Day 21: Frozen New Year

No, it didn't actually anywhere near cold enough for ice to form (temperatures stayed in the 80s), but I DID get to see Frozen, like I said I would. I really liked it; it was a really cute movie, and while it was flawed I still agree that it's one of Disney's stronger works. While I guessed some of the plot points, there were others that took me by complete surprise.

Anyways, I ended up going to yet another shopping mall in order to watch the movie. Turns out movies in Singapore work a lot differently than in the U.S. You can't arrive at the last minute to buy your ticket (I found that out the hard way...) and you're assigned a seat, like when you watch a Broadway performance. The previews were mostly Singapore advertisements, and they were generally in English, Chinese, or both. Oh yeah, and the movie itself had Chinese subtitles.

Since I missed the 4:55 PM showing of the movie due to the aforementioned issue, I spent time exploring the mall instead. Most of the shops were closed for the Lunar New Year, but I found a HUGE arcade and a game store! Oh, I wish I brought my video camera, but all I got were some lousy-quality pictures I took with my 3DS. I'll put them here anyway for you to see, but they're not very good...

It was cool to see all the Japanese games before they're released in the U.S. (or, in some cases, they were never released in the U.S.). It also seems they sell North American 3DS games, but they're pretty pricey at around S$60-S$70. I think I'll just wait until I get back home to worry about new 3DS games.

Day 20: Ghost Town University

Today is the eve of the Lunar New Year. It was almost scary how deserted campus was. Most businesses closed early in the afternoon, some classes were canceled, and the classes that were being held had poor attendance. I think I mentioned this before, but the Lunar New Year is like Christmas for the Chinese. A large portion of the population in Singapore is Chinese, so most students ditched class so they could go home early and celebrate the new year with their families. It was strange seeing the halls of the engineering buildings almost completely empty, especially since I'm used to seeing students walking or sitting around everywhere. It reminded me of a ghost town, hence the title of this entry.

Also as a result of the Lunar New Year, I have no class tomorrow. I think I'm gonna go and try to see Frozen; I don't think the movie theaters will be closed. As for tonight... I might go out and try to see some fireworks. Yep, just like in the U.S., they launch fireworks in celebration of the new year. I'm certain Chinatown's going to be even more crowded than when I went last week, but maybe I can find a spot somewhere.

Day 15: Enter the Dragonboat

My third week in Singapore started with me getting up earlier than usual so I could ride on a dragon boat, which was something I signed up for shortly after arriving here. Dragon boats are long, narrow vessels that are paddled by many people at once. They are the basis of the ancient sport of dragon boat racing, which originated in China thousands of years ago. Dragon boat racing requires strength of body and strength of mind, but above all, teamwork is key to success. We learned that dragon boats typically have a drummer in front to help the paddlers keep rhythm, but since we didn't have anything like that, we used our voices. We learned all the basics of dragon boat racing while splashing ourselves and the other half of our group in another dragon boat. At the end, our two boats had a short race, and my team won! It was a lot of work paddling, but also a lot of fun. I may be sore tomorrow, but I doubt I'll regret doing this.

I was thoroughly soaked after that excursion, so I changed into a spare set of clothes before I made my way back. I stopped for lunch in a mall near the MRT station, and while there I spotted a little shop called 320 Below. It's an ice cream store unlike any I've ever seen: they make the ice cream right in front of you using liquid nitrogen! The name of the shop comes from the boiling point of nitrogen: -320°F. As a science buff, I wasn't about to walk away without sampling a little. I ordered the Belgian Dark Chocolate, and while it was kind of pricey (S$5 for a small cup), it was good. The nitrogen starts evaporating as soon as it comes out of the faucet, so it doesn't actually get incorporated into the ice cream. The whole point of it is to flash-freeze the ice cream so it's as fresh and smooth as possible when you receive it. It's a really neat idea, and I'd love to see something like that in the U.S.

Day 14: Japanese Cultural Night!

