Where are all the mosquitoes in Singapoh?

So I've been busy this past week and finally got around to finishing up this post! Enjoy. 

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I started off my trip in the bustling and orderly world class city-state of Singapore. I was extremely excited to return to Singapore after 17 years. If you do the math, I visited Singapore when I was 5 and it was my first trip on an airplane. This time, I came with my sister for her first visit to Singapore. It was quite a long flight from Taipei to Singapore - took a little over 4 hours. The instant I got off the plane, I felt the heat.

In the 3 full days I spent in Singapore, I was able to see so many sights but still had many places I wanted to visit. I was very impressed with the orderly image Singapore exuded - clean, tree-lined boulevards, taxi stands, efficient public transport, even the hawker stalls were super clean. Additionally, the sewers did not smell like so many other Asian cities and Toronto for that matter. There were also no mosquitoes to be found!

The first day upon arrival, my sister and I made our way around Bugis, Chinatown, Clarke Quay and the Esplanade. We went searching for a good Hainan chicken in Chinatown but was unable to find a decent one unfortunately. The rain started coming down so hard that we just stayed close to the MRT station. The Esplanade is also beautiful. It's a great spot to admire the glittering Singapore skyline from two sides. On one side, you have the financial district. The view of the Esplanade Theatres (aka durians), the Singapore Flyer, and the recent Marina Bay Sands Hotel (Moshe Safdie ftw) is absolutely stunning. We were able to catch the amazing Marina Bay Sands light show right from our hotel room balcony (alongside some McNuggets and fries I picked up at the 24hr McD's beneath our hotel hehe).

We made our way to Sentosa the second morning with my friend Niklas from Sweden. To be honest, I was quite disappointed with Sentosa. The only part I really enjoyed was Palawan Beach. The attractions are aging, and the group of Japanese students we came across were unimpressed with the CineBlast 3D ride we took. A new Universal Studios and Sentosa Resorts opened not too long ago but it really wasn't my goal to ride roller coasters during my stay in Singapore. After some lunch and trekking around Chinatown and the very nice albeit small Red Dot Design Museum, my sister and I headed back to our hotel and once again, got caught in the tropical downpour. After a dinner which numbed my tongue (yeah too spicy), we found our way to Marina Bay Sands' SkyPark to enjoy the night view. It was magnificent.

I then went to enjoy another night view from my hotel, The Stamford. Niklas and his friends were heading up to the New Asia club. Got in for free because I was a guest and it was a pretty spectacular view, second after the SkyPark. Music was Top40 and the club, like the one of the clubs I went to in Miami, had some older folks lounging with champagne. I guess the hotel is better suited for an older clientele. It was a pretty fun night with some really yummy Moet champagne and some dancing on the 70th floor.

The third day, we headed back to Marina Bay Sands (yeah we just love that place) to go to the ArtScience Museum, also designed by Moshe Safdie, and shaped like a lotus. I really enjoyed the well-planned and labelled exhibits and the generous air conditioning inside. It was worth the lofty S$30. Headed to Orchard to gander at the street of malls and ended up at Forever21 with two new dress purchases (yay). One observation that I did have about Singapore is the overabundance of shopping malls. Consumerism has become a national sport of some sort. Malls are everywhere, especially along Orchard. It's ridiculous how many TopShops there are too! We then made our way to the Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo. Wow was it ever far but it was quite worth the unique experience. Denise arrived later that night and we had a hell of a time trying to get on the wi-fi. I never expected it to be so difficult for free wi-fi for visitors!

The final day, my sister left for Taipei in the morning and Denise, Niklas, and I visited Suntec City to walk around the Fountain of Wealth. I didn't feel any wealthier and I certainly don't feel wealthier after this trip! It was time for Denise and I to head to the ferry terminal to catch our ferry to Bintan, Indonesia.

I left Singapore with a will to return. I would love to visit other parts of the City and try more of their food. The melange of cultures also reminded me of Canada although Singapore felt much more multicultural with so many official languages. Clean, mosquito-less Singapore really is a world class city unlike any other. I would bare the equatorial heat once more and get caught in the afternoon downpours again to enjoy this City.

I have returned

I got back to Taipei two days ago and I'm freezing in the cool Taipei temperatures. I've been pretty busy uploading and editing some photos and the blogs will come very soon. I have to say I felt different when I stepped off that plane in Taoyuan's CKS Int'l Airport. I don't know if I was feeling slightly worn out from all the flying but the last legs of my trip in Vietnam and Cambodia was definitely inspiring. The Japanese earthquake and tsunami also happened while I was in Halong Bay, Vietnam. I had no idea it happened until I returned to Hanoi where there was cell reception, tv, and internet. It was alarming and I felt an enormous amount of sympathy for the Japanese. Their ability to cope and calm and orderly reaction to such a tremendous act of nature is truly inspiring and I respect them greatly for that.

