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On our first anniversary we had some fun down at Sentosa getting drenched in the rain. It’s been a good year. I can’t find the camera at the moment, but will post when I have a moment.

While I’m waiting for the new year to come I present some photos I do have:

Here’s a tip: don’t put your passport through the washing machine. Generally immigration frowns upon that, as I learned. Luckily I could get a replacement at the US Embassy (pictured above) with very little hassle. Ironically enough, the US government in Singapore provides much better service than any government agency I’ve actually tried to use within the US.

This is the first restroom I’ve ever seen that could be described as cyberpunk. It’s from the restroom at Funan, the IT mall here. (It’s rather awkward to try to get a photo of a rest room, or toilet as they are called here. Give it a try some time.)

The visit to the Botanical Gardens was another highlight. It’s quite lush and so alive. I learned it’s fairly difficult to take good spider photos, which is a shame. If you ever visit this place, be sure to go through the Orchid gardens; they are fantastic.

So, what literacy rate are we shooting for in the US?

We went out to dinner at the Raffles Hotel with my parents for some delicious Dim Sum, followed by a bus ride through downtown to see the lights.

I ought to have more later when we get back from Malaysia. For your cross-cultural linguistic edification I invite you to continue your browsing at Wikipedia on Singlish.

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Idea: Bruce Schneier needs a superhero outfit. He would be a masked crusader who visits airports around the world and points out how foolish certain security policies are and how they are all about making people feel safe rather than actual security. He would be kind of like Angle-Grinder Man, except he’s a respected security consultant and bearded.

So while I was waiting in the long security lines in LAX, I overheard some Chinese folks talking. I thought to myself, “That must be Cantonese—it sounds so unfamiliar.” Then I got to Singapore and realized I was wrong. Even Mandarin sounds that way to me now… it’s sad.

I used to think that LAX was the worst international airport I’d been to outside the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Thanks to the TSA, this is no longer true; Jordan’s is much better.

Taipei was pretty cool.

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Good bye, America.

[many hours pass…]

Hello, Singapore.

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Wow.

Wow.

I am currently wracking my brain trying to think of ways in which the first Narnia film could have been better. The list is short:

• Cair Paravel should definitely have been a more turreted castle
• Jadis’s white dress seemed bulky and un-clothing-like

I have mixed feelings about the emphasis on Peter’s tactical leadership, but those three things are really the only issues. Alisha and I got to see it at a special Biola-sponsored premier last night, which very well may have been the only theatre on earth in which the audience applauded when Aslan said, “Where is the fourth?” (Torrey students—go figure.)

I was absolutely blown away at how amazing the movie was. It was exceedingly faithful to the book, the scenery was fantastic, and the actors were right on. I was especially impressed with the one who played Lucy—she was able to portray nearly perfect innocence without the distance that is normally associated with that. And she was so young!

Watch it, watch it, and watch it again when it comes out on DVD.

As Timothy said last night, kudos to Douglas Gresham and everyone involved. May there be six sequels, all just as amazing.

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What is this?

Click for a larger version.

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This too shall pass, so raise your glass
To change and chance.
And freedom is the only law.
Shall we dance…

So if you’re feeling low,
Stuck in some bardo,
I, even I, know the solution:
Love, music, wine and revolution.

Love, music, wine and revolution.

—The Magnetic Fields

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