Christmas

So Christmas came early to Ballarat, with the arrival of Matthew, Belinda, Sage and William on their way to spend Christmas Day with Belinda's mother in Kaniva.  It was a bit odd, really.  We had spent most of Sunday doing Christmas Eve type things. We had done the big shop at Wilson's and at the Supermarket.  We had survived the scrummage that was Dan Murphy's opening its doors (but not till 10:00 :-S). Then when Matthew and co arrived we settled in to what felt like Christmas Eve activities.  We had a magnificent dinner, outside. We ate and drank convivially. And the next morning we had  a present exchange and Sage and William had a go in the Christmas Lucky Dip.

The Lucky Dip had evolved weeks before, when I was pondering what to do about Christmas presents for my nieces and nephews. I started gathering silly children's toys, but still wasn't sure what to do about them. Then I thought we could maybe have a bran tub.  Then Lindsey found a big bucket. And Emily suggested we use shredded paper from the paper shredder. So Lindsey and I went out and got lots more silly children's toys, wrapped them all up, chucked in some Christmas chocolates and there we were - with a very successful Christmas activity!

Anyway. Matthew, Belinda, Sage and William continued on their way to Kaniva and we reverted to doing Christmas Eve activities on Christmas Eve.  Lindsey, The Builder and I headed down to Melbourne and laid in supplies for a Festive Steak Night (it was, after all, Monday).  Stella and Tony motored up from Mount Martha and met us at the flat, then we all took ourselves off to Simon's place where we were enthusiastically greeted by Noodle. Tony and I took Noodle for a walk in the park, which was all very lovely until Tony tripped over a grating and went flying.  Alas - he doesn't fly very well and ended up all grazed and bloody.  Fortunately, I have a packet of moist tissues in my pouch so we cleaned him up and trundled back to the house. No real harm done! Simon came home from work. Ian and Emily came down from Ballarat. And we had a good steak night on Christmas Eve. Then everyone except The Builder and I went back to the flat.  The Builder and I stayed at Simon's place where the two boys mercilessly attacked a whisky bottle.

And then it really was Christmas Day.  Simon, The Builder and I went to the flat where we all had a breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs and pancakes and had a present exchange.  Then Simon went home, Ian and Emily went to visit Ian's mother, Lindsey and Tony came back to Ballarat in Lindsey's car and I drove Stella and The Builder back in Tony and Stella's car.

Then there was a period of calm.

Right. We need to set the table.  We will be 18 this evening. How are we going to organise this?  Stella stayed out the way, reading her book in the lounge room. Tony went for a rest.  We decided to move the startlingly heavy snooker table out the way.  The Builder and Ian at one end, Lindsey Emily and me at the other end --- and we managed to drag it back far enough so that we could put trestle tables up.  I applauded our mighty endeavour - and was told off for making too much noise cos it would wake Tony up!!!  (If us moving the table hadn't produced enough noise to wake him up, then me clapping certainly wouldn't!!)  And so - The Builder peeled a mountain of potatoes; Emily set the table; Lindsey made a mighty salad; Ian organised turkey, ham and crayfish. We were all ready when the hordes arrived. More presents. Backyard cricket. Lucky Dip. Food and wine. Snooker. Music. People gradually peeled off and went to bed - if they had beds. It is fortunate that Lindsey and Ian have a large house. If not beds, there was at least floor space and mattresses for everyone.

People gradually came back to life on Boxing Day.  Lindsey produced a mountain of pancakes for breakfast. And then people started to drift off home.  Lindsey and Ian, Stella and Tony, The Builder and I and Noodle took ourselves off to the Lake, where Stella sat in the sunshine reading her book and the rest of us set off to walk its 6km circumference. Ian turned back after a bit, to acquire coffee and to keep Stella company. The rest of us carried on. I am heartily relived that when Noodle decided to jump into the lake, it was Lindsey who had control of the lead and not me! Fortunately she was dry when we got back to the cars and Simon turned up to collect her before heading home with Yvette, Bethan and Jacob. Stella and Tony went back to Mount Martha after lunch.  Now all Lindsey and Ian need to do is to figure out a way of getting rid of us - and their life can go back to normal! Ian and Emily didn't help in this endeavour when they produced between them mini zucchinis, the flowers stuffed with crayfish mousse and delicious chicken and tabouleh wraps for dinner.

