It's the Paragon Centre. There is a dedicated PPS centre on the ground floor, and a large SQ services centre on the next floor up. Blood Brothers (on L3 I think) had a great cafe.

thanks, seanthepilot, for getting us reservations and for checking out taxi fares to the possible venues, and to bseller for the updated attendees list ! ^

Completely and totally AGREED!! ^^

OK, folks - here's the deal on Saturday Night's Dinner !!!

The final vote count was Jumbo: 10, NSB: 9 (+4 guests). This seems way too close to call on the vote alone when one considers the +4. As I said upthread, I'd reserve my vote as a tie-breaker. ;)

Given: 1) A close vote, 2) NSB's location (and subsequently cheaper transportation costs), and 3) Otherwise comparable venues -
I have broken the tie and voted NSB.

Our on-ground coordinator, seanthepilot, will complete the reservation for NSB and I assume that it will be at/near 1900 hours.

One thing to consider is the possibility of a "set-price" menu with add-ons for crab, crab, and more crab. ;) I'm unsure as to whether we need to do this in advance or at the dinner itself - but that can resolve itself shortly.

Looking forward to having a GREAT SIN DO meal with everyone. I hope that those of you who voted Jumbo will forgive me and simply make Jumbo the overwhelming choice for SIN DO 2009!!! :cool:
It would have made a great choice as well.

Best, Dave

I also dug up more stuff to occupy the weekend.

Sunday evening will be the official Night Safari tour. www.nightsafari.com.sg
currently 3 of us going. But the more, the merrier.

For those that need a reason to shake off the jet lag, I dug up the Tiger Beer tour called TigerLIVE www.tigerlive.com.sg
We could make it Saturday or Sunday afternoon if anyone is interested.

For those staying beyond this weekend Jan 22...
Thaipusam, An annual Hindu festival that I've heard much about is also this weekend. www.heb.gov.sg MRT Farrer park
"Several hundred devotees spear their cheeks with long, shiny steel rods - often a metre long - and pierce their chests and backs with small, hook-like needles in penance. http://www.ddavid.com/alongdesire/thai_img24.htm

Tourists watch in awe as metal pierces the skin with hardly any bleeding and, apparently, no pain as the devotee stands in a trance in the dawn light after weeks of rigorous abstinence."

You guys will have a GREAT time, wish I could join you!! :(
We could even incorporate that into the "Annual Saturday SIN DO BoatQuay Tiger Beer Drinking Festival" that everyone has been talking about! ;) :D
This was one of the scheduled events at a SIN DO a few years ago. I'm sure that SanDiego1K would be glad to tell anyone who asks about it! :D

Best, Dave

Of course the Chinese New Year elebrations start this weekend too and run for the month

For those that want to do their own thing check out...
www.visitsingapore.com

Just to double-check, the first place that most of us (or at least a lot of us) will be in attendance is the lobby of the Le Meridien on Friday night, followed by drinks, right?

What time did we say we wanted to meet?


BTW, my travel arrangements are now final:

Arr. Jan 18th, 06:55am on SQ25 (same flight as szg)
Dep. Jan 20th, 09:20pm on LX183
Staying at the IC both nights (couldn't resist that RA free minibar).

Oh, and of course I'm still bringing Freddie Jr. with me!

Thanks so much to Seanthepilot and Bseller for all their efforts! This sounds like so much fun and I look forward to meeting with everyone.

Also for clarification, we're meeting in the Le Meridien lobby at 19:00 on Friday, then having drinks. Is the drink venue also at Le Meridien?

So, so excited.

Toodles!

Le Meridien at 7 p.m. Friday
 

We are meeting in the lobby at 7 p.m. There is a bar there or we may decide to go somewhere else.

Afterwards, we will taxi to La Pau Sat for our traditional midnight dinner. Note: do not dress up, this is casual as are most things in Singapore. The hotel lobby is air-conditioned to Singapore standards, it is cool. La Pau Sat is open air probably about 70 degrees at midnight.

I hope to make it to La Pau Sat to say hi to everyone, hopefully with Lori_Q and Violist.

OK, we (Alex0683de and I) will be at lobby at 7 p.m.

Are we meeting on Saturday before the dinner to cab/taxi pool? I can reserve some mini-vans as mjm used to do for us.

I made the reservation for 7:30pm, but can change it when I reconfirm in 2 days.

I think that a bunch of folks are staying at LM, but it's also possible that folks may be out doing their own thing. Nonetheless, so long as we're not hung for the cost - minivans seem fine. It would also be easy to simple cab-pool given that it's not very far or very expensive.

1930 seems to be as good a time as any. Since there will be several of us heading out for the 3rd (4th?) ANNUAL SIN DO BOAT QUAY TIGER BEER DRINKING FESTIVAL ;) - the later time may give folks a chance to freshen up before dinnner.

Best, Dave

Work now calls me to meetings in Singapore on Monday, so I'm sticking around an extra day!

Will anybody be left at Lau Pa Sat by the time those of us on 895 clear C&I and make our way downtown? Unfortunately the flight time has been pushed back in the past few months, and now it doesn't land until 0020, which means we don't make it to LPS until 0100-0130, depending on how quickly everybody moves through the process. I'll be glad to head down there if there will still be people, but if everybody will have shoved off by then, I'll go get some sleep and catch up with people on Saturday (especially since it WON'T be 12 noon for me like it will be for those arriving from the US ;) )

La Pau Sat
 

I can only speak to one experience last year. Yes, we were still there past 0200 and the UA folks showed up when they showed up. The NW folks arrive even later than UA. The purpose of the midnight thing is for you guys to meet up with us. See you there.

Leaving for PDX in just a few minutes to make the epic journey in V class-coach once again.