BINTAN INDONESIA

Ferry Over

Pool at Nirwana Gardens

Our beach!

So cool!

Baby Sand Dollars

 Emma Kara and I 

She is so huge!

Gorgeous!

Roommates!

Bintan Loves Alpha Chi

This weekend was absolutely amazing but it flew by too quickly! It was Kara's 20th Birthday on Friday the 11th so we celebrated Singapore style. After a long day of classes we ate our favorite chicken rice dinner for 2.30 sing and headed to the American restaurant Brewerkz for dessert. We were told that Iguana Cafe is a great place to stop at but unfortunately they were booked, the same company owns Brewerkz so we decided that is a fair trade. We got a huge slice of triple chocolate cake with all the girls and Kara got a free birthday drink. Afterwards we headed to our favorite bar Attica for yet again another great night! We made friends with students from Germany, England, and Australia! Saturday morning we started our journey to Bintan around 9 am. Bintan Indonesia is a small island right off of Singapore and very convenient to get to. Our ferry departed at 11 am an we arrived at 10:50 am due to the time difference. A free shuttle was waiting to bring us to the Nirwana Gardens Resort Hotel. Since it was Kara's birthday, her parents graciously treated us to a night at this beautiful resort. The resort is actually a very large campus area and we were planning on staying in the cheapest one from hostelworld but we got upgraded! As soon as we arrived we were greeted by so many friendly people. It is amazing how different the Indonesian people are from the Singaporeans. They have a completely different skin tone and features, they are more Polynesian looking. As well every person was so friendly and helpful. Not a person passed without saying hello or thank you it was a big difference from the shy Singaporeans. We instantly explored around the hotel and found a peaceful pristine beach. There were little banana chairs for us to lounge on and a coral reef right there. We caught up on our sleep in the sun and walked along the beach, it was a picturesque day. Along the water there were hundreds of baby sand dollars which I started collecting. I realized the more I looked the more I saw the most perfect flawless shells. I had both my hands full by the time we got back from our walk. Then we headed back up to the pool until dinner. For dinner we had to go to the best restaurant on the island. Kelong Restaurant is actually a part of our hotel and it is on stilts in the water connected by a pier. We were hoping to get some fresh seafood but unfortunately it was all so expensive we split some steamed broccoli and Indonesian chicken, which ended up being great. After dinner all of the staff told us to check out a little bar on the hotels campus called La Luna, so we decided to go. The bar was right on the beach in the most tropical perfect setting. Surprisingly La Luna was very quiet so we chatted for a little bit and then decided to call it a night. The next morning we woke up and got our free buffet breakfast. It was up there with one of the best meals I have had in SE Asia, so the perfect start to the day. We ventured over the the Hotel Recreation center and saw an amazing deal for an hour long massage. Obviously since it was Kara's birthday weekend we indulged in the 25 sing 60 minute massage. It was fabulous, I have never had a massage before but my legs were sore from running so she worked all those knots out. In the end she asked me something about my neck and I couldn't quite understand so I said yes. Next thing I know she grabs my chin and whips my head around to crack my neck. I was so taken aback because it was so forceful, but it actually felt great. After our massages we enjoyed a cup of ginger tea on the terrace. Off in the distance we saw a sign and gate so we decided to adventure over there. We stopped quickly so I could stare at the ponies of course and then we went into this area labeled Jumbo Park. Inside the fence we were shocked to see elephants standing in front of us. Two workers came over and asked us if we wanted to go see them so we obviously agreed. We came up to huge female named Emma who was 27 years old! The next thing we know the men had unhooked her chains and was telling us to pose with her! They elephant responded amazingly! She laid down so we could sit on her leg, and she lifted her trunk when they asked her too. It was such a great surprise for us to experience something so surreal and unexpected. Emma was huge but her eyes were so docile looking and she didn't flinch when we were near her. It was funny because the jumbo park had no real fence and the gate was open at the front, so the elephants had to be content and treated well there or they could easily leave. After that craziness we wandered over to our beach again and relaxed until around 5. We split a great chicken and beef satay for dinner poolside and of course relaxed more until our ferry back. It was so quick and easy to get to Bintan that we definitely want to return. The most expensive thing was our visa to enter Indonesia but it is valid for 30 days so we can go back for the day soon and not pay. Happy Valentine's Day everyone until next time...

