Friday, February 15, 2013
heart pain
OU MAH GAAADDDD. i felt so heart pain when i saw jetstar's 2 for 1 flight sales to Osaka today!!! Only as low as $344 for a return ticket for TWO PEEPEL?? I paid $122 more than that amount for just one person =.= SAD MAN. Yea So next time, must wait!! Cannot be so kanchiong like me. Summore i bought with Flyscoot. forever seeing comprains about their flight delays, lousy customer service etc etc. I shall judge for myself based on my own experience lah. But the zhong dian is. I SHOULD HAVE STUCK TO MY LA FAMIGLIA JETSTARRRR (i meant familiar but la famiglia sounded more dramatic at that moment even if it doesnt mean the same thing okay? okay. )
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The Living Dead
Every Global Change lecture I go through makes me come out a little more distraught about the future of this planet. Every time we are reminded of how little there is that's left and yet so few of us are trying to protect it. How some can't see its worth even when you lay it out to them in 10 digit values with dollar signs of all kinds. How they just gasp when you show them the percentage losses, and then they turn around and let it slip away from their minds...
Today I was told that Singapore's forests are living dead. That even though what's left is being protected, the trees will spill out their fruits but no birds or bees will be here to disperse the life they could bring. The forests will just die, slowly, with no predecessors... I'm not really knowledgeable about this but I wonder if it's really true. That our forests are just living, waiting to die?
And our shores, disappearing, because the losses aren't as obvious as trees being destroyed. Everything is hidden under a blanket of blue, the blankets over our eyes as we go ahead with reclaimation, development... destruction.
The shrinking ecosystems everywhere.. how can we stop it from happening? How can we convince an entire world of what it means to them to keep these beautiful parts of the Earth? How can we convince those who never touched a flower in its crib or never looked at the skies and realise they can't see the stars anymore? That all around them is concrete, plaster, metal rising into the sky and spreading over the land faster than an epidemic.
And as we grow richer, we become sadder. because we're losing something, something we innately love. We love reading about it, seeing pictures of it, going to far away places to experience it. But we don't love having to try to save it. We maintain a strange mindset that it will just be there for us and every extinction that occurs goes unnoticed in our tiny little world surrounded by concrete walls. Not hearing, not seeing, not happening.
But it is happening. And I wish the small things people do make an effort to try to help in were more apparent to those that close their eyes and sleep their way through the rest of their lives on this crumbling, withering world.
I wish there was something I could do.
Today I was told that Singapore's forests are living dead. That even though what's left is being protected, the trees will spill out their fruits but no birds or bees will be here to disperse the life they could bring. The forests will just die, slowly, with no predecessors... I'm not really knowledgeable about this but I wonder if it's really true. That our forests are just living, waiting to die?
And our shores, disappearing, because the losses aren't as obvious as trees being destroyed. Everything is hidden under a blanket of blue, the blankets over our eyes as we go ahead with reclaimation, development... destruction.
The shrinking ecosystems everywhere.. how can we stop it from happening? How can we convince an entire world of what it means to them to keep these beautiful parts of the Earth? How can we convince those who never touched a flower in its crib or never looked at the skies and realise they can't see the stars anymore? That all around them is concrete, plaster, metal rising into the sky and spreading over the land faster than an epidemic.
And as we grow richer, we become sadder. because we're losing something, something we innately love. We love reading about it, seeing pictures of it, going to far away places to experience it. But we don't love having to try to save it. We maintain a strange mindset that it will just be there for us and every extinction that occurs goes unnoticed in our tiny little world surrounded by concrete walls. Not hearing, not seeing, not happening.
But it is happening. And I wish the small things people do make an effort to try to help in were more apparent to those that close their eyes and sleep their way through the rest of their lives on this crumbling, withering world.
I wish there was something I could do.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
River Hongbao
It's been a long time since I've been to this event. My parents used to bring me as a child and I dont even have a clue as to where it was held or what exactly happened there. I only remember the falling flakes of gold that flickered all around as we approached the statue of the God of Fortune. It always seemed to rain when we went. Or at least that's the way I remember it.
This year was no different. It rained practically all day! Ben and I went ahead with the plan anyway cux there wasnt anywhere else to explore really, on the first day of CNY. The carnival was at the floating platform right beside the esplanade and you could spot it from miles because of the lovely bright lights. There wasnt even a crowd because, I suppose, of the weather and the timing, and that was a good, good thing.
The decoration was pretty. Flowers, cranes, neon, LED. As the sky got darker the lights grew even brighter and it began to look like a little floating Las Vegas.