I was walking back from class when several Japanese-themed displays in UTown caught my eye. Now, I've noticed them selling things before, but now they had some actual cultural stuff. So I decided to participate in some of the activities they were holding. I bought a Japanese fortune, and to my surprise it said dai-kichi, or "great blessing". That apparently means really good luck, but I have my doubts because I'm notoriously unlucky. I don't put too much stock into fortunes, though; I just find them fun.

The real kicker, though, was I found that there would be a Japanese Cultural Night back at the university. I attended it and brought my camera along so I could film the whole thing. I had to break it up into chunks because the account I use to upload these videos has a 15 minute cap, but oh, well. Be warned that there is a lot of cheesiness, music, and audience commentary.

The instrument used in the following two videos is called the koto, a traditional Japanese string instrument. The KotoKottoN Ensemble, which performs in these videos, use the standard thirteen-string and the seventeen-string bass koto in their performs. Their name comes from the koto and kotton, the Japanese onomantopoeic expression for "moving along". I found most of this info in the playbook.

The next part of the performance is a Japanese rendition of Silent Night, or at the very least Japanese lyrics sung to the tune of Silent Night. I was really impressed.

Next, the NUS Nihon Buyo Club performed performed some traditional Japanese dance moves. I thought the music was a little odd, but it was still fun to watch.

There's a couple more songs in this next part. The first is mournful, while the second sounds like J-Pop.

And here's the ending and the final curtain call!

Day 13: An Evening in Chinatown

I traveled to Chinatown with my international student buddies for dinner and touring. I don't have much footage because I forgot to charge my camera and its battery was dying, but I still think I did a decent job. First, we had Vietnamese cuisine at a restaurant called "Yummy Viet", I think the name was. My student and buddy got caught in a traffic jam while riding the bus to Chinatown, so we got there late and we were very hungry. One of the students let me eat her beef pho noodles while she ordered something else. The broth was sweeter than what I'm used to, but I enjoyed the dish. The beef was tender and tasty, unlike another soup I've eaten that had beef that resembled shoe leather in both taste and toughness.

Afterwards, we toured around Chinatown. We passed by numerous bars (though we didn't drink) and explored the night market. Gosh, that place was packed! There were so many people that I was bumping into someone else constantly. Even so, it was fun to see all the stuff people had for sale. Chinatown was also lit up like Christmas Eve because the Lunar New Year is next week. There were tons of horse decorations and lanterns that lit up the streets. For the Chinese, the Lunar New Year basically is Christmas, so that makes sense.

We stopped for dessert at a tiny little restaurant that specializes in local desserts. We got to try dessert soup, yam pudding, and some sort of jelly cake. I didn't like any of those, but I did like what I ordered: mango snow ice. Snow ice is made by freezing milk and other ingredients and then slicing the blocks into thin shavings. It kind of reminded me of a smoothie or slushie, but colder, and you eat it with a spoon. Mine also had chunks of mango on top. The dessert basically solidified mango as one of my new favorite fruits.

Once dessert was done, we headed back. I kind of wish I could have filmed more, but that was my own fault.

Day 12: Getting Lost

I went to Jurong East to check out the shopping malls at the suggestion of my student buddy. There's apparently three big malls there, I toured two of them. The only things I bought were my lunch and some badges, but it was fun to look around. One of the stores, called Comic Connection or something like that, was even selling some cute Pokemon plushies and other anime merchandise. But the plushies were so expensive... None of them were very big, and the smallest were about S$17. The larger ones were about S$30. They had Pikachu, a bunch of starter Pokemon, Keldeo, and all the Eeveelutions except Espeon and Sylveon. No Clefairy, unfortunately... They probably don't even make Clefairy plushies though. I was tempted to buy the Keldeo or a Snivy or Turtwig, but the price drove me off.

Anyway, on my way back home I made the mistake of trying to find my way home from the Dover station instead of going to the Kent Ridge station and riding a shuttle from there. I got so terribly lost that I was wandering around for well over an hour. I eventually did find my way back with the help of a map, but I was completely exhausted when I finally reached my room. I was so tired that I'm actually writing this the morning after that little adventure. I suppose getting lost is only natural when you're in a new and unfamiliar place, but it was not fun.

