on the Go with Bo!

I am

Out with the old!

This last trip was all about tossing things out that I've held on for way too long!  I had to make a radical decision, otherwise I ran the risk of using them till I was 6 feet under!

> My favourite reverseable Banana Republic v-neck sweater.  A two-in-one deal which is perfect for traveling.  One day it's brown, one day beige ... and no one notices it's the same sweater :-)  Left that one in Lima, Peru.  I still have a black/gray one I need to deal with.

> a light suit that I've had for nearly 10 years.  Since the Slovene company (Mura) that made it has gone obsolete, why not the suit.  It has been with me to a lot of receptions, especially in my Brussels days.  She was left behind in a St Louis closet, wiht a note stating 'needing a new owner'. 

> ah, my nail clipper set out of gold.  Fake gold!  I've had it since Vancouver, so it must be more than 15 years old.  I got it as a gift from a Croatian family that we knew there.  I recall receiving the gift and thinking, what will I do with this.  Low and behold, I used it for more than 15 years.  It was time to replace it with a ridiculously expensive Henckels set that I bought in Geneva.  I sure hope this set lasts that long!

> and lastly my white flip flops that I bought in Cancun, Mexico.  Flip flops are part of my daily uniform in Singapore, that's why they wear-and-tear very fast.  I got rid of them in Slovenia at the very end of my trip, and replaced them with a pair of $60 white Havaianas bought in Singapore.  How can white plastic Made in China cost so much?

Reception on fire?

St Louis ...

I even have my own airline!

My beloved Segway, gone ... Stolen!

And yes, in Singapore, where you would never expect it!

As the posters around town say 'low crime doesn't mean no crime'.

I did my usual routine, went for lunch and then to the gym at Ngee Ann City, so for a change I parked my Segway right next to the bus stop behind the shopping mall.  I usually park it with the bicycles, next to the railings by the truck delivery entrance, but for some unknown reason decided to try something different last Tuesday.

When I came back ... Shock!  My Segway was gone!  Initially I didn't believe it.  I thought perhaps the security from Ngee Ann took it for it would be obstructing something or other.  Went to check with them.  Nothing!

I actually really stood there for a while, a bit stunned, trying to recall if I was sure that i parked it there.  But I was certain.

I even ended up walking all around the block to see if someone moved it.  Perhaps a prank.  Nothing.

There was one last thing I could think of and that is to call the LTA (Land Transport Authority) in case they thought I was obstructing public property, namely the bus stop, and decided to remove the obstacle.  Unfortunately, they also had no news.

There was nothing left to do but call the police and file a report.

What pisses me off the most is that a Segway is not that easy to steal.  First of all it's heavy.  50 kg of dead weight.  Secondly, without the electronic key you cannot do anything.  You can't turn it on, it’s very heavy to drag while turned off due to the electronic mechanism and if you try stepping on it you fall off immediately for the sensors are not activated to keep the balance.

So it's sheer stupidity to try and steal it for there is nothing you can really do with it.  Other than totally inconvenience the owner.

Whoever took it must have come with a truck or something, for you would need at least two people to lift it up and put it into a vehicle.  Quite gutsy, if you ask me, to do this next to a bus stop that is always full of people.

Given all this, the police said it's likely that someone has been observing me and planned this out.  And given that this time I parked by the bus stop, with easy access to the road, I enabled a perfect getaway.

My only consolation is that I can already see the faces of the thieves, as they realize they’ve stolen something useless, for they cannot do anything with it.  I hope they feel as pissed as I am for them stealing it!

I'm somewhat still hoping that whatever idiot did this, will decide to abandon my Segway for it’s ultimately of no use to them, and that someone will report an odd looking item sitting in the bush for days.

I can still hope.  But as the days go by ... I really think I'm going to have to say goodbye :-(

2,200 km and daily use for more than two years.  It's been my companion through rain and shine for a couple of years now.

RIP ... Will miss you!

Shimmering walls at Marina Bay Sands

I find this effect mesmerizing ... and only when you come close-by do you realize how it's done :-)

 

Retro drink buggy

Have you seen the dancing stick ladies?

As we were strolling through the new Marina Bay Sands mall, where you seriously have the possibility of max-ing out all your credit cards on every possible designer known to mankind, we came across these wonderfully mesmerizing dancing ladies on sticks ...

Full moon on Xmas lit Orchard

Wow, the lights on Orchard are spectacular. Everything is flashing in hues of violet, blue and pink, Xmas trees aplenty and in front of Ion there was a whole latino dance off happening.  Welcome to Xmas in the tropics.

Shop, shop, shop ...