People. Malls. Honestly what is it with people AND malls, and malls WITH people??? Though I get that malls wouldn't be able to sustain themselves without their consumers, but I think people would still be able to survive by living off of basic essentials. But I guess that is not the case here at Bugis Street.
Consumerism at its Finest
Snacking on some "Crispy Pancakes", flavor: Banana & Peanuts :P
Caught in the crossfire...
Might as well choose which side I'm on...
In the end, we managed to survive the mall-based "riot" and since we also didn't want a repeat of what happened yesterday night, we decided to head back to our hotel not later than 8 in the evening. Once we got our bags packed, most of us were willing to call it a day so we'd have our wits up for tomorrow's seminar which we had scheduled as part of the tour. We were still Business majors at the end of our 3-day trip after all.
Last selfie at the Hotel! #LoveTheTopBunk
Last lunch at Singapore...
Rice tasted oddly like Pandan...
After the seminar, we got dropped off at the airport at around 3 in the afternoon just in time for our 6PM flight.
Talk about fancy...
All these flora...
Can I just point out how fancy Singapore's airport was, with all those floral, nature-inspired decor? Also, gotta love the indoor airport vehicle my classmates and I took once we arrived back in the Philippines, can't really stop my legs from aching from all those walks back at Singapore...
This ends my 3-day Tour at Singapore blog series, I do hope I find it in me to blog more about my travel adventures, it's only a matter of time before they begin to pile up again. Until next time, bye! :D
I'm back! Now, if you think we got tired from our last trip to Universal Studios, then you're dead wrong. After dropping off our things back at the hotel, one of our classmates called his cousin and asked if he could give us a tour around town. Fortunately, said cousin just got off from work and was just around the area, so we waited for him at the hotel lobby.
It was then decided that we were going to go to Orchard Road, which I later found out was considered as an upper-end shopping district. In the end, the shopping experience was a bit dull for my tastes since I was more for the sights and scenery instead of skyscrapers and flashy buildings with their pricey malls, but I guess I'm happy that I got to experience the commuting system that Singapore has to offer. Also, what I didn't expect was that we'd get lost on our way back!
Since it was getting late and the train stations were about to close, my classmate convinced his cousin to just drop us off at the station nearest our hotel. Now this is where we were left to our own devices, since we noticed that most buses on our side of the street didn't drive along Balestier; we were also confused as to which side of the street we would cross to since we were at an intersection. But after asking around, finally we were able to board a bus back to Balestier!
I'd like to consider this as a "look of relief" but really, I was too tired to care... :P
We got back at our hotel around 11PM, and being dead tired at least helped with me getting a good night's sleep, since we would still have a busy day tomorrow.
Already up before 8 in the morning, we set off for breakfast since we're later headed off to New Water Factory! (Where Used Water can become New Water ;) Honestly, I just had to get that out of my head...)
Since we were all Business students, I guess it wasn't exactly surprising that we had to know the basic going-ons inside a factory.Though being a Finance major made me more curious on how to sustain the business rather than on how operations are done, still it's not bad to learn new things every once in a while.
Next stop was Singapore Management University, which looked more like a mall compared to your average school campus. Also, I can't help but gush about how sleek and comfortable their library looked! Not just their library, the whole establishment was so spacious and modern-looking! Even their so-called "Labs" looked more like a recreational area rather than how you'd usually picture labs should look like!
Looking back, I guess that was my school's way of encouraging us in case we'd like to pursue future studies abroad; or they're probably planning a student-exchange program with SMU later on in the future. But now that we'd finish our itinerary earlier than expected for that day, my schoolmates wanted to go shopping. Again. Ugh...
It was a pleasant surprise to find a Filipino-loved fastfood chain here at Singapore though, so I opted to order the chicken fillet since it was the only one in the menu we didn't have back in the Philippines.
