Singapore is well known for two things – food and shopping. The sheer number of malls that are crammed on this tiny island is incredible. For a recent assignment I had to write a narrative on one the nature reserves (one of the remaining patches of trees between concrete and glass). I visited the Southern Tiers and had an incredible experience. Here is my narrative.

The day began and ended with rain. It was not the kind of rain that freckles your face with moisture, it was the kind that soaks you to the skin in seconds. Even though my shoes squelched with every step, my day spent walking the Southern Ridges with a friend proved to be an incredible experience. Minutes after we exited the protection of the Harbourfront MRT station the skies opened. Yet, as suddenly as the rain began, it stopped, and sunlight flickered between the branches that stretched above our heads. We continued our ascent along the Marang Trail, its thick foliage reminding me of tunnels and exploration.

Soon the trail met the ridge of Mt. Farber. Bathed in the now warm sunlight, the panoramic views of Singapore were stunning. The southern islands, ships, and skyline seemed to have shrunk into a child’s play set. The skyscrapers that usually awe me with their domineering size now glinted like glass Legos, and the huge ships in the harbour seemed like toys floating in an immense bathtub. We then reached the Henderson Waves. This bridge seemed an impossibility – it was both organic and wholly unnatural. Wood and steel combined to form curves of striking beauty. We soon found ourselves sitting, not admiring the view as one would on other bridges, but admiring the bridge itself. Its gradual incline and rolling sides had an almost hypnotic effect. We could not help but pause, and found it difficult to pull ourselves away to continue on our adventure.

From there we headed toward the Forest Walk. Ominous clouds began to fill the sky, but we decided to keep going with the hopes of finishing before it rained once again. Upon reaching the Forest Walk I was glad we decided to continue. On the hill beneath us a series of pedestrian walkways zigzagged and sliced their way down the hill through the canopy. With the help of my imagination, the treetops that crowded each side of the path formed intricate and beautiful green figures. Beneath us, a bike path provided a constant point of reference, and reminded us just how high we were. At times, the height of the path was slightly daunting, but it was thrilling. The end of the Forest Walk opened upon the Alexandria Bridge. As the bridge came into view we quickened our pace and felt the warning drops of the next downpour. As the raindrops thickened we found ourselves jogging across the outstretched leaf that is the Alexandria Bridge. We raced beneath the raindrops and managed to slip under the nearest bus stop right as the skies opened once again. 
 

About a week and a half ago (sorry for the delayed post) I got back from my incredible 10-day trip to Vietnam. Our trip began on Friday morning when we flew into Ho Chi Mihn (Saigon) and then continued as we traveled north through Vietnam stopping at Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Ha Noi, and the Halong Bay.

In Ho Chi Mihn city we explored the War Memorial Museum (it was really interesting to learn about the Vietnam War from another perspective), market, and had a boat ride up the Saigon River. The following morning we flew to Nha Trang (a beach town) where I was able to eat snake, crocodile, and wild boar – snake was my favorite. 

We spent Sunday on a boat tour of the islands surrounding Nha Trang. After cruising, swimming, and exploring our beautiful surroundings, our captain then declared that our boat was going to engage in a “cultural exchange” – karaoke. Chris (New Zealand) did a haka, Carmela (Canada) was forced to sing Celine Dion, and somehow I ended up singing Backstreet Boys. The day was good fun all around, and then we boarded the night bus for a not-so-restful night aboard a sleeper bus to get to Hoi An.

We arrived in Hoi An really early in the morning and began the day with some street hawker noodles – they were delicious! In fact, all the food in Vietnam was great!! Then the girls and I went shopping because Hoi An is well known for its tailoring. It seemed like every 2nd shop was a tailoring place. After shopping, we went on a bike ride around the surrounding area and it was stunning.

In Hue we went on a tour of the citadel, tombs, and Perfume River. It was ok but was one of the most expensive days (I think we spend $20 USD – a small fortune in Vietnam!).

While in Ha Noi went to Ho Chi Mihn's mausoleum, the Prisoner's Museum, walked around the Old Quarter, and went to the Temple of Literature (Vietnam’s first university). We then went to the Halong Bay where we spent 2 days and one night on a junk boat. It was an incredible experience. The scenery was breathtaking and we were able to explore the caves, go swimming, and kayaking. It was one of my favorite experiences of the trip.

At the end of our trip we came to the conclusion that we preferred around the small towns rather than the big cities. The cities are just so big and busy that it is hard to get a real sense of anything.
 

I have managed to spill tea directly into my wallet, all over a cafeteria counter top, and on two innocent bystanders. Though I will admit that saying I have “butter-fingers” is an understatement, I would like to think that these incidents weren’t entirely my fault. When serving beverages for take-away, Singaporeans have the habit of pouring the steaming brew directly into a plastic bag. In all of my classes, Singaporeans have proven to be intelligent, hardworking, and logical; yet it seems to me these characteristics failed them the day they poured boiling liquid into a thin plastic bag. Yet, despite this slight foible, I am in love with Singapore.

