Me, Frode, and Anita at the Dubliner pub. The theme to Star Wars had just played, so Anita had my hair twisted up in princess lea rolls. 

This weekend, my friends Anita and Frode are visiting from Norway en route to 3 weeks in the Phillipines. This was in Holland Village where we had, according to Frode, "One of the Top 10 Meals of My Life!" 

Daytime view along Ang Sieng Hill Road. 

Peeking Pagoda. 

Chinatown neon specials. Think the one on the right with the airplane is for a travel agency? 

View of Pagoda Street above the MRT subway station, Chinatown. 

Cherry windows! 

Colorful architecture along Club Road. 

Shops along Club Road. 

This is a beautiful back alley view behind Ang Sieng Hill road. 

Ang Sieng Hill road. 

Detail of a Chinese temple door. 

This is the temple I photographed earlier, but by day. 

Festival of Hungry Ghosts. This is the 7th month of the Chinese calendar, when the gates of Hell open and all of the ghosts therein are able to walk the earth for a month. There are impromptu alters all over the city, where joss sticks (incense) and rice paper prayers are burned. There are also mobile operas nightly, and the first few rows of chairs are empty and reserved for the ghosts' attendance. Historically Chinese operas were for the working class and were mobile affairs that were performed in food markets and coffee houses. This photo is of the celebrations at Keppel Shipyard, replete with a full buffet lunch for both the living and the dead. Those large multicolored poles are massive incense sticks.  

I decided to get my hair trimmed. I have not had that done since December and have been hesitant to go to anyone other than Hillary in Houston. Granted it looks like a hippie frizz fest most days in humid climates, but she works magic and I leave her shop feeling like I have just stepped out from behind a CNN anchor desk. So, I found a very nice salon here in Singapore and went for a trim. At any rate, he trimmed me up very quickly and asked if I would like to have my hair thinned out a bit. I said sure. It is so thick that if I wear it in a twist (after blowdrying it for a half hour), it is still damp at the end of the day when I take it down. This is the result of my thinning......