We arrived at the airport in Newark last night at around 7 pm and were suited up in a hotel with a handful of vouchers. After eating in the hotel restaurant it was already 11 pm and we had to be up at 2:45 am for the 5:30 am flight. I laid down with my eyes closed but I don't really remember falling asleep. I got to snooze a bit on the plane though.
It was nice to finally get into Houston. Even though there was another 2 hour drive to College Station I was just relieved to not have to sit in anymore planes.
Since Adan and I left the Gallery Hotel in Singapore it has been 52 hours before we were able to get home. We might not be the last of the group to leave Singapore, but we're definitely the last to make it home.
13 January 2010
12 January 2010
Yup ... still in Tokyo.
Looks like Continental Airlines is going to put us up in a hotel when we arrive at Newark at around 7 pm Tuesday night. We're taking the first flight out the next morning at 5:30 am, landing in Houston at around 8:30 am, and then a 2 hour drive back to College Station ... eesh!
11 January 2010
Still on the trip home.
Adan and I flew out of Singapore at 11:25 pm Monday night (Singapore time). 7 hours later we landed in Tokyo for the 10 hour layover. We tried to get out into the city and made it all the way to the airport train station where we found that on top of the hour and half train to get to the closer part of the city we'd also have to wait another hour and a half to get on the train. We didn't want to risk not getting back in time and probably would not be able to see much before heading back.
So far we have spend the last 7.5 hours in the airport. About an hour ago we also found that our flight is delayed 4.5 hours. We will definitely missing our connecting flight from Newark to Houston. Continental has given us a 1,000 yen meal voucher (about USD$11) to use at the hotel. Since we're missing our connecting flight they'll most likely provide some accommodations. Hopefully we'll be on the morning flight (at worse) back to Houston on Wednesday morning.
I'm glad we shelled out the cash for the airport internet. Entertainment.
So far we have spend the last 7.5 hours in the airport. About an hour ago we also found that our flight is delayed 4.5 hours. We will definitely missing our connecting flight from Newark to Houston. Continental has given us a 1,000 yen meal voucher (about USD$11) to use at the hotel. Since we're missing our connecting flight they'll most likely provide some accommodations. Hopefully we'll be on the morning flight (at worse) back to Houston on Wednesday morning.
I'm glad we shelled out the cash for the airport internet. Entertainment.
10 January 2010
Last day in Singapore ... well, sort of
This day can be summarized as a "shopping" day. It's with quotes because even though we all went through the stores and such we didn't really buy anything of significance -- just a few souvenirs at best.
We started with Chinatown where the density of souvenirs is large in a small space. We each got a few things for other people. Adan really stocked up on the magnets because of the 4 for $10 deals. I went in on a couple magnets with him so he doesn't end up with 30 at the end of the day.
I think it's probably the weekend being the reason why the malls are so packed. After Chinatown, we took a taxi to Orchard Road. First at one of the shopping centers off of Orchard and then some of the shops on Orchard. By the 3rd or 4th shop it was pretty clear that none of us really wanted to go shopping anymore. But at the same time we wanted to do something. We ended up catching a movie at the Cathay Cinema at Orchard. The cinemas are different here in that the seats are assigned when you purchase them. (Of course we can choose the seats) I was also surprised at how nice the chairs are with ample leg room. The movie though was not that great.
We came back to the hotel after the movie so that Kamil could do some packing. He is leaving tonight to get on a plane that leaves at 1 am. We all went out to Clarke Quay for dinner. Looking for a restaurant seemed difficult tonight. We checked up just about every menu by the river and ended up at Hooters. We also discovered that this is the first Hooters in Asia. We had a good time with beers and wings.
It's the last night in Singapore, but not quite the last day. At least I wouldn't count it because Adan and I are not flying out of Singapore until 11:30 pm. We practically have another day left to go. I'm not sure what we'll be doing tomorrow, but we'll be taking it easy.
I'm really glad I took on this opportunity. I got to see and learn a lot about Singapore as well as meet some really great people on the way. It'll be sad to leave Singapore, but it will be nice to go home. I'm not ready for the long trip in plane rides and layovers. The jet lag will be killer too.
We started with Chinatown where the density of souvenirs is large in a small space. We each got a few things for other people. Adan really stocked up on the magnets because of the 4 for $10 deals. I went in on a couple magnets with him so he doesn't end up with 30 at the end of the day.
