I didn't sleep so well last night. Oudom (12) admitted he'd drunk a large mug of coffee before going to bed. He was like a demented octopus. He couldn't lie still; his legs and arms were all over the place. His head was also full of questions, "If a country invaded Britain would NATO come to help?" "What is the European Union?" "Why is Britain leaving the EU and what does Brexit mean?" With Oudom it's not possible to say, "I don't know", so the talk went on for ages.
Breakfast again was instant noodles sitting on the end of the bed. I thought our next job would be to leave for the airport but it wasn't to be - we were off to see the Merlion. I've never seen it but the children were super excited. Once again we needed three taxis. It's quite a challenge in Singapore because the authorities don't like people flagging a taxi; if you do, you pay a $3.50 surcharge. The proper way of getting a taxi is to either book or to go to an official taxi stand. The one we went to was next to a Hindu temple. The ceremony was coming to an end so people were coming out and looking for their shoes. About 100 metres of the pavement were covered with shoes and I doubt if anyone steals a pair. Men walked by, barefoot, with splashes of colour on their forehead. Women were in saris, salwars and other brightly coloured outfits.
It took a while to get to the Merlion because many roads had been closed. I'm told this is a regular feature of a weekend in Singapore, when roads are closed so that people can ride bicycles on them; not just bicycles but strange contraptions such as little scooters, three wheelers and single wheeled things on which the rider balances and just leans in different directions. It looked a fun time but it definitely pushed up our taxi bill. Merlion is a large, cement structure with a lion's head and a mermaid's body. Water comes out of its mouth like a fireman's hose. Throngs of people were taking photos and selfies. I couldn't care less so I leaned against a railings. I didn't stay there for long as a lady came along and told me to move as she wanted her photograph taken. It took a long time and, if anyone else ventured into their territory, they heard, "Excuse me!" The place tickled me because it looked like an evangelic rally gone wrong with so many hundreds of people raising their hands to the heavens. They were actually trying to have a photograph taken looking as if they were catching the water. I was glad when we left.
Back at the hotel we grabbed our bags and left for the airport. While waiting outside for the taxi I saw a man walking along wearing real cowboy boots. What was odd was the fact that he wore a very flimsy dress, with a bright floral pattern, that came to just above his knees. He hadn't made any attempt to make his face feminine; in fact he was quite a masculine man. I seemed to be the only one taking any notice of him. The trees lining the boulevard to the airport looked like a scene from Harry Potter. They were old and gnarled and their boughs twisted all over the place. I was impressed with our taxi driver; after we all got out, he searched the vehicle to make sure we hadn't left anything.
I had a bit of a problem checking in as the machine wouldn't accept my passport. I went to the counter and the lady asked me for my ticket from Phnom Penh to Singapore; I told her I'd chucked it away. Then she muttered something about needing a visa so I reminded her it was in my passport. Then she leaned over to her friend and said something; her friend said, "It's OK, it's only October!" She must have been talking about my visa which expires in December. Once I got past her, it was plain sailing and a lovely experience. I put my passport in a slot and doors opened magically. I walked a bit further and I was told to put my thumb on something and another door opened. I found myself in the concourse without having to undress; I then learned it would be done at the gate.
I decided to sit and write a letter but the boys kept bugging me. Samnang (14) managed to delete my letter so he ran off. I gave them heck and they disappeared for a while. I asked a couple of Germans if they'd like some extra children; they laughed and said, "No thank you!"
On the plane I sat opposite three very chatty young American ladies. There's something about certain voices that gets on my nerves, and one of them in the group was a prime example. She never shut up. When the plane landed she made a very profound statement, "I need my eyebrows waxed real bad". I felt like telling her it should be "badly" but I decided to get away from her as I'd been listening to her going on for over 1 1/2 hours. Guess who was behind me in the passport queue, and she still hadn't shut up. I'm going to have to Google eyebrow waxing!
It was a relief to be back in Cambodia with its simpler lifestyle and traffic jams. Back in the apartment I did my usual job after a trip, unpacking, undressing and shoving everything in the washing machine. I walked up the road and got some bread for breakfast and then I settled down for a quiet evening. The phone rang. It was Vuth telling me he was going to a Suki Soup restaurant with his wife and Meakara, a travel agent in their office. I said, "Good for you". He said come on, you're coming too. He sensed I was a bit reluctant and so he said the magic words - "It's just us with no kids!" It was great being able to relax and not worry about keeping an eye on four kids. Now I'm home and hoping the phone doesn't ring. Tomorrow I have to shop for an iron and a toaster; I had both but they ended up in the downstairs apartment.
