Marina Bay outing ft. KY (Underfame)
*5 years, after knowing Underfame on Maple, then talking to him on fb, he is finally here in SG!*
---
The jellyfish is back! To welcome Underfame to SG and solving the mystery of who he really is after knowing him in Maple for so long, WL / I decided to have an outing to bring him around to see some tourist spots in Marina Bay. It was actually planned to be a guild outing, but since a lot of people were not free, thus it ended up to be a party of 4 (Jeff, WL, Underfame, ZY). Underfame had thought that it would be only me and WL, so that's close enough! :)
Before the real outing, I thought of having a trial walk as I was not very sure of the places myself. With some help from WL, we somehow got the routes right. =P Initially I thought of seperating the 2 outings into 2 columns as the order of events are rather similar, but I think it will be hard to see everything squeezed in a vertical column, so here's the 2 outings in diff colours~ Read the outings seperately one colour at a time, otherwise it's confusing. =/
The trial outing with WL (1st Aug)
The real outing with WL, Underfame, ZY (3rd Aug)
==========
Pre-outing
War and WL's pre-bidding briefing ended early, so we had an early lunch (2 hours earlier than planned) at Buona Vista food court, which of course, I ordered the curry chicken set. <3 Surprisingly that item is still on promotion, 4 times including the previous occasions.
War seemed to be kinda sian with the FASS courses, and kinda regretted not going to NTU. NUS has a better reputation, and is famous for its excellent arts courses, so just study bah. I think he's more sian of the awesome bidding system, with the plentiful stages, the strategies and ways to bid for your all time popular courses. I think half the mental energy is wasted on the bidding system, so yup, that's NUS for you. =P On a positive note, you get to choose the courses you want, plan your timetable and hopefully have a full day off. ^^
Reasons people would go NTU instead of NUS [Suggested by War]
-> nicer buildings (not significant right?)
-> Not as stressful (ah... really?)
-> stay nearer (WL is your greatest counter-example, reputation >>> distance)
I am also kinda sian to go to uni. End of the relaxed life, need to study all over again, except in a much higher difficulty, adapt in a new environment, and do well to get Industrial Internship chances. o.o
(Something about War choosing slack courses, and being reminded that he may not be the most slack person)
WL: "I also very slack what!"
Wah hao lian la WL, show off. =P
War vowed he would never take Philosophy and WL said that he die also won't take English as a module. (Side note: The next day, War bid for Philosophy and WL bid for English. Not sure if they were drunk or something)
Pop quiz: What do you get when you mix Hypno and Cloyster? (By an emo War)
Answer: Hipster (Hyp-ster)
WL / Jeff: -_-
At about 12+, War went back home as he was tired, WL and I set off to Raffles Place for the trial walk. :)
~~~~~~~~~~
Underfame wanted to meet up earlier before the actual outing (He shy luh). I agreed and took the chance to see how a NTU hostel dorm looks like. 199 is rather crowded. A rather large orientation group must have just finished a camp or an outing, and all were looking very shag as they made their way back towards the hall, carrying flags, huge backpacks, etc. Zhi Yong was among them, even though he didn't see / recognise me (thankfully). ^^
The hostel building looks relatively simple, but had many hidden streets / access doors across the different levels. Did I have to walk a big round just to get around an access door? After about 10 mins of banging into dead ends and frustrated about the confusing signs, I reached Underfame's room.
Just at that exact moment, he opened the door and saw me.
(A second of silence)
Underfame: Hi!
Jeff: Hello! :D
I knew he isn't 2m tall!
Aiya, must have stalked each other's photos on fb, no wonder can recognise each other so easily. His dorm looks a bit smaller than expected, but hey there's the necessary huge wardrobes, tables, beds and extra place to put files. For $235 per month, it looks not bad! Cosy if you stay with someone you know and really comfortable with, if not, I would prefer to go home everyday. =P
Shortly after, we set off to JP to show him the depositing of cash to his bank account, topping up of my EZ-link card and buying some Famous Amos cookies which had gotten really expensive compared to a few years ago~! $10 for 200g, will classify that as a rare treat from now on. =/
It's kinda random to think how our common everyday activities (taking the MRT) would be a useful guide to someone from elsewhere. Hopefully the show-around would be a great blend-in activity for Underfame. :)
~~~~~~~~~~
Just like how the CBD town map would have an NPC selling local delights to heal one's HP and MP, one must simply try the traditional hawker food, to have a true taste that's Uniquely Singapore. :)
3+ on a Saturday is still early for the dinner crowd, so there's isn't any trouble in finding a place to sit. However, since it's a hawker centre, ODNS leave a seat without chope-ing the table with a packet of tissue paper. :D That sorta made me laugh as I never had this practice in my entire life. Underfame seemed amused by this SG culture (^^).
ODNS eat chicken rice in the morning, thus One Does Simply eat chicken rice in the afternoon! After walking for a round, WL and Underfame had a plate of chicken rice each, while I tried the traditional Kway Teow with no chinese sausage. Since ZY is not exactly feeling very well, he had a bowl of fishball minced meat soup noodles. Oh, I tried a cup of lemon sugarcane juice, and it's really awesome! A tangy taste with a classic drink, simply refreshing! :D
Just for the fun of it, I asked Underfame for his opinion on SG chicken rice as he has always been eating MY delights for his whole life. He commented that its kinda nicer, which received many 'got mehs and no whats' from WL. The different dishes would have spread quickly throughout SG and MY (very close to each other), but how would the way of cooking be different? The Kway Teow I had is not bad, sweet, shorter kway teow length, but the Penang Kway Teow I tried few years back would be a saltier version.
WL: Aiya everything is the same what. (Asks Jeff to try the chilli, soup and rice)
Jeff: If everything same, must well you say the outside Laksa and your cookhouse Laksa is the same? :D
WL: Cannot la, that one different!
#WLisSuperBiased
We spent the next half hour or so talking about our NS food, training in SG and MY, looking at ZY nom-nom-ing his food cutely, and oh, ZY has a very nice phone cover! Should have taken a photo of it. It's a calculator pad cover, which simulates closely to a real non-scientific calculator. Not usable, but it definitely beats the other boring covers / very weird-looking covers. :D
Somewhere near a very tall building (forgot what is it), it's being confirmed that wheel clamp Release fees are subjected to 7% GST. Underfame seems happy about it, as foreigners would enjoy GST-free charges as long as they make their claims within a certain period.