Another sweet ride spotted... :D #BMWi8
We went to Vivo City after, which was supposed to be our last stop for the day before heading back to our hotel, though my classmates had another destination in mind before getting ready to pack for our departure tomorrow, and this is how we found ourselves at Bugis Street.
You could more or less..
...consider it a flee market...
Find out next week if we'll get ourselves lost again. Also, I think we're caught in the middle of a Batman vs Superman riot?! Am I ever going to get home in one piece???
Previously, we just got back from having breakfast, now we're off to Universal Studios Singapore! :D Here are some pics along the way:
Are we there yet?
Also, I can't help but wonder why the parking lot was kinda like underground, and we had to ride this escalator up to the entrance like "Is this for added amazement factor for the first timers?" Like when the sunlight touches your eyes and you stop and adjust, the next thing you know you're in this new world of some sort... No? Maybe it was just me...
Kinda reminds me of "The Light at the end of The Tunnel"... O_O"
Continuing on inside, we are welcomed by what seems to be a 50's themed Hollywood street, completed by this jukebox-trottin' diner! Talk about time-travelling...
Since one of my classmates had already gone here from previous occasions, he ended up being our self-imposed tour guide by picking out the best rides. First stop, Sci-Fi City:
Wish I had a sweet ride like this... #NotTooLateToDream
Turns out, the Transformers ride was the best! Although Battlestar Galactica was great in its own way, I think we all got somewhat light-headed that's why we decided not to ride the 2nd rollercoaster in that area. So now we're off to Ancient Egypt!
Really great setting in that area I gotta say, it even had this background music of some sort that made you want to walk like an Egyptian. I guess the place makes up for the "Mummy ride" which was kinda like a knock-off once you've already experienced the Transformers one though... Still, the adventure continues in The Lost World!
I don't know about that lady, but I'm not going to go anywhere near those teeth... >_<
It truly is a dream come true, especially if you hear that iconic background music from Jurassic Park and this sense of nostalgia comes over you... It was like being able to walk with the dinosaurs... Also Jurassic Rapids wasn't much on the wet factor, (unlike the one at Enchanted Kingdom here in the Philippines...) so don't worry on not having extra clothes. Though the ride did have this really cool part where you get to be spit out from some type of water geyser!
Lunch by WaterWorld...
Maybe another time...
Before going to our next destination, we stopped by some food stalls and had a quick lunch. Finding out WaterWorld was under renovation, we went straight to Far, Far Away: (it's a name of a place, not an adjective...)
It's a good thing we were on our way to an indoor type of ride since it started drizzling. Turns out we were in for what seemed to be like a Broadway/ Cinema kind of action, albeit a 4D one. I'm not really a fan of the series but I think Shrek 4D will appeal most to the younger viewers; hoping the rides at Madagascar wouldn't be too mild for my tastes though....
I spoke too soon! It seems the nearer we were to the end, the milder the rides became... This seemingly "log + waterslide" contraption didn't seem to be much exciting unlike the one at Enchanted Kingdom (again...) I guess Universal Studios was appealing to tourist-safe rides. (can't have heads flying off from rollercoasters now can they...)
Here's a tip if you don't mind having an anti-climactic ending to your trip: Upon entering Universal Studios, you'd probably want to turn right from Hollywood and go counter-clockwise. That way you'll still have the adrenaline to go for the more exciting rides first, while you still get to enjoy the end of the day without feeling woozy. Which is exactly what we did by buying souvenirs, grabbing some quick snacks, and since we found ourselves at a standstill for the next 2 hours before our designated call-time; we went to Sentosa.
In the end, Sentosa wasn't really too far away that we had to ride a tram or anything, we did have to climb a few steps though. Coming back down, we made some last-minute shopping near a sweet shop where I made the discovery of how delicious Garrett Popcorns are! I guess this somehow made my departure from Universal Studios a bit more difficult.
