Round the World — Singapore: Old memories, new memories
Technically the RTW journey started when I left my intern lab in San Diego. I first had a 23hr layover at Seoul (first time set foot in Korea) to visit 2 friends whom I met during the International Biology Olympiad. Then I was home in Taiwan for 3 days. I had been home that winter (striking contrast to the world today…..), so just stopped by quickly to meet my family and friends, pack my backpack, and even manage to spend an entire day cycling with my friend Extrachaos (an important friend who may be a recurring character in my future articles. I feel odd to call his alias though)
I barely made it to the airport 10 minutes before check-in desk closed. On my flight on Scoot’s Boeing 787 to Singapore the journey officially started.
Changyi Airport: easily ranked 1st in world
In fact I have been to this country 3 times in the past, including in 2012 for the International Biology Olympiad (IBO). Thus this time I came not as a tourist, but rather a hard-core fan looking for scenes in a movie/anime/drama. Except that I myself was the main character. I saw fit, as a recent college graduate, to visit the very place my ambition to go abroad and pursue a scientific career originated.
Singapore night has its charm. My hostel happened to be in Little India (photo taken the next morning)
A recurring scene in this journey would be visiting friends I met from IBO 2012 all over the world. Kezia is from Indonesia but recently graduated from NUS Singapore. We toured NUS and NTU (2 major universities in Singapore) extensively to look for all the important locations during the IBO — the dorm, the restrooms, the dining hall, the labs, the store, the yard, and the auditorium (closed, but good enough)……
This sculpture was spot on. Literally: I WAS HERE
I figure people probably don’t click a rtw travel article to see all the nostalgia, so I’d keep it short.
this article couldn’t be completed without listening to IBO 2012’s theme song “Tonight we are young”
Next we headed to Marina Barrage, where we had had a kite-making party during the IBO. The entire Marina — the barrage, Garden by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands — provided breathtaking night view few places in the world could compete.
By coincidence, it was Singapore’s National Day (August 9th).
Imagine walking in between these “trees” — unfortunately we arrived 1 hour after it closed. Will definitely do it next time.
I initially planned to leave Singapore and stayed in Johor Bahru, Malaysia for the night, but ended up window-shopping in Marina Bay Sands till late. My flight from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur would depart at 2pm the next day. So I should enjoy the night in Singapore, not worrying about border crossing until the following morning. Should be smooth, I supposed.
