Tonight is the last night in Singapore. As I came back to the NUS campus in a taxi, I looked around town going by all these different places, touristic sites and market places I have become so familiar with during these past 8 days. I never thought I would get attached so quickly to Singapore. The food, the development, the ambition of people, the warmth Singaporeans welcome you with, the mixture of all these different nationalities, the beach and the list goes on.... I will definetely miss Singapore!!!!!

It's official!!!! I am crazy!!!

Today, Susie, Michelle, Maggie, Taylor, Missy and I went to Sentosa Island, this wonderful resort that has many beaches and different activities such as surfing, zipline etc... We arrived at Sentosa around midday and went to Siloso Beach. There are three different beaches in Sentosa and we felt that we got the best deal by choosing Siloso Beach, which was the relaxing beach. After many of us got suntans and we all enjoyed the beach, we decided to walk further to find the fun activities such as kayak and surf.

As we walk closer to the kayak and surf area, we discovered that the zipline was close by. Honestly, by that point, I was not sure about whether I wanted to do the zipline or not. I have this strange phobia for height. However, while debating I remembered what I had promised myself at the beginning of 2010.

2010 has humbled me. I do not know how long I have left on Earth. I used to frequently say "I have time to do this or that". Unfortunate events proved that I do not know how long I will be alive and thus I better live for the present. Take risks, have fun and stop rationalizing everything!!!! Once I remembered that, I decided to go on the zipline. I was joined by Michelle and Susie who wanted to give the zipline in Singapore a try. We got our tickets, were driven to the top of this mountain, got our gears on and took stairs up to this tall tower. It is only then I realized how tall this thing was. See for yourself!!!!

No need to say that I started doubting myself. It seems scary to me that I had to first go down this rope but before I could even go down I had to wait one minute with my feet in the air before this thing speeds down with me.

I thought that it was also weird that we were allowed to bring our camera with us on our descent. I am thinking to myself: do they really think I can take a picture while going down this thing?

Well it was finally our turn to go down the zipline. The waiting was scary. I am thinking of all the different things that could go wrong with my rope. I am also thinking if I do fall down, how exactly do I want to fall down. Like I have control on that!!! But I went down the rope. The trajetory was smooth and in fact, was one of the best time of my life. (Another one was at King Dominion's last year with Stephanie). I actually went down, snapped pictures while going down. See Susie with her Peter Pan pose in the air. We arrived safely on the other island and I am happy that I have lived another day of my life to the fullest.

Sex and the City 2!!!

As I said, 6 girls and I went to watch Sex and the City 2 yesterday. First, we ate at Boat Quay, an area in Singapore where you get very inexpensive food. You can see Michelle in the picture enjoying her Tom Yum soup (from Thailand).

After eating dinner, we all walk by Clarke Quay. Clarke Quay would be best described as the bar and club area. It is also right by a canal and people sat, drank, laugh, and ate ice cream and the young mostly went from club to club. I did go to a club at Clarke Quay on Thursday by the way. I have to say that Singaporeans do know how to have fun (that was just a parenthese). Anyways, some of the clubs are very creative and exotic. In fact, both Cuba and the Caribbean made it to Singapore. However, The best bar is called Clinic. The bar imitates the experience you would have when you are at a clinic. As you can see, people are sitting in wheel chairs and your drink comes from an IV. ?????? Can be kind of freaky.

Then, we went to the movies on Orchard Road, another area in Singapore that is very well known for its grandiose, extremely huge and expensive malls. We bought our tickets. Susie and I bought popcorn and drinks (we had to wait 15 minutes in line to get them!!!) and then we entered the theater.

The theater had the best entrance ever. very traditionally chinese. See picture!!! For most of the movie, people were laughing really hard. Like I said, Singaporeans do have a sense of humor.

What was surprising when I arrived at the movies though, was

the large foot court built within it. There was a Subway, starbucks, KFC and many other food options. I guess that lady was right when she said that eating was a national sport in Singapore. LOL!!!

In a few minutes, 7 out 8 girls of our group are going to watch Sex and the City 2 at a cinema on Orchad Road. It came out last night in Singapore and we are all pretty excited. I think that we all are mostly interested in experiencing a cinema in Singapore. The movie is just a plus. At least for me!!! Stay tuned and I will let you know if anything interesting comes out of this cinema experience.

View of Indonesia from Singapore

On Wednesday, we went to visit the PSA, the Singaporean Port which is one of the world's busiest port. While there, I was able to learn a ton about the business, the different improvements that were made over time and most importantly, what makes the Singaporean port so efficient. I was happy with the amount I learned during the two hours I spent at PSA.

