Singapore: Day 56

Our time is winding down. Laney left tonight, and Emily, James, and Angelo are leaving on Saturday morning. We met in the afternoon for Korean BBQ in Chinatown. It was only $16 for an all-you-can-eat buffet. The restaurant had many kinds of meats and various Korean dishes (kimchi, japchae, etc.) The food wasn't authentically Korean, but it satisfied my craving for spicy rice cakes and kimchi.

Buffet style KBBQ

Our table of food

After eating, we walked around in search of a herb store. James needed to buy ointments for his mother, and Laney and I followed along by buying the same ointment. We also visited Fairprice to buy last-minute souvenirs. I purchased kaya, bak kut teh spices, laksa spices, dragonfruit, and longan. A kind Singaporean picked out dragonfruit for me when I asked her how to pick our dragonfruit (you'd expect me to know this after eating a dozen of them.) I thanked her, and left for the spice aisle. About 5 minutes later, I saw her walking toward me with another dragonfruit; apparently she had found a better one and wanted to give it to me. I was extremely touched by her kindness.

When we were finished shopping at Fairprice, we split ways. Laney and Emily wanted to continue shopping, while Nelson, James, Angelo, and I returned to PGP. We were all quite tired at this point (the fact that we stayed up to share affirmations only made it worse), and James and Angelo fell asleep on the MRT ride.

Nelson posing with the sleeping beauty

A sleeping James

When we got back to PGP, we rested a bit and then prepared for the Annual Dinner with the Berkeley Club of Singapore. The dinner was held at the Four Seasons, a high-end hotel in Orchard. A group of us met at 6:30 PM to take the taxi there, and thankfully we bumped into Laney and had a chance to say goodbye before her flight. We separated into two taxis, and after a bit of traffic, we finally arrived at the Four Seasons an hour later.

The dinner started at 8, so we mingled with the alumni in the lobby. It was definitely an interesting experience, because we were connecting with other Cal students in a location far away from Cal. It was also interesting learning about why the alumni were in Singapore and whether or not they liked living in Singapore.

We started off the night with a brief game. The president of the Berkeley Club called all the current Cal students onto the stage for a trivia about Singlish; the prize was an iPad. The president named several words which none of us knew (shameful, I know, considering that we lived in Singapore for two months). Some of us took painful guesses, but Kate took home the prize when she made a couple of lucky and clever guesses. However, the boxed Apple product turned out to be a hoax: inside was literally an apple!

The game was very fun, and afterwards, we returned to our respective seats and began our dinner. The dinner was definitely a new experience, because I never had such an elegant meal before. The portions were very small, and surprisingly the food wasn't that distinctive.

Beef Carpaccio with Tomato Basil Fondue, Arugula, and Pecorino Cheese

Cosmopolitan Granite

Pan Roasted Cod Fish Mediterranean with Charred Vegetables, Herb Oil

Warm Chocolate Cake with Spiced Ice Cream and Orange Tuiles

I sat with two couples and their children. I spoke the most with Eric, who graduated as a rhetoric major from Cal and is now an investment analyst at Fidelity Investments. I asked him questions about relocating to Asia, because after my study abroad experience I was interested in living and working abroad. Towards the end of the dinner, he connected me with Alice, who is a Health Economics and Market Access Manager at Johnson & Johnson. I spoke with Alice for a long time about science in Asia, and she suggested that I stay in the United States for graduate school and research. Asian R&D are focused on making affordable products for the Asian markets, while the U.S. houses the original R&D headquarters and thus produce more competitive research and goods. Alice also said the name of an American university will carry me further than an Asian university, so I should stay in the U.S. for graduate school. This conversation disappointed me, because I was hoping to return to Asia in a nearer future, but I directed the conversation toward research after my PhD and Singapore's health care system (after all, I may be pursing a MD/PhD route). Alice couldn't help me with these topics and suggested that I speak with two of her colleagues, Julian and another manager in the health care field. From these two men, I learned that Singapore's healthcare system is very well-off and that doctors earn very high salaries. This is hopeful in the case that I return to Asia as a MD/PhD; I can either become a doctor or start my own research lab. The possibilities are endless with an American degree, but I do worry that the research won't be cutting-edge research. I asked for the cards of those I spoke with so I could contact them with additional questions. The dinner was definitely a great learning experience.