Day 8: Little India

I went to Little India with the same group of international students from the other day. Boy, it was a long day. First, we visited a Hindu temple which was practically covered from head to toe with carvings of dozens of Hindu gods. We had to remove our shoes before we could enter. I think it's because shoes are considered dirty in many Eastern cultures, and the temple is a sacred place that shouldn't be sullied by the dirt outside. Anyways, I saw little Hindu children with shaved heads running about and playing, and the adults were performs prayers, rituals, and offerings. One of these offerings involved brushing your hand incredibly close to a flame. I get nervous around heat and fire, so I'd never be able to do that.

Next, we stopped at a fruit stand and bought some coconuts. These don't look anything like the ones you buy in the U.S. They're large, green, and smooth. The people at the stand use giant knives to cut a hole in the top of the coconut and then give you some straws to drink the milk inside. Despite the name, coconut milk (at least in these coconuts) is clear. I didn't like it; I found it too sweet. After you're done drinking the milk, the people at the stand with break the coconut apart so you can eat the flesh. I liked the flesh of the coconut more than the milk, but I found it a bit slimy.

We walked around for a little while, stopped by a mall for a bit, and then visited a mosque. A new member of our group, a young man from Pakistan, explained how the mosque works. We couldn't go inside, but I was able to fit my camera through the gate bars and see a bit of what was going on. There were only men in there; women are not obligated to pray at a mosque. Like at the Hindu temple, people have to take off their shoes before they can go inside. Next stop was lunch. We went to an Indian restaurant in order to try some traditional Indian fare. Now, in Indian homes you eat everything (even rice) with your fingers, but we had some plastic utensils to use. The only thing we ordered that I liked was the bread, especially the garlic naan bread. Everything else was too spicy for me.

With lunch down, we next headed to a marketplace. There were all sorts of things here, from clothes to fruit to meat. There was a "wet market" here, which is kind of like a farmer's market, but meat and fish are sold instead of fruits and vegetables. There's ice to keep everything cold, hence the name "wet market". The U.S. Food and Drug Administration would never allow something like that in the U.S., so it was interesting to see. It was pretty smelly from all the fish, though. While here, we tasted some local fruits. There was a type of mango that looks a lot like the Magost Berries from Pokemon. It tasted a lot like peach to me, so I liked it. I wasn't too fond of the other two fruits we tasted.

The last major place we visited was selling some Indian sweets and other things. Here, I bought a pashmina shawl and a new bag because my purse is a bit too small to hold a water bottle (which is basically a necessity in Singapore). Pashmina is known as cashmere in the states, and the shawl I got was apparently handmade by the seller's father. Of course, there's always the chance I was duped, but the shawl was just so beautiful and so soft that I was completely won over. I figured I could wear it if I got cold in class.

It was a long and tiring day, but I had a good time. I'm looking forward to more trips in the future!

Day 7: One New Year in Asia

I went to the One New Year in Asia party with my student buddy. That place was crowded beyond all belief. It eventually got too suffocating for me to stick around, so I didn't stay that long. But there were a number of fun activities that I got to participate in or watch, such as a traditional lion dance and a Mandarin orange eating contest. I got the latter on film.

I also got to try out calligraphy. I thought mine looked sloppy, but my student buddy and one of her Chinese friends said I did a good job. My student buddy volunteered to film me doing the calligraphy.

We did a few more things before we headed back. My student buddy had Korean food at one of the restaurants in UTown. Even though I had already eaten, her ginseng chicken smelled good enough to make me a little hungry again. After that, we all went home. I know it's not all that much, but being in dense crowds for long periods makes me kinda claustrophobic. I have to get out and have some space after a while. It's just something I have to deal with.

Day 6: Dinner at Holland Village

I'm posting this the morning after because I got home so late last night that I promptly fell into bed, but it should still be Thursday over in the U.S. by the time this goes up.

