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Posts Tagged ‘singapore’

Smiling once again...

Smiling once again…

I managed to survive my first day in Singapore, although falling asleep was a little tricky. Hopefully tonight will be easier, as lack of sleep meant that the day dragged on and on. I might treat myself to a hot shower, some room service, and an early night.

The project looks interesting, but there’s a ton of work to do and not much time to do it. My schedule is still firming up, but it looks like I will be out here in Asia for three weeks, returning to Europe the following week to spend some time in Switzerland and Turkey, but that’s all up in the air. It looks like it’s me, me, or me to do the work, as this client is reluctant to take on more junior consultants to do the grunt work. So it’s going to be a very long three weeks.

On a positive note, I finally met a client that I’ve been working with for the past six months. Until now, she’s simply been the voice at the end of a phone or e-mail waiting in my inbox, but I’ve finally managed to put a name to a face.

And on another positive note, I seem to have suffered no ill effects from dinner last night. Which is the biggest shock of all.

As loyal as I am to the Starwood group of hotels, I have to admit that I’m pretty impressed with the Mandarin Oriental here in Singapore. The rooms are really well thought out, with lots of little design touches that make a big difference. As I type this, for example, my iPod is being broadcast throughout the room — all the hook-ups are just beside the desk. I’ve got a beautiful view over the harbour, and as hotels go, I’m a pretty happy camper.

Just a shame I don’t get any points for this…

Mandarin Oriental room

Mandarin Oriental room

Mandarin Oriental room

Mandarin Oriental room

Welcome to the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore!

Welcome to the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore!

Greeted with fresh fruit, laid out with a sense of aesthetic that you rarely see outside Asia

Greeted with fresh fruit, laid out with a sense of aesthetic that you rarely see outside Asia

More nice details, like the lacquered tea box

More nice details, like the lacquered tea box

Orchids in the bathroom

Orchids in the bathroom. Not quite like Thailand in terms of the sheer numbers, but there are plenty of orchids here…

Just a short entry to let everyone know that I’m still alive. Arrived in Singapore after a pain-free 13 hour flight from Heathrow. I managed to sleep for most of the flight, so arrived feeling fairly refreshed. I flew in one of the new BA seats and faced backwards for the entire journey, which was a little weird.

It’s warm and very humid, just what I expected. It feels a little bit like Disneyland – all the characteristics of the rest of Asia are here, but everything is spotlessly clean and orderly. It’s almost a shame – the lack of grit and grime takes some of the character out of the city.

Nevermind. One of my colleagues grew up in Singapore, and took us out for our first night to a Steamboat place – the Singaporean equivalent of shabu shabu. So I got to cook my own food in a place that looks like a one-way street to food poisoning. We’ll discover by tomorrow morning how wise it was to follow her advice.

The view from the hotel room over the Singapore harbour

The view from the hotel room over the Singapore harbour

The view from the hotel room over the Singapore harbour at nightfall

The view from the hotel room over the Singapore harbour at nightfall

Self-portrait

A self-portrait in the hotel room of Singapore harbour at nightfall. Didn’t have much lighting equipment or a tripod with me, so had to make due with what was available in the room!

The Singapore Merlion

The Singapore Merlion

Do-it-yourself dinner

Do-it-yourself dinner. This was the locals’ choice, but we’ll see if my stomach is up to it!

Adding value

A consultant’s life is always about adding value to his clients. It turns out that in Singapore, they’ve automated it. When this machine finally makes it’s way to England, I’m screwed.