Upon closer look, 'The Thinker' has the expression of me 'studying' geog: 'forever can't understand sibei sian sia' look. Close enough resemblance, until WL kindly reminded me that I have actually never studied for geog properly.
As usual, the crowd of tourists taking the scenic view of the water, but this time, many have set up their cameras for a clearer take of the NDP rehearsal. The Marina Bay Floating Platform had some crowds / event helpers at that point of time. Just as we were wondering what kind of National Day song would the platform be playing...
"TREASURE! That is what you are!"
Alamak Bruno Mars song. Not sure if that goes well with any National Day lyrics.
Merlion. I still don't know the height, Underfame wanted a picture of that, so I took a side view picture, and realised that it's technically impossible to take the Merlion from the front view, unless you want to take a boat. Ah oh well, I'm not a professional photographer. =/
7.10pm: The Helix Bridge is being blocked due to the NDP rehearsal. To wait for the Helix Bridge to open, we went back to the Flyer's Pavillion for further rest and listening to the NDP shows. I admit I really suck at bio, not recognising the Helix Bridge structure and letters as the DNA thingy, which was almost instantly identified by Underfame. =/
WL: "Jeff ah! One look and you will recognise the helix shape! Just like one sees a circle and will know that it's a circle!" Yes boss. Sorry I physics noob. =/
==========
Otuing cleared - with a thanks from Underfame. Hope he found the outing eventful, and cheers to WL for the awesome organising! :D
==========
That's about it for the outings! Will post the photos ASAP. :)
---
The jellyfish is back! To welcome Underfame to SG and solving the mystery of who he really is after knowing him in Maple for so long, WL / I decided to have an outing to bring him around to see some tourist spots in Marina Bay. It was actually planned to be a guild outing, but since a lot of people were not free, thus it ended up to be a party of 4 (Jeff, WL, Underfame, ZY). Underfame had thought that it would be only me and WL, so that's close enough! :)
Before the real outing, I thought of having a trial walk as I was not very sure of the places myself. With some help from WL, we somehow got the routes right. =P Initially I thought of seperating the 2 outings into 2 columns as the order of events are rather similar, but I think it will be hard to see everything squeezed in a vertical column, so here's the 2 outings in diff colours~ Read the outings seperately one colour at a time, otherwise it's confusing. =/
The trial outing with WL (1st Aug)
The real outing with WL, Underfame, ZY (3rd Aug)
==========
Pre-outing
War and WL's pre-bidding briefing ended early, so we had an early lunch (2 hours earlier than planned) at Buona Vista food court, which of course, I ordered the curry chicken set. <3 Surprisingly that item is still on promotion, 4 times including the previous occasions.
War seemed to be kinda sian with the FASS courses, and kinda regretted not going to NTU. NUS has a better reputation, and is famous for its excellent arts courses, so just study bah. I think he's more sian of the awesome bidding system, with the plentiful stages, the strategies and ways to bid for your all time popular courses. I think half the mental energy is wasted on the bidding system, so yup, that's NUS for you. =P On a positive note, you get to choose the courses you want, plan your timetable and hopefully have a full day off. ^^
Reasons people would go NTU instead of NUS [Suggested by War]
-> nicer buildings (not significant right?)
-> Not as stressful (ah... really?)
-> stay nearer (WL is your greatest counter-example, reputation >>> distance)
I am also kinda sian to go to uni. End of the relaxed life, need to study all over again, except in a much higher difficulty, adapt in a new environment, and do well to get Industrial Internship chances. o.o
(Something about War choosing slack courses, and being reminded that he may not be the most slack person)
WL: "I also very slack what!"
Wah hao lian la WL, show off. =P
War vowed he would never take Philosophy and WL said that he die also won't take English as a module. (Side note: The next day, War bid for Philosophy and WL bid for English. Not sure if they were drunk or something)
Pop quiz: What do you get when you mix Hypno and Cloyster? (By an emo War)
Answer: Hipster (Hyp-ster)
WL / Jeff: -_-
At about 12+, War went back home as he was tired, WL and I set off to Raffles Place for the trial walk. :)
~~~~~~~~~~
Underfame wanted to meet up earlier before the actual outing (He shy luh). I agreed and took the chance to see how a NTU hostel dorm looks like. 199 is rather crowded. A rather large orientation group must have just finished a camp or an outing, and all were looking very shag as they made their way back towards the hall, carrying flags, huge backpacks, etc. Zhi Yong was among them, even though he didn't see / recognise me (thankfully). ^^
The hostel building looks relatively simple, but had many hidden streets / access doors across the different levels. Did I have to walk a big round just to get around an access door? After about 10 mins of banging into dead ends and frustrated about the confusing signs, I reached Underfame's room.
Just at that exact moment, he opened the door and saw me.
(A second of silence)
Underfame: Hi!
Jeff: Hello! :D
I knew he isn't 2m tall!
Aiya, must have stalked each other's photos on fb, no wonder can recognise each other so easily. His dorm looks a bit smaller than expected, but hey there's the necessary huge wardrobes, tables, beds and extra place to put files. For $235 per month, it looks not bad! Cosy if you stay with someone you know and really comfortable with, if not, I would prefer to go home everyday. =P
Shortly after, we set off to JP to show him the depositing of cash to his bank account, topping up of my EZ-link card and buying some Famous Amos cookies which had gotten really expensive compared to a few years ago~! $10 for 200g, will classify that as a rare treat from now on. =/
It's kinda random to think how our common everyday activities (taking the MRT) would be a useful guide to someone from elsewhere. Hopefully the show-around would be a great blend-in activity for Underfame. :)
==========
The meetup at Raffles Place
1.15pm, we reached Raffles Place. Navigating through the large lunch crowd to the faraway Exit F isn't really easy. How many people travel to other MRT stations for an awesome lunch? Nobody really knows. Since there are quite a number of exits (9?) for this MRT Interchange, from the awesome experience where everybody was spread out in NEX, I took a mental note to specify the exact exit to meet. [Which I have forgotten afterwards]
The walk to Lau Pa Sat (LPS) is rather short, as I had some experience in walking the route. A minute or two later, there emerged LPS, standing proudly in front of the magnificent view of the much taller CBD buildings. Most of the crowd are working personnel, dressed in formal attire / office attire, making us the rare ones in the crowd, jeans and shorts. Whatever, we can be treated as tourists! :D
~~~~~~~~~~
2.58pm, me and Underfame arrived at Raffles Place, which in Underfame's opinion, a very nice looking station. Well, they have to make a station in such an atas area nice looking, as many tourists and rich foreign businessmen would visit the place for important purposes. WL and ZY arrived thereafter, and we set off to Lau Pa Sat (LPS) for lunch / teabreak.
