Closing Ceremony for Youth Olympic Games in Singapore

Hey there, Yesterday night (Thursday) we hit up the youth olympic games closing ceremony in downtown Singapore. We got tickets about 2 weeks ago for 15 dollars each. Upon arrival we got an official olympics canvas party bag which included a lit up hat (pictured at bottom), flags, food, noise makers and other little light toys. It brought back memories of birthday parties and the included party favors. Anyways it was a really neat ceremony and very motivational, although it was pretty warm and humid. There were shows and fireworks put on by Singapore and then the normal olympics closing ordeal and then China the next summer YOG host put on a little show. Some more additional info: The actual stage is a like a barge which floats in the bay. It is able to be moved around on the water and is called the float @ marina bay. The winter YOG will be held in austria 2012 and summer will be held in China 2014. For those of you who dont know this was the first youth olympic games ever, the people in Singapore are pretty proud of it. If you want to see more pics of this outing click here.

We dont really know yet what we are going to be doing this weekend, but whatever it is, it will be pretty chill. Ill plan on posting again in a week er so.

Until then have a good one,

Brett

Bintan, Indonesia

Dan and I went to Bintan Indonesia over the weekend starting on Friday the 20th. We wire transferred money to a man who owned the resort about a week before we left and then shortly after we started receiving emails about our reservation. They sounded very happy to meet us and said that there would be a man at the ferry terminal to give us a ride back to the resort. We left friday afternoon around 130 and started our journey to Indonesia, we had to ride a bus for about a half hour, then the train for about a half hour and then a bus again for about a half hour before we reached the ferry terminal on the eastern side of singapore. Upon waiting to board two ladies came up to us and asked if we were going to Yasin Bungalow Resort, which we were. They were very friendly and happy to meet us and happened to be the weekend manager and one of the workers. They told us there was another 7 visitors on the boat as well and that we should just look for them after we got through customs. We then departed Singapore at 630 bound for Bintan. Two hours later we arrived at the TG Pinang port in Bintan, made it through customs and hopped in to a van with 7 other guys from NUS who were german exchange students, as well as the resort driver, and the two ladies. It was about a 45 minute crazy drive to the resort. The city is packed with motor bikes and everybody weaves in and out of traffic at very high speeds, it was a little bit nerve racking. Upon arriving at the resort we found out that there was about another 20 exchange students there from SMU, another college in Singapore. We then spent the rest of the night and into the wee morning hours hanging out with our peers at the resort bar and diner along the beach. There were students from Germany, Canada, Malaysia, Spain, and France.

We woke up saturday morning to go snorkeling with a our new snorkels that we bought the day before at a Scuba Shop in Singapore. We went out pretty far to where there were rocks in the water, we didn't see anything huge, however did see a bunch of really cool fish and different critters. I dont know what most of the fish were called, but did see the yellow and white striped coral fish. They all seemed so calm and didnt seem to mind us which was neat.

The downside of this adventure was that I underestimated the morning sun and got a pretty burnt back and neck, although after lunch we spent the rest of the day hanging out on different beaches along the coast with sunscreen on. To get to different beaches we were transported for free by the resort in the vehicle to the left. We then hung out with the other exchange students (The night manager is a DJ and had music blasting all night) and then hit the hay. We had lunch sunday and then the resort took us to the port for departure at 130. The ride back was real interesting, since the night we arrived we hadn't seen all the shacks along the road outside of the city. It is definitely a poverty stricken country, although they all had big grins and waved to our driver. The city was packed just as friday night and was interesting watching the driver maneuver around everybody. Our boat left around 140 and we were back at our residence in Singapore by 630. The trip was a good get away, although we were happy to get back through customs in Singapore and then finally back to our rooms. Overall we spent 125 US on the room, visa, transportation, food, and drinks. It was a pretty cheap get away. More pictures can be found if you click here. The pictures at the end are right before we got to the port, they dont really do justice to the craziness, but through them in anyway.

As far as this upcoming week, we start tutorials, which are break away classes. There is alot of homework that I need to get completed before them. On Thursday Dan and I got tickets for the closing ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games, which should be neat. I will let you know how it goes.

Until then,

Brett

Downtown Singapore Clarke / Boat Quay

Hey there, I had my first week of classes last week. I am taking Statistics Engr based, Mechanic of Fluids, Environmental Engr and Micro Biology, and an art and history class. All of my teachers are really good and are real good at keeping their students attention, so it should be a good semester in the academic department. Last night (Saturday) Dan and I went downtown to see a part that we havnt yet. Its along the Singapore river and goes by the name of Clarke Quay and Boat Quay and is really where all the night life occurs in Singapore. We walked around for a little bit and then got some drinks and sat on the "bridge" which is in the center of Clarke Quay and where alot of our fellow classmates meet up and hang out for the night. While we were sitting there we noticed triangles flying over the river just a little ways up the shoreline. We decided to check it out and and found out it was actually rc planes made out of kites with led's all over them to light them up. They had a store near by that sold them and had info about them, so I picked up a business card so I could look at them back to my room. They are really cool, and if you want to watch a movie of them or see pics click here. Supposedly 3 years ago for Singapore's 42nd national day, they flew 42 of them over the harbor. Anyways I found it all real interesting. If you want to see more pics of our adventure at Clarke Quay click here. I probably wont post again until a week from this monday. We are planning on going to Bintan Indonesia next weekend which is about a 55 min boat ride south of Singapore.