Group table photo

After the dinner and profuse networking, the alumni brought us to Walbar, a Korean bar in Tanjong Pagar. Emily, James, and Jessica had dinner with Laney earlier to send her off, and joined us at the bar. The alumni purchased several bottles of soju as well as dishes of food. The night was actually quite fun, probably because I drank the most I've ever had. I don't remember the exact number of soju shots I had, but I do remember being inebriated to the point of falling asleep on Michael's and James' shoulders. The alumni were quite adamant about us drinking, and I found that amusing because I would expect working professionals to be more responsible. At the end of the night, the bill came out to be $3600! Thankfully we didn't have to pay for this immense bill.

Group photo!

 We returned to PGP around 3:30 AM, and I quickly showered and changed into more comfortable clothes. James had to do his laundry before his afternoon flight to Hong Kong, so I spent time with him in the lounge while he waited for his laundry. We ended up talking until almost 7 AM (don't worry, we were productive and packed whilst conversing). It was an interesting bonding experience and possibly one of the best conversations I've had in Singapore.

Singapore: Day 55

Today, I didn't go into lab because I ended up sleeping at 7 AM and was too tired. I've also been a bit emotionally vulnerable lately due to a certain chain of events.

I met with Michael at 3 PM to check out Singapore's museums. We originally planned to visit the Red Dot Museum at Tanjong Pagar only to find it closed. We wandered and happened upon the Singapore City Gallery. Entry was free and the demonstrations were beautiful! It was the perfect closure, because the gallery had several small imitations of Singapore and it was nostalgic pointing out all the places we visited.

Singapore City Gallery

Last night's destination!

Afterwards, we walked around to find the food centre. We found one, and Michael was elated to discover a new centre, until I pointed out that it was the Maxwell Food Centre. Even with that disappointment, we were both excited to try Tian Tian, the stall that won against Gordon Ramsay in the Singapore Hawker Cook-off. We ordered the famous chicken rice.

Tian Tian

As expected, the chicken rice was delicious. It was rich and flavorful, and it made me wonder how it was humanly possible to pack such deliciousness into something as plain as rice. The chicken was tasty, but not astounding as the rice was. The rice had an amazing flavor, and I hope I can reproduce it when I return to the states (unlikely, but an adventure nonetheless). After our meal, we decided to grab dessert. I ordered a black sesame soya milk, and Michael and I talked to the stall owners for a while about what it was like to run a hawker stall and live in Singapore. The both of us like to interact with the locals in Singapore and are open to conversing with strangers, so it was definitely a great experience to meet Singaporeans with a friend. After our conversations, Michael hunted for dessert and eventually ordered a strawberry soya bean curd (which was delicious and later convinced me to try my own bean curd.)

Black sesame soya milk

After we finished our desserts, we made our way back to PGP. Those of us that were still in Singapore gathered for dinner at 6 PM, and Michael and I made it right in time to meet with them. From there, we headed to Orchard to eat at the Asian Food Mall in Lucky Plaza. I ate at the Filipino stall, Lutong Pinoy, and ordered the arroz caldo/goto with egg. It tasted like the porridge I usually ate at home, but it was chewier and also came with a lemon. It was my first time having Filipino food, and it was definitely tasty and interesting at the same time. I will need to have more experiences with Filipino food in the future!

Arroz caldo/goto with egg

 Afterwards, we grabbed dessert. I was beyond full at this point, but I wanted to try the desserts, so I split one with Jessica. It was delicious and contained shaved ice, ice-cream, corn, jelly, fruit, etc.

After eating, we watched Pacific Rim at Shaw Theater (still in Orchard.) The movie was interesting, yet uncomfortable for me. I disliked the character that the Asian female presented: she fulfilled the Asian stereotype of being quiet, obedient, characterless, etc. On our taxi ride back home, we picked apart the movie to its bones, which was a great experience. I definitely missed analyzing movies for the two months that I've been away from the states, so it was refreshing to do so again with friends. When we returned to PGP, Michael, Laney and I washed our laundry. Michael gave me the remainder of his Royce chocolate (he was leaving for Bangkok on Saturday and could not finish it) while I shared some of my contact solution with him.

While in the laundry room, I bumped into one of the graduate students I met a few weeks before. We talked a bit and he asked for my number so that we could meet up next week. While I waited for my laundry, he stayed with me in the lounge and chatted away. All I can say is that it was an awkward experience.

Singapore: Day 54

Today I had lunch at JJ Yong Tau Foo in the Kopitiam. I had an all vegetarian noodle soup, meaning I only picked vegetables and tofu to go with my noodle soup. It has been my favorite food place at my workplace, because I miss eating a variety of vegetables. On a work-related note, my project is winding down. However I have been leaving work earlier this week, because it is my last week with the program and I want to spend more time with my peers before they leave.