I think it's probably the weekend being the reason why the malls are so packed. After Chinatown, we took a taxi to Orchard Road. First at one of the shopping centers off of Orchard and then some of the shops on Orchard. By the 3rd or 4th shop it was pretty clear that none of us really wanted to go shopping anymore. But at the same time we wanted to do something. We ended up catching a movie at the Cathay Cinema at Orchard. The cinemas are different here in that the seats are assigned when you purchase them. (Of course we can choose the seats) I was also surprised at how nice the chairs are with ample leg room. The movie though was not that great.
We came back to the hotel after the movie so that Kamil could do some packing. He is leaving tonight to get on a plane that leaves at 1 am. We all went out to Clarke Quay for dinner. Looking for a restaurant seemed difficult tonight. We checked up just about every menu by the river and ended up at Hooters. We also discovered that this is the first Hooters in Asia. We had a good time with beers and wings.
It's the last night in Singapore, but not quite the last day. At least I wouldn't count it because Adan and I are not flying out of Singapore until 11:30 pm. We practically have another day left to go. I'm not sure what we'll be doing tomorrow, but we'll be taking it easy.
I'm really glad I took on this opportunity. I got to see and learn a lot about Singapore as well as meet some really great people on the way. It'll be sad to leave Singapore, but it will be nice to go home. I'm not ready for the long trip in plane rides and layovers. The jet lag will be killer too.
09 January 2010
Lions and tigers and bears ... oh my!
Today we all had a serious full day of walking through the Bird Park, Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari. We spent well over 12 hours walking the parks. My feet are seriously tired.
All three parks are really nice. There were plenty of trees, plants, and flowers. I can really see why the zoo is named one of the best in the world. I was taking pictures like a mad man. We went to the bird park first because it was far from the zoo and night safari, which are right next to each other. It was exciting to see all the different kinds of birds. The penguin room was where I also started using my new pocket camera to record videos of the penguins swimming and interacting with each other.
Towards the end of going through the Bird Park I changed my camera battery because didn't charge it up over night. About a quarter way through the Singapore Zoo my back up battery which was fully charged also died on me. It was interesting how, one by one, each of us exhausted the use of any digital recording device. Steve ran out of room on his camera after we finished the Bird Park. Then my camera batteries died, which I then resorted to using just the video camera, and then Kamil's camera battery died too. Adan was the only one left to take pictures for the rest of us. It was a good thing that he didn't run into any issues.
This video camera came in handy when the camera failed me. I captured a lot of clips of the animals walking or interacting with each other. I also recorded three shows from the zoo -- one during the polar bear feeding, another of the elephants and one of aquatic animals. I'm curious to see the videos once I get them on my computer.
The Night Safari was fun too. It's an interesting experience to see the animals at night. A good number of them were sleeping, but there was still plenty to see. Walking through the area where all the bats are was really neat and really scary at the same time. They were all either sleeping or flying around. Either way, the thought of one of them flying near you was nerve wracking. The flying squirrels were fun to watch. As we got into the habitat area I saw one of the squirrels flying towards me and leering towards a tree to the right of me. Those things are huge with their body spread out. We also took the tram tour. It was nice to sit.
I didn't think we'd actually be at the Night Safari until close to closing time at 12 midnight. I also don't know how time goes so fast. It's a little after 2 am. It's been a fun and exhausting trip today. I think I'll be sleeping well tonight.
All three parks are really nice. There were plenty of trees, plants, and flowers. I can really see why the zoo is named one of the best in the world. I was taking pictures like a mad man. We went to the bird park first because it was far from the zoo and night safari, which are right next to each other. It was exciting to see all the different kinds of birds. The penguin room was where I also started using my new pocket camera to record videos of the penguins swimming and interacting with each other.
Towards the end of going through the Bird Park I changed my camera battery because didn't charge it up over night. About a quarter way through the Singapore Zoo my back up battery which was fully charged also died on me. It was interesting how, one by one, each of us exhausted the use of any digital recording device. Steve ran out of room on his camera after we finished the Bird Park. Then my camera batteries died, which I then resorted to using just the video camera, and then Kamil's camera battery died too. Adan was the only one left to take pictures for the rest of us. It was a good thing that he didn't run into any issues.
This video camera came in handy when the camera failed me. I captured a lot of clips of the animals walking or interacting with each other. I also recorded three shows from the zoo -- one during the polar bear feeding, another of the elephants and one of aquatic animals. I'm curious to see the videos once I get them on my computer.
