City hops on Qantas/Cathay Pacific/JAL/Singapore Airlines

[fimo]

I am heading to TPE in 5 days. It's been six years since I was last there, and I can't wait to hit the night markets and chow down. I love stinky tofu! As a kid I thought it was the nastiest thing on earth but thankfully got over that in my teens. I don't think I'm a fan of the HKG version though. At least the taiwanese style comes with pickled vegetables and sauce which mutes the 'stink' a bit.

Will be staying at the Shangri-La Far Eastern. Can't wait to start eating!

[KeithMEL]

Review of the St Regis Singapore posted here.

Next: Night out in SIN; New Majestic Hotel

[KevSQ]

Lots of stairs...





"If I can do this, I can do anything..."



Wow...what a climb....reminds me the ones in Central HKG - SOHO

[KeithMEL]

Night out in SIN

Cold ones at the IC

As nickbot and mrs nickbot were in town, I'd swapped my overnight layover in HKG for one in SIN to catch up. taipeiflyer had also decided to make the journey down to meet the nickbots. After all, how many times do you get to catch up with friends from the other end of the planet hey. SQflyerGirl happened to be in nearby Johor Bahru for work and had decided to drive in for the night. And before you knew it we had a small SQTalk get-together with some SIN-based SQTalkers.

The plan was to have dinner at a hawker centre, but when i landed at SIN I'd received a text from nickbot about a change in plans since both were quite ill and had opted to host drinks in their room at the IC instead. So things didn't quite work out as planned but we had a jolly good time catching up all the same over a couple of drinks. I await the pics...

St Regis bar

Unfortunately poor taipeiflyer (you might recall that we flew down on different carriers) had not got the same text msg and we had a hard time tracking him down. When we finally did it was far too late for sleep was rather imminent for the nickbots. I'd managed to convince those who're still up and about to head over to the St Regis instead where taipeiflyer and HRH cousinoftaipeiflyer* were waiting.


L-R: SQFlyerGirl, myself, Kyo, taipeiflyer
Copyright SQFlyerGirl - reproduced with permission per mutual agreement that both of us look heaps better in this pic than the alternatives

Whatever thoughts I have about this hotel, it is simply undeniable that they've got some of the best bartenders in town! I started out rather boringly with some red wine before getting talked into checking out some of the delightful concoctions that they'd whipped up.

New Asia Bar

Soon enough only taipeiflyer, HRH cousinoftaipeiflyer and myself were left, and I'd decided to show them the best of SIN's nightlife. IMO no visit to SIN is complete without a visit to New Asia Bar, top floor of the Swissotel Stamford one of the tallest buildings around. Had sweeping views of SIN.

The bar itself was hopping on a Sat evening, and we wasted no time in hitting the dance floor.


taipeiflyer and HRH cousinoftaipeiflyer strutting their moves


L-R: A new friend, HRH cousinoftaipeiflyer, myself

We ran into QF cabin crew who've just flown in from London. 2nd time partying with QF crews on this trip (first time was in HKG earlier in the week where I met a member of the UK-base crew). I was surprised to find out that QF31/32 was still entirely operated by the SYD crew, apparently it's the only flight that doesn't have UK-based FAs operating the LON-Asia segment.

Insomnia @ CHIJMES

Pretty cheesy a venue but it was only a 5 mins walk from the Swissotel and we weren't feeling up to going somewhere much too far away. By this time we'd parted ways with taipeiflyer who'd decided to go to bed early in order to meet the nickbots before they left for the UK the following morning. So cousinoftaipeiflyer was entrusted to moi, and additionally we'd gained the company of the QF lot.

Think Dusk Till Dawn in HK, except the cover band retired pretty earlyish. And did not play Land Down Under despite several pleas from a variety of individuals. We had fun nonetheless, complete with dirty dancing with random strangers and bad karaoke singing. I was hoarse after Mr Brightside.



We had yet another taxi driver who didn't know where the St Regis was, and we'd even had to convince him that it isn't just a figment of the imaginations of a couple of drunks. He did eventually take us in the general direction of the hotel but was quite clueless as to its exact location. So HRH cousinoftaipeiflyer and I were left staggering up and down on the wrong side of Tanglin Rd at 5am. I even remember wandering out to Orchard (don't ask me how) but we eventually made it back to the hotel.

Next: New Majestic Hotel SIN

*in case anyone's wondering this isn't an actual forum id

[Kyo]

Copyright SQFlyerGirl - reproduced with permission per mutual agreement that both of us look heaps better in this pic than the alternatives

I bet I look worse in the other ones too... good times, good times..

[Savage25]

Insomnia might be cheesy, but I loved it in my younger days.

[9V-JKL]

Night out in SIN

...... nickbot and mrs nickbot ....... taipeiflyer ......SQflyerGirl .......HRH cousinoftaipeiflyer*....... Kyo .......A new friend, ...... QF cabin

Only them ...........

[kapitan]

I am looking at this picture and is wondering which direction taipeiflyer's eyes are towards...

[KeithMEL]

Only them ...........

But I've not received any of the IC pics thus far....

*waits impatiently*

Anyway... SQTalk Night out in SIN JUL2008 Hall of Fame
nickbot
mrs nickbot
9V-JKL
upright man
SQflyerGirl
Kyo
SuperJonJon
taipeiflyer
and moi of course.

[nickbot]

But I've not received any of the IC pics thus far....

*waits impatiently*

There aren't many I'm afraid,...think you'll have to wait impatiently a little while longer for my TR

By this time we'd parted ways with taipeiflyer who'd decided to go to bed early in order to meet the nickbots before they left for the UK the following morning.

taipeiflyer, we both really appreciate your efforts in popping over for early morning coffee at the IC - didn't realise you'd cut short your night out for us! We feel honoured

[HUGE AL]

I am looking at this picture and is wondering which direction taipeiflyer's eyes are towards...

I was going to say that as well...someone doesn't look like he's hit the dance floor for dancing...

[SuperJonJon]

By this time we'd parted ways with taipeiflyer who'd decided to go to bed early in order to meet the nickbots before they left for the UK the following morning.

I was going to say that as well...someone doesn't look like he's hit the dance floor for dancing...

Maybe that was the reason taipeiflyer had to go to bed early?

[kapitan]

I am looking at this picture and is wondering which direction taipeiflyer's eyes are towards...

The body language of this picture..... analysing it, there seems to be a signal from the lady....... should I say it or not.... hmmmmmmm....

[HUGE AL]

taipeiflyer is just checking out his hair in the mirror behind her...

[taipeiflyer]

actually, i was pretty much looking at the floor the whole time... i didn;t really want to dance with the cougar, but she came up and asked me to dance with her, so i didn't want to say no and be a jerk... get your minds out of the gutter.