Until then, peace,

Brett

Singapore National Day August 9th

Monday night Dan and I headed downtown to help Singapore celebrate its birthday. 45 years ago on August 9th Singapore became independent. It was a pretty cool celebration with a lot of music. There was even an air show that completely blew my mind, I have never seen jets do such rediculous maneuvers so close to buildings. There was then a firework show which was quite brief but full of colorful fireworks being shot off from 9 different locations around the bay but mostly in the center of the bay. At the conclusion of the show, Dan and I moved to the waters edge to take some pictures as can be seen to the left. If you like to see more pics of the night click here.

We started class today, tuesday which went really well. I really like the professors that I have met so far. With that being said though, I will probably not post again for about a week. Hope everybody is doing good.

Thanks for reading,

Brett

PS: it has been brought to my attention that my Sentosa post may have been a little misleading, the island it self was not man made, although the island has been enlarged, the only man made part to it is the beach.

The Singapore Zoo, Little India, and China Town

On Friday Dan and I went to the famous Singapore Zoo located 3 transfers and a hour and a half bus ride away. The Zoo has no fences, and most of the animals are free to roam around, meaning some will even come up to your feet. Its really cool! The more dangerous animals such as the lions have a little moat between them and the path, although the moat seems awful small... The Zoo also has a night safari which starts when it gets dark, around 7pm. So before the night safari we went to KFC and got a family dinner since we were both famished. We surprisingly finished all of the food. We bought tickets for both the zoo and the safari since we had came so far to see it. However what we didnt understand is that we bought walking tickets only. So when it came to getting into the vehicle we were told that we could only walk, however as we were exiting another staff person came up and directed us to a vehicle. We tried to explain that we didnt have the ticket to do so, but because of the language barrier he was confused and so were we, so we just took the ride. It was a pretty cool ride, the path it took was actually separate from the regular zoo and so we saw animals that you dont see in the zoo such as the laughing hyena. Afterwards we walked the path which was incredibly humid and hot since the night part of the zoo is located in a rainforest. All in all though it was alot of fun, minus the bus rides. More pics of the Zoo animals can be found if you click here.

Sunday we went to Little India and China Town. The smells and craziness of both places was mind boggling. We walked around Little India to experience the India culture as best as possible and then went to Mustafa which is a huge shopping center located in Little India which is basically 5 Sams Clubs on top of each other, starting 3 floors below ground. This place has everything you could ever need, it was amazing and quite confusing. It should be noted that the Indian community is pretty close knit in Singapore and so many come here to shop no matter where they live in Singapore. China Town was a short train ride away from Little India, so we decided to check it out. It wasn't quite as exciting as Little India

but had a lot of food to offer, so we had some meat (kind of like beef jerky) which was really good. I also took a picture of a fruit called a durian, which has a spiky shell and a very distinct smell. It is only found in South East Asia. Some people love the smell, I am one of those people, and some cant stand it, therefore it is prohibited in any public transportation or public area. A professor at ISU recommended that I try it, and since I saw it today I thought I would take a picture of it, but have not yet tried it, but I do plan to. You can find more pictures of our Little India and China Town trip if you click here.

Later,

Brett

Singapore's Sentosa Island

Today (Thursday) Dan and I and our friend from University of Arizona, Darryl went to one of Singapore's main attractions, Sentosa Island. It has just about anything you could dream of, if you have the money to pay for it that is. The island is completely man made and is still having new additions and more sand brought in each day. A tram takes you to the island where you can de-board at peak of the island or the beach on the southern side. We decided to hit up the top to see if there was anything free to look at. We started by walking through the rainforest on the island when we heard a shriek above us and saw that they had a zip line. So out of the blue we decided we were going to ride that to get to the beach. It just so happens that it was one of the most expensive attractions, but definitely worth it. You cant possibly arrive at the beach with any cooler fashion then falling from the sky. They hooked us up all on separate zip lines next to each other and then without warning let us all go. It was quite an adrenaline rush. I even took pictures while riding. Upon arriving at the beach we walked around, crossed a bridge that brought us to an even smaller island that had a sign stating that it was the southern most point of Asia. It made us wonder what Indonesia is part of. We then played around the beach before sitting down at a restaurant to get some dinner. The meal was delectable as can be seen below. The water and view across the ocean however was lacking because of ships waiting to get into the port as seen to the bottom right. But I guess thats what you get for a commercialized city. If you would like to see more pictures of this journey please click here.