Click on Santa for the Christmas album

Oh - and the gingerbread people.  I did make them. But try as I might, I couldn't convince them to stand up on the trays.  Then The Builder suggested that maybe the kitchen was too hot for the icing to set. Things might be better if I moved into the study, which is air conditioned - and my Christmas park and Christmas ice skating rinks worked a treat.  Possibly so would the gingerbread houses if I had done them in a cool room.  But no matter. Lots of people had gingerbread houses at Christmas.  How many had parks and skating rinks?

Getting ready for Christmas

Off to the small Farmers' Market

It might be small but it is quite cute

and you can't fault the location

So. No wandering up Lygon Street in search of a pizza-y lunch for us on Thursday.  Instead, we went with Lindsey for our first ever visit to Costco.  We got there about 20 minutes before it opened, when it all looked nice and quiet and calm.  No need for us to have got there quite so early after all.  By the time it did open there was an enormous crowd, jostling for position to be first in!  Needless to say, we did not jostle but ambled in in an orderly manner.  I have to say that I quite enjoyed it.  It is a huge building so the crowds all dispersed out the way.  And I was impressed with the quality of the meat, seafood and veg.  I had rather expected it to be full of cheap nasty meat, but there was free range chicken from a reputable brand, beautiful seafood, quality meat.  We bought some pork belly which I cooked up on Friday evening and it was lovely.  I have discovered that there's one in Sheffield.  We can't just potter in to see what their produce is like - you have to be a member to go in. But even if we only used it for loo paper and washing up liquid it would probably be cost effective.  I shall ponder.

In the meantime we went back to East Melbourne and then walked into town.  No pizza for lunch today.  Instead we went to the Bento stall in Melbourne central and had noodles (with chicken teriyaki in my case) and then we walked about a million miles in search of various things.  We came back to Ballarat via the Highpoint Shopping Centre (which has changed immeasurably since the last time I was in there), and by a circuitous route, there having been an accident on the main route we would normally take.

It is a very beautiful spot

It's nice to see the lake with plenty of water in it

And here in Ballarat we still are.  Lindsey was working in Melbourne on Friday, and Emily was working in Ballarat.  So Ian, The Builder and I pottered about and caught up with a few things and laid in supplies for dinner.  Ian and The Builder have been working hard trying to restore the greenhouse which, you may remember, blew over the fence in a storm when it was almost but not quite finished.  Ross came by for dinner on Friday evening - which we ate outside. We ate outside last evening as well. We have done a mountain of Christmas shopping (Lindsey and I have to go out and brave the supermarket later :-S ). Emily, Lindsey and I went to the little Farmers' Market which is held once a month by the lake - and quite fortuitously it was the appointed day yesterday :-) I have been making ginger biscuits in the hope that I might be able to make ginger houses for tonight (when Matthew, Belinda, Sage and William are coming) and for Christmas Day. Although the occupants might find it hard to get in and out of the second house - I forgot to make any doors :-S  Wither they will have to come in and out through the windows, or I will have to make some doors when I bake the gingerbread people, snowpeople and Christmas trees later today.

The ducks are enjoying a mud bath

And the sun continues to shine.  They are forecasting a cool change for Christmas Day itself - which might mean I will be able to wear the new Christmas windcheater I brought with me from Chesterfield. It's been a bit too warm so far to wear it, although I have had occasion to wear the lovely pink cotton jumper that Stella knitted me for my birthday.