The Night Safari was fun too. It's an interesting experience to see the animals at night. A good number of them were sleeping, but there was still plenty to see. Walking through the area where all the bats are was really neat and really scary at the same time. They were all either sleeping or flying around. Either way, the thought of one of them flying near you was nerve wracking. The flying squirrels were fun to watch. As we got into the habitat area I saw one of the squirrels flying towards me and leering towards a tree to the right of me. Those things are huge with their body spread out. We also took the tram tour. It was nice to sit.
I didn't think we'd actually be at the Night Safari until close to closing time at 12 midnight. I also don't know how time goes so fast. It's a little after 2 am. It's been a fun and exhausting trip today. I think I'll be sleeping well tonight.
08 January 2010
Last day of Experience@Singapore
Without a doubt, everyone was excited about visiting Lucasfilm Animation this morning. They presented some really nice stuff. It was too bad that we couldn't tour the office or take any pictures. At the front of the office is a set of life size figurines of The Clone Wars characters. We got pictures taken with it, but I'll get beaten down if it ever gets posted. The only picture I can post is this one -- it's the directory of the building. Notice nothing under level 5. Guess which floor Lucasfilm Animation is on. (I was even told that their business cards don't have addresses on them.)
We ventured back to the hawker stations for lunch ... this time without the hand holding on what to order. I tried a good variety of things -- curry dishes, fried banana (yum!), a peanut soup dessert with filled rice balls, and a few nibbles from other people's dishes.
Last stop of the day ... National University of Singapore. We got to see a lot of interesting projects going on at the Interactive & Digital Media Institute. We also got a chance to mingle with some start up representatives and learned how a couple of the students here started their business.
The bus ride back to the hotel signaled the end of the program. Before stepping off the bus the winners were announced for the picture and blogging competition. Richard, of course with his photography skills, won the photo competition. Before announcing the winner of the blogging competition, consolation prizes were given out for the blogs. I didn't get the consolation prize. I won the blogging competition! ... a spanking brand new HD pocket camera. I was honestly surprised. I have always wanted one of these.
We all said our good-bye's to the program coordinators and Ricardo. The evening was pretty relax ... group dinner and drinks afterward. Although in between dinner and drinks some of us decided to take on the reverse bungee. I wanted to try it out when I first learned about it and was so glad to know that Travis wanted to do it too. We also recruited Steve, Kamil, and Elyse. This was the perfect evening to do this. We get strapped into this seat that's attached to a bungee cord and was shot into the air like a sling shot. Oh, I wish I had pictures to upload now, but I didn't take any.
We ended the night with Singapore Slings at the bar right next to our hotel. Slowly people left to catch cabs to the airport or rest up for an early flight. Some of us who are staying an extra day or two are going to check out the zoo tomorrow. We're going to try all three parks -- the main zoo, the bird park, and the night safari. It should be a fun day. Humid as always. :)
We ventured back to the hawker stations for lunch ... this time without the hand holding on what to order. I tried a good variety of things -- curry dishes, fried banana (yum!), a peanut soup dessert with filled rice balls, and a few nibbles from other people's dishes.
Last stop of the day ... National University of Singapore. We got to see a lot of interesting projects going on at the Interactive & Digital Media Institute. We also got a chance to mingle with some start up representatives and learned how a couple of the students here started their business.
The bus ride back to the hotel signaled the end of the program. Before stepping off the bus the winners were announced for the picture and blogging competition. Richard, of course with his photography skills, won the photo competition. Before announcing the winner of the blogging competition, consolation prizes were given out for the blogs. I didn't get the consolation prize. I won the blogging competition! ... a spanking brand new HD pocket camera. I was honestly surprised. I have always wanted one of these.
We all said our good-bye's to the program coordinators and Ricardo. The evening was pretty relax ... group dinner and drinks afterward. Although in between dinner and drinks some of us decided to take on the reverse bungee. I wanted to try it out when I first learned about it and was so glad to know that Travis wanted to do it too. We also recruited Steve, Kamil, and Elyse. This was the perfect evening to do this. We get strapped into this seat that's attached to a bungee cord and was shot into the air like a sling shot. Oh, I wish I had pictures to upload now, but I didn't take any.