Thats all I got,

Brett

Singapore's Parks

Tuesday and Wednesday Dan and I decided to explore Singapore's Parks. Tuesday we went out to conquer a 6 mile hike that connected 3 huge parks that were located throughout the city. We started at Reflections of Buikit and Kent Ridge and then headed to Telok Blangah and then finished with Mt Faber, one of the highest points in Singapore at 106m above sea level. We started at a few meters above sea level.. These parks are connected via different bridges. There are steel walkways (pictured left) which travel above the tree tops with a height of 10 to 60 feet above ground. It provided us with stunning views. In addition to this steel bridge we crossed the Alexander Arch which is a pedestrian bridge shaped like a curved leaf and then the Henderson Waves pedestrian bridge which is an engineering marvel. (Pictured right)

This 11o ft high bridge is the last link before arriving at Mt. Faber. The hike was much more strenuous then expected with hundreds of stairs and a constant incline. Although the views made it well worth it. We then descended to Vivo City where we caught a bus to bring us back

to PGP.

On Wednesday morning we went to Botanic Gardens. This is a lush oasis far away from the skyscrapers in downtown Singapore. There are about 8 miles of path surrounding three lakes with cafes sprinkled throughout the park.

It is a good place to escape the commerce and wild side of the city. There are numerous trees that tower over 100 feet with massive above ground roots, along side many tropical plants and flowers. There are numerous art pieces made of stone that can be found throughout the park which just add to its uniqueness. As Dan and I left the gates of the garden we were quickly brought back to reality when we found out that we didnt have enough money on our ezlink cards to get back to campus. So we got to spend some more time in downtown Singapore trying to find a top up machine. We got back to PGP around 4 and then chilled for the rest of the night playing ultimate around campus. More pics can be found of these two hikes if you click here.

Later,

Brett

2nd day in Singapore: Mass Transit

This is a picture of a view from my room on the 11th floor at night. More photos of the arrival and my room in Singapore can be found if you click here. Yesterday, Monday, Dan and I decided to go to VivoCity to get our cell phones. VivoCity is a huge mall, very comparable to Mall of America. It took some planning to get there though. The bus drivers speak very little if any english and so preparations need to be made first so you know where you are going. The transit system here is pretty amazing though, you can get anywhere in Singapore for about 1.50. All you need is a EZ link which is card that you scan whenever you get on a method of transportation and then you scan it again when you get off. It measures the distance you travel and charges you accordingly with a max around 1.50. We did have to make one transfer to get to the mall, and luckily did so without any trouble. The bus to the mall was a double decker which was fun to ride. We have been trying to get cell phones ever since we got here but have had quite a communication barrier when talking to dealers. We now understand though that cell phones are hand phones and that prepaid is called top up card. It is definitely good to have that purchase behind us now though. Its been quite humid and warm here, but at least is no longer raining. There is a strong breeze that comes off the ocean, and since my room is above most other towers around me, I get pretty good circulation in my room. Thats bout all the news I got.

Until next time,

Peace, Brett

The Longgg Flight

Well Dan and I started our trip at 530 am here in this pic as we departed from our families in Des Moines. While waiting at the gate in Des Moines we couldnt help but notice this guy (skinny old chinese man who looked a little bit rough) who was yelling into his phone, "whats time, time, time, time, no clock clock, time there" over and over and over until we boarded. One of us kind of joked about the chance of him sitting next to us on the flight. We didnt see him again until we boarded the plane for our 14 hour ride to Tokyo, when we happened to notice that he was sitting right next to me. Shortly then after everybody was told to get off the plane since there was a maintenance problem. About 40 minutes later we reboarded, and the pilot had somehow got our trip of travel slightly altered so the ride only took 12.5 hours. However it was plenty long enough. That interesting guy sitting next to me ended up being friendly and he watched old black and white movies the whole ride. My only complaint about the man would be the minor stench that followed him around, but i survived.. Upon arrival in Tokyo, Dan and I who were in a weird state of mind because of lack of sleep had some McDonalds and then made our way to our gate. Our last flight into Singapore occurred with both Dan and I sleeping most of the 6 hours. A taxi took us to our residence while giving us a little tour of the downtown Singapore, everything built here seems to be a engineering marvel, pictures of these buildings will follow later. We checked in and then walked around the grounds of our residence for a while before hitting the sack at 330ish in the morning.

I woke up to class 4 rapids in my room. It was raining and there was literally a waterfall flowing over the edge of my windows. It was quite a shock, however I had put everything away and so nothing got wet besides the floor. This place seems to know that this could happen and so all the furniture is on rubber stilts, which is good. I got a squeegee and pushed about a inch of water out my door.

Dan and I spent most of the day exploring the city and riding the bus around. I gotta say though these bus drivers are not nearly as friendly as those wonderful bus drivers in ames, IA...