a small seaport during the period when the mighty Sumatran Sri Vijaya Empire ruled the whole region. According to the 16th century Sejarah, or ‘Malay Annals’, Temasek, as it was then known, was a flourishing trading post in the 14th century. However, a contemporary account describes it as a pirate island. The Sumatran prince Parameswara briefly ruled it, but invasions by the Thais and Javanese in the 1390’s drove him to flee north to Melaka to found the Malay Sultanate there.
Chinese traders of the 3rd century referred to ‘Pu-luo-chung’, or the ‘island at the end of a peninsula’, because of its location, and because of its location it was thought that this was their name for Singapore. It was later recorded as ‘Long Tamen’ or ‘the Dragon’s Tooth Strait’, by a mission from the Mongol court in 1320, a name that probably referred to Keppel Harbour. Wang Dayun, a visitor from China in 1330 called it ‘Pancur’ (‘Spring’). As a trading outpost of Sri Vijaya it was known as ‘Temasek’, or ‘Sea Town’. During the 14th century it was said that a Sri Vijayan prince visiting the island saw a strange animal, which he mistook for a lion, and he named the island ‘Singa Pura’, the Sanskrit for ‘Lion City’. In spite of his mistake, subsequent did not attempt to rename it and the name has evolved into its present form of Singapore.
Singa Pura remained undeveloped until the arrival of Thomas Stamford Raffles.
During the 18th century, British trade with China was expanding, and Britain saw the need to establish a ‘port of call’ in this region to refresh, and protect her merchant fleet, as well as to thwart the power of the Dutch in the East Indies. Francis Light had earlier established a trading post in Penang in 1786, but Raffles recognized that a more strategically placed settlement was vital. Then Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen in Sumatra, he was given permission to establish such a post and, after surveying nearby islands, landed in Singapore on 29 January 1819.
An administrator of vision with a profound knowledge of Southeast Asia, Thomas Stamford Raffles had joined the East India Company as a clerk at the age of 14, and was posted to Penang in 1805 where, unusually for a company official, he made it his business to learn Malay. He was Lieutenant-Governor of Java while it was under British rule from 1811 to 1816, exercising the free-trade policy, which was later to prove so successful in Singapore.
Raffles saw great potential in the swamp-covered, but strategically located island. After negotiating a deal with the local rulers, a formal treaty was concluded a month later. Despite scepticism in the East India Company, the settlement grew rapidly as an entrepot, serving trade between Europe and East and South West Asia. By 1823, Singapore surpassed Penang in importance. Its free-port status attracted traders from all over Asia and from as far a field as the Middle East and the U.S.A. By 1860 the population, a mere 150 in 1819, had grown to 80,792 and consisted primarily of Chinese, followed by Indians and Malays.
One of the ‘must do’s’ when visiting Singapore is to have a ‘gin sling’ while playing a game of billiards in the bar of the Raffles hotel. One of the ‘might do’s’ is a ‘Singapore Breakfast’ in the café restaurant of the Raffles hotel. I say ‘might do’; this depends on whether you like ‘congee’ with meat or fish. Congee to me tastes like a large bowel of ‘clag’, and the addition of the meat, pigs liver did not do much for me.
The peace and prosperity of the city was shattered in the early hours of 8th December 1941 when it was bombed by Japanese aircraft. Singapore, which had been considered an impregnable fortress by the British, was occupied by the Japanese on 15th February 1942 and renamed ‘Syonan’ (‘Light of the South’). The occupation lasted for three and a half years, during which time great oppression was inflicted on the people, and many lives were lost.
After the Japanese surrender in 1945, Singapore came under British Military Administration until March 1946, when the Straits Settlements, comprised of Penang, Melaka and Singapore, were dissolved. Singapore became a Crown Colony while Penang and Melaka joined the Malay Union. The country attained self-government in 1959 and the first general election was held to elect 51 representatives to the Legislative Assembly.
The People’s Action Party (PAP) won a majority of 43 seats and Lee Kuan Yew (Harry Lee) became the first prime minister of Singapore. The PAP formed an uneasy alliance with the communists to fight British colonialism, but conflicts of ideology (Lee Kuan Yew being a socialist not a communist, he was also a great friend of the British Prime Minister Sir Harold Wilson for many years) between the two factions lead to a split in 1961. In that year Singapore joined Malaya, and on 16th September 1963, was included in the merger between the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo (now Sabah) to form Malaysia. The merger was short-lived because of anti-Chinese, pro-Malay policies. Singapore left Malaysia to become a sovereign, democratic and independent nation on 9th August 1965, and on 22nd December that year became a republic.
After a period of internal conflicts among its immigrant populace, Singapore entered a new epoch of independent survival, and development. The 1970’s saw political stability, and a high rate of economic growth led by the PAP which emerged triumphant from the 1968 general election, setting a pattern for all subsequent elections, and holding all seats until 1981. (A fact, which caused Lee Kuan Yew some considerable concern, as he believed that a viable opposition is a necessary part of a democratic government).
After 31 years in office, Lee Kuan Yew stepped down in 1990 and Goh Chok Tong became the second Prime Minister of Singapore – one of the great success stories of Asia. I strongly recommend reading Lee’s two memoirs. First of all ‘The Singapore Story’ and the second ‘From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965 –2000’
Three of his ideological opponents made the following comments:
“Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew is one of the brightest, ablest men I have ever met. ‘The Singapore Story’ is a must read for people interested in a true Asian success story. From this book we also learn a lot about the thinking of one of this century’s visionary statesmen.” George Bush.
“In office, I read and analysed every speech of Harry’s. He had a way of penetrating the fog of propaganda and expressing with unique clarity the issues of our times and the way to tackle them. He was never wrong….” Margaret Thatcher.
“This is a personal history of a man who, almost single-handedly, built a great nation from a small island…. This is the first textbook in the world on how to build a nation,” Kiichi Miyazawa.
These books are very easy to read they are like listening to an exciting radio play. So many significant world leaders in our lifetime play their parts in this drama that you feel it must be fiction.
But you also know it is true, and this adds an extra dimension to the thrill, and pleasure of these books. Many times I found myself nodding and thinking, “Why have other countries not followed their example”. Many have sent delegations to Singapore to learn their secrets and replicate them. But most have failed as they have no Lee Kuan Yew, nor the context, and history that were the confluence that were the genesis of Singapore.
The Merlion:
In 1964 when the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board was established, the Merlion was approved as the Board’s crest and was widely used in its promotion and advertising campaigns. Designed by Fraser Brunner, the fish body of the Merlion resting in the sea symbolised the ancient sea town of Tamasek, while the lion head signified the discovery of Singapura by Prince Sang Nila Utama.
The 70 tonne Merlion stood guard over Singapore’s shores since it was first installed in 1972 at the Merlion Park on a small promontory between Anderson Bridge and Esplanade Bridge.
