Explorers

This morning I was pouring through a Mums-and-kids-in-Singapore guidebook left to me by my friend Triona, and I was going through the section about farm days out. In general, Singapore exports all of its food, but a tiny few farms exist and make/breed/grow specialty products. I was intrigued by the frog farm: (http://www.jurongfrogfarm.com.sg/)... (check out the part where you can buy eels and turtles and crocodiles and snakes heads to eat) but settled on a morning at the goat farm (http://www.haydairies.com.sg/) instead. I have always been a bit intrigued by goat farmers because long ago (when I was diagnosed... I am showing my age!...) they used to think drinking goat’s milk as a baby caused Type 1 Diabetes. I have never tried it and never will... call me superstitious.... (but that theory has been negated anyway!) The taxi driver nearly choked when I told him where we were headed, I mean, I knew it was far off and would be expensive but was it THAT much? I said, How much are we talking, $20? $30? He thought about $20 and I said Go on then! But he didn’t stay miffed for long and was quite chatty, which I quite prefer with two wild boys carrying on in the back. So we got to the farm with a lovely little narrative tour along the way courtesy of our cabbie and then checked out the goats. Out on that desolate road I got a better feeling of Southeast Asia... it was a bit like I always imagined Vietnam to be, actually. Hot, humid, lots of nature and foliage, the sounds of loud bugs, my eyes peeled for snakes... We didn’t spend too long at the farm, and instead of trying to phone a taxi we hiked to the nearest bus stop and waited. A bus came along eventually and we got on. I pulled out a tenner and the driver shook his head. Too much. Just get on. But how much, I asked. I don’t want a free ride if I can pay. I’ll only take it when I need it, but I did have coins (ever the Socialist). $1.70, he said. Jesus H.- the cab was $24.70!!!! Yeah, fine, I had that in coins. We got on and bumped along the road. We eventually got to the last bus stop which was an MRT (like a subway) station and bought tickets to the main drag. The boys were wild and then all of a sudden crashed out dead asleep. Peace... they had been so excited to ride the bus and the train!! We ended up at ion in a very posh section of Orchard Road (yes, the taxi queue is next to Harry Winston and Burberry... the valets have white gloves... I definitely did NOT fit in) and found ourselves at Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. Nice. Funny this Singapore. From goat farms to Prada in a matter of minutes.
Anyway, the biggest point of this day was that I did it! Long ago I was such a reckless adventurous CRAZY devil-may-care explorer, but all that seemed to change so dramatically when I had Daniel, and well, was told I was going to die! (I guess that does something to one’s psyche??) So, yes, exploring a foreign city and jumping on mass transit without really know where I’m headed wouldn’t have been a big deal to me at 22, but today it was a major milestone. I am getting there. I am letting go and trying and starting over.
Again.
With the best travel buddies I know- D and M.
And it’s kind of fun.