I also enjoyed looking at part of Singapore from a balcony at PSA. The PSA offices are located on the 40th floor of a skycraper in Singapore. See for yourself the magnificent view I enjoyed when visiting PSA. From the third picture, you can see Indonesian islands in the background.

Singapore Airlines!!! Quality service as competitive advantage

Today, we learned about the airline industry in class and specifically studied Singapore Airlines, the world's best airline company. The professor put it this way: imagine an airline company that does not have one single domestic flight performing better than all other airlines in the world (Singapore is a small island). Pretty good achievement. Don't you think?? Well, it is not luck at all. Singapore Airlines puts an emphasis on providing quality service to all its customers.

I flew Singapore Airlines (SIA) from New York to Singapore. I was very impressed by the service and have been bragging about it to anyone who wants to listen. First let me say that SIA sells tickets at a premium price. I was lucky and bought mine for less than $1200. While waiting at the New York airport gate, I got excited when I saw all the SIA female flight attendants dressed in traditional clothes (either blue or red). The men were boring (they wear suits).

When I boarded the airplane, I was immediately impressed. The plane had two levels. Classy!!!! Unfortunately, I was sitting in economy. However, I cannot complain since the service even in economy was better than what I have received in the past on other airlines (American Airlines and Delta should probably get some customer service classes from Singapore Airlines!! No joke!!!).

As soon as everyone was seated, the flight attendants started to distribute different things. First it was the menu or should I say a menu booklet. This menu booklet had about 12 pages (6 written in english and the other 6 written in german). I did not understand how long the flight to Singapore would be until I realized that I would be served 6 meals during the flight. It can be tough to seat that long with limited leg space. Thank goodness I am short!!! After the menu, we were given a little cosmetic case with a small towel and toothbrush in it. Great for people who forgot to carry these things. Lastly, we were given hot scented towels to wipe our hands or face with. That towel on my skin was the best feeling ever!!!!

The food was also great and extremely delicious. As I said, food was served about six times during the trip. We had a mixture of Asian cuisine mixed with European. In sum, very tasty food that pleases the palate!!! (Do not get me wrong though. At some point it gets hard to eat all that food and have little mobility).

Well one might think that the flight experience ends the minute you arrive at destination and get off the plane. At least it is generally the case for me. Well with SIA, that is false. In Singapore, you can use your SIA boarding pass to get discounts on tickets at several attractions parks. Many of us got a $6 discount on our Singapore Flyer tickets (I will soon post about the Singapore Flyer experience) and about the same amount on our tickets at the Night Safari (see previous posts). Singapore Airlines really pleases its customer base. Honestly I don't regret choosing that SIA for my first trip to Asia.

Sugarcane juice!!! Singapore Rocks!!!

Coming from the UVA Alumni Reception in Singapore!

Chinatown, Singapore. Welcome to China!!!

Today is Vesak day, holiday in Singapore. We took advantage of that to go around Singapore and visit areas that we have not been to yet. Taylor, Susie and I visited Chinatown since it was highly recommneded by locals.

Around 11 am today, we hailed a cab. It dropped us off a few minutes later by the market in Chinatown. Our stomachs were grumbling though so we decided to first get something to eat and then we would go along the little alleys in the area and find what we wanted.

We quickly found a Chinese restaurant with very reasonable prices. We entered, sat and chose what to eat. Once we decided what we wanted, the waitress came to take our order. Soon, we all realized that our communication skills were being tested. Problem: the waitress does not speak english and cannot answer any of our questions. Other problem: we cannot even make her understand exactly what we want and how many we want. This is the first time that any of us has come across such language barriers. Soon, what was supposed to be a minute ordeal became a 10 minute one. We were pointing and using our fingers to tell how many of each. The worst was the fried rice. We could not well communicate that we wanted chicken in one and shrimp in the other one. We managed and it all worked out well!!!

I was very excited to enter that restaurant for one reason. Once seating down, I saw that they served coconut. I have not drunk coconut milk since I left Haiti 6 months ago and to me drinking coconut milk is similar to being in heaven. See for yourself in the picture.

The food was delicious and like I said they managed to bring the right orders. Once we paid the bill, we went back to the outside market,from little shops to little shops looking, admiring talent and buying. I had gone to chinatown to buy a purse. Soon, I saw myself buying chop sticks with different animals designs, a watch (they were 3 for $10), pashminas (5 for $10), nice bottle covers (too nice to let that pass (on the picture)), posters etc. We saw many other things that unfortunately we could not purchase because of weight restrictions on our luggages. We enjoyed looking at the jewelry, the kites (see picture), clothes, paintings, barettes etc...

