Here I go again

[WickerBill]

Any suggestions for surviving a long-haul flight would be appreciated. I'm flying IND - ORD - HKG - SIN, staying five days, then SIN - NRT - IAH - IND.

I don't do terribly well sitting still for a one hour meeting. Total travel time is about 25 hours each way. I'm not a big movie buff.

Not worried much at all about being IN Singapore; I think that will be fun... if I survive the journey with my sanity, and spine, intact.

Help.

[gerhard911]

Hope you are either under 5'8" & 140# or flying first class. At 6' and 200 (sumptin') I swore off even 2 hr flights. I'd rather travel in the back of a cattle truck (hey TG do you book those ;) ?)

Good luck and enjoy your visit (because the trip is likely to be pure he||).

[datachicane]

Drugs.

:gomer:

[WickerBill]

6f3i, 240#.

[gerhard911]

6f3i, 240#.

Good luck in coach my friend. Get an aisle seat. Splay your legs out. Expect the flight attendants to be VERY annoyed that you have your leg in "their space".

+1 on drugs...

[nissan gtp]

valium

[SteveH]

valium

and Ambien

[Andrew Longman]

I've done that haul a few times but from EWR. I did it in biz class and it wasn't too bad.

I was a bit startled the first time to read on the immigration form that I was filling out as we decended that bringing drugs, pornography and other contraband was punishable by death or something of the like. I thought that was a little late to warn people.

Some advice whether you are in coach or otherwise...

Buy several litres of water in the airport and keep drinking during the flight. You can dehydrate quickly during 25 hours in the air.

If you are flying coach, pack a toothbrush, hairbrush, wet wipes, deodorant and other stuff to freshen up. It is amazing how just washing your face improves your mood. In biz class they will give it to you, though you might want your own.

Bring a thick book you like. Reading it will discourage neighbors from talking to you if that's what you want.

Don't drink booze or take it easy. You can get drunk and hungover several times in 25 hours if you try but you will be miserable.

Sweets and snacks (I like trail mix) are a good idea to regulate your hunger and blood sugar over multiple timezone.

iPad loaded with music and netflix fun and decent comfortable headphones

Go light on the carry on. You'll appreciate not schlepping so much between connections.

Pack chapstick in your carry on.

Get an aisle seat near the galley, rest rooms, or open areas. You won't have to wait as long in line for the restroom and you will have some closeby ready open area to walk a bit and stretch. Hard to do that in the aisles.

Dress in layers in case you are either too hot or too cold. Dress in your favorite most comfortable clothes.

Benedryl will help you sleep. I don't use it because it really messes me up, but it has been recommended to me.

Make a copy of your main passport page as well as everything you keep in your wallet and keep them separate. If you lose anything this will be valuable back up. (quick... list every card in your wallet. Bet you can't)

Earplugs

Look into meletonin. My Father in law has been making four around the world trips a year for 45 years and he swears by it. I haven't tried it though and I hear it might not be for everyone.

[cameraman]

That iPad will need charging during a 25 hour trek. Make sure that you have the correct airline charger and a charger that will function with Singaporean electrons...

Make sure everything on that iPad is G rated. All things X-rated are severely frowned upon in Singapore.

[dando]

Look into meletonin. My Father in law has been making four around the world trips a year for 45 years and he swears by it. I haven't tried it though and I hear it might not be for everyone.

No doubt. I started taking it a year ago a few times a week. I've never had more vivid dreams, reaching for things that aren't there and talking in my sleep. Never did that before. Ever. Yet, I am aware that I'm doing it. :saywhat: I can see why/how Ambien zombies happen. :eek: I've researched it endlessly, but I haven't found anything that mentions this as a side effect. :confused:

-Kevin

[Wheel-Nut]

What equipment are you flying from Chicago to Hong Kong? Same question from Tokyo to Houston.

[dando]

What equipment are you flying from Chicago to Hong Kong? Same question from Tokyo to Houston.

Dreamliner? :gomer:

-Kevin

[nrc]

I think seatguru.com has been mentioned before but it's worth repeating - find the best seat available in your class and get it reserved.

So now that I've added something relevant, I give you Tawny Kitaen (young, hot edition) on the hood of a Jaguar.

i3MXiTeH_Pg

[WickerBill]

Made it to HK in one piece. 777s all around except Indy flights. I somehow, some way slept fitfully for 7 hours. It helped.

Slight layover before SG. Woo hoo.