We ended the night with Singapore Slings at the bar right next to our hotel. Slowly people left to catch cabs to the airport or rest up for an early flight. Some of us who are staying an extra day or two are going to check out the zoo tomorrow. We're going to try all three parks -- the main zoo, the bird park, and the night safari. It should be a fun day. Humid as always. :)
07 January 2010
Visits galore
Today is the day of visits. In the morning we visited with 3Dsense Media School. There was a number of good work coming out of such a small school and short program. The student work was really impressive. The people we spoke with were also really great because they were so passionate about their school and producing quality graduates.
Before we headed out to lunch we dropped by Chinatown to see the temple. The rooftop garden was beautiful. There was so much of the temple to see that I didn't get a chance to check out the markets nearby. Hopefully, I'll get the opportunity to do so after the program is over.
For lunch we ventured into the Indian cuisine, which was nice because I had been looking forward to trying that out since I learned about the India town here. We tried out the roti prata. Earlier tonight I also learned that Adan had not really tried Indian food besides today's lunch. I'm trying to nudge him towards getting some later before we leave. We are pretty close to authenticity.
In the afternoon we visited Tiny Island Productions and Scrawl Studio. Both had an array of interesting visuals. I'm really interested in looking up more of what Scrawl has done. Their toons are appealing to me. I loved that their offices are decorated with so many toys and fun. It's always great inspiration.
We ended the day with a ride on the Singapore Flyer. I had been waiting all week for this. This was a great ride to see the whole city and the outlying islands.
It's too bad that tomorrow is the last day. I have met some really great people that I hope to see in the future. Can't wait to see the Lucasfilm Animation Studio tomorrow.
Before we headed out to lunch we dropped by Chinatown to see the temple. The rooftop garden was beautiful. There was so much of the temple to see that I didn't get a chance to check out the markets nearby. Hopefully, I'll get the opportunity to do so after the program is over.
For lunch we ventured into the Indian cuisine, which was nice because I had been looking forward to trying that out since I learned about the India town here. We tried out the roti prata. Earlier tonight I also learned that Adan had not really tried Indian food besides today's lunch. I'm trying to nudge him towards getting some later before we leave. We are pretty close to authenticity.
In the afternoon we visited Tiny Island Productions and Scrawl Studio. Both had an array of interesting visuals. I'm really interested in looking up more of what Scrawl has done. Their toons are appealing to me. I loved that their offices are decorated with so many toys and fun. It's always great inspiration.
We ended the day with a ride on the Singapore Flyer. I had been waiting all week for this. This was a great ride to see the whole city and the outlying islands.
It's too bad that tomorrow is the last day. I have met some really great people that I hope to see in the future. Can't wait to see the Lucasfilm Animation Studio tomorrow.
06 January 2010
Zouk!
What can I say? This was an AWESOME night.
The Singaporeans have this cool way of hand signing to music ... retro and even the recent hits. I had so much fun dancing, singing, and signing. It was so much fun to watch and learn. Knowing we had to be up early, over the course of the evening as it got late Adan and I would periodically say that we'd leave after a couple of songs. We pretty much waited until the last possible moment to leave.
I can definitely say that if I didn't have to be up on the bus at 9 am then I would still be there now dancing it out and enjoying the night!
Bedtime at 2:45 am. Good night.
The Singaporeans have this cool way of hand signing to music ... retro and even the recent hits. I had so much fun dancing, singing, and signing. It was so much fun to watch and learn. Knowing we had to be up early, over the course of the evening as it got late Adan and I would periodically say that we'd leave after a couple of songs. We pretty much waited until the last possible moment to leave.
I can definitely say that if I didn't have to be up on the bus at 9 am then I would still be there now dancing it out and enjoying the night!
Bedtime at 2:45 am. Good night.
This morning we started with a visit to ST Electronics. Sorry, no photos. ST Electronics creates some simulation work for the Singaporean military so they confiscated our phones and cameras before entry. So you'll have to go on my word on this one. We got to see a presentation on what they do in terms of simulation, entertainment and providing services for the needs of Singapore. There was also quite a number of neat demos on what their simulations look like and a collections of shorts. I could say more, but I'd have to kill you. (just kidding)
For our lunch trip we ventured into the red light district to this place called Geylang Clay Pot where the clay pot dish is the featured meal. A mixture of meat, veggies and rice are all cooked into this clay pot and mixed together. This simple meal was paired with a chrysanthemum tea.
