some days all I do is watch the sky
the view out my window when I roll over in bed too early in the morning
Leaving Singapore in less than 24 hours. I really can’t decide how I feel about it. But I know it’s time to go home. My friends think so too. And everybody else knows it. I haven’t been myself for quite some time. I feel like I haven’t had a real conversation with anyone in ages. I am so tired. Physically and emotionally.
But I’m also really sad about leaving. I feel like when I go home it’ll be the end of something significant in my life. It’ll be the end of my year (technically eight months) of studying abroad. And I know that when I get home, no one will understand what these eight months of my life meant to me, and all that has happened. Even the ones that try to.
Down to Koh Phi Phi
Exam cram time is full on…except apparently not since I am writing this post. Got back from Phuket and Koh Phi Phi yesterday morning. Thailand for those of you who don’t know…Was quite the eventful trip. Some good reasons, some bad. Got to Phuket Town on Monday night. Met some guys from L.A. (smalllll world), and met up with (slash ran into) Ashley, Ryan, and Dennis. Then headed to Koh Phi Phi on the ferry the next day. There’s no doubt that the Phi Phi Islands are absolutely beautiful. However, there seems to be little local culture left, which I find pretty sad. It made me miss Bali, where the tourism and local culture are a bit more integrated.
Anyway. Stayed in a shit hole our first night in Koh Phi Phi (yay cockroaches and vomtown!), although conveniently located right by Ton Sai Bay and the bars/clubs. Climbed to the top of PP viewpoint (and died on the way up). The next day we were sitting on the beach with a couple of beers at Deaf Gecko, and then the bar owner gets a call from his friend in town saying that everybody is panicking and shutting doors. We then hear that there has been an 8.6 and 8.3 earthquake and aftershock in Sumatra in Indonesia, and there was a huge tsunami warning. We head back to our hotel and start throwing our things together and then the siren over the entire island goes off, telling us to get to high ground. Ended up sitting up in the woods on a mountain for about five hours. Was pretty scary. Thankfully, nothing ended up happening.
Next day, we hired a longboat driver to take us around the island. We went to see Viking Cave, Maya Bay (the 4th most beautiful beach in the world), went snorkeling and saw so many fish, etc. And when we got back it was the start of Songkran water festival for the Thai new year! It was so much fun. We all bought water guns and the whole town evolved into the biggest water fight.
Shortest summary ever of a very eventful weekend.
I cannot believe that I only have a week left in Singapore. Headed down under. Flight booked to Sydney. Now, before that, I have to book six flights (internal flights and flights going home). Take four exams. Register for classes. But then after, I will be frolicking around in wine country with cute people with cute accents. Excited to say the least. X
Saturdays in Singapore
1. The typical busy weekend crowd on Orchard Road
2. Mu Parlour at Holland Village
3. Daily latte at Toby’s Estate in Robertson Quay
4. Skygarden at Orchard Central
5. More public art!
Kota Kinabalu
Back in Singapore from one of the most amazing trips I have ever taken. Was in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah on the island of Borneo (Malaysia). Went with Sam. Was supposed to climb Mt Kinabalu. Good thing that didn’t happen. We probably would have died. Or something close to it. We were incredibly lucky with the weather. Spent the days exploring the neighboring islands and the rainforest. And clubbing a bit too hard.
1. Sapi Island, definitely the best one out of the five islands of Tanku Abdul Rahman Park. Amazing snorkeling. So many fish! Sam found Nemo’s family.
2. Feet in the water at Manukan Island
3. Cute little souvenirs at the Sunday Morning Market at Gaya Street
4. Exploring the rainforest at Kinabalu Park
5. The famous night market of Kota Kinabalu
6. B.E.D.: Just the most ridiculous clubbing experience of my life
To Bali and Beyond
No, but actually. I just want to drop everything and move to Bali.
It’s definitely about time that I got out of Singapore and went somewhere besides Hong Kong. Went to Bali with the flatmates and some other exchangers. Flew into Denpasar airport around midnight and then took a cab to Kuta. Ended up having no place to stay that night. Walked around for about an hour with Pavel, Adrian, and Hamza. Was raining. Shit start to an amazing five days though.
Went to Uluwatu to see the temples and the fire dance that told the story of certain Indonesian myths and legends. Went surfing the next day at Kuta Beach, but it was so windy that it ended up being wave in the face every twenty seconds or so. Partied at the reggae bar with shisha and drinks (green fuck) at night and then at SkyGarden (apparently THE club to go to while in Kuta)…free for foreigners. Except they hardcore interrogated me when I tried to get in. Awkward. Definitely better than any club that I’ve been to here in Singapore. Met a cute Hungarian (actually from Israel) surfer. Yay surfers. This trip has fully been a mirror of my trip to Lagos while I was in Europe. So many parallels. More Australians than locals in both places. Both surfer towns with a bumping small community nightlife etcetcetc.
