The home stretch

Welcome to Singapore. Down in the metro they ask that you don't eat or drink on the trains, don't smoke and don't carry flammable goods-all reasonable and everyday requests. Oh yeah, and no durians please! Durians are a specialty here in Southeast Asia-a fruit that once cut open smells horrible! The taste isn't too bad-the biggest shock is that it isn't sweet like fruit. But the stench is enough to warrant this sign. 

They also have several extremely cute signs such as the one behind me, that promote polite etiquette on board the metro. The little man on the sign is #MoveinMarvin and he is kindly asking you to please do the Martin Shuffle and move further into the train car. 

I've been so some weird themed parks (not theme parks) in Asia (my parents can attest to that-Penis Park and Loveland are well known in Korea) and Singapore didn't disappoint in that sense. My friends I was visiting in Singapore took me to Haw Park Villa (the old house of the inventor of Tiger Balm-a miracle rub here in Asia). It was full of  entertaining scenes such as the one above which promoted virtues and values. 

It also housed the 10 Gates of Hell, where visitors can learn about in detail, the various punishments for sins committed in one's life time. Here in the Fourth Court of Hell tax dodgers, those who refuse to pay rent or commit business fraud can be pounded by stone. One who is disobedient to siblings or lacks filial piety (respect of parents)  will be grounded by stone. 

In the Sixth Court of Hell those who cheat, curse or abduct others will be thrown onto a tree of knives; and as the picture above shows-those who misuse books, possess pornographic material, break written rules or waste food will have their bodies sawed in half.  Very graphic right? (There was a sign out front with the warning, "Due to graphics nature of the exhibits, viewers' discretion and prarental guidance are advised." (the misspelling and grammar mistakes are not mine.)

Much of my three days in Singapore can be summed in these next two pictures-food and drink. Singapore is a very international city and in my short stay there I ate Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Singaporean and Malay food. This above was a delicious soup called laksa-spicy and creamy all in one, as well as a fresh-made spring roll full of veggies, peanuts and topped with some sauces. 

After 3 months of drinking very light lagers that lacked much taste, my friends brought me to some little shops that sell microbrews. I sampled all of the 4 or 5 beers plus an apple cider that they had on tap and settled on a wheat beer and later on an English Bitter. Both were DELICIOUS!

Arriving back in Hanoi, my friend, her two kids and I went to an old Confucius school, Van Mieu, or the Temple of Literature.  The school was built in 1070 and later became the first university in all of Vietnam. 

These are stone steles, tablets which sit on turtles (one of the four holy creatures in Vietnam). They hold the names of all those who took and passed the exams given while the school was open. 

The school is a popular spot for Vietnamese students to go and take pictures in their cap and gown. Either the school is always this full of students, or it was graduation time, because it was packed!

This is the outer wall of the school. I just loved that this man had installed his little barber shop there complete with a mirror and hook for towels. 

The Museum of Modern Art. Title: The effect of wine. 

I took my friend to a cafe that someone had taken me to 3 months ago when I first arrived. To get there you have to go through a shop and down a long hallway before coming out into the courtyard of the cafe. 

Then, four stories up, you come out onto this balcony, which overlooks Hoan Kiem Lake, which means Lake of the Returned Sword. Once the local king returned his sword to the Turtle King that had been given to him perviously by the Dragon King.

This wall stretches for at least one or two kilometers in downtown Hanoi. On the other side is one of the rivers that gives Hanoi the name means City between Two Rivers. 

I loved all of the paintings that could be found along it.

Up closer to my friend's home was West Lake, much larger and not nearly as touristy as Hoan Kiem.  Luckily my friend had several bikes, and we were able to ride around the lake several times during my stay there. 

I arrived in Toronto after nearly 30 hours of travel (Hanoi to Seoul to Toronto), expecting a short layover before my flight to CT. However my flight had been rescheduled to a later time without my knowledge and so I was stuck in the airport for a bit longer. But as this sign says, "Aren't you glad you're flying?" 

I boarded my plane and was surprised to see only rows of 1 seat, the aisle and another seat, 9 rows deep. This was the smallest aircraft I've ever been on. Despite the noise from the propellers, it was the first time I slept in 35 hours, after witnessing this beautiful sunset just over the clouds.