Poor ZY had a minor flu, but hey he still turned up for the outing to give WL / Underfame face. Here's wishing ZY a speedy recovery! :) He wore his cute attire (a breakoff from the long pants combo), which Underfame finally agreed that he's cuter than me. Since when I'm cute! >.<
WL was kinda surprised that the Release fee of a wheel clamp is $100, before the addition of GST charges. Wheel clamp charges varies from different managements and areas. Since busy roads have quite a number of double zig-zag lines, I think more cars would be towed away rather than being clamped to avoid disruptions to traffic flow ya? =P
The walk to Lau Pa Sat (LPS) is rather short, as I had some experience in walking the route. A minute or two later, there emerged LPS, standing proudly in front of the magnificent view of the much taller CBD buildings. Most of the crowd are working personnel, dressed in formal attire / office attire, making us the rare ones in the crowd, jeans and shorts. Whatever, we can be treated as tourists! :D
~~~~~~~~~~
2.58pm, me and Underfame arrived at Raffles Place, which in Underfame's opinion, a very nice looking station. Well, they have to make a station in such an atas area nice looking, as many tourists and rich foreign businessmen would visit the place for important purposes. WL and ZY arrived thereafter, and we set off to Lau Pa Sat (LPS) for lunch / teabreak.
Poor ZY had a minor flu, but hey he still turned up for the outing to give WL / Underfame face. Here's wishing ZY a speedy recovery! :) He wore his cute attire (a breakoff from the long pants combo), which Underfame finally agreed that he's cuter than me. Since when I'm cute! >.<
WL was kinda surprised that the Release fee of a wheel clamp is $100, before the addition of GST charges. Wheel clamp charges varies from different managements and areas. Since busy roads have quite a number of double zig-zag lines, I think more cars would be towed away rather than being clamped to avoid disruptions to traffic flow ya? =P
ZY and Underfame said LPS looks really nice. Yup, a hawker centre in a CBD, it has to look better than the rest, perhaps other than Newton Hakwer Centre. :)
==========
The makan at Lau Pa Sat
Lunch crowd at LPS is really no joke. Compared to the previous few times I have visited at non-peak periods, the lunch queue could be up to 10 people per queue, at almost every common delight stall! =/ I thought of getting a cup of Sugar Cane juice, but scrapped that idea as the queue had extended to the proper drinks counter. Seriously, how long is the lunch period for the CBD personnel?
When they call LPS a festival market, it's definitely not exaggerated~! Cuisines of different cultures including Chinese, Malay, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, etc. Unlike other hawker centres, LPS do dedicate a special area to slightly more expensive food that is commonly found in restaurants, and of course with special decos and arrangements. Perhaps that would be common with the night crowd, to have some meat and perhaps have a drink or two while admiring the night view of the CBD district. :)
If the Hawker outlets do not appeal, there's a Wendy's outlet just outside LPS. =P
Lunch crowd at LPS is really no joke. Compared to the previous few times I have visited at non-peak periods, the lunch queue could be up to 10 people per queue, at almost every common delight stall! =/ I thought of getting a cup of Sugar Cane juice, but scrapped that idea as the queue had extended to the proper drinks counter. Seriously, how long is the lunch period for the CBD personnel?
When they call LPS a festival market, it's definitely not exaggerated~! Cuisines of different cultures including Chinese, Malay, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, etc. Unlike other hawker centres, LPS do dedicate a special area to slightly more expensive food that is commonly found in restaurants, and of course with special decos and arrangements. Perhaps that would be common with the night crowd, to have some meat and perhaps have a drink or two while admiring the night view of the CBD district. :)
If the Hawker outlets do not appeal, there's a Wendy's outlet just outside LPS. =P
~~~~~~~~~~
Just like how the CBD town map would have an NPC selling local delights to heal one's HP and MP, one must simply try the traditional hawker food, to have a true taste that's Uniquely Singapore. :)
3+ on a Saturday is still early for the dinner crowd, so there's isn't any trouble in finding a place to sit. However, since it's a hawker centre, ODNS leave a seat without chope-ing the table with a packet of tissue paper. :D That sorta made me laugh as I never had this practice in my entire life. Underfame seemed amused by this SG culture (^^).
ODNS eat chicken rice in the morning, thus One Does Simply eat chicken rice in the afternoon! After walking for a round, WL and Underfame had a plate of chicken rice each, while I tried the traditional Kway Teow with no chinese sausage. Since ZY is not exactly feeling very well, he had a bowl of fishball minced meat soup noodles. Oh, I tried a cup of lemon sugarcane juice, and it's really awesome! A tangy taste with a classic drink, simply refreshing! :D
Just for the fun of it, I asked Underfame for his opinion on SG chicken rice as he has always been eating MY delights for his whole life. He commented that its kinda nicer, which received many 'got mehs and no whats' from WL. The different dishes would have spread quickly throughout SG and MY (very close to each other), but how would the way of cooking be different? The Kway Teow I had is not bad, sweet, shorter kway teow length, but the Penang Kway Teow I tried few years back would be a saltier version.
WL: Aiya everything is the same what. (Asks Jeff to try the chilli, soup and rice)
Jeff: If everything same, must well you say the outside Laksa and your cookhouse Laksa is the same? :D
WL: Cannot la, that one different!
