Singapore swinging

“Again? You’re going to Singapore again?”

“Yes, Dolores. I told you.”

“Did you? But you were there just a few weeks ago. Why are you going again?”

“To judge.”

“Oh. And how much is that costing us?”

“Not too much.”

“That’s what you always say.”

Dolores was impressed with me returning to Singapore so soon. But she’s given up trying to make me see reason.

No Dolores to say goodbye to me this time She left for Germany this morning. And Alexei is only just back from work when I leave.

Schiphol isn't too busy. In no time I'm in the lounge loading up with whisky. Once I've downed the first brace, I go for some food. I was expecting rendang again. But this time they have butter chicken Which is really nice.

When I've eaten that, I get myself another brace of whiskies. For food round 2 I it’s cheese and pastrami. And another pair of whiskies. I need to get in my ration of those. I wouldn’t want to be flying completely sober. Not with my age and reputation.

Am I slowing down as I get older? Of course I fucking am. None of us can defy the march of time. Which inevitably tramps all over all of us, sooner or later.

I wander down to the gate a little after 8 PM. And don't have to wait long before boarding. Thankfully. I hate hanging around at the gate. Especially when I could have spent that time stuffing myself with food and booze for free in the lounge.

An hour or so after take-off they serve a meal. I opt for the chicken. Though I don't eat much of it. A few mouthfuls. I do eat all the fruit, mind. Being such a healthy bastard.

I start watching Thenderbolts, but keep dozing off. I’m still not sure what it was on about. Some superheroes doing shit for some reason or other.

Not long after dinner, the bloke sitting next to me has a chat with one of the cabin crew. Then he and his wife just disappear. Have they upgraded? I can't imagine they've moved elsewhere in economy, as they said the flight was full. I'm not complaining, as I've room to lie down.

I get a pretty decent kip. Waking up about 2.5 hours out from Singapore. And watch some TV. Just total crap. My brain isn’t in the mood for anything complex. Like a genuine plot. Just feed me some pap with a spoon.

Breakfast isn't very appetising. I only eat the fruit. And drink a coffee and an orange juice.

The arrival gate isn’t quite in Malaysia this time. It’s not so far to immigration and baggage retrieval. My bag comes out pretty quickly. Soon I'm speeding towards my hotel in a taxi.

I've a couple of hours before the welcome dinner. Which I kill with some internet fiddling and duty-free whisky. It’s a pretty nice hotel with a decent-sized room.

At 18:30, we take a bus to the venue. Which is a rooftop restaurant in a small hotel. With stunning views of the city. There’s just the one downside: no bogs. You have to go down to the ground floor for toileting purposes. Which is a bit inconvenient. Especially for oldies like me.

There are a couple of judges I've met before. Like Kjetil Jikiun, a Norwegian bloke I judged with in Balneário Camboriú in Brazil in March. It’s a very international group. Lots from Asia, unsurprisingly. A good spread of ages, too. Most of the Asian judges are quite young. Not so much the Europeans. Some of whom are even older than me.

I have fun telling people how Charles Guerrier, this competition’s organiser, broke my arm in Brazil last year. When his legs stopped working after a day drinking cachaca. Luckily, I was pissed as well, which helped numb the pain.

There are a few beers on draught. Including Lion Brewery Boss IPA. Which is really nice. Better than in the brewery a few weeks back. Maybe the view is making it taste better.

The food is various meat bits. Which are quite pleasant. I’m not sure which meal my body thinks it is. Almost certainly not dinner. Just as well that it isn’t too heavy.

I go straight back to my room when we get back to the hotel. I'm not tempted to carry on in the bar, as some judges do. I need to get my body in sync with the time zone. Otherwise, the next few days will be a nightmare.

Just time for a quick eye-closer of whisky. I have no problem falling asleep.



Jayleen 1918 Hotel
42 Carpenter St, 
Singapore 059921
https://www.jayleen1918.com.sg/