Insert: Day 5 in Singapore

Day 5 of Singapore - as requested by Tiffy
We went to Pulau Ubin today and saw a minor accident being badly handled. A lady was going down a relatively steep slope in Pulau Ubin, near the major quarry kinda just before the OBS campsite and what probably happened was that she braked too hard down the slope and over-steered at the bottom of the slope (there was a maybe 110 degree turn right at the bottom) and because it was raining, her bike probably slipped up and there you go, major accident.

By the time we got to her she was probably suffering from a fractured collarbone, shoulder and was bleeding from the skull and several other lacerations along her cheekbone and shoulder. All in all, by the time she got to the jetty it was past an hour and by then I would not have been surprised if she was suffering from shock.

When I told my friends about this accident I found out that one of them had a near accident at that very same slope, and another actually SAW another accident happening at that slope (assuming we were talking about the same slope). I googled "accidents in pulau ubin" and realised that yes, people have had accidents on this slope I'm referring to.

Despite this, there is no first aid medic post or even a hospital on the island. I know everyone goes to Pulau Ubin for the rustic old singaporean feel, but dammit put a hospital on the island already! The jostling of the police vehicle we put the injured woman in would not have helped her case any, and being loaded onto one of those boats and travelling INTO the choppy sea, getting to the jetty where she still has to go through an ambulance ride THROUGH THE CONGESTED SINGAPOREAN ROADS to changi general hospital is not fun, when one is in EXCRUCIATING PAIN.

Hmmm. Yes. Whoever she was, I hope she is doing better now :(

On another note - here are some pictures I got from Jake -

Just before reverse bungee was launched. Notice the petrified smile & the crossed legs. NOT LIKING THIS!


On the boat to Ubin from left - Nic, Jian Yuan, Me, Jake, Tiffany, Bo Yuan


Jake, Me & Nic - At Sentosa

Day 6 in Singapore

They say pictures say a thousand words, so I'll leave you with my pictures - today I went to Sentosa with Jing Ying, Si Xian and Sir Joel. Incidentally caught up with Dawn after, and Nic & Jake went to Sentosa too :)

[left] Si Xian, Jing Ying


Clare (me, Si Xian)


Jing Ying, Si Xian, Clare


Jing Ying & Sir Joel


Si Xian, Clare & Jing Ying


Clare, Jing Ying & Sixian - looking at pwetty earrings!


Si Xian, Dawn, Jing Ying & Clare - for once I finally see Dawn! We just needed Julia & Siti Hajar to make this group complete!

Day 4 in Singapore

Clare`s commentary
Today was uneventful, apart from G-Max Reverse Bunjee @ Clarke Quay. As you can see from the website it originated from New Zealand and opened up in Singapore. Let`s just say it was the craziest stupidest scariest thing I've ever done - whilst the seat reclined backwards and we were staring in the sky my heart rate accelerated to at least 100bpm. When it was launching my stomach dropped down to the earth and I was swearing at Jake (for making me do this), myself (for telling Jake about it), and the person who invented it. All whilst screaming. When we reached the top and we flipped upside down and the only thing keeping me in the seat was the harness and my death grips on the handles, I started praying. When we stopped going *boing!*, and was sitting on the seat 5km above everyone, I opened my eyes (which were closed all this while) and suffered from my height-phobia. When we got off, my nerves rushed back and I somehow said it was the coolest thing I've ever done.

Jake`s commentary
What Clare forgot to mention was that after that we went to the esplanade and had a few drinks (Clare had 2 cocktails and shots), after which she became tipsy. We went to Glutton Square at Esplanade and was waiting in line. I was looking at the menu and suddenly....