Do not get the wrong idea though. Even though we purchased and spent a lot, we did some sight seeings. While in Chinatown, we saw a Hindu temple. It was magnificent, beautiful and was an opportunity to learn more about another culture. Statues were mixtures of bright colors, gods, gold, animals etc... It was amazing to be standing in front of such temple.

Speed, Creativity and Efficiency!!!

Remember I posted previously about the creativity in Singapore... More than just paintings on windows, this creativity affect the speed and efficiency of many things in the lives of Singaporeans.

Let me begin with the coffee cup. Earlier this week, I saw my professor walking and holding a coffee by a plastic cord. I thought to myself : this is very innovative but I did not understand how efficient it was until I was holding a coffee cup in a bus.
Wednesday was a hectic day. I was running late and was trying to make it to class on time. When I got on the bus, I was holding a case study in one hand (reading to prepare for class), sitting uncomfortably on a seat because of my heavy backpack, and holding both coffee and toast in my right hand. As the bus drove to the business school and going up and down Raised Zebra Crossing, I was terrified that my coffee would spill on my business skirt. If that had happened it would have completely ruined my day (we were scheduled to go on a company visit that afternoon). Surprisingly enough, not once did the coffee spilled on my hand or my skirt. Why? because the plastic holder enables the cup to move with the bus. Pretty smart and efficient!!!! That plastic holder spared me from using my Tide-To-Go!!!

On my first weekend here in Singapore, I thought that there was never traffic in Singapore. However, when we took a taxi on monday, I was immediately proved wrong. Traffic jams can be pretty bad in Singapore. Imagine if all these cars had to pay tolls during rush hour!!! Well the transportation department understood that!!! That is why in Singapore, all cars have a little machine attached to the front window with a card (like a debit card) inserted in it at all times. So whenever a car is going underneath a toll (see the picture), money is automatically taken from the card, without the cars having to slow down or stop. Thus, the traffic is faster. How efficient!!!

Best T-Shirts Ever!!!!

Today, Susie, taylor and I decided to visit Chinatown in Singapore. We were all looking for inexpensive trinkets and purses, and Chinatown was very recommended by all locals.

As I walked around Chinatown, I saw the best T-Shirts ever. See for yourself!!!!

God I hope you are not that busy!!!!

Singaporeans do have a sense of humor!!!!

What not to do in Singapore in 9 images

In Chinatown, Singapore, they sell 'BRAMDED' Perfume not Branded!!!!

Tribal Fire Performance from the Night Safari!!!

Finally uploaded!!!! Enjoy!!!

Looking like Sardines!!!

Come on guys!!! There were two other lifts!!!

P.S: elevators are called lifts in Singapore

The WIFE Biscuit!!!!!! oooo.....

I thought I would wait until the end of my visit to Singapore to tell you more about the food there. However, today, I decided against that. Why? because I ate the Wife Biscuit!!!! Yes !!! the wife biscuit!!!

I thought to myself that the wife biscuit was a pretty interesting name for a biscuit. So this wife biscuit: it is salty on the outside but sweet on the inside. A native told me that the inside is made of jelly from watermelon.

I wonder if eating it means something? How did this name came about? Does it tell something about women: salty on the outside, sweet on the inside? Stay tuned!!!!

P.S : There is also a husband biscuit. Hopefully I will see one before I leave Singapore!

Freshening up in Singapore!

To all my readers, I apologize if I have not yet posted the videos about the tribal dances. I am actually experiencing some technical difficulties (I know it sounds cliche but it is actually true!!).

Meanwhile, I thought I would write about freshining up in Singapore.

In Singapore, people are just creative all across the board. No Joke!!!!! So far, I have seen the most creative and attractive pictures and paintings on walls in many stores, dining places etc...

But the best ones guys, the bathrooms : both men and women bathrooms.

(NO MOM!!!!! I DID NOT ENTER THE MEN'S BATHROOM)

Look at the pictures ladies!!! Wouldn't such pictures on bathroom walls entice you to look even better. Something to think about!!!!

Night Safari!!!!!

A few other girls and I just came back from the Safari in Singapore. It was amazing. Why? In addition to seeing animals from many different continents (Africa, South America or Asia), we were able to see the weirdest and rarely encountered or heard of creatures such as clouded leopard, babirusa, slow loris (it is in fact extremely slow) and the flying squirrel (unfortunately it never flew while we were in its cage).
The most exciting of the experience however were the tribal dances. Done in groups and originated from the rainforests of Borneo, men dressed with short skirts go around the eating and entrance area dancing and playing the drums. See the video and the pictures as they best describe the experience.

