Singapore: Day 19

Wednesday passed by quite quickly, probably because it was productive and spent in good company. I've noticed that time has been slipping through my fingers, and I'm saddened that I am not able to enjoy and feel each moment thoroughly. I think it is due to the lack of sleep, so time to bring in the caffeine! :) I had a little more than 5 hours of sleep last night and woke up feeling refreshed this morning; I usually sleep 4 to 5 hours a night, so the slight increase in sleep definitely made me feel a lot better. Today, I did not have much lab work to do because I had to wait for my housekeeping gene (GAPDH) to arrive before I can continue with PCR and gel electrophoresis. As a result, I spent the day working on four applications (all due June 30); emailing the SASE board, organizations, professionals and others; planning next semester; etc. I was able to reduce my stress a bit, but I still have too many worries. During lunch, Jian suggested that I visit VivoCity, a shopping centre located at the Harbour Front station, during my stay at Singapore. He had me hooked as soon as he mentioned that VivoCity had many pastry shops, because I have been craving sweets for the longest time! Harbour Front is only a station away from where I work, so I made a stop by VivoCity before I headed home.

The view entering VivoCity from the MRT station

Weight Loss shop in Asia.... huh?

 After checking out the many different food places, I decided to stop by BreadTalk. I've noticed many BreadTalks in Singapore, but I never had the chance to visit one until today.

Deliciousness!!

After much speculation, I bought three savory pastries and a bag of chocolate pastries. Of the three savory pastries, one was filled with a spicy fish, another a mushroom, and the last one a spicy meat. The fillings were interesting and definitely different from the ones I usually eat. I would say that my favorite one is the chocolate pastry, because it is so soft and sweet (I have a huge sweet tooth)! I can't wait to try more pastries!

I made a quick stop at the Kopitiam for dinner, as my energy was waning and I thought it preferable to eat at VivoCity rather than the PGPR canteen. I ordered the Sichuan vegetable ban mian soup.

Kopitiam

Sichuan vegetable ban mian soup

After I finished my meal, I headed back to PGPR. The skies of Singapore have been noticeably darker lately, because it is currently experiencing increased levels of air pollution caused by the burning of agricultural waste materials in Sumatra, Indonesia earlier in the week. The air is hazy, with a noticeable smoky smell, and some are wearing masks as a safety precaution against this pollution. Singapore's Pollution Standard Index (PSI) shot above the "unhealthy" threshold of 152 today, and I've received email warnings from the U.S. Embassy and AIC about the potential health hazards. Strangely, I haven't felt too alarmed, probably because the issue of high pollution levels is a problem that is completely foreign to me.

View outside of Kent Ridge MRT station

On my walk back from the MRT station, I stopped by Emily's room to share my stash of deliciousness with her (she lives right next door to me.) A brief stop turned into a 2 to 3 hour long conversation! We were not aware that so much time had passed by, so when we checked the time we were definitely surprised. We went back into our rooms to finish our work and finally checked out for the night.