After months of design, fabrication, finishing and packing, our three containers of material were on their way to the small island country on the other side of the world. Our plan for erection was for me to go to Singapore a week before our crew to open a bank account, secure tools, locate an apartment and begin the layout of the canopies at the jobsite.
Since some members of our team had never been out of Tallapoosa County, Alabama, there was considerable consternation about survival in the Asian jungle, so I agreed to allow the shipment of a large 150 pound box of personal items, including tools, via Federal Express prior to the crew's departure. Sure enough, about three days after arriving in Singapore a large bulging box appeared in the middle of my hotel room.
After I located a suitable apartment, I had the box moved from my location so the guys would have access to their gear when they arrived. After settling my slightly dazed travelers down in their new digs, I made sure they saw their box and told them to rest up for the construction start-up the next day.
Our first day on the jobsite was typical Singaporean weather 95 degrees and 100 percent humidity, and all was going well with the unpacking until "Dangerous" Dan said, "Hey Boss, I forgot my tools, they're in the box". After a few expletives, I agreed to go back to the apartment to get the tools, so the crew could continue unpacking with the crane we had rented.
When I arrived at the apartment I found the box, still sealed just like it had arrived the week before. When I opened the box I did not see any tools. Instead I found beans, bags and bags of dried beans. There were lima beans, butter beans, navy beans, field peas, black-eyed peas and more. Bag after bag I dug to the very bottom of the box until I found the tools along with another tightly sealed package about the size of a shoebox, which I assumed had to be tools as well.
By now I was in a major hurry to get back to the jobsite, so I hoisted up the box, ran down the stairs and caught the very first cab which happened to have a driver who spoke only Mandarin Chinese. He did understand "Raffles", however and off we went. About halfway back to the jobsite my driver stopped and began pointing at a yellow blinking light while chattering excitedly in Chinese. I was yelling RAFFLES! RAFFLES! He just kept shaking his head, so in frustration, I paid him and once again hoisted up the box– this time on top of my hardhat–and off I trotted down the crowded street of vendors.
By the time I finally got back at the jobsite, I was soaking wet. I found the guys on break, of course, so I threw the box down and said "Here are your f*****g tools" and sat down to watch Dangerous Dan unpack. When Dangerous got to the sealed package inside he held it up and said "Hey Boss, you didn't have to bring the Martha White", which all good Southerners know, is THE essential ingredient for good cornbread...the perfect accompaniment for beans and peas.
Photo Essay-The Raffles Hotel, Singapore
