Time flies like an arrow - fruit flies like bananas!

I can't believe the time is here already to say goodbye to Asia for good (at least for the forseeable future!)
Stuart and I have made 2 top ten lists.
Top ten worst hostels we stayed at
Top ten best hostels we stayed at

I'm sure over the next week the reminising will continue. (Top ten weirdest people... top ten most hilarious moments, top ten memories, top ten top ten top ten)

Was this trip worth it?

Without a doubt

Will I go on a trip this long again?

I'd like to think so, but I think maybe 2 months would be a nicer length...

Will I ever re-visit any of these fine countries?

No time soon. We've got too big of a list of other places we want to visit before coming back.

Why haven't I updated in the past week?

Cramming in as much as we could into our final moments. (So exhausting, but so worth it!)

Is it sad to leave?

Yes, and no.

Yes, because it's just me and Stu and we've had such an amazing time together. I highly doubt we'll ever again (until we're retired) spend this much time together (almost literally 24/7 for 4 months). It's insane to think we never killed each other. But really really it's made us a better, happier couple.

No, because I neeeed to go home. I need to see my family and my friends (ESPECIALLY Candace) how would you feel if you were away and your best friend got engaged!??! I need clean clothes (okay, that's not a need... maybe that's just a luxury-want). I 'need' a bed that's not rock hard to sleep on, I 'need' privacy...
I think I just 'need' a bunch of selfish things...

So farewell sweet Asia, and HELLO BEAUTIFUL BC!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Being coherent on almost zero hours of sleep (quite literally) is, in fact doable.
I should've remembered that from my days at TWU. Oh, how quickly we forget.

Stuart and I spent the night in the Singapore airport to save some money.
Was it worth it? Who knows.

Coherent doesn't mean that I have the energy to write anymore at this point in time, nor does it mean that I'm not just about to leap into bed for a cat nap.

~Fin

I am officially impressed

Singapore is UN-believable.

Yesterday we went to a couple of parks. One pathway we went up had the most unique walk way I've seen. It's hard to describe but it was really really cool! Another one was quite different, too and it was a long walk way above the trees. VERY cool.

Our friend Mike showed us these places. There's no way we would have seen them or come across them on our own. Really lucky to have met up with him again! (We met him in China)

Last night we went down to Clark Quay and Harbour Front. ABSOLUTELY stunning and incredibly impressive. Singapore is so wealthy! We ate dinner at a bus stop before we went there to walk around (to save money!) and just walking around and seeing everything was amazing! It is possible to go to Singapore and not spend too much money! Who would've thought?

Sadly, when we were going for our hike/walk in the parks it started POURING rain and I had the camera in my pocket.... only for 2 minutes but it was enough for me and the camera to be soaked.

Meaning: I got NO pictures of the park or the amazing city last night. SO SAD. BUT... I'm glad we decided to hold off on attempting to use the camera. It payed off and now the camera is completely dry and working again! Yay for patience!

There is this absolute stunner of modern architecture that we went and saw. It's three really tall, really awesome looking buildings with a big building going across the top that looks like a boat... it's hard to explain, but you can see a picture of it here:

http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.basf-cc.com.sg/SiteCollectionImages/singapore/Sands1.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.basf-cc.com.sg/en/References/Singapore/Pages/MarinaBaySandsIntegratedResort.aspx&usg=__YkpUUs4XjCZbp6PXqjbq0eqIfr8=&h=400&w=600&sz=26&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=Flzxx2Uq_8Z8dM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=174&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsingapore%2Bintegrated%2Bresort%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D598%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=118&vpy=119&dur=378&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=141&ty=122&ei=Jz9zTN3PCoO6cYnXgLUP&oei=Jz9zTN3PCoO6cYnXgLUP&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

We went all the way up to the 57th floor (at RAPID speed! My ears popped!) and an amazing view of the city below. It was quite romantical.

We also went into a brand new casino. Singaporians have to pay a whopping 100 dollars to go in (the government is trying to discourage them from gambling) but for tourists, it's free!

That was fun, too!

We weren't really thinking and time got away from us. Next thing we knew it was 1 am and we were still at harbor front. Public transit stops running at midnight here! There were taxis galore but they cost an absolute fortune in Singapore so we decided to walk allll the way to little india *QUITE far.

By the time we got home we were completely exhausted. In fact, we took a pit stop at 2 24hour food courts (they're everywhere here!) and had some roti and steamed pork buns to regain our strength!

