The Final Blog From Singapore
You may recall that on our third and final day in Singapore, we visited the TK Pottery Jungle, where I had the honor of lighting the enormous dragon kiln. We then toured the organic gardens at Bollywood Veggies and met the energetic owner, Poison Ivy. Our next stop was a pet shop that our pet expert, Marc Morrone, told us about. I can’t seem to get enough of birds, birds, and more birds! Then it was off to the Capella Hotel, where we stayed during our time in Singapore, to shoot another television segment. Open since March of 2009, Capella combines the masterful restoration of two colonial buildings dating from 1880 with a brand new wing, bringing in touches of Asian and Western flair. The design is amazingly beautiful and I had the pleasure of meeting Wei-Lin Kwee, whose family owns Capella. Wei-Lin worked closely on the design of Capella and she kindly discussed with me the unique architecture and amazing landscape of this fabulous resort. I certainly hope you have enjoyed this travelogue of our exciting adventures in Southeast Asia.
1 Remember this fancy taxi we saw after out trip to Bollywood Veggies?
2 Well, we didn't get to visit the Bird Park, but went to an area with many pet shops.
3 This little shopping center, is tucked away in an apartment complex. Our pet expert, Marc Morrone, suggested we go.
4 I made friends with a lovely black Cockatoo.
5 And then a white cockatoo joined us.
6 I really love birds of all sizes.
7 The owner was thrilled that we could come. Marc does bird business with this shop.
8 Sophie posing with two lovely cockatoos
9 The owner proudly showed us the inside of the shop - so many wonderful products!
10 I love the red beak on this gray parrot.
11 A pretty young pink cockatoo
12 This macaw really took a liking to Sophie's camera.
13 Adorable canaries
14 This striking Amazon parrot perched on Sophie's shoulder is not for sale. His owners, who live near the pet shop, bring him for regular play dates with the birds there.
15 On our way back to the hotel, Capella, we passed this Durian store. Durian is a very strong-smelling fruit and perhaps 'lingers' in the name refers to its pungent scent!
16 This is the outside of Capella hotel and resort. This portion is part of Tanah Merah and was built in the 1880's to host military galas.
17 This newest part of Capella, which opened in 2009, features similar architectural designs.
18 The design of Capella was a global collaboration, whose goal was to seamlessly integrate architectural elements with the island’s natural topography, allowing the new structures to follow the contours of the terrain and ensure a balance with nature.
19 Capella is located on Sentosa Island - 'Sentosa' in Malay means 'peace and tranquility.'
20 There are lovely beaches nearby.
21 Swimming and beach games are very popular here.
22 With cameras rolling, here I am talking with Wei-Lin Kwee, whose family owns Capella. Wei-Lin was a key member in conceptualizing the resort and worked closely with architect Lord Norman Foster on the design.
23 We strolled around the tranquil pools.
24 The surroundings are so lush and verdant!
25 Here I am with Wei-Ling and Sophie and our incredible TV crew.
26 After the shoot, we got ready for a final dinner at Guy Savoy in Marina Bay Sands. Gary met us in our hotel villa beforehand.
27 Marina Bay Sands is bustling at night!
28 Antony Gormley's sculpture, 'Drift,' looks incredible at night.
29 This beautiful chandelier was designed by Sharon Marston.
30 A most sophisticated lounge
31 We ate dinner at Guy Savoy, one of France's most celebrated chefs.
32 The menu - The reflection in the glass is the enormous Marina Bay Sands casino. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to photograph it.
