Yesterday morning, I checked into The Langham in Melbourne in the Commonwealth of Australia (my 15th country visited). The base room rate is $300, which is a fair price to pay for arguably the best hotel in this region, although it is unimpressive as far as luxury city hotels go. The daily internet access charge is $27, which is extortionate and yet, I cannot bring myself to decline it, as I simply capitalize it into the overall price of the room.

However, I believe hotels should disclose how much this service costs when booking a reservation. Internet access is basically mandatory for me, and I am as likely to pay for it as the taxes on the room. Frankly, a city hotel without internet access is not that much better than one without a bed. I do not mind line-item charges, as long as I can fairly compare the overall cost. For example, the final effective prices of a given flight can vary dramatically depending on options, especially luggage fees. Sites like Kayak need to have an option where baggage data can be inputted along with dates and class of service.

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My three-day Singapore tour cost me $1988, including the flights to and from the country. I engaged in more nightlife than I anticipated because I am traveling alone and knew no one in Singapore. Friday and Saturday, I was out until past 3am, hitting the venues of Fabrika, Kinki (twice), some tiny low-ceilinged Indian/Arab bar, New Asia (on top of swissôtel The Stamford), and Filter.

Filter was the most rocking nightclub I had visited in a while. It is supposedly a members-only nightclub with a restricted capacity of 300 people. I was told I may not get in because I "looked poor." This was part-insult and part-information, as there were several six-figure cars parked out front.

(Long side note: U.S. people think they are rich if they drive a BMW or Mercedes-Benz. There were many standard German sedans in Singapore that would cost $50k in the U.S., but I was told they cost $150k in Singapore. To confirm the absurd prices of Singapore, I checked other cars as well. An Audi A7 that costs $60k in the U.S. is $265k in Singapore. A Porsche 911 Turbo that retails for $150k in the U.S. is $500k in Singapore. These cars were frighteningly frequent in Singapore. These people were rich, and I actually was the poor person who gained entry into Filter.)

Unlike the other nightlife venues I visited, Filter appeared to have fewer non-Asian expatriates and visitors. In addition, I saw multiple Grey Goose Vodka bottles of Jeroboam (3L) and Methuselah (6L). These mammoth bottles are often displayed solely for show, but these were actually being used by tables and sometimes poured directly into mouths. Even in Las Vegas nightclubs, I rarely saw these bottles. Singapore is the third city this year where I have gone to a nightclub without knowing anyone (Houston, 서울). Knowing myself, this would have never happened even five years ago.


Miles flown year-to-date: 44,226.
Baggage fees year-to-date: $204.
Latest film seen: Män som hatar kvinnor (2009).