[chop456]

Please eat 3 of everything in Singapore and post pics of the food. :thumbup:

:foyt:

[SteveH]

Please eat 3 of everything in Singapore and post pics of the food. :thumbup:

:foyt:

:rofl:

[Andrew Longman]

Please eat 3 of everything in Singapore and post pics of the food. :thumbup:

:foyt:Best Indian meal I've had was in Singapore. Chinese and Thai meals too. I'm actually not sure what Singapore cuisine is. I don't think I tried it. :thumbup:

[NismoZ]

I have spent HOURS "driving" around Singapore! Wanted to get a closeup look at that Ferris Wheel at the race track...and drove into, under and all around the airport! Even saw a whole dang US fleet there, too. BIG carrier, support ships, assault ships....very interesting! Liked that all the signs were in English so I wouldn't get lost...or in trouble! It was VERY impressive seeing the TRAFFIC JAM of ships along the waterfront waiting to load up, dozens and dozens! Oh, about a JILLION containers around the harbor, too. Car traffic looked VERY light, pedestrians almost non-existent (HOT day?) and I have never seen so many TALL apartment buildings. A very vertical place! Fun searching out some of the old English government buildings. Very recognizable architecture! Great vacation...VERY inexpensive...Google maps!:D

[TravelGal]

Dang, I'm sorry I was away the last 3 days and missed this thread. ("Cruise to 'Nowhere'" on the Celebrity Solstice and "nowhere" means no internet). Singapore means a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel to me. :thumbup: PLEASE tell us you had one!

[WickerBill]

There are Singapore Slings everywhere, of course; if I go to the Raffles, they cost $21SD, everywhere else they're $6. :) But I'm on the company dime, right?

I'm on Orchard Road, in the middle of the shopping district. I am a giant here. I wore a Regular Show tshirt around one of the shopping centers (centres) yesterday and it turned me into some sort of circus celebrity. There are quite literally a dozen Chinese teenagers who got their picture taken with me. One of them asked me if I could talk like Skips. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

/thus ends the Regular Show talk

Today I'm going to do some more shopping. It's hot and humid, there were "fermented haddock entrails" on the breakfast buffet, and my body can't figure out what time it is. I'm going to keep my eyes pried open until at least 9p, take an Ambien (or generic equivalent), and hopefully awake in the morning knowing which way is up.

nismoZ, what should I purchase the kiddos here as souvenirs? So far, the main thing Singapore appears to be known for seems to be cheap plastic keychains.

[TravelGal]

If you go to the Raffles, be sure you've eaten something first or have no other plans for the night. That's the difference in the slings there and elsewhere.

Gifts? I bought myself a string of pearls. I thought that's what Singapore was known for. :laugh: For younger persons, anything but chewing gum. :laugh::laugh:

[cameraman]

My father bought me a fishing rod & reel on one of his trips through Singapore. I clearly remember that one and it was ~45 years ago.

[G.]

Best Indian meal I've had was in Singapore. Chinese and Thai meals too. I'm actually not sure what Singapore cuisine is. I don't think I tried it. :thumbup:

Singapore cuisine is absurdly Western. Pizza Hut's and Subway's everywhere. :(
Ate at a German restaurant down by the F1 track. I was in Asia, I wanted something ethnic. :\

I'll get the name, but there's a Dim Sum place in a shopping mall. GO THERE. Get dumplings. All of them.

You may need a reservation, or patience to get in.
EDIT:
It's called "Din Tai Fung or DTF." My sister doesn't know that DTF can mean something else. ;)

I guess there are a few of them in S'pore.
http://www.dintaifung.com.sg/locate-us.php

Get the pork dumplings.

When they ask you about Skips, they are either comparing you to Luke Skywalker or a gorilla-looking Yeti.

[WickerBill]

When they ask you about Skips, they are either comparing you to Luke Skywalker or a gorilla-looking Yeti.

G wins the prize. Considering the yeti version of Skips was on my shirt, I'm guessing that's what they meant.

Both Mark Hamill. Weird.

[Wheel-Nut]

Good thing you weren't mis-taken for Muscle Man.


There are Singapore Slings everywhere, of course; if I go to the Raffles, they cost $21SD, everywhere else they're $6.

What is a Singapore Sling? or should I not ask?

[Ankf00]

chili crab until your face falls off

[datachicane]

What is a Singapore Sling? or should I not ask?

Pan-galactic gargle blaster.

[TravelGal]

From Wiki:

The Singapore Sling is a South-East Asian cocktail. This long drink was developed sometime before 1915[1] by Ngiam Tong Boon, a Hainanese bartender working at the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel Singapore. It was initially called the gin sling,[2] - a sling was originally an American drink composed of spirit and water, sweetened and flavoured.[3]

D. A. Embury stated in the Fine Art of Mixing Drinks: "Of all the recipes published for [this drink] I have never seen any two that were alike." The Times described the "original recipe" as mixing two measures of gin with one of cherry brandy and one of orange, pineapple and lime juice [4] An alternative "original recipe" used gin, Cherry Heering, Bénédictine, and fresh pineapple juice, primarily from Sarawak pineapples which enhance the flavour and create a foamy top.

I'm partial to the latter (gin, Cherry Heering, and Benedictine) hic.

[WickerBill]

chili crab until your face falls off

That's dinner tonight. My face is going to fall off early.

[Gnam]

Stop posting from the future.

If some dang ol' cartoon snowman is so popular over there, just imagine how popular the Indy 500 must be. :gomer:

[WickerBill]

Stop posting from the future.


I was disappointed to learn that, even though it was Sunday morning, the newspaper didn't have Saturday night's Powerball numbers listed. ;)

[chop456]

That's dinner tonight. My face is going to fall off early.

I approve of this crustacean-related message. :thumbup:

I'd kill for a big fat bowl of that.