Endofweeklah

Summary of the past few days...

• Went to Karaoke last night and it was lots of fun
• Going to Batam Monday evening until Thursday to look at shipyards
• Going to buy laptop at SimLim Square (even though everyone told me it would be cheaper in Asia to buy, Fry's Outlet in Fishers, IN is cheaper) tomorrow
• Going to the Vietnamese exhibit in the "Asian Civilisations Museum" with Mama Bear and FM. I'm really excited about it!
• I keep looking for Banh Beo Nha Trang-style, but it is impossible.
• Been spending the end of this week just looking for condos/apartments. Interestinglah.
• MamaBear flew in this morning!

This exhibition will focus on one of Asia’s fastest growing economies – Vietnam - from its mythical origins to the rising economic power it has become today. Visitors will be able to explore Vietnam's unique cultural identity, as seen in the diverse material cultures that developed over the past 2,500 years.

This rich legacy is the result of different cultural influences, which were absorbed and adapted. The advanced bronze technology of the Dong Son culture of northern Vietnam some 2,500 years ago, shared similarities with Chinese traditions and was also exported to other parts of Southeast Asia. The Viet culture of the northern Red River region, was heavily influenced by China during the first 1,000 years of the common era, when the region was under Chinese rule. In central Vietnam, the Hindu Buddhist kingdom of Champa left an important legacy of temples and sculpture, inspired by Indian traditions.

In the highlands and other remote areas, tribal communities involved in cross-border trade also engaged in the process of cross-cultural adaptation. Important pieces from national museums around Vietnam, will be exhibited in this exhibition, including archaeological materials, sculpture, textiles and ethnographic objects. Some exhibits will come from private collections and the ACM’s own collection.

End of weeklah

The last couple of days I've been calling agents everywhere to look at places to live. I also looked into Sim Lim Square, which is basically an enormous, 6-story warehouse filled with little tiendas (stores) of electronics dealers. Everyone told me that the electronics here are cheaper, but this is somewhat false! Fry's Outlet in Fishers is much cheaper than here, with a few rare exceptions.

Hm...I also found out today (because MamaBear is home) that I'm going to Batam on Monday evening, which is an island off of Indonesia. Totally excited. I'll be back in SG on Thursday.

FM is leaving me alone when he goes back to Dubai next Monday :(. His sister is also flying into SG and then leaving.

Hm...what else? I am going to the Vietnamese festival tomorrow and buying a laptop in SimLim.

"This exhibition will focus on one of Asia’s fastest growing economies – Vietnam - from its mythical origins to the rising economic power it has become today. Visitors will be able to explore Vietnam's unique cultural identity, as seen in the diverse material cultures that developed over the past 2,500 years. This rich legacy is the result of different cultural influences, which were absorbed and adapted. The advanced bronze technology of the Dong Son culture of northern Vietnam some 2,500 years ago, shared similarities with Chinese traditions and was also exported to other parts of Southeast Asia. The Viet culture of the northern Red River region, was heavily influenced by China during the first 1,000 years of the common era, when the region was under Chinese rule. In central Vietnam, the Hindu Buddhist kingdom of Champa left an important legacy of temples and sculpture, inspired by Indian traditions. In the highlands and other remote areas, tribal communities involved in cross-border trade also engaged in the process of cross-cultural adaptation.
Important pieces from national museums around Vietnam, will be exhibited in this exhibition, including archaeological materials, sculpture, textiles and ethnographic objects. Some exhibits will come from private collections and the ACM’s own collection."

Toodles! Time to go read some more of The Roald Dahl Omnibus.

Oh yes, I went to Karaoke last night, and it was loads of fun. The final song was Stayin' Alive, and we all got up and danced like fools. It was awesome. <3

Cleanliness of Singapore/Misc.

Went for a dip in the morning, got ready to go meet BF and some fellow PU graduates at Chinatown MRT Station.

The MRT is the metro station of Singapore. You know, I haven't noticed an excessive cleanliness about Singapore until I stepped into the Chinatown MRT station. You see, if it had been any other city, I would have definitely expected a dirty, dirty place. The floors in this MRT station (my first one that I've seen) were incredibly clean. Not clean enough to lick, seeing as thousands of people go through an MRT station each and every day, but certainly clean enough for me to be very impressed. When you walk outside on the street, sure you don't see litter and junk just laying around, but because I don't expect these things to be here, maybe I am a tad...ignorant as to how Singapore compares to other cities. I guess I just expect every city to be clean enough.

