Singapore: Day 4

On our last day in Singapore, we had a more relaxing itinerary. For brunch, we went to Newton Hawker Centre, said to be the biggest hawker center in the city. It was still quite early when we got there so most stalls were still closed. Good thing a couple of stalls selling Chinese food were already starting to open. We feasted on fried rice, chili crabs, and fried buns. 

We then went to Suntec City Convention Center after lunch. There was no event in the convention center that day so we decided to just walk to the nearby Suntec City Mall. We got bored roaming around the mall so we went to the cinema and watched the movie, Bride Wars. Along the way, we passed by a Filipino restaurant called 7,107 Flavours. 7,107 in the Philippines refers to the estimated number of islands in the country. 

After sunset, we visited the Fountain of Wealth, said to be the largest fountain in the world. Many were lining up to make a wish around the fountain so I did the same.

We strolled along Marina Bay at night and checked out the Esplanade and Merlion once again.

Singapore: Day 3

We alloted our third day in Singapore to visit Sentosa Island, which is half a kilometre away from the southern coast of the main island. To get there, we first made a stop at Vivo City, one of the gazillion malls in Singapore. We took a quick bite at the mall's Food Republic.

Connected to Vivo City is the Sentosa Express, the special train to Sentosa Island. When we got to Sentosa, I saw their version of the Merlion and this weird-looking guy.

There was a flower festival in Sentosa Island. Their exhibits were brilliant!

We got up the Tiger Sky Tower, which is said to be Singapore's tallest observatory.

These were taken outside the Singapore Museum.

We enjoyed the downhill Luge ride so much. It was very exciting! Then we took the Skyride, which is similar to the ski lifts in ski resorts.

In Sentosa, we also visited the Dolphin Lagoon, which is the home of the pink dolphins.

Then we went to Underwater World, an oceanarium with over 2500 species. 

Before sunset, we got to Palawan Beach, an artificial, reclaimed beach that uses the sands from Indonesia and Malaysia. I was so scared to cross the hanging bridge because the Indians were jumping and making it so shaky. 

At night, we headed to the Siloso Beach area in Sentosa to watch the musical show, Songs of the Sea. According to the Asians Attractions Awards, it is the world’s first permanent show set in the sea, featuring dramatic special effects, engaging music, pyrotechnics and a live cast creatively weaved into a magical tale.

This is Sentosa Island still alive and kicking at night. 

After a long, adventure-filled day in Sentosa, we took the Sentosa Express Train back to Vivo City. We then had dinner at the Swiss restaurant Marche. Upon entering the restaurant, we were each given a card, which we will use every time we order something in the restaurant-cum-market. It stored our bill temporarily. Such a cool concept!

I loved the whole self-service idea and the fact that all the food is laid out in the open so it is easier to decide which one to order. 

 

Singapore: Day 2

On our second day, we took a quick stroll along Orchard Road and then we went to Clarke Quay, formerly blocks of warehouses which have been transformed into restaurants and nightclubs. I love the young and playful vibe of the whole place.

There are so many restaurants to choose from. The Clinic Bar caught my eye instantly.

Other attractions in Clarke Quay: Bungee Jumping and Shopping in the nearby Central Mall.

While in Clarke Quay, we had brunch at the American chain, Hooters. I loved the cozy, wooden, pub-like interiors.

I couldn't resist taking photos of the waitresses in Hooters, known all over the world for their tight tank-tops and short shorts. All three of us were so hungry. Just look at all the food we ordered. Baboy much? Haha!

I took notice of the signs outside their toilet doors. They looked so funny!

After Clarke Quay, we went to one of the most famous tourist attraction in Singapore, the Night Safari. It is the world's first nocturnal zoo that occupies 40 hectares and houses over 1000 animals with various species.

We took this cute zebra transportation to go around the park. But I honestly didn't see any interesting animal. It was so freaking dark! The Night Safari experience didn't exactly meet my expectations. Maybe I am just too old for all these!

Singapore: Sunny Little City

Last January 23 to 27, I finally had the chance to visit my sister who's working in Singapore. I took the budget airline, Cebu Pacific for my Manila-Singapore flight. Almost everybody has heard about the elegant Changi International Airport, but for budget flights, planes land at Singapore's Budget Terminal. There were no carpeted floors or high-end boutiques, but it still offered the comfort and convenience that passengers need unlike Manila's airports.

On my first day, my sister took me to Holland Village, a popular hangout place for expatriates. Upon arriving, the first thing I noticed were the rows of high-rise and low-rise buildings. Tiny boutiques, cafes and restaurants also adorned the tree-lined streets.

For lunch, we ate at Pizza Bar. They had a wide array of salads, pastas and pizzas. I especially loved the wall designed as a wine cellar that spelled out the name of the restaurant.

After Holland Village, we went to Bugis Street, the largest shopping street in Singapore.

In front of Bugis Street is the Bugis Junction, a development complex consisting of a shopping mall, an office tower and the InterContinental Singapore Hotel.

We proceeded to Raffles District, which was named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore. We also passed by the National Library of Singapore. I wish libraries in the Philippines would look this good. Nearby was the colonial-style Raffles Hotel which has a shopping arcade housing boutique brands such as Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co.

In the same vicinity is the Funan Digital Life Mall where we checked out some electronic products. I bought an extra battery pack and screen protector for my three-month old DSC-T77 camera. The weather was sweltering so my sister and I decided to go inside Raffles City Mall. Perfect timing! They were on sale because of the Chinese New Year festivities.

After freshening up a bit, we went to the City Hall of Singapore. People were prepping for the annual Chingay Parade. 

After Raffles District, we went to Singapore's Chinatown, where a large part of the area has been declared national heritage sites by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Like Manila's Chinatown, it was crowded. But unlike Manila's Chinatown, it was very clean. This is the Sri Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu Temple in Singapore located in Chinatown.

