Singapore Day 2

So, I have arrived safe and sound in Singapore. I got in yesterday and have been doing various CCGrid related things since. Yesterday evening, after a quick shower I headed off to find the conference venue and something to eat. Unfortunately I spent the best part of my time wondering round trying to find the venue! It was rather annoying as a large majority of pedestrian routes had been obstructed due to a huge amount of road works going on around the university premises. After asking a few people for directions I figured out where I was and have now discovered an altogether much simpler route to the university when I was able to go there in the light. The layout of the buildings is still very confusing though. I did get to see lots of Singapore at night though, so that was quite exciting and a random (what sounded Christian) rock group performing and lots of uni groups practicing playing drums and things.

Tomorrow morning is when my presentation is going on, so I’ve been preparing this evening for it. My hotel is nice enough, although it might have been an idea for me to have chosen somewhere slightly closer to the university, its still less than what I’d have to walk in Cardiff to uni though. I meandered over to the food court across the way from where I’m staying this evening, with I think some strange looks from the kitchen staff, though I couldn’t figure out what they were indicating. The television in the hotel is a real hotch-botch of all manner of different channels, some English, some Chinese, and the English channels are all a dire mix of old cheesy films and very bad comedy. The internet access in the hotel is also really expensive, I doubt I’ll be using it that much, so forgive me if my updates are a little less frequent than previously, I’ll have access at the conference until Friday, unless I can find somewhere else.

I think I’m finding this experience altogether a bit more difficult to shift to than Chicago, basically because I know I stick out a bit here and can’t speak the lingo. Hopefully things will become a bit easier soon enough.