Well well well, looks like I forgot to post about my trip to Cambodia. I traveled with my fellow Longhorn Nicole and Rasmus, who is from Denmark - the home of one of the best bands ever…Mew.
This was during recess week and I had about 5 days in Cambodia. Our journey took us from Siem Reap —> Kampot —> Phnom Penh.
It was raining like crazy and the streets and temples were often flooded. I learned the importance of sandals and that wet socks suck.
If you’re planning a trip to Cambodia, please read up on the atrocities of Pol Pot and the Killing Fields. It definitely puts into perspective the progress of Cambodia and their development in a mere 30 years.
For more, visit here.
So my updates on my travel blog has significantly decreased, but I guess that is what happens when you get caught up with everything!
If anyone who reads this - especially those at UT contemplating going to Singapore for abroad or simply have any questions - please feel free to shoot me a question in my ask box.
I had the wonderful experience of traveling with three great guys I met in exchange - Paul, Niels, and Franz. Hope they’re having a great time wherever they are in Asia right now!
I traveled from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) up to Hanoi in around ten days. Saigon —> Mui Ne —> Nha Trang —> Hoi An —> Hue —> Ninh Binh —> Hanoi.
I wish I had more time, but the little time I had in Vietnam was definitely amazing.
For more photos, please visit here.
Farewell Singapore.
Now off to Vietnam.
“Your exchange programme at NTU will soon be coming to an end. We hope that you have benefited from your exchange programme in NTU and had an enjoyable and enriching stay in Singapore. We are indeed pleased that you have chosen to come to NTU for your Study Abroad Programme and we enjoyed the interaction with so many of you at our gatherings and activities.”
Wait. Wait! When did this happen.
Geez, short hair grows fast. It’s quickly approaching poof ball stage. I should probably find a hair cutter that speaks English unlike last time where no one understood each other, which surprisingly turned out decent. I developed my first real life print! So cool. So tangible. I now have something to put on my wall.
Nothing incredibly exciting has been happening as of late. I’m trying to save money for Cambodia and frankly, the rest of my trip. I need to learn how to spend more wisely, although most of it goes to food. However, meeting lots of new faces in new places. It’s fun. I went to this place called Blujaz Cafe the other night for their electronic/bass/dub/whatever night, The Dig. I really loved the atmosphere. It’s a gem to find these chill places in Singapore amongst the generic clones of clubs/bars in Clarke Quay.
Currently the Singapore Film Festival is happening, and there are a bunch of films I want to see. I watched Hospitalite (Kantai), that “follows the follies that ensue when a man and his wife shack up with a family that owns a printing press in their building, the husband takes it over, and the couple begin inviting a motley crew of friends.” Thanks IMDB. I thought it was pretty funny because some parts were just so absurd, and the commentary on foreigners in Japan was interesting. Sometimes I forget that I’m a foreigner in Singapore, until I order something at the canteen and I have to repeat it 10 times and point at pictures.
The MRT is incredibly efficient here. It gets me pretty much anywhere. My only gripe would be that it’s a bit slow (due to so many available stops) and that rush hour is killer. Everyone’s itching to get on and go home after work so it’s a stampede once the doors open up.
Alrighty, my next post will probably be after my week in Cambodia. Which reminds me I need to take my malaria pill today. Farewell!
Miscellaneous snaps.
Developed my first contact sheet on Thursday in my photography class! It’s not perfect but it’s a start. Pretty cool watching your film develop before your eyes. It’s magic! Except not - since it’s with chemicals and all that scientific jazz.
Being in the darkroom is strange combination of tranquil and nerve wracking. Since I don’t have much experience in there yet I’m kind of just fumbling around in the darkroom trying to figure out what exactly I’m doing, crossing my fingers and hoping I’m spooling my film correctly.
I love that it’s a process. I have to work for a photo. The anticipation of seeing how a roll turned out. It’s rewarding.