Tonight was going to be a big night. It was our last night with everyone after all, because Nicole was leaving on Thursday for Bangkok. James and Laney had dinner with their coworkers, so Michael, Emily, Angelo, Nicole, and I grabbed a Western dinner at Everything With Fries in Holland Village. I mentioned in a previous blog post about how there is a section dedicated to cultural foods, so I had a chance to at least try the food there. Nicole found the recommendation via Ladyironchef (she seems to always be craving fries.) Once at the restaurant, I ordered a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with curry fries. I personally don't like eating unhealthily, but ever since I've come to Singapore I've eaten at McDonalds on three occasions and other various fried foods. Food is food, and I shouldn't let previous habits restrict me from trying new foods. The grilled ham and cheese sandwich was a pretty good attempt at Western food, and the curry fries in particular were very good.

Everything with Fries

Grilled ham and cheese sandwich w/ curry fries

Holland Village at night

After we finished our dinner, we went back to PGP to rest and prepare for the night. We met again at 10:45 PM and grabbed a taxi to Zouk, one of the oldest and most popular clubs in Singapore. Most of the students from the Berkeley and USC study abroad programs were attending that night, and we joined a group of them pre-gaming outside Zouk. Eventually, we made our way into the club.

Zouk!!

The night was definitely memorable (both because of the club experience and the bonding experience afterward). We moved around the different rooms within the club and just danced within our Balongong group. For the final dance, we all huddled in a circle with our arms around each other and swayed to the music. It reminded me of my final dances at the JHU CTY summer programs at UC Santa Cruz, so it brought about a sense of happy nostalgia. It's been so long since I've felt so at one with a group of friends.

The Balongongs, PC:Estelle

We left the club around 3 AM and headed back home via taxi. We sat in the PGP lounge and ordered McDelivery, because we were all hungry. The food arrived around 4:20 AM, and as we ate we gave positive affirmations until 6 AM. It was a touching experience.

Our McDelivery feast

After our affirmations, we huddled for one last time and broke with a cheer to the Balongongs. It was definitely an emotional and memorable last night with them, and I am glad I had the chance to know and spend time with this amazing group of individuals.

Singapore: Day 53

Today, we were running experiments late into the afternoon and missed the lunch period at Duke-NUS, so we ate at the House Men's Canteen. I ordered the mee hoon kway, which had uniquely shaped noodles. I'm going to miss the cheap price of food. My meal was only $2.50, while a meal back in Berkeley is at least $6!

Mee hoon kway

I left work early today in order to stop by Chinatown and to attend our AIC event at the Night Safari. I bought two pork buns at $1.50 each and a box of lychee for $3. Because my time in Singapore is winding down, I want to try as much as I can. The pork bun was heavenly! It was incredibly juicy and soft and like no other that I've ever eaten. It was completely fresh and authetentic (not saying that my mother doesn't make authentic pork buns). The lychee were also large and sweet. I will definitely miss the fruit in Singapore.

The stall of delicious buns!

The buns are kept hot and fresh in these containers

Juicy pork bun

Box of lychee (photo taken later in my room)

Because I wanted to eat my pork bun fresh and food is not allowed on the MRT, I enjoyed the bun while wandering through People's Park Complex.

People's Park Complex

After I finished my bun, I journeyed back to PGP and gave the other bun to Emily, who lives right next door to me. I also tried the delicious lychee. Shortly after, we met at at the lobby and journeyed to Choa Chu Kang, where we were to meet for the Night Safari. Besides the mall was another Ramandan market, so we bought our dinners amid the stands of deliciousness. I purchased squid, chicken, and crab takoyaki as well as a cup of corn. The cup of corn may be questionable, but I love corn and I have been meaning to try corn in Singapore. I wasn't very hungry because I had the pork bun earlier, but I pushed through the food knowing that I only had a finite amount of time left in Singapore.

Ramandan market. So much food!

My half-finished cup of corn

Squid, chicken, and crab takoyaki

After the entirety of the study abroad programs met up, we moved to the bus stop, where we took public transportation to the Night Safari. At this point, it was 9 PM and the park closed at midnight. It is difficult for me to share photos, since it was almost pitch black and the pictures did not come out well. Here are my attempts:

 

 

 

Group photo outside the Night Safari

It was fun exploring the wilderness at night both via tram and on foot. Luckily there were trails within the Night Safari, and we followed them to sight all the animals. When we were finished exploring the Night Safari, we took a taxi bus back to PGP.