#WLisSuperBiased
We spent the next half hour or so talking about our NS food, training in SG and MY, looking at ZY nom-nom-ing his food cutely, and oh, ZY has a very nice phone cover! Should have taken a photo of it. It's a calculator pad cover, which simulates closely to a real non-scientific calculator. Not usable, but it definitely beats the other boring covers / very weird-looking covers. :D
Before we left, ZY bought a 1.5L mineral water bottle for his drinkup. No coke for him. =/
==========
The walk up to Merlion Park
Other than the famous white Fullerton Hotel,, there's actually a Fullerton Bay Hotel, which is literally by the bay. Didn't know of that until we took notice of that building. Passed by 'The Thinker' statue, the random bar shophouses, and the large number of tourists who are taking pictures of the beautiful MBS landscape. There's also a very random 'Sports' car parked in the facility, such stylish cars are hard to find nowadays, wonder if PH's one is nicer than his. =P
There's a really large group of tourists crowding around the Merlion and waiting for the river boat ride. I actually don't mind WL's suggestion of riding one of the boats during the actual outing, but since he's scared of water (despite the previous swimming club CCA), let's not take the risk. =/ It's $18 for an adult ticket, so if you have the extra money, try it! :)
21 years in SG has made me realised that I know very little things about the Merlion, except for the crest head, the location other than Sentosa, and the lightning accident a few years back. It's kinda cool that there's a huge recycled water supply for the Merlion to spit out, which somehow let WL have an idea of using a Merlion as a weapon... Imagine acid pouring out of the Merlion, scary... o.o
There's a small Merlion cub near the Esplanade bridge at the back of the Merlion Park. Quite cute, even though it looks like it's made out of bricks. The Merlion Park has descriptions about the time the Park is opened, some history here and there, but ironically has very limited info about the Merlion. Ah oh well, seems like Wikipedia could be of some use, including finding the height of the Merlion! :D
~~~~~~~~~~
Other than the famous white Fullerton Hotel,, there's actually a Fullerton Bay Hotel, which is literally by the bay. Didn't know of that until we took notice of that building. Passed by 'The Thinker' statue, the random bar shophouses, and the large number of tourists who are taking pictures of the beautiful MBS landscape. There's also a very random 'Sports' car parked in the facility, such stylish cars are hard to find nowadays, wonder if PH's one is nicer than his. =P
There's a really large group of tourists crowding around the Merlion and waiting for the river boat ride. I actually don't mind WL's suggestion of riding one of the boats during the actual outing, but since he's scared of water (despite the previous swimming club CCA), let's not take the risk. =/ It's $18 for an adult ticket, so if you have the extra money, try it! :)
21 years in SG has made me realised that I know very little things about the Merlion, except for the crest head, the location other than Sentosa, and the lightning accident a few years back. It's kinda cool that there's a huge recycled water supply for the Merlion to spit out, which somehow let WL have an idea of using a Merlion as a weapon... Imagine acid pouring out of the Merlion, scary... o.o
There's a small Merlion cub near the Esplanade bridge at the back of the Merlion Park. Quite cute, even though it looks like it's made out of bricks. The Merlion Park has descriptions about the time the Park is opened, some history here and there, but ironically has very limited info about the Merlion. Ah oh well, seems like Wikipedia could be of some use, including finding the height of the Merlion! :D
~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere near a very tall building (forgot what is it), it's being confirmed that wheel clamp Release fees are subjected to 7% GST. Underfame seems happy about it, as foreigners would enjoy GST-free charges as long as they make their claims within a certain period.
Upon closer look, 'The Thinker' has the expression of me 'studying' geog: 'forever can't understand sibei sian sia' look. Close enough resemblance, until WL kindly reminded me that I have actually never studied for geog properly.
As usual, the crowd of tourists taking the scenic view of the water, but this time, many have set up their cameras for a clearer take of the NDP rehearsal. The Marina Bay Floating Platform had some crowds / event helpers at that point of time. Just as we were wondering what kind of National Day song would the platform be playing...
"TREASURE! That is what you are!"
Alamak Bruno Mars song. Not sure if that goes well with any National Day lyrics.
Merlion. I still don't know the height, Underfame wanted a picture of that, so I took a side view picture, and realised that it's technically impossible to take the Merlion from the front view, unless you want to take a boat. Ah oh well, I'm not a professional photographer. =/
==========
Esplanade walk-around
After the Merlion visit, we travelled to the Esplanade via the Esplanade Bridge. Or as WL calls it, the cui bridge. Along the way, we sang some random parts of the different NDP songs, and tried to make a megamix to create an impression that we know the songs. That's super delusional. =P
The Esplanade is not simply limited to the durian buildings. After looking at the signboard map which WL showed me, I realised there's an outdoor food-court, many cafes and restaurants, in addition to the buildings and pavillion. o.o The food prices aren't that cheap though, as expected of a tourist attraction and Performing Arts Centre.
It must been a long time since I have toured around the library properly. The core structure has not changed, but the decos and arts exhibition content have been updated to a list of old popular chinese songs in the past that is featured in a recent chinese movie. The soundproof room still looks the same, instruments, books... War said something about WL's passionate interest in learning drums proper (Huh serious?), so I asked WL if he wanted to tryout at $6.50 / hr... Well, rejected idea, so we lepak in the super quiet Dance section for awhile to rest our legs / have some air-con / read the 'Today' paper and book exhibition magazine. That level of quietness is really atas, such that even a small drop of newspaper / light footstep could be heard very clearly.
We chose a wrong route to Marina Square, the route behind the LPG cylinders.
WL: "Wah must choose a nicer route, cannot let Underfame see the ugly side."
(Jeff likes this)
~~~~~~~~~~
Esplanade walk-around
After the Merlion visit, we travelled to the Esplanade via the Esplanade Bridge. Or as WL calls it, the cui bridge. Along the way, we sang some random parts of the different NDP songs, and tried to make a megamix to create an impression that we know the songs. That's super delusional. =P
The Esplanade is not simply limited to the durian buildings. After looking at the signboard map which WL showed me, I realised there's an outdoor food-court, many cafes and restaurants, in addition to the buildings and pavillion. o.o The food prices aren't that cheap though, as expected of a tourist attraction and Performing Arts Centre.
It must been a long time since I have toured around the library properly. The core structure has not changed, but the decos and arts exhibition content have been updated to a list of old popular chinese songs in the past that is featured in a recent chinese movie. The soundproof room still looks the same, instruments, books... War said something about WL's passionate interest in learning drums proper (Huh serious?), so I asked WL if he wanted to tryout at $6.50 / hr... Well, rejected idea, so we lepak in the super quiet Dance section for awhile to rest our legs / have some air-con / read the 'Today' paper and book exhibition magazine. That level of quietness is really atas, such that even a small drop of newspaper / light footstep could be heard very clearly.
We chose a wrong route to Marina Square, the route behind the LPG cylinders.
WL: "Wah must choose a nicer route, cannot let Underfame see the ugly side."
