subway secrets

Wicked Musical

2012-01-15T19:30:00.000+08:00

清明上河图

2012-01-14T17:00:00.000+08:00

Dreams and Reality

2012-01-11T16:00:00.000+08:00

Grad Trip Day 27 - Chiang Mai

2011-12-31T09:33:00.000+08:00

For the last 2 days I stayed in this guesthouse called the Naruncha Guesthouse. It is located at the bottom right corner of the rectangular city moat. When I was there, it was a couple in their 50s attending to me and they were so fatherly and motherly!!! Although they didn't speak much English, they received me with so much warmth - offered me food, telling me directions etc. Every time I returned to the place, they would smile and ask how have I been. Thai hospitality at its very best.

Wan brought me to have lunch at this chicken rice outlet in the old city centre. Apparently Princess Sirindhorn frequents this shop every time she comes up to the North!

We had ice-cream at this parlour called iBerry opened by a famous Thai comedian Note Udom. Most of the seats were outdoors and the patrons were mainly well-dressed young people. Ice cream is not fantastic, thought the place is!

We then visited the oldest temple within the Chiang Mai old city (surrounded by the rectangular moat). It was the last day of the year and there were many locals who were there to wish for a better year ahead.

The silver temple, still under construction.

Would have loved to sit in a Monk Chat session but didn't get to this time round. If I ever go to Chiang Mai again, I will do this and go for an elephant conservation package tour.

Grad Trip Day 26 - Chiang Rai

2011-12-30T02:20:00.000+08:00

I signed up for a Chiang Rai day trip package (1000 baht). The first stop was this hot spring, which was 1.5 hours away from Chiang Mai. I didn't really enjoy the whole tour because I was on a van with poor aircon, and I had a bad seat (at the back squashed with 3 others), and the rest of the tourists were a French family and domestic tourists who were so different from the friendlier, backpacking people I am so used to be meeting.

Next stop: Wat Rong Khun. popular known as the white temple. Besides its exterior, it also has very interesting murals inside (similar to the ones I saw in Wat Buddhapadipa in Wimbledon, London). The murals were done Thai-style but included depictions of events such as 9-11 and many random cartoon characters!

Next stop: Golden Triangle in Chiang Saen, where you could see Myanmar and Laos from the river bank.

We got onto a boat which got us to Laos for the sake of going to Laos. Zzzzzzz. We had 30-minutes to spend there and there were only shops selling tired products and many begging children.

After lunch, the van brought us to Mae Sai, a border town which is also then northernmost point of Thailand. The blue building is the checkpoint and once you cross a bridge, you are in Myanmar! It's quite a sight to me, given that the previous land borders I have encountered during this trip were all quiet, uninhabited areas.

The day trip ended with a visit to a village inhabited by the Akha people. And we made our way back to Chiang Mai, reaching the city only at 2130.

Grad Trip Day 25 - Lamphun

2011-12-29T02:20:00.000+08:00

I signed up for a one-day cooking course with ChiangMaiSmartCook. It costs 1000 baht (the agency gave me a discount and I paid only 900 baht). The lady in grey is our instructor May and she first brought us around a morning market in Chiang Mai. After the visit, we proceeded to Chiang Mai Railway Station to catch a train to Lamphun Province south of Chiang Mai Province.

It was a short 20-minute train journey. After which, we cycled to this bungalow which is the holding area of the cooking school.

The size of a cooking class is capped at maximum 15.

Before lessons started proper, May brought us to the backyard and we started to pick herbs and vegetables which were needed for cooking. We were given the option to choose 5 dishes to learn. For me, I chose phad thai, green curry, beef salad, mango sticky rice and chicken in coconut milk soup. This would eventually be our lunch for the day too.

It's my first time learning how to cook, and I had fun! It was even more encouraging when my phad thai tasted so delicious haha. Chiang Mai has quite a number of cooking schools which hold courses for tourists. Bangkok has cooking schools as well but they cater more to people who want to be professional cooks (May explained to me). So if you are in Chiang Mai, consider trying this out! Quite a family-friendly activity too!

Grad Trip Day 24 - Chiang Mai

2011-12-28T02:19:00.001+08:00

My friend Wan planned to bring me around the city today. In the morning we set off to Doi Suthep ("Doi" means mountain), a famous mountain just beside the city. At the base of the mountain, people travelling up will first stop by this place and make offerings to this statue.

Doi Suthep is connected to Doi Pui. This is the area around the peak of Doi Pui, where there is a cafe set up by the Chiang Mai University Faculty of Agriculture.

Wan drove here in hope of catching the sakura trees in full blossom, as he said they normally do so on the last week of every year. It's different this year, as we found ONLY this tree in full blossom.

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, a mountain situated mid-way to the peak. You can see Chiang Mai city from the compound of the temple.

After a late lunch we proceeded to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek, an annual horticultural/flora exhibition. The exhibition galleries and booths were really impressive and I found it a pity that there weren't many signs in English. It certainly could qualify as an expo of international standards! This exhibition is on until 14 March 2012. Entry ticket is at 200 baht.

For dinner, we met up with my SSEAYP batchmate Ball, who travelled to Chiang Mai from Bangkok for a short getaway.

Grad Trip Day 23 - Chiang Mai

2011-12-27T02:18:00.000+08:00

I took a tuktuk from the bus terminal to my hotel, the New Mitrapap Hotel. It is located near the river and Chinatown, but relatively far from the main tourist area.

Only SGD12 per room per night! I had lunch with my friend Wan (my family hosted him during the SSEAYP programme in 2010 when the ship docked in Singapore) and his colleagues (all doing PhD in Environmental Science at Chiang Mai University). After which I decided to visit Chiang Mai Zoo, partly because I have never been to an overseas zoo before.

Mandai Zoo is better, but Chiang Mai Zoo is really not far off from Mandai. There is a good variety of animals and well-landscaped enclosures. I was only irritated by the monorail, which had advertisements plastered over its windows (like our buses in SG) and obscured our view of the enclosures.

Within the zoo there's this aquarium recently opened. It's a separate entry ticket for this at 390 baht (zoo admission is at 150 baht, if I don't remember wrongly). Underwater World Singapore is better designed (the words on the display panels here are too small, some areas are unnecessarily dim) but this too is not too far off. It's not worth the price though.

I went back to town for dinner (20 minutes' drive away). This is the night bazaar area where all the grander hotels are located.

And while walking out of the night bazaar, I saw this farang get off a songtaew (local taxi). He is none other than my Honours Thesis adviser Dr. Carl Grundy-Warr!

Grad Trip Day 22 - Loei

2011-12-26T02:18:00.000+08:00

There are a number of national parks in Loei Province. It is actually quite an eco-tourism site for domestic visitors. With the vague transport details I have gathered, I decided to go to Phurua National Park. I took this mini bus at Loei Bus Terminal at 0900. It is headed to Dan Sao and will drop people off the base of the national park.

At 1000, I got off the mini bus. Yes this is the base of the park and I am supposed to walk 9km up to the peak. So I started walking...

After walking for more than 2km, this truck horned at me and the family inside asked me to hop on! Something like hitchhiking but I didn't initiate it. It turned out to be a Thai family with a German son-in-law visiting the park. They asked me if I had transport down the park, I said no. They told me to just visit the park with them, and they would send me down. You can imagine how thankful I felt!!!!!!!!

The view from the peak of Phurua. It was ten degrees when we were there. Loei Province has the lowest average temperatures out of all the 77 provinces in Thailand.

Beautiful rock formations on another side of the peak.

The family sent me down at around 1200. The bus back to Loei city was at 1500 so I had quite some time to spare. I had lunch, then I started to look for a spot with wifi. I passed by this shop and asked if there was internet access in the area. This guy actually said he had wifi in his shop/house and just gave me his password. How nice can the people here get!? He spoke English and I got to know that he actually works in Singapore! With Jurong Engineering Limited in Tuas. He said he was back home for 2 months and would be returning to SG in January. We spoke for quite a while and even exchanged contacts. I hope one day I will be able to meet him up for a meal in Singapore.

I got back to the city and had dinner with a CouchSurfer by the name of Adam. He's from UK and he was teaching English in a local school. A pity I forgot to take a photo with him! There's a chance his school will be visiting Singapore in May this year and I will be able to catch up with him over here!

My bus to Chiang Mai (costs between 600 and 700 baht, to reach there at 0600) was scheduled at 2200. This is the bus terminal, with someone boiling a kettle of water. I don't know who is it for, heck, it may even be for anyone! It's a day of many warm encounters, and I couldn't help but to like the country more.

Grad Trip Day 21 - Loei

2011-12-25T19:33:00.001+08:00

I had with me a National Geographic travel guide in Thailand. It featured Loei Province, and it mentioned that if one wants to be the only tourist somewhere in Thailand, one can try going to Loei. So there, I took a bus from Udon Thani to Loei. The ride took 3 hours and it was 70 baht.

Though Thailand is the most developed among all the countries I have visited during this trip, it also has the oldest fleets of buses around. You see buses like the above even in Bangkok zipping past Siam Paragon.

In Loei, there is only one guesthouse to go to for the backpacker, and that is Sugar Guest House. It's a 10-min tuktuk ride from the bus terminal, 5-min walk to the city centre. Single room at 180 baht a night. There is an Internet cafe nearby which closes at 10pm.

The riverfront in the city centre.

The night market.

A disused bridge.

Skip this province if the objective of your trip is to visit famous attractions and to have great fun. But if you want to explore a relatively unknown place/don't feel like seeing mass tourists for a few days, this is the place for you. For me, spending two days here was therapeutic.

Grad Trip Day 20 - Udon Thani

2011-12-24T19:32:00.000+08:00

My SSEAYP friends invited me to meet them this evening, at one of the PY's (Participating Youth) birthday party. Much as I wanted to meet them, I decided to proceed to Udon Thani, Thailand instead in the morning.

I paid 250 baht for the bus to Udon Thani. I believe there are cheaper options though.

Upon reaching Udon, I checked into this guesthouse called Englishmen's Retreat. It's run by a Welsh by the name of Glyn. He stays there with his family and has been running it since 2005. It's really a resort, and I got a room (for 2 people) at only SGD12 per night! (Bad thing about travelling alone, few places offer single bed rooms) The downside was that it's a distance away from the city centre and I got cheated by tuktuk drivers to get in here (one charged me 400baht!). But I really had no choice.

In the city area, there is this road near Central Plaza with all the guesthouses, bars, and infrastructure meant for tourists. There were seedy shops like the above too. It is all too common to see Caucasians (otherwise known as 'farangs' in Thai) with their Thai girlfriends/wives over here in Udon. The history behind this phenomenon - Udon Thani was an important military base for the US during the Vietnam War and after the war, a good number of Americans decided to stay on.

Walking away from the seedy street towards the train station, there is one huge night market with great food and much to shop. Across the huge night market are at least 3 modern shopping complexes with much to offer too!

Outside one of the shopping complexes, a carolling group. Yes, there is a festive atmosphere in this not so well known part of Thailand. After walking around, I headed for a massage before going back to the guesthouse.

