So about a month ago a year ago, my fam and I headed up to Toowoomba for the annual Flower Festival! We went there once before with 2 families back in 2010 when we first arrived in Brisbane and had so much fun! Unfortunately, maybe due to high expectations, lack of other 'fun' families, or just a decline in beautiful flower gardens in general, we didn't enjoy ourselves as much and came home telling ourselves we would never go on that three-hour drive back up and down again. On the bright side, I did manage to get some pictures of the flowers I am fairly happy with, so here they are!
to be honest: some pictures have been edited slightly. I just adjusted midtones and contrast though, nothing fancy.
Now if only I had the actual scientific names of these beautiful plants to make this photoset even more perfect.
Labels: experiences, festival, photos
So I 'recently' just came back from a trip to Singapore and I felt somewhat inspired to do a quick little post for all the places/food my sis and I make to sure to go/eat when I make that yearly visit back. Also, this feels pretty timely since one of 'founding fathers' Mr Lee Kuan Yew recently passed away. So this post is partly in honour of him.
Note: everyone has different tastes and interests. This is just what we like to do when we're back! And also, some images with a date in the corner are from a trip we took back in 2010 (we were on a food rampage!!).
PLACES TO GO
For cheap touristy knick-knacks:
CHINATOWN!!
So when you come out of the train station you will see a whole street full of shops on either side. There are just so many touristy souvenir things like merlion statues (lion and fish symbol thing of Singapore), decorated coasters, bags, magnets, jewellery and many other miscellaneous things around. And they're all usually 3 for $10 or 2 for $5. Something affordable like that. Personally we like to spend pretty much half a day here (noon to late afternoon) as we'll go from shop to shop just buying stuff to our heart's delight. And because there are so many shops with very similar items, don't fret if you can't find something you like in one store. 3 other stores will probably have it too in 5 more designs.
Most touristy organisations would probably want you to go to Sentosa, which is a reclaimed (i.e. man-made) island at the southern most tip of Singapore. If you're from Australia, you definitely better off just skipping this, cause Sentosa's beaches are reaaaaaally average. I'm not too sure about the beaches in other countries but I also wouldn't really recommend going, unless it's for the Siloso Beach Party thing at New Year's which is really renowned apparently. Obviously I've never been to it. But yeah, apart for some really boring beaches, there's nothing much to do there without paying $$$. So skip it! (Well there is a huge statue of the merlion, which is great for pictures and stuff, but there is a much nicer though considerably smaller version at Marina Bay).
For touristy pictures/famous landmarks: This brings me to my next recommended spot! Marina Bay! It's pretty much right in the heart of Singapore where you can see the Singapore river, Marina Bay Sands (MBS) hotel with its famous infinity pool, the mini version of the merlion I was talking about earlier, and the durian-inspired theater we call The Esplanade! The area has great historical significance as well, since Singapore river used to be the lifeline of Singapore in the 1900s. It was incredibly dirty though, filled with waste and gross stuff in general. Then Lee Kuan Yew came along and started a huge cleaning up project and put nice sand at the bottom so it no longer stinks and people can go on touristy duck rides or something on the nice river. Would totally recommend if you wanna chill a little (there's high-end shopping in MBS if you'd prefer) and to just check out the cool juxtaposition of the modern Singapore skyline and its simple seatown roots.
Near Marina Bay, there is also this cool bustling night food market of sorts, officially called Lau Pa Sat (old market) which has probably all the food I talk about below. The interesting about this place is the outdoor sitting area where a section of the road is blocked of and seats are placed out in the open (city) air. It's definitely worth a visit at night, since that's when it gets so busy and the atmosphere is so exciting. Oh, and the satay stalls (kebab stalls) there produce a lot of smoke so be prepared to take a shower after that.
FOOD TO TRY:
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This is a total must-try. It's a very 'safe' but amazing dish, i.e. it's doesn't have weird flavours in it or weird ingredients. It's literally chicken and rice with vegetables and/or soup. You can get this dish anywhere, but preferably in a hawker centre though, they're cheaper and more authentic (read: fragrant and oilier).
