Friday, July 05, 2013

ECESEMS: Singapore Day 3

Our first stop for the day was Data Storage Institute which was located inside the National University of Singapore campus. I've actually been there before to inquire about admissions (I ended up not applying though) and the campus is huge and modern and pretty.

Here we were taught how they test hard disk drives and how they work. Cameras weren't allowed inside so this is the only shot I have ; __ ; We spent the whole morning here and we weren't supposed to so we were very late for our next appointment. 


Because we were very very very sleepy because we slept really late the night before, we fell asleep during the bus ride from DSI to Marina Barrage which is located in the Marina Bay area. The haze was heavy so as you can see, the surroundings are very yellow.


I like how Singapore boasts on how clean their water is and how systematic the process is. During the tour however, I can't help but feel frustrated once again because the Filipinos are VERY capable of coming up with these technologies too. But why can't we do/have what they do?

There was a wall lined with empty water bottles where our guide emphasized the importance of water and using it wisely to conserve resources.




There was also a huge model of their water reservoir. I wasn't able to catch its use because I couldn't fully understand what the guide was saying with his heavy accent. :(



Our tour in Marina Barrage ended at around 2pm and by that time we still haven't eaten our lunch so we ate at the restaurant on site. We ate chicken rice which tasted okay. We were all very hungry so the taste didn't really matter. 

Last stop was the Land Transport Gallery! Since we were recharged with food and we got more rest during the bus ride, we were much more energetic. I was personally very keen to go here because Singapore's mass transport is one of the most efficient ones I've seen in the world and I really envy them. Imagine convenient train and bus travel with the help of a Tap Card without having to worry about getting pick pocketed or being stuck in traffic. 

The presentation of the whole gallery was so creative and innovative it inspired me to help change our country! (chos) But you'll never know. I really do want to make a difference in this country but we're so far down we need a lot of help.





We went back to the hotel, freshened up again, then headed out to Bugis and Somerset for some shopping. 



After Somerset, Ate Gel (Ar's cousin) brought us to Arab St. Ar has been talking about this place because her cousin already took her there from her previous trip to Singapore. What I didn't know was, I've actually been there before too! My aunts lived in a hotel across the street and we stayed with them over a certain Christmas and New Year so we were there frequently too. The place brought a lot of memories and it was good to be back :)

We ate so much food and this time, the food did not disappoint. Legit middle eastern food was served which consisted of pita breads and dips, lamb cuts and shawarmas. The fat spicy fries were really good too. 

Ate Gel's friend Ranjesh(?) ate with us too and he was funny and cool so it was nice to meet him too :D





The cute arabic guy was our server and Rachelle and Steph had a crush on him so they asked for a photo. Score! (I swear he looks much better in person haha) His name is Abd Alaah and he actually gave her his email add on facebook. hahahaha



We also had shisha and played a calm game of I've Never without the alcohol. There was a revelation that got us shocked and well, of course I won't elaborate on that. HAHAHA! 
We had a curfew during these nights but they were never really followed so we headed for the hotel at around 1am. We walked from this place to Bencoolen (our hotel) and it was a reaaaaally long walk. I enjoyed it a lot though because where in the hell can you walk in the middle of the street in the middle of the night without worrying about anything? Only in Singapore! 

The trip was so much fun! Stick around for my last entry on Singapore which will be all about Universal Studios Singapore! Wee!


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