Singapore

I thankfully departed Indonesia, and if I return there it will be too soon. One thing I can say is I do appreciate when people are obvious about there motives, which were commonly self-serving. When someone is kind and altruistic it make you appreciate being human and having a neo-cortex, and be reminded that there is still decency and love in a greedy technological world.
When someone offers their support and kindness it restores faith in humanity. What it also does it makes me want to be a better person consistently, and to operate from love and respect on a daily basis, because it's more necessary than I've ever seen, or noticed before. The younger generations have money on the mind, and in the experiences I've had I'm viewed as a walking ATM machine, not a person of interest or value. Just a means to an end to drive consumerism onward, and that makes me sad.
So, I feel as though it is imperative to smile often, and remain humble, treat people with respect, because life is a gift. Also, life is too short to attach to the impermanent world. That only creates suffering. Human to human contact is important, because it reminds us that we are all connected and equal.
Someone in my life that has been a beautiful example of positivity and genuine love is Mark. He has truly been a source of support and compassion over the last few years, but especially in the last few months, and I'm grateful to still have him in my life. I'm thankful for his presence in this world. Thank you, Mark. I look forward to seeing you after my return home. You are a very special person to me, and I love you.

After a grueling experience at the airport in Bali, I have arrived in Singapore. The cleanest country in the world, and maybe the most technologically advanced and well organized. I'm extremely impressed!!!! :)
Day 1: Today I enjoyed the user-friendly transportation system to meander through Chinatown. This city is pretty unbelievable because there are so many fascinating cultural avenues and historical sites to explore. Most of them are free too, which is amazing. This city can be as cheap or expensive as you're willing to make it, and the locals seem very intelligent and helpful. Observation: One thing I found amusing, and a little scary is all the rules in this city. If you step out of line by chewing gum, smoking outside a designated area, littering, loitering, vandalism, etc.. then there is either a hefty fine awaiting you, even 'caining,' or death by hanging. There are signs everywhere telling you to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior, and to call the police immediately if you notice something that seems unusual. This level of conformity frightens me, because it reminds me of Aldous Huxley's: 'Brave New World', but overall, this is a gorgeous city that I would love to spend more time appreciating.
I wandered through art galleries, Buddhist temples(learning more on Buddhism and listening to chanting from monks), visiting Indian mosques, parks, and Chinese alleyways full of sensual delights, i.e. food and fashion.
I have only 1 1/2 days more before I return to Thailand. OMG! How the time flies by! I'm trying not to think about it too much, so I can savor these precious moments. I met a guy from Africa named Bobby who I enjoyed political and economical conversations with over a beer, compliments of Fern Loft hostel. It was so interesting to learn about his African heritage.

Day 2: Today I awoke to receiving a wonderful email from my family and Mark, which made my whole day fabulous! :D I decided today to ship a box home to avoid ridiculous excess weight luggage costs that the airport shocked me with in Bali. A sweet elderly couple were more than helpful in giving me directions to the post office, and even waited until I crossed the street to wave goodbye to me. :) Then on the way to the post office with my bag of stuff, a sweet man and his family pulled over and offered me a ride to the post office, which I gratefully accepted. Now I feel lighter and stress free. I meandered through the famous Bugis district and enjoyed many different fruit drinks: COCONUT, WHEAT GRASS, AND CARROT! Yummmmmy! I walked all over, and talked to many kind people and saw many beautiful pieces of art. My faith in people has been renewed. It's like night and day compared to Indonesia. hahahahahaha! I don't think I stopped smiling today. Singaporeans are lovely people, and very well educated too. From the age of 2 they begin learning English, Malay, and Chinese. Incredible! I think our educational system has much to be desired. I found a new book today. My average reading now is a novel every 2 days. My brain is thirsty for knowledge, and continuing meditation to compliment that knowledge by cultivating wisdom and peace will only be a perfect balance for insight and harmony.
I can't believe I leave for Thailand tomorrow afternoon.