I know that Singapore is criticized for being 'sterile,' I really don't feel like the place is so immaculate that you would notice. However, FM's house is truly immaculate. It's a gorgeous home with the funniest cats!

Today!!!!!!!!! Trump let me stroke him, and he totally jumped into my lap. Einstein is a sleepy kitty. No sign of Ms. Twinkle. :(

Dim sum was pretty good, but I didn't feel well so we ended up going home afterwards while I took a long, long nap (4 hours). I just woke up :). BF said that he had some food poisoning :(. Maybe I just slept it off instead of getting sick. I am so proud of my body :). You good girl you.

Tomorrow I have to buy some orchids and durian for FM's parents. I think we're going to go apartment hunting tomorrow. Today was so dreary because it rained the majority of the day. We're going to be lazy and call a real estate agent though - just something along the Green Line (MRT line) in the east.

***
I'm sure this is a common thing, but the weirdest things have happened to me for the first time in the last two days:
1. Dreamt of something knocking, and it turned out to be real.
2. Dreamt of someone calling and me answering the phone. Then I woke up because someone was knocking on my door to answer the phone. Oh man. I even dreamt the person who actually called. Weird!!!!

I did a psychological experiment on my sister a long time ago (maybe...junior year of high school). Yeah Tinky. I don't know if I ever told you this....

^_^ it was about external cues while you're sleeping. I rubbed a rock on her hand (which I was seriously considering dipping in warm water HAHAHAHAHA) and then asked her about it the next morning, but nothing really happened. I suppose my sleeping pattern is different here.

****

My voice has changed a bunch too. I think that it's a lot deeper now. :(

****
I'm currently obsessed with "Better in Time" by Leona Lewis. Over and over, this is me!

Curious...then a summary of the day

This has never happened to me before, and it has already happened twice in the last two days:

While I'm sleeping,

1. someone knocked on my door, and the sound incorporated itself into my dream. Then, I realized it was real :p


2. someone called, and I imagined that it was FM's Mama and answered the phone. Then I woke up and realized that she really did call when Roanna came to the door. Bizarre!!!

Woke up and didn't feel like bothering the maids, so I just went for a dip (swim) until 11. Then I just got ready to go to Chinatown (first time in an MRT station! They are so ridiculously clean for MRT stations. Thousands of people use it, and the floor is still squeaky clean) to meet BF and some fellow PU graduates. We had dim sum in Chinatown Point!

We meant to go look for apartments today, but I didn't feel so well (BF said that he had minor food poisoning....) so I went home to take a long nap. I just woke up ^_^

So the rest of the week just looks like I'm going to look for apartments and buy some thank-you gifts for FM's parents. As of right now, I've been losing like mad in euchre. I'm going to play a game until I lose and then hit the hay (again).

An Ode to Cats

Oh three little cats...

Yeah, I have no skillz to write an ode to the cats. But I am telling you that these cats are so different:

Twinkle: oldest, thinnest, likes to sit next to the pool and drink chlorinated water, golden fur, purrs soooo much. "You mess with the Twinkle, the Twinkle messes with YOU!"

Trump: whiner, runs away from strangers (when I say run, I meant sprint), raised from a bottle. I tried to hold out my hand to Trump, and he runs runs runs away from me. Actually, he is the first cat I saw because he whines and whines. But when he saw me, he ran behind a lawn chair and peered out to me. Yes, oh kitty cat, I cannot see you when you hide behind things that are see through.

Einstein: Jumped in my lap and though he likes to dig his little kitty paws into my legs, I am happy that he likes me. Sleeps under the same chair. One time when Mama saw him on the prized throne chair of Papa, she swatted him with a newspaper (he took off). Later, she would only give him death glare, and he would take off. Hilarious. Then he started to sleep under the throne chair. Now, it is a different chair. Einstein is nice nice. Nice black kitty.

Heartbroken but Mended!

Imagine how disappointed I was when I found out the ABC and CBS full episodes are only available in the US.

What saved my life: http://www.tv-links.cc/
I have watched Desperate Housewives, The Big Bang Theory, Ugly Betty, and How I Met Your Mother!

Things are so much better now. I spent half the day watching the episodes. I went for a swim today and then ate two mangoes! I'm still waiting for amazing mangoes, but they taste the same as in the States.

