Presentation day 2

It feels good when you don't have to present and just attend class to listen to others. And since there were only two groups, it was over just before noon! 

And finally, group photo!

First time at Spice Table and I agree with all who recommended it: delicious...

Went down to Beach road army market with some of the classmates and got some stuff before heading down to Orchard to meet Samuel (who was with Qingshan and gang) then Dian, before finally Mayer and Chau. 

Where we spent 4 hours (2 of which happy lol) and $240 on mostly alcohol. 

Jade and Jovene came just around 9 and the rest of the night was just spent drinking... (which I'm not supposed to but oh well)

Zuoquan came to crash and I ponned my IPPT the next morning while also forgetting to attend Bryan's carnival at YCKPS. Met up with Shir and bought a new hiking boots cos WOS was having 50% sales! Columbia shoes for $85!!! Went back to hall at night to pack some stuff for Cambodia trip and showed face for flag painting for exposure camp before both supper plans got cancelled and I just slept the Saturday night away (much needed though). Sunday was family time with Mum and the three little ones plus some swimming at brother's place. Being late for briefing for this? Would not have happened last year but totally worth it I would say. 

Also, Duke friends went over to Batam and caught this sunrise. Guess which country's skyline did they see? Spot MBS! 

Worst fear

The 7.3 magnitude earthquake was almost my worst fear: you, alone, helpless. But we've both got to be strong together to overcome our fear!!! 

Thank goodness you're alright. :')

Presentation day(s)!

And we forgot to take a photo on our day of presentation...

We spent most of the time in this place the past three days and I've always been tempted by the new Orange Honeycomb thingy but since there isn't any caffeine inside, I resisted. And now, I'm disappointed 

End of presentation = freedom (or partially so, cos there's still a paper report to be done), so it's time to explore Singapore again! This place is quite interesting as a library though, cos they sacrificed easy access of books for architectural novelty. Not cool brah. 

Then met up with this bunch. It's been awhile! And we all haven't done any cooking ever since coming back... Haha

And tried this cough syrup cos I couldn't drink beer. Zzz

Came back to hall, prepared to go for a run, then bumped into Ziwei and Huixing transfixed at the entrance of TH looking at something... "raccoon!" Or so they say. Checked with Ahmad and it turned out to be a Common Palm Civet which, interestingly, isn't that common. Haha. Still, pretty cool! Too bad blogspot don't allow videos here...

Field trip: Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve 27/5/15

Started off the day with her favourite B bus! Haha looking all puffy eyes cos I had a really bad insomnia the night before. Also, not wearing a wig! It's my cap turned backwards and trying to show off my high forehead (ok not that high actually)

Though I haven't been here before but I was wrong when the bus stopped. Came with brother few months back... As usual, learnt a lot of things with the class full of life science, geography, and environmental studies people! 

Spot the crocodile and monitor lizard! And yes, it's in the photo 

High forehead part 2

This is a dam system! Whuuuuut

You're fucked if you can't see it 

Now spot the pond skidder and terrapin head

"Scenic" walk 

New extension featuring mangrove trail where you can actually dip in the water (who actually wanna do that?!) during high tide 

High forehead part 3, and proof that I braved the wobbly bridge 

Now last thing to spot: horseshoe crab! A really tiny one though 

The new broad walk with "onion" huts 

Inside of the onions! 

And then we went to Bollywood Veggie nearby for lunch. This here is a cup with fig tea inside. Really like it a lot! 

The food platter! All veg are organically grown on site! The tempura thingy are super delicious 

And even the deserts are super nice!!! (If you're a fan of Gula Melaka) 

And then an organic agriculture tour by Tony; nice British guy and really humorous, doing this as a past time 

And here we see a China Rose, white in the morning, pink by noon, deep red in the evening, then withered by the night. Yup, life of a China Rose last for a day! 

Also, I brought souvenirs home: lemongrass that Tony gave as insect repellent

Pretty awesome trip! Best takeaway: plants develop civilization (think rice/sweet potato and China); and plants aided with globalization (Papua New Guinea's native sugar came in South America). Interesting...

Night Safari 26/7/15

But first...

Starbucks! Cos it's also independent research day (aka chiong our project day) 

And free lunch at Sapore Italiano to talk about the second half of the Temple Walk the previous day

And finally, Night Safari! 