xoxo

Leah

Bugis Street

Big rainbow I caught a pic of

Mall by Bugis that lights up

Bugis Junction

Bugis street market

Chinese new year goodies on sale

Inside the marketplace

Lots of fruit for sale

 Back of my students pass

Students pass wahoo

This week has flew by once again. Classes are picking up some, so I am focusing more on my school work. On Sunday Kara and I had nothing planned for the day so we decided to venture out. We went to an area off of our mrt line called Bugis Street. We were told that this is THE place to go for shopping. We got off the mrt to see a huge mall that was absolutely gorgeous, the white tile shapes light up in different colors in the dark. Then across the street we went to the famous Bugis Street Marketplace. This place was hopping with people and definitely a good choice on our part. The marketplace is a covered area with hundreds of very small shops lining little alleyways. People were milling about on missions so it made it a tad difficult to wander, but that was fine with us. We were in sensory overload, this was tourist paradise without the tourist prices! We wandered in and out of the stores and I noticed that no one haggles you to buy anything which I assumed would happen in a location like that. We casually looked at everything and scored some major deals. I picked up some beautiful wooden fans with hand painted flowers and birds as gifts for 3 for 10 sing. I as well got 8 pairs of earrings for gifts (and a pair for myself) for 10 sing. Kara got some crazy touristy things that she's ecstatic about. Hew new apartment will be complete with a foot tall jade merlion for 10 sing, a bamboo tissue holder for 3 sing, and some oriental figurines for 7 sing. I am dreaming about my new apartment bedroom to be filled with all of the gorgeous fabrics and little decorations I saw. I am sure we will return soon to add to our carefully planned rooms in America. We then wandered around the marketplace and saw some more shops and ended our day with an ice cream wafer sandwich. The ice cream was 1 sing and depending on the flavor it was an ACTUAL sandwich with some sort of sweet bread, or it had a wafer. I didn't know how I felt about eating soggy ice cream bread so I went for the green tea flavored wafer and it was actually delicious. The green tea was sweet but not too overpowering, a great combination. Tomorrow is Kara's birthday and we will be heading off to Bintan Indonesia on Saturday for the night! Bintan is a 45 minute ferry ride from Singapore and Hostelworld has become our new best friend. We booked a night at a cute hotel for 15 sing each!!!  The hotel is part of a larger resort so we can have a free taxi there, so we get to use their beautiful pool and beach without paying for it. Aren't we just thrifty world travelers now! My student's pass came in so I am allowed to leave the country and enter back in very easily. The pass has my picture in a halogram and my fingerprint so it is very official. Can't wait to share my adventures when I get back! Until next time...

xoxox

Leah

Chinese New Year

Meal Sample

Wenxu and his sister

Yee Sang

Mixing the Yee Sang

Little Rabbit towels

Oranges, fortune cookies, and New Years envelopes

What better place to celebrate Chinese New Year then in Singapore. The largest portion of the population are Malay Chinese and Chinese from China. Lately I have noticed many ads and decorations for ushering the new year. I had no clue that it was such a large holiday here! Singapore has two days off as a national holiday, so even the portion of the population that is not chinese gets a nice little break too. Every student from Singapore or surrounding areas travel home for Chinese New Year's eve. My friend Wenxu yet again was amazing to Kara and I, and invited us to spend the New Year's eve with his family. We quickly accepted and met him at the Ferrar Park MRT stop on Wednesday night. Since Wenxu's aunt is a vegetarian we had a slightly different meal than the traditional meal. Everything was served in large bowls on a glass turntable at the center of the table. Wenxu's explained that there are normally between 7-10 different entrees. I sampled everything from tofu soup, fried noodles, mock chicken, and every vegetable imaginable. I actually didn't know half the things I put into my mouth! I definitely liked some things and politely passed on a few. Everything of course was self serve with chopsticks, so I struggled getting the food to my plate. Everyone just laughed and allowed Kara and I to use a spoon to get our food on our plates. We ate with Wenxu, his younger brother and sister, older sister, parents, grandmother, and aunt and uncle. The kids more in our generation had really great english, and the father could communicate slightly. The others had to be translated to us. At the end of the meal we had a large traditional dessert called Yee Sang. This dessert is normally served with raw fish all around the plate but ours was just varying colored vegetables. The fish would represent a wish for a prosperous new year.  A sweet sauce was poured over everything and a blessing was said. Next everyone inserted their chopsticks and helped to mix everything together. Whoever lifted the vegetables higher while mixing would receive more luck. I unfortunately was not too swift with my chopsticks so hopefully I will find luck in other areas! After dinner Wenxu's grandmother gave Kara and I a small red envelope with the words "GONG XI FA CAI" on it. The literal translation is wishing good fortune, but everyone just says that as a Happy New Year saying. Inside was 10 sing which was soooo sweet of Wenxu's grandmother. The tradition is that the younger people receive money and the elders will give money. We then headed to Wenxu's flat in Jalan Bahagia. His family was so opening and friendly. Wenxu's mother gave us small towels wrapped up as rabbits for the new year animal, another 10 sing in an envelope, and four oranges. Oranges are symbolic of wealth to the recipient. We watched some Singaporean soap opera and then headed home for a good nights sleep. Next thursday there is a large parade on orchard street with dragon costumes and all! Happy year of the rabbit everyone and Gong Xi Fa Cai! Until next time...

