Chinese New Year goes on and on... I enjoy the repeated opportunities to indulge in Yu Sheng (the special Chinese New Year salad that I mentioned before), but the cacophonous drums of the lion dance get old really quick. Especially when they start up at 8 in the morning outside my bedroom window. At least today I had blessed relief from the incessant banging, but that was not the case several mornings this week.

Had a big night out on Saturday. It was my friend Heather's birthday and we celebrated by going to a Brazilian carnivore restaurant and then on to one of Singapore's hot spots, a restaurant/club called Indochine on Clarke Quay. I'd actually never been to Indochine before and quite liked it. Because drinking is sooo expensive in Singapore ($16-$18 for a cocktail), it's important that a venue make up for the cost with a bit of style, and Indochine has that. The courtyard that fronts the water is lined with giant Chinese warrior statues, and the inside is stylish Asian decor, complete with a trendy "ice bar" at the back. I haven't actually gone out all that much in Singapore, but this was one of my favorite places thus far. Wednesday I'll have an update of the big new Singapore hot spot- Ministry of Sound- because we're planning to go there for ladies' night. Ooh, and my friend Dawn will be in town for a brief visit then- can't wait! She's stopping by for a couple of days after a visit to the Philippines. As always, it's great to see friends!