New Year's Eve of 2013

Can you believe it is the last day of 2012? Where has the year gone? 

It's been one week since I came back from my 2 weeks Europe tour immediately after my examinations  and I sometimes find myself at a loss back home. Don't get me wrong, I do miss Singapore over there. But, if there's one aspect I really did miss, it's London. 

Going to London is like the "pet project" for me, an experiment as some would call it. I don't remember a time where our family went on a free and easy trip by ourselves. London will be the first and I need this chance to experience what is it like be independent during a vacation. 

We would take the Eurostar train from Paris Nord station to London St Pancras International, walked to  our nearby hotel and most of the activities were booked beforehand online. 

I must say, I have a whopping good time! It was not so difficult after all. Unfortunately, where I am confident in this aspect, my brother wasn't. In the days leading up to the trip, he was grousing about how we should have join a tour and all. Oh well, if he's comfortable in his shell or well... 

We joined a London sightseeing hop-on hop-off tour which gave us an additional 24 hours, free river cruise pass and a free walking tour. We went to Harrods, saw the changing of guards at Buckingham Palace, marched alongside them, sailed down River Thames, visited Leavesden Studios for the The Making of Harry Potter, Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Stonehenge during the winter solstice and the world's end, Bath and North Gower Street - the filming site for Sherlock! We also stopped by Oxford Street and Regent Street. 

Instead of coaches that bring us from one destination to another, we took the Underground (tube) and the Overground (train). What's missing are the bus and black cab. It was an experience that's hard to put into words. I felt liberated and more confident. The tube map may be complicated and scary-looking, but it's actually quite easy to manage. Plus, it is so convenient, if not expensive. 

Due to our good fortune, the hotel that was shortlisted and eventually chosen has a tube station so near to it, with a outdoor shopping centre which we went for dinner every night, was near to North Gower Street, St Pancras International and Euston Station, most importantly, it was a great place with friendly and proactive staff. Now, this I have no regrets. Holiday Inn Bloomsbury is getting the thumbs-up from me and I would highly recommend it to whoever travelling to London. It's near to the central area with Russell Square tube station directly connected to Picadilly Circus tube station. 

Of course, this is merely the taster. Now that I know I can move around the city in relative ease, I know I can undertake another trip on my own. And that's what I will want to do, visit London to take in the sights once more. There's still so much to see, to experience. This time though, I am going to spend more time doing the things I want, like shopping at Harrods and Oxford Street, visiting museums and much more. I want to travel out of London, to Oxford, Cambridge and Bath again since we only went to the Roman Bath museum. I want to visit Scotland with its highlands and beautiful scenery. 

Who knows, maybe this will all come true when I graduate. 

To an End

In just a few hours, the London Olympics will be coming to an end. After 7 years of constructing and planning and 4 years of waiting, the whole event is about to draw to a close.

After this fantastic period, it's another 4 years wait ahead and the road seems so long and distant. Whatever will I do with this time? Next hosting city will be Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Thanks to Singtel's Mio TV/ESPN and IOC/Youtube deals, I've watched a fair share of my favourite sporting events throughout this 2 weeks. This is the first time ever I've caught so much action, live or otherwise, in the Olympics. I can only hope that future Olympics will enjoy the same coverage.

London is the first city to host the Olympics 3 times, who knows when it will be back again. Will I have another chance to catch it? One of my goals is to attend an Olympics and be there in the midst of the sporting action.

NDP 2012

Happy 47th Birthday, Singapore!

You know that something is done right when you still get that warm and fuzzy feeling after watching the parade. Or maybe, I'm just emotional.

Another Bronze

Singapore has won another bronze medal, this time in the women's Table Tennis team event!

This was the goal and the team has achieved it! Congratulations!

This is the first time I heard Singapore supporters at the venue being so vocal. This is also the first time that such a large group is present. The resulting feeling is quite heartwarming and of course, there's pride.

I love the way the crowds react and cheer, quite loudly, for their home teams. I love the way some of them go the extra mile to wear crazy hats, paint their faces and drape the nation flags around their shoulders. It is this sense of national pride that binds the people together. The cheers and groans are part of the charm in sporting events.

Perhaps, with time, more Singaporeans will be willing to go out there and support Singapore's athletes in that loud and boisterous way. Asians are so reserved, aren't they?

The Olympic Spirit

Only 1 week to go before the new semester starts. Like I said before, basically, I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

In other news, Singapore has won a bronze medal in the Olympics! It may not seemed that significant as compared to the feats achieved by other nations' athletes but it's still an occasion to cheer because this is only the second time a Singapore athlete won a medal in a singles event. Furthermore, it's after a 52 years drought.

Thank you, Feng Tianwei, for achieving this for Singapore! 

