Singapore and Taiwan

Singapore skyline from 54/F of Marina Bay Sands.  Click to enlarge. Taken with my iPhone.

Cross posted from Xena blog.  (because it's cut and pasted, it's got some funny formatting. To see in original form, go here).  Click "Read more" below to see more photos.

Xena was in Singpore at Raffles Wharf with Grant and the Boyz, back in November on the way to Phuket.  And Jing and I were there last week, me for the first time in 20-odd years.  It's changed much and for the better, more interesting, more fun.  Taipei, on the other hand, is a place to work, not a place for the tourist. Some piccies:

This is an ad  that greets you at Changi airport.  Note the boat: the carbon wheels,
the carbon boom, the teak coachroof, the Andersen winches, the dodger cover...
That's right, it's an X-55! [same as Xena]. Only one thing: the Mainsail looks crap...  I'll bet it ain't a Norths' Sail.
(click to enlarge)

Evening over Marina Bay, from the 54F of Marina Bay Sands

The extraordinary infinity pool at the top of Marina Bay Sands
Next time we stay there!

Funky Singapore shoes for funky Singapore girlies...

The Long Bar of Raffles.  This couple sat down and straight
away started texting -- each other??

This is "Taipei 101" an attempt -- unfortunate and unsuccessful in my view --
to meld East and West.  It's a case of "East meets West" but they don't get on.
You get to the top in 45 seconds, swallow hard!
Tourists mostly Japanese and Mainland Chinese.  The view: not much, least on the day I was there
as very cloudy.  Interesting(ish) photos of Taiwan history, the building of 101...
Taipei is old, lowrise and largely delapidated, not much changed since I last was there in '97.
There are occasional hints, just hints as one turns a corner, of Tokyo, but it's a bedraggled
Tokyo at that.  The Mayor of Taipei was in Singapore when we were there, trying to get ideas of
on how to modernise his town and make it more interesting.  Good luck with that Mayor Hau, it needs it!

This is the calligraphy of Yang Weizhen (1296-1370), part of the
magnificent collection of the National Museum, Taipei.  It's in my favourite cursive style
and I'm much enamoured of it.  Especially the two characters"you fa" in the left centre.
It's a colophon and the description says: "The brushwork is powerful, characters lean with force,
and ink ranges considerably in moisture, making this a masterpiece of Yang's late work."

 

Taiwan: National Museum with Paper Bag.  There's only two other things to do
in Taipei: visit Taiwan 101 skyscraper, and go to a night market, like the 士 林 (Shi Lin).
Both underwhelming....  spend more time in Singapore instead.