Singapore: Day 52

Today is the beginning of the last week of the program. I started off my day at work with breakfast at Chinatown. I bumped into Nelson on my way to the MRT, and he recommended that I try a pork bun stall at Chinatown. I had the kway teow bakso soup and a long bean with meat pancake afterwards. I've been eating more lately so I could try as many foods as I can before I leave Singapore (a strange thought, leaving).

Kway teow bakso soup

Long bean with meat pancake

After I quickly ate, I went into lab and picked up my project. Because I had a large breakfast, I was not hungry and continued working past lunch. Later during the day, I was hungry and went to the Kopitiam for popiah. I talked to the chef and he asked if I was going to come back to Singapore to work. This has been a growing thought lately, going abroad for work. My study abroad in Singapore has only opened my eyes to what is possible. The world is so large, and I want to experience more of this international culture.

Laney and James had dinner with their coworkers, so Angelo, Nicole, Emily, and I remained to make dinner plans. However, both Angelo and I were running late, and plans fell through. Instead, I went to Just Acia for dinner. It is unbelievable the number of times I've been here (both with Emily and by myself), but this restaurant holds so many memories. It is the place I go to to heal wounds and find quiet space. I ordered the dory fish ramen in tomato soup.

Dory fish ramen in tomato soup

Afterwards, I returned to my room in PGP and continued working into the night. I felt like I was falling apart, because I was behind in my blog and Reach the World as well as in the ISF class. I also haven't been able to work with SASE often enough this summer due to my busy schedule, and I was unsure of the status of my applications. Too much to do, too much to worry about!

Singapore: Day 51

Today was a bit slower, considering that we went to Sentosa the day before. I needed to finish my essay on the Symbolic Frame for ISF 187, so I woke up quite early in order to submit it before the 2 PM deadline (the essay was due Saturday at 11 PM PST, which was Sunday at 2 PM SGT). I grabbed brunch at the dorms: Taiwan style yangchun noodles from Taipei Delights, and continued my work. Nicole, Laney, and James made a trip to Chinatown to try Tian Tian for lunch, but I could not join them due to the ISF assignment.

Taiwan style yangchun noodles

We met at 4:30 PM and headed to Paya Lebar to explore. We were pleasantly surprised to find a bustling market; it is Ramaddan, so there was a Hari Raya Bazaar (Ramadan Market) selling all sorts of food and goods. It's amazing how there are so many different cultures and sub-cultures that are present in Singapore and I'm glad we're able to explore them during our time here. We tried a roti john from Ramly Burger. It was very rich in sauce and the bread was very soft and chewy, but overall the roti john was very delicious. I also purchased a sobyah, which is a traditional Ramadan drink made from barley.

Ramadan market

Freshly prepared roti john

The Ramly Burger stall!

Roti john!

Afterwards, we headed to Kembangan Chai Chee for dinner. This food centre mostly sold Muslim and Malay foods (after all, the area is home to the Malay Muslim community.) I followed the queau and went to the stall with a very long line. The stall did not have a menu, so I asked the man behind me on what was good to eat. With his aid, I ordered the Nasi Ambeng, which is originally an Indonesian dish. It was very interesting because the server scooped a variety of dishes into a piece of paper and folded it into a package. I saved the sobyah I purchased earlier from the Ramadan market to drink alongside my meal. I I have no experience with Muslim or Indonesian food whatsoever, so this was definitely an exciting dinner to try.

Sobyah, a traditional Ramadan drink

Nasi Ambeng

The food was very delicious. For some reason, the Nasi Ambeng reminded me of Vietnamese food which made the meal even more hearty. Because I previously had the roti john and the Nasi Ambeng was very large and filling, I was quickly full and could barely finish the meal. After we all finished eating, we explored the area and the markets. The goods ranged from electronics to carpeting services to pastries to toys; it was fun looking around this unique cultural market, especially because I do not know much about Muslim culture and I would not have had this experience in the United States.

After dinner and explorations, we headed to the NTU Alumni Club once again for a night of karaoke. We had an appointment for 9 PM and we sang until 2 AM. Michael, James, and Nicole's friend joined us a little bit after 9 PM, because Michael came straight from the airport (he went to Indonesia over the weekend), James left after our dinner at Paya Lebar to drop an item off with a family friend, and Nicole's friend only joined us for karaoke. It was an interesting night, and by the time we finished, we were very tired. We took a taxi home and unwound from there.