Headed over to Ubud the day after, the cultural capital of Bali. Stopped by the best rice terraces in Bali in Tegallantang. Did a bit of trekking with our big group of about eleven. Mud on the shoes for sure. Saw a traditional Balinese dance in Ubud. Then headed to the top of a mountain to stay the night. It was freezing! Went to Tanah Lot temple the next day—the temple in the middle of the sea. It was so beautiful. We also tried shit coffee. Literally. Kopi Luwak. The coffee beans are eaten by this animal called a Luwak, and then are shat out. The coffee beans are they roasted and ground to make coffee. Apparently the most expensive coffee in the world.
The only drawback of the trip was that it was so rushed. There’s so much more to Bali than the tourist culture of Kuta, which is a shame, because we stayed there the majority of the time (although it was definitely fun, no doubt). I so want to go back and explore more of Bali, Lombok, and Gili Islands.
This post sucks haha. I’m just writing down the basics. Sitting here drinking some bullshit Bordeaux wine watching The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (US version) with the housemates. It is 11 pm right now—have been at school since 830 am this morning. Long. Ass. Day. Am fully looking forward to going to Kota Kinabalu with Sam on Wednesday. We will try to climb Mt Kinabalu, but we’ve been having trouble securing climbing permits, so if that doesn’t happen, I guess we’ll just explore the neighboring island which will be amazing anyway. So excited!
That’s all for now. X
A few photos from the past five days in Bali. More to come later!
Hong Kong is my New York, Singapore is my L.A.
Guess what!? I finally figured it out!
I have solved why I am in love with Hong Kong and why I don’t like Singapore as a city nearly as much as I should. Because it reminds me too much of L.A. And ever since moving out to Southern California for uni, I haven’t really liked L.A. much. Don’t get me wrong. I love the beach. I love the sun. I love Orange County. I love California and the beautiful vast nothingness between L.A. and San Francisco, especially Big Sur.
Anyway. There are an amazing amount of parallels between the two. L.A.? One of the most fake cities in the states. Singapore? One of the most (if not the) fake cities in Asia. There is an amazing amount of ethnic diversity in both cities, but the cities end up being segregated by ethnic neighborhood. There is so much catered toward entertainment, consumerism, and expensive nightlife. Everybody in L.A. is full of shit but won’t admit it. Same with Singapore. Sorry.
And arguably, everybody in New York is full of shit. The difference? Everybody in New York admits they’re full of shit. And I love it. At least people are self-reflective. Hah hah. New York and Hong Kong? Two places I would fully settle down in. Both are equally cut-throat. Both are equally heartless, but I unconditionally love them. The rush of the two places is very similar. There is so much to do in the most ridiculously confined little spaces. There is culture, art, and history in every place you would think to look. And every place you wouldn’t think to look.
This is the end of my little silly realization.
So! I am currently dying from school work at Singapore Management University. Hands down the most academically challenging semester of my life. I need to sleep but am too caffeinated/my lovely roomies are being a bit loud. So I’m writing this hah. Had an eight hour group meeting for my International Economics presentation on Tuesday. And then after that…I am headed to Bali! And then Borneo the next week. And then maybe Bintan! Also just booked my flight down to Australia today. Will be going to Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne. Woooohooooo. Fully excited!
X
six days in hong kong
So good to be back in one of my (possibly the) favorite cities.
Also just got the news that I will be spending at least two months of my summer there teaching English. Fully excited for it. Definitely a step in the right direction for me.
1. near Tsing Yi…on the bus to Tuen Mun
2. wandering around Tsim Sha Tsui
3. camped out writing cover letters and eating brunch at the Brunch Club in Soho
4. buying tidbits around Sham Shui Po
5. yes they have a Toy Story Land at Hong Kong Disneyland at Sunny Bay
6. a Wednesday night at the horse races at Happy Valley
7. the harbour. obviously.
The Best Lattes in Singapore
Loysel’s Toy Cafe in Lavender. They use Papa Palheta coffee beans, and their lattes are fully amazing. Not to mention that their brunch is quite good as well. The original Papa Palheta is fully awesome, and is located in Newton. Loysel’s is a bit more fun and laidback than the original Papa Palheta, which can be quite pretentious and only serves coffee.
The Pigeonhole in Tanjong Pagar. A cute little hip place that makes their own coffee. Definitely worth checking out. Good for lattes, good for doing work, good for hanging out with friends.
Shots on Ann Siang Hill by Chinatown. Tiramisu latte here. So good. In a pretty cool spot of the city, right by Club Street.
Toby’s Estate at Robertson Quay. Latte and a ridiculously huge bowl of yogurt and granola. I will definitely be frequenting this place for the rest of my time here in Singapore. Such a good brunch.