Right.  Wish us luck.  Lindsey and I are about to griddle our lions and brave the supermarket.  Anyone want anything while we are there?

(Footnote: Alas - the Gingerbread houses are not to be.  My career in the construction industry has come to a crashing and abrupt end. I simply could not get the roofs on to my houses.  Every time I tried everything came crashing down.  I will try again, though (although not for this Christmas).  I think I was being too hasty and not letting the icing base set hard enough.  And for now, I shall go and make some gingerbread reindeer, people, snowmen and Christmas trees.  Or I will when Lindsey has finished making lemon meringue pie)

Feasting

This week we have mostly been eating.  And drinking.

On Monday we met Chris at Papa Gino's on Lygon Street for lunch (seafood pizza for me).  On Tuesday we met Robert and Rod at Donnini's on Lygon Street for lunch (seafood pizza for me). On Wednesday we met Peter and Daniel, Geoff and his visitor Beatrice, Zoy and Sammi and Judy at Toto's on Lygon Street for lunch (Sudden realisation that I've hardly had any veg this week - so mushroom pizza for me).  For each lunch engagement we walked into Carlton from East Melbourne, and then we walked back, so the pizzas are not yet having an effect on our waistlines.

On Monday evening Simon and Jacob, Yvette and her friend Paige, Bethan and Christian, Zoy and Sammi all came to dinner and we had crumbed lamb chops, mashed potato and a big platter of mixed roast veg.  Alas - the whisk in the flat has now died. Fortunately not too much of it collapsed into the mash :-S  And then on Tuesday Simon and Jacob, Christian and Wendy and we all met in The Fox for dinner (seafood platter for me).  And last night Lindsey and Ian came back from a quick trip to Perth and we had fish and chips for dinner.

But that, now, is the end of the organised Lygon Street lunches.  Probably just as well. You can have too much pizza, I'm told!!!

Let us now turn our attention to Christmas which is, I believe, almost upon us.  I think I have almost finished my present shopping.  It's been quite easy this year. I just handed a wodge of money to Lindsey and let her get on with it :-D

I have had to do a little bit of shopping though. Tabitha and Freyja gave me some money to buy something for the Christmas table.  So on our jaunt to Lygon Street yesterday, we bought this

Click on the panettone to reach the photo album

Shopping

On Saturday we had breakfast in Mount Martha (delicious bacon, eggs and beans on toast, cooked by Tony), lunch in Clifton Hill (not very nice calamari at a place in Clifton Hill - the fact that they had empty tables when the other cafes around them did not should have alerted us before we sat down!) and dinner in Mount Helen (delicious crumbed pork cutlets, cooked by Ian).

Along the way we collected Ian at the flat, then went back to the flat and collected Lindsey later.  We went up to Mount Helen where we collected Pat who came for dinner.  It was a very pleasant day, topped and tailed by good food and convivial company.

On Sunday Lindsey and I went shopping, while Ian and The Builder stayed at home and did useful things like making a start on repairing the (new) greenhouse that blew over the fence last winter even before its construction was finally finished.  Lindsey and I went to all sorts of shopping places, but our main aim was the ute that turns up on a monthly basis in a car park in Ballarat and sells, inter alia, chooks and roosters.  We went last time we were here too, but this time we bought two laying hens, two 8 week old Plymouth Rock pullets and one truly beautiful bantam rooster.  We also went to the garden centre.  Twice!  I was driving Lindsey's space age brand new car home when Lindsey suddenly expostulated.  In our excitement at filling the car up with bags of sugar cane mulch (not squashing the new chooks, you understand), we had driven off and left all the other purchases sitting out in the car park :-S  Fortunately they were there waiting for us when we got back.