But if you think that's how my 1st day at Singapore ended, think again. Going back to the hotel to drop off some of our stuff, we then decided to go on yet another adventure! Next post: The Singapore commuting system, Orchard Road, and getting lost! (How will we ever get back to our hotel???) TT____TT
There's a saying that goes like "It's better late than never", since I should have made this series of blogpost a year ago. But due to life and its many splendid things happening, I just recently found the time to edit these videos and blog at the same time.
Paralysis over Analysis
The blogpost I'm talking about is my school's trip to Singapore last year which I'll be labeling under "recent happenings". I plan to make it a 3-part series (...or 4), depending on the videos I took during that time (which I'll also upload here). Every "episode" will be posted on a Sunday, and once my Singapore series is over maybe I'll continue blogging about my other trips to other places.
We're going on a trip...
This is a new thing for me to blog about, outside of the usual book reviews or movie reviews, so I'm still feeling my way around how to really describe certain events. But I hope to still be able to share the simple joy of travelling!
*Insert flashback sfx*
On the 2nd of March 2016, 10 o'clock in the morning, my mom dropped me off at the airport. Since it'll be at least a 3-hour flight, my classmates and I decided to have lunch before boarding the plane.
Mom with her "SepAnx" feels... Does that even look like a face suffering from Separation Anxiety???
All Aboard!
Up in the Air!
We arrived at Singapore at around 6:30 in the early evening, though I still remember that the sun had yet to set so there was still a little sunlight outside the airport.
On board our tour bus, aside from learning some new trivia from our tour guide, we also found out that our first stop was Chinatown!
With our money changed, some souvenirs bought, and dinner eaten at a local foodcourt, we were off to yet another destination before checking in at our hotel; Merlion Park!
Some pictures here and there, and we were ready to call it a night. Fragrance Hotel Balestiere was a quaint but comfy place to stay especially if you only need to rest and freshen up for the next day.
Having our bags settled in, we got ready for bed since we had a whole new adventure for tomorrow! Here's a vid of our short stroll when we went out to have breakfast the next morning before boarding our bus.
On my next post: Singapore Day 1, 3rd of March 2016, 10 o'clock in the morning, Universal Studios!!!
It has been at least 6 months since my last blog post and life is as constant as change. I'll be graduating in at least a month's time and I'm still at a crossroads on what to do with my life.
It's a big world out there... O.O
I'm actually just posting this blog in a daze; for lack of a proper output of my scattered thoughts...
On a recent note, I'm typing this post a few days in advance and hopefully I've made it home safely from my school's International Tour to Singapore!
Though we were originally planning on an earlier, due to tardiness and maybe lack of proper time management, it all seemed crammed into whatever schedule they could fit us in.
In the end, you can't stop change. It's the only thing that's constant in life. Though someone should have warned me about how erratic that change can be.
P.S. It's as erratic as it comes.
Now that I'm feeling philosophical, maybe I should try posting more blogs in advance? Or maybe once I get my head out of the clouds, I'll be able to post more "tangible" blogs? One can only ponder, while my mind is still fleeting from whatever thoughts I've been dwelling on.
So our Cinema Knights Week has just ended, and I got to watch 3 amazing independent films created by our talented Communication Arts students. First off, Cinema Knights Week is a week where at least 8 indie movie entries are shown in the different viewing halls around our campus. The Communication Arts students sell the movie tickets (PhP 25 each) in the lobby area where they've set up different themed booths based on their movie entry. Attached to the tickets are the scheduled viewing times of the films and which Hall it's scheduled to be shown.