33 The ceiling was spectacular!
34 Here I am with Memrie and Thomas Arasi - President and Chief Executive Officer of the Marina Bay Sands building.
35 A lobster appetizer
36 A really delicious sea bass
37 A stellar cheese cart
38 A tender loin of lamb wrapped with asparagus ribbons
39 A chocolate cup filled with passion fruit
40 A madeline and meringue confection
41 A chocolate and caramel dessert
42 More sweets on a cart
43 It was a lovely presentation.
44 We visited the spacious kitchen. Here I am with famed head chef Eric Bost.
45 A neat and orderly space
46 The next morning, it was an early departure for the airport.
47 Capella insisted on chauffeuring us in their Rolls Royce. Who were we to protest?
48 Sophie and the Rolls
49 The Singapore Changi Airport is stunning. This is the entrance for departures.
50 It's a very colorful space with many shops and restaurants.
51 The Green Wall spans 980-feet and is made up of 25 species of climbing plants.
52 We loved this little post office on wheels!
53 We were very curious about this wonderful health gadget shop.
54 Sophie had a foot, leg, and shoulder massage all at once.
55 Why stop at that? I opted for a full body treatment.
56 Feeling relaxed, we wandered towards our gate.
57 This is the check in area.
58 Here I am with Memrie and Mary Ann from TV.
59 We boarded a very speedy shuttle from the main terminal to our gate.
60 This airport is so calm and pristine!
61 It was one of the most comfortable flights! It's the longest direct flight in the world - almost 18 hours. There are only 100 business class seats, each becoming a very nice bed.
62 The airline crew was fabulous and very well dressed.
63 We made it back to New York City in no time. GK, Francesca, and Sharkey met us at the airport and we went to Sant Ambroeus in Greenwich Village for cappuccinos. http://www.santambroeus.com/new/frameset.php
Hi Martha, the large black cockatoo you are holding is called a Palm Cockatoo in Australia. I looked up one on the net and a baby weaned palm is $15K AUD!
Posted by: Tricia | July 21st, 2010 at 12:43 am
The cheese cart in the restaurant looked amazing. I have only seen them like that in Paris, France. Very sophisticated. Ditto the pudding trolley.
Loved the airport pictures. I have been to Singapore Airport many times and agree that it is a tranquil place to shop and use before flying.
Thanks for sharing your Singapore trip. It's been so interesting.
Posted by: Christian / @vfbr2001 | July 21st, 2010 at 1:20 am
What I wouldn't give to be up close and personal to that dessert cart! All the other stuff was awesome too;-)
Posted by: Ade | July 21st, 2010 at 7:21 am
Martha, thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | July 21st, 2010 at 8:18 am
Southeast Asia through your lense was educational, interesting, beautiful, and fun. We need to invest in our airports like they have!i am looking forward to the TV segments. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Posted by: E. Teresa Touey | July 21st, 2010 at 9:46 am
While I was in NYC at a taping of your show, Stacy Ann had a limo take us to the airport. So right, Who was I to protest? Learned much about Souteast Asia from your blogs and so looking forward to your views on visiting the wonderful country of Turkey.
Posted by: ann | July 21st, 2010 at 10:25 am
Hi Martha,
The best part was reading that your babies met you at the airport! I can almost picture their excitement at seeing you. That was always the most enjoyable part of my trips, having my precious dogs greet me upon my return because I always missed them so much!
~
Thanks so much for sharing the rest of your Singapore adventure with us. The airport was fabulous as was Marina Bay Sands and Capella and of course your meal at Guy Savoy was more than impressive. You eat at so many really nice restaurants! Well, I’m anxious to see what filming you have in store for us on your show. Your pictures tell a great story but it’s always nice to hear sound too! Thanks Martha. Trish
Posted by: Trish | July 21st, 2010 at 10:26 am
Oh, Martha..Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us. I think Singapore will have to be added to our travel list.