Built by award-winning local sculptor Lim Nang Seng, the Merlion project was conceived because Singapore needed a distinctive tourism symbol with which it could be identified. And since it was already widely known as the emblem of the then STPB, the Merlion was the most appropriate symbol to be adopted for the city. After more than two decades, the once prominent view of the Merlion was badly affected by the completion of the Esplanade Bridge in 1997. The protector of Singapore no longer had a commanding view of the Bay. Hence, it was decided that the Merlion had to have a new home.
After an exhaustive search, a site adjacent to the entertainment enclave of One Fullerton was chosen as the new Merlion Park, 120 metres from the original park, it offers an unobstructed view of the Bay, plus an impressive city skyline as a backdrop. The park is built on reclaimed land and is four times larger than the original, with a total estimated area of 2,500 square metres.
In April 2002, the Merlion and the Merlion cub were successfully relocated to the new site.
The official unveiling was on 15th September 2002.
The redeveloped Merlion Park is well worth a short visit. The Merlion stands facing the sea on a pedestal of glass-sculptured waves that are illuminated at night. Its spray has also been enhanced to create a more spectacular effect. The Merlion Cub also sits on glass-sculptured waves, spouting water into a specially designed pool. The surroundings are meticulously landscaped with water features and aesthetic lighting.
A key feature of the Park is the viewing deck, which can hold up to 300 people. This allows visitors to take a frontal photograph of the Merlion, against the panoramic city skyline. Go to the Merlion Park if you want the Singapore signature photograph.
Our first full day back in Singapore was 24th September 2002. Sheila has an interesting and true observation: we have spent more days in Singapore than we have spent in Sydney.
Anyway, as I was saying we woke early as our body clocks were telling us that it was two hours ahead of the clock. A light breakfast of toast, and bananas, and a chat with Adam and Rosalind; before Adam went to work and Rosalind who is working from home, started to work on her current projects.
Sheila and I did not want to do much so we just walked for five minutes to Orchard Rd, and specifically the Paragon shopping centre. Our intention was to make sure we had got credited with our Singapore Airlines ‘frequent flyer points’, and get our seating and food preferences for our flights to and from Hanoi. We had experienced some problems with frequent flyer points being credited when the name on our tickets was not exactly the same as the name on our frequent flyer club cards. A simple trap for unwary travellers, so I have to make sure any tickets are in the name of John G Lunn not just John Lunn. Once that was all fixed we decided a walk would do us good, so we wandered down Orchard Rd, and then on to Tanglin Village. Tanglin Village is a shopping mall that is popular with ‘ex-pats’. On the way we first called into ‘Tangs’ store to check our prices of backpacks, and then the Singapore Tourist Centre. A great building with very helpful staff, where we wanted to get information about river cruises etc, but one needs to be dedicated to find it. At Tanglin Village we had a great lunch, where there was a ‘special’, a bit late for my liking, and then we decided to check out the CD shop. After much sampling we decided to buy a CD, ‘Desert Wind’ by a lady called Ofra Haza. Our son Patrick had given me a CD ‘Kirya’ by Ofra Haza for father’s day. It was a great example of Patrick’s excellent knowledge and taste in music. Ofra Haza was an Israeli woman who had a very haunting voice especially when singing in Hebrew. We now have three of her CD’s, and they are source of much listening pleasure.
We bought some ‘nibbles’ at the supermarket in Tanglin Village to have before dinner, and walked home.
The ‘nibbles’ went down well with Adam’s usual ‘Gin and Tonics’, lots of gin and little tonic. Lilly, had prepared a great dinner that we enjoyed very much prior to watching the first part of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ that Adam has on DVD. Although my body clock told me it was late it was very late before we went to bed, but we found it easy to sleep.
Next day we walked to the Orchard Rd, Mass Rapid Transit Station. I never cease to be impressed by the MRT, it is so clean, quick and cheap. The station platforms are glazed in, and separated from the tracks by doors that only open after the train has stopped. The train doors open at exactly the right place and time as the platform doors, so it is very safe, and stops the air-conditioned air at the stations leaking down the tunnels.
Our tickets to Bugis Street cost us a $1 each; on the way we had to change at Town Hall station to the North South line from the East West line (I think).
At Bugis St we went into the Seyiu store again to check prices of backpacks, and bought one from the ‘bargain table’. It cost us $7.50, which was half the price of an equivalent one at Tangs, which we had seen the day before.
We went down Bugis Street again for a quick look to check out the ‘designer’ watches. Bugis Street is not what it was in the late sixty’s. It was the site of many a good ‘run ashore’ when I was in the Royal Navy.
We walked along Victoria Rd until we found Arab Street, which Sheila wanted to see, to check out the fabric shops. There are lots and lots, and lots of fabric shops, most of them are run by Indians. The shop owners were keen for us to enter their shops, but they soon realised that we were not potential big buyers.
On the corner of Beach Rd and Arab Street I found what I was looking for; a little café that was patronised by the locals. I had a great Mee Prawn lunch for $3.00.
After lunch we walked back along Arab Street to North Bridge Rd, and then Jalin Sultan Street to find our way to Mustafa’s store. This is one of the best places to shop in Singapore, more used by the local Indians than tourists.
While there Sheila tried an ‘Osim’ massage chair. This is a big step up from the ‘Osim’ massage machine that Sheila has for her feet, that we got last year.
Sheila has the Osim massage chair on her wish list, but at about $4,300 a chair, I think it will be on the list a long time, and it does not fit into hand luggage very easily.
We walked back to the Bugis Street MRT station, and then back to Orchard Rd station, and a walk home. When we got home we met two friends of Adam and Rosalind, Malcolm and Rhonda, whose wedding they had been to in Sydney.
Malcolm and Rhonda were staying overnight with Adam and Rosalind, before they went on their honeymoon to Egypt. Lilly had prepared another great dinner, and the second episode of ‘Lord of the Rings’ rang down the curtain on that day.
Thursday 26 September 2002.
Sheila’s legs are very swollen and sore; it would appear that many women have this problem when the weather is hot and humid. I went to the Paragon building on Orchard Rd and got some ‘100 plus’ drink, which Malcolm said helped his mother when she had a similar problem. We will wait and see the jury is still out on that one.
We had a quiet morning at home, just reading and writing in the library. We decided that we would go to Boat Quay in the afternoon, and have a little cruise down the river. We had to pack that night, and be at the airport by 09.00 for our flight to Viet Nam.
Again we walked to the MRT station at Orchard Rd, and took the train to the Raffles MRT station, that is the one that is closest to Boat Quay. It was only a short walk from the station to Boat Quay. On the way we walked past the building in which Adam’s office was located, No 1 Raffles Place, a very tall building, and prestigious address.
It was only a half-hour boat ride, was not too expensive, and it was interesting to see the city from the river. Very close to where the boat was moored is a bronze statue of five young boys playing at the rivers edge, it is very clever, and well done, as they appear to be jumping/falling into the river and their bodies caught in motion.