Anyways, I went to dinner at Holland Village with my student buddy, one of her friends, and a bunch of other international students. In total, our group consisted of two German girls, a Vietnamese girl, a Japanese girl, a young man from the Netherlands, two Singapore natives, and myself. We used the MRT (Magnetic Rail Train) to get to Holland Village, and we went to a Western restaurant there because it was the only place we could sit down and talk. The food was yummy, and they did cute things with the presentation like forming a heart out of the cream in hot chocolate or putting an egg mayo sandwich in a basket. And then some person got this HUGE drink for his birthday. I have no idea what it was, but I probably wouldn't be able to drink that much in a whole day.

After dinner, we explored Holland Village a bit more. We went to the Each a Cup drink stand and got tea and smoothies. I spent ages debating what to get because I didn't even know what most of the stuff was. Eventually, the lady running the stand recommended the mango passion smoothie, so I ordered that. It was actually really good, which is saying something because I don't like most fruit. I usually find fruit to be too sweet or too tart, but the smoothie struck a perfect balance between the two.

After that, we took the MRT back to UTown. I forgot to film the station on the way there, so I did it on the way back. And when I got to UTown, it was all lit up with pretty lights that I hadn't seen before, so I filmed those, too.

It was past eleven by the time I got back to my room, but I had a good time. We have another trip planned for Saturday: our group's headed for Little India! And today (Friday) I'm going to the One New Year in Asia party. It sounds like a fun-filled weekend!

Day 5: Things I've Learned So Far

Having lived here for a few days now, there are many things that I've noticed and learned. Most of them are minor, but I still find them useful to know.

1) A ceiling fan and an open window are enough to keep me comfortable for now.

2) A boy today told me that the weather these past mornings has been "cold". So apparently, cold weather for Singaporeans is approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit. So why are their air conditioners cranked up so much...?

3) If possible, sit down while riding a shuttle or bus. If not possible, hang on tightly to a pole.

4) Pretty much everyone speaks English, but not everyone understands you.

5) Anything labeled "curry" is too spicy for me to eat.

6) Expect rice or rice noodles at nearly every meal. Also expect some sort of soup to be offered with most of your meals.

7) Public bathrooms have at least one stall equipped with a handheld sprayer to um, cleanse yourself after you do your business.

8) Hot water in my floor's bathroom runs out quickly. My showers have to be pretty quick.

9) Most women's antiperspirant claims to whiten your underarms. I have no idea why you would want to do that, but this is a foreign country.

10) Many dining areas do not have napkins. Not a good thing when you're trying to eat noodles and get broth or sauce all over your chin

11) Red bean soup is really sweet. I found sweet beans to be kind of hard to believe, but they're real!

12) There are no drinking fountains in UTown or on campus. Instead, there are water coolers. Bring a water bottle when you go out.

13) If you don't know where something is, Google search it.

14) Don't knock something until you try it, even if it sounds weird.

15) Most signs and labels are written in English and at least one other language (Mandarin, Malay, etc.).

16) There are very few insects (at least around campus and where I'm staying) in spite of the warm weather. Great for people who hate bugs!

I think that's about all... If there's more, I can add 'em later.

Day 3: The Exchange Student Welcome Party

Today was the first official day of the semester. Since I couldn't make registration last week thanks to my canceled flight, I had to attend late registration today. I also had lunch with my student buddy. We had Japanese food from one of the university's "canteens", which is basically a cafeteria or eatery, from what I gather. I ordered some salmon from there; it came with with white rice, what I assume was coleslaw (it looked and tasted like coleslaw, but it was less creamy), and miso soup. Well, my student buddy told me it was miso soup, but I can't be certain. Anyways, I didn't really like the soup. It had a sweet/tart flavor that for some reason reminded me of apple juice, and I don't like apple juice. My salmon was also coated with the stuff, but it was more tolerable than the soup straight-up. My student buddy ordered a chicken dish that came with the same sides. I got to taste it, and I thought it was pretty good.

The main event of today, however, was the welcome party for the exchange students. On my way to the shuttle station, I took some video of UTown, which is where my residence is. It's a very nice place.

It was peak hours when I got to the shuttle station, so it was standing room only on those things. And I've quickly found that I don't like to stand while riding the buses and shuttles. They jerk all over the place while in movement, and if I don't have a seat I have to hang very tightly onto a poll to avoid being thrown about. Even then, I get jerked around a lot. Fortunately, I was able to snag a seat on this shuttle.

