After learning how to list for the jumpseat from a very accommodating United Captain and First Officer, I boarded flight UA803 from Tokyo to Singapore. I was assigned to a Business Class seat, but as the doors were about to close, the FO came back towards the aircraft to where I was sitting and then told me that there was an opening in First. First had the full lie flat beds and I have to say that it was awesome! I've never gotten bed head from sleeping on a plane and I was just loving every minute of it. I'm definitely getting spoiled traveling the way that I have been in the last two trips.

I arrived at 11:30PM on the night of the 18th, met a friend who picked me up a little later than the proposed arrival time, and we took a cab straight to my hotel. After a quick conversation, I opted to go to sleep so that I could start the day early and head out. Pictures if you click on "MORE"

Today has been quite adventurous as I headed out on my own straight for Fort Canning Park. Along the way, I went into a Hindu Temple and observed some prayers being said, took pictures then headed back out. Back to the fort, I learned that Fort Canning was a British military installation in where they eventually surrendered to the Japanese in 1942. I took some photographs of the foliage and just made my way around the area. I didn't do the full history brief but as I began walking around the area, I ran into an Australian Drama / Art teacher with whom I exchanged a few words and we ended up walking the entire northern area of Orchard Road and Orchard Boulevard together. We went to an informational store front, grabbed a couple of brochures and continued to just walk and look at all the shopping that was paving the entire way. With construction lining up the walkways and tall buildings in their infancy, I can't say that Orchard Road was that much of a sight. It's nothing less of a bourgeoning downtown. Different indeed with all the food places around cooking BBQ and such along the sidewalks, but there were a couple of Starbucks', Coffee Beans, and the much favored 7/11s littering the area. Globalization at its best really.

We hurried back, after walking ~15KM, to where my friend Charmaine worked and went out to lunch. Just earlier that morning, my friend Sean mentioned that I should hit up the Maxwell Food Court for some Chicken Rice and Singapore Chili Crab and we did just that. The crab wasn't out yet, but Charmaine introduced White Carrot Cake, Oyster something and some coconut chicken dish I grabbed the sugar cane drinks. It was great! I'm sweating like crazy and haven't even pissed out the 1L water that I drank and a Gatorade that I downed plus the Snapple that I had for breakfast!