I've read articles about the golden age of airline travel, written by now probably dead travelers who remember when you were offered cashmere socks and a robe to change into while being plied with endless glasses of champagne by attractive flight attendants. They bemoaned its death and complained about the crap food and poor service we've become accustomed to in the modern era. Okay, so I've never floated in a helium airship or whatnot, but if you have $4000+ to spend, then trust me that the golden age of airline travel is still very much alive in the Business Class of Singapore Airlines.

The first and most important thing you must know is that YOU ARE OFFERED AN UNLIMITED QUANTITY OF MILANO COOKIES from the minute of departure to when the plane touches down. The second thing you must know is that FOR REAL, THE COOKIES KEEP COMING ON SILVER PLATES EVERY HALF AN HOUR FOR NINETEEN HOURS. A flight attendant will kneel by your seat, on which you are reclined fully, and say, "Ms. Gu? May I offer you a selection of snacks?" And you will say, "Yes, thank you," and take two packets of cookies each and every time.

The seats are ridiculously large and covered in soft beige leather. They fold down into a bed that is damn near twin size so that I could stretch out and almost complete a full rollover in comfort. The television screen is crisp and around 15". As I laid there, watching movies (forty minutes of "Love and Other Drugs" before I couldn't take it anymore and "Morning Glory" which was actually decent) and eating a grotesque amount of cookies, I had a flashback to my old apartment in New York that I lived in for three years during law school. I looked around the pod and realized that it was probably around half the size of my entire room. And the flatscreen on the airplane was bigger than the real television I had, a 13" cathode ray tube throwback, may it rest in peace. When I first heard that the flight was 19 hours nonstop I almost cried. But by the end of it I was sort of hoping that a not serious but nevertheless paralyzing incident would befall the Singapore airport so that we had no choice but to circle around in the air for another few hours.

And yes, there were socks. No robe, but a blanket designed by Givenchy. (Which, by the way, was just blue on blue and rather scratchy. Disappointing, Givenchy.) Also, never ending glasses of champagne offered by very attractive flight attendants, which I for obvious reasons declined in favor of cookies.

And now for Singapore. First impression? This place is surreal.

I tend to compare every city with New York and as I drove to my apartment earlier today from the airport I thought, "Where's the grit? Where's the life?" Singapore looks like one of those little model cities that architects construct. Everything is so clean and tidy and perfect. The buildings all look as though they've just sprung up in the last five to ten years and looking outside my window I see at least four large-scale construction projects in progress.

It is quite hot here. When I walk down the street the sunshine cuts through my skin and I can almost feel the sunburn developing on my cheek. (My sad little SPF 30 moisturizer is not going to cut it.) The wind blows occasionally but it is hot, dusty air. The humidity is no joke: my sheets feel slightly damp and even my naturally-straight-made-chemically-straighter Asian hair seems to be going a little haywire. The weather does not ever change except to downpour and then everything gets flooded.

I am living right off Orchard Road, the main shopping avenue in the heart of the city, so so far Singapore looks mostly like one large shopping mall filled with chain stores and food courts. The greenery consists perfectly manicured tropical plants and colorful flowers that fill the empty spaces between highrises. This is a place that is catered towards mass consumption. Not that that is always a bad thing. After I got in I went to lunch with my friend and his girlfriend in one of the behemoth malls and it was glorious. We went to a food court that served delicious and cheap meals (around $3) from across the region: Indian, Malaysian, Thai, Lebanese, Chinese, etc. etc. After we ate we just left our bowls on the table and someone came by immediately and cleaned up after us. I felt a bit awkward about that, but I could definitely get used to it.

In an effort to reduce jetlag I haven't slept since my arrival at 6:30 this morning. I am feeling a bit tired and lightheaded but think I can make it until an early bedtime. Maybe the fatigue is suppressing reality somewhat but so far it really hasn't sunk in yet that I am here to stay for awhile, not even as I type these words. If you are reading this, then I probably miss you and wish you were here. Please do come visit soon!