Once I got to the party, I quickly found a VERY long line for the exchange student dragonboat tour. I eventually gave up on that, but I found out about a club that was doing a different tour on the same day at the same time. That one was more money, but I decided to go for it.

There were also some other clubs that caught my interest. There was a Capoeira club, a scuba diving club, and a Silat club. This is a bit embarrassing, but I actually learned about Capoeira from comments on that "It's Not Unusual" video with Hitmontop on Youtube. Hitmontop's Japanese name is Kaporea, and its Pokemon X and Y animation is apparently a very common step movement in Capoeira. Moving on, the Silat club performed some of the live entertainment, and even invited some of the students to join in. I managed to get most of it on film, but I apologize for my wonky camera work and the fact that I kept moving. I was juggling a ton of things in my hands, my arm got tired after a while, and I was trying to get a good view without having my ears blasted by the speakers.

All and all, it was a fulfilling and tiring day. And in case you're wondering, no, this blog won't be updated EVERY day. I'll try to get new things in often, but not every single one of my days here is guaranteed to be something to talk about.

Day 1: Arrival

Whew... It's been a long first day. My plane arrived in Singapore around 2:00 AM, and I didn't get to go to bed until 4:30 AM. And then I had to get up so I could check into my room, so I got maybe four hours of sleep. And that's on top of the 3-4 hours of sleep I got during my 20-something hours of travel time.The room's small, but it has basically all the necessities.

The room's on the 16th floor of a 17 story building. Of course, since Singapore has such a high population density, they have to build up. This should give you an idea of how tall the building is.

After I checked in, I decided to explore the area around U-Town. I found a marketplace a few blocks away and had brunch there. They were selling all sorts of things, from tropical fruits to Chinese New Year merchandise. I was feeling bold, so I ordered some fish-head soup and white rice. I know it sounds gross, but it was actually really good. The only thing in the soup I didn't like was some sort of small, round orange fruit or vegetable that I couldn't identify. Fortunately, there was only one of those things in the soup. I had to keep picking the fish out of the bones with my fingers, so my hands smelled like fish for hours afterward.

I took a little nap when I got back to my room, and then I decided to search around for a place to shop. There were a few things I needed for the semester that I lacked. I ended up all over the place thanks to my bad sense of direction, but I at least found out where University Hall was. I finally found a bus that goes to a shopping mall, so I poked around in there. The place was huge! Not only is there the mall itself, but there are also lots of small shops located around outside the mall. I was so exhausted from walking everywhere that I wasn't able to get everything I need, but I at least managed to get a voltage converter because the one I had didn't work with my laptop plug.

I've also noticed two other things during my first day.

1) Singpore drivers are kind of wild. I was hanging on for dear life as my taxi driver zoomed through some of the roads at what felt like freeway speed. And the buses I boarded lurched a lot without warning.
2) Public bathrooms are labeled "Toilet". So much for political correctness!

I'll be going to bed after I finish writing this, so hopefully I'll be refreshed and ready for a new round of adventures tomorrow!

Predeparture Entry 2: Rebooked at Last!

It took a lot of patience, but I've finally got my flight rebooked. I'm scheduled to leave from Detroit Metro Airport on Thursday morning. My sister's also got a new flight, though she'll be arriving in Alabama the day her classes start... Oh well, nothing you can do about weather. Speaking of weather, it's bitterly cold outside! I don't think the temperature has risen above zero all day. That's the likely reason why my flight got canceled. Fortunately, it's supposed to warm up to a more seasonable temperature by tomorrow, and it looks like the weather will hold out for my departure day. That's good, at least. Hopefully I won't have to deal with any more cancellations.

Predeparture Entry 1: Canceled Flights

In what is typical of my family's luck, a huge snowstorm decided to hit right before I was scheduled to fly out. As a result, my flight to Singapore was canceled. I hope to get this all sorted out before long, but this is really frustrating. My sister was also supposed to fly back to Alabama for her classes, but her flight also got canceled, and now she's stuck at the airport. I do hope things turn out better soon...