Soon after we left we went up-stream under the Cavenagh Bridge, which was a bit of a squeeze to get under. Cavenagh Bridge marks the beginning of the ‘Colonial District’. It is a pre-fabricated iron bridge built in Scotland and erected in 1869 by Indian convict labourers to resolve the inconvenience of crossing the Singapore River by boat. It was named after Major General Orfeur Cavenagh, Governor of the Straits Settlements from 1859 – 1867. The locals, however, complained that the bridge was too low to allow laden barges to pass under it at high tide. In those days of colonial arrogance, the official response was that the bridge was perfectly adequate and it was the riverbed that needed dredging! The King Canute riposte I think.
We could have got off at Clark Quay, had a walk around the restaurants etc, but we were happy to wend our way back to Cairnhill Rd and have a couple of quiet G & Ts.
Friday 27th September.
Rosalind took us to the airport for our 10.35 flight to Hanoi. After we had booked in we did a quick check of the duty free shops to see the prices of bottles of ‘Kahlua’, and 15-year-old malt whisky.
They were $24 for the ‘Kahlua’, which we were getting to give to Lilly and $89 for the whisky. The whisky had to wait.
As I have said before, I prefer the seats on the plane that are located on the exit line over the wing, so I can get more legroom. However it appeared that my seating preferences, and meal preferences had not made the connection from the Singapore Airlines office in Singapore, and the check in counter at Changi airport. Never mind ‘it is an ill-wind that blows no-one any good.’
Another couple, who were seated in the seats I like, asked to be moved so we were able to take their places. The flight only took a couple of hours, and on the way we flew over Ho Chi Minh City.
The airport at Hanoi is not very big, but is a big improvement on what is was a few years ago, so we are told. It reminded me a bit of Istanbul airport, but there again they all look pretty much the same, long straight flat bits which planes land and take off from, and then a few buildings through which the people enter and exit.
It did not take long to get our luggage, which is good, and I strode confidently to the immigration barrier, and presented my passport. Smile sweetly and be polite is the rule, and then one will avoid any hassles. Right, ah no! Sadly wrong in this case.
“Mr Lunn, why you come to Viet Nam three days early, you do not have a valid visa?”
“We just wanted to spend more time in Viet Nam as we are looking forward to it very much.”
The young lady picked up the telephone and in about thirty seconds a young police officer appeared.
“You come with me please.”
We were taken to another part of the immigration area next to an enclosed office.
“Where are your passports?”
These were provided and then over the next hour, we were questioned by progressively more senior police officer.
“Why you come to Viet Nam three days too soon?”
They did not seem to believe that anyone would want to stay extra days in Viet Nam. Eventually after a number of telephone calls to Hanoi, we were allowed to purchase additional visas to cover the extra time, at US$25 each. I did not have US$50 so one of the police had to escort me through emigration to a money exchanger, where I was able to charge it to our Visa card, pay the police the money and get the visas. We were concerned that while all of this was going on that our driver, who was to meet us would have given up and left. But no, thank goodness, but I don’t know why, goodness has nothing to do with it on my part.
Anyway, he was there, and I of course tried to get into the driver seat again, as they drive on the other side of the road, well notionally that is. The immediate surrounds of the airport reminded me of Delhi, but a bit greener. The trip took about 40 minutes, and the traffic was mostly motorbikes, and lots and lots of them, with many having three or four passengers. Just before getting to Hanoi we crossed a very, very long bridge, called the Tha Long Bridge, it was constructed during the 1980’s, and came into use in 1985 to take the place of the Tha Long Bien Bridge which was obsolete. The Tha Long Bridge is more than 5 km long (including the access ramps). It has two tiers, the upper for mechanical vehicles, and the lower for trains, and with two sides for non-mechanical vehicles and pedestrians. The Tha Long Bien Bridge was built to span the Red River to connect the urban areas of Hanoi to the Gia Lam district. It was begun in 1898 and completed in 1902 by the Eiffel Company.
The Tha Long Bien bridge in the foreground and the ‘new’ Tha Long bridge in the background both spanning the Red River.
The bridge itself is 1862 metres long with 19 spans and 24 pillars. I believe it had been a frequent target of the American air force during the American war in Viet Nam, and was in fact bombed and destroyed by the Americans in late 1972, and early 1973. Historically it was also called the Song Cai (Cai River) Bridge, and the Paul Doumer Bridge.
We were staying in the Sofitel Metropole hotel, 53 – 55 Trang Tien St, or 15 Ngo Quyen St, depending on which entrance one goes to, e-mail sofitelhanoi@hn.vnn.vn. The hotel was the location at which Graham Greene wrote his book ‘The Quiet American’. In the old wing of the hotel is a Graham Greene suite.
Thursday this was to be our second last day in Istanbul ; we got up about 09.00 and had our usual feast for breakfast about 09.30, a very slow start after a late night, last night. We took a cab to the ferryboat terminal near the Galata bridge, our quest for today was the spice market. As we wandered in what we thought was the approximate direction we came across a pharmacy, and decided to try and buy some medication, recommended by Zeynep, to help reduce the painful swelling that Sheila gets in her legs. It was called Diflon. (It proved very successful and when we went looking for an local equivalent our local chemist read the label and identified it as something called ‘Biofalavonoid’, sold by Blackmores, it has proved to be equally good.)
Our approximation proved to be just that, and only after some advice from a policeman did we find the Spice Bazaar via the Gypsy Market where very cheap clothing is sold on the market day. There were I guess about thirty or more different shops selling spices and Turkish delight, and every shop owner claimed theirs was the best, and we were given samples to endorse their claims. The array of spices and their aroma was spectacular. We also came across a shop selling cheeses, and one of the cheeses in particular was a huge creamy cheese that was encased in a full goat skin that still had the hair on the outside. Adam and Rosalind had mentioned this from their visit, and we decided to try the sample we were offered. It was excellent and we bought some to have that night and also another piece ‘Kryovac’ packed to take to Singapore. We also bought some ‘Salep’, powdered orchid root, to use in my imitation of the excellent ice-cream. We also decided that we would ‘eat in’ tonight, and went into a small supermarket in the spice bazaar. They spoke no English and it took us a while to work out the shop’s system. That was, select your goods, get a docket with it’s description, take the docket to a cashier, pay the cashier, take the receipt back to the assistant who served you, and then get the goods in return for the receipt. It seemed a bit convoluted, but I guess they have their reasons.
It was pretty warm and humid, but we decided to walk up the hill towards the Blue Mosque, and then find our way back to our hotel. Sheila’s foot was a bit sore, so after we got to the top of the hill we headed down the other side in search of our hotel.
View across the Golden Horn.
We found our way with no problem but were feeling a bit weary when we got back and started to think about preparing our dinner. We decided that we would just have a small dinner that we put together ourselves, and eat on our balcony back at the hotel. Well to be strictly accurate, Sheila put it together, the goat cheese, bread olives, sun-dried tomatoes etc, and we ate it washed down with a couple of bottles of local beer. It made a nice change to not finish the day exhausted and just enjoy watching the endless procession of ships on the Bosphorus. Every time I see the ships I think of my time at sea, and the many months of boredom when there was nothing to see, but the sea, relieved only by the watch-keeping in the engine room every eight hours. It was for me many lives ago, and I was pleased that it was.