I'm not even going to comment on how some petty Singaporeans are questioning her "nationality" and other rot. I reckon this is what people call armchair cynicism. The question is not what the country has done for you but what have YOU done for the country.

When was the last time you did something to make the country proud of you? When was the last time you bring hundreds/thousands of people to their feet and inspire them? It's pathetic how this "jealousy" is so prevalent in today's society.

I'm not sporty. But, I can appreciate an athlete's hard work and dedication. I admire them in the way they achieve their goals and more.

If there's to be something relevant to take away from the Olympics, it is that it is a good time for self-reflection.

Many of these athletes are in their teens to the late 20s. Where was you when you were 18 years old, when some have walked the Olympic Stadium and won their first gold? Where do you think you will be when you reach 25 years, when some are already retiring from their long yet successful career?

For some of these athletes, they are considered legends by their countries, mere humans like us can only hope to get a taste of it.

London Olympics Opening Ceremony

Breath-taking. Magnificent. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Spectacular.

All those adjectives above describes what the London Olympics Opening Ceremony is like. It's truly a wonderful tribute to all things British - from the sprawling countrysides to the Industrial Revolution to the swinging sixties to beloved British fictional characters. It is a gigantic party!

This is a ceremony that showcases and celebrates the beauties of London, its rich history and culture, at the same time, incorporating the British sense of humour. The country has contributed so much to the various industries.

Film director Danny Boyle deserves a salute for orchestrating the whole event -Isle of Wonder. This ceremony is really incomparable because it was just a league of its own. Who else has a parachuting "Queen"?

I especially love the segment that features Queen Elizabeth 2 with James Bond actor, Daniel Craig. "Good evening, Mr Bond". She is truly a great sport! I enjoyed Rowan Atkinson's cameo as Mr Bean as well.

The formation of the Olympic Rings with "red, hot iron" is exceptionally memorable as with the lighting of the cauldron. It was a break from tradition with 7 young athletes lighting the flame at the same time.

I'm not a British subject but I did get that warm and fuzzy feeling seeing the success of the opening.

I love reading the tweets from Britons themselves because they are true testimonies of how proud they are.Yes, there may be complaints, grouses and unhappiness, but I think, when the Games are truly underway, it is the time to stand together as a nation and celebrate this glorious moment. Be proud of how far the nation has come and what it has achieve.

One Day to London 2012

Only 1 day left to the London Olympics 2012! I've waited 4 years for this and I've been anticipating it since April.
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It may be weird for someone who live such a sedentary lifestyle to have such enthusiam for the greatest sporting event, but hey, that's that. I've always been interested in high-profile events since I was young; entertainment events, sporting events, you name it. Perhaps, I know that it is nigh to impossible for me to go to these events that makes me longed them even more. One day, I tell myself, I will go to Comic-Con and the Olympics, amongst other things.
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I'm always excited for the Games but this time more so than ever, because it's held in London, UK. I can be considered an Anglophile. I love the British culture and (some) traditions. I love its long line of talented authors and actors. I like its long history and monarchy. I especially love the accent! Besides, London is one of my favourite cities in the world, and I look forward to the day I get to take a vacation there.
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The opening ceremony takes place at 4.00am (Singapore Time) on Saturday. As much as I'd like to watch this direct telecast, I love my sleep more than anything and I've to go work. I can only contend myself with watching the encore at 6.00pm.
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I can't wait to see what surprises Danny Boyle has in store for viewers. Despite leaks from the ceremony, nothing beats watching it in entirety to fully experience the grandeur and magnificence.

Happy Leap Year 2012

Happy Leap Year! It's 29th February 2012 and since it is a special day that only occurs every 4 years, I would like to take this opportunity to write up this post to commemorate.

Besides, it is supposedly my grandmother's adopted birthday although we do celebrate every year.

Singapore Airshow 2012

Indefinite hiatus again, I know. Although there were things happening, I don't have the mood to write.

On Saturday, together with my father and brother, I went to the biannual Singapore Airshow 2012 at Changi Exhibition Centre. I'm not a plane enthusiast per say and I have my own reasons for wanting to go. I've been hearing stories about how there will be lots of souvenirs and giveaways from the different exhibitors and so, being the enthusiast in all things knick-knack, I naturally cannot miss out this opportunity.

It was raining quite heavily on the way there and I was praying so hard for it to stop so that we can fully enjoy the afternoon. Thankfully, it did stop raining when we arrived. We parked the car at Terminal 3 and went to the shuttle buses area. I was pleasantly surprised by how efficient the service was. There was almost a continuous supply of SMRT buses ferrying the passengers to and fro. As a result, the bus we took was not very crowded which is great.

Maybe it was the rain, or maybe it was in the afternoon, but it wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be. I did enjoy it though, because it means that we have more personal space.