Zinema Ticketssss.... O.O
This isn't exactly the first year I've gone to watch Letran's indie films, in fact the first time was last school year (when I was in my 2nd year in college...), where our Marketing professor all but offered incentives to her students who were willing to buy and watch her Communication Arts students' indie films. Not that I needed any additional incentives with my grade and all, but I guess curiosity won me over with what my fellow Letranites had to offer when it came to movie-making. So I guess you could say I was caught off guard. "Vindicaré" turned out to be like a murder mystery short with a who-done-it plotline, adding a sibling-rivalry gone wrong twist. Also "Rainbow X" came as a surprise with its psychological horror genre which even had me (... and ONLY me...) yelping at one scene, albeit embarrassingly. It basically focuses on the life of an award-winning indie actor who leads another life as a serial killer, killing off gays (... and it's not the happy kind...). The horror part? Well, he gets haunted by a bloody one (like literally!) throughout the film!
So backstory aside, that experience was the first time, and would surely not be the last. That's why this year I decided to watch 3 films; namely:
The teaser that started it all...
"The Cramming" is a comedic short which, as the title states, focuses on Ely and Kurt trying to meet their deadline. How they manage to do so is beyond me. Another one would be a romantic short with a surprising twist at the end entitled "Message Sent". It starts with an aspiring musician later finding a cellphone number in a public bus, who later becomes his textmate. Sparks fly while cellular loads are diminished (... unless you know, Unlitxt20 to 8888...).
Because not everything has to be said... <3
Lastly would be "Sabado", which is surprisingly about suicide (... or in a more euphemistic sense, life and death).
... the washed-out poster should have been a warning...
It starts off with both our protagonists waking up and setting a timer, while they proceed to enjoy the little things in life together for the day. By the end of the day, they're at Jones Bridge with the guy saying something along the lines that, "It takes courage to Die, but it takes more than courage to Live." With the girl replying that she's "not afraid anymore" as they throw their respective timers off the bridge. The End. Yeah it was meant to be open-ended I suppose, as I later found out from the director during the Q & A part at the end of the film.
Cliffhangers aside, all in all it was an enjoyable experience which I wouldn't mind doing again next school year. Kudos to our upcoming movie directors and screen writers! ;) Arriba Letran! :D
So it's been a while since I took up blogging... Too many distractions have kept me from posting anything worthwhile I suppose... This day, however, marks the beginning of an end. It's what we call the day of "The Defense," and I'm probably in school right now. I had this post pre-scheduled in a funny attempt to mimic a last will and testament. Call this day Judgment Day.
In preparation for this day, with all the revised paperworks that needed to be done, last week was filled with pent-up emotional stress. It actually felt like a f---ing roller coaster of emotion.. going round and round, up and down the slopes... and other emotional garbages thrown your way. Although I blame it all on hormones and delayed period, that out of the blue spouted out in the middle of a very stressful and hectic week. Damn, never before have I ever felt such anger even at the littlest things that I somehow wished they'd spontaneously combust! I'm not generally led by emotions so it was pretty rough. It's like my head was full of the F word - for this, that, everyone, everything! Why can't they all just die out?!
It's pretty creepy, now that I look back on it a week later. Also had this really annoying incident at our local cinema that same week. I wished the ticket attendant's head would just burst off... It all started with me wanting to unwind for just a little bit. Since I've seem this cool trailer, I wanted to watch the movie in its entirety. Turns out it was an R-16 movie. Well, I'm 19 so that's not a problem, right? Wrong! The ticket lady cared too much that even after presenting my college org IDs (I don't walk around with my college ID), she was still hesitant to print out the tickets. D-UH?!??! That moment, I wanted to rip off her head! I was like, "What gives?!" Just because I'm not tall enough for my age doesn't give her the right to judge! (I previously got to watch an R-18 movie shown in the same week at the same cinema. What the F---?!)
On a lighter note, I should just pray for good results for our "defense" today. I wish and hope for at least a passing mark. I guess stress won't end here, and I'll probably encounter more stress later on in life. That's part of growing up. Just like what my mom always says, "Pray for everything that is not within your control." I guess that's what I'll do... pray for the strength to carry on, pray for wisdom in all my decisions, and pray for more than enough faith to know that at the end of the day, everything will be just fine. ^_^
