Singapore!

Goodbye Sydney!

Saturday

Yesterday we flew from Sydney to Singapore, and I got sick from the food on the plane. Not nice! I was very relieved to find my Aunt Carol waiting for us at Changi Airport. We stayed local for dinner, although I couldn't really eat much, and I rolled gratefully into a very comfy bed pretty early.

This morning I started to feel better, so we bused into Orchard Road - the main shopping street in Singapore. The whole street has been decorated for Christmas, with lanterns and tinsel twirled around trees and hanging across the road. It's beautiful, and there are giant light displays that look stunning lit up at night. There were certain places and shops that were like déjà vu from when I was here in 2006, but so much has changed in the last 9 years. It certainly feels a lot more westernised than it did before.




We then caught the MRT into Marina Bay. The public transport here is so quick and clean and cheap! I wish NZ would catch up. The whole city is clean, gum is illegal and littering leads to massive fines, so the streets are lovely to walk along. Singapore feels very safe, although it is rather bizarre having a million cameras watching you everywhere you go.










We walked to Gardens by the bay with the iconic Supertree Grove (manmade tree-like structures, covered in flowers and lights). There was a Christmas wonderland set up, like they do in Hyde Park every year. Unfortunately the lights weren't on because it was the middle of the day. We went up to the skywalk between the trees, giving us a beautiful view over the city on one side and the sea on the other. It is mostly reclaimed land in this area, and the gardens stretch for ages (no baby trees are ever planted in the city! They are already fully grown by the time they are put in). For such a densely populated island there is a lot of greenery around, its lovely. The breeze on the skywalk was also very welcome - we're definitely in the Asian humidity!!

No fun.

After coming down from the skywalk, we headed to the Marina Bay Sands hotel for lunch on the roof which is shaped like a ship. It gave us another gorgeous view over the city, and we stayed at the bar for lunch. The humidity is very draining, so we headed back to the apartment for a swim and nap.

 

A couple of hours later we went back out to a hawker's centre in a lovely old Victorian style building for dinner. The names of the stands were hilarious and often unappetising: Pig's Organ Soup, Fishing Fish Soup, Mixed Vege Rice & Porridge, and Chicky Fun where I got my dinner. The food was so good and cheap! $4.50 for a filling meal.

So much artwork on display around the city - you can even be a part of it!

We then went for a cruise down the river to see the city all lit up, and it was stunning. The range of architecture from the ultra modern to the more European colonial buildings is lovely, and gives the city a unique feel. We got off the boat at one of the quays and walked the 3km back to the apartment along the river. We are being absolutely spoilt here by my aunt and uncle! It's bliss.

The Merlion is the symbol of Singapore

Sunday

We went to my aunt and uncle's church this morning, the International Baptist Church. It was an interesting service. There was a youth choir and interpretive dance group doing the worship, and the congregation only sung one song. The choir was accompanied by a grand pianist, guitarist and drummer. Then one of the youth played an original worship song she had written in the songwriting group. It was really beautiful. She must have been about 15; very talented girl! The sermon was taken by an American pastor, talking about standing firm in the Lord and rejoicing in him always. A timely reminder. 

We then headed to Haw Par Village, an outdoor cultural site set up with statues and scenes from traditional beliefs, including the Ten Courts of Hell. Very gruesome and graphic, but fascinating to learn more about the culture. I was a bit concerned to see that the punishment for disobeying siblings was being ground by a big stone!!

We then headed to Sentosa island to go to SEA Aquarium. It was only a short drive; it’s amazing how close everything is here. A population of about 5.5 million is condensed onto an island about half the size of Auckland, but everything is just so well organised. For example, the parking on Sentosa (which has the theme parks and aquarium) is organised by colour, letter, number, and compass point (east, west etc). And above every park is a hanging light with sensor. If the park is empty, the light is green, if there is a car in it it turns red. So it’s really easy to see where there is a park. Genius!

We came up out of the carpark though and I thought I had landed in America. Universal Studios, Hard Rock Café, Hershey’s Chocolate World, confectionery stores and giant statues of M&Ms and Jelly Beans… So weird. We found a cool dim sum place for lunch, then headed into the aquarium. There were a bunch of displays on different Asian cultures, with history from the medieval era and what they traded. So right up my alley!! Porcelain, silk, herbs and spices, and interactive spots to learn more. 

No need to make a film, Pixar, I found Dory.

Down into the aquarium, I was immediately struck by the enormity of the enclosures and the ridiculous numbers of sharks and fish. SEA Aquarium is home to the largest viewing tank in the world. It was massive. Bizarrely, on the other side of it are a bunch of hotel rooms! Most had their curtains closed, but one man walked out in front of the window in his room in a bathrobe. Ooops. 

After a swim to cool off back at the apartment, we decided to venture to the Bugis Street markets. The atmosphere was buzzing, although some of the outdoor stores had been taken down. It got pretty muggy among the inside stalls very quickly. Really cool cheap stuff; unfortunately I seem to be a bit tall for a lot of the Asian clothing, but I made up for it with earrings. After a couple of hours we'd had enough, and found somewhere for dinner, then home after another long but fun day!