Clare: *attempts to whisper* Jake! I accidenta- (realizes she is at this point talking and not whispering, so tries again)

Clare: *still not very successful at whispering* Jake! I accidentally ... TOUCHED... the person behind us *mad laughter*

Jake: Shhhh Clare be cool don't embarass me! (Clare was still manically laughing at this time and I thought she was making up how she touched someone)

At this point the person behind us (who obviously heard our not very quiet conversation) approaches me -

Stranger: Yeah I was standing abit close to her and she did hit me by mistake but it's alright

Jake: Yeah sorry man it's my first time in Singapore and she's abit tipsy ey. *Embarassed and wanting to die*



Clare's takeover commentary
Apparently Jake said the guy was cute. Too bad I didn't look. But eeps. Talk about embarassing moments. *blush

What a Splash - Day 3 in Singapore

Whew what a day! (And it`s only 8.25pm now) *yawn

Woke up at 6.30 thinking that Jake was going to turn up at 7am but got a phone call from Jake at 6.40am. He arrived promptly at my doorstep within 5 minutes (quite scary considering almost everybody gets lost trying to find my place *lol*).

Morning was occupied with bringing Jake to find a traditional Singaporean breakfast - kaya toast, half boiled eggs (Yes Michelle, they succeeded in cooking half boiled eggs LOL) and teh ping (ice tea omg so good!). Went for bowling where Jake trounced everyone in the first round (133 points), but the best game out of 4 going to Guangzhao (my cousin) - 158. The loser each round was unfortunately my brother. After that me and jake had a haircut and I paid my brother off with $15 at the arcade to make him feel better about losing bowling each time. pfffffft.

After which I was planning to bring Jake to a water theme park, but realised that the only people that go there are primary school kids (even though Jake's a pedo :P:P this was abit too intense for him). So we decided against that course of action and went to *drumroll* East Coast Park.

East Coast Park. Home of the BBQ'd stingray, oyster omelette, satay, spring chicken wings, etc etc etc. And, also quite coincidentally, the first ever water ski park in singapore.

Left - a small fraction of the water ski park

Right - Singapore's First Cable Ski Park









Left - Jake waiting in line to grab onto the cable

Right - 10 seconds after Jake grabbed onto the cable











Left - what I did (kneeboarding) instead of wakeboarding :P Lets just say I got abit longer than 10 seconds on the board.


Right - Jake after wiping out





Someone managing to do what both Jake & I could not.

The AGONY! - Day 2 in Singapore

Total bone weary exhaustion.

Woke up this morning and was drafted as a mover i.e. had to traipse around the clinic packing stuff into boxes and yes. That took up the whole morning and early arvo. By the time I was done it was 3pm (so much for meeting Bryan - sorry I cancelled!). After which, I went for an Extraction Facial.

Let me inform you about my extraction facial. This is not the first facial I've been to - the very first one left me splotchy, with a face full of stinging pain and a swollen cheek quite like if I had a wisdom tooth taken out. The second time I had microdermabrasion which was funfunfun! Today. I had a fully manual extraction facial in which these people took great joy in torturing me (I swear if the Singaporeans had gotten facial...ists(?) to fight WW2 the japanese would never have won). But I diverge from the topic.

The first sentence I was asked when I lay down all vulnerable in a hospital gown like top (they get you to remove your clothing and put on this flimsy top that falls off if you pull too hard) was, "Are you scared of pain anot?" (Talk about public relations).

The first few minutes after that was deceptively innocent and nice. I had a warm water rinse, cleanser solution rubbed on my face, etc etc. Then came THE CREAM.

THE CREAM
The cream was slathered over my face. "Careful ah, will sting abit ok!?" So I lay there with a cream that is getting cooler and yes, IS stinging in that ice cold way. And then, the beautician facialist puts this machine over me that blows COLD STEAM out! AHHHHH! instant 'Dry Ice being rubbed over face' feeling! OUCH! OUUUCCHHHHH ! FAR OUT i can imagine how people with hypersensitivity feel when I rub dry ice/ CO2 over their tooth!

In addition to that, the cold steam/vapour kept condensating below my nose because well.... the air that comes out of your nose is hot right? and the water droplets were gathering over my lip and flowing back into my nose. eeps!