For lunch I had Istanbul Laksa. It is soooo delicious!!!! Interestingly enough (something that I didn't expect because the mangoes and apples taste the same here as in the US), the egg tasted completely different. It is a bit more bland, and the yolk is not as yellow as it is grey. Of course, the eggs are not white; they are brown. We went to the Simei MRT station to eat and also get the necessary passport picture for the work permit.

I need a manicure. I haven't bitten my nails for over a month now. Hold on...let me count the days!!!! OH it's been more than 6 weeks! Hooray! I've been struggling to stop biting my nails for a while, but after those wisdoms were taken out... :)

Time to swim swim! Bye bye.

What I have seen so far

Observations of Fashion in Singapore

1. I wore a linen-shelled, cotton-lined dress yesterday from Gap. It is very cute but a tad heavy. FM says that I looked like a Japanese tourist because apparently they wear all white.
2. I did wear all black one day and did not overheat. However, all white was perfect for yesterday because I practically melted. Bleck.
3. I thought that when I got here, I would just be coated in sweat 24/7. Thank goodness for air conditioning and deodorant; however, I don't sweat that easily, and thankfully that remains true here.
4. Some people dress in a very Japanese style here, but I noticed that very few people wear prints. People just throw a bunch of solid colors together. No one wears high heels during the day, but everyone has those weak-sauce 1-2 inch heels.
5. There is no flamboyant usage of colors here. Everything is played very safely. I haven't really seen one trendy person since I've arrived. However, I am keeping my eyes open.

It hasn't rained much, but I know that it will. I thought that this would bug me majorly, but it hasn't really sunk in I don't think.

Chewing gum is prohibited here (without the permission of a dentist). However, I don't miss it at all. I don't really notice that Singapore is, as some people say, sterile (in cleanliness). I just think that it is cleaner than NYC. I mean, this is saying something because, according to Wikipedia Article "List of urgban areas by population," Singapore has 4.2 million people like Atlanta. Unlike Atlanta, Singapore has 479 sq. km of land, and Atlanta has 5, 083 sq. km of land. There are a lot of tall buildings. Actually, when I get a drive to insert my memory card, I will be able to publish some of the pictures I took of the city so far. Ho hum.

Ok I'm off to breakfast! ttfn

Leisure Plan drawn up to enhance recreational options in Singapore

This seems like an awesome idea - just like the Monon Trail for Singapore! And I love the idea of new hotels and spas taking over some of the bungalows around here. Woo!

Leisure Plan drawn up to enhance recreational options in Singapore
Channel NewsAsia - Friday, May 23

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20080522/tap-349212-231650b.html
SINGAPORE: In the near future, one will be able to stroll, jog or cycle around the whole of Singapore just by following an extensive route. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is developing a 150—kilometre round—island path as part of its Leisure Plan. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan revealed details of new recreational options at the Architectural Design Awards 2008 ceremony on Wednesday. The round—island route will be developed over the next 10 to 15 years, but up to two—thirds of the path — which includes the Punggol Coastal Promenade — could be ready in just five years. At three and a half times the length of the Pan—Island Expressway (PIE), the route will comprise existing and new park connectors, waterfront promenades and other trails. It will also cover leisure destinations at the Marina Bay, Changi Point and the upcoming Jurong Lake District. Mr Mah said: "We may be the first and only people in the world to be able to take a relatively easy walk around our whole country. You can spend a morning with your family at East Coast Park, enjoy the sea breeze at the new coastal promenades at Punggol and Woodlands, or take an evening stroll through our hilltops at the Southern Ridges."Besides visiting the rustic countryside and farms at Lim Chu Kang, the more adventurous will also be able to trek along new nature trails to the 17—hectare Kranji Marshes. Furthermore, the National Parks Board will be launching a Wetland Master Plan in the Sungei Buloh area to promote "bio—learning" activities. Cheong Koon Hean, CEO of URA, said: "We already have the very beautiful Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, which we will enhance. We will add 21 hectares of park land around it to protect the ecology of the entire system."The agri—tainment sites have been introduced because a lot of people just want to get away and experience farmstays, so we are creating opportunities to do that. Some sites will be tendered out for agri—tainment use."Singaporeans can also look forward to more quiet retreats, which will be made available with 900 hectares of new green spaces, including the new Gardens by the Bay and the Diary Farm Nature Park. Authorities also plan to triple the existing park connector network from the current 100 kilometres to 360 kilometres within 15 years. Waterways like the one in Bukit Chermin will be made more accessible. At the same time, urban planners are considering converting some of the black—and—white bungalows there into boutique hotels or spas. The URA has also come up with ideas to transform Singapore into a 24/7 city. One way is to create more lifestyle hotspots like the one at Dempsey Hill. In the years ahead, new chill—out places will be found at the Lakeside Village in Jurong and Kallang Riverside. Some other leisure plans will be happening much sooner this year. Come July, the National Heritage Board is holding a Night Festival at the Bras Basah area, followed by the Singapore Tourism Board’s Singapore River Festival in September. Besides hosting more programmes, URA said improvements like better night—lighting, new street furniture and more attractive activity spaces will be introduced to create a better ambience for people to enjoy the nightlife in Singapore.
— CNA/so