Grad Trip Day 19 - Vientiane

2011-12-23T09:18:00.000+08:00

In the morning, we made a visit to the local district office of Vang Vieng and had a brief exchange with the youth officials. They too, like Phoudindaeng Youth Centre, have been active in engaging the young in Vang Vieng. After that, we bid farewell to Yonggu our dear host and made our way back to Vientiane.

Finally, our project was successfully completed! =)

Most of the team had to catch the train back to Bangkok that evening. For me, it was the beginning of my Phase 3 of my grad trip. I had one week to make my way from Vientiane to Chiang Mai (to catch my flight back to Singapore). And I haven't had any detailed planning! I just decided to stay one more night in Vientiane in hope to meet up with my Lao friends I made from SSEAYP.

I stayed in this Phoung Champa Hotel which is in the tourist area opposite the Mekong River. Comfortable room, and only at USD20 per room per night.

There was a halal restaurant right opposite this hotel. And they had a booth outside just selling pratas! Halal food is easy to find in Laos (I saw halal eateries in Pakse, Vang Vieng and Vientiane) as compared to Cambodia and Vietnam.

This is a poster I came across outside the Lao People's Army History Museum. The Music-and Dance Company equivalent of the People's Liberation Army is going to hold a week-long concert in Vientiane with/for their comrades in the Lao People's Army. I wonder when did such friendship begin for the armies of these two nations ruled by communist parties. Did it date back to decades ago, or is it a young relationship since the rise of China within the last decade?

A local noodle dish known as bee-boon. Worth trying! Available at this place called Three Sisters Restaurant on the street of the Phoung Champa Hotel.

Along the stretch of Mekong River near my hotel, there is a daily night market which only started operating in early 2011. In Vientiane, the number of cars on the road is really just right - enough to create a hustle and not to make it seem like a dead town. The same goes for this night market. The crowd here is just nice to sustain a lively atmosphere, yet there is ample space for you to stroll around and shop. I bought a shirt, a map and a book over here. My favourite night market among all that I've been to during this trip!

Grad Trip Day 18 - Vang Vieng

2011-12-22T09:18:00.000+08:00

The centre invited us to witness the opening of a new school building in Vieng Samay. The ceremony lasted the entire morning.

At the end of the ceremony, village elders started to tie white strings around the wrists of all the foreign guests in the crowd. As they tied the strings, they would be saying all their wishes for you. I am thankful to receive all these blessings, though it could get overwhelming at certain moments.

The team had a tour around an organic farm in the village in the afternoon, and held a long discussion at night about all the organisations we have touched base with for this trip, and we will be doing next.

Grad Trip Day 17 - Vang Vieng

2011-12-21T09:17:00.000+08:00

Tourism activity first emerged in Vang Vieng in 2003/2004. Many were eco-tourists and travelled responsibly. Over the last five years however, more and more establishments appeared to cater to the increasing crowds. Along this scenic river, one can do tubing (sitting in a tyre and floating along the river). This particular outlet was blasting extremely loud music. This is the first time I am witnessing such extreme side effects of tourism in a rural area and I can only say I am disgusted. The ten of us were brought around the village where the youth centre was by a volunteer (another South Korean by the name of Mr Lee Sunjae). He related to us all these sad stories about tourism and tourists changing the lives of the locals. Drugs are prevalent in town with the presence of happy pizzas and happy dishes. Foreigners walk around half-naked, or only in their swimsuits in town. We even witnessed a brawl between foreigners along the road. SIGH.

This village we were in is called Phou Dindeng Village. Literally translated, it means Red Mountain Soil Village. This village is inhabited by 3 different ethnic groups - the Lao Lum, the Katu and the Hmong. The Hmong originally belonged to the highlands and shifted here some decades back. Since then, relations among these three groups haven't been encouraging. There was no interaction between the common folk, and there were power issues at the governance level. The above photo shows a community centre within the village (constructed with the help of Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore) which has been disused since around five years ago as the people could not agree on the purpose of usage of this building.

From the exterior it seemed just like any other rural village. But this time, we got to hear the inside stories and they gave me a different perspective to rural living. How can an internally fractured village have the ability to deal with all these external problems brought about by tourism? There is an optimistic view to this though - that these three groups can put away their differences and stand on the same line against excessive, irresponsible mass tourism in their village.

After the tour around town, we got down to doing some work. The youth centre we were collaborating with was about to open a social enterprise cafe in two days' time and they required manpower for the finishing touches. So, the ladies in the team helped out with painting the walls and the guys shovelled cut (granite?) rocks to make the entrance to the cafe.

We played soccer with the boys for a while before interacting with the older youth in the centre. Our intention was to know them better through their aspirations, and to see how we could fit in encourage and empower them. The centre has been up for 5 years and it has been doing a great job in nurturing youth leaders among the youth there. It has also been receiving support from several Korean organisations as well as the endorsement of the local government.

AY11/12 Semester 1 Examination Results

2011-12-20T12:06:00.000+08:00

GE4401 Honours Thesis A- (15 MCs)

Semester CAP: 4.50
Overall CAP: 4.05

Grad Trip Day 16 - Vang Vieng

2011-12-20T09:17:00.000+08:00

The morning was spent talking with students from the National University of Laos. They were generous with their sharing and said that it was the first time they got to talk to youths from other countries in the university! (Photos with the official photographer)

At 1400hrs, we took a van up to Vang Vieng, which is a 4 hours drive away from Vientiane. It costs 70000 kip per pax (1USD is to 8000kip). The ten of us took up the bulk of the 12-seater van. A local and an American lady filled up the other 2 seats. We made conversations with the American lady. Her name is Ann Marie, and she is a producing director who works closely with international organisations such as Greenpeace, Not For Sale etc. We told her about our team (we met at the 5th UNESCO Asian Youth Forum/ after the forum we wanted to do something meaningful together/ decided to work with organisations in Thailand and Laos/ going up to Vang Vieng to collaborate with a youth centre as our final event). She dispensed a lot of advice, shared with us what these larger organisations did, encouraged us to pursue what's meaningful. It felt really surreal, that we were 'destined' to be on the same van and to be talking about hope, motivation and good works. =)

The ride there was bumpy. A few of us got car sick but none of us vomitted. So beware if you are taking a van up from Vientiane to Vang Vieng. This stretch of road is exceptionally bad (even Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang isn't that bad, the locals say).

This is our accommodation in Vang Vieng - Yonggu's farm.

Yonggu is a South Korean who decided to settle down in Vang Vieng. Somehow he managed to have a plot of land, most of which he used to plant rice and other crops. The rest of the land, he built some houses, including this mudhouse. This mudhouse is our dormitory for the 3 nights there. Yonggu is an active volunteer with Phoudindaeng Youth Centre, the youth organisation which we will be collaborating with for the next few days.

Grad Trip Day 15 - Vientiane

2011-12-19T09:17:00.000+08:00

We reached Nong Khai station at 0510hrs. Halfway through the journey, the train carriage became very cold. I am not sure if it's the weather or the aircon in the carriage. I guess it's both. We were freezing when we got off from the train. The Nong Khai - Vientiane border only opens at 0600hrs. We got on tuktuks to the border from Nong Khai train station (less than 10 mins away). If the tuktuk drivers stop you at a travel agency mid-way to do visas, please insist on going to the border directly. We almost got scammed. From what I know, you can do a visa-on-arrival in Vientiane without engaging the services of the travel agency.

This is the border checkpoint where people are waiting for it to open.

Once the customs are cleared, you have to take a bus (20baht) to cross the bridge over the Mekong to Vientiane. It's quite a distance away, though I saw people walking the whole distance instead of taking the bus. We caught a rising sun over the Mekong!

We checked into the hotel with the help of our Lao friends Bee and Thip. They then brought us around the city for a short tour. This is the Arch of Triumph of Vientiane!

The view from the top! Vientiane is (unexpectedly) neat, clean and comfortably populated! It's nothing like the bustling and polluted Hanoi or Phnom Penh.

Pha That Luang, another attraction in the city.

Grad Trip Day 14 - Bangkok

2011-12-18T09:16:00.000+08:00

It's the day of our first event - a sharing session with the Rotaract Club of Chulalongkorn University. We had lunch at a Chinese/Thai eatery somewhere near the campus.

The session went great! We all presented the works (pertaining to youth development) we have been engaged in our own countries. Rotaract Club of Chulalongkorn University also presented their previous projects and shared with us their challenges and strategies. We wrapped up with a Q and A session with us discussing about how to engage more youths in our respective countries to be active members in forwarding causes.

The consultant/adviser for the club, Ken (the one with the funny face) treated us to dinner! It was a rushed event as we had to proceed to Hua Lamphong (the only train station in Bangkok) to catch our train to Nong Khai, the last station on the Northeast line.

The design of the train station was very European (almost like the one in Gare du Nord, Paris)! I was expecting it to be normal with no outlandish architecture. Later I learnt that it was actually designed/built by the Dutch! Sorry I didn't manage to capture the European features of it.

As we booked the train tickets late, we were only left with the 2nd class seats. We didn't sleep well, but I guess the train is always better than the bus if you want a less rickety journey. Our train left Bangkok at 1835hrs.

Grad Trip Day 13 - Bangkok

2011-12-17T09:15:00.000+08:00

We spent the day preparing collaterals for the project in central Bangkok. So along the way I noticed much publicity materials associated with the floods. This banner is right outside a MRT station.

An advertisement for a photo exhibition of the floods in one of the shopping centres in the MBK area. A pity I didn't have time to visit!

Around the same area, there was this organisation selling these shirts to raise funds for flood victims. All these were just heartening sights! How post-crisis, the people still manage to come together to resolve issues, to help one another, to remember the event. It's not in the Singapore psyche to have all these efforts post-crisis I feel. The sooner we forget it, the better.

Grad Trip Day 12 - Hanoi/ Bangkok

2011-12-16T09:15:00.000+08:00

I expected Hanoi International Airport to be bigger, and to house more eateries and shopping outlets. It seemed a little too modest for a country which is developing so fast. On board the AirAsia Thailand flight to Bangkok, there was a hilarious air stewardess who was having fun speaking her Thai-accented English. I think the foreigners didn't know how to appreciate that. I met my friends whom I made at the 5th UNESCO Asian Youth Forum, and I put my stuff at an accommodation which our Thai friend managed to get for us.

The whole afternoon was spent preparing for our project (a sharing session at Chulalongkorn University, sharing session at Lao National University, collaboration with Phoudindaeng Youth Centre in Vang Vieng). And we rewarded ourselves a sumptuous dinner at S and P, a Thai brand which I only got to know of that day! I love the cashew nut fried shrimps with rice!!

Grad Trip Day 11 - Hanoi

2011-12-15T09:14:00.000+08:00

We got a one-day Halong Bay package from our hotel at USD35 (there are USD25 and USD30 packages, with supposedly lousier transport, boats, and guides). We took 3.5 hours from Hanoi to get to the Halong area.

We got onto the junk boats and they served lunch almost immediately. I guessed we paid for some standards. The toilets on the boat were clean and the food was above average.