Then more shopping after lunch.  A visit to Wilson's for fruit and veg provisions, back to the garden centre for the third time, on to the supermarket.  That's enough shopping!!!  I am all shopped out :-S Although I did get the provisions for Monday evening when I seem to have accidentally invited quite a lot of people to  Lindsey and Ian's flat in East Melbourne to dinner.  I hope they will all fit.  Actually, I'm not worried about them fitting - you can squish quite a lot of people into the flat if you try.  But I do hope there's enough cutlery for them all!  Anyway - one less thing to worry about on Monday.

Right then.  It might be early-ish on Monday morning but we are off back to Melbourne with Lindsey this morning.  She is working, we are taking her car into East Melbourne and then she and Ian are off to Perth later this afternoon.  I suppose I had better get up and dressed and ready to go.

I do wish I could convince the Blog software to put me onto Melbourne time.  It doesn't seem to matter what I do, it is determined to keep me on Greenwich Meantime ;-(  (And it seems very strange to me that the blog spellcheck doesn't like the word "blog" and wants to change it to "bog"!!!!)

The Builder and me out for an early morning walk in Melbourne. Click on us to get to the photo album

That power surge on Wednesday was quite some phenomenon. Tony rang the power company that afternoon and told them they had lost their microwave and at 9:30 that evening two burly and very helpful electricians turned up to check the safety of the supply.  The following morning, while Tony and Stella were out, two different men turned up to check that the emergency buttons and the smoke alarm were working.  All was well.

While I was talking to the alarm men they were saying that cordless phones all over the affected area had been zapped to their death (this was true of Tony and Stella's cordless phones). Also, many, many microwaves and lots of radios.  But also people had lost their washing machines, their air conditioning units, their televisions, all sorts of things.  Fortunately the greatest loss Tony and Stella had had was the microwave. Their cordless phones and radios won't be all that hard to replace. But Liz up the road has lost all sorts of things, including a washing machine in mid-cycle (Tony and I went up in the evening to see if we could bale it out, but Liz had already done it!).

Fortunately it seems that the power company has admitted culpability and is sending out claim forms for people who have had to replace their appliances. Power surges, of course, are not covered by warranties, but the power company will almost certainly be insured against such calamities.

So life returned slowly back to normal.  Tony, The Builder and I went out for a stroll mid evening to see if anyone had any Christmas lights on.  Several people did. Nice, decorous, understated Christmas lights.  This morning Tony, The Builder and I embarked on a much more ambitious walk.  7 kilometres (a bit over 4 miles) around Mount Martha and along the foreshore. Even though it rained (but not much in the way of rain if you take Singapore's monsoon like rainstorms as your benchmark :-D ) we all really enjoyed the walk, although The Builder's feet were complaining for the last kilometre.  Tony offered to trot home and get the car.  The Builder turned this down, determined to walk all the way.  Think how very much fun I would have had on Facebook, Twitter and in the blog had he accepted the offer :-D :-D :-D :-D

Then we went to Veraison for a delicious lunch.  We've been there before, and I recognised the front of house manager.  But it was nearly two years ago that we were last there (Stella and Tony have been more recently) so I was surprised that she recognised us.  Stella says that once I am seen I am not easily forgotten.  I think it's because the lady has a spectacularly good memory for faces!

Lamb rump for lunch

We came home via a pick-your-own strawberry farm.  Not that we picked our own.  We browsed in the shop and bought some pre-picked ones instead.  And some other fruit for The Builder who is alas unable to eat strawberries.

I remembered a couple of days ago that I hadn't actually got around to making the calendars that I habitually make in December.  So I went looking for an Australian website where I could do this, and found a Photobox Australia.  I use Photobox UK so was quite pleased.  I know my way around the Photobox website.  So I registered with the Australian site and spent hours and hours selecting the photos and organising everything and getting all the captions done.  I proof read everything this morning, pretended not to notice the eye-wateringly expensive packaging and postage charges and ordered the calendars, paying for them in Australian dollars.  I was not a little annoyed, when I read my email of confirmation, to discover that Photobox Australia appears to be Photobox UK in disguise and that, as far as I can see, my calendars are coming form the UK.  Had I realised I would have used the UK site and paid in British pounds - and not registered on what purported to be an Aussie site.  Sigh.  It would seem that there is now no chance of them getting here before I wander off to Cairns and thence Japan at the beginning of January!!!!

