Just got home from my second wushu training session and feeling a bit sore in the legs again. Got to stretch more and maybe warm up more as well next time.
But I've been thinking about the blog, I'm going to try to get a lot of pictures into my entries but is there anything that you, my readers (if I have any), want me to write about? School, my housing, travels, life in general or other things; what do YOU want me to write about?
Please comment or tell me in any other way!
Peace out!
2011/08/22
2011/08/21
NTU Wushu Orientation Day
Earlier in the week I joined the NTU Wushu club; I had my first training session last Thursday and I can still feel the stretching in my thighs. This weekend I joined them for their orientation day/weekend that started on Saturday morning with a so called "Amazing Race"; a race with a number of checkpoints where you have to complete some sort of task to be allowed to continue. We started off from campus and at our first checkpoint (on campus) we joined up with our group leader. Here's the team (group leader not included):
We then went to our first real checkpoint at the Science Center in Jurong East we're we began with solving a five pieces Tower of Hanoi, blindfolded.
And afterwards we had to play plate chimes, blindfolded again of course, but we managed to get out something that resembled music and finished the checkpoint!
We did another checkpoint and on the way to the next we had a Durian break! Yes folks, I've eaten Durian now. It wasn't what I had imagined but I don't thing I will eat it especially often. For you that doesn't know, Durian is a fruit that smells pretty bad and it stinks up almost all supermarkets in Singapore. But whether yoo believe it or not, some people doesn't just like it, they love it.
We went past one of Singapore's whitest churches that's in the middle of central Singapore.
And up on Fort Canning Hill we had to build a ladder using only newspapers and tape. Look with awe at our amazing construction skills!
Okey, there might be a trick or two in that picture but it only had to look like a ladder and be taller than one meter.
Afterwards we went to Tampines and played games at the Tampines Stadium before heading of to Changi Hill and the barbecue!
Satay, chicken, crab fish, hot dogs, sweet potatoes, corn, rice, pasta and a bunch of other things didn't make it too hard to fill up the stomach! It was also the first time I've eaten pasta in Singapore, almost thought that it was noodles at first and it felt a little weird, but good, since it's been like three to four weeks since I last ate pasta. In Sweden we eat it like two times a week at the least.
In short it was a good day which kept on through the night with games and mingling with the club members.
Thanks for a nice weekend NTU Wushu and see you on Monday!
And afterwards we had to play plate chimes, blindfolded again of course, but we managed to get out something that resembled music and finished the checkpoint!
We went past one of Singapore's whitest churches that's in the middle of central Singapore.
And up on Fort Canning Hill we had to build a ladder using only newspapers and tape. Look with awe at our amazing construction skills!
Okey, there might be a trick or two in that picture but it only had to look like a ladder and be taller than one meter.
Afterwards we went to Tampines and played games at the Tampines Stadium before heading of to Changi Hill and the barbecue!
Satay, chicken, crab fish, hot dogs, sweet potatoes, corn, rice, pasta and a bunch of other things didn't make it too hard to fill up the stomach! It was also the first time I've eaten pasta in Singapore, almost thought that it was noodles at first and it felt a little weird, but good, since it's been like three to four weeks since I last ate pasta. In Sweden we eat it like two times a week at the least.
In short it was a good day which kept on through the night with games and mingling with the club members.
Thanks for a nice weekend NTU Wushu and see you on Monday!
Sentosa revisited
Well, you can't spend you're days doing nothing here in Singapore but if you do you got to make sure that you do nothing the right way. Jacob, Lina and Per hadn't been to Sentosa yet and last Sunday they decided that they wanted to go there. And an afternoon at beach felt like a pretty good idea that idea.
We mostly just lay on the beach, I read some "Game of Thrones" by George R.R Martin and I also took a run around some of the eastern parts of the island. We also found some (what I believe is) hermit crabs on the beach.
And Lina bought a frisbee that we played around with!
And on the way home we finished the day off with dinner at my local hawker center!
We mostly just lay on the beach, I read some "Game of Thrones" by George R.R Martin and I also took a run around some of the eastern parts of the island. We also found some (what I believe is) hermit crabs on the beach.
And Lina bought a frisbee that we played around with!
And on the way home we finished the day off with dinner at my local hawker center!
Marina Bay Sands
Last week I went to Marina Bay with Mr. Bedro (and his new Sony NEX-C3) to do some photographing and walk around the quay; last time I was there was on the national day and taking a walk wasn't really possible that evening due to the humongous crowds.
And in Marina Bay is the possibly coolest hotel in Singapore located. It's called Marina Bay Sands och consists of three buildings with a platform shaped like a boat that sits on top of the three of them.
And in Marina Bay is the possibly coolest hotel in Singapore located. It's called Marina Bay Sands och consists of three buildings with a platform shaped like a boat that sits on top of the three of them.
But Thursday evening was just the right time to go there! Little or close to no people (by Singaporean standards). When we got out and got a good view of the MBS hotel they started a lightshow across the quay that was pretty awesome (unfortunately the picture doesn't give it the credit it deserves).
My co-photographer for the evening, Jacob. It feels like you'll never stop being mesmerized by the central Singapore city-lights, they're simply awesome.