Friday morning, we both agreed that we did not want to try and do too much today, and Sheila was keen to see another of the urban shopping centres that we had seen on a previous day. So this time it was the ‘Galleria’ in the suburb of Atakoy. It was just across the highway from the ‘Carousel’ in the suburb of Bakirkoy. The ‘Galleria’ is even more modern and near a marina centre. It was three storey’s of shops, and both ends joined by two long galleries of shops, stocking merchandise from Paris, London, New York, and other places. Sheila was thrilled with this retail therapy at its most potent. The fact that Sheila was able to buy Helena Rubenstein cosmetics was a great joy, that was enhanced by a knitted ‘top’ from Marks and Spencer. I was also persuaded to get some Gant shoes and sandals, that I am told were a bargain. I am amazed that the best part of a day was inspecting every shop at least twice, but I guess that it is a cross that the dutiful husband needs to carry, at least a couple of times on a holiday. We did a bit of packing of our suitcases so that it was not all a last minute rush in the morning.
For dinner we decided we would again walk up to the Sultanahmet Square and eat at a place that we had not been to before. It was again another excellent meal at a little street café. Initially we opted for a table on the rooftop, but then decided that we preferred a table on the pavement so that we could watch the passing parade of people. At the next table were a couple of people, from Melbourne. They both worked at the Melbourne museum, I think, and had only arrived that day from Paris. We exchanged information about our travels, a bit of world news gossip and then took our leave, and headed through the back streets to our hotel.
We felt pleasantly fatigued, but relaxed, and now that the time was here looking forward to seeing Adam and Rosalind in Singapore.
We flew to Singapore on Saturday 06 October 2001 leaving Istanbul 12.05 arriving in Singapore on the Sunday morning about 06.30 to be met by Adam and Rosalind. Gee it makes a big difference to be met by someone, and not have to think about transport to you next pillow, that was calling us very loudly by now.
We were staying in Singapore for over two weeks, and the last weekend Adam and Rosalind said that they were taking us to the Banyan Tree resort on the Indonesian Island of Bin Tan.
We drove to the ferry terminal on the Friday morning and it was strange to me how much it was like an airport terminal, with ticket counters, immigration customs etc. It was only a forty-minute ferry ride, but it is a world away from Singapore. Because of the extreme pleasure that we experienced in Istanbul, I was concerned that I might be a little disappointed by Bin Tan.
No it was not to be! When I die I will know that I have already seen and experienced paradise.
We were taken by limousine to the Banyan Tree resort. Resort is not an appropriate word as it conjures up images of ‘holiday resorts’ and hedonistic tourists frenetic in their pursuit of the maximum activity, trying to ensure maximum return for their dollars.
The tone was set in the reception area, where we were met by three young ladies, and two young men, very beautiful, smiling and friendly. All were very well dressed in local costume, one offered us ice cold handtowels, that were very appreciated. When we thanked them, their response was “You are very welcome”. It was said with a warm smile that convinced you of their sincerity. This salutation was repeated many times over the weekend, and it never failed to leave us with a sense of peace and tranquillity.
As Adam had brought his golf clubs and diving gear we were transported to our villa by two buggies.
Our villa is described as a ‘bay front villa with a pool’.
The villas are perched on very tall concrete columns set into the very steep slopes that merge from the jungle into the beach.
The entrance is through two large wooden doors, set into a white painted archway in the centre of a high wall that screens the villa from the narrow pathways that meander through the complex. The villas are about fifty yards from each other, and there did not seem to be that many, so privacy is guaranteed.
Floor plan of the villa.
Once inside the doorway we crossed a small wooden bridge to a huge marble courtyard covered by a thatched roof. In the middle of the courtyard was a raised wooden platform on which were two long benches covered in cushions separated by a low wooden table.
View across ‘our’ pool.
Over the top of the table I could see the pool that was part of this villa. It was about 8 metres long and 4 metres wide by 1.4 metres deep. The water of the pool flowed over the far edge of the pool and merged into the sea.
Over the edge of the pool was a 5 metres drop to the sea below. In the bay in front of us was a small jungle covered island. As a ‘seasoned traveller’ one likes to appear sophisticated and blasé. But faced with this view it is impossible, hyperbole and expletives abounded as we tried to express the depth of impact that the view and the villa has upon Sheila and I. This is exceeded when we explore the rooms that we have, Adam and Rosalind one side of the pool and us the other.
View of Sheila and my side of the villa from Adam and Rosalind’s side.
We had our own private wings that contained bedroom, study, shower bathroom toilet, and an ‘open air’ stone bath, for each wing.
From our bedroom looking out to the bay.
The rooms are all marble floors, and the bed was a huge four-poster with mosquito netting draped around. On the beds were towels each with a fresh orchid on the top. We unpacked and had a swim in the pool and settled back on the cushions with large gins and drank in the view.
Adam and found it hard to do nothing so we took snorkels, masks etc and found our way down to the beach. The tide was a fair way out, so although we started to swim quite soon after getting to the waters edge, we were swimming through sea grass for a few hundred metres. After we cleared away from the sea grass we started to see an abundance of different fish, especially around the rocks and coral formations.
It did not take me long to feel a bit weary, and we headed for the beach and the lane back to the villa. More swimming in the pool, shower and then more gin was the order of the day.
For dinner Adam and Rosalind had ordered a ‘Banyan’ feast. This was delivered by two boys on little buggies, it was in four huge wicker baskets and set up on a dinning table in an alcove on one side of the courtyard. There were dips, salads, soups and satay sticks by the million. To cook the satay they brought an electric ‘hibachi’, of which Adam took charge. About halfway through the meal Sheila told me that I had to keep eating, as I was leaving crayfish, salmon etc etc. I could not comply I was full, full, full and could not eat another thing. We had also borrowed a monopoly set and sat on the central seating area, and lost heavily to the canny Scot Sheila.
Morning was an early start as Adam had Sheila and I booked in with him to play eighteen holes of golf before lunch, so it was a 07.30 tee off.
We had two buggies to carry us between tees, along narrow concrete pathways that are throughout the course. The course was designed by Greg Norman, and I am told it is one of the most spectacular golf courses in the world. Even if one does not play golf the course is a joy to walk around and hit divots. It is a very large course in area and has both jungle and ‘bay front’ tees. I do not claim to be a golfer and my major concern was to reduce the embarrassment to my playing partners. The first tee was not an auspicious start. “Yes I will give it a go with a wood” I said, with more bravado than confidence. Test swing looking good, this time I will hit it, I thought. Ah well! Second test swing looked good as well. Now whack, click, crash. The ball had gone about fifty metres straight up the fairway, and the head of the club somewhere into the nearby jungle. “Don’t bother looking for it dad there could be cobras in there” was the sage advice from Adam.
I only need to be told once about the presence of snakes, and I am a fast learner. I found that the ‘irons’ were easier and when someone explained that they are that much shorter than the woods I began to understand why. The buggy that Sheila and I had did much stopping and starting as we hacked our way up each fairway. I was enjoying the driving, and especially when Sheila explained how to put the parking brake on, and stop it rolling away down the hills.
