Saturday, March 12, 2011

FINALLY, WE GET TO THE CASINO: We have been living in its shadow for more than a month. Today, I finally made it to the Marina Bay Sands Casino.
I walked over to the three-towered casino/hotel/shopping center (right) with Chris Donahue (nephew) and Stephen Herron (son). On the way into the casino, we walked by a gold-tinted performance artists perched on a stationary bicycle (with a flat front tire (right). We needed passports to get in. For some reason, I was allowed to waltz right past the officials at the door. They wanted to take a closer look at Chris and Stephen. I guess that was the "high-roller" treatment. Almost immediately I revealed my true nature. I went to a display rack and picked up one of the casino's handy "gaming guide" brochures. This was for "Three Card Poker." Note to self: If you MUST get a brochure to learn how to play a card game, don't wait until you are INSIDE THE CASINO to begin the learning process. I decided to fold 'em before even playing one hand. Heck, I don't even know what an "envy bonus" is.
Anyway, we got there about 11 a.m. and promptly had lunch. After a lot of walking around, we finally found a table for blackjack (amid the many for baccarat, three-card stud, Singapore hold 'em and pontoon). Stephen plopped himself down at the only blackjack table we could find (among many in the well-lit, wide-open area. After about ten hands, Stephen had turned his $50 into $100. He sensibly quit.

SINGAPORE AFTER DARK: In the evening, Stephen, Chris, Abby Donahue, Sandy and I headed to the Night Safari in north central Singapore. We had supper at the zoo and then watched a very nice "Creatures of the Night" show. Above, some of the cast members display a reticulated python they plucked from a box under one of the benches in the auditorium. (There's a clearer picture of the emcee, Mark, at right.) One of the stunning features of that after-dark show and the tram ride that followed was that a large number of people in attendance KEPT USING THEIR FLASH CAMERAS despite repeated pleas from employees of the zoo to NOT do so. One person actually stood up to get a close look at a barn owl as it perched on a trainer's hand or shoulder, pushed his shutter and BLASTED the poor critter with his flash. How dim can you be? They should have thrown him out or stopped the show immediately. Later, on a tram ride, some nut pointed his camera at a mellow KING OF THE JUNGLE and plastered him with a bolt of light. Might that prompt a lion to leap?????
Full disclosures: Sandy took the above picture WITHOUT a flash. I took the one of the emcee WITH a flash, but BEFORE he announced the prohibition. For the record, some people think flash photography is overrated. Tonight's zoo crew is pictured below--the shot being taken WITH a flash by a zoo employee FAR AWAY from the creatures of the night.