(Jeff likes this)
~~~~~~~~~~
The Esplanade bridge brings about surprises which brightens up people's day. =D
Cold air beneath the boards: Perhaps it's due to the NDP rehearsal, or the weather is just simply too hot, the breadth of the Esplanade Bridge is being halved to build up these boards, with cold air (air-con?) passing through the bottom of the boards. Happy feet. =P
Umbrella: WLDNS (not Woodlands) bring an umbrella to shelter himself from the rain, it's to shelter from the sun.
Of course, applications in real-life maths do really happen. While going down the stairs, there was a China lady lying in the middle between 2 slanted stone-platforms. Since we were rather quiet, I cracked a rather lame joke, hoping Underfame / WL would understand. =P
Q: What does the lady represent in this scenario?
A: The line of intersection of 2 different non-parallel planes!
Underfame: ^^
ZY: XD (Huh what he understood?)
WL: -_- (Aiya all jokes are equally not funny to him, except Ayam Titanium)
--
Taking a short break, we rested at the sheltered pavilion while watching a band setting up / testing out their musical instruments. [The truth is WL wanted to drag time as we were far ahead of the schedule] That didn't last very long, as the band started to play and it didn't take us long to realise that it sounded like a really old song (Sick ZY ran off at a faster speed than I could have run when I'm healthy). War may like that though~
Library time, mainly to bring Underfame to see this unique Arts library. The CD collection still looked kinda old (machiam not udpated), but the quantity is still there. The NDP rehearsal must have started, as we heard the Emcee voices ringing through the air, even though it's softer than a random guy's opera tunes.
Chinese may not be Underfame's forte, but his Malay is definitely there! There were some movie titles which he translated sorta correctly, and could name other Malay movies, etc. See la, Civil Defence for 2 years still don't know basic Malay. -.- The silent room is not that silent after all! The musical instruments come with headphones so as to reduce instrumentals, however voices could still be heard from the room rather clearly. Not really a good place to scream, and shout, and let it all out. =/
Cold air beneath the boards: Perhaps it's due to the NDP rehearsal, or the weather is just simply too hot, the breadth of the Esplanade Bridge is being halved to build up these boards, with cold air (air-con?) passing through the bottom of the boards. Happy feet. =P
Umbrella: WLDNS (not Woodlands) bring an umbrella to shelter himself from the rain, it's to shelter from the sun.
Of course, applications in real-life maths do really happen. While going down the stairs, there was a China lady lying in the middle between 2 slanted stone-platforms. Since we were rather quiet, I cracked a rather lame joke, hoping Underfame / WL would understand. =P
Q: What does the lady represent in this scenario?
A: The line of intersection of 2 different non-parallel planes!
Underfame: ^^
ZY: XD (Huh what he understood?)
WL: -_- (Aiya all jokes are equally not funny to him, except Ayam Titanium)
--
Taking a short break, we rested at the sheltered pavilion while watching a band setting up / testing out their musical instruments. [The truth is WL wanted to drag time as we were far ahead of the schedule] That didn't last very long, as the band started to play and it didn't take us long to realise that it sounded like a really old song (Sick ZY ran off at a faster speed than I could have run when I'm healthy). War may like that though~
Library time, mainly to bring Underfame to see this unique Arts library. The CD collection still looked kinda old (machiam not udpated), but the quantity is still there. The NDP rehearsal must have started, as we heard the Emcee voices ringing through the air, even though it's softer than a random guy's opera tunes.
Chinese may not be Underfame's forte, but his Malay is definitely there! There were some movie titles which he translated sorta correctly, and could name other Malay movies, etc. See la, Civil Defence for 2 years still don't know basic Malay. -.- The silent room is not that silent after all! The musical instruments come with headphones so as to reduce instrumentals, however voices could still be heard from the room rather clearly. Not really a good place to scream, and shout, and let it all out. =/
Just like the trial run, we lepak in the Dance room to stall time. Apart from super-addict WL (who sends candy crush notifications every other day), Underfame likes to play Candy Crush too! We spent some time there looking at Underfame play L281, listening to the NDP commentaries, staring at ZY playing with the water bottle label, etc... There's a kid who looked at us, and we thought he wanted sweets, so I took out my tic-tac...
WL / Underfame / ZY: !!!
Kid: ^^
Jeff: Eh sia la cannot la. No eating in the library.
WL was fanning himself in the library. That's Mr WL, aka WL-san for you. ^^
WL / Underfame / ZY: !!!
Kid: ^^
Jeff: Eh sia la cannot la. No eating in the library.
WL was fanning himself in the library. That's Mr WL, aka WL-san for you. ^^
==========
Marina Square / Link
Heng we walked around this shopping outlet before the actual day. While WL was desperately figuring out where the heck is Marina Link when it's just below us, I was just completely lost and thirsty. X_X Forgotten how did we get out of that maze, but I don't think the Swensen's aunty helped us a lot.
--
(While we were walking towards a random direction)
Aunty: Do you know where Swensen's is?
Jeff: No. o.o
WL: No. o.o [Kind guy who takes out his phone and find]
(Continues walking, with aunty following behind)
WL: Dunno la, cannot find. [Sian]
--
Bought a Ice lemon tea at Toastbox, which in the meantime I relieved the memory of the 7-11, which WL created an AOE effect with his pasta or smth during the Vegetarian CIP. Funny how time flies, it's been 4 years since that happened.
We found the Sharetea outlet near the long escalator up towards the direction of Suntec, WL seems to be super happy about it. [Aiya sian]
After walking out of the mall, we found Swensens after a couple of minutes of outdoor stroll! Alamak who will look there! -_- [123 Aiya Sian!!!]
Heng we walked around this shopping outlet before the actual day. While WL was desperately figuring out where the heck is Marina Link when it's just below us, I was just completely lost and thirsty. X_X Forgotten how did we get out of that maze, but I don't think the Swensen's aunty helped us a lot.
--
(While we were walking towards a random direction)
Aunty: Do you know where Swensen's is?
Jeff: No. o.o
WL: No. o.o [Kind guy who takes out his phone and find]
(Continues walking, with aunty following behind)
WL: Dunno la, cannot find. [Sian]
--
Bought a Ice lemon tea at Toastbox, which in the meantime I relieved the memory of the 7-11, which WL created an AOE effect with his pasta or smth during the Vegetarian CIP. Funny how time flies, it's been 4 years since that happened.
