Singapore, Singapore (2/24/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (biggiroot)
Date: Feb 24, 2007 8:38 AM
Subject: Saturday, February 24, 2007

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Singapore, Singapore

We had been going through some very heavy head winds for a couple of days and were not expected to make it to the dock until around noon or later. This is a major port and the end of a segment and the beginning of another. That means the ship and the area around are always very busy and crowded with all the people leaving and the new ones coming. For the last 24 hours we got some very favorable winds and currents and I noticed the ship doing almost 22 knots. That’s pretty good for a ship that can only do about 19.5 knots with no wind or current on flat water. So we did get in at about 10:00 AM as originally scheduled. All of the tours had been already set back so that was a mess but it didn’t effect us.

We had just been here last year and had taken a taxi all around the entire city. We were going to take a ride on an aerial tram that goes right over the ship, or maybe a ride on one of the many ferrys or even another taxi ride, but it was very gray out, then it rained, and then it poured.

The ship was docked right at a three story building that is a modern shopping center with hundreds of stores and even more restaurants. I needed an extra memory card for the computer and so far had not been able to find one at a reasonable price. We went for a walk in the shopping center.

Just as we entered, there, right in front of us was an electronics store. It was very busy inside and I thought I might just give it a pass. As I turned to walk away a man asks if he can help. Best Buy people should learn from these guys. These are not a bunch of kids playing grab ass or hide from the customer. This is their real job and not their forced labor until something better comes up.

The best price I had found since I left home was about $150 for a 2 gig flash memory card. Shortly before I left I had bought one, an off brand, from one of the office stores for about $40. It was one of those short sales where they sell stuff at cost or less to generate some business in the stores. This place had a Toshiba for $39.99 regular price. It was too good to be true. Yes, it really was too good to be true. I got it for much less. Free. There was a small catch though. These guys are not clerks. They are salesmen. You of course know Bobbi was with me. By now you know what she does when something is for sale. Even if not sure what to do with it, she buys it. This guy comes up with a, “hay, you gotta see this.” This, turns out to be a digital movie camera that fits in the palm of your hand. It does 10 mega pixel shots and has every gadget built in. Bobbi takes one look and says, “Oh I like that, I’ll take it.” I said you didn’t even hear the price. This salesman is really cool. He pays no attention to me and says to her it comes in silver like this one or pink. I knew I was finished when Bobbi said, “PINK? Oh I like pink.” I figured I had one shot. He gave me the price and I offered half. This is like doing the same thing at Circuit City or Best Buy. I figured they would laugh at me and tell me to get out. But instead he says okay. It came with one rechargeable battery and no memory card. So I said I had to have three, 4 gig memory cards and an extra battery. He gave me that too. I said he had to throw in the 2 gig memory that I originally came in for. He finally did that too. I said it was still $50 too much. He came down another $25. I must have really been taken. This was too easy. As soon I find out what a good price really is back home, I will have to stop the credit card and send it back. He said I had six months to do that.

I asked Bobbi what she is going to do with two cameras. When will she use the still and when will she use the movie? She doesn’t know. She is still thinking about it. I think I need some Tums. I know I need some Tums.

Singapore is a city state. The whole country is just this one city. Everything is spotless. There are some funny laws. You can get fined if your car is dirty. You cannot have a car older then nine years. If it is ten it will be confiscated. The fines are astronomical for littering or keeping dirty property. A relative asked if was illegal to fart. Funny he should ask. There must be a big fine for that too. It was very crowded in the shopping center and I was playing fart and run. You should have seen all the people looking at each other and trying to get away before they were accused.