Next stage - expedition remove the blackheads! (no racial connotations)
So after that, she puts some alcoholic thing on my face that opens up my pores. And she puts cotton buds over my eyes to hide what she is doing next. Me being the perpetual busybody that I am peeks under the cotton bud anyway. She picks up what looks like a universal curette but at each end it has a grippy thing - consequently it looks like a 2 sided tweezer, but each side has one 'tweezer' end and one 'curette/spiky scrapey' end.

The tweezer end GRIPS your skin, and the curette end literally DIGS into your pore and scrapes out the stuff. OUCH. and she was METICULOUS. NO INCH of my face was spared.

At least after that things got better (As if they could get worse). I got a shoulder massage, a facial mask, and toner spray and moisturized up. *sigh.

At least this time when I walked out I did not resemble a watermelon.


Greenish tinge from trying not to throw up after the first facial I had. Red splotches from attempted excavation at my skin.


PS> Didn't manage to get any stationary or chelle's stuff - SORRY !

PPS> IT'S THE SINGAPORE GREAT SALE ON NOW YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PPPS> Jake gets here at 2 in the morning ! & he'll me staying with me so contact me if you need to get in touch with him :)

Steakalicious - Day 1 in Singapore

Evening 1 of my return and my mum and brother decides to drag me to a steakhouse, a really popular steakhouse in the east actually that goes by the name of 'Aston's Specialties'. Before I start ranting, let me state that the food at Aston's is not at all bad. At least it wasn`t the one time I got dragged there on a Sunday arvo.

What irks me is that some people treat it as a 'classy' date.

Like. Er. What the hell?

If it was a steakhouse such as Jack's place, some romantic shmoozy place, etc etc. even if it does have cheesy tablecloth (sorry to the staff at Jack`s place), that would be considered date material.

Aston's serves $14 Rib Eye steak, sirloin for $13, etc etc. Maybe to some secondary school student, that would be the epitome of date places to go. The people (read: PEOPLE, not person) that were standing in line (that stretched maybe 10 - 20 people long at 7pm on a tuesday evening) had majority of the girls in dresses. Not casualwear, or even casual dresses. I'm talking serious knee length dresses, with makeup, perfume, strappy high heels. Helloooo 20 year olds, you ARE going to an affordable, eat-your-money-worths' steakhouse, not Top of the M!

Basically, the idea I get of Aston's seem to be a place for everyone i.e. for families, little kids, friends, couples GOING ON CASUAL DATING. Like jean wearing, fun and homely environment. NOT wear-high-heels-that-break-my-ankle type dates!

Aston's seem to be a really good place to visit - when its' welcoming environment isn't being destroyed by cold, look their nose down on other people that do not wear dresses (i.e. ME) bimbos.

Yes, I have a bone to pick. And verily so.

keep up to date : tomorrow, i will be shopping for stationary, michelle`s stuff, packing up random stuff, and spending time with my family and perhaps catching up with a friend :)

Back in Singapore...

... and already I'm feeling busy.

Came back yesterday arvo feeling incredibly good after a 5 hour flight - watched Gladiator on the plane (sigh Russell Crowe is so old now).



Anyway that's beside the point - I'm getting sidetracked here. Came back, went to Raffles Town Club where I had buffet dinner - I probably ate all their pasta. (Where's my Char Kway Teow, Wonton Mee, Bak Chor Mee, etc etc etc?!)

And now, Day 2

• Laptop fixed - major yay ! It took only like 30 mins for them to plop a brand new shiny keyboard onto my laptop
• Bought Basic Pathology - Kumar, Cotran & Robbins (yay, I don't have to borrow this out of the library anymore - no $25 fine for me!)
• Picked up bro from school
• Convinced my bro that I should bring the PS2 back to Perh

:) Do I feel accomplished or what ;)

Oh yeah, I finished 2 lectures too! :D