The junk boats docked somewhere after 30 minutes before we get to transfer to a smaller boat (or a kayak if you prefer).

The smaller boat then brought us through cave openings such as this. Along the way, I wasn't in awe sadly. I just memories of those caves in Mulu, Sarawak. Those were just spectacular! These pale in comparison. Plus, the mist wasn't helping.

I don't understand the coloured lights inside this cave. I find them disrespectful to the beauty and aura of this natural formation.

Neither do I understand this. Colours and cute dustbins pandering to mass tourists? There are more tasteful ways to doing things. So there, if you want to see limestone formations, please head to Mulu in Sarawak, Malaysia. Give Halong Bay a miss.

Grad Trip Day 10 - Hanoi

2011-12-14T09:14:00.000+08:00

We had the Vietnamese chee cheong fun for breakfast opposite our hotel! Tastes good, though not something I would crave for.

First stop of the day: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The queues were alright though I am rather surprised by the number of locals who were in the line. Haven't they seen it before? Or do they do this as a mark of respect for their nation's independence hero? There is a museum beside this mausoleum, and I think the directional flows can be better improved (we had to circle one big round to get there). Both buildings close at 12pm (not too sure if it's like that every day) so make sure visit them in the morning!

After lunch we went to this Maison Centrale, also known as Hoa Lo Prison. Anti-French/ pro-communist locals were caught and interrogated in this building. I recommend this attraction - the quality of exhibits and the whole sightseeing atmosphere is comparable to the smaller museums I have been to in Europe!

The Dong Xuan market, which has food products on the first level and wholesale garment products on the second level. Unless you want to buy local dried food (like nuts), you can give this a miss. The second level is swarmed with so many people doing business; it becomes a chore to even walk around and shop.

The building with cafes on different levels that offer a view of the Hoan Kiem Lake. Should give one of these cafes a try, fantastic place to chill and they are not crowded.

This is a stall selling desserts in the Old Quarter. Many are similar to the Chinese desserts we have over here in Singapore. I tried one which is their version of yam paste! Just like how we eat ice desserts in Singapore to find balance with the ambient temperature, try the warm desserts over here during winter! (Y)

Grad Trip Day 9 - Hanoi

2011-12-13T09:14:00.000+08:00

We reached Hanoi at 1125hrs and then took a cab to our hotel. Joel stayed there before and the hotel staff promised to give us a discounted rate at USD10 per pax per night.

This shop is famous for its noodles and pork dishes. We were here for lunch. This whole area where our hotel is located is referred to as the Old Quarter.

In the centre of Hanoi there is this lake called Hoan Kiem Lake. It's a good place to have an evening stroll, and you can likely catch a good sunset on the side of the post-office.

This is one of the streets in the French Quarter. I could have mistaken this photo for Paris.

The St Joseph Cathedral. A pity that it was not open when we were there.

For dinner, we tried this Cha Ga (fried fish) dish at a restaurant. The staff would put fish into the pan (on the dining table), then add vegetables, then fry it on the spot. The fish is fresh, and the taste you get is something very different from the tze char fish dishes you find in Singapore. My only gripe is that the serving is too small. If you are interested to try this, the address is 21 Duong Thanh.

Grad Trip Day 8 - Hoi An

2011-12-12T09:13:00.000+08:00

Many guesthouses in Hoi An can arrange a half-day trip to My Son, which is a 1hr ride away from Hoi An. My Son boasts of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is the ruins of Hindu temples left by the Champa empire (which later on converted to Islam and majority of them is now settled near Ho Chi Minh City).

I have seen similar ruins in Cambodia and Thailand and this is the first time I'm seeing so much moss/vegetation colonising the ruins. Makes a different sight and I wonder why doesn't the authorities bother to clear them.

After a quick lunch, we took a cab to Da Nang train station. Our train to Hoi An was scheduled to depart at 1635 and to reach Hanoi at 1125 the next day.

Each of us paid USD47 to get a sleeper cabin. It's my first time taking a sleeper train and I enjoyed the cosiness (made possible by the company, it might not feel as cosy if I were to be sharing the cabin with strangers). If you are intending to take this exact train, look out of the window between 1730 and 1830. You can see the coastlines of Vietnam. We saw huge waves splashing in unpeopled beaches in semi-darkness and the whole scene appeared very very surreal.

This was the only staple food they sold on the train, it's porridge with minced pork and it actually tasted quite good! We had the same thing for breakfast.

Grad Trip Day 7 - Hoi An

2011-12-11T09:12:00.000+08:00

I had wanted to go to Hue instead of Hoi An (Hue sounded like a more prominent city) until my SSEAYP facilitator Adriene told me about how pleasant is it at Hoi An, with its historic buildings preserved. After an hour around Hoi An, I thought the 14 hour bus ride was definitely worth it! This is where we stayed - Nhi Trung Hotel, which was USD12 per pax per night. Good hotel, which offered free breakfast and had day tours. We also booked our Da Nang - Hanoi train tickets through the hotel.

Yes, Hoi An is a tourist enclave. Most of the businesses in these shophouses cater to visitors. But I still feel there's a soul to it, emanated from the local food peddlers, the ladies who do embroidery, the cultural performers, the burning joss-sticks in the temple within the compound of the Hokkien clan association...

It's also a relatively safe place to cycle. The bicycle is useful for you to cover the different attractions all within the town, which is roughly of the same size as Singapore's Chinatown (from the shophouses opposite Chinatown Point all the way to Keong Saik area).

The Japanese covered bridge at night.

Cultural performance at 1530hrs every day. In Hoi An, you get a day pass which costs USD5. It allows you to visit 5 attractions (out of 20+) within town, which includes this performance hall.

Grad Trip Day 6 - Hoi An

2011-12-10T09:12:00.000+08:00

We were cramped on the mini bus, from 7am to 8pm. On the bus, the driver played loud, piercing Vietnamese songs. The roads were bumpy, a passenger who sat around us was smoking. The aisle was filled with luggages and goods. Really doesn't help in my impression of Vietnam. At 8pm, we reached Da Nang. Then we transferred to a taxi which took us to Hoi An (30km away). It was drizzling at Hoi An. Over there, we just had dinner and rested early.

Grad Trip Day 5 - Bolaven Plateau

2011-12-09T09:11:00.000+08:00

This is the amazing waterfall nearby our accommodation Joel discovered in the morning!

We had an elephant ride around the area, and saw farm lands and natural savannas. I hope it doesn't ever become a site for mass tourism.

We dropped by another Katu village (this time round, they are Buddhists) and we saw how they extracted weaving material from the banana tree stems to make their handicrafts. At the end of the visit, they gave us a plastic bag of peanuts for free! Their generosity made me feel guilty. Our tour guide (I forgot her name) offered to roast the peanuts for us when she got back to the city.

We for dinner with our Bolaven Plateau tour guide in the evening. We went back to the same dinner place as 2 nights ago. Not a good choice as the wind was so strong that night, our rice paper (meant to wrap the fish and vegs) went flying into the Mekong. Our tour guide told us that she never felt so happy before with a tour group! Somehow, we just managed to make her laugh quite a bit during these two days. =)

Grad Trip Day 4 - Bolaven Plateau

2011-12-08T09:10:00.000+08:00

We took up a 2D1N Bolaven Plateau package from http://www.champasak-hotels.com/Bolaven_Plateu_2_Days. It was USD126 per pax for 4 people. The package included a visit to the coffee plantation,

lunch at this quiet, scenic resort,

visiting 3 waterfall sites,

and visiting this village inhabited by the Katu people. This village still practises animism and would make animal offerings when they fell sick or had special occasions. We saw a woman bare-chested in her home tending to children. Their way of living is very much unmodified by modern thinking and tools, as compared to the other villages I've been to in Southeast Asia.

We stayed overnight at this place called Tadlo Lodge, which only had accommodation and a restaurant. It's a good place if you want a quiet retreat.

Grad Trip Day 3 - Phnom Penh/ Pakse

2011-12-07T09:09:00.000+08:00

Soriya Bus Terminal. They actually sell pate (pronounced as pah-tay) bread at the terminal, so no worries if you haven't had your meal before the ride.

Our bus which took the route Phnom Penh - Kratie - Pakse - Vientiane. We dropped off at Pakse. The photo below was taken at the Dong Kralor (Cambodia) - Veun Kham (Laos) border.

Our accommodation for one night in Pakse city is Seng Aroun Hotel. It's SGD17 per person per night and the rooms are of a reasonable standard!!

Before the trip I searched for CouchSurfers who stayed in Pakse and I sent a request to meet for a meal with this German girl. She accepted the request and we eventually had dinner along the Mekong! Fried fish + vegetables wrapped in rice skin!

That's us and Lotta (at the back) and Lina. They are in Pakse for their gap year on a government-endorsed programme to teach English.

Grad Trip Day 2 - Phnom Penh

2011-12-06T09:08:00.000+08:00

In the morning we set off to the Cheoung Ek Genocidal Centre, a 45-min tuktuk ride away from the city.

I was impressed by the audio guides they offered! The quality of the content, delivery was just as good as the ones I used in Europe when visiting museums/ historical sites. We had lunch at the food stalls just outside the centre.

Phnom Penh Royal Palace was our next stop. I've to say, I'm really not a fan of palaces and temples. After spending an hour here, we went to the Soriya Shopping Centre for a meal. In the evening, we met Bunrong (my friend from the 5th UNESCO Asian Youth Forum) for dinner at her aunt's seafood restaurant.

Grad Trip Day 1 - Phnom Penh

2011-12-05T09:07:00.000+08:00

I was travelling with fellow geographers Joel, Fatin and Chuling from Day 1 to Day 11 of my grad trip. Our first must-go venue is Bolaven Plateau, and Phnom Penh was the closest city with an international airport. We flew there with Jetstar (SGD101 excluding taxes). This is Billabong Hotel, it's walking distance to Soriya Bus Terminal, where we would catch our bus to Bolaven. It's SGD18 per pax per night, and boasts of a seawater pool.

We had pate bread for lunch. There was minced beef cooked in 卤肉-like sauce in the bread and it's very tasty! They also serve ice-cream in coconut which I guess must be as heavenly. Look out for the shop, it's along a main road near Asia Hotel.

We visited the Tuol Sleng Museum Genocide Museum in the afternoon. It used to be a school before the Khmer Rogue regime took over it to detain/interrogate people whom they suspect to be anti-communist.

For dinner, we met my SSEAYP friends Yoyo, Dara, Soursdey, Alex and Panha! We ate at a Lebanese restaurant (which had a Cambodian food menu upon request). Panha drove us around town and the waterfront area after that.

This is the bridge where the 2010 stampede occurred during a local festival. The official death toll stands at 353. Panha said that people avoid driving/ walking through the bridge after the incident occurred, and a new bridge was constructed not too far from this.

Photos courtesy of Fatin Afiqah and Joel Ho.

Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2011

2011-12-04T09:34:00.000+08:00

2011: 7h9min

I wasn't jogging regularly before the marathon. On the Monday before the run, I did a 9km and I psyched myself that that would be sufficient for the 42.195km. Thinking positive helped! My biggest worry was whether I should take any breakfast that morning (I took a banana before AHM2011 and had stitches starting at 6km). I ate a packet of energy gel and thank goodness my stomach was OK for the run! It was at 17km where I started to walk. By 21km, my head hurt whenever I ran a step. I guessed it was dehydration and I downed 5 cups of 100-plus, rested for a bit before proceeding. The "29km" sign at the end of the East Coast Park stretch was a great morale booster (I kind of appreciated the fact that I didn't see any distance indicators between 21km and 29km). The following stretch to Marina Barrage was the most torturous, the sun was relentless at 10+ am and there weren't any water stations until Gardens by the Bay (East). The sense of accomplishment only set in after a few days, when I thought "wow, I actually completed a marathon!". I will decide to run again in December 2012 if I manage to keep up a running regime during the year.

The 20 Songs I Like Best 2011

2011-11-29T22:45:00.001+08:00

1. Boy Lilikoi [Jonsi]
2. Sinking Friendships [Jonsi]
3. 当冬夜渐暖 [孙燕姿]
4. 时光小偷 [孙燕姿]
5. 我最亲爱的 [张惠妹]
6. 我总是一个人在练习一个人 [林宥嘉]
7. 晚安 [林宥嘉]
8. 春光乍泄 [林宥嘉]
9. The Hindu Times [林宥嘉]
10. 罗密欧与朱丽叶 [林宥嘉]
11. First of the Gang to Die [林宥嘉]
12. 雨和眼泪 [林宥嘉]
13. 那些年 [胡夏]
14. 被遗忘的 [杨宗纬]
15. 还是要幸福 [田馥甄]
16. 你不是说 [那英]
17. 如果凝结就是爱 [苏打绿]
18. 喜欢寂寞 [苏打绿]
19. 燕窝 [苏打绿]
20. 看穿 [陈奕迅]

With my favourite male singer, female singer and band having released albums, I really can't ask for more. 5 of the songs in the list actually come from the complimentary Live CD which comes with 林宥嘉's 美妙生活. I am a person who doesn't know how to appreciate singers doing covers of obscure songs during concerts but this Live CD got me liking all these obscure songs upon the first few listens. The magic behind this is of course Yoga's voice. Stefanie and Sodagreen also came out with their (what I feel) best albums to date. To Mandopop in the year of 2011, three cheers! =)

GE4401 Honours Thesis Submisson

2011-11-14T17:00:00.000+08:00

Singapore Hit Awards 2011

2011-11-12T20:00:00.000+08:00

17th ASEAN Youth Day Meeting Day 4

2011-09-16T22:31:00.000+08:00

17th ASEAN Youth Day Meeting Day 3

2011-09-15T22:30:00.000+08:00

17th ASEAN Youth Day Meeting Day 2

2011-09-14T22:30:00.000+08:00

17th ASEAN Youth Day Meeting Day 1

2011-09-13T22:29:00.000+08:00

Army Half Marathon 2011

2011-09-04T21:30:00.000+08:00

2011: 2h46m
2010: 2h18m
2011: 2h33m

A result of not having trained regularly. The route this year was significantly different from the one for the past 2 years. Last year, I made a mental note to myself that I must not stop before the 13km mark, which corresponds to the end of the East Coast Park stretch. This year, this mental note did not work and I started walking at Marina Barrage, sigh! I haven't been consistent in running for the past year. Correcting that would be one of my upcoming New Year resolutions and I need to muster the will to do so before losing the interest to run altogether.

5th UNESCO Asian Youth Forum Day 5

2011-08-26T22:26:00.000+08:00

0900 Plenary Session V
1000 Evaluation
1030 Break
1100 Closing
1200 Lunch

5th UNESCO Asian Youth Forum Day 4

2011-08-25T22:24:00.000+08:00

0900 Working Group Session III
1100 Plenary Session III
1200 Lunch
1330 Working Group Session IV
1530 Break
1600 Plenary Session IV
1800 Dinner
1930 Farewell Dinner

5th UNESCO Asian Youth Forum Day 3

2011-08-24T22:22:00.000+08:00

0900 Working Group Session II
1100 Plenary Session II
1200 Lunch
1330 Field Trip

5th UNESCO Asian Youth Forum Day 2

2011-08-23T22:21:00.000+08:00

0900 Asia Youth Fund Workshop
1200 Lunch
1330 Dialogue Session
1500 Break
1530 Working Group Session I
1700 Plenary Session I
1800 Dinner
1930 Cultural Activity

5th UNESCO Asian Youth Forum Day 1

2011-08-22T22:15:00.000+08:00

1000 Opening Ceremony
1030 Group Photo
1100 Participants' Essay Presentation
1200 Lunch
1330 Individual Presentation
1500 Break
1530 Individual Presentation
1700 Group Chair and Rapporteur Election
1800 Dinner
1930 Movie and Talk

AY10/11 Semester 4 Examination Results

2011-08-12T11:00:00.000+08:00

SE2222 Southeast Asian in Context A-
SE2880 Southeast Asia's Cultural Mosaic A

Semester CAP: 4.75
Overall CAP: 4.00

SEA Summer School 2011 Day 12 - Bangkok

2011-07-18T09:29:00.000+08:00

I spent the day packing, writing report and going off a last-minute head and shoulder massage. I sum up the trip with 10 not too awesome points:

1) Massage makes healthy living.

2) Crossing from Cambodia to Thailand in a single trip made me realise the stark disparity between them in terms of economic development.

3) As much as the Cambodian tour guides were informative, I couldn't really see their 'real' selves when they were giving narratives of their country. Maybe they were limited by their ability of expression in English, or there was an order for them to be impersonal when relating official historical discourses to visitors.

4) Related to the previous point, I can grasp the Thai sense of humour pretty easily (quite universal) but not so for some of the Cambodians I've met. Could it possibly be that the whole generation of young children who grew up in the Khmer Rouge era, now in their 20s and 30s, find it hard to have laughter in their life?

5) When organised religion becomes excessively commercialised, I feel a disconnect.

6) Taxis of the same colour do not necessarily come from the same company.

7) Despite the city looking glam with malls like Siam Paragon and Central World, I got to learn that the average starting pay for graduates, even for those from Chulalongkorn, ranges from USD300-USD400. It's window shopping for the majority of the people.

8) Cambodian hotel staff are so much friendlier than the Thai hotel staff. Maybe it's because the hotel we stayed in Siem Reap is small, but you can always see effort by them to greet and serve you. The Thai staff are always busy and don't look like they will smile and greet you even if they have nothing to do.

9) The rise of Vietnam can be seen in the surge of Vietnamese tourists at Angkor Wat. They make the quite a proportion of the total number of visitors there.

10) Society and space are mutually constitutive.

I had to end off with an academic one. I love Southeast Asia.

SEA Summer School 2011 Day 11 - Bangkok

2011-07-17T09:28:00.000+08:00

It was a free day for me as I opted not to go for the Thai boxing match. I was determined to try out the airport train and metro in BKK, having learnt about them last August when I was there but didn't have the time to try. The viaducts for the airport train are really high and the stations really huge. Hence the visual impression that the whole infrastructure is under-utilised. Still, it's good effort by the government and the price is affordable at 90 baht.

I dropped off at Phaya Thai station and started walking towards Siam Discovery Centre. Passed by this group of uncles playing sepak takraw on a Sunday morning.

I had lunch at Central World and proceeded to take the BTS to the nearest metro station. Pretty impressive.

The metro covers a more outer ring as compared to the BTS system. Though it's none of my business, I hope the new government can do more about public transport given the perpetual jams in Bangkok.

I dropped off at Saphan Taksin station. Central Pier is a short walking distance away and I boarded the river cruise. Yay one more mode of transportation covered! It costs 150 baht for a full day pass.

I dropped off at Phra Arthit Pier and walked around 800m to Khao San backpackers' area.

After spending 1/2 hour there, I took the ferry to Ratchawong Pier and got off to find Chinatown!

Dinner with my Thai friends from SSEAYP, Pattana and Woot! I'm truly grateful to them for sharing with me much about Thailand, including the points on religion which I eventually got to include in my field trip report. Hope to see them soon again!

SEA Summer School 2011 Day 10 - Ayutthaya/Bangkok

2011-07-16T09:27:00.000+08:00

Attended a lecture on "Bangkok: A Social History" by Dr. Villa Vilaithong, Department of History, Faculty of Letters, Chulalongkorn University. Spent the rest of the day going online, typing field trip report and going for awesome Thai massage.

SEA Summer School 2011 Day 9 - Ayutthaya

2011-07-15T09:26:00.001+08:00

Wat Yai Chaimongkol. The place was swarmed with visitors as the day was a public holiday designated to mark the start of Buddhist Lent.

At the top level of the central tower, devotees attempt to throw coins accurately into the wishing well. The pool of water is quite a distance down and doesn't cover the whole circular area of the well.

Some devotees make offerings of cloth and temple staff help to drape them over the reclining Buddha statue.

At the end of the reclining Buddha statue, people actually succeed in sticking Thai coins onto it!

On the way to Bangkok, we dropped by Wat Dhammakaya in Pathum Thani Province. It's a controversial Buddhist organisation in Thailand. Read more in my Facebook photo album - Wat Dhammakaya. Photos are courtesy of classmate Ng Sufen.

SEA Summer School 2011 Day 8 - Khon Kaen/Nakhon Ratchasima/Ayutthaya

2011-07-14T09:20:00.000+08:00

We had to be ready for morning meditation at 4am and oh, it's not too good an experience too. Without enough sleep and immediate breakfast, my stomach just went haywire.

We proceeded to Nakhon Ratchasima Province to visit the temple of Phimai, which is said to be the prototype of Angkor Wat.

Fantastic buffet lunch at only 179baht per head.

We reached Ayutthaya province at night and went for dinner on a river cruise. It was refreshing to see temples at night, with spotlights and all. But taking the ride in daylight would have been better given that we couldn't see anything else quite clearly besides the temples.

SEA Summer School 2011 Day 7 - Khon Kaen

2011-07-13T09:19:00.000+08:00

View from the 17th floor of 5-star Pullman Hotel, Khon Kaen. A room for 2 comes only at 2950 baht, and that is still without discount for bookings by tour operators.

The battalion of motorbikes at Khon Kaen University. I wonder if anyone has given up finding their own one day and decided to walk home instead.

Lecture on the regional geography of NE Thailand by Dr Buapan Phrompakping. Some questions about Thailand seem to be hard to answer, even for academics like him.

Visiting a village school in Ban Don Han. These kids are watching a soccer match between us and their classmates. And as tradition goes, their classmates won the game 2-1. This school is known for producing soccer players who go to play at regional or even national level.

In the same village, we went rice transplanting. The villagers were really generous to assign one plot of land for us to play with.

After dinner, we checked into Veluwan Meditation Centre to learn meditation. Thought it wasn't the best time to learn or do meditation from 930pm - 11pm after such a long day of activities.