During the lunch conversation I learned more about the red light district. There are ways to identify the brothels in the area and a regulation in that the women are regularly checked. There are also the types that are under the radar ... a bit more sketchier. I also learned more about the developing casinos in Singapore. I was curious why they were being built when gambling is such a touchy subject. It turns out the locals will be taxed to enter the casinos, but it will be free to use for the visitors to Singapore.
Rainbow Media is the next destination of the day. We took shifts up the elevator to the 38th floor. As the elevator doors opened all of us in the next batch saw the first group walk from the right to the left. It was the wrong side ... it was the Google office. So naturally everyone ventured towards the Google office for a sneak peak before getting corralled to the correct office.
Like Sunwoo, this office has also just moved to a new location so there was basic furniture and decoration. But check out the view of the port from their office. All those crates are amazing. This office mainly creates games for a couple of animated shows. One of them is called WinX (pronounced "wings") where there are Barbie-like characters that turn to fairies. It was great that a few people from the group had their resumes and portfolios ready for distribution and that this office was seriously interested in hiring. The contacts have been good this week.
We ended the afternoon with the Singapore Art Museum. The art was really neat. One thing that surprised me was how humid the museum was indoors. Usually museums are well air-conditioned to keep the art in good condition. Below is one of my favorite pieces. From the outside you see books arranged in a cylinder. This is what you see inside (up and down).
The day is not over yet. A few of us are going to meet up to check out this Japanese ramen place ... not to be confused with the top ramen that is 30 cents. And tonight we're going to check out Zouk, which is a popular club here. Wednesday night is not only retro night, but ladies night. The ladies get in free while the gents have a $25 (Singapore). At least that fee includes two drinks for the guys. I'm looking forward to chiong (Singlish for clubbing) tonight!
For our lunch trip we ventured into the red light district to this place called Geylang Clay Pot where the clay pot dish is the featured meal. A mixture of meat, veggies and rice are all cooked into this clay pot and mixed together. This simple meal was paired with a chrysanthemum tea.
During the lunch conversation I learned more about the red light district. There are ways to identify the brothels in the area and a regulation in that the women are regularly checked. There are also the types that are under the radar ... a bit more sketchier. I also learned more about the developing casinos in Singapore. I was curious why they were being built when gambling is such a touchy subject. It turns out the locals will be taxed to enter the casinos, but it will be free to use for the visitors to Singapore.
Rainbow Media is the next destination of the day. We took shifts up the elevator to the 38th floor. As the elevator doors opened all of us in the next batch saw the first group walk from the right to the left. It was the wrong side ... it was the Google office. So naturally everyone ventured towards the Google office for a sneak peak before getting corralled to the correct office.
Like Sunwoo, this office has also just moved to a new location so there was basic furniture and decoration. But check out the view of the port from their office. All those crates are amazing. This office mainly creates games for a couple of animated shows. One of them is called WinX (pronounced "wings") where there are Barbie-like characters that turn to fairies. It was great that a few people from the group had their resumes and portfolios ready for distribution and that this office was seriously interested in hiring. The contacts have been good this week.
We ended the afternoon with the Singapore Art Museum. The art was really neat. One thing that surprised me was how humid the museum was indoors. Usually museums are well air-conditioned to keep the art in good condition. Below is one of my favorite pieces. From the outside you see books arranged in a cylinder. This is what you see inside (up and down).
The day is not over yet. A few of us are going to meet up to check out this Japanese ramen place ... not to be confused with the top ramen that is 30 cents. And tonight we're going to check out Zouk, which is a popular club here. Wednesday night is not only retro night, but ladies night. The ladies get in free while the gents have a $25 (Singapore). At least that fee includes two drinks for the guys. I'm looking forward to chiong (Singlish for clubbing) tonight!
05 January 2010
A little walk with a lot of sweat ...
This morning we started with a walk of the area near the Asian Civilizations Museum and ending at one of the significant monuments in Singapore. As we were walking we learned some history about the development of the area with the older building and new skyscrapers developing together. Halfway through the walk we stopped by the Merlion statues. From there you can also see the view of the construction of The Sands, the Singapore Flyer, and the Escalade. The Escalade is the theater space used for traveling shows that pass through Singapore. It's external structure is interesting resembling the spikiness of the durian fruit.