As it got a bit warmer and more humid, the walk from the buggy to the tee became tiring and Sheila and I were getting slower and slower. Adam then suggested that after the tee shot we would take our second and subsequent shots from where the best ball of the three of us landed. That is to say after the tee shot Sheila and I picked ours up and took our second and subsequent shots from where Adam’s had landed.
After the tenth hole Sheila’s feet were aching so she drove our buggy and I drove the ball. Well hit it around a bit. The hole that sticks most in my mind, apart from the first, was the seventeenth. It is one of the shortest holes, but the tee is right next to the beach and the ‘fairway’ is across an inlet from the sea, and between two high mounds of rocks. My first shot hit a rock and bounced back, and I teed off again, and it landed on top of the second mound of rocks. The gap seems to be about 3 metres, I know it is not, but it seems like that when one is trying to thread a ball through it. Adam lost one ball in the sea, but got his second one to just by the green. Which reminds me the greens were immaculate, the grass was so green and smooth that they seemed to be like the tops of snooker tables. The eighteenth hole is in a long deep valley ‘up hill’ and it took me about five goes to get it off the tee more than two metres. “Very hot and humid” I claimed and “I am exhausted” was my excuse and I am sticking to it, like the shirt to my back. Back to the club-house for some long cool drinks and lunch.
Dinner was in the resort restaurant and was again fabulous. Sunday breakfast was another feast delivered to the villa. This was followed by more swimming and gin. Adam persuaded Sheila to try snorkelling for the first time and through Adam’s patient teaching an experience that she enjoyed very much.
View of the pool and the beach on Bin Tan.
So much was packed into this weekend that was an out of world experience, that we will never forget.
CHAPTER TWO
‘The roar of the traffic and the perfumes of the pagoda’.
Sunday 22nd of September 2002, Sheila and I woke very early, 05.00, keen to leave on our trip. We had packed the night before, and had managed to keep it to one large red case, and a small green carry-on bag. A vast improvement on last year when we carried a lot of clothing around with us that we never wore.
We left Bathurst at 08.30 under clear blue skies and a fresh clean morning. As we were going via Windsor to Sydney, we went via the Bells Line of Road. Chloe was in the back of the car with all of her things as she was being left in kennels for a couple of days until she could be picked up by Sharon and Mark, who would being looking after her until we returned. Among Chloe’s things was her anti-barking collar, which lets out a high-pitched noise if a loud noise, like a bark, occurs near the collar. Well for some unknown reason, car noise resonated with the anti-barking collar. Between Bathurst and the kennels, in Schofields road, we stopped at least four times trying to find a place in the car that we could bury it, so that we would not have the high-pitched noise constantly assaulting our ears and making Chloe very anxious.
At the kennels we provided our old clothing that the kennel owner had requested to give Chloe some ‘comfort material’ with our scent. As we walked out the gate I saw Chloe trying to climb up out of her arms onto her shoulders to see where we were going. Not a happy dog!
Adam and Rosalind had booked the four of us into the Park Hyatt at ‘The Rocks’ in Sydney, which we found with no major dramas.
Adam and Rosalind had flown down from Singapore overnight on the Friday, so that that could attend a wedding on the Sunday afternoon, and also travel back with us to Singapore on the Monday.
After we booked in Sheila asked for a message to be given to Adam and Rosalind to let them know that we had arrived okay.
When we got to our room Adam rang, and said that they had just woken up after a ‘bit of a night out’ and they would catch up with us for afternoon tea/ late lunch.
We wandered around ‘The Rocks’ for a while, and ended up at a café with sails over a paved area. I can’t remember the name, nor do I want to pass it on. The service was so slow that Rosalind and Adam had to rush their food, when the meals, at last arrived. They had to get back to the hotel and get ready for the wedding, and Rosalind thought that Adam’s fifteen minutes to get ready was a little frugal.
Sheila and I wandered slowly back to the hotel, and just sat on the balcony of our room for a while admiring the view past Circular Quay to the Opera house, and the harbour beyond. We both felt that it was a pity that the views of, and from the Botanical gardens had been partially blocked by the ‘toast rack’ building. Sheila and I considered our dinner options, and decided that we would again walk around the Rocks, and find somewhere that appealed.
Well after a couple of circuits we had not found anywhere that appealed to us. We had looked at the beer tavern, and a couple of little restaurants, but the menus seemed very limited and over-priced. The aspect that surprised us the most was how cold we felt, and we were not tempted at all to join the hardy diners at roadside tables.
We ended up going to the up-stairs lounge of a pub, and having beer battered fish and chips, and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.
There was a group playing ‘music’ downstairs and we could feel the music vibrating through the floor. We were really starting to feel the cold, so walked briskly back to the hotel and decided on an early night before our flight in the morning to Singapore.
Monday 23rd September 2002.
The four of us had agreed to meet for breakfast at 08.00. We asked for a table for four, that gave us great views to the Opera house that we could enjoy while we ate.
I thought that 08.00 was a bit optimistic for Adam and Rosalind, but we waited for a while before we placed our orders. Eggs Benedict, with spinach, was the choice of us both with a very good coffee. The kitchen of the restaurant is on a raised platform behind the dinning area, and I thought that the chefs there must have the best view of any chefs in Sydney, or perhaps the world. Looking past the Circular Quay to the Opera house, rather than buried in the depths of a building never seeing the light of day.
Sheila was getting a little anxious, so at 08.30 we asked for a message to be passed to Adam and Rosalind that we were at breakfast.
Adam arrived at 08.45 saying that Rosalind would be down later as she had not been well, and was still showering. I suggested that perhaps a ‘crook’ canapé at the wedding had caused a little stomach upset. Adam laughed, he said it might well of been the pizza they had about 03.00, but was more likely the grog which had flowed like water. It had been a ‘big night’ after the wedding, and they had not got to bed until 0330, and Rosalind had been spending a fair bit of time ‘talking with Bill down the porcelain telephone’.
Adam was putting on a brave face, but I did notice that he had to swallow his eggs Benedict a few times.
Rosalind did not make it to breakfast.
We agreed to meet in the foyer at 10.00 to leave for the airport.
Rosalind arrived in the foyer at 10.15 looking very, very ill. If Rosalind was attempting the Gothic look, she was a great success. All with no make-up!
Our flight was at 11.45 and we left the hotel at 10.15. Adam was his usual sympathetic self, and suggested that Rosalind would benefit from a ‘bogie’ sandwich and other such ‘stomach settling’ concoctions. Sheila felt very concerned for Rosalind, and told Adam to stop making such revolting suggestions. Rosalind just wanted to expire quietly.
When we got to the airport Adam gathered up our passports, tickets etc to get our boarding pass. Where was Rosalind??
Rosalind had to make a very urgent dash for the ladies toilet. When she returned she looked even whiter, almost translucent.
After all the formalities had been completed we wandered down through the Duty Free shops. A sports store and a shop assistant who was hitting a ‘golf ball’ off a mat intrigued me. Upon closer inspection the ‘iron’ had ‘Velcro’ on the blade, and there was also ‘Velcro’ on the ball. The principal was the ball would stick to the club, and one could analyse whether one ‘hooked’ or ‘sliced’ one’s drive.