Hippos lying in line sleeping HAHA too cute 

Look at that sneaky raccoon walking towards the thrash bin looking for food 

Temple Walk 25/5/15

Got to wear a "sarong" after decades; this is the second reason why I'm wearing shorts for the day. First was because it's hot. Third reason was cos I left all my pants in hall LOL 

Learnt many new info though I've been reading up on the various religions quite often, such as how Christianity views human as the "favourite species" above others in nature but there's been reinterpretation of the bible to change that. 

Matthew collapsing midway through also meant Prof Orbach has to go back to his dorm with him, leaving us on our own for the later part. And so we fended for ourselves for the last two stops and kinda ended earlier than we would have! 

This post is rather short cos I was zoning out half the time trying to deal with the heat! 

Pulau Hantu dive! 24/5/15

Every journey makes memories. First dive was difficult consider how I've not dived for almost 3 years; water was murky, nothing much to see, current was strong, and oxygen went out too fast due to leakage. Well, not as fast as the second dive though. Second "dive" lasted 5 minutes. Gauge was leaking like no tomorrow and Ahmad has to make a decision: "I'm sorry, you have to cancel your dive then." If I had gone on, everyone will probably last less than half an hour together. Oh wellz, the tranquility on the boat was pretty amazing too. 

Field trip: MacRitchie Tree Top Walk 23/5/15

Rained the whole morning that dampened the mood significantly but we still pressed on and reached the tree top walk! FlyKnits were destroyed though. 

Parasitic tree growing around anther tree! It fell from a storm and NParks chopped it off cos of TH protruding roots. 

Picking up a stone stuck in a drain causing minor blockage 

And yay! First time at the tree top walk :) 

Casuarina for lunch! 

Went back home to bathe and wash my FlyKnits before heading downtown to meet Ms Blur for tea break and to buy our Japan Rail Pass! 

And that was our last meal in Singapore probably till two months later. Headed back to hall after much dilemma and joined the precamp abit before I crashed for the night. 

Not as happening as I expected the day to be...

I'm going home

Going home after spending the day out on a Sunday night. It's 8:41pm as I type it, and Daughtry's Home is playing on my phone. 

On the street, two NSFs with jokey cap on rush towards the bus stop. 5 years ago, that was me. 

Life moves on. Life moved on. 

... Don't regret this life that's chosen me. But these places and these faces are getting old, so I'm going home...

--

The bus went past the grass field few minutes away from my place. Stages were set up and some Buddhist event was ongoing, along with a geitai (which I'll later find out to be hosted by Chen Jian Bin). It reminded me of how I missed such atmosphere when I was in Stockholm. I looked for my parents in the crowd, they weren't there (dad went down after I reached home). 

I recalled my Stockholm days. I recalled the feeling of missing my parents. I recalled actually missing someone. I recalled how we met again in Singapore. I recalled the fact that we're separating again soon for our LDR v3.0. I recalled that we've survived it twice before in the past three years. I recalled that we grew stronger after every single one of them. 

But still, I reckon I'm still going to miss you...

Field trip: Ubin/Changi Museum 22/5/15

Woke up super early to take a bus and passed by Hendon camp on 109, and I'm really missing the carefree days. So much memories welding up I almost couldn't hold it in... 

Took a boat and off we go! 

Before this course, I didn't even know what's the rationale behind the regulation, much less to talk about alien species and their impact (though I learnt it through other means but now I'm noticing them!) 

Much friendlier than their Tekong counterparts 

Teacher: "where's the monitor?!"

Class: "basking in the sun!" 

Game: Spot the Mating Crab 

Game: Spot the Carpet Anemonies

Learnt about the Pistol scrimps making popping sound (with a 2000 degrees Celsius temperature "micro" snapping); and how durians in pair on the ground are usually unripe, plucked by monkeys (so look for those solo ones!); and less usefully, learnt that the broadwalk is not made of wood but cement and fiber glass

Game: ... Okay. There're so many of them! Got attacked by the kamikaze ants over here 

And this, the group is so big we needed a selfie stick plus my wide-angle lens to fit everyone in

Went back to mainland and reminisced the good o'time. 

This sinful monster still taste the same! But I can no longer burn it away that easily anymore...