We found the Sharetea outlet near the long escalator up towards the direction of Suntec, WL seems to be super happy about it. [Aiya sian]
After walking out of the mall, we found Swensens after a couple of minutes of outdoor stroll! Alamak who will look there! -_- [123 Aiya Sian!!!]
~~~~~~~~~~
Pop quiz: Why didn't the chicken cross the road?
Answer: Because it couldn't get to the other side! -.-
Close enough situation for us. The roads near the Esplanade were closed for the NDP rehearsals, thus we had to go up and down (Up to L2 and down via the circular lift), and walk via the underpass link to Marina Square. The Esplanade underpass has changed since the last visit a few years ago. The walls were no longer the old cassettes of chinese songs, but have been pasted with performance previews / posters. Rather cool!
"ShareTea time... Back in 92." - Lousy lyrics by WL
Anyway, that's the deal (?) I made with WL for taking Relient K's 'That's my Jam'. Totally worth it. Instead of buying Green tea with french vanilla creme for 6th time, I tried the honey green tea with pudding, along with psycho-ing Underfame to join in the fun. Compared to Gong Cha, Sharetea's pudding is nicer, however the honey green tea is a bit too sweet, but still not bad! :)
Pop quiz: Why didn't the chicken cross the road?
Answer: Because it couldn't get to the other side! -.-
Close enough situation for us. The roads near the Esplanade were closed for the NDP rehearsals, thus we had to go up and down (Up to L2 and down via the circular lift), and walk via the underpass link to Marina Square. The Esplanade underpass has changed since the last visit a few years ago. The walls were no longer the old cassettes of chinese songs, but have been pasted with performance previews / posters. Rather cool!
"ShareTea time... Back in 92." - Lousy lyrics by WL
Anyway, that's the deal (?) I made with WL for taking Relient K's 'That's my Jam'. Totally worth it. Instead of buying Green tea with french vanilla creme for 6th time, I tried the honey green tea with pudding, along with psycho-ing Underfame to join in the fun. Compared to Gong Cha, Sharetea's pudding is nicer, however the honey green tea is a bit too sweet, but still not bad! :)
==========
The visit to Singapore Flyer~!
The only time I had been to SG flyer was during the F1 standby a few years back. WL showed me the sample luxury cabin located by the roadside, which offers a dining / high-tea concept. Sounds very romantic for a couple, unless you have an accident where the flyer stops unexpectedly, and the flyer dinner could be a dream, or a beautiful nightmare. O_O
Never been on a flyer myself, which WL looked surprised (real?).
WL: Wah, even I got ride on the flyer before leh!
Jeff: Hao lian la.
Not sure if he rode the normal cabin with metal railings, or he dined in the luxurious cabin with his gf...
We spent some time looking at the flyer, while listening to WL's experience in riding the flyer and how he intend to introduce the interesting parts of the flyer to Underfame.
--
WL: Eh Jeff, maybe that day we could introduce like this.
Jeff: ?
WL: "Everybody, if you look up at the flyer, there's a Net (Nat) up there!" Can right? =P
Jeff: Walao lame! But I like that! XD
WL: v ^.^ v
--
A short walk at the Ground Level rainforest. WL intend to take a group photo, and sourced for possible areas with good lighting / good rocks / etc. It's a really beautiful view of the greenery, along with some mini bridges and ponds to simulate an actual path of the rainforest where you would be crossing a river.
Did WL pose himself for a self-shot in the cave? While I was looking around the rather dark cave, I turned and see WL using his iphone camera to shoot himself (?) and it seems so natural for him. 4 years have passed and I didn't know taking self-photos would be that easy for him. If only I had WL's talent, I would have given a much nicer picture to NTU for my matriculation card. -_-
Another rest by the big shelter, while we sang the Singapore City Bus song, adding in extra words and making sure the tune is correct. o.o
Because in Singapore, Singapore,
you'll find happiness!
[clap-clap-clap]
for Everyone~!
Replace the triple clap with any 3-syllable word, and it still works perfectly. Don't believe? Replace that with either Coconut or Alamak, you get the idea. =P
The only time I had been to SG flyer was during the F1 standby a few years back. WL showed me the sample luxury cabin located by the roadside, which offers a dining / high-tea concept. Sounds very romantic for a couple, unless you have an accident where the flyer stops unexpectedly, and the flyer dinner could be a dream, or a beautiful nightmare. O_O
Never been on a flyer myself, which WL looked surprised (real?).
WL: Wah, even I got ride on the flyer before leh!
Jeff: Hao lian la.
Not sure if he rode the normal cabin with metal railings, or he dined in the luxurious cabin with his gf...
We spent some time looking at the flyer, while listening to WL's experience in riding the flyer and how he intend to introduce the interesting parts of the flyer to Underfame.
--
WL: Eh Jeff, maybe that day we could introduce like this.
Jeff: ?
WL: "Everybody, if you look up at the flyer, there's a Net (Nat) up there!" Can right? =P
Jeff: Walao lame! But I like that! XD
WL: v ^.^ v
--
A short walk at the Ground Level rainforest. WL intend to take a group photo, and sourced for possible areas with good lighting / good rocks / etc. It's a really beautiful view of the greenery, along with some mini bridges and ponds to simulate an actual path of the rainforest where you would be crossing a river.
Did WL pose himself for a self-shot in the cave? While I was looking around the rather dark cave, I turned and see WL using his iphone camera to shoot himself (?) and it seems so natural for him. 4 years have passed and I didn't know taking self-photos would be that easy for him. If only I had WL's talent, I would have given a much nicer picture to NTU for my matriculation card. -_-
Another rest by the big shelter, while we sang the Singapore City Bus song, adding in extra words and making sure the tune is correct. o.o
Because in Singapore, Singapore,
you'll find happiness!
[clap-clap-clap]
for Everyone~!