For me, tourism isn't just about seeing the sights; it's about understanding and experiencing cultures, interaction, and respect. I'm curious to see how people in different places live, eat, and interact. It was nice to learn about other aspects of Chinese heritage in Malaysia and see the influences of religion on the cities. I was also scoping out potential sites for study in grad school (when the time comes). Tourism is planned and promoted in different ways in all the countries I visited.

I wrote down some thoughts and some of the interesting things I saw during my travels in my little Moleskin notebook. I will try to blog about them as soon as I can before I forget (I seem to be quite forgetful lately...)

First up...Singapore.

To be continued...

TOMORROW

GOOD NIGHT.
I NEED SLEEP.
BE BACK IN A FEW....














WEEKS

(after my run two days ago) 

2 more days!

Sorry for the lack of blogging recently but I've been feeling slightly lazy as well as busy. 我最近也好像都沒有寫中文 - 的確變懶也忙. There's been something going on everyday and I've also gotten some exercise in as the weather has warmed up. The weekend was quite busy, meeting up with old friends (yes I have some) and catching up. They returned to Taiwan to study and I really admire them for that. 我最近跟幾位高中同學見面. 這些朋友回台灣讀書其實我蠻欣賞ㄉ. To be honest, one of my biggest fears is moving back to Taiwan (if that were to ever happen). I know everyone can get accustomed to a new place after a few months or maybe years, but if I were to come back, it would be challenging and add a lot of pressure on me. I don't think I'll grow and mature as much as I could if I were on my own elsewhere. I digress. My classmates are well adjusted to life here in Taipei and they seem to be loving getting in touch with their roots while getting a great education.

As always, it's been a food-ful few days too. I had wonderful meals with my friends, which consisted of Japanese lunch, a western brunch, and an all you can eat sukiyaki. On Monday, my sister treated me to Shintori, this high end Japanese restaurant. Man I did a lot of eating.

In other upcoming news and the title of this entry, I'm leaving for my 19 day trip to South East Asia! Everything is booked and I just have to apply for a visa and confirm a flight with one hotel. So here is my itinerary for those who are curious:

(I should've labeled the locations on the map but now I'm too lazy)

1. Singapore 新加坡
2. Bintan, Indonesia 印尼
3. Penang, Malaysia 馬來西亞
4. Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
5. Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei 芠萊
6. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
7. Hanoi, Vietnam 越南
8. Halong Bay, Vietnam
9. Siem Reap, Cambodia 柬埔寨

I've been busy preparing things and looking up things to do in these places. It's going to be a pretty long trip but I'm excited to see these places! I was deciding whether to go to Europe or South East Asia for my graduation trip but I think I made the right decision with SE Asia. It's unlikely that I'll be updating once I'm gone so I shall try to blog tomorrow before my trip!

hmm

trip planning in process.
updates about weekend and people and food and places and things and pictures and trips are upcoming.

Uh...I can't wait for this light show!! WHEEEE

busy busy - the way I like it

I've been busy doing god knows what the last few days. Dinners, appointments, family stuff...time flies by so much faster in Taiwan than in Vancouver. I can't believe it's already February 18th and my SE Asia trip will begin in one week. To be honest, I kind of like life here a bit more now despite my earlier complaints. But I still can't see myself here in the long term.

The last few days have been occupied with my cousin's little ones and free tickets to the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. I watched the Ice Dance short program yesterday. To my delight, Canadian favourites Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue were competing and skated beautifully to first place after the short program. Tonight, they were skating the free skate to keep their top spot. They started wonderfully, but after their first lift (with extreme high level of difficulty), Tessa had to stop - most likely due to her injury which has been operated on twice already. It was sad that they had to pull out of the competition but the Four Continents is a small competition and I would much rather them be healthy for Worlds.

I was treated to a delicious Japanese meal at Mitsui Sushi. It was probably the best Japanese cuisine I've ever had. Better than what I've had in Japan (because I was too cheap to spend the big bucks when I was there) and impeccable service. The whole meal itself was quite orgasmic. My only qualm would be the dessert. I would hope for it to be a bit more creative but I think their intention is for a lighter end to a superb meal. I really have nothing to compare Mitsui with and my standards have definitely been upped.

I'm not a uni lover but this sashimi platter made me into one...fresh and impeccable 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a mosquito to hunt down because I don't want to be bit just yet. I'll save that for South East Asia. I'll post up my itinerary before I leave! Everything is booked now! I just have to apply for my Vietnam visa and all will be good :)

not ready for kids...

I am exhausted. The hot shower I just took has never felt so good. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I took my cousin's two young children out around Taipei. They're visiting from Colorado and the children have never been to Taiwan before. Aged 5 (boy) and almost 7 (girl) are a lot of fun and some of the things that come out of their mouths are just too funny. However, they are also a lot of work! They never stop talking and are slightly obsessed with 7-11 and Family Mart convenience stores.

