To Dwell in Possibility

While staying in JB, Teresa and I went into Singapore one day so she could show me around. I was amazed as soon as we crossed the border. Everything felt really clean and super Western. It was a bit like being back in America again...
Doing what we do best, Teresa and I tackled the malls on Orchard Rd. Shopping is a shared favorite pasttime of ours.Only problem was I kept having to remind myself the prices were in Singapore dollars, not ringgit. The exchange rate there is really similar to the USD, so I kept having to remind myself that the costs add up really, really quickly. I didn't actually change any money for SingDollars either, so thank you my dear debit card and my dear daddy for funding me!
We ate lunch at a place called Skinny Pizza, which sounded promising but was kind of a letdown. The pizza was served on a cracker thin crust (hence the skinny) and covered with green. More salad than pizza. The sweet potato fries were way too sweet as well, but at least they had authentic A&W and real cheese.
After lunch, we headed over to the touristy area, Marina Bay. Neither of us felt like paying to go to the top and we couldn't figure a way sneak up there, so we hung around the hotel for a while and had some New Zealand cold slab ice cream (basically Coldstone! Miss that goodness.)
Finally, we decided to finish the day by going to Chinatown. After a bargaining battle, I bought my cheongsam for a 20% reduced price.
After doing the touristy thing, we had steamboat at a friend's house. Steamboat is a pot of boiling soup that you can cook meat, vegetables, and other small things in. It's really delicious and filling.
Singapore had this weird surrealistic feel to it. Everything was clean and sparkly, but you can tell that it's that way due to the strict fines. Apartments are stacked upon each other and crammed into already overcrowded city blocks. It's a country that's dreams are too big for it's area! Already many people are living in JB and working in Singapore. I liked visiting it as a tourist. The escalators move faster than the ones in Malaysia. Public toilets are cleaner. There's toilet paper. People tip. But I wouldn't want to live there. Everyone seems stressed and there's no room to breathe. Of course there are people who love that lifestyle, but not me. I loved the experience, but long term couldn't tahan. Strange how one day in Singapore made me homesick for Malaysia!
I'd take quality roti canai over a clean bathroom any day....

Disappointing salad pizza

Marina Bay

Doing the touristy thing

Really pretty building

Steamboat with crabstick, fishball, and some veggies

Saturday I was able to visit a friend, and current YES exchange student to California, in his homeotwn Taiping. Although it's only an hour drive from little old Ipoh, I had only been once with my host family where I ate mee udang then left. Which is quite typical for Malaysia.
Anyways, my friend's family took me to a coal factory, and a seafood market. The coal factory was really neat, it smelled smoky and I had no idea charcoal actually came from wood. A far cry from the stuff we put on our barbecues in the US. The seafood market, albeit the stinkiness, was so traditional and had amazing fried tiger prawns.
Afterwards, we went to the Lake Gardens, a beautiful attraction in Taiping. We got there just as the sun was setting which made for some very beautiful photographs. The best part is that it was very non-touristy, so I was able to experience a part of every day life for some dedicated joggers and fishermen. Hands down one of the most picturesque and serene places I've been and I absolutely want to go back one day.
I also am another year older! My birthday was 14 January and overall it was a good day. My class surprised me with a New York Cheesecake (score) and a wonderful card. I love my class. Seriously. The next night, after modelling for my host mom's new spa advertisements, I went to karaoke with my host dad and some of his friends. I'm not saying things were wild, but they got silly string on the KFC... and in my hair.

In the room where they burn the wood for charcoal

@r+$y

Tiger prawns

Colorful Plastic Bags

Gazebo

So gorgeous!

At my early birthday dinner. Duck faces because asia.

The National Monument of Cambodia

Cambodian flags in a beautiful sky

Next few pictures are from a former prisoner holding facility. It was eerie being there, as if the souls of those who had been killed still stayed in the place. Strange how we don't learn about things like this in our history classes...

