Connections: Heather, My Sister's Daughter

Two days after returning from Washington, I boarded a plane for Singapore. Seven hours to Tokyo, two hour layover, eleven hours to Singapore. Total: Twenty hours, but gained twenty-four. My poor niece, Heather, had to pick us up from the airport at 1:00 in the morning.

It was a wonderful experience. Visiting with Heather for five straight days was delightful and she was more than the perfect hostess. We went to a Night Zoo, Museum of Ancient Chinese Civilization, got a sucking fish foot exfoliation, saw Lion King, the play, went to China Town and Little India briefly, a 4th of July barbecue with Heather's expatriate friends, shopped at a huge mall and ate ourselves sick. So much food and so little time. Her "help" is from Indonesia? Malaysia? and made very good curry dishes and we ate at food stalls and at a nice restaurant on the last night. Great food extravaganza!

The shopping is phenomenal. That and the cleanliness, safety and architecture put New York City to shame albeit, the plane ticket is three times as expensive. On the day before I went home, I struck out on my own. A nice river with eclectic foot bridges that are lit at night, bisects the city so I knew I wouldn't get too lost, although after walking a few miles, I broke down and got a map. My goal: Takoyaki at the Singapura Plaza. Yum. So why I took the umbrella out of my purse and didn't put on the sunblock that was in my purse, eludes me. One positive: My $24 Teva mush sandals. I have worn the same ones across Scandinavia and all over the Mediterranean and they didn't disappoint in Singapore.

I found the Plaza, ate the Takoyaki and eventually found the river and followed it back to the apartment all the while taking pictures of the amazing architecture. I don't consider a trip a success unless I explore to the point of getting just a little lost.

Heather got up at 3:00 a.m. to take me to the airport. I'll bet she's happy I've come and gone. When the plane touched down in SLC, I checked my phone messages and found that my friend Bonnie wanted me to go to Cedar City to the Shakespeare Festival for a couple of days. I couldn't say no, but am paying with triple jet lag.