Along the quay there is numerous artworks; above, Jacob is posing inside the Olympic circles and further down we also found a piece by Salvador Dali!
This was right in front of "The shoppes at Marina Bay Sands" (I don't know why they can't spell it properly) which is a big mall with countless shops and boutiques for Singapore's wealthier citizens; it felt like you should have dressed up just to be allowed to enter the stores.
We got a bit closer to MBS...
... and it was a pretty breath-taking sight.
My co-photographer for the evening, Jacob. It feels like you'll never stop being mesmerized by the central Singapore city-lights, they're simply awesome.
Along the quay there is numerous artworks; above, Jacob is posing inside the Olympic circles and further down we also found a piece by Salvador Dali!
This was right in front of "The shoppes at Marina Bay Sands" (I don't know why they can't spell it properly) which is a big mall with countless shops and boutiques for Singapore's wealthier citizens; it felt like you should have dressed up just to be allowed to enter the stores.
We got a bit closer to MBS...
... and it was a pretty breath-taking sight.
2011/08/09
Happy 46th birthday Singapore!
School started last Monday but we only had one day until we had our first holiday! Singapore's national day is celebrated on the 9th of August in commemoration of their independence from Malaysia. We went to Marina Bay to watch the celebrations which consisted of parades, shows and much more, unfortunately we missed most activities due to our late arrival and the huge amount of people in central Singapore. But we did get to see helicopters carrying flags, jet-fighters flying in formation and of course the spectacular Marina Bay fireworks!
Why shoot from the ground when you can shoot from a skyscraper?
And as the fireworks continued and the gunpowder smoke got thicker, the fireworks started to look more and more like a nebula or some other astronomical phenomena.
Today I'm free from school again as my course in Chinese begins in next week. I've heard that undergrads can join research groups here, I don't know if exchange students are allowed to do it but since I'm here for two semesters I'm going try and look up some physics professor and see if I can join up!
MacRitchie Reservoir Park
First of all, after a week of search, Hallvard, Jacob, Lina and Per has finally found an apartment. They are now sharing room in a condominium, i.e. it looks like this outside their apartment. And yes, I've been there for a swim quite a few times now.
And they also have a cool mirror ceiling in their elevator!
And I almost forget to tell you, it's all located on top of a shopping mall directly connected to the MRT and a bus interchange so that they can go to school with roof over their heads all the way (more or less). Yes, you are lucky bastards.
The day after they moved in, Hallvard, Lina and I decided that we wanted to see some nature here in Singapore so we went to MacRitchie Reservoir Park which is one of the few water reservoirs in Singapore and it has with time been transformed into a nature reserve as well.
There we were marveled by the rain forest and all the peculiar ways in which the trees had decided to grow.
We also spotted some animals there: a lightning fast squirrel, a small monitor lizard and plenty of macaque. The one below almost yawns as big as me!
2011/08/03
Humble Bundle #3
It's just so awesome that I have to post it. Humble Bundle, the company with one the best concepts on how to promote indie games has just released a new bundle: Humble Bundle #3. The idea: pay whatever you want and divide it between the different parties connected to it however you want. However, it is time limited and at the time of my writing there is just over 6 days and 8 hours left.
It's now or never!
Sentosa Island
Previously named Pulau Blakang Mati (island of death from behind, free interpretations), Sentosa has become one of the top tourist attractions in Singapore. You need several days to explore all that Sentosa has to offer nevertheless you always have to start somewhere; so I went there and gave my back a bad sunburn!
Sentosa might be artificial but it is a tropical paradise. At the same time Singapore has the world's busiest harbour and are one of the biggest oil refiners in the world; this is unfortunately very noticeable from the beaches of Sentosa...
The top picture shows a small island with two towers, this island is the southernmost point of continental Asia and I just had to go there, obviously. Bathing, sunbathing and taking a run along the beach took it's toll so I was a little worn out by the time we went out there...
Accompanied by my roommate! We are currently helping each other rub lotion on to each others backs since we both got pretty bad burns in the sun.
Being a tourist attraction, more and more people came to the beach during the day but there are also other animals there, one of them was the little fellow below (who was about 40 cm long with tail).
Sentosa might be artificial but it is a tropical paradise. At the same time Singapore has the world's busiest harbour and are one of the biggest oil refiners in the world; this is unfortunately very noticeable from the beaches of Sentosa...
The top picture shows a small island with two towers, this island is the southernmost point of continental Asia and I just had to go there, obviously. Bathing, sunbathing and taking a run along the beach took it's toll so I was a little worn out by the time we went out there...
Accompanied by my roommate! We are currently helping each other rub lotion on to each others backs since we both got pretty bad burns in the sun.
Being a tourist attraction, more and more people came to the beach during the day but there are also other animals there, one of them was the little fellow below (who was about 40 cm long with tail).
The first days
Here are some pictures from the first few days in Singapore!
For some reasons bank buildings in central Singapore are really tall; money seems to make things grow!
Mr Bedro.
The view from Boat Quay, in the background is the Fullerton hotel and even further back is the hotel that is shaped like a boat and sits over the roof of several buildings.
And in Boat Quay you can grab a few cheap (by Singaporean standards, 5 SGD) beers at the Prince of Wales and listen to some live music!
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