My first weekend back in Singapore marked the tail end of Chinese New Year and there was a huge parade near City Hall to celebrate. I have posted pictures from the event on flickr and am pleased to say that the float made by NTU (my exchange university) won! The huge variety of floats and dancers made evident the diversity that is present in Singapore.

This weekend my friend Natalie (Scotland) and I went waterskiing at a cable park on the eastern shore. It was a big lake with a cable rigged around the perimeter. From the cable hung ropes that (after mastering a tricky launch) dragged participants around the lake on water-skis, wakeboards, and kneeboards. After a couple falls (and one particularly epic face-plant from yours truly) Natalie and I were able to get the knack of it and had a great time. We plan on going back!

After waterskiing we went to a seafood hawker center where we wandered amongst the stalls and sat down and to order a Singaporean specialty – Chili Crab. We were presented a fully shelled crab drowning in chili sauce, and only chopsticks to eat it with. After contemplating how best to break the shell and scoop out the meat with chopsticks, we realized that there wasn’t anyone to mimic, and that we would have to improvise. Two seconds later we were attacking the crab with a chopsticks-fingers combo. I can honestly say that I don’t ever think I have been so messy from eating in my entire life, but the effort was certainly worth the reward (soo delicious). Once it was clear that our ridiculous attempts to eat the crab had ended, the stall owner provided us with a bucket to clean ourselves with, and our spectacle ended. (If anyone has tips on eating crab with chopsticks, I’m all ears!) We ended the day by meeting some local friends at a Malaysian place for even more food!
The next day was Thaipusam, a festival celebrated by Hindus in Singapore, Malaysia, Southern India, and Sri Lanka. To show their devotion to the Lord Murugan, participants join a procession along the streets of Singapore carrying large frames and weights supported through bodily piercing. It was a bit gruesome, but interesting nonetheless.

I guess that is all for now! I am volunteering with the Red Cross this Saturday, so I am excited to meet some more people and help out the community. Over spring break we are traveling to Vietnam!

 
 

Photos from my travels are posted here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstyewing/

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!!! I hope it is very “oxpicious” (unfortunately I cannot claim authorship of this wonderfully tacky pun). This past weekend was the Chinese New Year, the beginning of the Year of the Ox, and a chance for exchange students to do what they love best—travel. Last Friday afternoon I departed Singapore for Malaysia. We arrived in Kuala Lumpur around 11 pm , checked into our hostel in the Golden Triangle, and then set out to find some grub. Living in close proximity to New York City has familiarized me with bright lights at night, but I think that KL deserves the new title of “the city that never sleeps”. The lights from advertisements and buildings erase all traces of night, people lounge in the streets, packed massage parlors clamor for your business, and some food hawkers don’t even bother setting up their stalls until 1 am. 

The next day we visited the Petronas Towers, Chinatown, and explored KL. The stark contrast between the houses of the city outskirts, and the modern architecture of the city center was really striking. During our city explorations we went to a Chinese restaurant where I tried bullfrog! It was actually pretty good and tasted of a mix between fish and chicken. I also tried durian ice cream which I think tastes like Calpol (durian is a fruit that smells absolutely foul and is banned from Singaporean buses due to this fact).  My friend Chris (from New Zealand) has made it his mission not to eat any western food and try as many weird things as possible. His completed list currently includes:
1.    Bullfrog
2.    Durian icecream
3.    Fish eye
4.    Pig viscera soup- wikipedia it…not pleasant
5.    And worst of all…the Prosperity Burger – a disgusting creation that McDonald’s has created to honor the Lunar New Year.
Next on his list are chicken feet; somehow I just don’t think I’ll be joining him in that endeavor.

On Sunday we visited the Batu Caves and the Malaysian national museum. The Batu caves are approximately 15k outside of KL and are visited by Hindus to honor Lord Murugan. They were really beautiful, and made me wish I had read up a bit about them beforehand. Pictures are posted on my flickr account!

On Monday we caught a bus south to Malacca. Because of the New Year we were unable to reserve accommodation in advance and so we planned on finding something upon arrival. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side and all the hostels were booked. Our desperation for accommodation eventually had us walking into a local hotel. The holes in the furniture, empty beer cans, suspicious stains, and the realization that this was the kind of place where payment is paid per hour, caused us to change our plans and aim to catch a late bus back to Singapore that night rather than the following morning.

We then decided to visit St. Paul’s church, Christ Church, and Chinatown. All were really interesting and displayed the unique mix of Malay, Portuguese, Dutch, and English heritage that is present in Malacca.  The best experience of the day was our visit to a Chinese teahouse—I never knew there were so to learn about tea!

Our trip back to Singapore proved to be a little more challenging than planned. Upon arrival at the bus terminal we were told that the terminal was soon closing. Unlike many terminals in Southeast Asia which have overnight buses, the Malacca terminal was one that closed at 10pm. As we wandered, contemplating sleeping at the local 24-hour supermarket, a stroke of luck enabled us to hop on the last bus back to Singapore. We all made it back in one piece and the weekend was a huge success!