My mom and I took them to the Taipei Fine Art Museum today and the little one fell asleep on the way there and couldn't be awakened. Had to borrow a stroller at customer service to push him around. He missed the whole thing. His sister seemed to enjoy it enough I think. On afterthought, it was probably good that the little one was asleep because he would've been quite loud in the exhibits haha. The special exhibit on Paul Gauguin was just alright to be honest. I couldn't stop and look closely at the pieces or rent a explanatory headpiece but from what I saw from the small exhibit was mostly landscapes, still life, portraits, and some sculptures - which I suppose compose of the majority of art in these museums.

After the art museum, he finally awakened and we headed to Mos Burger...my favourite fast food joint. One wanted a hot dog and the other one doesn't seem to want to eat anything... The hot dog and chicken nuggets I ordered (all made from real meat) did not suit the tastes of the American kids unfortunately, and I was stumped and frankly a little frustrated! I love Mos Burger for their fresher and slightly healthier take on fast food! Most of their burgers are less than 500 calories and their portions are adequate but not oversized. Anyhow, the children did not eat too much and we headed to a nearby park where they had a swell time on the slides and these "exercise" machines for the elderly. Please see Exhibit A from my prior experience on these exercise machines:

These exercise things are available in most public spaces where the elderly frequent. 

We brought them to my place for a little while and they didn't want to leave. We had to entice them with the subway (the little on was wanting to ride the MRT) and 7-11 to leave. Anyhow, we got them back to where they were staying and I was exhausted. They just don't stop going. I think scientists need to study why children have so much energy and transform the findings into some revolutionary battery or transferable energy source to those lacking energy.

I can't imagine myself with children right now...my mom and I handled them alright and my aunt thought I took care of children quite well from her observations when we got back to their place. But nonetheless, I'll play with children that are not my own for now. I suppose if I have children of my own one day, I'll love them enough to have the patience for all the good and the bad. As my cousin noted, witnessing the "horrors" of others' kids is the best form of birth control. Haha....

I shall bid thee all good night as I am worn out!

Happy Love Day

Seems like this whole weekend has been full of Valentine's Day celebrations or something. No wonder it's called Single Awareness Day because I felt like I was drowning in a sea of couples. Never mind that. This weekend was pleasant enough and I had a pleasant time having lunch at my childhood nanny's on Saturday, followed by some shopping with my sister before the violin concert...which turned out to be a bust. I wanted to leave after the first song after the intermission. There was no cohesion in the program and it was mixed with some contemporary/interpretative and latin dance. It was just odd all around. Sunday, I went to the Science Museum with my mom and sister to this 3D art exhibition. Yeah I know, art exhibit at the science museum. It was pretty fun but crowded. The picture below is my version of the Mona Lisa. I gave her eyebrows, bangs, a better smile, and some jewelery. Unfortunately, I ran out of ink. :( Afterwards, I had a somewhat awkward dinner with some distant family members but got to see my cousin from Denver that I haven't seen in a while!

Today proved to be quite enjoyable. As my mom and I were heading out to the MRT, I was walking a bit ahead and when I turned around, my mom was on the floor! Turns out she had slipped on some canine excrement...yes dog poo. It was pretty hilarious. Luckily, it didn't get on her clothes but I giggled all the way to the MRT station. Did some more shopping with my mom and her friend in the afternoon before dinner surrounded by couples couples couples.

This being Valentine's Day and all, I got to thinking (as I always do) about love and marriage. There still seems to be an imbalance in Taiwan between the sexes. During Chinese New Year, it's still customary to celebrate the main dinner with the male's side of the family. The day the woman goes back to her home is the second day after the New Year. I understand that this is tradition, but it just seems unfair for the woman that she always has to go to the in-laws before her own.

Then, I got to thinking about Chinese marriages. I've been to two Chinese weddings here and some receptions. There are also lots of wedding receptions are large banquet restaurants that I've dined at. The most recent one was quite fancy and seemed to have over 200 guests. However, it seemed that a large portion of the guests are friends of parents and not directly friends of the bride and groom. It's customary for the parents to invite their friends to their children's wedding receptions...and I'm not sure why. I made it clear today to my parents that if I do happen to get married in Taiwan, they can only invite their friends that I'm familiar with. I'm still quite far from this whole marriage business but it's important to have this sort of forethought.

Anyhow, taking my cousin's little kiddies out tomorrow so I should sleep now if I'm going to have enough energy for all their pent up energy haha.