“I’d like a go”, I declared, “no worries” was the reply, but he did not looked very enthusiastic, and he should have gone with his instinct. The ball was on a plastic tee that was fastened to a metre square rubber mat. “Check you grip, weight on toes not heels, slow swing back, aim to hit the tee not the ball”.
Yup hit the tee alright, the tee and the mat ended up at the feet of a Federal policeman walking past.
Adam decided that we should go into the Frequent Flyer lounge of Singapore Airlines. The lady at the door said that he could only take one guest into the lounge, as we were all travelling economy. Adam ‘persuaded’ her that we all would go into the lounge. We tried Rosalind with some dry biscuits, but she was still at the stage that water was even too toxic.
We had managed to get our seating preference for Rosalind, Sheila and I, ‘the exit line over the wing’ and this gave us good legroom, and easy access to the loo. Adam was just forward of the wing, and had a couple of seats to himself.
Rosalind curled up in a blanket, took no food, or fluids for about five hours, and woke with at least a little more colour in her cheeks.
“That feels better, never again” was the affirmation from Rosalind.
Adam and Rosalind had left their car at the airport so it seemed to take very little time to get to their house in Cairnhill Rd, and sit down to a number of large pizzas that they got delivered. We chatted for a little while and then had an early night to recover from the travelling.
Lilly, their maid, had ‘our’ room ready, and we were soon asleep, not bothered by the air-conditioning.
Singapore: The Republic of Singapore lies approximately 137 km (85 miles) north of the equator off the southernmost tip of the Malaysia, separated from it by the Straits of Johor. Its territory consists of the island of Singapore, and 58 islets of which more than 20 are inhabited. The main island of Singapore is about 48 km from East to West and 23 km from north to south, with 137 km of coastline. In the ‘hilly’ central region of Singapore, the highest point is Bukit Timah at 165m. About 50% of the island is devoted to residential, commercial and industrial development and some 2% is agriculture land. ‘High-tech’ agro technology parks supply approximately one-third of the domestic demand for fresh produce. The remainder consists of forest reserves, marshes, and other undeveloped tracts. With its proximity to the equator, Singapore has a tropical climate with a uniformly high average daytime temperature of 31 degrees centigrade, and a minimum of 23 degrees at night throughout the year. The average relative humidity is about 85%, sometimes moderated by a cool sea breeze.
Early records of Singapore are vague, though it seems to have been a small seaport during the period when the mighty Sumatran Sri Vijaya Empire ruled the whole region. According to the 16th century Sejarah, or ‘Malay Annals’, Temasek, as it was then known, was a flourishing trading post in the 14th century. However, a contemporary account describes it as a pirate island. The Sumatran prince Parameswara briefly ruled it, but invasions by the Thais and Javanese in the 1390’s drove him to flee north to Melaka to found the Malay Sultanate there.
Chinese traders of the 3rd century referred to ‘Pu-luo-chung’, or the ‘island at the end of a peninsula’, because of its location, and because of its location it was thought that this was their name for Singapore. It was later recorded as ‘Long Tamen’ or ‘the Dragon’s Tooth Strait’, by a mission from the Mongol court in 1320, a name that probably referred to Keppel Harbour. Wang Dayun, a visitor from China in 1330 called it ‘Pancur’ (‘Spring’). As a trading outpost of Sri Vijaya it was known as ‘Temasek’, or ‘Sea Town’. During the 14th century it was said that a Sri Vijayan prince visiting the island saw a strange animal, which he mistook for a lion, and he named the island ‘Singa Pura’, the Sanskrit for ‘Lion City’. In spite of his mistake, subsequent did not attempt to rename it and the name has evolved into its present form of Singapore.
Singa Pura remained undeveloped until the arrival of Thomas Stamford Raffles.
During the 18th century, British trade with China was expanding, and Britain saw the need to establish a ‘port of call’ in this region to refresh, and protect her merchant fleet, as well as to thwart the power of the Dutch in the East Indies. Francis Light had earlier established a trading post in Penang in 1786, but Raffles recognized that a more strategically placed settlement was vital. Then Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen in Sumatra, he was given permission to establish such a post and, after surveying nearby islands, landed in Singapore on 29 January 1819.
An administrator of vision with a profound knowledge of Southeast Asia, Thomas Stamford Raffles had joined the East India Company as a clerk at the age of 14, and was posted to Penang in 1805 where, unusually for a company official, he made it his business to learn Malay. He was Lieutenant-Governor of Java while it was under British rule from 1811 to 1816, exercising the free-trade policy, which was later to prove so successful in Singapore.
Raffles saw great potential in the swamp-covered, but strategically located island. After negotiating a deal with the local rulers, a formal treaty was concluded a month later. Despite scepticism in the East India Company, the settlement grew rapidly as an entrepot, serving trade between Europe and East and South West Asia. By 1823, Singapore surpassed Penang in importance. Its free-port status attracted traders from all over Asia and from as far a field as the Middle East and the U.S.A. By 1860 the population, a mere 150 in 1819, had grown to 80,792 and consisted primarily of Chinese, followed by Indians and Malays.
One of the ‘must do’s’ when visiting Singapore is to have a ‘gin sling’ while playing a game of billiards in the bar of the Raffles hotel. One of the ‘might do’s’ is a ‘Singapore Breakfast’ in the café restaurant of the Raffles hotel. I say ‘might do’; this depends on whether you like ‘congee’ with meat or fish. Congee to me tastes like a large bowel of ‘clag’, and the addition of the meat, pigs liver did not do much for me.
The peace and prosperity of the city was shattered in the early hours of 8th December 1941 when it was bombed by Japanese aircraft. Singapore, which had been considered an impregnable fortress by the British, was occupied by the Japanese on 15th February 1942 and renamed ‘Syonan’ (‘Light of the South’). The occupation lasted for three and a half years, during which time great oppression was inflicted on the people, and many lives were lost.
After the Japanese surrender in 1945, Singapore came under British Military Administration until March 1946, when the Straits Settlements, comprised of Penang, Melaka and Singapore, were dissolved. Singapore became a Crown Colony while Penang and Melaka joined the Malay Union. The country attained self-government in 1959 and the first general election was held to elect 51 representatives to the Legislative Assembly.
The People’s Action Party (PAP) won a majority of 43 seats and Lee Kuan Yew (Harry Lee) became the first prime minister of Singapore. The PAP formed an uneasy alliance with the communists to fight British colonialism, but conflicts of ideology (Lee Kuan Yew being a socialist not a communist, he was also a great friend of the British Prime Minister Sir Harold Wilson for many years) between the two factions lead to a split in 1961. In that year Singapore joined Malaya, and on 16th September 1963, was included in the merger between the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo (now Sabah) to form Malaysia. The merger was short-lived because of anti-Chinese, pro-Malay policies. Singapore left Malaysia to become a sovereign, democratic and independent nation on 9th August 1965, and on 22nd December that year became a republic.
