Singapore

On Thursday morning we jumped on a flight to Singapore. I like Singapore. Always did. From years ago when I used to live next door (KL) to my last visit about 3 years ago. This trip was maybe the one I enjoyed the most (so far).

I say "jumped on a flight" but there was no jumping involved. We first queued to pay airport tax only to get to the front on the line and have my US dollars refused because the woman behind the desk said they were a little dirty and one had a crease in it. grrrrr. I'm getting used to this. If the serial number on the notes begins with certain letters or if they aren't the crispiest newest notes then they are refused. I did have another bill but it was $100 and she flicked her wrist at me to tell me she had no change and she took the next person in the line. Thankfully a very kind man, who was probably getting pissed off because i decided to stand my ground and not let the next customer in, gave me change for my hundred and we moved along to our next hurdle.

The next hurdle was the bump. My baby bump. The girl behind the check in desk asked for my doctor's letter. I smugly pulled it from my bag. She showed it to somebody else and then called for another person and showed it to them. I've no idea what any of them said. She then handed it back and told me i needed copies. I didn't have any. I asked if there was a photocopier nearby. no. I was told to ask the security guard. I asked him, he didn't understand me, he asked her, she explained and he took the letter into the office behind her. Deep breaths are often required! she could have done that in the first place! Anyhoo....she checked us on and off we went. Yipee! I'm super duper nervous though about our flight out of Yangon in 5 weeks time. The bump will be massive by then and until i'm sitting on that plane I will be a bag of nerves that at some stage some jobsworth will decide that I look too pregnant and refuse to let me on. I will be well within the airlines limit and I have a letter from my obstetrician promising i won't burst on their plane but I understand it's all at their discretion and they can say no at any point. While in singapore i had to get an anti-D injection and the ob I met there, who was very nice, gave me another letter and added a couple of stamps (the ink kind) to it. They like stamped documents here. If it has a stamp it's far more likely to get you what you want. So, I now have two letters. One with stamps. It's my mission to get my hands on a third letter from a doctor here before we leave.

OK, I got a little sidetracked there.

The main reason for our visit was a visa run. We have a one year business visa for Myanmar but we can only stay 10 weeks at a time. The other reason was my injection which i had to have at 28 weeks. Don also had to liase with the Singapore office. The more exciting reason though was shopping. In the last 6 or so weeks the only shopping i've done is grocery shopping. There are other shops here but they're not geared up for visiting with a child in a stroller or in your arms as they are mostly up lots of stairs. Add 6months preggers to the expedition and I'd rather sit by the pool at the apartment thanks muchly. So....we were ready to shop. Shop we did. I've just been going through our receipts. yikes! I trawled singapore for maternity shops and managed to clothe myself for a few more months. Don got some bits and pieces too and of course Cushla didn't come back empty handed! We did lots of eating and drinking. I loved breakfast at our hotel and enjoyed every bite. I enjoyed my starbucks coffee muchly. I appreciated walking the streets and just being another shopper with a baby and bump instead of the travelling circus we must look like around Yangon. I loved that shops are open until 10pm. A great trip! We probably could have stayed another day or two and spread out the walking a little cause our legs are throbbing!
An extra bonus in Singapore...my mum and dad made the trip over for the weekend to see us! Well....to see Cushla really. They stayed at the same hotel. It was all a bit of a last minute decision for them but it meant that we got to do some shopping while they had some Cushla time. We also had dinner out(and more shopping) while they
did the bath, bottle, bed routine in the hotel.

When we arrived back at our apartment last night we were, all three, totally exhausted. Before 9pm we were all in bed and Cushla didn't even stir until after 7am this morning.