I like staycations.  They are like mini vacations, though still on home soil.  But getting away from the familiar home/room settings makes it feel very much like a weekend getaway to some hotel overseas.

So far, I’ve only went for chain hotels’ staycations, mainly the AccorHotel chain, simply because I was their platinum member back then. But now that I was being “downgraded” to just classic member, I can just give up on their privileges and go for those boutique hotels which offer more interesting and quirky rooms.

My previous 2-weeks stay (not really a staycation but really a two-weeks stay due to my home’s renovation) at Hotel Clover The Arts was really a lovely stay.  It was super small, yes, but just nice for just myself.  I washed my working clothes by hand and hang them in the toilet to dry, and there’s also a small space for me to put my laptop if I needed to work or surf net (while not on mobile). The bed was awesome, and no windows in the room means I have no natural light and I can sleep like a log with the lights off, regardless of what time it was in the day.  The only con I could think of was that there were days I wanted to go out, only to find that it was raining and I had to head back to my room to grab my umbrella.  Other than that, the room itself was great, the breakfast included daily was awesome and filling, location was perfect (I walked to and fro from work everyday).

I fell in love with boutique hotels since then.  This upcoming New Year eve staycation, I’m also looking at another boutique hotel.  Not gonna reveal the name here, as Bear would read it!  I want to give him a small surprise.  =)

But there’s a list of boutique hotels in Singapore that I wanna try at some point. Since my overseas holidays have been reduced to just one per year, maybe I will just arrange for more staycations then!  =P

Although I’m here in Hong Kong, still enjoying my holiday, every time I switched on the TV and saw the advertisements showing the late Mr Lee KY’s past speech and quotes, I will feel sad.

I feel sad that I’m not back in Singapore to pay my respects to him.  I feel sad that he had done so much for Singapore, yet there are still so many detractors who put him down and made a big hoo haa about how the general public mourns for him.

I feel apprehensive.  I don’t know what will happen to Singapore now. Mr LKY has indeed built a successful Singapore, left a legacy, but I seriously doubt his son’s capability to continue with the legacy that was left behind by his father.

I really, really worry about Singapore’s future. Singapore is not ready yet for opposition to rule.  Or should I say the opposition is not ready yet, to rule Singapore.  However, at the rate the current PAP is going, many people are going to vote them out, just for a change and to see what opposition can do.  That, will be a risk for Singapore, if opposition is gonna take up more seats in the Parliament.

But yet, the current PAP leaders are not up to the task.

No one can replace LKY.  In terms of “having that iron in him”, in terms of ruthlessness, in terms of hindsight, no one can replace him.  Who else can bring us forward to the next level, or even just maintaining whatever we have left now?  No one.

Singapore can only go on auto-pilot for so long, before something will drastically shake things up for the worse.  I really dread for that day to happen.

If only there is immortality, and if only there can be one person on Earth to attain immortality, I honestly (and selfishly) wish LKY will be the one.  No one loves Singapore more than him, no one dedicates their life to their country more than him.  After all, this is his legacy and he would want to protect his legacy for as long as he lives.

But alas, that was not to be.

After all his sacrifices and contributions to the country I call home, I can only bid him farewell now while in a foreign country.

Thank you, Mr Lee, for what you’ve done for Singapore.  Thank you, for bringing Singapore from a “slum like” country to a first world country.  May you reunite with your wife happily ever after… and may you finally have a good rest.  =(

… our most influential leader of Singapore.  You might not be THE founding father, but Singapore would not have become where she is now without you.

Although you ruled with an iron fist, although there were people who disagree with your policies and the way you destroyed people with a different opinion from you back then, you did it for the stability of the country as Singapore really could not afford to have political instability.

Although there are people who do not agree with this, and refused to acknowledge what you had done and sacrificed for the country, I wish you’d know that there are many others, including this small little household of 3 people, have appreciated what you had gone through and done for Singapore.

Rest in peace, and farewell, LKY.