Durian (if you can stomach it)
Now this notorious fruit is one of those weird tasting ones you either love or hate. Good ones actually have a rich, bitter, and alcoholic taste to them. They are only in season at certain times of the year and are sold in the neighbourhood areas (i.e. suburbs). They only smell really bad, I promise.
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Another oldie but a goodie. It's incredibly simple and my all-time favourite. This simple clear kuay teow soup with the best fishballs ever (totes unlike the ones in Australia) is like home away from home for me. Pair it with some cut red chilli and I'll be satisfied. Oh yeah.
I know Singapore doesn't sell this, but whoever's out there in a Western country will probably have seen some version of this around. DO NOT BUY THEM. They do not exist. No one in Singapore has ever made or heard of Singapore noodles. Now you know.
Other dishes to try
MIDDLE: laksa (spicy seafood and coconut noodle soup) / roti prata + meat curry (indian 'pancake') / snow ice (from dessertstory--this isn't quintessentially Singaporean though).
BOTTOM: Water chestnut & sour plum drink / Or Lua (Fried Omelette with Oysters) / Mee Pok (Oily noodles with minced pork and chilli)
If you do begin to crave the food of your own country, that's ok, Singapore also has many hipster cafes, great burger joints (not Maccas) and presentable restaurants to choose from. I AM GETTING SO HUNGRY FROM THIS.
p.s. we don't have much good local vegetarian food. Most are meat/seafood-based.
GENERAL TIPS:
Take public transport. It's can get incredibly crowded but is so convenient and comfortable otherwise. It really is one of the best ways to get around, apart from walking, since you really get a feel for the smallness (or shall we say, convenience) of the island.It can be pretty intimidating ordering food in Singapore, particularly in hawker centres and food courts not near the CBD (we call it 'town', as in downtown) during lunch/dinner time. You should be prepared for a little bit of jostling, loud voices and substandard customer service. It can be pretty awkward, but just think of all the food you will try!!
People in Singapore do speak English. For many, it is their first language. This may not be immediately apparent, since we speak a version that is colloquially known as Singlish, and may be hard to understand in some cases.
Humidity is your enemy. Please don't wear jeans and sweaters. It's an affront to my eyes. Think year-long summer. Think sweat. Except it does rain like once a week or something, so perhaps be prepared for that.
This is so not sponsored btw (like who would want to sponsor me?!), I just feel totally blessed to have grown up in such a safe, multicultural nation, with all its yummy cuisine and well-designed town planning. Of course, there are are downsides to this country as well, such as its welfare system, freedom of speech issues and rushed city culture, to name a few. No single country is perfect. But I am proud to have once called Singapore home. #RIPLKY
Labels: article, experiences, food, guide, singapore, travel
------------So I recently did one of those chain Facebook posts that everyone in your little circle of friends seem to do at one point in time. I know, I know. What was I thinking, following the crowd?! But I thought this time it was actually pretty meaningful, seeing as people were posting up bible verses they loved and wanted to share. So here's a slightly different version of the one I posted up on Facebook!
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Again, thanks Laura, for nominating me to post up bible verses that have impacted me/stayed with me all these years!
"And he said to them, take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Luke 12:15
Covetousness (i.e. wanting what others have) is something I definitely struggle with now, though I know that all that is earthly shall pass away..
"but in your hearts honour Christ the Lord holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect"
1 Peter 3:15
I'm still finding this difficult, as I'm not very good with my (spoken) words, but it's something I'm still learning to do!
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made..."
Psalm 139: 14-15
Or the whole of this chapter really; it's an oldie but a goodie, something I rediscovered lately, and poetry at its finest! (the non-rhyming kind)
""Meaningless, meaningless" says the Teacher, "utterly meaningless!" [...] Generations come and go, but the earth remain forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course."
Ecclesiastes 1: 2-6
This one really resonated with me when I first heard it. That despair in his voice and hopelessness spoke to me, and is a passage that I find particularly interesting.
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So there you go! A few of my favourite-ish bible verses as of 2014! There are probably a few others that should be in there aren't due to my forgetfulness/laziness. Just 2 of many vices on display. Haha. Would love to hear comments, if any!:)
Wow, it's been long while since my last post! I've been pretty busy lately, what with a change in home circumstances so that my sister and I pretty much have to cook and fend for ourselves, and the fact that I've been 'working' over the summer break 5 days a week, which is the topic of this post today! So yeah, over the 2014/2015 Australian summer break, I had the opportunity of working in a chemistry lab at my uni as a summer research student. To say the least, it's been a pretty eye-opening and interesting experience this past one and a half months.
