minus 18 days: monopoly

If you are going for a short trip and do not need to carry much cash, changing money is no biggie. And there are sufficient money changers scattered around Singapore so it should be easy.

But, we will need a bit more cash for this trip. Especially when some hostels do not accept cash.

So I grabbed my trusty bodyguard - my colleague Captain - and headed down to The Arcade at Raffles Place. Many have recommended The Arcade for the best exchange rates.

I understood why once I arrived. Lining the entire second floor were money changers and long lines of office workers.

With so much cash floating around in that building, I wondered if I should feel safe since I was not the only one with cash, or be very afraid because it seemed like the best place for pickpockets and thieves to be loitering around!

Anyway, at the end, I got what I needed, at pretty good rates I think from Sheen International Exchange #02-04.

• British Pound: 2.124
• Switzerland Franc: 1.289
• Euro: 1.835
• Norway Kroner: 0.245

minus 29 days: what rocks my world

Every time I hear Lady Gaga's Poker Face, I recall the great times in New York. Music is essential, especially on this trip where we will spend quite a bit of time on the train.

My play list:

• Mambo (of course!): how can I survive 37 days in Europe without Square Room, Summer Rain, Heaven is a Place on Earth, etc.
• Lady Gaga The Fame Monster: after falling in love with Poker Face in New York, I cannot leave Singapore without her
  
• Awaken the dawn by Keith & Kristyn Getty, See Him Coming, Whatever Happens: no better way to remember God and my Christian friends (especially Ben and Kengyi who passed me CDs to make sure I have a good collection)
• 五月天, 杨丞琳 and other chinese pop: when I feel like singing along
• Kesha Animal: more girl power!
• Christian talks from John Piper and St Helen's so I can be reminded of God's word

With 32 gigabytes of storage space in Caleb (my iPhone), I could have imported a lot more music. But these should keep me entertained and swaying in my seat.

minus 39 days: blog on the go

Ananias, my Asus Eee PC net book weighs 1.2 kilograms. It is light. But lugging it around on a walking trip builds excessive shoulder muscle. And worrying about its safety pains my brain.

So here is Caleb, my iPhone to the rescue.

But can Caleb really handle all the stuff I need to do?

What I can do on Caleb just as well as (or sometimes better than) on Ananias:

• Email mommy to tell her I'm still alive
• Add new friends on facebook
• Tweet about the amazing hot chocolate I just had in the french cafe
• Book my next hostel stay
• Upload photos on facebook

What I cannot do as well on Caleb

• Research online on my next destination, especially if I will surf more than 5 minutes
• Surf around for the best hostel
• Update this blog!

I found out that mobile blogging is not as easy as I thought. By right, I could easily send an email to a designated address which could either publish or save it as a draft post. But - yes, and it's a pretty big but - I realised that there is some bug with sending emails with photos and text using the iPhone (don't be sad Caleb, it's not your fault). It is a known issue, but seems like there is no solution as yet. So, looks like, I'll need to blog using the desktops at the hostel or an internet cafe.

Whatever the case is, Ananias, you are grounded.