Ever wonder how they teach Thai roosters how to do art? Yeah, me neither. These are the type of questions I asked myself after leaving the National Gallery in Singapore. Good food for thought moment indeed. Although this week has been busy at work, I have continued to find new places and areas to explore. We have welcomed a new member to our tax team, meaning I am no longer one of the new people. Although two other people have joined the company since my arrival, this is the first time our team has welcomed a new colleague since the other two interns and I started. However, after some conversation, I discovered that the new employee was a transfer from the audit department, not a new CLA Global TS member. He was an excellent colleague and super cool to talk to. On second thought, I recently discovered that working at home 50% of the time once a month only applies to regular employees, not interns. This did not bother me because I enjoy going into the office and being with the team (even on Mondays and Fridays when there are fewer people in). A fun fact I recently came across in my free time is that Singapore to Newark (or New York) is one of the longest direct flights you can take, coming in at a whopping 18 hours and 40 minutes. The flight runs typically only once a day out of Changi (or Newark/New York), and I cannot even imagine that experience as a passenger (or pilot for that matter). Although I like connecting in San Francisco and taking a nice break from being in the air, it stinks I will never get to experience the longest flight in the world.
Korean BBQ Night
After getting off early from work on Friday, I joined several other Bucknellians for dinner at a Korean barbeque place called Don Dae Bak Restaurant! I still can’t quite decide whether I like the Korean BBQ or Thai BBQ better, which I had with my colleagues several weeks prior. That being said, the dinner was terrific. Dylan and I shared one stove, while Maddie, Stella, and Alexa shared the other. However, we often shared between stoves, too. I enjoyed the noodles and meat, but the eggs were also delicious. I noticed that the main difference between this BBQ and Thai BBQ is that there is a hood top above the stove and that the outside ring is made for eggs, not soup. This dinner was excellent compared to the Thai barbeque I ate a few weeks ago with my work colleagues (I can’t quite decide which one I like more!). For anyone interested in an authentic BBQ experience, I would highly recommend trying Korean BBQ. After dinner, we all ventured off to a nearby ice cream parlor. I almost tied the record for the most ice cream scoops on one cone. It was a fantastic dessert, and nothing beats a good old-fashioned ice cream cone after a long workweek!
Saturday Stroll
After an intense morning of watching the Mets battle it against the Oakland (or Sacremnto) Athletics, I set out to a place I saw on a website called the Kebun Baru Birdsinging Club. It took me about twenty minutes to get there via MRT, excluding all my walking. Once I got there, I noticed many tall metal poles perfectly spaced apart. Although it gave off a bit of a weird vibe (particularly because there was almost nobody there), I took half an hour to enjoy the scenery and walk around. My biggest mistake of the day was not bringing sunscreen. Although there are a lot of clouds and rain in Singapore, the sun can be pretty intense, and I got a little burnt after all that time in the sun! After some time listening to the few birds there, I took off for a short hike up a garden path leading to a nice middle section stretching from a long spiral hiking path. I then descended the long way before heading off to search for lunch. After walking for a little more, I found a huge hawker center that spanned multiple buildings. The interesting thing about this hawker center was it connected with many different local shops and restaurants. You never really can tell where it all starts, which I found quite mind-boggling. I truely felt like a local since I was in an area of Singapore far far away from many of the huge malls and elegant landmarks. To top it all off, the noodle dish I bought only costed me SGD 3.50 or the equivalent of $2.65 USD!! Can you believe that? I can only dream about what it would be like to have those low prices in the States!
After lunch, I took the MRT to explore the area around Beauty World station. I explored the town a bit before I shopped at the mall there. I found an excellent pastry shop with some awesome donut sticks! Although I never heard of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve before that day, I walked to there after my shopping trip where I did some light hiking. I also found an excellent spot for photos right by a huge cliff. This area encompoased a huge rock wall spanning hundreds of feet on both sides where onlookers can stand on a path bordering a huge body of water. I stayed here for a bit before heading back. Once I got about halfway back to the roads, I noticed the rain was picking up, so I quickened my pace. Unfortunately, I stood no chance against the rain and got drenched by the downpour. After walking for over an hour longer, I took the MRT back (after grabbing dinner), passing over ten stations to make it back to Orchard.