P.S. no Chinese in this post. Got too lazy to translate some of my important phrases.
P.P.S. Listening to Far East Movement's album right now is making me want to party -__- I don't lead that sort of life here in Taipei.

cultural distinctions

I am once reiterating my inability to fit into Taiwanese culture - especially among the youth. I don't know if I can really classify myself as youth anymore now that I'm in my early 20's. 我又注意到我跟台灣的年輕人環境格格不入 (I only got this sentence right thanks for my sister). But nonetheless, I shall categorize "youth" as late teens to mid 20s. Why the sudden return of this insecurity? 為什麼又想到這些無ㄝ謀ㄝ的? This afternoon, I went to a popular youth hang out spot - XiMengDing 西門町 - a pedestrian zone known for the trendy and usually affordable shops. I left my mom this afternoon from SOGO and departed to meet a friend (finally!) at this popular spot. Once I MRT-ed there, I was instantly surrounded by young people...whom I believe are probably younger than me by their appearance and behaviour. Anyhow, I never really enjoyed going to 西門町 before because of all the people, smokers, and the 怪叔叔, but I went today since I haven't been in a while and to hang out with my friend. The shopping actually was just so-so. Bought some stuff at the Korean Body Shop equivalent called Skin Food and bought a pair of pretty warm gloves for about 8 CAD. Other than that, I didn't see any jewelery or clothes that I liked.

While walking around, I just couldn't help but notice all the young people smoking and swearing. I thought youth have progressed to become a smoke-intolerant cohort, but that wasn't what I witnessed today. From what I remember from my prior trips to Taiwan, the youth seemed more naive and down to earth. Now, the youth seem obsessed with appearances. Call me old fashioned. Maybe I've just outgrown this sort of thing. Maybe I shouldn't be classified as youth anymore. It's no wonder that my friends call me an old soul, 奶奶, 45 year old, etc. There's also no reason why I have to fit in either. But I suppose it's mainly driven by the fact that I don't have many friends here in Taiwan. People identify with a location when there are existing, similar types of people. I love having family here, but I still need people my age that I can identify with to hang out with.

Anyway, I've had my emotion spillage of the day. Before heading to 西門町, I went to XingTian Temple 行天宮 with my mom to "bai bai" (I've mentioned this tradition in my Chinese New Year post). 行天宮 is a temple devoted to Guan Yu 關羽, the patron god to businessmen (thank you wikipedia). It happened to be 關羽's birthday today so there were many people and employees there to wish for good business and obviously fortune. It was extremely crowded and my hair smelled like incense. I'm not sure if I believe in "praying" for good fortune as I find it slightly superstitious. But it's one of those instances when people aren't sure, but do it anyway just in case it does work. It was interesting to see how many people still believe in this tradition and I see it as a distinct part of Taiwanese culture.

People rushing to be the first to stick their incense in at the start of New Years...

OMG Anthony Neely was there!! <3

After 西門町, I had a lovely Indian dinner with my parents in 天母 and it was so delicious. It's been a while since I had such delicious Indian food since Masala Bay in Waterloo. The dessert was the best part. It was this carrot mash with some spices topped off with vanilla ice cream. Sooo goood....I have to go back for more.

Tomorrow, I'm going for lunch at my childhood nanny's house. Can't wait for Peking duck 北京烤鴨! Night time, I'm off to a violin trio concert with my sister at 中正紀念堂.
It's going to be a great weekend hopefully!

Enjoy the fro.

I went to the Circus (again)

I went to see Varekai (太陽劇團魔幻森林) last night with the family at 南港. Varekai is the 4th Cirque du Soleil show that I've seen and thus, my expectations were quite high. In comparison to Ovo, Alegria, and Kooza, Varekai had a higher degree of art form through dance, costumes, and the circus arts of silks, the hoop, and trapeze. The show was also accompanied by beautiful live music and vocals. I didn't mind that there weren't as many thrilling stunts but I was quite disappointed by the clowns. All three that I've seen before Varekai featured hilarious clowns that brought roaring laughter to the tent. These clowns were repetitive and not engaging enough. Nonetheless, it was still a fun family event and I thank my sister for buying the 2nd most expensive tickets :)

Today, I went up to the Mountain 陽明山 to help my mom clean the house. Stopped by Mos Burger for a snack on the way back and headed out for a run. I would've run further but my mom wanted me to wait for her at a certain point since she was walking. It was still a great run in the mild weather. People kept giving me looks because I was in shorts and a t-shirt - I was indeed quite conspicuous.

The run was followed by a healthy and delicious vegetarian dinner at a restaurant (I forget the name). It was pretty much a 6 or 7 course meal and was well worth the 680 NTD.

Just a few moments ago, a couple, or ex-couple I would assume, were arguing outside quite loudly. According to my sister, this has happened on several occasions. Their argument really escalated and my mom was peering out the window and listening to their argument. -__-
I would hate for a relationship to go that sour that they would have to argue in public for everyone to witness and to the point where the guy was threatening to call the police on the girl. I just hope they don't argue outside our window again...

 2nd row at Varekai! 

Running route

Pre-appetizer :)