SEA Summer School 2011 Day 6 - Ubon Ratchathani/Khon Kaen

2011-07-12T09:18:00.001+08:00

We were in Ubon Ratchathani Province to visit Thai boxing camps. Most of the kids above are still in primary school.

A more senior boxer demonstrating kicks with the boxing coach.

Then we made our way to Khon Kaen Province. We made a detour around a village to see monster houses, paid for by Thai women living overseas and who have married foreign husbands, or owned by transnational couples themselves. Reminds me of the phenomena in Vancouver where the Asian immigrants are building gigantic houses to dwarf those of the locals. Apparently, there are some other villages in the NE region of Thailand with a high proportion of such houses. Young girls in the village are purported to be stressed by their parents to find foreign husbands.

In the same village we saw many red flags, and we passed by an event celebrating the victory of the Pheu Thai Party. Tallies with what we have always known - that the NE region is a red shirt stronghold.

Finally arriving in Khon Kaen and saw their version of Iluma.

We had dinner at this restaurant beside a lake, which we didn't really get to see.

SEA Summer School 2011 Day 5 - Siem Reap/Ubon Ratchathani

2011-07-11T09:17:00.000+08:00

Gambling is illegal in Thailand, and that explains the casino on the Cambodian border right beside Surin Province, Thailand.

Thailand in sight.

The Swiss passport looks like something you can find in a boutique bookshop.

After clearing customs at the Cambodian side, we dragged our luggages to the border gate.

And took a 6-hr bus ride to Ubon Ratchathani Province. We stayed at this beautiful hotel - Sunee Grand. Most of the signs were in Thai, seems like it caters more to domestic demand. But it's comforting (?) to see a reasonably upmarket hotel in a little known province.

SEA Summer School 2011 Day 4 - Siem Reap

2011-07-10T09:16:00.000+08:00

We went to visit Ta Prohm, the temple popularly imagined to have tree roots growing over the temple. The piles of material are meant for upcoming restoration work.

Windows such as these are supported by metal frames, if you look closely.

Some moments I wished there weren't any of these landscape spoilers, but they are for a greater good after all.

This is Banteay Srei. It's different from the rest of the temples as it is built mainly from red sandstone.

We went to a village school to take our ox-cart rides, and didn't expect the school principal to have called back the students on a Sunday just to welcome us!

I was seated behind the ox on the left and it persistently whacked me with its tail, probably more than a hundred times. Looking on the bright side, at least it didn't poo on me.

SEA Summer School 2011 Day 3 - Siem Reap

2011-07-09T09:15:00.000+08:00

Yes we are in Siem Reap primarily for Angkor Wat. But I can never get historical facts well, or match them to whatever I am seeing. The photos here will show the trivial things that interest me. Above, are grass cutters using knives to trim the lawn.

Increasing Chinese presence. Sponsored mini trams from Hubei Province, China.

The only things I find worth buying in Siem Reap.

The South Gate of Angkor Thom. Learnt from the tour guide that the four faces of Buddha actually symbolised the four sublime states mentioned in Buddhist teachings: loving-kindness, compassion, altruistic joy and equanimity.

Tourist passes now require personal photos. My tour operator said this came about after some Koreans made trouble by transferring passes tsk tsk.

Witnessing this holy water blessing ceremony in a village right beside the Terrace of Elephant and Leper Kings.

SEA Summer School 2011 Day 2 - Siem Reap

2011-07-08T09:14:00.000+08:00

First stop of the day: Centre for Khmer Studies. It's an American Overseas Research Centre which aims to promote research and scholarship among Cambodians of their country. Given the trend that most Cambodian undergraduates are enrolling into Business and Tourism courses, this institute also hopes to boost the infrastructure for higher education social science.

Second stop: National Silk Centre, run by Artisans d'Angkor. We saw the mulberry trees, and how the silkworms feed on the leaves. These silkworms are then put on the branches above to start cocooning. When the cocoons are formed, they are brought out to sun and many of them die in the process.

After sunning, these cocoons are placed in boiling water and silk is extracted.

Third stop: Siem Reap War Museum. Basically a field parked with rusty war vehicles and some shelters displaying war artifacts.

Fourth stop: Tonle Sap Lake. This enterprise has developed quite a bit since 2007. There is a proper jetty now for visitors boarding the boats.

We went past the floating villages lining the waterway to the main lake area. Then proceeded for another hour to a super ulu floating village called Kompong Phluk. The height of the stilts indicate the level of water during the flooding of the lake in October.

The day ended with a disappointing sunset at the same place my team was in 2007. I would like to think that I saw more electric lights in the houses of the floating villages this time round.

SEA Summer School 2011 Day 1 - Siem Reap

2011-07-07T09:12:00.058+08:00

This vacation I signed up (again!) for the IARU (International Alliance of Research Universities) Global Summer Program. This alliance includes NUS, Copenhagen, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, Peking, Tokyo and a few other universities. Every June, each university will host their own summer programs and invite students from other IARU institutions to participate. One of the programs by NUS is Southeast Asia in Context, which has been offered annually since 2006. Under this program, I took two modules, namely SE2222 Southeast Asia in Context, and SE2880A, Southeast Asia Cultural Mosaic. Our course comprises 3 weeks of lessons in NUS and 2 weeks of field trip in Cambodia/Thailand.

This is my third time in Siem Reap. The first being in 2007, for YEP recee trip, and the second in December the same year. Our team stayed in Lin Ratanak Angkor Hotel, some 2km away from town.

Siem Reap town changed quite a bit since 3.5 years ago. Back then, we used to ask the tuktuk drivers to bring us to Old Market, which would refer to town. Now they have officially named the most vibrant place in town Pub Street, and all tuktuk drivers we met used the term. First thing I noticed - the proliferation of fish massage shops. The fish are considerably bigger than those you see in S'pore. I guess it's something truly novel for many tourists.

Second, there are many more of "the blue pumpkin" outlets in town, selling ice cream (which tasted much better than the one I had at Once Upon A Milkshake) and pastries. I didn't seem to come across the 2 bookshops which I visited the last time. Other than these, things are pretty much the same. I've to say I felt at home over here.

Tioman Trip Day 3

2011-06-08T21:56:00.035+08:00

Today we went for our snorkelling excursion. We topped up RM60 for rental of equipment plus addition of 3 snorkelling stops.

The advantage of topping up is you get to go on a speedboat!

Our first stop - Pulau Tulai. Nothing much to see. Second stop - Somewhere off Pulau Tulai, which was better!

Our third stop - Kampung Salang. Stopped here for lunch!

Looks like a pretty good place to stay too!

Stop 4 was the most disappointing. It's the marine park with almost NO corals, only plenty of fish which we already would have seen at other sites. Our final stop is Pulau Renggis, which is on par with Stop 2 in terms of the whatever we got to see underwater.

A different sunset from the previous. Day 4 was just spent having breakfast, waiting for the ferry which came 2 hours late (scheduled at 1230, came at 1445), taking the bus back to Newton Circus Singapore. It was a good trip, I laughed during the trip more than whatever I've laughed for the year till now. Maybe we can do Redang next time? =)

Tioman Trip Day 2

2011-06-07T21:49:00.012+08:00

We went for breakfast at 0730 and saw the exposed intertidal zone.

After a sumptuous one, we walked towards the stretch of the beach nearest to Pulau Tomok.

You see it - beach volleyball! And frisbee. It's tiring to be running on the sand, on a gradient.

After lunch,we went kayaking. Kayaking rate = RM17.5/hr/pax.

And we caught an indisputably good sunset.

Tioman Trip Day 1

2011-06-06T21:17:00.060+08:00

6 of us Geographers decided to go for a short getaway together with a budget of SGD300. We got this Tioman package from Grassland Express & Tours Pte Ltd which costs SGD221 for a 4D3N stay (includes, 3D2N worth of meals, half-day snorkeling excursion, accommodation and transport).

This is Tanjung Gemok Ferry Terminal. It is further north of Mersing, where there are ferry services to Tioman as well. Our bus left DFS Galleria Singapore Scotts Road at 0640 and we reached here at 10+.

Our ferry left only around 1130.

Tioman Island! Kampung Paya. There are 6 kampungs scattered across the coastline of Tioman Island and each has its own facilities and resorts.

View on the left of the jetty, walking towards the island.

Turning left from the jetty, walking towards our accommodation Paya Beach Spa and Dive Resort.

Our accommodation. 3 guys in the room on the left, 3 girls in the room on the right.

So Kampung Paya is made up of our resort, and a few other shops, as one linear settlement. The shops are basically provision shops and food stalls. And a dive shop and a kayak rental shop.

Facing the sea, on the extreme left of Kampung Paya.

Facing the sea, on the extreme right of Kampung Paya.

After lunch, we decided to explore a nearby island known as Pulau Tomok.

The thing is, all package tours which include snorkelling do not bring the visitors here. Maybe it's too near to the resort. But, what we saw here is really one of the better underwater-scapes! I even saw a sea turtle. Icing on the cake.

Inside our room. Nothing luxurious, but comfortable with a working aircon and a clean toilet.

The dining area where we have our buffet breakfast and dinners.

Our accommodation by night. We spent the night playing Taboo and Pictionary.

AY10/11 Semester 2 Examination Results

2011-05-30T12:00:00.009+08:00

GE3221 Ecological Systems B-
GE4212 Environmental Modelling B+
GE4213 Cultural Analysis A-
GE4880 Topics in Geography (Hydrogeomorphology) B+

Semester CAP: 3.92
Overall CAP: 3.96

Sarawak Trip Day 13 - Kuching

2011-05-19T12:00:00.017+08:00

We took a boat across the river from the jetty beside Khatulistiwa Cafe. Costs MYR0.50 for a ride.

Alighting at the other side, turn right and walk along the path to find shops like these which the locals call factories.

15 Mira Cake House. A woman at the jetty recommended it to us and we went there. The cake lapis tasted much better than the ones they were selling in the city.

A photo with the hostel staff Davina and Grace, who were really friendly and helpful during our stay at Rafflesia Lodge, before heading to the airport.

Sarawak Trip Day 12 - Kuching

2011-05-18T12:00:00.035+08:00

I didn't feel like going Bako National Park as originally planned (overdose of trekking for me) so I decided to stay in the hostel for the day. Since there's nothing substantial to blog about, I'll talk about food here. You'll see lots of cake lapis on sale along Jalan Bazaar but please don't buy them. They are crumbly and mild in taste. Refer to the Day 13 entry to see where to buy good cake lapis.

Good pork satay in a coffee shop opposite a temple along Carpenter Street.

Texture and taste are different from what you get in Singapore.

Cheap buffet steamboat along Jalan Ban Hock with better-than-average ambience - Hornbill BBQ Steamboat. RM18/head.

Like our Lau Pa Sat. Many stalls, free outdoor seating. This place is called 101 and is only open for 2 years. Quite far away from the city centre though!

This is how it looks like from the main road!

Top Spot Food Court, near Pullman Hotel. Kuching's equivalent of our East Coast Seafood Centre!

