This is actually posted on May 7, but since I'll be detailing my vacation, I decided to click the very nice date selector at the bottom of blogger and chose the correct dates for the right entries. Also, I was going to post loads of pix, but I realize that it might be too much and my page would take forever to load due to the many pix. So I'll just post a few. Anyway, here we go:

S'pore Day 1

My flight was leaving at 2pm (1400) on May 3 and I was... kind of calm about it, actually. I ended up sleeping late (or very early) the night before because I went online and then had to pack. I ended up lying down on my bed at around 130 am. At around 8-830, my mom woke me up to say good-bye since she had to go to the office and couldn't see me off in the airport.

All my clothes and things for four days fit in the biggest backpack I had - I think people were surprised that a teenage girl can actually pack enough clothes for four days in such a relatively small piece of 'luggage'.

Anyway, before leaving, Verne - and Coy - texted me that I passed and was officially a second year in med school (yay!!). I kept that piece of news to myself for the time being and left the house at around 1030 or 1100, only telling my parents about it before signing off my cell before taking off.

We were actually running a bit late since we had originally planned to leave at 10, but ended up having brunch (well, brunch for me and early lunch for my family) at that time. I so wasn't the one who was late since I was ready to go before 10.

Anyway, we left... met some traffic on the way... and then they dropped me off... and I was set to go. I checked-in, indicated that my big backpack was a handcarry, went through immigration, then waited at the waiting area. Around 130, I left to go to the gate. I think NAIA's aircon wasn't working too well because while it was definitely cooler than the outside, I still perspired some. When boarding time came, I waited a while until the line passed and then boarded. I picked an aisle seat because I didn't want to be squashed deep inside the row and I had some problems putting my bag in the overhead compartment. The nice foreign man who was sitting behind me was nice enough to put up my bag for me (and put it down when we were about to alit).

Singapore Airlines is just fabolous. Even in economy, we have our own TVs and I spent my time watching most The Phantom Of The Opera. Other movies playing were Good Company, Coach Carter, Ocean's 11, Ocean's 12, and Meet The Fockers. I alternated from watching The Phantom, Ocean's 11, and playing their interactive games. We had a in-flight meal... which surprised me coz I thought we'd just have snacks since we left at 2 and would arrive at around 5. It was a good thing they fed us since I went on the plane hungry (by the time I was hungry, we were boarding and I didn't have time to go out and buy something). I miss airplane food. I know a lot of people hate airplane food, but I just love it.

Anyway, about half an hour before touchdown, I tore my gaze away from my TV set and looked around. Waddya know? I see Erica (from school) in a red jacket waiting outside the bathroom. I leaned my head out, making sure I was seeing what I was seeing, before pulling my head back in. Imagine that, I see someone I know. Small world.

[left - in the NAIA waiting area; right - in the hotel transfer coach in S'pore]

Arrived in Singapore (5 something) and walked down the airport, taking care to watch out for the "exit" signs. It was a loooong and big airport. And I saw McDonald's, which made me grin.
Whenever I travel and see McDo I always remember what our Alaskan tourguide says about Mickey D's - you know you're in civilization when you see the golden arches. And it's kinda true.

Anyway, I had my money exchanged and the exchange rate is S$1.66 (Singapore dollars) for every US$. While lining up for Immigration, Erica was in another line and we talked some. She was there vacationing with her family and I told her I was there alone but that my mom would follow the next day and that my mom was there for business.

Anyway, I went through immigration before she did and they gave out free Fox's candy, which I didn't take. I went on ahead since I had no check-in luggage. Anyway, I went to where I was supposed to go for my hotel transport and waited a while until the coach arrived. There were a number of us in the coach and yet at the end, I was the only one left. The driver and I made small talk before finally arriving at New Park Hotel, situated in Singapore's Little India part. I checked in and finally went up to my room at about 830pm. Grinning, I checked out the facilities, the view, unpacked, and called my family to tell them that I arrived safe and sound.

My first impression of S'pore? Very nice. Very clean. People drive on the left side of the road.

I had asked the reception where I can eat S'porean food and she gave me three restaurant names. Two of those specialized in Indian cuisine since we were, after all, in Little India. After
unpacking, I decided to check out the S'porean food and went out. I looked left and right of the hotel and realized that it's really not a good thing to explore a new country in the dark of the
night. When I asked the front door security person where the restaurant was, he said that it was far away and that I had to take a bus. Yeesh. And I had specifically asked the receptionist if they were all walking distance and she assured me they were.

Anyway, that plan shot, I went back up to my room and cooked my trusty instant noodles. I panicked slightly at that, actually. See, I brought 4 Lucky Me Pancit Cantons and 2 Yakisobas. It's a good thing the Yakisoba is the instant cup noodles. I had originally wanted to eat one of the Pancit Cantons but realized I had nowhere to 'cook' it. Anyway, I heated water, ate a Yakisoba (and would subsequently use the cup to 'cook' the Lucky Me noodles), checked out the TV (nothing good to watch - there was only 1 english channel), read some, and then slept. And thus endeth my first night alone in a foreign country.