Monday

I've been quite ill over the past few days, so decided to take the day to rest and avoid the heat. Mallory headed out mid-morning with a family friend who lives here in Singapore, so luckily I haven't stopped her doing anything. I took the opportunity to call people at home, and skyped Lew for our 6 month anniversary today. It's hard being away from those you love! 

Tomorrow we head to Cambodia for the next leg of our journey. It's going to be very emotionally and physically challenging, but I am so very excited to meet Sochea. She was the inspiration behind this entire trip. I don't know if I'm entirely ready for the culture shock that will greet us, but we'll soon see!

Sydney: 17-19 November 2015

Tuesday

A few tearful goodbyes and two flights later, we were in Sydney! It was HOT. We caught the train into Green Square Station, and just as I boarded the escalator up to the exit I hear this familiar “helloooo” behind me. AIMEE! Yay! Reunited!! We then trecked the 30 minute walk to Aimee’s flat in the Australian heat of the day, uphill, lugging our suitcases. Aimee talked non-stop the entire way, she was so excited to have us there. Past Amelia Street (where the cool people live, obviously) and into her nice apartment for a sit down and a massive glass of water. I took off my supposedly comfortable shoes to find 8 new blisters. Ow. Aimee quickly cooked herself some dinner; Mal and I were still full from the plane. 

Then we set off on another walk, this time to Hillsong’s Heart and Soul night at their Doody St campus. We reached Hillsong just as worship was starting, and slipped into seats near the back of the Bondi section. The music was just phenomenal! I kept thinking of all the people at home who would love to have been here. We connected to the city campus with Brian speaking. It was really cool to see how the church connects over such a widespread number of campuses. It was a chilled sermon about opinions. Really on point. At one stage he was talking about how Americans think of hell as a swear word, and how they mumble it when singing worship songs that we sing normally. Then he said “but bugger and bloody, you wouldn’t hear them here would you?”, causing a burst of laughter in the auditorium. Afterwards we talked to the German pastor, and somehow Ralph came up. There were 5 of us from Life in Palmy and the pastor couldn’t believe it. So we all took a photo together for him to send to Ralph. I was fading fast by this point, the jetlag was starting to catch up with me and it was about 11pm at home. Thankfully Hannah gave us a ride back to the flat. I gratefully crawled into my bed (a mattress on the floor in the lounge). Sleeeeeeeep! 

Wednesday

Where the cool people live, obviously.

Aimee was working today, so Mallory and I took the chance to have a chilled morning, then headed out to tick off the tourist sites. It wound up being 36 degrees with glaring sunshine. Sydney is having a heatwave this week. It's going to be 41 on Friday, so I'm glad we leave in the morning!

Around 11am we headed to the train station, and it was already super hot. The intercom kept repeating “doors closing, please stand clear” over and over, to the point we thought it was broken. Then the train conductor came over the intercom and said in a very sassy Australian accent: “Because it seems to be rather confusing, when the message says ‘Doors closing, please stand clear’, it means the doors are closing, please stand clear”. Aussie hospitality at its finest... The train we were on broke down at the next station so we had a bit of a mission to find another one, but eventually made it into Circular Quay. That has to be one of the best views from a train station!! Absolutely stunning panorama of the MCA, Harbour Bridge and Opera House. 

The view from the Circular Quay train station. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the Opera House.

We headed to the Opera house first and got some great photos and views. 

Then around to the MCA where we were greeted by a very welcome gust of air conditioning as we entered the door. We stumbled upon a free guided tour which was great. I’m not a big fan of modern art, but at least this way I could understand it a bit more. We then headed up to the café on the top floor which was supposed to be the best view of the Opera House. Unfortunately, a giant cruise ship also knew this tip, and had parked right in the way. We still had a nice view of the bridge, but the food was expensive and average, so pretty disappointing.

At the MCA café: Lunch with a view

We then did a bit of shopping around the central city, but I was aware that this was only the beginning of a month-long trip and baggage allowances are limited. Back to Aimee's flat, we cooked a stir fry for dinner and sat around the table chatting until Mal and I almost fell asleep. Another early night, broken by some Kiwis trying to make us feel at home by doing a haka at the pub down the road at 10.30pm. Ah, New Zealand, I miss you.

Thursday

Thankfully it was cooler, so we decided on a walk around Surry Hills, a beautiful little suburb near Aimee’s flat with gorgeous Victorian terraces and quirky boutiques. We got a little lost, but ended up seeing some beautiful buildings, so who cares! We drifted into a not so nice area, and almost immediately a man approached us and said "Have a good weekend ladies, you look like you're dressed for it". But the two and a half hour walk was pleasant as there were lots of trees and a nice breeze. Running into Aimee's friend, the compliment "you all look lovely, so chic", was much more appreciated and less creepy than the earlier one from the stranger. We stopped at Devon on Danks café across from Hillsong's Danks Street campus for a drink and rest, before heading back to the flat for lunch and to get out of the heat for a bit.