It was only a matter of time before I posted a GPOY on here.
A windy day in Singapore. Waiting in South Spine for class to begin. I still get lost to my classes if I don’t leave from my usual departure point. Curse my terrible sense of direction. But the MRT I’ve pretty much got down pat! Just follow the lines and you’re good to go.
In other news, I booked my tickets to Cambodia for recess week. Excited. Now only to begin planning…
I cannot stop listening to Metronomy’s The Look. I think I listen to it about 10 or so times a day on the way to class, on the MRT, while traveling, etc. Actually, check out all of The English Riviera - it’s just so groovy good.
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Friday after class I headed to Malacca, Malaysia. It was a trip organized by….actually I’m not even sure if they’re affiliated with the school. I just opted for this trip since I was too lazy to plan anything myself and it seemed enjoyable. There were about 200 students from NTU, National University of Singapore (NUS), and SMU (Singapore Management University.)
There was an itinerary planned for us, but I would say the most fun I had was when we got to explore the area ourselves. Malacca is definitely a lot more touristy than Kuala Lumpur. When we visited the St. Paul’s Church ruins, there were tons of souvenirs being sold there. Kind of killed the vibe for me.
I loved the night market though. The transformation of light to night is rather amazing. So many choices for street food!
We also took a boat tour ride of Malacca. There was no narration at all during the 45 minute boat ride, but it was rather nice soaking in the surroundings in reflection.
I met some memorable locals. While walking along Jonker Street, there was a very outgoing man selling his collection of various weapons. He told me his name was Ahleok and that he had been doing this for five years. I didn’t have a chance to talk to him very long but he was definitely interesting. Unlike everywhere else that was very strict on no photographs, he was adamant on me taking his photo. I wish I got a weapon for my friend Desmond but I don’t think it would go over very well with Singaporean customs…
Also along Jonker, we stopped by a shop called “Beyond Treasures.” I was looking to purchase something for my grandmother and came upon this four-faced Buddha.
Beyond Treasures is husband and wife owned. K.T Lim (pictured above) was incredibly sweet to Nicole and I. She went on to show us all the pictures sent to her from people all around the world who came by her shop. I’ll make sure to email you this photo K.T.!
One thing very characteristic of Melacca were the lavishly decorated trishaws. Already covered with attention grabbing flowers and lights, many of these trishaws are equipped with a stereo system - often blasting Pitbull, Michael Jackson, or really old vocal trance songs that I can’t even remember the name of.
Although I prefer traveling in smaller groups, I’m glad I went because I got to meet a lot of great people.
Man, I think I’m reaching that point where updating my blog frequently is becoming a chore. The honeymoon period of updating quickly has ended. I’ve become lazy and school is kicking in. I’m doing my courses pass/fail so I’m not too worried about grades - mostly about creating good work. Two of my classes are creative advertising centered and I’ve learned a lot so far. We present our ad and receive critiques on the spot from our prof. A bit nerve wracking but I’ll get over it.
Last weekend I went biking in Pulau Ubin with a group of fellow exchangers. Pulau Ubin is a little island off the north east coast of Singapore. We took a bumboat, essentially a water taxi, to get to the island. It’s nice being on the water. Easy. Breezy.
Upon reaching the island, I noticed that the area was a lot more rural. Gone was the flashy MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) and in were the dirt roads.
The roads were lined with bike rental shops. I wondered how these shops competed against one another because they all seemed the same. My bike rental was around $8, but there were some cheaper options available.
It is hot in Singapore. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Singapore was around 67 degrees in 1934. So…doing any remotely physical activity causes me to be drenched in sweat. It was fun though! I was even chased by dogs because a group of us decided to veer off the main path and venture into a back road. Not a good idea. Never again.
This weekend I’ll be going to Malacca!
I’m using a janky D70 and the only lens I brought - a 50mm 1.8. I wish I had a wide angle with me so bad.