Running Around Town

Today I woke up, ate breakfast, went for a quick swim, took a shower, and then went to lunch. We ate lunch today at Porta Porta, which is this small Italian restaurant that serves the ideal 'homemade' Italian meal. The Tuscan bread was soo good. There were three choices for lunch: seafood, meat, or vegetarian. We both got the seafood portion, but I couldn't finish the fried calamari. I'm not a big calamari fan, but the tiramisu was so cute and pretty good.

Non-American pastries are so much better than American pastries. Anyways, after lunch we went to look at several places. My company wants to change the location of the office (because it is quite small). The first place was very run down but very large (4000 sq ft). I liked how spacious it was. The third place was enormous (64,000 sq ft for one of the businesses, not my company) and the third was very cluttered (because the people still did not move out yet) and low ceilings. I also ran by a place called Pho 99.

Yesterday, I went to a Vietnamese restaurant called Le Viet, and the server didn't even speak Vietnamese. I was like...oh I am definitely not going to order Banh Beo (which I've been craving for years now) Nha Trang style - not Nam style. Anyways, I was relieved to hear Vietnamese being spoken back to me, even if it was just in a small little Pho shop. Whew! I will be back in that area sometime. It was nice to hear Vietnamese.

Then we ran ran ran to the office to get some paperwork filled out. Then we came home and ate the most amazing dinner that FM's maternal grandmother made. Everything is eaten by hand, and it was rice cooked with nutmeg, coconut and chicken broth, chili sauce, chicken wings, sour soup, and vegetables (which I did not touch). I even drank water. I am so good.

Anyways, it's only 9, but I'm dead tired and going to run into my cozy little guest bed and hopefully not wake up at 7 AM like this morning.

Toodles!

Pool Hall Junkies

Today I had breakfast of toast and apples (which seemed the same as the ones in the US). Apparently, most of the fruit here comes from the Philippines or Australia. Then I just watched some TV (just chilling) and then lunch from the leftover spaghetti from yesterday. Then we went out to malls.

There are SO MANY malls here in Singapore. It seems like every other building is a mall.

So yesterday I got my butt kicked in pool. Today, I came back with an evil gleam in my eye (and a vengeance to match! haha!). It was awesome to win today. We also went to the National Library, which is GIGANTIC. It is 13 stories tall, takes up about a quarter of a block, and there are additional stories underground. I didn't know that you could fill that much space with just books. It is quite nice inside, and there also the University of Nevada-Las Vegas is based in there, I believe (in the upper levels).

After pool, we went to Clarke Quay. I haven't really taken any pictures yet because I am a lazy bum but hopefully tomorrow will be a better time? I also got to go into the office where I will be working. Tomorrow I plan to go look at various office spaces as well as apartment spaces for me tomorrow.

Got a phone today too! I bought the SIM card yesterday, but now it is all good with the M1 card using a borrowed phone. I'm thinking of buying a BlackBerry phone once I get everything else figured out, or at least, something with Internet capabilities. I love the fact that you have to have a SIM card here because that means that I can use the same phone in Dubai with a different SIM card. Hooray!

The weather was so nice today. I even went for a swim in the morning. :)

First Day

Woke up around 7 AM today after talking to parents for a while late at night (and this morning too).

FM and I went to Orchard Rd, which is the equivalent of Champs-Elysees - a big road full of nice shops. We walked around for a bit, and I bought a phone card. I'll be buying a real phone line once the work permit is complete! Hooray hooray!