At Top Spot, we ordered from Stall 33. Apparently Stall 25 is the good one. Stall 33 wasn't too bad too. For 5 dishes (including prawns, sotong, chicken, tofu, veg), 3 rice, 2 drinks, we paid RM68.

Somewhere near Sunday Market, Coffee 'O' Corner

serves good Mee Jawa!

At Green Hill Corner opposite Singhasana Lodge (a famous hostel), there's famous beef noodles.

I liked it. Giving commentaries on food is such a challenge.

Again along Carpenter Street, at Madam Tang's,

you get good beef noodles as well!

Just beside Madam Tang's, there's Sin Min Joo,

famous for its unique minced meat soup. I didn't find it particularly nice though.

At the end of Lebuh Wayang, where it meets Jalan Bazaar, there's this roadside stall (one of the few remaining in the city) selling chendol in the afternoon and Ramly burger in the evening. A local recommended us to try the chendol cos' a wood shaver is used for the ice and it's delicious. So, do look out for it if you go there!

Sarawak Trip Day 11 - Kuching

2011-05-17T12:00:00.000+08:00

It's rainforest kayaking day! RM188 inclusive of transport and CD-ROM of photos taken of us while kayaking haha. The river is shallow, we were permitted to have our life-vests off. It's my first time kayaking in a river flanked by rainforests it actually felt quite surreal. The river flow was steady and there wasn't much of a need to paddle. You could just lie down and look at the sky bordered by leaves and branches.

We stopped by a waterfall.

At halfway mark, we stopped at a Bidayuh village. We had lunch and our guide brought us around, showing us the various plants they have.

I'm slow and I got to learn that dragonfruits actually come from cacti?

I forgot to mention, after the first night we transferred to a 2-bed room with air-con, and we only needed to pay RM38/room/night. That's weekday discount rate. It's comfortable, though we got to realise there were bed bugs hmmm.

Sarawak Trip Day 10 - Kuching

2011-05-16T17:30:00.036+08:00

Highlight of the day was Sarawak Cultural Village, a 'museum' which showcases the housing and culture of 7 main ethnic groups of Sarawak.

Station 1 - Bidayuh Longhouse.

Yes you go around the compound in an anti-clockwise direction and collect stamps on your passport.

Station 2 - Iban Longhouse.

Station 3 - Penan Hut.

Station 4 - Orang Ulu Longhouse.

Station 5 - Melanau Tall House.

Station 6 - Malay House.

Station 7 - Chinese Farmhouse. The staff attending to visitors in the place explaining the significance of Bird's Nest and other cultural symbols weren't Chinese by the way.

A pity there weren't any explanatory signboards in the various houses to provide more details to the visitors. Some may say the whole attraction is inauthentic, but I hear that many locals actually approve of the project so that more people can get to know their cultures and that their heritage can be conserved.

Sarawak Trip Day 9 - Kuching

2011-05-15T12:00:00.001+08:00

Returning from Annah Rais, we checked into our accommodation for the next 4 nights - Rafflesia Lodge. It's in one of the shophouses right opposite the waterfront, really a premium location.

Traffic was low when we were there. We had the 8-bed dorm to ourselves, at RM18/bed/night.

After settling our laundry, we started to explore the city. This is Little India, where we only saw 2 ethnic Indians.

This is Carpenter Street, leading to Ewe Hai Street. There are many famous eateries along these roads.

This is the waterfront at night, quite pretty actually. Feels like a heartland version of Clarke Quay.

Sarawak Trip Day 8 - Kuching

2011-05-14T12:00:00.000+08:00

I think this is the most overpriced package we've chosen for this trip. It's MYR298 (excluding transport) for 2D1N stay at a Bidayuh village at Annah Rais. Upon reaching, we started trekking. Feels different from Mulu, it's more like a bamboo forest here, less lush, but a refreshing change of landscape anyway!

The best waterfall of the trip! It's three-tiered! This is the lunch point where our guides made bamboo chicken soup for us.

Back to the village, we had a 90-minute tour visiting the houses, sugar cane crusher and where they housed their headhunting legacies in their pre-Christian, animist days.

The house we stayed in is just like a normal HDB flat. Not too sure who does it belong to though.

After dinner, the village elders performed an eagle dance.

It's probably my 2-week village stay experience last year during Field Studies in Phatthalung, Thailand that is going to make any village stay I have subsequently pale in comparison. The warmth is missing, but it's a commercial enterprise after all. I just hope most of the $$ we are paying go to the village community instead of some middleman.

Sarawak Trip Day 7 - Mulu/Kuching

2011-05-13T12:00:00.033+08:00

Trekking back from Camp 5 to the boat pick-up point.

Little did I know that probably for half the trek, there was a leech which was sucking copious volumes of blood from me and had difficulty moving itself thereafter. There wasn't any sensation of pain or whatsoever. Next trip, may be good to bring along fire, salt or vinegar.

Upon arriving at Kuching, we went to look for our second CouchSurfing host Barry. He's a seasoned CouchSurfing host. The rooms in his place even have numbers on the doors. He's a boss at this tse-char place, where we went to eat dinner.

Finally, a proper dinner after 3 days of biscuits/Maggi at Camp 5. We walked around the city by ourselves after dinner, which was terribly quiet given that it's a Friday night.

Sarawak Trip Day 6 - Mulu

2011-05-12T12:00:00.046+08:00

The promotional brochures and the guides we met at the HQ all touted the climb up to see the Pinnacles as tougher than Mount Kinabalu. Indeed it was. It was a hike of 2.4km, and 80% of the route was near vertical. When it got vertical, there were ladders.

Nonetheless all of us made it up to the summit by 1000. It's a curious sight, these formations in the middle of rainforests.

Representing Denmark, France, Germany, Singapore, The Netherlands and Ukraine.

The saddest episode of this trip. Both soles of my army boots gave way when I was descending and I had to climb down the rocky Gunung Api on my socks. It was a torture having to see where to land so that I didn't have to hurt my feet every time I made a step. It was worse when there were no non-rocky surfaces. Halfway down, my guide kindly gave me his shoes and he descended with only socks. I'm really grateful. I'm so going to get a proper pair from Timberland the next time I do something similar.

I'm being direct here, but before this trip, nothing about Malaysia really impressed me. Gunung Mulu National Park is truly a gem, not just in terms of its beauty and biodiversity, but also how it's a shining example of involving local communities (Penan people who stay in villages near the park work as guides and staff there), responsible ecotourism (visitor load is deliberately kept small, waste recycling is encouraged), and outstanding service (clean beds, toilets, responsive to emails). If I'm Malaysian, I'd be really proud of it.

Sarawak Trip Day 5 - Mulu

2011-05-11T12:00:00.039+08:00

Having to push the boat at shallow parts of the river

To visit the Pinnacles, one has to go for this 3D2N package which costs MYR325. We set off on a boat at 9am, dropped by a local village, Clearwater Cave, Cave of the Winds and Lady Cave, and ended at a place where we would start our 8.8km trek to Camp 5, the base lodging for anyone who wants to see the Pinnacles.

At mid-point of the trek, the river just looked so tempting! We decided to go in for a half-hour soak.

This is Camp 5, first set up by members of Royal Geographical Society who were exploring Borneo. The facilities are simple, but everything's clean and functional.

Our dinner for the day, bought from the souvenir shop at the park HQ. Which turned out to be insufficient for the hike the next day. Should have bought bananas and more sweet stuff.

A briefing of the hike tomorrow by the local guides after dinner. We are supposed to set off at 0630 and are advised to turn in early.

Sarawak Trip Day 4 - Mulu

2011-05-10T12:00:00.037+08:00

The tour we signed up today was the Garden of Eden Tour, which costs MYR105 (Racer Cave was MYR95, Canopy Skywalk MYR35, Night Tour MYR10). It starts at 9am and ends at 3pm. We had to walk through Deer Cave at the start of the journey.

I enjoyed this trail a lot! I guess it has got to do with how it covers so many terrains - from the boardwalk to the cave to the river to trekking to the waterfall.

Truly untouched.

A palette of pebbles and I wonder how long did they take to form from their original rock forms. Pretty!

The waterfall destination wasn't spectacular per se. We had lunch over here and trekked the same way back. We visited Lang Cave on the way back and stopped at the Bat Observatory. We waited from 3pm to 520pm when finally

swarms of bats started to fly out of the caves and made the low buzzing sounds. At the same time, hordes of swiftlets were flying back to the same caves. Sometimes, the swiftlets would fly into the bats and disrupt the order of bat movement. At around 540pm, thunder rumbled and we could see bats turning back into the caves. Yet another new experience!

Sarawak Trip Day 3 - Mulu

2011-05-09T12:00:00.039+08:00

First activity of the day - Racer Cave at 9am. The national park has 3 caving trails. Racer Cave is the elementary one, and one has to complete it before going on to the intermediate Clearwater Connection trail and the advanced Sarawak Chambers trail. We took a boat from the HQ and walked a short distance to Racer Cave.

It was my first time doing caving and I had the excitement of doing something and going somewhere brand new to me.

We didn't expect abseiling to be part of the caving experience. It did make it a more challenging journey.

We got back to the HQ at 12+pm, had lunch and proceeded for the Canopy Skywalk at 2pm which lasted for around 2 hours. I'm impressed by the educational signboards along the way, and definitely by the overwhelming naturalness of the surroundings.

Then at 7pm, we went for Night Tour with our headlamps and torchlights. The guide took the lead by looking out for animals and special plants. Though there wasn't much to see, the fireflies, glowing fungi, and that minute of lights-off-and-just-being-in-the-rainforest-in-the-dark experience was satisfying enough.

Sarawak Trip Day 2 - Mulu

2011-05-08T12:00:00.058+08:00

A ATR 72-500 with a passenger capacity of 68

MASwings is a regional airline serving only East Malaysia. Our Kuching-Mulu return flight costs SGD140. It's a 1.5hr flight, roughly the same as Kuching-S'pore.

At ulu Mulu

Mulu is only accessible by plane or boat. There are no roads connecting it to other areas. Other than the Gunung Mulu National Park facilities, there are also the Royal Mulu Resort and local villages in the area. Local transport providers charge MYR5 to get you to the National Park HQ.

The cheapest accommodation in the Park HQ is the hostel, which comprises of 21 beds. Rate is at MYR40/night. Goes to show how deliberately small scale tourist activities are being kept!

Clean toilets, with heater for shower!

Paku Waterfall

After settling down, we only had time for a trek to this karst waterfall before dark. We turned in early as we had arranged for 3 tours the following day. This Paku Waterfall trek is one of the few which does not require you to have a guide. One needs to make bookings for the other treks, as they cap the number of visitors per session and a guide is required for them.

Sarawak Trip Day 1 - Kuching

2011-05-07T12:00:00.017+08:00

This 2-week trip is done with Joel, my Field Studies friend who scaled Mount Kinabalu with me. The Tiger Airways return flight to Kuching costs SGD140.