Oh well.  No doubt someone will post on the one that is meant to be accompanying me to Japan :-S

Stella and Tony at Veraison

Spending money

It was somewhat alarming when I hopped into Bethan's car (which she has very kindly agreed to lend me while we are here) at just after 9:00 yesterday morning, turned the ignition on - and the fuel needle moved by not so much as a flicker :-S

I knew there was a petrol station close by, because we had driven by it when Lindsey was taking me to Clifton Hill to collect the car.  I knew it took petrol - which is all to the good because there's a state wide shortage of diesel. I just wasn't absolutely certain that the car would get to the petrol station before running out of fuel, especially given the amount of traffic there was about. Hurry red traffic lights. Hurry slow moving big truck in front of me. Hurry cars. Finally I reached the petrol station and filled the very thirsty car.  All was well!

Then The Builder and I took Lily (so called because her letters are DKL - Dennis Keith Lillee, according to Simon) back to her old stomping ground in Mount Martha (until recently Lily was Stella's car. Stella sold her car to Bethan; Tony sold his car to Emily; they then bought a new car, a Jazz which I must say is very lovely to drive).

We arrived to find Tony absent at the Post Office (must go to the Post Office myself) and the electricity not absent, although it had been until about five minutes before we arrived.  Also absent were a working microwave, a working bedroom clock radio and working cordless phones.  There had been a power surge at a sub-station in Mornington and many, many people suddenly found themselves with appliances, previously happy and diligent, which now were moribund and on strike.  Harvey Norman in Mornington was doing a roaring trade when  we all dropped by later in the afternoon for a replacement microwave!!

We did get to the Post Office.  They are very helpful at the Mount Martha Post Office and wouldn't let me buy the padded envelopes I had intended to put my postings in because then they would have to go a parcels at $17.50 per item.  So I went to the newsagent and bought envelopes and my postings went at $6.20 each.  A considerable saving - which I put into buying a memory card reader while Tony and Stella were organising the new microwave at Harvey Norman.  Must remember to give back Ian's card reader which I had borrowed (I seem to have misplaced the cord which attaches my camera to my laptop)

Warm and sunny in Mount Martha.  Fortunately the air conditioner wasn't amongst the appliances which took against the power surge.  Might not have been quite so easy to replace!

GMT +11

There is a great deal to be said for flying in and out of small airports.  It was a doddle getting into Australia through Perth. It was a doddle flying from Perth to Melbourne.  No queues, no waiting, no hold ups at security.  Lovely!

We got to Tullamarine at about quarter to seven in the evening and were met by Emily driving Lindsey's brand new car.  Emily drove us up to Ballarat, where we were met by Lucy the dog, Ian, and a delicious lamb casserole.  Lucy seemed pleased to see us - she even greeted The Builder pretty much before she properly greeted Lindsey :-D

We've rushed about quite a bit less since we got to Victoria.  We had a dash into Ballarat for a couple of things before making our way down to Melbourne, where Lindsey, The Builder and I laid in provisions for dinner at Simon's place in the evening.  I got to meet Noodle the Groodle for the first time (she arrived a couple of weeks after we had gone home the last time we were here). She's a nice doggie.  We had a fleeting glimpse of Yvette as she dashed out to work, but Bethan and Jacob were at home.  Simon came home from work. Ian arrived from Ballarat. We all had a good time.

Noodle

Lindsey had us up and out early this morning for a pre-breakfast walk around East Melbourne and the city centre.  She came home and got ready to go to work.  Ian, The Builder and I continued our walk in the sunshine and ended up in Federation Square for breakfast.  The Builder had a Big Fed breakfast.  I have no idea how he managed to finish it.  Ian and I had poached eggs and bacon and shared a bowl of fruit. That was really enough to keep me going for quite some time!

