I want more of Singapore

The past two weeks have been truly hectic for me and my whole family. I had a last-minute offer to do business in Indonesia and a persistent request from my mom to visit her in Singapore. I was excited to go to Indonesia because it would give me a chance to bond with my half-sister Mutya Laxa (who’s working with a multinational company there) and to visit Indonesia for the first time. Since we were to take Singapore Airlines (my favorite airline), we would be having a stopover in Singapore. Anthony and I were hesitant to bring the kids because we were worried about catching the SARS virus. My mom assured us that Singapore was safe and that there was nothing to worry about. With much prayer and planning, we decided to go for it!

Since it was so last-minute, we failed to get a passport for our yaya to help us with our kids. Anthony and I decided to help each other out with the kids instead. Off I went with my three big kids to Singapore, dropped them off at my mom’s place where I stayed overnight, and then flew to Indonesia on my own the next day.

Aside from doing some work, I got a chance to discover that my sister Mutya is an art lover who has been doing some of her own paintings. She’s crazy about beautiful furniture and is obsessed about cooking for her friends. I couldn’t stop eating the vegetarian pasta meal she prepared for me. I really missed her and was glad to have spent some time with her. She had me try an authentic Javanese massage at a popular spa called Martha Tilaar and it was truly to die for. Too bad I didn’t have time for a complete spa experience, but it’s another reason to go back and maybe this time, to Bali ... Anthony together with our youngest son Benjamin met up with me after a couple of days. Anthony stayed a couple more days in Indonesia to try to find some business opportunities there while Benj and I flew to Singapore to meet up with the rest of the kids.

As soon as we boarded the plane, we were given a kit with masks, thermometers (for one-time use) and wet wipes with antiseptic. I really anticipated to see many people wearing masks in Singapore but was pleasantly surprised to find very few people wearing them. While initially I felt paranoid being in Singapore, I realized it was not such a scary place to be. I felt safe and clean as ever. There were all forms of information to help people understand the SARS virus and how to prevent it. I noticed that the cab we hailed had a sticker that said his cab was disinfected. Cab drivers, as I have found out , take their temperature after each of their passenger leaves. It takes a while before they take in a new passenger because they log the time and place they drop off every single passenger. It’s inspiring to see the effort of each individual or organization to collectively fight the SARS virus. On TV, I saw a commercial encouraging people to be diligent in taking their temperature and helping their country fight SARS. Every salesperson in the mall has a badge that indicates his temperature and what time it was taken. It’s sad to see very few tourists flying into Singapore. It’s such a beautiful country perfect for a getaway especially for families. The beach is within reach at Sentosa Island where one could swim with the dolphins and enjoy the powdery white sand beach through a 45-minute ferry ride to Bintan, Malaysia. There are countless attractions and thousands of restaurants to conquer. There’s a sale everywhere and the malls are clean, beautiful and carry the latest in fashion. I know that Singapore has suffered greatly because of SARS, but I am also confident that it will soon be back on its feet. Singaporeans work together as a nation and are eager to regain what they have lost.

It’s too bad we couldn’t stay longer. My kids had a grand time with my parents and brother Misha. I was glad for the chance to bond with them – super bonding! Anthony joined us in Singapore and we took turns in being with the kids so the other could take some time off and shop. Yes, call it bitin but we’ll soon be back because I want more of Singapore!

Further research into the beginning of SARS has led to interesting discoveries that it was actually discovered in the Philippines a long time ago. It was then known by a simpler name, SAR or A-SAR. Just like SARS, it spread very rapidly through face-to-face personal contacts.

ASAR – a carrier person who may infect others.

ASAR TALAGA – a person who is very contagious; very dangerous to approach; needs attention by healthy persons only.

NANG-A-A-SAR – a person who is maliciously spreading the disease.

NAASAR – a person who is infected with the disease.

NAGKA-ASARAN – the process of transmitting the disease to others.

PANG-ASAR - Any medium of spreading the disease.

NAASAR TALAGA – A person in very serious condition; needs quarantine; could be fatal.

ASARAN NA – when a group or community is already infected.

NAPIKON – a victim of ASAR who is beyond recovery; should not be touched by anybody, not even by friends or relatives.