The deco was one part of it, but of course the food was the other. There was a tent with a bunch of little stalls all scrunched together and practically everyone gathered there because of the shelter, warmth and the lovely smells. We had a turkish kebab ($5 and yums!), a bacon wrapped pork sausage ($3.50 piping hot sausage, crispy wafer-thin bacon. sold.), mua chee ($2.50 as tasty as mua chee gets!), mala tofu and fishballs ($3 spicy like toot!) and bird's nest drink ($2.50 normal). yea we ate a lot and it was good.
Watched people play carnival games for a bit then tootled off. A short experience but a feast for the eyes and the stomach nonetheless!
This year was no different. It rained practically all day! Ben and I went ahead with the plan anyway cux there wasnt anywhere else to explore really, on the first day of CNY. The carnival was at the floating platform right beside the esplanade and you could spot it from miles because of the lovely bright lights. There wasnt even a crowd because, I suppose, of the weather and the timing, and that was a good, good thing.
The decoration was pretty. Flowers, cranes, neon, LED. As the sky got darker the lights grew even brighter and it began to look like a little floating Las Vegas.
The deco was one part of it, but of course the food was the other. There was a tent with a bunch of little stalls all scrunched together and practically everyone gathered there because of the shelter, warmth and the lovely smells. We had a turkish kebab ($5 and yums!), a bacon wrapped pork sausage ($3.50 piping hot sausage, crispy wafer-thin bacon. sold.), mua chee ($2.50 as tasty as mua chee gets!), mala tofu and fishballs ($3 spicy like toot!) and bird's nest drink ($2.50 normal). yea we ate a lot and it was good.
Watched people play carnival games for a bit then tootled off. A short experience but a feast for the eyes and the stomach nonetheless!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Gardens By the Bay
I LOVE THIS PLACE.
I had the immense privilege of visiting this place for free! as a field trip for the Global Change module. We were supposed to look out for conservation issues and the focus was on cloud forests. However, the ticket included entry into the flower dome as well so definitely didn't wanna waste the opportunity!
Cloud Dome:
There was a whole lot of good information about cloud forests, precise and easy for anyone's understanding. The place was cold because it was supposed to simulate 1000m above sea level and higher... and upon entry we were greeted by this massive tumbling waterfall that sprayed cold joy on our tired faces.
There was a funky treetop walk pathway which allowed you a bird's eye-view of the place passing through the core mountain center and each on each floor sat a separate display and set of information about geology and other aspects of areas with cloud forests.
But I think I really liked the flower dome more. ROSES!! rose bushes sitting squat on the side of the pathway!! How mysterious, how mystical.. how romantic! Okay I just like roses a lot and like seeing them in bunches...
There were a whole bunch of other flowers, but sadly I only recognise a handful. There were hibiscus and roses as big as my hand (or even face) so it was really amazing to see that.
Walking back from Gardens to City Hall MRT was the biggest mistake though. I should have gone to Bayshore though i have no idea where that sits on the line either. Anyway they really should have bigger signs to the MRT! It was crazy hard to find the lift that would bring you to the bridge leading to the MRT. Esp because the lift looked like it belonged in jurassic park.
Anw that concludes the adventure. I wanna go again someday!
I had the immense privilege of visiting this place for free! as a field trip for the Global Change module. We were supposed to look out for conservation issues and the focus was on cloud forests. However, the ticket included entry into the flower dome as well so definitely didn't wanna waste the opportunity!
Cloud Dome:
There was a whole lot of good information about cloud forests, precise and easy for anyone's understanding. The place was cold because it was supposed to simulate 1000m above sea level and higher... and upon entry we were greeted by this massive tumbling waterfall that sprayed cold joy on our tired faces.
There was a funky treetop walk pathway which allowed you a bird's eye-view of the place passing through the core mountain center and each on each floor sat a separate display and set of information about geology and other aspects of areas with cloud forests.
But I think I really liked the flower dome more. ROSES!! rose bushes sitting squat on the side of the pathway!! How mysterious, how mystical.. how romantic! Okay I just like roses a lot and like seeing them in bunches...
There were a whole bunch of other flowers, but sadly I only recognise a handful. There were hibiscus and roses as big as my hand (or even face) so it was really amazing to see that.
Walking back from Gardens to City Hall MRT was the biggest mistake though. I should have gone to Bayshore though i have no idea where that sits on the line either. Anyway they really should have bigger signs to the MRT! It was crazy hard to find the lift that would bring you to the bridge leading to the MRT. Esp because the lift looked like it belonged in jurassic park.
Anw that concludes the adventure. I wanna go again someday!
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