The aerial show display was the highlight, of course. I managed to snap some pretty pictures of the RSAF display and my favourite, the Australia Roulettes. Again, thanks heavens that the rain stopped just in time for the flying display.

We didn't have any chance to go up to the Singapore Airlines Boeing 747 or any of the planes on display because the queues were simply too long. The exhibition hall was really huge and it was a pity that I didn't manage to collect lots of souvenirs. I did get one collar-pin though.
As the event came to a close, we went to the merchandise booth and I bought the mascot toy after some deliberation.

It was a wonderful day and I looked forward to the show in 2014, only this time, I want to be there throughout the day to fully enjoy the event.

CNY 2012

Lunar New Year 2012 came and went. It has been great this year and the ambience is so much better than Christmas.

I was already in the holiday mood when last Wednesday came around. I went to cut my hair and the following day, did manicure in the purple and blue which turned out really cool. Red and pink are so yesterday. That evening, the family went to the Chong Pang area to do some last minute new year shopping and to soak in the festive atmosphere.

On Friday, originally we wanted to go to our usual haunt, Far East Flora but the queue was too long and thus, we went to Ang Mo Kio instead.

We had our reunion dinner at my uncle's house a day before the eve. It was the usual steamboat dinner but I did enjoy it as this is the only time throughout the year in which we get steamboat. Having steamboat at home beats having it outside because it is very casual and everything tastes so much better and superior.

This left us free on Sunday. We went to Far East Flora around 5pm so it was not as crowded. I managed to buy some beautiful cut flowers and my mother got 2 pots of plants. Afterwards, we headed over to Marina Square to meet the relatives.

It was a very smooth journey as most shops will be closed by then and most families will be having their reunion dinner. For the first time, the carpark at Marina Square was so empty and we can park wherever we like. It's fun seeing almost all shutters down.

We ate some snacks at KFC and thankfully, the drizzle ended and we walked over to River Hongbao where all the festivities are. I used to have an aversion going to that place because I remembered it being wet, congested with lots of people and generally being unpleasant. Therefore, it was a surprise to many of us when we arrived as it was so much more organised and roomy now. We even get to walk on the floating platform!

It was the usual visiting on Monday and Tuesday. On more exciting news, we went to Marina Bay Sands on Tuesday evening to watch the laser show at the waterfront and had dinner at Bazin. There was nothing special about the show as I have seen better ones at Sentosa in the past. Bazin is located at the waterfront and it is really cool with all the breeze and palm trees around. It's almost like we are on a vacation overseas. Too bad, reality is that day was the end of the celebrations.

The Good & Bad of 2011

I can hardly believe that 2011 is ending! Hold your horses though, because I intend to make good use of the last day of 2011.

Year 2011 is a year full of ups and downs, personally, locally and internationally.

For me, I graduated with a Diploma with Merit and an award for the Kingsmen Creatives Prize. That was the glory of my life, my pride and joy. I was at the top of the world. Then, came the task of choosing a University. I fretted over whether I am good enough to enter a local University and thought that I lost my chance. In the end, I chose NUS and am planning to major in Geography.

I wouldn't say that 2011 is good to me because it isn't. The year seems to hover between good and bad, besides, I am not entirely pleased with myself and the way things are heading. Indeed, I would say that the earlier half of the year was so much better than the later half.

If there is one regret I have for 2011, it is that I failed to fulfil my goal and dream of going to USA. All these years, I worked so hard and am going to reward myself with a bang but yet, it failed to materialise. That goal is still standing. I can only hope that I can fulfil it sooner not later.

In Singapore, this is nerve-wracking year. Toes are trod-on and fingers are pointed at. We witnessed the watershed General Election and Presidential Election. I finally realised that Singapore is not what I thought it to be. I thought that people will be more grateful and thankful for we have, alas, that was not the case. People, especially, the younger generation, have grown contemptuous and cynical. They have grown "fat" from all the coddling and protection.

2011 is a year full of disasters that one can almost say it's a disastrous year. Not only are there earthquakes, floods and tsunamis with thousands of lives lost, there is also the financial crisis that sent countries into debt and the stock markets a-tumbling. The powerhouses of the world are not so powerful after all.

The technological world lost a visionary, Steve Jobs, who redefines technology. The world, too, lost dictators such as Gaddafi and Kim Jong Il.

All in all, it's been a roller-coaster ride of a year. However, I will still miss it simply because the year is gone. The new year ahead seems daunting and tough, for the world economy and for myself. Not to mention, the supposedly end-of-the-world will arrive. I will be entering into my second semester of studies and I have to grit my teeth to bear with it.

For all the pessimism I show, I still have hopes that 2012 will be wonderful as it can be. Besides, the year 2012 is made better already with the thoughts of Sherlock season 2 in January and The Hobbit in December starring both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in both shows. Oh, it's Christmas!