Singapore Run

I have been running with my dad since I was probably 16? I now do it on my own from time to time but have recently rediscovered running as a joy and almost a necessity. In my old age I have had several run ins with anxiety and panic and I find that running generally tames it. So now I just like to get out and see whats around me - what used to be a constant competition with myself to get faster is now just something I do for fun because that's what my body needs!

So in between hazes, Singapore is a kinda fun place to run, even if it is like a steam room most of the time. Now I have Strava and I like to track where I go and see my times, but just for fun. This means I take my phone with me every time. And oh, how it has improved my running life! I take pictures of all the fun vistas and views I see. It makes for a much more interesting outing.

Singapore is generally a fake place, and by fake I mean it's new and they are definitely going for a certain type look and feel - and that look and feel is new new new. New condos, new office buildings, new restaurants, etc. BUT, there is some respite on occasion, and this blend of old and new is what I really try to find and what I like about Singapore.

These pictures are from what I call my Oxley/Marina run. I go from my place (Oxley Rise) to the Marina and back, following the Singapore River. River is certainly an overstatement, but it flows, I guess.

This one is by the Marina where the old "Downtown Core" is. The bridge is over the Singapore River. You can actually see some old vs. young I was talking about. The tallest building on the right is a new UOB building (united overseas bank) and the building second to the left is the Bank of China building, which is very old and Shanghai/Hong Kong-y with it's art deconess.

This is perhaps my favorite bridge in Singapore. A really cool and old suspension bridge. it connects one side of the river to the other, just beside the historic Fullerton Hotel. The Fullerton is gorgeous inside.

 Other side of the bridge:

Inside the Fullerton:

On this ridiculously clear day the Marina Bay Sands, one of the world's most expensive buildings, was particularly beautiful. The picture does not do it justice.

This is my favorite part of the Marina. It's difficult to see, but there is a row of old "heritage homes" that have been converted into restaurants where very important businessmen have lunch and happy hour. It's also just cool.

And behind those heritage homes is a street that I didn't think existed in Singapore! A really ghetto looking alley. Reminds me a lot of HK, which, of course, makes me love it.

Look how happy it makes me!

Singapore has its moments. The skyline in the evening and at dusk is pretty cool from our new home. This view is part of why I pushed so hard for this place. This picture rather perfectly conveys the cool and actually kinda unique way that Singapore is urban and suburban at the same time. The street below is never that busy, there is greenery everywhere, and is not that dense. Yet, in the distance there are skyscrapers and people everywhere. You never travel more than 20-30 minutes to get anywhere here, so I guess they really like their "quiet seclusion" feeling. I can't blame them, even if it makes the city not as exciting as Hong Kong or other eastern cities. But you know what? It's becoming home, and I have learned to appreciate it.