For lunch today we tried a local Singaporean dish called Hainanese Chicken Rice. It's apparently the Hainanese dish that you can't find in Hainan. This is one of the dishes created by the immigrants a while back. This simple looking dish of chicken and light sauce accompanied by a rice cooked with chicken and ginger flavors is fantastic. For having walked through the heavy humidity and being very dehydrated I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stomach any food once lunch came around. Somehow I did ... must be because of the great food. :)
After lunch we ventured to one of the Hawkers stations to sample an array of foods. We got to taste some rice cakes with oniony-garlicky flavor added, shrimp with noodles, conch noodles, and a couple of desserts. One of the desserts is topped with durian paste. This is a fruit that tastes good and is also known for it's foul stench once you open it.
We then went around different areas of Singapore and checking out the different housing developments. The way how the housing is built by the government and is acquired by home seekers is an interesting thing.
Our first industry visit was the last thing on the agenda. We checked out Sunwoo, which is a local studio out of Korea. We kind of caught them in the process of moving to a new office, but we were able to get a glimpse of work in action.
When the program was over for the day a group of us went out together for dinner. We ended up at Mulligan's, an Irish pub in Clarke Quay. Then ended the evening browsing some of the shops in the area. I was really tempted to buy a couple of things at one clothing store cause it had a really good sale going on, but I was feeling too icky from the day's activities to try on any clothes. Maybe next time I'll get something nice.
For lunch today we tried a local Singaporean dish called Hainanese Chicken Rice. It's apparently the Hainanese dish that you can't find in Hainan. This is one of the dishes created by the immigrants a while back. This simple looking dish of chicken and light sauce accompanied by a rice cooked with chicken and ginger flavors is fantastic. For having walked through the heavy humidity and being very dehydrated I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stomach any food once lunch came around. Somehow I did ... must be because of the great food. :)
After lunch we ventured to one of the Hawkers stations to sample an array of foods. We got to taste some rice cakes with oniony-garlicky flavor added, shrimp with noodles, conch noodles, and a couple of desserts. One of the desserts is topped with durian paste. This is a fruit that tastes good and is also known for it's foul stench once you open it.
We then went around different areas of Singapore and checking out the different housing developments. The way how the housing is built by the government and is acquired by home seekers is an interesting thing.
Our first industry visit was the last thing on the agenda. We checked out Sunwoo, which is a local studio out of Korea. We kind of caught them in the process of moving to a new office, but we were able to get a glimpse of work in action.
When the program was over for the day a group of us went out together for dinner. We ended up at Mulligan's, an Irish pub in Clarke Quay. Then ended the evening browsing some of the shops in the area. I was really tempted to buy a couple of things at one clothing store cause it had a really good sale going on, but I was feeling too icky from the day's activities to try on any clothes. Maybe next time I'll get something nice.
04 January 2010
How did I get so much done and eat so much in one day?
This picture is from last night's walk back to the hotel. I can say that after only a couple of days that I am truly having a great time ... forgetting the humidity.
Today was the first day of the Experience@Singapore program. We started the day visiting Contact Singapore, the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) learning about the program and how they are trying to appeal to potential employees. The office has a really nice view of the overall city. After the informational we walked to Suntec City via the mall for lunch. At the beginning of the day we were all informed of the great eating culture here. Today I got a good glimpse of what they mean. The lunch set up was at this porridge buffet. In addition to the bowl of porridge there is a giant array of sides and condiments to accompany the meal. I have had porridge before, but have never seen it set up in this way.
After lunch, we went to check out the Fountain of Wealth, which is the largest fountain in Asia. There's a story that goes with it, but Adan and I kind of missed it while we were getting pictures of each other in front of the fountain. I'll have to find the story about it later. I remember reading a bit about it before though. I'm hoping that I can come by later in the week to catch the laser light show that happens here in the evening.
We then went to the Urban Redevelopment Authority to check out the development plans for Singapore. There are a lot of great models of the city and country and seeing how everything is growing.
The next stop of the day is a visit to the Media Development Authority (MDA) and Fusionopolis. We got to learn about the development of Mediopolis and saw some interesting stuff. Their presentation was in a room full of touch screen tables (like Microsoft Surface) to show a collection of work. Fusionopolis showed an array of things too including a demo of their augmented reality set up.
The evening ended with a visit to the Marine Barrage followed by an elaborate eight course seafood meal with the main course featuring the chili crab. The barrage has a lot of interesting information and visuals. The site itself has a lot of great views of the city.
The day ends with our huge meal. I was seriously exhausted from the day as well as all the food coming to the table.
