It’s been too long since I’ve last posted an entry. I feel like there should be at least ten entries in between this one and my last one, but I think I have to fast forward a little or else I’ll never get caught up. I’m going to go straight to my latest trip to Asia. First stop – Singapore

There’s not too much to say about my departure to Singapore, except that the trip was extremely loooong. Early Wednesday morning I took a flight out of Toronto bound for HK. It wasn’t pleasant sitting through a 15-hour flight. Thank goodness I was able to catch some sleep. Aside from waking up for meals and reading a couple chapters from my book, I also managed to watch Usagi Drop midway through. What a cute movie!

We made it to HK slightly behind schedule and beelined for the exit. My uncle was able to meet us outside of the gate (he works at the airport). Since he had a meeting to go to, we quickly passed him the gifts we bought for our grandma and waved goodbye. Then we hurried over to the security check. We found out we had a problem getting through the check point because they wouldn’t let us bring the bottle of ice wine we had purchased back at Pearson. It totally slipped my mind that duty free items couldn’t go through security. It was such a hassle trying to find a way to get around it. My sis and I ended up getting separated inside the airport. Anyway, long story short – it was a futile attempt because we ended up throwing out the bottle. I was so upset because it was $50 down the drain!!

Luckily we still had some time to grab a quick bite to eat at Cafe de Coral. My favourite baked pork chop rice!

Then we headed off to the gates to board our flight to Singapore. I must admit, Singapore Airlines is quite nice. Air Canada would not bother handing out hot towels or menus. AND, they actually serve Singapore Slings on the flight! I was a little sleepy this time around, but I tried to stay awake so I could watch Kamisama no Karute. I had to split the movie into two parts, but I was so happy to watch it!

By the time we landed at Changi, I was exhausted from all the flying. The airport was pretty quiet, so we got through immigration and baggage claim in no time. However we had an interesting dilemma as we got out to the arrival lobby…Faye’s flight would be arriving later in the evening – do we stay or do we leave??

This was probably an impulsive decision on my part, but how often do you get to catch your favourite singer at the airport? Needless to say, we ended up staying.

It wasn’t totally terrible waiting around at the airport. We made ourselves comfortable inside McDonald’s and got a bite to eat. After two hours, Shirley, who is the organizer of the SG Fan Club, came to the airport and joined us at the table. Little by little, our table got fuller with Faye fans. It was great meeting so many people and it really helped pass the time because I was starting to get sleepy again.

Faye’s flight ended up being slightly delayed. When it was finally time to gather around, there were over 30 fans who showed up. The organizers had arranged for four bodyguards and the rest of her entourage was waiting on the sides. The excitement was definitely building up as the seconds ticked.

Finally, we spotted Faye coming from the gates. It turned into a frenzy as everyone tried to take pictures of her. I had a terrible time getting my camera in place and I really didn’t want to use the flash on her, so I ended up with really blurry shots. I was hoping she would stay to chat a little, or at least walk slowly towards her car. But in that situation, it was understandable that she made a beeline towards the exit.

After waiting more than 3 hours at the airport, the whole spectacle was over in less than 30 seconds. However, it was still worth it to see her in person for the first time. I was definitely awake again from all the excitement. I did have a very embarrassing side story though – I got interviewed by a newspaper. I guess the reporter must have seen me waving my Canadian flag, so he was interested in knowing what foreign fans think of Faye. My photo ended up published beside Faye’s! (Remember, I had been flying for more than a day already.) Luckily they didn’t post the photo online, but you can read the article here.

So that about wraps up my adventurous first day…touring the airport. Thank you so much to Shirley and several SG fans for making sure we knew our way to the hotel. Actual adventures to come in the next post!