Our CouchSurfing hosts Lucy and Alex

I signed up for a CouchSurfing account when I was on exchange in 2009, but I had concerns which deterred me from actually trying it. I was travelling by myself, I wasn't confident of holding conversations alone, and I didn't want to be a wet blanket being a non-consumer of alcohol in Europe. I was determined to CouchSurf this time and the experience was awesome! Alex and Lucy are both from UK, he's working on a English-language education project with British Council, she's doing home-based research for Endangered Species International.

Reservoir Park's chronic case of eutrophication

We took a cab from the airport to their place. It's a flat rate of MYR26 from the airport to the city centre. After putting down our stuff, we took a walk around the city, had lunch, and went to Semengoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.

Alpha male orang utan Ritchie crossing the walkway

Entry fee to the Centre is MYR3. Alex drove and we reached there at 3pm, just nice for the feeding session. How different is it from the S'pore Zoo? More orang utans, them at a closer distance, and I felt scared when Ritchie (see photo above) walked towards the crowd.

Lucy cooked dinner and after the meal, we sat here for 3 hours just talking, sharing our experiences. Alex and Lucy worked in Kenya and the Philippines before coming to Kuching and they had so much to share about their involvement in NGOs and the local communities. They were exactly the people whom I wanted to encounter and be inspired by.

Together, with a gift from us in Lucy's hands - an encyclopedia on Oceans

They sent us to the airport the following morning and we arranged to meet when we come back from Mulu!

华艺节2011 命运建筑师之远大前程

2011-02-06T14:30:00.000+08:00

10 Things About Climbing Mount Kinabalu

2011-01-07T16:01:00.005+08:00

1. The climb from Laban Rata (the mid-mountain resthouse) to the summit from 3am to 530am made me realise, and feel for some things that didn't impress me previously. First, I have now newfound respect for expedition teams conquering mountains. I didn't think it could be that tough or significant a deed. Now that I've experienced an elementary one, I understand how additional challenges can make scaling K2 or Everest fatal.

2. I'm in the midst of reading Three Cups of Tea, a story of a mountaineer called Greg Mortenson and his deeds. I think I can visualise more from the pages when I resume reading.

3. It's different to be climbing without someone else in front of you. Because you cannot literally follow the same footsteps, you have to use the brain and think which is the best way to go forward, especially when nearing the summit (Sometimes following the rope will just get you to difficult positions).

4. Ever since RT sessions in June 2009 I've made exercising a routine to maintain. Mount Kinabalu is really an okay climb if you are in peak physical condition. It is a demanding one for people who don't have such a practice. Go with friends with around the same level of physical fitness for a smoother climb.

5. 'It is very dry up in the mountains so it's not advisable to wear contacts' is a myth. I didn't feel any discomfort at all. Wearing spectacles on this mission would have just frustrated me.

6. I always had this want to listen to Enya on top of a mountain and feel spiritually recharged. I tried 'Orinoco Flow' but was too exhausted to appreciate any beautiful music.

7. I strangely didn't have acrophobia setting in. I don't think I've overcome it fully, just that I was too tired to feel fear.

8. Seeing middle-aged tourists bent on completing the climb impresses me a lot.

9. SAF boots are very very trusty.

10. The sense of accomplishment from a successful physical endeavour is most exhilarating. I'm prepared for more in my life, while my youth and health last.

Sabah Trip Day 5

2011-01-05T10:57:00.000+08:00

At 245am, climbers were streaming along the path up to the summit, following where their headlamps shine.

Think I reached here at around 5am? The figure in brackets is the altitude and the highest point is Low's Peak at 4095m.

Finally, at 5:36am, Joel and I reached Low's Peak! We were among the first 30 people to reach. Yes the sense of accomplishment is there, it's scenic but the cold up there was really disabling. My gloves were wet, my hands were numb, the wind was blowing, and the Sun wasn't out yet. Brrr...

We didn't catch a good sunrise, like most other climbers on other days I guess. But what I was seeing was totally breathtaking.

The descent wasn't as traumatising as expected, though along the way I'd wonder how did I exactly climb up all these steps. The day was spent making our way down to the base, and returning to Henry's place.

10 people in a group is really not an optimum size BUT we made it! We made the trip an enjoyable, organised, fun-filled starter for 2011. Can't think of a better way to start the year. Cheers to my Kinabalu teammates! :)

Sabah Trip Day 4

2011-01-04T10:43:00.000+08:00

So we started off from Timpohon Gate some time between 9am and 10am.

Taking short breaks at huts along the way.

Then suddenly, you realise you are already above clouds.

This is Laban Rata, with most of the accomodation and the only dining place mid-mountains. The temperature here when we reached was 8 degrees Celsius. That was sometime between 4pm - 5pm. That was 6km covered in around 7 hours.

This is Gunting Lagadan Hut, accommodation for our group. We were done for the day at around 8pm, slept and got ready to wake up the next day for supper at 2am.

Sabah Trip Day 3

2011-01-03T10:14:00.000+08:00

A recovery day from rafting. We spent the morning packing for our ascent the next day.

We booked our mountain climbing package from Pac-West at Furama Hotel Shopping Centre. So it was SGD500 for 2 nights of accommodations, meals, mountain guides, entry passes etc. This 1st night of accommodation at Rose Cabin is located a short driving distance away from the Kinabalu Park Reception Office. The rationale for staying here for Day 0 (of the climb) is to be able to wake up at a reasonable hour before embarking on the climb.

The view from Rose Cabin is awesome.

The exact same roommates I had for the Ranong stretch of Field Studies - Edwin and Imran!

Sabah Trip Day 2

2011-01-02T09:56:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Chenghyork, I got a really good deal for white water rafting. For a package of transport + lunch + rafting we paid RM160 (SGD67) each. The activity was held at Padas River, which is claimed to have the best rapids for Grade 3/4 rafting in the region.

Some rapids are of a considerable length and sometimes I just get exhausted halfway. The white water rafting I did in Hualien, Taiwan in 2007 is nothing compared to this.

We had dinner at Pizza Hut at Centrepoint. Henry and his friend Teo then picked us up and drove us to Shangri-la Resort Kota Kinabalu for stargazing. Unfortunately the area best for that was closed for upgrading works and we left for

supper at this hawker centre right beside the beach. We bought sweetcorn, coconut drinks.

Being here just brings us back to the Field Studies days when we spent the last night in Songkhla with awesome food from Wachira Night Market.

Sabah Trip Day 1

2011-01-01T09:23:00.000+08:00

This is a trip with 9 others (8 of them are my Field Studies mates, 1 is someone's other half). For our accommodation in Kota Kinabalu, we stayed over at my SSEAYP friend Henry's place, which is an apartment with 3 rooms and sparse furniture (and hence could easily fit in 10 of us!). It's kind of a beautiful coincidence cos' I only got to know he stays in Sabah after he stayed at my place some time in November.

The non-Muslims among us had our lunch at this place, where we had something like 猪什汤 with lots of 猪油 in the soup. The Muslims had theirs at a Swensen's-like place.

We decided to go for an indoor paintball session since most of us have never attempted it before. After I got the first hit on my arm, I was like "What did I get myself into!?". The impact of a fired paintball is more intense than expected; I've still got a visible bruise today (7/1).

The paintball battlefield. All the squatting, shunning, shooting gave us the first physical workout for the trip, which would eventually become the recurring theme of our time in Sabah.

We had seafood here - paid RM300 for a meal for 11 of us. Food was average, only the gonggong was really satisfying. After dinner, we went to visit a random foodless night market as well as the Filipino night market which was open till late.

2010-12-31T17:02:00.002+08:00

2010

It's the first time I spent the whole year in NUS, and got to interact more frequently with friends from Geography, have meals together, meet new people from Field Studies, Summer School and my Honours class. It feels good to have a community to belong to in school, especially so after a lonely stay in Paris.

That's probably the defining thing of 2010 for me. Outside of school, I had no commitment except for being in the Youth Executive Committee of Tampines West CC (met once a month, helped out for an Amazing Race thing for the Northeast CDC). So, my schedule is relatively free! Good for spontaneous dinners, meet-ups, random grassroots/Buddhist events, and keeping up a run/swim/tennis routine. Bad, cos' at the end of the year I feel I haven't accomplished anything significant. Trade-offs.

I've no ambitions for the new year as of now, just hope to do the Buddhist thing of living in the moment more often in 2011. To discipline the mind and channel the right energy to doing meaningful things. Happy new year to all! :)

2010-12-28T17:31:00.005+08:00

10 Best Things of 2010

1. GE3230A Field Studies

This list is not in order of merit, but this has got to be champion. 36 days of living on Thai soil, with a good part of it in rural settings allow me to understand how millions of other people make their bread and butter, and how because of that value Nature, kinship and simplicity much more than we do. Rural living doesn't equate to poverty. Villagers aren't needy people. I'm the needy one as I yearn for hot water, air-con and Internet to feel satisfied.

Not forgetting the awesome company of fellow Geographers, whom I saw a lot of good qualities coming out from. It's an unusual comment, and I probably made it in comparison to SSEAYP (the ship programme), in which by the end of the journey the uglier sides of people get revealed. Here, I see nice deeds and genuine friendships, and have companions to talk to unguardedly.

2. Fujifilm Instant Camera

I bought it so that the shared memories of Field Studies can be made tangible for the Thais I've met. Little did I know I would use these instant photos in place of postcards to send to my friends in S'pore and the closer ones in the group. I guess they make more sincere greetings than tourist postcards, plus there's a story to tell for each captured object or scenery. I used the camera too to do mug shots of all my Honours classmates for the class board. No doubt a good friend-making tool.

3. Simon Springer

Refer to this entry. He's made everything associated with him cool - veganism, anarchism, adoptive parenting etc. Radical ideas become much more acceptable when someone who so can connect with you sells them, no?

4. Bubble Tea

After my first cups from KOI and Gong Cha, I've sworn off Sweet Talk for good. People are willing to pay and queue for effort, not instant-mix sugared water. And I wonder why Sweet Talk didn't bother to better the texture of their milk tea and the quality of their pearls, cos' they were monopolising the market and already had all the strategic locations? KOI has perfected the art of milk-tea making, I hope they don't get sloppy.

5. 第36个故事

A Taiwanese movie about a start-up cafe whose business was picking up slowly until one of the owners decided for it to become a venue of barter trading - 以物易物. Customers will go there to exchange what's valuable to them for someone else's beloved possession and know the story behind those objects. The movie espouses the concept of 心理价值 (emotional, psychological value?) and I'm a sucker for such idealism. Of course, I wouldn't have watched the movie if not for the lead 桂轮镁.

6. International Encyclopedia of Human Geography

A compiled set of introductory essays on all concepts employed in human geography. Equips one well for the more sophisticated writings by intellectuals at the academic forefront.

7. Thai fisherman pants

Light, comfortable, breezy down under, convenient to change into after a swim or tennis. Why not?

8. Little Britain

It saved me from repeating The Noose, Ris Low when I needed to laugh. I've exhausted whatever's available on YouTube.

9. Harbourfront Centre Food Junction

A really comfortable place to eat - spacious, never too crowded after 2pm, right temperature. You can hardly find another food court which can soothe your senses the same way.

