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.

Trip to Macau/China 2011 Part 1

16th June:

We arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 1 around 11am plus. Once my uncle's family and grandparents reached, we checked in at Jetstar counter and went for our lunch. My auntie's family joined us later.

This holiday is deemed "family vacation of the year", what with the whole family embarking on a journey back to Hakka hometown in China, at the same time, we are also there to visit the great-grandfather's grave.

It was a 3.5 hours flight to Macau. Since we were taking a budget aircraft, there is not much to expect. I was pleased that the flight was overall smooth and I even saw lots of rainbows (or maybe it was the same one).

The airport is a short distance away from The Venetian Macau.

Wow, the hotel is really one of the grandest and nicely-themed hotel I saw! It is grand, opulent and lavish. Unfortunately, this positive image is marred by tons of other tourists who are there for one, single purpose: casino. Furthermore, the allowance of smoking indoors really spoilt the whole experience. You have no idea what smoking indoors does to the whole place, it stinks real bad as the smoke is stuck in the circulation system.

18 years is the minimum age to enter the casino and it is located in plain sight. I walked through a casino for the first time in my life and boy was the area large and smoky.

Our suites are so lovely and golden with a curtained king-bed and a sitting area. The en-suite is the most beautiful of them all. It is completed with double sinks, a bathtub and a shower area. Too bad there is only one bed and there are 5 of us in each room. In the end, I slept on the bed with my mother and the others had to bunk on the floor and sofa.

We had our dinner at the foodcourt and went "hotel hopping" afterwards. We visited hotels like MGM and Wynn which are more pomp while others like Hotel Lisboa leans to the flashy and ostentatious side.

At night, I went to check out the casino with my father even though we didn't play. I guess what made it such a big deal is the fact that you have to be 21 years to get into one in Singapore and pay a hefty fee of S$100.

17th June:

I finally had the chance to get some souvenirs at the gift shops. They were nice, little venetian masks keychains. Other than that, there was nothing worth buying.

We took a ride to the national monument of Macau: Ruins of St Paul's. As usual, there were lots of like-minded tourists taking photos. We bought bags of Macau's goodies.

Lunch was settled at The Venetian foodcourt again and then it was time to check out.

The border between Macau and China were filled with people, mainly the Chinese, who are leaving/entering Macau.

We bought tickets for a bus ride to Guangzhou.

Checked in at Hotel Landmark Canton. On one hand, it's 2 people per room, on the other, it is such a "downgrade" from the lovely Venetian suite. But, at least, the basic amenities are met and then some.

We went to Beijing Lu Pedestrian Street where we shopped and had dinner. There is nothing much that could tempt me there. The goods sold are not exactly my tastes.

Motion Sickness

"Motion sickness, ugh. Suddenly, it feels like time to go home". I like this sentence, because it sums up what I am feeling every time I am going to take an airplane.

I suffer from motion sickness all the time, be it on buses, ships and worst of all, airplanes. It is like the bane of my existence, made worse when I love travelling out of the country. I hate the process of getting to a destination but I can never give up my dreams.

I think what I am most afraid of is that slow build-up of a churning stomach. The strange thing is I don't puke during airsickness. I don't mind that if it makes me feel better. But, no, I am stuck with a queasy sensation long after I have get off the plane. The next part of the journey, usually by coach, makes that worse.

I don't even want to discuss the smells coming from the packed food. It just adds on to my suffering. Therefore, it is rare that I eat on a flight or the last meal before the flight. I usually go with plain crackers, said to remedy the queasiness. I don't know how I'll survive that long trip to USA, but hey, I'll make do.

Perhaps I overthink too much. Perhaps I'm too harsh on my body. I mean, people enjoy themselves on flights, watching movies, playing games or just plain relaxing. Why is it I can't? I spend most of the journey moaning and feeling sorry for myself. Part of this is due to taking those too harsh medication which plays havoc to my body system.

Birthday Dinner

Celebrated my belated birthday dinner at Paradise Inn at Changi Airport Terminal 1. The mango sago is just so delicious!

And that concludes my 20th birthday. I'm already looking forward to the next.

A Good Day

Yesterday was a good day, more or less. We ate at Hans to celebrate a colleague's birthday and bought a cake too. But, it was a hectic day as we had to rush filing again.

