Bear with me as I have my third "boring" post with no visuals.

We leave Singapore in 2 hours to catch our 6:40AM flight (it's 2:12AM as I type). What a City! I definitely did not have any expectations for this trip, or for Singapore for that matter, but this trip has blown my mind in many ways. First of all, the food. Beyond anything my tastebuds have imagined. From Curry Fish Head to Stingray to satay (yeah, Hunter, you would have killed for this peanut sauce ><) to seasoned crabs (the best in my opinion, highly recommended!) to the sugar cane juice to the fruit, it's all beyond explanation. I'll put up pictures and videos later, but take my word for it, if you want good food, go to Singapore.

Secondly, the sights/the city. It's a busy town, trapped in a tropical climate which makes the South seem dry compared to the humidity here, but it is also a more cozy, community based environment (unlike Hong Kong). Condos and apartments are based in districts near schools and "eateries" which hold the good eats I just described. Very safe and very clean! Yes, Singapore does hold its reputation as a clean city, we can testify to that. Downtown, they're building a casino/hotel/more skyscrapers/etc so in a few more years, this place will resemble a much larger city (quite fact: Singapore is also a country, not just a city. Maybe I was just dumb before, but I learned something this weekend...and how to respond to the question "Are you full yet?"...Seriously, my stomach was pushing "Thanksgiving Full" at some points of the trip, we were spoiled with loads of local food). But it doesn't take long to see all of Singapore, but getting to actually "know" it takes a littler longer.


Next: Community in general, primarily amongst the Church. Blew me away. Along with the community infastructure of Singapore, there was a sense of unity in the Church that I had seldom seem. Family they were (no I'm not Yoda), giving their time and money to look after the needs of their brothers and sisters in Christ. We were here for around 60 hours and probably about 20% of the time I was in a Bible study/small group/home group. Dedication to spend time with not only the LORD but also the Body of Christ, the Church. Also, they have showed me a new form of Hospitality (they also put the South to shame). Every meal, every hour, every day they had planned some sort of system to have a local by our sides and food in our bodies (yes, incredible food at that too). They were exciting. EXCITED. Encouraged. and through their love towards all the saints, I have been changed. Challenged. Encouraged. (ok, this is a little too "Mary-Grace", I'll relax :D kidding MG). Strengthened by their sacrafice, and I could not be more thankful.

Since I have forgotten to share what we did today, I'll spill quickly. Church (which was very different than I had previously experienced). After lunch, we headed to Sentosa, which is basically a touristy beach/bar/theme park/attraction/outlook with a mondo long zipline, perpetual surfing treadmills, and bathrooms you have to pay for. It was great to sweat along the beach as we just cruised along. Singapore's symbol is a "merlion" which is a lion head on a mermaid tail (yeah, don't ask) and then they built like 3 statues, one that spits water, one that you can go up in, and then one that is just lame. We could see Indonesia from the southernmost point of continental Asia (located on Sentosa...very non-climactic). Then we headed for the Singapore Flyer, aka the highest ferris wheel in the world (it's actually like capsules instead of seats, so called a "flyer"). Gorgeous view. Sunset. Singapore. Drove to the "Night Safari" (number one award for "leisure activity attraction" for 7 years since 1994. Pretty cool seeing everything in the night (yes it's at a zoo, and there are lots of animals).

There's a mindfull I'm leaving out but it's far too late to remember, and I'm debating whether I should just sleep or stay up. Singapore. Awesome experience, make it a destination, eat tons of food, and be sure to eat tons of crab. If you want to just see the city you won't need but 2days; however, if you want to experience all the food (and not binge like we did) do it in 3.

But, life goes on, peace out Singapore. I'm glad that my expectation of this city will no longer be that Pirates of the Caribbean line, "Clearly you've never been to Singapore."