If there’s one thing about me, it’s the fact that until January 4, 2010, I’ve never rode on an air plane before. January 5th was the first time ever and it’s a mixed experience because (a) I did not get any sleep at all–I was up until 3.30am, (b) although I didn’t know what to do inside the airport, I managed, (c) the flight was mostly smooth until a point where we were about to land and my ears just started to hurt like hell, (d) that due to that I was kinda deaf. It was only at the end of the day that my ears started working fine.

Nevertheless, I was on the same ride with Danica (my Philo classmate). Luckily, I got a window seat for my first flight ever! So it was easy to take pictures of pretty clouds. Our plane was a PAL Junior because it was smaller compared to the others. For breakfast, I had a choice between tapa and seafood dumplings so of course I chose seafood dumplings (DUMPLINGS!!). They served it with noodles and Kopi Rotti. Weird combination but ohwells.

I think I would have stared at clouds more if I didn’t need to sleep. Because (I didn’t know it at that time on the plane) I wouldn’t have much time for rest before I take off on Singapore-land! At that time, I just didn’t want to look harassed by the time I’m in Singapore (because I never sleep the night before a shoot and I always look stressed during the shoot day itself). It’s such a vain reason, I know. Haha.

It was during the time when the plane was nearing landing time that my ears started to hurt so bad. :( I still don’t know what was up that time. That’s why I didn’t have much bird’s eye-view pictures of Singapore.

My Meet-and-Greet friend was Ganesh. He picked me up from the airport, helped me get a taxi, pointed out some places in Singapore from inside the taxi, and then helped me check in. He’s Indian and a graduate student at NUS. I don’t have a picture with him because we were running a bit late (it took me so long to find my luggage that the guard even approached us already to ask if we couldn’t find it) and he had to pick up three other people from the airport haha. So I guess he’s really into the Meet-and-Greet thing. So I met an Indian first then a Chinese next because it was a Chinese girl who checked me into my dorm room. I’ll get used to their accents eventually!

I was talking to Ganesh and he said 2/3 of Singapore is covered in trees so it won’t be too hot. But still. It’s hotter than Manila. At least we have cooler winds. And while rain makes the weather a little bit cooler, you don’t want to be caught walking around on the street without an umbrella. :( Though now I don’t have much dresses (+sandals) so unlike in the Philippines where I’m always not-dressed-for-rain, I can actually say I’ll be ready for rain haha.

I’m staying at Prince George’s Park Residences at NUS, which is at the West side. The architecture is similar to that of Greenbelt/Serendra:

Though while it’s all prettiness in the outside, there’s a lot of zig-zagging going on inside so I’ve gotten lost a couple of times going to my dorm room. I just re-discovered the communal Kitchen of our floor/block, and I still don’t remember where the laundry room is.

My room is nice. I prefer the B-type with the sink but I got C-type without the sink. It’s not an inconvenience, but you know. I got a cool room because it’s a corner room with lots of windows and for some reason it’s just not too hot. My only complaint is that the walls are not spotless. There are some dirty lines or marks! Unlike the walls in Tata’s room! But ohwells. I don’t mind not having air con because I don’t really use it even at home and I’m used to sleeping without a fan.

It wasn’t until the day after that I was able to decorate my room and put things in it:

REWIND! When I got to my room, I just waited for Tata and off we went again! Actually I just followed her, her older brother, and her mom. They went to Sin Lim Square where I was able to buy a cheap Nokia black-and-white phone for 48S$. Well, that was the cheapest there anyway. The place was like the Singapore version of Greenhills, haha.

We also bought the 1S$-ice cream! It’s a block of ice cream sandwiched between two wafers. I got the blueberry flavor. Must be their version of the Filipino “dirty ice cream”? Tata and her older brother got the mocha one.

After Sin Lim Square, we went to Funan where I met up with my cousin. We headed straight to Orchard Road and he offered to go to Lucky Plaza where my dad used to go years and years ago, but I was too tired and hungry so I said I wanted to eat dinner first. He treated me to some Xiao Long Bao at Din Tai Fung, in which Singapore supposedly serves the best of its kind. :D

What can I say? I love dimsum.

After dinner, we went to Kinokuniya, a huge bookstore that is like a cousin of Fully Booked, except bigger (and better?). I WANTED TO BUY SO MANY CUTE THINGS LIKE CUTE STATIONARY AND AND NOTEBOOKS AND COLORING MATERIALS. I ALSO WANTED TO BUY BOOKS BUT I DIDN’T WANT TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY SO SOON SO I STOPPED MYSELF. Sad bear. :( I ended up buying an expensive gift wrapper to cover my cork board though. I wanted something to put up on my room for decoration. Something pretty. I was going for a warm motif so I got a brown one with floral designs.

It was already around 9pm and my cousin and I were both too tired for trains. We got a taxi and he dropped me off at a hotel in Chinatown, where Tata and her family were staying (they invited me to spend the night over). It was uber cold. I’m not used to sleeping in air-conditioned rooms anymore, hahaha.