…with a connection in Helsinki delivered my husband and me to Singapore a few weeks ago, then onward to Bali. At the request of my esteemed blogging colleague Milo James Fowler, I’ll share a few pix here:

Starting with Singapore, as a city-state, it’s very contemporary with endless shopping malls…

…yet was not without some colonial or cultural architecture:

Fortunately, I wasn’t trafficking any illegal substances so wasn’t put to death (as threatened on my departure card at Immigration) and could live to see Ubud, Bali, where I wish we’d had more time. I’ll let the pictures explain why:

(that first photo above was at our rented villa—inSANE serenity. I would love to just sit there for months and write.)

Whereas Singapore didn’t really make us feel we’d traveled that far or to anything exotic (and charged a hell of a lot for booze, valuing cost of living over cost of indulgence), Bali compensated with its cultural richness…

…and MONKEYS!!! Here I am greeting one of my brethren (wearing my most challenging human costume to date—my cover was almost blown when a little monkey leapt onto my back and nearly pulled my dress down); the others consult with their critique group:

*sigh* How I envy their freedom in the Monkey Forest as I’m caged back up.

But I’ve missed my blog buddies, so I’m glad to be back and catching up with all y’all. More of my yammerings to follow soon…