Shoot! The computer in front of me doesn't let me type in Chinese. Anyways...

 

I'm vacationing in Singapore right now all by myself.

Well, that's sort of an overstatement. At least I'm not with people whom I know before hand. The flight was long. It stopped by San Francisco and Tokyo before landing Singapore. Almost a whole day went by while I was in the air. But who cares? Leaving school behind is absolutely wonderful, especially after an insanely stressful and hectic semester in the Integrated Master in Professional Accounting program.

 

I felt more like a frequent flyer this time. Independent as usual. Maybe a little bit too poise. I shopped for some Shu Uemura products in Narita Airport and felt extremely fulfilling. The fact that I actually try to care about how I present myself in front of others is a big step to adulthood (and to me personally as well). I'm turning 21 in a few days. I want to look beautiful and act gracefully suited to my age.

 

I arrived Singapore at 11:59pm, Friday, Dec. 14. When I passed the custom and claimed my baggage, it was already Saturday. Warm and humid air rushed into my face the minute I walked out of the airport. Dude, this is how the legendary tropical weather feels like.

 

When the car pulled over by the curb, I pleasantly discovered that the driver's seat is on the right-hand side of the car, which means in Singapore people drive on the left side of the road. I've never seen this sight before with my own eyes. It only gets better when I'm in the car observing the driving. My heart jumps when the car makes a left turn into the left side of the road. My own driving experience is telling me "we're gonna crash" but obviously we're just alright :)

 

I spent my first night in Singapore in an apartment and met with Helen and Tracy. Life only gets better from now on.

 

Saturday morning: I was waken up at 5:30am by some very strange, low-pitched sound from a bird I couldn't spot from the 13th floor. Darn it! I'm jet-lagged already and a bird succeeded in ruinning my sleep. Does it really think itself as a rooster? Come on, look at yourself in a mirror before trying to be a rooster when you are obviously not!

 

The first place we hit was Vivo City, one of the newly built shopping malls that is closest to where I reside. Since it is already approaching Chrisitmas, sales are everywhere. Cheerful people filled the whole mall with the upbeat holiday spirits. All the holiday decors put me so into the mood of shopping; fortunately I tricked myself into thinking "this is only my first day in Singapore. there is gotta be more and better." But I do have to say, I'm totally in love with this department store called "TANGS". It has a classic, Renaissance-styled store that make me feel like a princess walking into my palace. Gorgeous place! Oh btw, I had Laksa for lunch, one of the staple food in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. I've only had it once down at the food court in the Oriental Plaza in Beijing.

 

Sentosa - the famous island on the southeast coast of mainland, Singapore. We took a train through a bridge to get to Sentosa. There stands the Merlion statue on the top of the hill, overseeing Singapore and its people. The beach consists of very fine white sand. I watched my footprints form as I step into the sand; and the waves will come and smoothen them out. My trail on the sad is forming and unforming with a few seconds apart. Time seems to be the solution to everything. See... every step I take, it is a fresh start. And the wrong path I've walked, the wrong things I've done, the past I've regretted... all can be and will be brushed away by the waves of time. The time might be short like a split second, and it might as well be so long that lines start to appear on your forehead.

 

I found Sentosa even more charming when I accidentally saw my previous colleagues from Lazard Beijing and Hong Kong offices- Helen, Chen Jing, and Sigi with two other Lazard people! I'm in total jubilance! What are the chances of me meeting them in this particular island in this particular country on this particular date? Thanks to Sentosa!

 

When the night falls, we went to Bugis (one of the most popular shopping places) by the MRT (the subway here). There we ate at Seoul Garden, a Korean buffet. This is the first time I've seen a restaurant having something that could BBQ and hotpot at the same time on the stove. I had so much Bulgogi, Kimchi, and kelp soup. I "sarang" (love in Korean) Korean food!

 

Before we even finished eating in Seoul Garden, my jet-lagged body was already exhausted. I dropped dead on my bed around 7pm Saturday and didn't wake up till 6am the next day!