In the evening, after a late log out, I went down to Changi Airport to meet up with the rest of the family and aunt as the grandparents were coming back from China. We dined at Astons at Terminal 1 and went for dessert at the Chinese restaurant next to it. The mango sago is just so brilliant!

I feel that we should do this more often. It's great to just forget all my troubles for a while and have fun. Too bad, I've to work on Friday nights starting from the following week. We'll see though, as I already said I can't guarantee.

Terminal 1 is so stuffy and packed nowadays, due to the construction going on. I know that they are trying to beautify the place but the on-going process is hardly worth it. Since I got use to the airiness and open-concept of Terminal 3, T1 just seems like a poor comparison.

My grandparents seemed to have a good time at Hainan. I suppose the treatment is different when a celebrity, albeit a local one, was part of the crew. There were about 200 tourists in this tour package alone.

While I would have baulk at the thought of so many people in one tour group, there are merits too. For one, the local people over there would welcome you with open arms. Imagine booking half of the hotel, you could just see the dollar-signs in their eyes.

November Hopes

This past 2 days had been great, almost to the point where my internship seems to be nothing but a dream. How I wish it is true.

On Saturday, after work, I went for a manicure. It's been too long since I went for one, and seeing that I just received my pay cheque, I wanted to treat myself. Alas, I can only go for conservative colours because I still have to work.

On the other hand, it's gloomy thoughts for me as I was asked to go to work on Friday nights. I mean, what?! I don't want to but I can't lie so I said I'll try. After all, if I arrived late, I'll just have to call and say that I can't make it.

Sighs, I do not do this for money, despite me saying otherwise. I just couldn't lie to save myself, although I do have my pride.

Anyway, the next 2 weeks will be kind of good for me, as I do not have to work on Saturday and the upcoming public holidays. Never have I been this grateful for public holidays!

Oh, November looks to be a eventful month, for the entertainment side. There is, of course, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 to look forward to. I'm already trembling with anticipation over it.

On the 3rd of December, the last day of my internship, I'll exempt myself from Kumon because I want to celebrate my freedom.

Today, my grandparents went for a vacation in China. We went to Changi Airport early in the morning for breakfast before sending them off with cousin's family. It was a fun day indeed.

Everytime I went to Changi Airport, my heart will give a little tweak as I watch travellers departing and arriving. I want to travel too. Even though I hate the idea of flying, I still want to travel. It is such great fun to put down what you are doing and just enjoy and relax.

Taking Off & Timetable

Alright! Timetable for Semester 3.1 will be out by tomorrow 10.00am.
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I'm keeping my fingers crossed and praying that I'll get a brilliant one. What I want is good distribution of the subjects (going home early) and good lecturers/tutors. Please, please, please... -
If there really is a need to choose between the two, I will go for the latter. Please, I need someone real good and approachable for Managerial Accounting 1. Actually, I have a teacher in mind, let's just see if I have the good fortune to get him. I really want to get him...
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Well, I need some time off to go for work too. Can't believe I'm saying this huh? Shrugs. I need cash for my big plans.
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So, the ball is not in my court anymore. If tomorrow timetable proves to be great, the tentative title for it shall be "C'est bon". If not, then it shall be be "Craptastic".
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On Friday, 9th April, after work, the family went to Changi Airport to bid adieu to my cousin who was going to Taiwan for his army stint.
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Wow, the meeting place was filled with army boys and their loved ones. I heard that they will be having an SQ plane all by themselves.
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Their flight left at dawn.
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Before that, we went to McDonald's for supper. As we finished ordering and standing by the side to get our trays, someone spilled his hot beverages, all over us. The 3 of us, my cousin, brother and I, got scalded on the legs.
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At first, it was shocked. I thought that my brother was the one who spilled them. Turned out to be another guy. My brain didn't register the hotness at first. Actually, looking back, it didn't feel that scalding.
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But, there was tendrils of smoke wafting from the spilled drinks on the floor.
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Anyway, had our supper and we went to the meeting area. I bet the tourists must be wondering what was going on. It's almost midnight and there was this large group of people hanging about.
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In the end, we left just after midnight since I needed to wake up early the next morning.
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