Headed to Changi museum next. Reminded me of the concentration camps I've visited; same depressing feel but so much closer to home made me grasped for air a couple of time as I went through the museum. Even the incidents were similar: promise of a better place to Endau, Johore; same old story as what happened in Krakow to trick prisoners to resettle in Auschwitz. Less crowded indeed; but a better place, they say. And did you know, we even have a Singapore's Schindler: Mamoru Shinozaki! 

Maybe I shall finally blog

Blog's going really slow cos life has been going pretty fast!

As usual, photo's gonna do most of the talking but I shall filter to prevent spamming of course material

Day 1 was island tour and yup, went to places I haven't been before (like Jurong industrial area, cos, why would I?) 

Day 2 was Southeast Asia and Singapore history day

The legendary Red Box at the LKY exhibit 

And we went Old Airport road for dinner, where we past by these interesting "grid" HDB

Day 3 was NeWater and Barrage, same old same old but yet kinda different. 

Here you see photography level Asian

And here you see legit level of Asian photography 

Day 4 was Bishan Park. Just. Too. Hot. 

That clear water though. It's a biotope; something new I learned! 

And then chilling with Ms Blur at a nice cafe in Haji Lane 

With my awesome new hairdo 

And then dinner with the C4 gang but I don't have the photos with me (refer to Instagram haha) 

Day 5 was Botanical Garden, where it sadly rained pretty heavily drenching my shoes as we move to the lecture place. Lecture was interesting but lunch was highlight for the morning portion

Samy's Curry at Dempsey, which we are, fortunately, going back again in the second session! And yes, too damn full after this 

But the PM session of the day was interesting enough to keep us awake. No photos though, cos it's the US Embassy we went! First thing we did: leave fingerprints on the conference table!! Haha 

Saturday wasn't a school day but went back to school anyway cos there was supposed to be some thesis poster session by the Econs department but I was scammed into thinking so as it turned out to be just a gimmick for FASS Open Day. Oh wellz. Went for project meeting and went home with pretty much nothing accomplished. 

Sunday was, however, the opposite. 

Woke up seven early eight early to see my old pal da Vinci at ASM

Portrait of a Musician: Left pupil slightly smaller than the right to account for pupil dilation in varying light. That's how detailed he was. 

Went to this hipster place at OC for Ms Blur to get a new wallet (and me to try on some hipster frames; everything looks legit with this haircut lol) 

Lunch at Shabu Sai (no more Jap food!) after failing to repair my laptop (which Ms Blur would kindly help me bring to the service centre the next day to figure out that it was the charger that went defunct) 

First time on 313's roof garden! We couldn't stand staying for more than a minute cos the sun was excruciatingly scorching. 

This guy stayed pretty long though 

Pasir Panjang food centre after getting my sandals from Mt Faber SAFRA! 

And out of pure spontaneity, Teoheng; our very first one actually. And I must say the best voice I've ever heard in a karaoke session came from this girl 

Had a rough and sleepless night where I didn't even know where all that angst came from (probably the Ayataka I drank during the K session)

And then Day 6. Discussion. 

Day 7: talk by Life Science prof Siva then LKCNHM (again), this time round I went one round to listen to all the videos! And left kinda early...

Day 8:

Maxwell food centre! Wasn't where we started but where we ended up start our morning session. Then URA, where I discovered new things too. And new game. And new temporary exhibition. Duh. 

Classic "Americans" 

And then we took a ferry and went past several storms before we landed here:

No prize for guessing which island this is. And we also discovered a "creepy" Kramat up the hill on Kusu island where there's a Islam shrine thingy predominately painted in yellow colour and feels like a Chinese/Buddhist thingy. The statues inside were covered in cloth too (Islamic tradition) 

And then we left and went our separate ways where my group for Temple Walk went to our Hindu temple with the Buddhist peeps (cos our temples were just beside each other) at 四马路/Waterloo street. And yep, it's my first time in a Hindu temple and it's really interesting like how the whole temple is structured to represent the human anatomically. And yep, no photos (obedient right!) 

Day 9 was free in the morning and visited CleanTech Hub near Tuas/NTU where the SEAS people talked to us (haven't even heard of them previously)! 

Green walls and Solar panels in one shot. CleanTech yo! 

Met up with this bunch to Chomps then Sirat; happy birthday in advance bro! 

And yup, Ubin, MacRitchie then last meeting with Ms Blur, and Hantu's dive coming the next three days! Exciting much