Replace the triple clap with any 3-syllable word, and it still works perfectly. Don't believe? Replace that with either Coconut or Alamak, you get the idea. =P
~~~~~~~~~~
The road blocks have caused a disastrous traffic flow near the Flyer, thus we had to walk a long route around a very small obstacle. Imagine playing Pokemon, you see the route ahead but you can't go through the very small grass because you are lacking of HM01, yup that's the frustration. The NSF Guardsmen looks kinda sian to tell people to re-route for the 19234873289479th time, but bo bian, ORD lo! XD
The UG performance has started when we passed by the sample cabin, and it's kinda rare that we got the chance to look at the vehicles up close. There were army tanks of various types, SPF mini buses and other vehicles, SCDF HMV and PL311. :D I would say that the ppl in the tanks should be feeling sweltering hot, it looks like there isn't any kind of proper ventilation... Some of the vehicle crews were waving, kinda funny that admist the sense of upkeeping professionalism in a UG, it's heartwarming to see the country's Civil Servants are happy (or pretending) to be on duty to serve the country. Good job guys! ^^
[Sidetrack: Has anyone heard of a bag shop called 'NanKai'? I'm hoping there's no need for a high-level security system and a puzzle lock to take out a packet of tissue paper from the bag!]
Underfame seemed pretty amazed by the flyer, and questioned a bit about what happens if the flyer requires maintainence, repairs, or stalls halfway. That's a true civil engineering person. =P I think I answered something about spinning the wheel. which is of course inappropriate. =/
The group photo - taken in the Rainforest! We had some trouble placing the phone cameras on the uneven surfaces of the stones, thankfully WL found a spot after quite some time. We don't usually take photos of ourselves, but when we do, there are no girls around to help. No net in the photo, otherwise we could have tagged Nat. =/
.jpg)
(From left to right: Underfame (KY), cute ZY, Jeff, handsome WL)
---
Nearing to 6.45pm, ZY chose an auspicious spot by the water (opposite Gardens By The Bay) to sit down and rest. The NDP rehearsal continued to present the RSAF displays: The classic 5 jets in 5 directions, the helicopter National Day Flag, and a few jets flying off in a direction in which one particular jet went 1 round around a building before it flew off with the rest. Not sure whether that pilot is drunk or something, but it was definitely quite an experience for Underfame! :D After the UG performances, more people passed by, this time in different random shirt designs, Malay Dance costumes, both elderly and kids walking together as a group. The Singapore Flyer also commemerates National Day by using the red and white colours for the ride.
The road blocks have caused a disastrous traffic flow near the Flyer, thus we had to walk a long route around a very small obstacle. Imagine playing Pokemon, you see the route ahead but you can't go through the very small grass because you are lacking of HM01, yup that's the frustration. The NSF Guardsmen looks kinda sian to tell people to re-route for the 19234873289479th time, but bo bian, ORD lo! XD
The UG performance has started when we passed by the sample cabin, and it's kinda rare that we got the chance to look at the vehicles up close. There were army tanks of various types, SPF mini buses and other vehicles, SCDF HMV and PL311. :D I would say that the ppl in the tanks should be feeling sweltering hot, it looks like there isn't any kind of proper ventilation... Some of the vehicle crews were waving, kinda funny that admist the sense of upkeeping professionalism in a UG, it's heartwarming to see the country's Civil Servants are happy (or pretending) to be on duty to serve the country. Good job guys! ^^
[Sidetrack: Has anyone heard of a bag shop called 'NanKai'? I'm hoping there's no need for a high-level security system and a puzzle lock to take out a packet of tissue paper from the bag!]
Underfame seemed pretty amazed by the flyer, and questioned a bit about what happens if the flyer requires maintainence, repairs, or stalls halfway. That's a true civil engineering person. =P I think I answered something about spinning the wheel. which is of course inappropriate. =/
The group photo - taken in the Rainforest! We had some trouble placing the phone cameras on the uneven surfaces of the stones, thankfully WL found a spot after quite some time. We don't usually take photos of ourselves, but when we do, there are no girls around to help. No net in the photo, otherwise we could have tagged Nat. =/
.jpg)
(From left to right: Underfame (KY), cute ZY, Jeff, handsome WL)
---
Nearing to 6.45pm, ZY chose an auspicious spot by the water (opposite Gardens By The Bay) to sit down and rest. The NDP rehearsal continued to present the RSAF displays: The classic 5 jets in 5 directions, the helicopter National Day Flag, and a few jets flying off in a direction in which one particular jet went 1 round around a building before it flew off with the rest. Not sure whether that pilot is drunk or something, but it was definitely quite an experience for Underfame! :D After the UG performances, more people passed by, this time in different random shirt designs, Malay Dance costumes, both elderly and kids walking together as a group. The Singapore Flyer also commemerates National Day by using the red and white colours for the ride.
7.10pm: The Helix Bridge is being blocked due to the NDP rehearsal. To wait for the Helix Bridge to open, we went back to the Flyer's Pavillion for further rest and listening to the NDP shows. I admit I really suck at bio, not recognising the Helix Bridge structure and letters as the DNA thingy, which was almost instantly identified by Underfame. =/
WL: "Jeff ah! One look and you will recognise the helix shape! Just like one sees a circle and will know that it's a circle!" Yes boss. Sorry I physics noob. =/
Stone for the next hour or so... With random things happening. o.o
1. There were real life horses passing by...
2. "Why you so emo!"
3. An extremely big crowd gathered at the road before the fireworks
4. There's a big remix of National Day & Popular songs, featuring 'Just the way you are', 'Never say never', 'Hall of fame', 'Turn up the love', and of course the epic 2013 NDP song. Actually the choir isn't that bad if you hear them live, perhaps people should stop condemning in a very jialat way.
5. Fireworks light up the sky with love...! A longer duration than the past few years.
1. There were real life horses passing by...
2. "Why you so emo!"
3. An extremely big crowd gathered at the road before the fireworks
4. There's a big remix of National Day & Popular songs, featuring 'Just the way you are', 'Never say never', 'Hall of fame', 'Turn up the love', and of course the epic 2013 NDP song. Actually the choir isn't that bad if you hear them live, perhaps people should stop condemning in a very jialat way.
5. Fireworks light up the sky with love...! A longer duration than the past few years.
There's a segment when the Merlion is supposed to 'swim' from the Merlion Park to the Floating Platform, and I bet the animation looked quite nice judging from the far distance we saw from the pavillion. Well, if only someone had made an actual size Merlion-Replica, and make it surface out of the water at that correct timing~ The Merlion comes to life~
ZY and Underfame were laughing hard at that, it must be amusing. =P
ZY and Underfame were laughing hard at that, it must be amusing. =P
==========
Marina Bay Sands Walkaround / Dinner
The other objective of the outing (other than visiting Sharetea) is to visit the beautiful Helix Bridge. The original outing plan is to visit the Helix Bridge in the night, but since it's a trial run, we visited the bridge during the day. :) Well, the structure is really as unique as displayed in the picture, and I thought nothing of this until WL asked me to infer the representation from the 'CGTA' alphabets and link the idea with the name of the bridge...