The Builder and his Big Fed. Photo (c) Ian Graham 2012

No photo album today.  I'll send you the link when it's ready in a few days time

Perth

We had a lovely drive back from Margaret River to Perth.

It was necessary to call back to the chocolate factory. I realise that we had bought an enormous mountain of chocolate - but it is just possible that we might have accidentally eaten the chocolate bullets :-S  Fortunately we are now stocked up again.

Lindsey drove back along the Old Coast Road, rather than the main highway and we stopped for lunch in Mandurah  where we had remarkably fine fish and chips at the Irish Pub overlooking the water.

Then we arrived back in Perth.  During our travels we had acquired one of those ball launchers for Scout who loves, loves, loves chasing balls.  Lindsey took it into the back garden and launched the ball - directly over the back fence, whence it disappeared never to be seen again :-S  This necessitated a mad dash to the supermarket to lay in a proper supply of balls for the launcher.  Meanwhile, Scout found an empty plastic bottle to chase around :-D

We spent a jolly afternoon making merry with Ant and Jess before heading out to the local pub for tea - a nice piece of steak for me although the lunchtime fish and chips had been so hearty there wasn't real room for steak and more chips.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny and we all took ourselves off to East Perth to a cafe called Toast, where we met Jess's cousin Jack and his partner Lou for a truly lovely breakfast. A stroll around the cove later and it was time to farewell Ant, Jess, Krumm and Scout and take ourselves on to Melbourne. Thus leaving the GMT +8 timezone we had been in since arriving in Singapore and moving to GMT +11

There are more photos in the Western Australia album.  Click on the tree to view them

Western Australia

We arrived into Perth airport at around 1:00 in the morning on Thursday and proceeded very quickly through immigration and customs (there are some advantages to arriving into the smaller airports - Tullamarine would likely have been a lengthy wait even at that time in the morning). We went by taxi to Ant and Jess's place, where we arrived at just after 2 in the morning and were greeted by two barking small dogs and one Ant who got up to let us in.  He had gone to work by the time we eventually surfaced at a more civilised time in the morning!

Jess however had not gone to work. So we chatted with her over cups of tea and then took Krumm and Scout for a walk before heading off for a mooch around Fremantle (and a superb seafood platter by the marina) and thence on to Margaret River where we are staying for a couple of nights.  LAst time Lindsey came she brought Stella and Tony and the rain was so torrential as they drove down that they couldn't see at all and Lindsey had to drive veryveryyeryvery slowly.  This time we were in bright sunshine - until we were about 30 km away when the rain clouds came over to see what was going on and were ever so excited to find that LINDSEY IS BACK and began to rain with enthusiasm.  Fortunately not quite as torrentially!  And only for a short time.  But Lindsey is beginning to think that she, Margaret River and rain are inextricably linked!!!

It did not rain on Friday, when we drove to the chocolate factory to stock up supplies (we might need to return on our way back to Perth - we seem to have eaten the chocolate bullets), to the nearby chocolate liqueur shop for Christmassy supplies, and then on to Cape Leeuwin to admire the lighthouse, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean and the enthusiastic rain.  Then we pootled back towards MR along a back road and stopped at Xanadu for a lovely lunch.  If I say we all had steak and chips for lunch this would be entirely accurate. But it might not quite adequately convey the quality of the steak or the magnificence of the chips!  If you should be in the area I would recommend a meal at Xanadu.