National Gallery of Singapore
After a busy morning of catching up on laundry and talking with friends and family, I visited the Funan Mall for lunch, where I got a delicious chicken and rice dish. I also got a smaller dish called Chicken Bao (from another vendor), which might be my new favorite. It would make for the perfect small(ish) dinner and only cost a whopping 2 SGD! After grabbing a quick treat thereafter, I battled through the rain before making it to the National Gallery of Singapore. Thankfully, it was almost directly across the street, so I did not have to be outside in the pouring rain for long. Once I arrived, I walked around a bit, gazing at the massive walls and modernized spaces. The colossal building had several cafes and restaurants, perfect for a fine dining experience. After walking around the free areas for a while, I went to the front desk, where I bought my ticket (and got a SGD 5 discount for being a student!). Although I did not visit nearly as much of the museum as I wanted, the galleries were amazing and 100% worth the trip. On a side note, there is something so peaceful about being in a large atrium room with a glass ceiling while it is pouring rain out. The museum had a couple of large rooms like this, and they were all good spots to rest and reconvene between exhibits. It is hard to describe the images, so I will share some of my favorite photos I took when I was there. Enjoy!
Slingshot (and Swing)
On Sunday night, my roommate Dylan and I set out to take on the Slingshot ride at Clarke Quay. Inspired by my love for theme park rides, Slingshot did not disappoint! When we got there, we were welcomed by the towering ride, all full of dazzling lights and awesome music. We then bought our tickets and waited our turn to go. Although the prices were a bit steep, I had been wanting to try Slingshot ever since I arrived in Singapore, and there was no better night to do it. There was almost always a large crowd standing in front of the crowd, so there would always be a crowd cheering you on as you get launched into the sky! Luckily, the line was short, so we did not have to wait long before getting strapped in. In summary, the Slingshot rides work exactly like a regular slingshot, but vertically instead of horizontally. In keeping with the theme of an erupting volcano, you start by being lowered several feet below the platform (into the volcano). This initial step is equivalent to pulling back on the elastic bands of a slingshot. After we signaled to the crew that we were ready, we looked up at the sky and…
Whoosh! Dylan and I’s mouths opened wide as we were launched several hundred feet into the air at top-notch speeds. The capsule could freely spin to make the experience even more intense. We did countless spins while being launched up and down repeatability. Although the beginning was the most intense, we continued to shout and holler from the intensity of the experience. After all, its one thing to pay a bunch of money to take on a fun experience, but getting launched up into the air and getting thrown around by two bunge cords. Can’t say it is everyone’s cup of tea, but we share had an amazing time. Furthermore, every time the capsule got near the top, we briefly felt a period of weightlessness, which was very cool!
After the Slingshot, we waited in line for the next ride right next door. This experience was known as the Swing, and you can probably decipher what this one is like, but I will explain it, especially since I went on a similar swing at Skypark in Caines. This giant Swing featured a five-person capsule with seats where you would be fully strapped in. This was a walk in the park since I did a swing where I would lay flat on my stomach and experience a true falling feeling for at least two seconds. In summary, the staff member assigned us all positions were we would be seated. I would assume it is a safety measure that we could not choose our seats, but it was nice briefly talking to this kind man who was on a honeymoon with his wife.
Foodie Favorites (3)
Things are heating up for the third edition of Colin’s Foodie Favorites. Let’s take a look at who’s made the podium this week!
Thanks for reading my 13th blog about my Asia Pacific trip. I am saddened to share that the next blog will be the last in preparation for our end-of-the-semester class preparations. However, I am deeply grateful for all those who made this trip possible and the amazing friends I have made along the way. Until next time!
-Colin