Posted by: Sharon | July 21st, 2010 at 11:53 am
Hi Martha, Every part of this Singapore blog is beautiful and pristine! All of the photos are perfect and elegant! I love all of the bird photos, especially #s 4,8,11&12! Delightful! The Capella was supreme and sure would be a great place to stay while there. Thanks again for taking us along! I also love the relaxing photos #s 54,55&61! My favorite photo is #63-your dogs look so happy as do you and Sophie! Great to be back home, right?! Can't wait for the photos from your Turkey & France trip! Love, Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | July 21st, 2010 at 2:10 pm
I cannot get over that full body massage thingy you're in Martha. And that "fast" airport shuttle looks great. I was in the perfect fast airport shuttle in Madrid, Spain. Talk about a modern and very clean airport...Madrid! But it is very big. I like the Casablanca-size airports. Am i dreaming? Yup. Thanks Martha.
Posted by: http://twitter.com/Geotravel | July 21st, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Thanks for wonderful posts from your travels. I've followed along. Please vote for ME Martha. Check out this Big Stridea! http://www.bigstridea.ca/entry/2B00 Thanks Martha. I hope some of your readers will vote for me, too.
Posted by: http://twitter.com/Geotravel | July 21st, 2010 at 2:55 pm
That was a a delicious and pretty post.
Can't wait to watch the film of your SE Asia trip. Besides the garden and pets portion of your TV show as my favorites, I love watching your field trips, since you've been taping in Turkey Hill. Martha you live my dream life. As always, I am grateful for your sharing your beautiful life with us.
A question Martha that's been bugging me ... why is it so difficult to obtain a ticket to your show for my spouse and me. We live in Manhattan and it seems that proximity to your studio does not matter.
There, it"s out of my chest!
We will try again this year.
Posted by: Nikki | July 21st, 2010 at 7:05 pm
I just love the top you were wearing at dinner with Chef Eric. Tres chic!
Posted by: jackie lamothe | July 22nd, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Hello Martha! I watch your show every evening at 1 a.m. Glad to see you are doing well again. I have posted my twitter account as following you and joining you on twitter. If your show and wording were true this evening on obtaining 2 million followers, please send me my free sewing machine! Tonight I have also ordered your "It's a good thing t-shirt along
with the book for sewers. 3612 Gallo Drive, Chalmette, Louisisna 70043. Thanks a bunch.
Posted by: Jo Ann Horvath | July 24th, 2010 at 3:13 am
Martha,
As always, thank-you for taking the time to post your amazing photos of this very special country. There is so much interesting detail to take in, I plan to allow more time here to do just that. What a colorful, modern, elegant, forward thinking, fascinating, country Singapore has become; and I can imagine it was awfully hard to leave. It is definitely at the top of my "bucket" list now. How wonderful to also see Sophie again. She only gets more beautiful each year as does her Aunt Martha. When I need an escape or a pick-me-up, I come to your blog and am never disappointed.
Posted by: Andrew | July 24th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
CAREGIVING BOOK and pbs interview:
greetings martha, it is good to hear
that you are bringing many critical issues to the forefront that face a significant number of Americans today. Also, concerning your CAREGIVER book will you be collaborating with individuals that have first hand experience in this area, in particular caring for brain injury survivors (SILENT EPIDEMIC).Most information (if any) that I find in this area is targeted for elder, or caring for a spouse.I am a single parent of a 34year old son with a Traumiatic Brain Injury (TBI) and have been caregiving for 9 years. Some of the difficulties we live with once we are forced to leave the workforce is no health/dental insurance and little or no income because we care for another full-time. After 6 years of researching for a BTI specific day program for my son, I have found one on my own. Caseworkers do not have the resources nor do they have the time to research to find those programs such as BRIDGE TO INDEPENDANCE IN CORNELIUS, OREGON.We need more people such as Carol Altman that advocates and runs programs like the ones she has developed, the staff are also WONDERFUL, COMMITTED PEOPLE. There are over 8 mill folks with BTI in America and out of that every 6 minutes one of the 8 million will become permanently disabled from a brain injury. thanks for your consideration and keep up the good work Martha.
carol becker
conflict resolution graduate student
portland state univerisity
and
full-time caregiver for adult son
Posted by: carol becker | July 25th, 2010 at 5:33 pm