After choosing to resurrect my online public blog, the blog that I abandoned my senior year of high school once college applications and SAT testing became a real thing, I remind myself of what made me choose to use this forum as an outlet for my own personal banter - and that reason is the trip that I returned from less than 24 hours ago. For the past two and a half weeks of my summer, I have been exploring the culture and learning about the beauty and history of Singapore, Singapore, which was a part of the world I had never been to before, let alone the small island country. I was lucky enough to be a part of so many amazing and unique adventures that never would have happened if it were not for my godly aunt (If you're reading this Khaleh Massi I love you forever and no amount of words can express my gratitude and sorry I was such a handful), but for the sake of my fingers and the time of any one who chooses to read my silly blog, I shall simply highlight what (I feel) were some key moments and memories that stuck with me the most.
1) My first time in a Singaporean club
Okay first of all, clubbing in Singapore has got to be the sickest place to party, well at least for females, because there is a bar or club that has ladies' night which allows women to get in for free and usually get at least one or two, if not all, alcoholic beverages on the house as well. As an American who has had to deal with the shit economy and cheap public spaces that even make you pay for ketchup packets, this was fucking awesome. Excuse the language but that's just how stoked I was. Furthermore, everything from the dance floor, to the deejay's mix, to the people around the bar, was radiating such good vibes despite everyone's drunken state from being offered too many free drinks, that the experience was made that much more memorable. All in all, I'd say that if you're ever planning on visiting SouthEast Asia, do yourself a favor and check out the night life, which might I mention doesn't really get lively until two or three AM. Oh and high heels.
2) My (multiple) trips to Chinatown
Ugh what can I see, I could never get enough of Chinatown in Singapore, despite my several trips there in the short time that I was visiting. First off, the marketplace was prime bargaining grounds for finding unique and super cute yet affordable knick-knacks for your wrist, your bedroom, and even your car. Personally, I was stoked about finding delicate multi-colored lanterns to hang on my ceiling at home, which totally add color and good vibes to my room, and a mini buddha for my desk when I go back to school, which I believe will set the good vibes needed for my room back in SB. Besides shopping, the small yet packed area offers space for temples of many different religions, including the largest and most elaborate Indian temple in Singapore which I was fortunate enough to go inside.
The roof of the Sri Manamman Temple in Chinatown
The fact that this area had a pretty blatantly obvious motto of coexistence was probably my favorite aspect of Chinatown, if not the entire city as a whole. I got the chance to visit a beautiful Buddhist temple as well, which I was told was a prime tourist staple but was awesome regardless, especially because of the fact that the second floor apparently beheld the Buddha's tooth (Hence the name of the temple.
The first floor of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown, Singapore
3) Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands, Sinagpore
Lastly, in terms of the content of this blog but by no means the value of places to explore in Singapore, I'd like to note my magical visit to Gardens by the Bay, an artificial construction of several grandiose indoor and outdoor gardens consisting of 100% real, living plant life. Aside from the fact that I was automatically biased when I heard the name of the tourist site after arriving to Marina Bay Sands because we all know, even from the name of this blog, that I'm a sucker for bright flowers, I believe that I would have been in awe regardless of whether or not I happened to be a nature person solely because of the fact that the assembly and execution of the various gardens and man-made trees were breathtaking and one of a kind. Furthermore, there was a plethora of spaces to choose from, including an indoor cloud forest, flower garden which contained flora from every environmental terrain, as well as the outdoor supertrees that were the number one picture-taking spot for incoming visitors. Overall, I'd say the main reason I, as well as many others I'm sure, fell in love with the site was because the gardens were really a symbol of the city in the larger context, as Singapore is a city that juxtaposes modernity and tradition, nature and technology, ever so beautifully.
Again, these three activities were basically chosen off of the top of my jetlagged head and in no way reflect the ONLY places that there are to visit in Singapore, although my memories at all three were for the books. To round off my somewhat jumbled and clearly not thorough documentation of a larger than life trip that still has me in awe whenever I think about it, I'd just like to take a minute to share a quote that I photographed after reading a free book on meditation that the Buddhist temple was handing out for free when I visited. Here it is:
With that said, I'm off to cat nap!
xx