So he also told me that I'm going to be working on two projects: one in Dubai (factory) and one in Singapore (school). I'm so excited about the upcoming weeks! These first two weeks are to settle into Singapore, etc. I bought a pair of slip on heels today because my new Pumas were giving me blisters :(. Then those heels gave me blisters on other places. OH great...

We also looked at Chinatown, the financial district (formerly the European district) Little India, the Arab district (+ Malay), "hawkers" and a "typical Singaporean neighborhood." Hawkers are like a set of street vendors clumped together to form a food court-like atmosphere. I got to try some fresh squeezed sugar cane juice. So for lunch I had beef udon (yum!) and for dinner I had "Spaghetti Vongole with White Wine Sauce" at this EXCELLENT restaurant named "Fabbrica," which is owned by FM's aunt and uncle. Basically, it was spaghetti with clams. so good!

We also swam a little bit in FM's pool and played pool (I got slaughtered) in the Bark Cafe.

After dinner (with two friends of FM), we went to a hawkers place (which is definitely more lively during the evening hours) and I had blueberry longan. Everyone wanted to hear me speaking Vietnamese ("The cat ran up the tree and ate a mango.") Ridiculous. It was a lot of fun just learning more about Singapore and its unofficial language "Singlish." They told me to end almost everything with "lah" or questions with "mah" (Chinese influence). I tried it out, but I usually end the sentence and then use 'lah' as an afterthought. Which apparently is hilarious. :p

It is so hard to believe that I'm in Asia right now. I thought I would be a lot more shell-shocked, but actually, it just feels like Chinatown in LA right now for me. I mean, yes, there are a LOT of Asians everywhere (!) but blah Chinatown has the same effect for me. The only difference is the huge population of Malay people here (and Indian).

The flight here was all right. When traveling from IND to O'Hare, I sat next to a Purdue electrical engineer graduate who works for an acoustics company. From O'Hare to Tokyo, I sat next to a guy who was about to start his 2 year obligation to the Korean army. He was nice (from U of Wisconsin-Madison). It was nice to sit next to someone that is my age for the 13 hour flight. Everything went so smoothly, except that I was upset because I couldn't fall asleep.

On the ride to Singapore, I fell asleep on and off. It was better, but kinda worse at the same time. I arrived and went right through Immigration, got a cab and got to FM's house. I was exhausted but wildly excited. :)

The weather today was gorgeous. I suppose it was about 85-90 degrees out (I haven't made the switch over to celsius yet, but the kg rule of thumb seems pretty simple to me) with no rain at all. There seems to be a perpetual breeze, so it was such nice weather. I thought that everyone would wear sunglasses, but this is obviously not the case. I will try not to take this weather for granted because I know that it rains excessively in Singapore.

It was so cool to see all the "historic" places (because Singapore used to be a British colony) because I am such a sucker for architecture. There is also random patches of trees (where there are packs of wild dogs and MONKEYS!). I love monkeys! :) FM says that sometimes they will be on the road and try to stare you down. I don't know if a monkey can distinguish "you" from the entire car's entity, but I'll take his word for it :).

Sorry this is all out of order, but my memory happens to be a jumbled mess. For breakfast, I was sort of disappointed because everyone raves how much better the fruit is here, but the apple I had this morning was sub-par. I also had jam and peanut butter on multi-grain toast and Milo, which is a chocolate-milk like drink here (for energy?). Oh yes, during a short trip around, FM took me to a French restaurant, and I had raspberry sorbet and a rasberry fruit tart (delicious!!!!). They had all sorts of jam there - date, fig, mango, green tomato lemon (yes, that is one flavor), and the usual ones like strawberry and banana. I'm not a big currant/marmalade/jam person, but this was quite a treat. It was also fun because this French couple's very young daughter was chewing on a bracelet and apparently having lots of fun going at it. This is how I judge restaurnts (this one named Hiedard); if it is French and French people go there, that is good enough for me. The little girl was a drooling mess, but seeing her smile the entire time just made her so much more lovable.

Tomorrow is a new day!

Shopping Preparations

It is a tad complicated, this situation in which I am.