Later on we headed out to Bondi Junction so Aimee could buy some summer clothes. We caught the bus, so it was great to see some more of Sydney through the windows. The aircon in the mall was very welcome, and we were there so long I actually got a little cold! Bliss!! Then home via the train and a walk through Red Fern – a bit run down and apparently a dodgy area but it was okay in the daylight. Back to the flat for some watermelon, sitting on the balcony in the breeze, and then repacking for the flight tomorrow morning. Singapore, here we come!!

Time To Say Goodbye

I have spent the last month since England making my way around the south of France, exploring villages, cities, castles, cathedrals, and markets, from Provence, to Aquitaine, to Burgundy. It has been a great experience, and I have had my French tested many times, but that was my favourite part - when people didn't speak any English and had never heard of New Zealand (we managed to hear Royals by Lorde countless of times nonetheless). I've noticed the major differences in culture and architecture as we slowly made our way from south east France, west, and then north. Some of which I would never have expected as French and was totally surprising, but fascinating in opening my eyes to the reality of a France that is so different from Paris.

Markets for miles in Provence

Breathtaking views of clifftop villages with derelict castles in the Provençal mountains

Losing ourselves in the narrow cobbled Medieval streets of Aquitaine

Daydreaming at castles in the Loire Valley

Feeling like a queen in my massive 19th century Paris hotel room

I'm sitting here in my Paris hotel room, after spending the last couple of days walking non-stop and then going to a service at the Notre Dame this morning, looking back over the last 3 months and wondering where the time went. I am so exhausted that I can't wait to get home, and yet it has all been so incredible that I don't want to leave (the 30-something hours of flying is daunting, too).  







It was strange wandering through the familiar streets of Paris again this weekend after being away for a couple of months. It has made me appreciate the changes in the seasons; seeing new flowers growing where there were once autumn leaves piled high, a huge influx of tourists in places that had seemed deserted... I much preferred our time in November, but my love for this place has remained. I have never felt so blessed in my life for the past 3 amazing months exploring places I have always dreamed about. This time itself now seems like a dream, and it has only inspired me to dream bigger and further. Watch out, Europe. I'll be back.

Goodbye Paris, and goodbye France. Thank you for the incredible times and the wonderful memories. I can't wait to be back.

Thanks for the memories, England

What an amazing time I've spent in England. I started in London, went north to the Cotswolds, south back to London, then south-er to Brighton, north to Yorkshire, south to Windsor, and west to Bath, before finishing the crazy 4 weeks in Windsor (with the Queen).

My camera died, my laptop keeps freezing, I lost my voice, and I haven't had a solid sleep in a very long time, but it has been awesome.

Taking over the band at The Perseverance

After Christmas in Yorkshire we came back to Windsor to bring in 2014. We spent the evening at the pub playing trivial pursuits, singing Auld Lang Syne while holding crossed hands, and the family joined in playing and singing with the live band. It was a nice, chilled night. New Years Day was spent watching a football game in torrential weather. Pretty British few days I think.

Fulham vs. Westham

Windsor Castle

Mum, Mel and I explored Windsor Castle after Dad and Ali had gone to Belfast. It was a great time to go as we got to see the rooms that the Queen still uses to entertain today, which are usually shut off to the public. Her flag was flying from the turrets, and her guards were marching around the grounds. All very exciting.

At Bridge Cottage in Bradford-on-Avon

Mel, Cryssie, Mum and I then set off on a girls' roadtrip across to Bradford-on-Avon, a cute little town next to Bath. On the way we stopped off at Lacock, a National Trust Village, which was absolutely gorgeous, although a little run down. When we walked into our cottage at Bradford-on-Avon we were wrapped with how adorable it was, and were stoked with the free cupcakes and bubbly. After about half an hour though, having everything covered with Cath Kidston flowers made us quite dizzy; we counted 9 different flower or animal patterns in one bedroom alone. Everything possible was Cath Kidston, including the wallpaper.

We spent the next day in Bath, which was so awesome! The architecture was divine, particularly the Royal Crescent and the Circus.

The Circus

The Royal Crescent

We also had high tea at the Jane Austen museum before doing the small tour. It was lots of fun dressing up at the end of the museum tour, but I'm definitely glad I can wear what I do now!

Lady Mawhinney and her three eligible daughters

The view over Bradford-on-Avon

We did a huge walk around Bradford-on-Avon, past the swollen river, up the hill via steep steps, to witness a gorgeous view of the town. We went shopping and found a shop called Piha after the beach in NZ! How funny.

The cricket ground

It's our last night tonight, and we're all having dinner together after a day doing last minute errands. The local village is quite flooded and there are many closed roads. The cricket ground is now the cricket lake, and we're just glad that Mel's apartment is three flights up!





Tomorrow we will return to France, and I have mixed feelings. I'm so exhausted that part of me would love it if the flight I boarded tomorrow would land me back in my bed in Palmy. But on the other hand, I'm so excited to see another part of the country and culture that I have been studying and obsessing about for years. I feel like I have forgotten all my French, but everyone keeps assuring me it will come back. I hope so. Speaking English has made this part of the journey a lot less stressful than where we go to next, but the challenge has been accepted and I can't wait to fulfill it, even with little voice and a cold.

Thank you England and my family for the great time and memories that we spent together. Can't wait to see you again in August. xxxxxx