As a first timer in Singapore, I was really impressed by the entire city. It was exceptionally clean and orderly. I am definitely not surprised why my sister preferred to live in Singapore than in Manila.

After Chinatown, we walked back to the City Hall area and went inside the luxurious hotel, Swissotel. Our purpose was to catch a panoramic view of the city from the 71st floor, where the New Asia Bar is located. 

Swissotel indeed lived up to its five-star reputation because the hallways alone were already superb! At the 71st floor, my sister and I also went inside their washroom, complete with super classy, fully-carpeted powder room.

For dinner, we ate at Swensens in Suntec City. We tried their Banana Crumble Sizzling Pan. The caramelized fresh banana and vanilla ice cream were served on a sizzling skillet!

After dinner, we continued strolling around the city to burn some calories. We visited the Esplanade, said to be one of the world's busiest art centers. We also checked out the Fullerton Hotel and Merlion in Marina Bay.

Close to midnight, we headed to the airport to fetch Gibson who arrived via Cebu Pacific. Just when we thought our awesome day was already over, Singapore offered us one last surprise--a Limo Cab on our way home!

Sky High Clogs

While I was in Harajuku two weeks ago, the sky high clogs common among Japanese fashionistas caught my attention. The fashion in Japan is really out of this world! I admire how Japanese girls carry themselves gracefully as they walk the streets of Tokyo in these sky high clogs.

2008: The Year That Was

January. My roller coaster journey started when I applied for the Junior Term Abroad Program. I was very eager to study abroad because I have been waiting for this opportunity since freshman year. Remember, I shifted majors (from MeCo to ComTech) just so I could join the JTA Program. My mom was first against the whole idea because it would cost a lot of money.

February. The list of the accepted applicants for the JTA Program came out and I was in the 64th spot. I then applied for the USD $2000 scholarship from the JGSOM and faced the Dean for an interview. Thankfully, I was one of the lucky few who was awarded the scholarship! That time, I was set on going to Sogang University in Korea.

March. New slots for universities were opened for the JTA participants and I saw a slot for Akita International University in Japan. I decided to ask the Office of International Program how much was the expected cost of living if I were to study in this university. Surprisingly, it was cheaper than the expected cost of living in Sogang University. So I immediately wrote a letter to the Dean that I wanted to change universities. Besides, it was still within the terms of the scholarship (must be a university in Asia). When the semester ended, my friends and I headed to Subic for some R&R.

April. Just when I thought everything was already okay, I got a call from the JGSOM office while I was vacationing with my blockmates in Tagaytay and Batangas. The Dean wanted to speak to me. When I got back to Manila, I faced the shock of my life. I was told that I could no longer get the scholarship. It turned out that the scholarship is only available to those who choose to go to any Asian country except Japan. How unfair is that! But I insisted in the most respectful manner that I have inquired about the cost of living and it is even cheaper than my previous choice. But the Dean still declined my plea. I was given an ultimatum--either I go to Macau or Hongkong or not join the JTA at all. I was ready to back out at that moment When I went back to the Dean's office to tell him about my decision, he just got off the phone. He then told me that he just spoke with the head of the OIP and he was reconsidering his earlier decision because the new school in Japan is indeed more affordable. What a relief!

May. This was very stressful month because of the tons of requirements from the different subjects I was taking: Operations Management, Introduction to Finance, Introduction to Marketing, Philosophy 101 and Introduction to Multimedia. I was beginning to doubt if the JTA Program was worth all the stress. But there was a silver lining this month. I got a surprise call from the Dean. He told me that he recommended me for the JASSO scholarship, which offered better benefits than the scholarship money from JGSOM. I was over the moon!

June. My friend, Mitch, started talking about the idea of getting an internship during our short break on July and August. I was very interested because I wanted to earn some extra money before leaving for my JTA. Inspite of all my sleepless nights and very ngarag schedule, I managed to squeeze some interviews after class hours together with my partner in crime, Irma. 

July. The first JTA semester finally ended on the 13th. Goodbye stress! The Monday after that, I immediately started my internship in Korea Trade and Investment Promotions Agency. I loved the idea of dressing up and wearing heels everyday for work. I felt like a real grown up! Another thing I loved about the internship was that I got paid more than what I expected.

August. Irma, Den and I had a little R&R in my hometown, Cagayan de Oro. It was their first time to travel to Mindanao so I was very excited to show them around. We went rafting and explored Camiguin Island. After being an intern for six weeks, I finally bade my company goodbye and left Manila on the 23rd to start my Junior Term Abroad in Japan.

September. I have gotten used to my new lifestyle as an exchange student in Akita, Japan. The school load was nothing compared to my load in Ateneo so I was feeling very happy and lazy. I realized that the JTA was my reward for all the hardwork I have invested on my studies the past two years. Furthermore, JASSO, the organization that granted me a scholarship, did not disappoint me. They were very generous with the allowance they gave me. 

October. The highlight for this month was our paid community service activities. You heard it right, it was PAID. At the end of the month, Jam and I went on a three-day trip to Tokyo. We visited the major sightseeing spots and also went to Tokyo Disneyland and Disneysea. This was also the month I was able to buy myself a brand new Sony Cybershot camera. 

November. After the fun-filled Tokyo trip last month, I was determined to go down South. I was a bit disappointed that Jam could not join me. Thank goodness Laura, Kathryn and Emmy decided to come with me. We went to Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Kobe. 

December. It was hard to say goodbye to the new friends we have made the past few months. Jam and I cried a lot when we left Akita. We knew that we ended our Junior Term Abroad successfully because we both got straight A's. Hooray! Before leaving Japan, Jam and I travelled together to Yokohama, Nikko and Tokyo.