Seat Belt Rumble

You wouldnt believe what happened to me last Friday when I was on my way home to BSB from Singapore....ya ya Singapore again. As usual I was taking SIA on account of the ..ahem...wine. My faithful alarm woke me at 5.00 a.m. After completing the routine which involved shower, throne, dental care, hair care, B.O. care (Body Odor lah..tsk tsk.) and a hasty breakfast, I headed for the Taxi Stand. The training I had undergone for positive thinking and using my sub-conscious mind did not fail me. The Law of Attraction ensured that a taxi was waiting when I got there. It was just 6.30 a.m. by then and in Singapore 6.30 a.m. was still totally dark. "Good Morning Sir, where to ?" the Cabby asked. I said "Good Morning, Airport, Terminal two." And so we were on our way.



Have you ever ridden in a Taxi in Singapore ? If you have then you will understand how frustrating it is to have to buckle up. It is law in Singapore that the passenger must have his/her Safety Belt secured. The trouble is the belts at the back seats of Taxis in Singapore are uncooperative. No matter how hard you try they just wouldnt fit in at your first attempt. You are forced to try at least 25 and half times before they became interlocked. By the time you accomplished that feat you'd have arrived at your destination. It is as if the people who assembled the vehicle installed these seat belts just to annoy you. If you are short tempered and impatient, dont ride in a taxi and especially not at 6.30 a.m. in the morning. I managed to get mine locked just as the taxi pulled along side the curb at Changi Airport. I managed to keep calm, breathed deeply and even gave the Cabby a tip. It was not his fault that his vehicle had a Back Seat Seat Belt possessed by Gremlins and he did get me to the Airport safely and in time.

Dumping my luggage on to the trolley I walked in straight to the Departure Board to see which row I had to check-in for SQ 182 to Brunei. To my dismay it was not listed. I looked again and it was still not there. "Aha!" I said to myself. "Somebody has committed a blooper !" So I strutted towards the SIA information desk and told the lady in attendance "SQ 182 to Brunei is not listed on your Departure Notice Board, why ?" She smiled and said " Oh Sir, it will be displayed later. It's too early now. We have to make room on the board for earlier flights." Indignantly I told her "It's almost 7.00 a.m. and my flight is at 9.00 a.m. do you still think it's too early ?" "No Sir, your flight is at 1440 hrs.!" "No it's not ! It's at 9.00 a.m.! I always fly at 9.00 a.m. @#xx*#*@x !!! The rebellious seat belt was taking it's toll. The nice SIA lady said "Calm down Sir, please check your ticket." "I have no ticket. I bought it online." "You have a print out of the confirmation ?" I did so I checked, had a mild heart attack and then I began searching for a hole to creep into in total embarrassment. The SQ 182 flight to Brunei on Fridays was indeed at 1440 hours. I had never flown on a Friday back to Brunei. I had taken things for granted and was then paying the price. I apologised and quietly slipped away to enjoy the next 7 hours at Changi International Airport. I think I could live at Changi.

Whenever I am in the City I like to spend my evenings sampling live music at different Bars and Hotel Lounges. Here is a group I found exciting. They are called "Cats in a Cradle", four local lads performing at the Indochine Restaurant at Wisma Ria, Orchard Road.


I had meant to upload a video clip here but couldnt make it work. These guys were doing a cover of The Eagles' hit "Take it Easy" in three part harmony. They were good.








Because the video didnt work, here's a bonus. This is the "Crazy Elephant Bar" at Clarke Quay. This is the home of "The Blues" in Singapore where all the Blues artists from USA and Europe come to perform. The Lead Guitarist is local and is lightning fast with his riffs.


For those of you who like Tattoos I have a special treat for you in my next update.

YM and friends, be sure to tune in !