[Flashback]
WL: The floor got the CG alphabets right? What do the CG stand for? Jeff: Er dunno ah? CG = Chao geng?
WL: No la! You see the 4 alphabets?
Jeff: CGTA... Er... DNA?
WL: Yeah
Jeff: What the hell is this doing in this bridge? o.o
WL: You see this bridge, what's the name?
Jeff: Helix bridge ah... Big deal?
WL: The DNA structure is shaped in the Helix structure, the bridge you are standing on represents a DNA bridge.
Jeff: Defauq!? Really!?
WL: Mindblown! ^^
--
I think WL would make a better bio teacher than reading waves. That's DNA 101 introduction by WL-san.
A last walk around MBS museum, reading the Casino rules and regulations, admiring the river boats at $10 per adult, and failing to get to GBTB as I was afraid of heights. After making a mental note that we could visit Ding Tai Fung for dinner, we left for home at about 5pm. That's about it for the trial run! :D
~~~~~~~~~~
After the fireworks, we had a route diversion as Helix Bridge was still out of bounds (aiya sian). ZY left home as he wanted to have an early rest (flu), the 3 of us proceeded to visit MBS as Underfame mentioned he wanted to see MBS, GBTB and the lotus. The MBS part isn't as eventful as I thought, oweing to the MASSIVE crowd hunting for dinner outlets and jamming up the passgeways. The escalator to GBTB is also blocked, so we were sort of trapped in the beautiful building. Underfame seemed kinda frustrated, so I killed some time by taking photographs of the night sky and diverting to look at the MBS Hotel.
-> The MBS hotel looked VERY tall, comparable to the height of a common CBD building.
The other objective of the outing (other than visiting Sharetea) is to visit the beautiful Helix Bridge. The original outing plan is to visit the Helix Bridge in the night, but since it's a trial run, we visited the bridge during the day. :) Well, the structure is really as unique as displayed in the picture, and I thought nothing of this until WL asked me to infer the representation from the 'CGTA' alphabets and link the idea with the name of the bridge...
[Flashback]
WL: The floor got the CG alphabets right? What do the CG stand for? Jeff: Er dunno ah? CG = Chao geng?
WL: No la! You see the 4 alphabets?
Jeff: CGTA... Er... DNA?
WL: Yeah
Jeff: What the hell is this doing in this bridge? o.o
WL: You see this bridge, what's the name?
Jeff: Helix bridge ah... Big deal?
WL: The DNA structure is shaped in the Helix structure, the bridge you are standing on represents a DNA bridge.
Jeff: Defauq!? Really!?
WL: Mindblown! ^^
--
I think WL would make a better bio teacher than reading waves. That's DNA 101 introduction by WL-san.
A last walk around MBS museum, reading the Casino rules and regulations, admiring the river boats at $10 per adult, and failing to get to GBTB as I was afraid of heights. After making a mental note that we could visit Ding Tai Fung for dinner, we left for home at about 5pm. That's about it for the trial run! :D
~~~~~~~~~~
After the fireworks, we had a route diversion as Helix Bridge was still out of bounds (aiya sian). ZY left home as he wanted to have an early rest (flu), the 3 of us proceeded to visit MBS as Underfame mentioned he wanted to see MBS, GBTB and the lotus. The MBS part isn't as eventful as I thought, oweing to the MASSIVE crowd hunting for dinner outlets and jamming up the passgeways. The escalator to GBTB is also blocked, so we were sort of trapped in the beautiful building. Underfame seemed kinda frustrated, so I killed some time by taking photographs of the night sky and diverting to look at the MBS Hotel.
-> The MBS hotel looked VERY tall, comparable to the height of a common CBD building.
-> There's a LV shop at the basement of MBS, and another LV shop seperated by water, are they linked?
-> You need a pass to stay for 24 hours in the Casino, and have to get another one if you want to stay for another 24 hours. Expensive.
-> The night sky simply looks beautiful.
Around 9+, I had a lucky guess that the Helix bridge is accessible! ^^ Not as magnificent as depicted in the picture, but it's still a pretty sight and adheres to the plan (to visit the bridge at night). The Platform end of the bridge has a board of words from a Hwa Chong student, no idea what is that talking about. o.o
While walking past the back of the Floating Platform, we saw the army NSFs packing / preparing to go home. Food for thought, do the NSFs prefer helping out in such events or intensive training?
Dinner at Marina Bay mac, fillet-o-fish meal for me, double cheeseburger for WL, and an expensive Big mac ($4.70) for Underfame. We left at 10+, walking by a Jap food stall called 'Menzou BuTao'. Perhaps the master thought that walking via a door is too mainstream, hence the name.
-> You need a pass to stay for 24 hours in the Casino, and have to get another one if you want to stay for another 24 hours. Expensive.
-> The night sky simply looks beautiful.
Around 9+, I had a lucky guess that the Helix bridge is accessible! ^^ Not as magnificent as depicted in the picture, but it's still a pretty sight and adheres to the plan (to visit the bridge at night). The Platform end of the bridge has a board of words from a Hwa Chong student, no idea what is that talking about. o.o
While walking past the back of the Floating Platform, we saw the army NSFs packing / preparing to go home. Food for thought, do the NSFs prefer helping out in such events or intensive training?
Dinner at Marina Bay mac, fillet-o-fish meal for me, double cheeseburger for WL, and an expensive Big mac ($4.70) for Underfame. We left at 10+, walking by a Jap food stall called 'Menzou BuTao'. Perhaps the master thought that walking via a door is too mainstream, hence the name.
-----
We heard this song from a cafe, and WL recognised it as the cover of One Direction's 'Kiss You' from the album 'Take me home'. Enjoy! :D
We heard this song from a cafe, and WL recognised it as the cover of One Direction's 'Kiss You' from the album 'Take me home'. Enjoy! :D
Otuing cleared - with a thanks from Underfame. Hope he found the outing eventful, and cheers to WL for the awesome organising! :D
==========
That's about it for the outings! Will post the photos ASAP. :)
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