Singapore, Singapore!

The country that is a city in itself. Full of Asian people, but not really Asian in its ways. It's really interesting, if you ask me. I spent 4 days there, and happily observed the consumerism that engulfed its people. I guess in those 4 days, I became one of them. Walking in and out of stores and just admiring the myriad of products that are available in such a small place!

Coming from Australia where fashion and signature brands are limited, and growing up in Manila where shopping is a day-to-day activity, I think it's safe to say that Singapore tops them both when it comes to the range of brands available! There are also just so many shopping centres!!! To illustrate:

Walking out of Bugis station, first big structure I see: a shopping centre.

Another shopping centre - Bugis Junction

More shopping on Orchard Road

Still on Orchard Road

My friend Mirei inside another shopping centre

The way to Ion Shopping Centre

Yes, I told you there are heaps of shopping centres in Singapore. At some point, I couldn't be bothered to remember each building's name. Ha ha.

This is Singapore on a rainy day. (view from the 18th floor on Selegie Rd)

The highlight of this trip was going to the newly opened Universal Studios! I absolutely love theme parks and despite Universal Studios Sinagpore being tiny, I still had mad fun! Credit goes to my friend Mirei for taking all the following photos!

Me at the iconic Universal Studios globe

First stop: MADAGASCAR!

Next stop: The Mummy! Yes, dear friends, this is Imothep. Haha

Far Far Away!!!

At the Met Steps.

With the lovely Beach Boys of Universal Studios Singapore

After such a long day at Universal, off we went to Prince of Wales in Little India. It's a small Australian Backpackers' Pub. As soon as we walked in, I felt at home straight away. We had burgers and chips and a couple of beers (at first. Ha ha)

The streets of Little India

Prince of Wales (PoW) has live bands playing on different nights, and we watched a local girl duo (although we still believe they're migrants from Manila) sing hits of the 90s. It was pretty good. The beers are mighty pricey ($13 a pop!) but it was worth it - there's nothing better than to cap a trip off with ice cold Aussie beers on tap.

Leftover New Zealand!

Not keen to write about a trip I have done so long ago (to which I attribute to the excessive writing I've had to do over Spring semester), so here's a major photo dump of the rest of my New Zealand adventure!!!

Sumner Beach! ♥

I love how this photo turned out. Still at Sumner Beach, on the Cave Rock side

Warm Lamb Salad at Winnie Bagoes

Souvlaki/Kiwi Craving pizza at Winnie Bagoes

Mexi Lime Chicken/Marinara pizza at Winnie Bagoes

Christchurch Art Gallery - Te Puna O Waiwhetu

Cathedral Square

Me, being me, as per usual, on Worcester Boulevard

Penguins! Too bad they're not live ones.

The following photos are from our road trip to Akaroa, which is a small town that used to be a French colony. It lies on the edge of New Zealand, on the eastern side.

On the road to Akaroa!

At the hill top - our destination is where the water is!

Upon arrival, Akaroa Jetty :-)

Gorgeous flower in bloom, Akaroa War Memorial

Well, that's it for my little New Zealand adventure. Just a recap of everything I've seen in the 7 days that I was there:

• Methven
• Rakaia Gorge
• Mt Hutt
• Christchurch City
• Akaroa

In summer, Methven is practically dead, so best to go there in winter for some skiing or snowboarding up in Mt Hutt. Rakaia Gorge, which is also in Methven is probably the only other place you can go visit in summer, where you can go rafting.

Christchurch City, though small and quaint, has a lot of great food and sights! Go to the markets on Worcester Blvd, or visit the Christchurch Art Gallery! Learn about Maori life in Christchurch Museum. Don't forget to grab a bite to eat at Winnie Bagoes. They have amazing gourmet pizza and a friendly, warm atmosphere. :-)

Next stop - Singapore!