After a period of internal conflicts among its immigrant populace, Singapore entered a new epoch of independent survival, and development. The 1970’s saw political stability, and a high rate of economic growth led by the PAP which emerged triumphant from the 1968 general election, setting a pattern for all subsequent elections, and holding all seats until 1981. (A fact, which caused Lee Kuan Yew some considerable concern, as he believed that a viable opposition is a necessary part of a democratic government).
After 31 years in office, Lee Kuan Yew stepped down in 1990 and Goh Chok Tong became the second Prime Minister of Singapore – one of the great success stories of Asia. I strongly recommend reading Lee’s two memoirs. First of all ‘The Singapore Story’ and the second ‘From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965 –2000’
Three of his ideological opponents made the following comments:
“Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew is one of the brightest, ablest men I have ever met. ‘The Singapore Story’ is a must read for people interested in a true Asian success story. From this book we also learn a lot about the thinking of one of this century’s visionary statesmen.” George Bush.
“In office, I read and analysed every speech of Harry’s. He had a way of penetrating the fog of propaganda and expressing with unique clarity the issues of our times and the way to tackle them. He was never wrong….” Margaret Thatcher.
“This is a personal history of a man who, almost single-handedly, built a great nation from a small island…. This is the first textbook in the world on how to build a nation,” Kiichi Miyazawa.
These books are very easy to read they are like listening to an exciting radio play. So many significant world leaders in our lifetime play their parts in this drama that you feel it must be fiction.
But you also know it is true, and this adds an extra dimension to the thrill, and pleasure of these books. Many times I found myself nodding and thinking, “Why have other countries not followed their example”. Many have sent delegations to Singapore to learn their secrets and replicate them. But most have failed as they have no Lee Kuan Yew, nor the context, and history that were the confluence that were the genesis of Singapore.
The Merlion:
In 1964 when the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board was established, the Merlion was approved as the Board’s crest and was widely used in its promotion and advertising campaigns. Designed by Fraser Brunner, the fish body of the Merlion resting in the sea symbolised the ancient sea town of Tamasek, while the lion head signified the discovery of Singapura by Prince Sang Nila Utama.
The 70 tonne Merlion stood guard over Singapore’s shores since it was first installed in 1972 at the Merlion Park on a small promontory between Anderson Bridge and Esplanade Bridge.
Built by award-winning local sculptor Lim Nang Seng, the Merlion project was conceived because Singapore needed a distinctive tourism symbol with which it could be identified. And since it was already widely known as the emblem of the then STPB, the Merlion was the most appropriate symbol to be adopted for the city. After more than two decades, the once prominent view of the Merlion was badly affected by the completion of the Esplanade Bridge in 1997. The protector of Singapore no longer had a commanding view of the Bay. Hence, it was decided that the Merlion had to have a new home.
After an exhaustive search, a site adjacent to the entertainment enclave of One Fullerton was chosen as the new Merlion Park, 120 metres from the original park, it offers an unobstructed view of the Bay, plus an impressive city skyline as a backdrop. The park is built on reclaimed land and is four times larger than the original, with a total estimated area of 2,500 square metres.
In April 2002, the Merlion and the Merlion cub were successfully relocated to the new site.
The official unveiling was on 15th September 2002.
The redeveloped Merlion Park is well worth a short visit. The Merlion stands facing the sea on a pedestal of glass-sculptured waves that are illuminated at night. Its spray has also been enhanced to create a more spectacular effect. The Merlion Cub also sits on glass-sculptured waves, spouting water into a specially designed pool. The surroundings are meticulously landscaped with water features and aesthetic lighting.
A key feature of the Park is the viewing deck, which can hold up to 300 people. This allows visitors to take a frontal photograph of the Merlion, against the panoramic city skyline. Go to the Merlion Park if you want the Singapore signature photograph.
Our first full day back in Singapore was 24th September 2002. Sheila has an interesting and true observation: we have spent more days in Singapore than we have spent in Sydney.
Anyway, as I was saying we woke early as our body clocks were telling us that it was two hours ahead of the clock. A light breakfast of toast, and bananas, and a chat with Adam and Rosalind; before Adam went to work and Rosalind who is working from home, started to work on her current projects.
Sheila and I did not want to do much so we just walked for five minutes to Orchard Rd, and specifically the Paragon shopping centre. Our intention was to make sure we had got credited with our Singapore Airlines ‘frequent flyer points’, and get our seating and food preferences for our flights to and from Hanoi. We had experienced some problems with frequent flyer points being credited when the name on our tickets was not exactly the same as the name on our frequent flyer club cards. A simple trap for unwary travellers, so I have to make sure any tickets are in the name of John G Lunn not just John Lunn. Once that was all fixed we decided a walk would do us good, so we wandered down Orchard Rd, and then on to Tanglin Village. Tanglin Village is a shopping mall that is popular with ‘ex-pats’. On the way we first called into ‘Tangs’ store to check our prices of backpacks, and then the Singapore Tourist Centre. A great building with very helpful staff, where we wanted to get information about river cruises etc, but one needs to be dedicated to find it. At Tanglin Village we had a great lunch, where there was a ‘special’, a bit late for my liking, and then we decided to check out the CD shop. After much sampling we decided to buy a CD, ‘Desert Wind’ by a lady called Ofra Haza. Our son Patrick had given me a CD ‘Kirya’ by Ofra Haza for father’s day. It was a great example of Patrick’s excellent knowledge and taste in music. Ofra Haza was an Israeli woman who had a very haunting voice especially when singing in Hebrew. We now have three of her CD’s, and they are source of much listening pleasure.
We bought some ‘nibbles’ at the supermarket in Tanglin Village to have before dinner, and walked home.
The ‘nibbles’ went down well with Adam’s usual ‘Gin and Tonics’, lots of gin and little tonic. Lilly, had prepared a great dinner that we enjoyed very much prior to watching the first part of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ that Adam has on DVD. Although my body clock told me it was late it was very late before we went to bed, but we found it easy to sleep.
Next day we walked to the Orchard Rd, Mass Rapid Transit Station. I never cease to be impressed by the MRT, it is so clean, quick and cheap. The station platforms are glazed in, and separated from the tracks by doors that only open after the train has stopped. The train doors open at exactly the right place and time as the platform doors, so it is very safe, and stops the air-conditioned air at the stations leaking down the tunnels.
Our tickets to Bugis Street cost us a $1 each; on the way we had to change at Town Hall station to the North South line from the East West line (I think).
At Bugis St we went into the Seyiu store again to check prices of backpacks, and bought one from the ‘bargain table’. It cost us $7.50, which was half the price of an equivalent one at Tangs, which we had seen the day before.
We went down Bugis Street again for a quick look to check out the ‘designer’ watches. Bugis Street is not what it was in the late sixty’s. It was the site of many a good ‘run ashore’ when I was in the Royal Navy.
We walked along Victoria Rd until we found Arab Street, which Sheila wanted to see, to check out the fabric shops. There are lots and lots, and lots of fabric shops, most of them are run by Indians. The shop owners were keen for us to enter their shops, but they soon realised that we were not potential big buyers.