Technology what an Improvement!!!!!

Technology has come a long way!!!!

I remember my mother always reminding me how lucky I am to have a computer, the internet, the cell phones etc.... She grew up in the period where people still wrote letters, use the typewriters intensively (you had to actually start over again every time you made a mistake!!!!). I also had the opportunity to listen to other adults (older than my mother), who resisted the move to the internet. Now!!! Most of them are intensive users of the internet, typing emails and joining Facebook!!!!

Well I guess it is easy for this young generation. Unlike the old generation, we were born at a period where this efficient technology was available to us. So no wonder that as soon as we could talk, walk, and enter school, we could easily adapt and learn to use different means of communication.
As I sit in my room on the NUS campus in Singapore, I am currently typing this blog that my mom in Haiti reads daily as well as my sister in the NOVA area, friends in charlottesville and other places in the U.S. I should also mention Skype. Since I have arrived, I have skyped with my aunt in New York and my mother in Haiti. I was supposed to skype with a friend from Charlottesville last night but she stood me up. Paula!!!!?
Cell phones are just amazing as well. From my room on the NUS campus, I was able to clearly talk to a friend's father and sister who were in the U.S.
All of them, the internet, cell phones and internet are extremely efficient and clear forms of communication here in Singapore. Five years ago, I would not have believed that such communication would make the world seem so much smaller.
Props to technology!!!!! and Singapore!!!!!!

Singapore Flyer!!!!!

To all of you who might be visiting Singapore in the future, do not leave the country without going on the Singapore Flyer.

From the Singapore Flyer, you get a great view of many neighborhoods of Singapore including its port. I saw people kayaking by the port, houses, apartment building, financial district, islands of Indonesia and some pretend even Australia. Michelle, Susie, Maggie and I went to the Singapore Flyer the day of our arrival in Singapore and enjoyed every single minute of it.

The best about the Singapore Flyer, the tallest in the world, is the fact that you do not feel it moving. For people who are scared of height, it is wonderful because you barely feel or realize that you are in the air. Enjoy some pictures we took while on the flyer and the nice view we enjoyed from our cabin.

Singapore, Amalgame of Cultures!!!!

While waiting for my flight to Singapore to depart JFK airport, I observed people around. I am amazed by the amount of different cultures there are in this one place: indonesians, europeans, Americans, germans, chinese and indians. Basically, most of the world is represented in this one gate of the airport.
Now being in Singapore, I think my observation at JFK was a preparation to what I would experience in Singapore. Since my arrival there, I have been shocked by the number of non-Singaporean who actually live on this small island. Indians, such a huge population that an area is called Little India. Same for China in Chinatown. Other cultures are malay, europeans (mostly Germans I believe), small community of Japanese, some Vietnamese among other. For this reason, I am even more appreciative of my time in Singapore as I can experience all these different cultures together.
Stay tune for more about the food from all these cultures in an upcoming post!!!

Arrival in Singapore. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a 20 something hour flight, 2 stops (New York, and Frankfurt) before the airplane finally landed in Singapore and 12 hours of sleep lost, I was exhausted and heavily jet lagged. However, ss soon as I got off the plane and started to walk in the Singaporean airport to find Immigration, I was instantly awake. The Singaporean airport is extremely beautiful, just extraordinary. I have never seen such beautiful airport in my life. There were trees everywhere, a small playground for small kids to have fun while waiting to get on a plane, statues etc.... I constantly interrupted my walk to Immigration to take this picture, that picture, wow!!!! I cannot miss this one. You must imagine how long it took me to make my way to immigration. Finally one last stop before Immigration. I had to quickly stop in the bathroom. That soon also became a picture stop since I do not want to forget anything that I have seen so far. The bathrooms are just beautiful, very homy and comfortable. Once passed immigration, I made my way towards the baggage claim area. While doing such, I took some pictures again of the trees, and a wall with "welcome" in several languages. Once passed customs, the 5 other Commerce students I traveled with and I made it to the taxi area and met up with two other students who waited for us about 6 hours. A quick walk in the taxi area and we saw McDonalds with so beautiful posters and paintings on the wall. It actually seemed quite inviting and homy. I would not mind sitting hours in a McDonalds in Singapore. Finally, we make it to the taxi area. The excitement really begins now!!!