Tonight we will go out with Mike and his fiancee to dinner in the harbour (we didn't end up going out last night) and it promises to be another spectacular Singapore evening!

Singer-pore!

Here we are! Singer-pore!

Stuart and I spent the majority of this evening thus far watching a singing competition in the mall.

Our hostel is quite pricey *but so is EVERYTHING in Singapore...

it's the absolute cheapest place out there... and maybe for a reason! There is no sign outside indicating it's a hostel, and the woman who received us was about a thousand years old and didn't speak any english... and she talked and talked and talked and talked to us, trying to tell us stories in Chinese or.. whatever.

We think she was crazy or something because she didn't pick up on our shrugs and our 'are you kidding?!' looks.

It was hilarious.

Gumborie:

Gum is not allowed in Singapore. Actually, our friend Mike (from Singapore) told us that gum itself is not illegal, just the selling of gum.

Yes, chewing gum.

In fact, it is illegal (as Stuart found out the hard way at the border crossing).

First off, we had liquor... and totally forgot we'd have to pay duty on it, and then there was this stupid tiger beer we've been carting around...

actually, you know what... I'm not going to tell the story. It'll be better in person.

Tomorrow we're considering going to Universal Studio's. It costs a fortune but we're at the end of our trip and may as well go out with a bang... maybe. Stuart's trying to convince me.

~fin

Booomelakalakalaka

Welcome to the Heritage City!

Home of old churches (that are really nothing to look at...)
and three museums that Stuart and I went to today.
Museum 1: Big ship... it was in a big ship!! it was large! it was in charge! it was cool! ... but boring somehow at the same time!
Museum 2: Maritime Museum... a real yawner
Museum 3: About the navy and stuff... there was a helicopter inside, that was cool... and a big gun ship outside... that was alright, too.

I never realized how much I dislike museums... until today. I can NOT pay attention! I need statues and stuff to stare at, buttons to press, audio visual presentations!!!!

China town here is totally awesome! Lots of arty stores and moon cakes galore!

We're staying at Tony's guesthouse. Tony is CRABBY... but we think it's just because he's really old and can't hear well.
I just saw a mouse trying to come into the computer room and I screamed in such horror I nearly gave poor Stuart a heart attack.
The rooms in Tony's are awesome. And it's the cheapest place around.

Tonight we will go on the 'famous' Jonker walk. It's a big weekend market put on in China town and it's full of food, folks, and fun!

K to the L

it's our 2nd last day in KL and I have to say, I'll be sad to leave!

We have been loving our hostel and all the people in it... it's like a trap. You don't want to leave La Village. Somehow it doesn't matter that it's filthy and there's cockroaches and peoples dirty dishes kicking around. It's just... well, it's comfortable.
It's like a 'home' somehow.
There's a kitchen (filthy, and the floor is constantly wet), a common table, a couple couches and upstairs there's a TV and an absolute pig sty of a room to watch it in.

We spend a lot of time here with new found friends who also spend a lot of time here.

We stay up til 3... wake up at noon... leisurely hang around the table til we're starving and then go eat... come back in the evening and do practically nothing with the people we did practically nothing with in the mornings.

Ooo what a place.

We went out with a bunch of people this afternoon for breakfast. (did you catch that?)
and then did some shopping in China town. Bought nothing. Well, that's a lie. I bought a Starbucks shirt. Endorsing the coffee superpower...

That's pretty much all.

Itchy!

I am itching, itching, dying to do something creative!
I am itching, itching, dying to do something productive!
I am itching, itching, dying to cook!
I am itching, itching, dying to teach piano!

Today was fun.

We went to the Batu Caves which is 13 km outside of the city. By bus.
It was hot, but it was nice. It's been a few days since we've been without a long bus ride.

We saw wild monkeys playing and fighting. LOTS of them. I'd say, without exaggeration, about 30. Maybe more.
It was a little scary walking by so many. They're vicious little things!
Now I know why those crazy Brits with their crazy saying call them 'cheeky monkey's!'

I touched a cobra. It felt gross. And awesome.

We ate Indian in little India and it was perfect.

I made many friends. I drank lots of coffee. I worked on my articles.

It poured rain and Stu and I stood under a covered area on the sidewalk.
We got a slurpee from 7 Eleven.

Today is a good day.