xoxo

Leah

Around Town

A few days ago Kara and I were invited to dinner by our new friend Wenxu (pronounced wenshe). Wenxu got in contact with Kara because he did an exchange program at Elon two years ago. He also goes to NTU, and apparently the dean at NTU studied at Elon too which is why there is a good study abroad program. Wenxu picked us up in his car around eight and we headed over to Clarke Quay area. It is so nice to drive in a car not a taxi and just take in the scenery of Singapore. The total drive from one end to the other of Singapore is less than an hour, so no matter where we go it never takes too long. Kara and I needed a break from the local campus food so we asked Wenxu if we could go to a more "western" meal, so he took us to a huge restaurant called Brewerkz. The food was amazing and just what we needed some non asian inspired meals. I got a fabulous caesar salad and kara got a great burger and fries, how classic. Brewerkz makes fifteen of their own beers so we sampled a golden ale which was surprisingly good. Wenxu kindly treated us to our dinners and then took us on a sightseeing drive. We saw the famous Singapore merlion fountain. I thought this statue was going to be huge because it is a symbol of Singapore and seen everywhere but I was quite let down. The statue itself was beautiful but very small! It overlooks the Marina Bay Sands hotel which is a stunning brand new hotel with three olympic sized infinity pools on the top story. This made the merlion a little understated. We then got to drive through Little India and Chinatown again on our way back. It was a great break from school work and campus. We all chatted about difference between the US and Singapore and how we both feel at home in our respective countries but loved exploring the other ones. Wenxu traveled everywhere in the US from boston to miami and to California he did everything and loved it all. I can't wait to meet again and have some more fun chats. Until next time...

xoxo

Leah

Local Fun

Tasting Jelly in Market

Frog Porridge

Learning to Use Chopsticks

All Chinese Menu

Group

Honey Tea

The start of chinese new year's festivities begin about a week or so before the actual date. In Singapore it is a national holiday and everyone has vacation for February 3rd and 4th. This means that shopping for food/clothes/any necessities must be done before tuesday. We found out today that literally everything will be closed except Canadian Pizza which prides itself as being open 365 days a year... In China the Chinese New Year is a two week national holiday so I think I can survive for two days. A few days ago my hall held a midnight fiesta to get ready for chinese new year. My roommate and I decided it would be a good way to meet some new people and it was only 2 sing (abbreviation for 2 singapore dollars). We boarded the coach bus at 10 pm and headed out to chinatown. The ride from campus takes about 25 minutes and everyone was chatting away with their friends. Kara and I were a tad nervous then that we wouldn't be meeting anyone because they were not being too friendly. I arrived into chinatown for my first time and I was so awe struck. Everywhere I looked there were red chinese new year lanterns, pineapples, waving kitties, and anything sparkly that says prosper, luck, or health in chinese. I was informed by my hall fellow that wearing or displaying red increases your chances of bringing luck to the new year. This explains why all the decorations are always that bright color. The pineapples, willow branches, and varied fruits all help have a more prosperous and healthy new year. We wandered through all of the local markets set along the streets. A wonderful malay named Charlotte accepted Kara and I into her group of friends and showed us around. Once all of the friends warmed up they were eager to answer all of our questions, since everything was so strange to us. A common chinese new year food was small packets of fruit flavored jello. Shop vendors would eagerly hand us free samples I found the peach to be actually quite good. We then moved to a restaurant that was the groups favorite spot to eat in the area. It was known for its different flavored porridges, the most popular was frog leg porridge! Of course after hearing the word frog I instantly tried avoiding the building as much as possible, but charlotte assured me the frogs are in a tank in back and I would not see them "jumping around". Porridge is a similar consistency to oatmeal but it is rice that is soaked instead of oats. They had other appetizing menu options such as fish heads, internal organs and chickens feet. I kindly sampled Charlotte's boyfriends porridge and decided it was not my cup of tea. After the lovely snack we got back on the bus and headed to another area of Singapore called Geylang. Previously Geylang was known as a red light district but luckily is much changed and offers some very authentic food. We headed out with the group again and passed some large fruit stands where I smelt a very particular smell that was not very appealing. One of the girls told me that it was the smell of a durian fruit, and to 50% of people it is the most amazing delicacy and to the other 50% it is absolutely repulsive. I decided I would figure that out another night because I did not want to ruin my appetite. The next stop was a hole in the wall restaurant named 126, very creative because its address was 126 Geylang Avenue. We sat outside pretty much in the streets on plastic chairs in a large group. The menu's came and they were entirely in chinese with absolutely no subtitles. Our new friends graciously helped us decipher the menu and help us order. Since this restaurant was known for dim sum that is exactly what we got. We started off with some sticky white rice, prawn dumplings, pork dim sum, and prawn dim sum rolls. I sampled everything and it was all so different and great. I loved the pork dim sum it was so perfectly cooked and fresh. Dim sum means that the meal is cooked in steamer baskets and normally small individual portions. We washed down the meal with some honey tea out of a pint plastic container. The tea was great and refreshing but it had little chunks of some sort of jelly like the chinese new year ones I sampled earlier. Everything was really great but still very new to me. Kara and I have plans to return to 126, but we have to bring a group of natives in order to make sure we can order! My hall is made up of 5 different 8 story coed dorms. In all of these rooms Kara and I are the only white students. We had a great time answering everyones questions and hearing all of their generalizations of Americans. We definitely made some new friends, and became less daunting and scary to our native hall mates. The one thing we stressed is that we tend to be louder than the locals but we are not mean or anything to be scared of. Most Singaporeans tend to be more reserved and prefer silence to chatting, but after the ice is broken they all are great. I am so happy I got to experience this new culture with a large group of locals! Until next time...

xoxo

Leah