It probably wasn't very friendly of The Builder to try and kill me on my birthday, although it would have given me lovely, rounded dates.  He bought me some cherry chocolate from the chocolate factory assuming (as did I) that it would be cherries covered in dark chocolate.  He doesn't know about cherry ripes.  I do know about cherry ripes but have had no reason to think about them for years and years and years and years (horrible things, cherry ripes).  So neither of us was expecting there to be desiccated coconut in the chocolates. Fortunately, I so very seldom eat anything nutty that my body has become slightly more tolerant of tree nuts and coconut.  Had I not been  aware of my nut allergy, I probably wouldn't even have noticed the reaction.  (This is not a good reason for everyone to start feeding me nutty things, mind you - I don't want to resensitise my body!!!)

Lindsey says she is never travelling overseas with members of the family ever again.  When she went with Ian, Stella and Tony to New Zealand a couple of years back, Stella was struck with osteomyelitis and needed Lindsey's medical attention.  When we went to Japan last year, I came down with a rash on my leg which became very infected and needed Lindsey's medical attention.  I came to Singapore with an eye infection (which didn't really need Lindsey's medical attention, though it got a side glance) and The Builder had a cold. And now I have an infected blister on my ankle which so far is fixing itself but which Lindsey is keeping an eye on.  I have pointed out to her that she, at least, is no longer overseas, Western Australia having not been disenfranchised as yet, and my ankle didn't swell up until we got here.  She seems to think that is an irrelevant point!!!!

Right.  Must get up.  We're heading back to Perth today and I suppose I ought not go in my nightshirt

Click on the flowers to reach the WA photos

Not quite making it to China Town

We did not leap out of our beds at our customary early hour this morning. it seems we hadn't gone to bed until after one o'clock!

But we made it to breakfast, and we packed and we got organised. The Builder went down to reception to grab a copy of the shuttle bus schedule and came back reporting that the place didn't look after luggage after guests had checked out.  This absolutely stunned Lindsey and me. We have never previously encountered a hotel, or serviced apartments, not even Bed and Breakfast places which have refused to look after luggage on the final day.  Lindsey went down to see if we could stay in the apartment for a few extra hours - and came back to tell us that no we couldn't but that the place *did* have a left luggage facility. The lady who The Builder had asked had been mistaken :-S

So we checked out and dumped our cases and set off on the hotel's shuttle bus for a final wander around.  We had been heading to China Town and got right to the very edge of it before being diverted by the Haven Lobster and Seafood restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious and we had a merry time, sat by the side of the river, eating prawns and peppered beef (and lemon chicken for those who can eat almonds) and watching the boats go up and down. Before heading off for a post prandial stroll through China Town, I went to the loo. And came back to find another torrential thunderstorm had beset us. So we waited under cover until it had passed. And abandoned China Town and went for a wander along the river instead. And quite by chance collected a few bridges.

Click on the bridge to reach the album

Then we caught the shuttle back to the hotel, a taxi to the airport and a plane to Perth, arriving at 2 o'clock in the morning at Ant and Jess's place.  They were, of course, in bed. But the dogs alerted them to our presence and Ant got up to let us in (they were expecting us!).

We enjoyed Singapore.  It's an interesting place. It is a mixture of very Western (very British) and South East Asian. There are four main ethnic groups: Chinese, Malay, Indian and Western and four main languages. The official language is Malay but English is the main working language.  All the road signs are in English. The law courts and parliament work in English.  If you had absolutely no English at all I think you would find it hard to function in society. I was looking at the dates for public holidays in Singapore - and the main festivals of Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Taoism and Hinduism are all represented (so Christmas is a public holiday - but I don't think there is much Christian spirituality attached to it).

Oh - and I did a bit of investigating into the question of supermarkets.  It seems that Cold Storage (which I had thought was just an import store) is one of the leading chains.  The one we found was more akin to a small Sainsbury's or Tesco or IGA so you wouldn't want to do your weekly shop there. When I looked at a map of Singapore itself rather than Singapore City, it became clear that Singapore couldn't possibly feed itself.  No room for farmland at all. So of necessity things are going to be imported.

Still thought it odd to find Waitrose Essentials spaghetti there though!