Shackles they would chain the prisoners to

Barbed wire covered the walls to prevent prisoners from escaping or committing suicide by jumping. The most interesting part of the experience was being able to see a survivor of the camp and read a book he wrote about his experiences. In a strange twist of events, he lives across the road from one of his former tormentors and there's nothing he can do due to the problems with the trials of former war criminals.

Map of Cambodia made out of skulls. Haunting.

Hungry birds. There were about 6 or so young children who tried to sell us corn kernels to feed them and were relentless. Even after we bought them, they wouldn't stop swarming us.

Gorgeous architecture. Even the roofs of schools were elaborately decorated.

Me and the host fam. Cuties

View from the water cruise. An island almost completely comprised of buildings like this.

KLCC from the sky. Good to be home

I have to say, one of the perks in living in such a centrally located country is that it's very easy to travel. Want to head over to Thailand? Easy 5 hour drive. Craving some Singapore laksa? Only 9 hours by bus. Crazy desire to see the beautifully historic country of Vietnam? 2 hour flight on a relatively cheap airline. And that's exactly what me, 2 other exchange students, and 3 Malaysians did this past weekend.
After a night bus and a very early morning flight, we arrived barely conscious at the Ho Chi Minh Airport. Our tour guide Terry (T-E-DOUBLE-R-Y) drove us to our first destination. The day was a very historical one, with visits to the Vietnam war museum and the Independence Palace. With members of my families who are veterans of this war, it really meant a lot to see the place where it happened. It was also interesting to see it from a Vietnamese perspective. In the US, we breezed through the Vietnam War chapter, mostly because it wasn't supposed to show up on our US History Regents. Which is sad. The Vietnam War was a really interesting time in US History and I wish I could have learned more about it before actually going to the country where it happened.
Our meals that night, and over the 3 days we were there were all traditional Vietnamese foods. A lot of spring rolls, seafood, and noodle soup. I tried local dishes such as beef pho, elephant ear fish, popped rice, and coconut toffee. It had more of a light and fresh flavor than Malaysian food, although I did miss my nasi goreng usa when I was there!
That night, after a tour of the shopping district, we were off to Ben Thanh Market. For Malaysians, picture Central Market. Now picture it 3 times as big, with lower prices. Voila. Ben Thanh Market. It had everything you could ever want- from colanders to clothing. We went there or to the night market that opened beside it, or both, every day in Vietnam. The prices were incredible first off. 1 USD (3 RM) was equal to 20,000 Vietnamese Dong, and the most expensive item I bought (a handmade traditional Vietnamese dress) cost me only 25 USD. It was really easy to bargain with the shopkeepers. They told me I got discounts for being fair and beautiful but I probably still paid ridiculously high amounts as compared to what real Vietnamese people pay... ah, such is life. Over 3 days I bought two traditional Vietnamese dresses, three kimonos, a silk dress, a pair of pants, two t-shirts, two scarves, and one handbag and I probably spent less than $150. Shopping in Vietnam rocks.
Our second day was spent mostly on the river in a river taxi boat type thing. We sailed to an island where family owned workshops made candy, popped rice, and snake venom alcohol. It was really neat to experience everything firsthand: feel the heat of the cooking candy, smell the durian being mixed into the rice mixture, taste the freshly brewed tea. After the workshops, we were treated to traditional Vietnamese folk performances which were like a mixture of song, dance, and speech. Really unique. To conclude our day on the river, we took a low sitting row boat back to the mainland. The boat ride was relaxing, but it sure was hot!
My final day in Vietnam was spent at this historical site, the Chu Chi tunnels. But the tour guide's accent made it seem like the Gucci tunnels.. These were tunnels built by Vietnamese villagers turned guerilla fighters. It was amazing that they managed to build what is essentially an underground city with only a shovel and a basket. After one very rainy drive to the airport, and one last (5 last) group photos, we said goodbye and set off on an airport quest to use up the rest of our Vietnamese Dong on sushi and Big Macs.

Vietnam War relics

Makanan Vietnam

Grand Cathedral

ssssssnake wine

Women making rice paper

Jade Pagoda

Terry gets feisty

cute group photo in which a guy pretends to shoot my head and hikaru is being perfect as always