10. Swimming

An almost-daily activity in Paris last year, I'm glad to have the energy to continue the exercise, though not the regime back home. Gives you more presentable arms, chest and back if you do freestyle.

2010-12-28T17:08:00.003+08:00

Books I Read This Year

1. 东京铁塔: 老妈和我有时还有老爸 by Lily Franky

2. 说话之道 by 蔡康永

3. Have A Little Faith by Mitch Albom

4. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

5. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (still in progress)

2010-12-21T12:38:00.003+08:00

AY10/11 Semester 1 Examination Results

GE3228 Geographies of Business Organisations B+

GE4101A Development of Geographical Thought A B-

GE4101B Development of Geographical Thought B A-

GE4217 Political Geographies: Space and Power A-

SSD2210 Managing S'pore's Built Environment S

Semester CAP: 4.00

Overall CAP: 3.96

2010-12-16T21:36:00.002+08:00

The 20 Songs I Like Best 2010

1. Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur [Sigur Ros]

2. Gooan Daginn [Sigur Ros]

3. Ara Batur [Sigur Ros]

4. Fljotarik [Sigur Ros]

5. 没那么简单 [黄小琥]

6. 黑裙子 [张芸京]

7. 相反的我 [张芸京]

8. 宝贝 [莫文蔚]

9. 台湾心跳声 [蔡依林]

10. 十年一刻 [苏打绿]

11. 红鞋女孩 [苏打绿]

12. 寂寞寂寞就好 [田馥甄]

13. 葡萄成熟时 [陈奕迅]

14. Stars [Olivia Ong]

15. Caresse Sur L'Ocean [Les Choristes]

16. The Blower's Daughter [Damien Rice]

17. Swallowed In The Sea [Coldplay]

18. Animal Arithmetic [Jonsi]

19. 散场的拥抱 [倪安东]

20. 情歌没有告诉你 [梁静茹]

Last month I was sick and vomitting and I told my sis definitely to play #3 Ara Batur at my funeral. I think Sigur Ros has the ability to touch the rawest nerves in people. #9 台湾心跳声 won't be up here if not for the splendid MV. #10 十年一刻 is my Muesli bar when I'm short of energy. My favourite voices of the year go to 倪安东 (I find his voice sincere and emotive, qualities I can't detect from 杨宗纬 and 萧敬藤) and Jean-Baptiste Maunier (check out his solo part in #15 Caresse Sur L'Ocean). A pity I didn't have the luxury of time to discover newer stuff this year. Thank you these music-makers for making my life complete! :)

2010-12-11T20:00:00.000+08:00

Sodagreen Stations Concert Tour @ S'pore 苏打绿《各站停靠》巡回演唱会新加坡站

1. First time getting the most expensive tickets! $158 is well worth it seeing the performance up-close as well as sitting among enthusiastic people.

2. Only 4 out of 6 Sodagreen members were present as the acoustic guitarist A-fu and the keyboardist/violinist A-gong are doing national service. They had substitute players of course but the one replacing A-gong was on the keyboard and an accordion.

3. Which means, the violin is missing which is rather disappointing cos' my favourite parts of 频率 and 十年一刻 are the violin parts. Compared to this concert version of 频率 where they had a whole violin ensemble, I didn't get the best stuff but still, it's excellent.

4. They did many covers such as 红鞋女孩可爱的玫瑰花我的未来不是梦就是喜欢你 which got the whole Max Pavillion jumping. Yes I'm biased, I think they are great at retaining the essence of the originals after rearranging the music.

5. Lead singer Qingfeng is really entertaining on stage! Watch this 'Talking' segment!

6. At 10:22pm, Qingfeng announced that it's the last song.

7. After which they came out for 2 encore segments, 2 songs per segment. For the 2nd encore, Qingfeng asked the floor for songs. So, many screamed their lungs out for 小情歌 but Qingfeng pretended to be oblivious to that. Which I'm rather thankful for, I think we should take a break from that song.

8. There was a bunch of Malaysian fans seated behind me, and they shouted "马来西亚!" at the most inappropriate time and got drowned out haha.

9. They didn't sing 交响梦, my favourite song for 2009. :(

10. I went home and started following all of the members on 微博, the 'Twitter' for the global Chinese-language community.

2010-11-16T23:16:00.002+08:00

I was at Seoul Garden Marina Square for lunch last Friday and my bunch turned out to be the only S'poreans in the restaurant for a few hours. The place is apparently booked for tour groups from China. Speaking of which, in Sept when I was at Costa Sands Resort Pasir Ris, I saw Chinese tourists with luggages and all checking into the chalets. Places where you don't really expect tourists, now you see them.

2010-10-29T23:57:00.002+08:00

Singapore Hit Awards 2010

1. Turnout in Indoor Stadium was less than Cheer Chen's concert last year. Should have considered Suntec Convention Centre or Max Pavillion to have a more compact atmosphere.

2. Crowd starting leaving around 1130pm when Jeff Chang was giving his thank-you speech after his medley. Seriously rude.

3. I decided to attend the awards after knowing Sodagreen would be present. Kind of disappointed that there was no bloc of Sodagreen fans anywhere in the audience.

4. The applause was minimal when names like Eason and Yoga and Sodagreen were flashed. Hello, these are the best stuff in the market!

5. Local newbies 郑可为 and 龚芝怡 were given recognition with awards and chances to perform. They can sing! But, their voices, looks, style don't stand out. Stef Sun back then just had the X-factor.

6. So who wins on X-factor today? 张芸京, it seems to me. She's cool and feisty and easily mistaken for a guy. But her voice is unique and she's got good songs. Her fan base is one of the biggest in Indoor, I feel it's justified haha.

7. Cruz Teng has been blogging about how he has gained weight and was having issues costume-fitting for the Awards. Erh, he really does seem a little bigger.

8. Hebe looked ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. Very very very pretty with her black outfit.

9. Many names were mispronounced, especially by the corporate big shots who were asked to present the awards. You are forgiven because you are English-speaking and don't follow showbiz, but you could have put in a little more effort in getting people's names right.

10. It's difficult to organise such an event with the popular music industry on a downhill trajectory since the advent of MP3, with songs being more or less free goods, with S'poreans losing connectedness with the Chinese language, with S'pore as a tiny market in the whole industry, and so many other factors. But it's important to keep it going, cos it's not just about the attendance and awards given out this very night. It's also about reminding the industry players about S'pore, connecting artistes with their S'porean fans, allowing face-to-face interaction among singers and musicians and related professionals who have never met before, reaffirming the validity and relevance of 龙虎榜, and raising the profile of the Mandarin popular music in S'pore.

2010-10-25T21:05:00.002+08:00

http://subwaysecretslite.tumblr.com/

I'm experimenting with Tumblr. Less sugar, more sleek, and hopefully not take the place of the authentic.

2010-10-25T13:03:00.001+08:00

Somehow doing Geog Thought A makes me feel I've crossed my threshold of Human Geography. Seriously contemplating to do a Physical turn next semester.

2010-10-24T22:23:00.005+08:00

2010-10-22T23:11:00.003+08:00

I dislike EL modules but I dislike bad English even more.

Today at the airport:

Today on Twitter:

NEAsg NEA

3 hour PSI at 1pm was 72 and at 2pm its 67. Fallen sumore... :)

2010-10-21T00:34:00.004+08:00

Little Britain cracks me up because it makes fun of the old, fat, gay, ugly, non-British, non-White; sometimes in too crude a manner. But humour may be the most effective in getting the viewers to realise how they consciously or subconsciously engage in discriminatory practices too, so no harm seriously, have some laughs!

2010-10-17T22:22:00.003+08:00

I used to only run to Pasir Ris Park, on Sundays at 6pm. The sights are mostly the same: Benson my NPCC senior, families BBQing and kite-flying, a rather significant portion of Chinese/Filipino/ Caucasian communities gathering or doing sports. The only surprise would be when I encounter spring tides, with sea levels lower than their average low and I can see the intertidal zone extend further out, with a bigger beach for all. Sungei Api Api will also look like it's running dry, and there will be a number of photographers (in place of disappointed anglers) capturing the exposed rocks and the rare scenery they partly constitute.

Nowadays I run to Bedok Reservoir, on Sundays at 515pm. The atmosphere there is less convival, there are more serious runners, and one is spared from irritating cyclists. There are parts of the Berlin Wall to gaze at (admittedly I still find this location an odd choice for an artifact with such historical symbolism), OBS-like obstacles in the trees and water sporting in action. It's good to see new sights!

Last Sunday I ran there at 615pm. And I caught such a beautiful evening sky which went well with the reservoir and I was seriously awed. Never knew I could witness such a standard of dusk near my place.

Ok, moral of this entry is: for a boring person like me who sticks to routines once comfortably settled, try attempting some spatial or temporal variations for your activity once in a while! Surprises await!

2010-10-17T12:14:00.003+08:00

Reading Economic Geography makes me want to become a CEO of an MNC to see how these theoretical abstractions play out in real life. If I win Toto (unshared with others) next CNY I'll break bond and maybe work towards that.

2010-10-16T10:34:00.003+08:00

Most Friday nights this semester I'll be reading the freshly delivered TIME and The Economist at the airport. Feels fruitful to be catching up with the world deeper in context on a weekly basis. But reading The Economist is kind of demoralising, I still can't get certain terms and how certain things relate to one another. Awaiting the new issue of Monocle next week!

2010-10-11T21:04:00.003+08:00

I always blog about the same things. The same for this entry. Back to the post on exemplary service at the New Balance store, I actually emailed New Balance S'pore to commend the service I've received and they got back to me, listing details of the staff and thanking me for the feedback. I felt good! I guess in S'pore we are used to giving feedback only when things are not up to standard. It'd be nice to do the same when we encounter service qualities which are above expectations. Let the people know they are doing the right thing and give them additional motivation. Hope I get to do this more often!

2010-10-09T21:52:00.004+08:00

I'm enjoying this semester! One, I'm taking modules I want to take (i.e. no EL mods). Two, Geographical Thought readings are tough and some are pure theoretical abstractions but the whole process of deciphering what the authors are trying to mean can give me a high. Never mind not understanding them eventually. Three, I'm finally taking modules with my batchmates, those with matric numbers starting U07! Kind of the last chance to know them better before they disappear for thesis-writing next sem. Four, I've 43 more people to say hi to in school because of Field Studies 2010. Oh, the joy of appearing to have a lot of friends! Five, the new mixed rice stall at the Deck has better and serves bigger portions of food. Six, tennis-playing is resumed thanks to Yong Chun. Seven, 3-hr seminars mean better timetables mean sufficient time to carry out my 2 swims per week routine. Eight, there's E-learning week for FASS, ok, which just ended.

A sad thing though, is that besides news clips and The Noose, I don't know what else to watch on YouTube. I've never been a drama/Glee!/anime person. I've lost interest in Taiwanese shows, yes that includes 星光 and 康熙. I don't follow Chinese pop closely. It's the perfect time to embrace new things! But I've no idea what, except for the Bible, which I really want to learn more about.