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In The Line of Fire, 1993

Director of Photography: John Bailey, ASC

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Post-workout binge these days.

(Oh and holy moly, the scoring on The Firm)

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A Week-Long Sojourn in Surabaya

It was a much-needed respite from Singapore for my fiance and me. The hotel room, expensive meals, and the convenience of everything that is Singapore, we were getting used to all of that.

Five years since the last time we have been here. Last time my fiance's sister and her family were still living in a condo up next to Pakuwon mall. Not until a few years ago, they moved to a house, in the more lavish suburbs in Surabaya.

Kretek, bebek goreng, sambal, and the surprisingly low cost of living to name a few.

We arrived at Juanda International Airport on a Saturday evening. There weren't a lot of foreigners with us, and the airport staff spoke very little English, much to our frustration. Not something an indulgent dinner over padang and deletecable sirsak could not remedy, the latter I had decidedly stopped drinking after I spotting a fly that had doomed itself by somersaulting into the glass perhaps wanting a taste of the white thick iced cold drink himself.

Over the course of our week-long sojourn in Surabaya, we worked remotely in the day, 5:00AM - 2:00PM (Surabaya was an hour behind the Philippines).

Weather was agreeable, although except for the torrential rain that seemed to run like clockwork. Almost exactly every 1:00PM it would pour and would not stop at around 5 or 6PM.

And the food, my god, we enjoyed the most.

Kretek, bebek goreng, sambal, and the surprisingly low cost of living to name a few.

We enjoyed our second time in Surabaya immensely.

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Arab Street, Singapore

The midday Khutbah.

The scent of saffron, nutmeg, and chai.

Arab rugs sold across the street.

The little things you see, smell, and hear as you for the vendor to serve your kopi tarik.

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National Gallery of Singapore

It was a day well spent learning about and admiring Chinese and Southeast Asian art.

Some of the artworks we enjoyed that day to name a few:

Wu Guanzhong, Two Swallows, 1989

Wu Guanzhong, Roaring. 1998. Oil on canvas

Wu Guanzhong, A Fleet of Boats in Indonesia. 1994. Oil on canvas

Wu Guanzhong, Zhangjiajie. 1997. Chinese ink and colour on paper.

Tay Kok Wee, Picking, 1955

Wu Guangzhong's exhibit was particularly memorable. An extraordinary man who led an extraordinary, well-travelled life. He was prolific and profound.

Oh and we had a lovely lunch at Courtyard Cafe, too --- Hainanese curry chicken rice and Kopi C.

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North Bridge Road, Singapore

14 October 2022

It was hot and humid on our first night and throughout our stay as expected, and my monthly migrains had gotten the best of me on our first day. We've been awake since 2 3 am, we were beat and certainly in no mood or capacity for nighttime exploration. We ordered in for dinner, instead --- Chicken Rice.