The lab I'm with is interested in natural product chemistry. To be specific, we look at the compounds that nudibranchs (pronounced nu-dee-brahnks), a type of mollusc, use as a defensive mechanism. These organisms are wonderfully colourful and pretty and produce clear coloured compounds when extracted.
How beautiful! (I found this picture on Google haha, it's not mine)
Nudibranchs get some of these chemicals from their sponge diet and so lab work is concerned with extracting compounds from these specimens and elucidating their chemical structures via various techniques like H-NMR (proton nuclear magnetic resonance), HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) and other more complex techniques I haven't actually had much contact with.
Now to the lab work: those who know me would know I'm a self-confessed introvert. I like my silences, independence and being left alone with my thoughts. (Don't get me wrong, I also do enjoy my time surrounded by people, but I need time to 'recharge') However, right at the beginning, it was all about extracting crude compounds, preparing samples for NMR, running samples for NMR, collecting fractions after separating them, have a lonely lunch in between. Repeat. I realised that I did not want to spend the rest of my life (i.e. job) in the lab for most of the day before heading home and doing that all over again. Spending time in the lab can be very lonely work. (I did manage, though, to appreciate the 9-5 workday my parents went through, and the certain freedom on weekends since I had no work or assignments to bring home). In fact, although I comforted myself by saying that I was contributing in solid scientific research, I found myself looking forward more to the little conversations and interactions I had with my work mates. The time in between for things to dry and such was time where I could learn about the other people working in the same lab I was. The little chats, the one or two lunches we had together - they will probably be what I remember most fondly when I go back to the ups and downs of being a uni student.
However, after going back into the lab after the Christmas break, I got into the more analytical side of things. I experienced some of the thrill as I managed to personally figure out one of the compound in my extracts after weeks of just being told what I had in my extracts. What originally were literally just lines on a page became pieces of a puzzle as I began to see patterns that helped me identify the features of a compound. Just the other day we saw a spectrum that suggested a new compound in one of my extracts. In fact, we are still in the midst of figuring that out as I type this and if it does in fact turn out to be a new compound, my name would be likely to get a mention in a research paper. Imagine that!
Research is hard work. I truly realise now that to get one or two new compounds, I would have to go through almost mind-numbing and routine lab work for that to happen. I would need discipline. I would need good time management to ensure that my tasks are completed on time and that I am working as efficiently as possible. I would also need patience, as 'results' are not always immediate. I would also need discernment in order to realise that not every path has to be pursued, that I should put something down so that I can pick something else up. I would also need to be organised - I have extracted various nudibranch/sponge samples and have identified almost 10-15 known compounds, with many more vials in between to keep track of. It's almost a logistical nightmare!
With just less than two weeks of summer research left, I am beginning to grow a little sad that this journey is ending. I will surely miss the people there, who have been so friendly and helpful. And the work itself has proved to be fairly rewarding.
For me, the point of doing summer research was to see if I was suited to life in the lab. This experience has definitely helped me see that it is both hard work and rewarding, but something I don't think I would want to do for the rest of my life. (Unless perhaps it is the research topic that disinterests me??)
The saga continues...
Labels: experiences, research, science, summer, thoughts
------------It's that time of that year again!
I know, I know, you're probably quite sick of the whole 'let's be merry and joyful' atmosphere that we are currently saturated in. I know I slightly am (because of the whole materialistic/opportunistic side of things).
In spite of that, Christmas is pretty important to us Christians. It's so not about gifts, good vibes, carols, snow (or the lack of) or even family (though these are all good things). It's actually all about one person.
Since words fail me at this point, I'm just gonna link you guys out there to a link I, ahem, just found about something we commonly see on cards and stuff.
The Reality of the Manger Scene by Tyler Speegle
I know that this is by no means comprehensive or maybe even relevant to you, but hey, I'm here on ask.fm if you have comments or questions. Merry Christmas everybody:)
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Jasmine | SG / AU / KR / US
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