The dilemma is this:

1. Singapore probably is the better place to buy clothes that you can actually wear in Singapore, meaning that the fabrics can actually be worn in such a humid environment.
2. One of my mother's friends says that the clothing in Singapore is so expensive that it's better to buy clothing over here than there. There is also, confirmed by friend, a phenomenon that people in Singapore will order things with their friends and split the shipping costs.
3. Express (expressfashion.com) is unavailable in Singapore and considered "cool". This will be taken under consideration.

Thus, because I am such a compromiser, I plan to buy a few things here and a few things there. I was looking forward to not having to go shopping in Indy anymore, because I totally would have gone to the Premium Outlets in Chicago when I was there last weekend. Anyways, I will be going to Edinburg tomorrow to look at some other outlets because I enjoy being slightly frugal.

Last thing, it's three days before my flight, so I have to call into United to confirm my seats, etc. I'll be going from Chicago to Tokyo to Singapore! Hooray!!!!!!!!

Preparednesslesslesslessly

So! Yesterday was Mother's Day, so I suspect that it will be the last family 'mini' reunion before I go off into the unknown. I've been moving all my stuff from my apartment and trying to figure out what to bring along with me.

One of my friends (BF) told me that you can't buy Express over there, so I'm thinking about hitting the store before I go. Hm... I'm also thinking about buying some cotton dresses and bathing suits from Victoria's Secret. They are so cute! I'll have to think about it though as I am leaving soon.

Going back to the apartment today to finish moving out!

Immunizations

I know it's been a while, but yesterday was a kinda great kinda bad day. I woke up around 6 AM to pack my car with the books and notebooks to start moving back home. Then I drove to the doctor's office in Carmel (from Purdue) - Dr. Timothy Hodges. We talked a little bit about genetics as well as the need for the Hepatitis A shot (Typhoid is necessary too for me, but I had everything else listed in the CDC website for Singapore). I'll have to get a booster shot for HepA in order to be set for life in about 6-12 months. He said that you can get HepA from just contaminated water or food - just from someone who didn't wash his hands. Hm... Anyways, the HepA shot didn't hurt going in, but the Typhoid stung a bit. Ironically, the HepA was more sore than the T. I did compliment the nurse (something that I don't do regularly) about how well she administered the shots. I'm going to try to make an effort to compliment more people now. Blah.

So as a "second celebration of my birthday," according to my mom (but personally I suppose it was a well you're leaving soon, so why not), the girls had DELICIOUS crab meat, French mayonnaise and asparagus last night for dinner.

Just FYI, if you're traveling to Singapore, these are the vaccinations that the CDC recommends (http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationList.aspx#D):

• Routine: (if you're not up to date on) measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, etc.
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Typhoid
• Japanese encephalitis (if you're traveling to rural areas)

I also found this interesting (and slightly alarming):

Other Diseases Found in Southeast Asia

Risk can vary between countries within this region and also within a country; the quality of in-country surveillance also varies.

The following are disease risks that might affect travelers; this is not a complete list of diseases that can be present. Environmental conditions may also change, and up to date information about risk by regions within a country may also not always be available.

Dengue, chikungunya, filariasis, Japanese encephalitis, and plague are diseases carried by insects that also occur in this region. Protecting yourself against insect bites (see below) will help to prevent these diseases.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) continues to cause outbreaks in domestic and wild bird populations and has caused human cases in several countries in Southeast Asia. In 2006, the virus continued to spread in poultry populations in Indonesia. Avoid all direct contact with birds, including domestic poultry (such as chickens and ducks) and wild birds, and avoid places such as poultry farms and bird markets where live birds are raised or kept. For a current list of countries reporting outbreaks of H5N1 among poultry and/or wild birds, view updates from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and for total numbers of confirmed human cases of H5N1 virus by country see the World Health Organization (WHO) Avian Influenza website.

Do not swim in fresh water (except in well-chlorinated swimming pools) to avoid infection with schistosomiasis. Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection often contracted through recreational water activities in contaminated water, such as kayaking, is common in tropical areas of Southeast Asia. (For more information, please see Swimming and Recreational Water Safety.) An outbreak was reported in Borneo among expedition travelers in 2000.

Measles transmission persists in the region, although vaccination coverage is improving in some countries in Southeast Asia. Influenza infections can occur throughout the year in tropical areas.

Polio resurfaced in Indonesia in 2005. Imported cases in neighboring countries have occasionally occurred.

For more information, see the Geographic Distribution of Potential Health Hazards to Travelers and Goals and Limitations in determining actual disease risks by destination.