On the corner of Beach Rd and Arab Street I found what I was looking for; a little café that was patronised by the locals. I had a great Mee Prawn lunch for $3.00.
After lunch we walked back along Arab Street to North Bridge Rd, and then Jalin Sultan Street to find our way to Mustafa’s store. This is one of the best places to shop in Singapore, more used by the local Indians than tourists.
While there Sheila tried an ‘Osim’ massage chair. This is a big step up from the ‘Osim’ massage machine that Sheila has for her feet, that we got last year.
Sheila has the Osim massage chair on her wish list, but at about $4,300 a chair, I think it will be on the list a long time, and it does not fit into hand luggage very easily.
We walked back to the Bugis Street MRT station, and then back to Orchard Rd station, and a walk home. When we got home we met two friends of Adam and Rosalind, Malcolm and Rhonda, whose wedding they had been to in Sydney.
Malcolm and Rhonda were staying overnight with Adam and Rosalind, before they went on their honeymoon to Egypt. Lilly had prepared another great dinner, and the second episode of ‘Lord of the Rings’ rang down the curtain on that day.
Thursday 26 September 2002.
Sheila’s legs are very swollen and sore; it would appear that many women have this problem when the weather is hot and humid. I went to the Paragon building on Orchard Rd and got some ‘100 plus’ drink, which Malcolm said helped his mother when she had a similar problem. We will wait and see the jury is still out on that one.
We had a quiet morning at home, just reading and writing in the library. We decided that we would go to Boat Quay in the afternoon, and have a little cruise down the river. We had to pack that night, and be at the airport by 09.00 for our flight to Viet Nam.
Again we walked to the MRT station at Orchard Rd, and took the train to the Raffles MRT station, that is the one that is closest to Boat Quay. It was only a short walk from the station to Boat Quay. On the way we walked past the building in which Adam’s office was located, No 1 Raffles Place, a very tall building, and prestigious address.
It was only a half-hour boat ride, was not too expensive, and it was interesting to see the city from the river. Very close to where the boat was moored is a bronze statue of five young boys playing at the rivers edge, it is very clever, and well done, as they appear to be jumping/falling into the river and their bodies caught in motion.
Soon after we left we went up-stream under the Cavenagh Bridge, which was a bit of a squeeze to get under. Cavenagh Bridge marks the beginning of the ‘Colonial District’. It is a pre-fabricated iron bridge built in Scotland and erected in 1869 by Indian convict labourers to resolve the inconvenience of crossing the Singapore River by boat. It was named after Major General Orfeur Cavenagh, Governor of the Straits Settlements from 1859 – 1867. The locals, however, complained that the bridge was too low to allow laden barges to pass under it at high tide. In those days of colonial arrogance, the official response was that the bridge was perfectly adequate and it was the riverbed that needed dredging! The King Canute riposte I think.
We could have got off at Clark Quay, had a walk around the restaurants etc, but we were happy to wend our way back to Cairnhill Rd and have a couple of quiet G & Ts.
Friday 27th September.
Rosalind took us to the airport for our 10.35 flight to Hanoi. After we had booked in we did a quick check of the duty free shops to see the prices of bottles of ‘Kahlua’, and 15-year-old malt whisky.
They were $24 for the ‘Kahlua’, which we were getting to give to Lilly and $89 for the whisky. The whisky had to wait.
As I have said before, I prefer the seats on the plane that are located on the exit line over the wing, so I can get more legroom. However it appeared that my seating preferences, and meal preferences had not made the connection from the Singapore Airlines office in Singapore, and the check in counter at Changi airport. Never mind ‘it is an ill-wind that blows no-one any good.’
Another couple, who were seated in the seats I like, asked to be moved so we were able to take their places. The flight only took a couple of hours, and on the way we flew over Ho Chi Minh City.
The airport at Hanoi is not very big, but is a big improvement on what is was a few years ago, so we are told. It reminded me a bit of Istanbul airport, but there again they all look pretty much the same, long straight flat bits which planes land and take off from, and then a few buildings through which the people enter and exit.
It did not take long to get our luggage, which is good, and I strode confidently to the immigration barrier, and presented my passport. Smile sweetly and be polite is the rule, and then one will avoid any hassles. Right, ah no! Sadly wrong in this case.
“Mr Lunn, why you come to Viet Nam three days early, you do not have a valid visa?”
“We just wanted to spend more time in Viet Nam as we are looking forward to it very much.”
The young lady picked up the telephone and in about thirty seconds a young police officer appeared.
“You come with me please.”
We were taken to another part of the immigration area next to an enclosed office.
“Where are your passports?”
These were provided and then over the next hour, we were questioned by progressively more senior police officer.
“Why you come to Viet Nam three days too soon?”
They did not seem to believe that anyone would want to stay extra days in Viet Nam. Eventually after a number of telephone calls to Hanoi, we were allowed to purchase additional visas to cover the extra time, at US$25 each. I did not have US$50 so one of the police had to escort me through emigration to a money exchanger, where I was able to charge it to our Visa card, pay the police the money and get the visas. We were concerned that while all of this was going on that our driver, who was to meet us would have given up and left. But no, thank goodness, but I don’t know why, goodness has nothing to do with it on my part.
Anyway, he was there, and I of course tried to get into the driver seat again, as they drive on the other side of the road, well notionally that is. The immediate surrounds of the airport reminded me of Delhi, but a bit greener. The trip took about 40 minutes, and the traffic was mostly motorbikes, and lots and lots of them, with many having three or four passengers. Just before getting to Hanoi we crossed a very, very long bridge, called the Tha Long Bridge, it was constructed during the 1980’s, and came into use in 1985 to take the place of the Tha Long Bien Bridge which was obsolete. The Tha Long Bridge is more than 5 km long (including the access ramps). It has two tiers, the upper for mechanical vehicles, and the lower for trains, and with two sides for non-mechanical vehicles and pedestrians. The Tha Long Bien Bridge was built to span the Red River to connect the urban areas of Hanoi to the Gia Lam district. It was begun in 1898 and completed in 1902 by the Eiffel Company.
The Tha Long Bien bridge in the foreground and the ‘new’ Tha Long bridge in the background both spanning the Red River.
The bridge itself is 1862 metres long with 19 spans and 24 pillars. I believe it had been a frequent target of the American air force during the American war in Viet Nam, and was in fact bombed and destroyed by the Americans in late 1972, and early 1973. Historically it was also called the Song Cai (Cai River) Bridge, and the Paul Doumer Bridge.
We were staying in the Sofitel Metropole hotel, 53 – 55 Trang Tien St, or 15 Ngo Quyen St, depending on which entrance one goes to, e-mail sofitelhanoi@hn.vnn.vn. The hotel was the location at which Graham Greene wrote his book ‘The Quiet American’. In the old wing of the hotel is a Graham Greene suite.
posted by John Lunn at 11:13 AM
1 Comments:
My Sultanahmet was great.
My Hagia Sophia was perfect.
Istanbul was beatiful.
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