birthday at the raffles hotel
It's almost uncanny how everyone says falling sick is a mandatory act when returning from a trip. The symptoms that plague me at the moment include a blocked and runny nose at the same time, blocked ears, tightening of the ribcage and difficulty breathing when I awoke this morning.. It's miserable having to breathe through your mouth and force the air to weave its way through the clogged up nostril. Details shall be spared for the sanity of the readers.
On a happier note, I decided to have my birthday celebration with my sc girls at a relatively unique and unfrequented place: the raffles hotel. Was quite keen on having a high tea buffet since none of us have ever done it before. So into the web I went in search of the best high teas in Singapore. Most reviews seem to concur that the tiffin room at raffles hotel had the best high tea, so with the consent of my friends, I went ahead and reserved 3 places. It was an experience worth remembering. I daresay it was my first time seeing raffles hotel as it was. The interior was flanked by the archetypal white pillars intricately covered with carvings dating back to the colonial era. Adding to its distinctiveness is the generous growth of greenery and flowers throughout the grounds. Everything felt rich and historical. Standing on the second and third floors and looking down at the staff of the hotel bustling about, doing their best to maintain the reputation of raffles hotel is a soothing sight. The thing I like most about raffles hotel is that it adopts a relatively open concept for a top-notch hotel. Anyone can go in and have a drink, dine at their many restaurants or simply just sit at a bench under the cool shade of one of the trees and do absolutely nothing. Sure, once in a while you will attract the attention of a bemused expat or an inquisitive staff but by and large they leave you alone.
High tea, sad to say, was not how us girls quite expect it to be. Buffet always brings to our minds a wide spread of eateries that allow us to go for seconds or thirds without stopping, but I guess having expected bigger portions with larger selections, we were not quite sure what to do with a handful of dimsums and sandwiches, local desserts and fruits. But ah well. It was an experience anyway. We managed to eat till we were full. And being the youngest and the most local-looking, we get a lot of attention from the waiters, heh. One of them was especially friendly to us, who kept asking us whether we would like to have our pictures taken together, and asked again when he saw us longingly looking at the harpist. My experiences at nepal and tibet have taught me that being able to make good conversation with strangers is indeed very enriching. The world is made up of human beings and while we may look different externally, practise varied cultures and have diverse beliefs and ideologies, fundamentally we have the same hopes, desires, fears and loves. I don't know. It's strange but from being a staunch believer in not engaging others unless I have to because I believe it is insincere to do so otherwise, I have swung to the other extreme. Everyone needs a smile everyday. Everyone needs to laugh and believe in a world that is full of hope and joy. Talking to others gives that kind of hope.
Work begins tomorrow! I pray really hard that my body will recover at least by 50% so that the first day wouldn't be so intolerable, heh.
the trip of a lifetime
Just returned from a most adventure-filled backpacking trip to nepal and tibet with my secondary school friend. Just the two of us. For 17 days. Yes, we've met with a lot of wide-eyed gasps when we told our friends that it will just be two girls in a remote and somewhat dangerous part of asia for such an extended period of time, with almost zero-planning, but hey, we survived and we're back safe and sound. :) It was truly an eye-opener, not just gaping at the majestic snow-capped himalayas and vast greenery that extends for thousands and thousands of miles, but also to the daily lives and culture of the nepalese and tibetan people. While a part of me may sometimes wonder if travelling to the more developed countries of the world for my graduation trip (like what most of my friends were doing) would have been a better idea, it's when I re-look my pictures and reminisce the valuable experiences I had gained in surviving nepal and tibet that I don't think I can ever regret my choice of destination. It's not something money can buy nor school can teach. I have too much to tell, too many reflections to do. It will be a while before any of those thoughts and pictures will enter this platform. For now, nepal and tibet fills my mind and the depths of my soul constantly.
sigh
When is the line crossed from being understanding to being foolish?
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me - how realistic is this?
tired, happy
Sigh, I really need sleep. Ever since exams ended, I've been running around town preparing for trip stuff, picking up this and that, subjecting my body to non-stop activities. :( But I guess when the trip is less than a week away, and my friend and I have only started planning now because of my late exams, this mad rush is to be expected. And needless to add, there are a thousand and one persons to meet up too. Hols are supposed to be a time of guiltless rest, but we ironically end up filling the hours to the brim with events one after another, just to assure ourselves that the time is well-spent. I've come to recognise that I am no energiser-bunny; my energy is limited and I need all the rest I can get before the trip. Looking forward to it! Woo!
a milestone reached
The initial exuberance has died down, but the freedom hasn't. :)
Immediately after my last paper yesterday, I was grinning from ear to ear and jumping up and down excitedly, shouting "it's over!" to every person I know, completely exhilatrated not only at the fact that exams are over, but also at the thought that I'm going to graduate and not have to face exams anymore! I suppose it's the same feeling you get when you cross the finishing line after running an arduous marathon (not that I've done so, but I think I can empathise). Friends were whipping out cameras, taking shots with their fellow classmates, group photos with the lecturer and final glimpses of the majestic school buildings. I can recall few moments in my life that I've felt this sad and relieved at the same time. Venturing out of the comfort and security afforded by the education system and jumping into the cauldron of adulthood rankles fears deep within. Excited fears nonetheless.
Spent the whole of yesterday chilling out with my law friends, and even though I was mentally exhausted and physically spent after the paper, I pushed myself to stay out till 12 plus, knowing that there is nary a chance I would be able to get them all at one place after yesterday. Ate at The Vi'lage, played pool at Paradiz Centre (and my girl friend and I thrashed the boys team, yeah!), watched Spiderman 3 at The Cathay (absolutely amazing! sensitive, human, deep and flawless weaving of plots, themes and characters) before ending up at Coscafe at Chijmes. I hit the sack the moment I came home, but it was a happy sack. :)
Now, to savour my freedom slowly and sweetly. :)