Today was the first day of the Experience@Singapore program. We started the day visiting Contact Singapore, the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) learning about the program and how they are trying to appeal to potential employees. The office has a really nice view of the overall city. After the informational we walked to Suntec City via the mall for lunch. At the beginning of the day we were all informed of the great eating culture here. Today I got a good glimpse of what they mean. The lunch set up was at this porridge buffet. In addition to the bowl of porridge there is a giant array of sides and condiments to accompany the meal. I have had porridge before, but have never seen it set up in this way.
After lunch, we went to check out the Fountain of Wealth, which is the largest fountain in Asia. There's a story that goes with it, but Adan and I kind of missed it while we were getting pictures of each other in front of the fountain. I'll have to find the story about it later. I remember reading a bit about it before though. I'm hoping that I can come by later in the week to catch the laser light show that happens here in the evening.
We then went to the Urban Redevelopment Authority to check out the development plans for Singapore. There are a lot of great models of the city and country and seeing how everything is growing.
The next stop of the day is a visit to the Media Development Authority (MDA) and Fusionopolis. We got to learn about the development of Mediopolis and saw some interesting stuff. Their presentation was in a room full of touch screen tables (like Microsoft Surface) to show a collection of work. Fusionopolis showed an array of things too including a demo of their augmented reality set up.
The evening ended with a visit to the Marine Barrage followed by an elaborate eight course seafood meal with the main course featuring the chili crab. The barrage has a lot of interesting information and visuals. The site itself has a lot of great views of the city.
The day ends with our huge meal. I was seriously exhausted from the day as well as all the food coming to the table.
03 January 2010
Happy New Year!
After ringing in the new year in College Station, I had a merely a few hours to sleep before having to drive out to Houston with Adan to begin the trip to Singapore. So how much sleep did I get? I was physically in bed for four hours, but I can't really recall actually having any deep sleep. Perhaps it was the excitement of the trip or my fear that I would sleep through my alarm. Either way, I'm really surprised that I was not tired at all in the drive out to IAH at 6 am.
Nothing like starting off the new year with a 24 hour travel to Singapore -- 14 hour flight from Houston to Tokyo, 3 hour layover, and then a 7 hour flight from Tokyo to Singapore. The flight to Tokyo wasn't too bad. There was a personal monitor that kept me entertained when I wasn't sleeping. It's a pretty nice set up with a number of movies, shows, games, etc. to watch and pause in your own leisure. Just like any other plane ride it's a little cramped with little leg room and the difficulty to sleep sitting up. After this first flight I didn't know how I would be able to handle another seven hours. It was more comfortable the second time around because we got seated in an emergency row which means ample leg room. The flight went by so much faster because I slept so much better. :)
24 hours later we arrive to Singapore 14 hours in the future. It was close to 3 am when we arrived at the hotel. After a few hours of slumber we checked out of the hotel and checked into the hotel sponsored by the Singapore program. Before heading out to explore the city we ran into one of the girls that is in the program, Elyse. The three of us had lunch, walked to the Singapore National Museum, explored, and took pictures at everything in sight on the way and back from the museum. The museum was great! I want to tell much more, but I'm getting exhausted and need to get some rest. The program starts tomorrow and I'm foreseeing a long and exciting day.
Nothing like starting off the new year with a 24 hour travel to Singapore -- 14 hour flight from Houston to Tokyo, 3 hour layover, and then a 7 hour flight from Tokyo to Singapore. The flight to Tokyo wasn't too bad. There was a personal monitor that kept me entertained when I wasn't sleeping. It's a pretty nice set up with a number of movies, shows, games, etc. to watch and pause in your own leisure. Just like any other plane ride it's a little cramped with little leg room and the difficulty to sleep sitting up. After this first flight I didn't know how I would be able to handle another seven hours. It was more comfortable the second time around because we got seated in an emergency row which means ample leg room. The flight went by so much faster because I slept so much better. :)
24 hours later we arrive to Singapore 14 hours in the future. It was close to 3 am when we arrived at the hotel. After a few hours of slumber we checked out of the hotel and checked into the hotel sponsored by the Singapore program. Before heading out to explore the city we ran into one of the girls that is in the program, Elyse. The three of us had lunch, walked to the Singapore National Museum, explored, and took pictures at everything in sight on the way and back from the museum. The museum was great! I want to tell much more, but I'm getting exhausted and need to get some rest. The program starts tomorrow and I'm foreseeing a long and exciting day.
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