Singapore 2011 Photos

These photos have unfortunately been posted in reverse order.

Little India

Arab Street dresses

Arab Street Fabric Store

Arab Street Scarves

Delicious Swedish Cafe near Arab Street

Delicious Swedish Pancakes

Arab Street

Arab Street

Orchard Road

Otters in Singapore Zoo

Zebra in Singapore Zoo

Satay!

Satay!!!

Party on Sentosa

Singapore Sling on Sentosa

Murtabak and Paratha

Sentosa Merlion

Merlion and Me

Merlion

Me, outside Raffles

Singapore July 2011

When I landed in Singapore at the very end of July 2011, I hadn't been to Singapore in 21 years, to be perfectly honest, I didn't know much about the place, my memories from when I was five consisted of The Merlion and possibly a tiny bit of Sentosa Island but I am really not sure.

My former flatmate, Leonard, met me at the airport and escorted me to my hostel which I had booked through HostelWorld. I think that was my big mistake. Not knowing anything about Singapore I just jumped on HostelWorld, went "that looks fairly central and vaguely nice" and booked WoW Hostel. I really should have consulted my family more because I ended up in Geylang, the "redlight" district... not entirely all that central and AlJuneid station is about as dodgy as Singapore gets at night. The hostel was not well sign posted and I got quite lost more than once. Next time I am going to stay Hotel 88 or whatever it is in Central Singapore because at least that way I know that I am safe. My friend's friends were staying there and it was soooo much nicer.

Other than the weird hostel experience Singapore was about as awesome as it gets. I really liked it and would live there if given the opportunity.

I had 2 days and 3 nights in beautiful Singapore. On day 1 I caught up with my former flatmate who had met me at the airport the night before and helped me find my hostel and met up with our former neighbour, Jeroen from Switzerland, who was a student at NUS at the time. He had some girlfriends from Switzerland visiting too. They were also on their way to a wedding in a different country.

As four out of the six of us were tourists we headed up the Singapore Flyer, just as awesome as London Eye but cooler because it's in Singapore. It provides a fantastic start to a first day in Singapore because it allows you to get your bearings from on high. It takes a fair bit of time but gives you such amazing views and such an awesome chance to decide where to next.

For us, next was Vivo City for spot of lunch and shopping. Via the Merlion of course. I remembered it being much much bigger but then I was five the last time I had seen it...

Vivo City resulted in a lunch a murtabak and banana paratha. Oh my gosh, Singaporean food is so dreamy. I am still not sold on Sugar Cane Juice but everything else is just amazing. Leonard, who has seen me not finish a whole pizza before, was wondering where I was putting all the food I was stuffing into my mouth.

After a spot of lunch was a spot of shopping. UNIQLO!!! Oh how I had missed Uniqlo. Shorts, T-shirt, umbrella... gets! I was very happy. So happy in fact that I let the others con me into going to Sentosa Island with them even though I had said that I really didn't want to go there... aaaahahahahaha.

Sentosa actually ended up being possibly one of my best memories of Singapore this time around. Jeroen's friend from the university joined us and dragged us in the direction of a foam party at a beach bar. I laughed so hard because it was a) the last thing I expected and b) the one thing I needed. The music seemed as though it was coming off of my ipod too which made me laugh a little. So we had our Singapore Slings there then headed off for Satay back in town.

Om nom nom nom nom nom nom Singapore Satay. Enough said.

Next day:

Singapore Zoo: as awesome as it is reputed to be, though I thought it would be larger, again small child memory deception. Got lost trying to get there by train then bus but I did get there in the end despite Lonely Planet's rather amusingly bad instructions.

Arab Street and Little India: Also awesome! My parents think that that area has changed a lot since they first lived there in the 1970s. Well duh! It's called progress. The boogies that used to hang out around the area around the Bugis MTR stop have gone and the atmosphere has changed completely. BUT amazing pancakey crepe things in that area at a Swedish cafe and of course, Arab Street being the former Muslim precinct had awesome scarves for awesome prices. ;-)

Orchard Road: Everything is there, everything!!! Even Sephora... more money spent... too much money spent... awesome flip flops purchased that then got worn to Ladylovescake's wedding. :D

Jammed a million and one too many things into my pack and jumped on my plane to Sri Lanka at the end of Day 2. Late night flight landed me into Sri Lanka at 0100 which is another story for another day.

Learning to teach English in an all English Environment

One of the things that I learned as an Assistant Language Teacher on JET in Japan was that teaching English as an L2 or L3 (L1 being the native language) does not seem to work if it is done in L1. When English is taught to a student from L1 there is often little compulsion to use what has been taught and/or there is much compulsion to use L1 as a crutch. So coming back to New Zealand and trying out the English teacher at a language school gig was actually quite an eye opener for me. Some students could go from very little workable English to an awful lot of workable English really quite quickly but I didn't know how the teachers managed to achieve this in a classroom where they only spoke one, or in most cases none, of the languages spoken by the students they were teaching.

Before I went to Sri Lanka for Ladylovescake's wedding, I did a 5 week stint teaching Upper Intermediate level teenagers at a local language school. Dear goodness did I feel incompetent when I started out. I expected everyone to suck at English and having to sink or swim scared to bjaezus out of me. However, I persevered and with the help of my awesome class and my plushie Angry Bird, I found much joy in working with language school students. I found this joy because most of them are learning English because they want to, not because they have to. Most have a reason to be learning the language and want to make certain that money is not being wasted.

It was that joy that led me to investigate doing the CELTA, Certificate of English Language Teaching for Adults, so that I could continue to work in this area that I do so enjoy. Even if it is ultimately "my back up plan" and my "ticket to travel" it is still a valid and important qualification for any language teacher to have. In consultation with my boss and with the language school owner's ex-wife, who my mother happens to know, I settled on doing the course at Languages International in Auckland City and found it to be absolutely awesome. I cannot speak more highly of the staff there, the director of teacher training and his team of tutors are absolutely awesome and I highly recommend their CELTA course. It was high pressure, especially financially, but it was well worth it and has opened a few doors even though I've only had it for a few months.

The 5 weeks for work that I did at the local language school prior to my travels to my sister's wedding, may well have set me up for some time to come. Having done the CELTA now and being uncertain where my future takes me I know that at least no matter where I go I can teach English in English. I have the set of skills now and the ability to, hopefully, help any learner through, so long as they are willing to learn.

Reality...

Reality...

Well let's just say that the reality of my life at the moment is that since I went to Sri Lanka in August 2011 (which needs blogging, still I know), I am not going to be able to leave NZ for at least another year. I dislike this fact so I am attempting to ignore it.

In my attempts to ignore it I intend to blog about my trips to Singapore, Sri Lanka and New Zealand's Northland over the next few weeks. I also make a daily trip to London via the blog of my sister, LadyLovesCake, who is the whole reason I went to Sri Lanka last year. If I slack off on my blogging, however, it is because of the reality of my life at the moment.

The reality of my life at the moment is that it only took 18 months but I have my life back again after JET. I am so busy that I barely have time for myself (in theory).

This year I am:

1. Doing my Master of Environmental Management Thesis on base line environmental indicators for newly formed city councils.
2. Working part time as an ESL teacher subcontracted from the English School that I work for to a lovely little school nearby.
3. Working part time as an ESL, Maths and Science tutor.
4. Secretary of the Auckland Japan Exchange and Teaching Alumni Association (JETAA).
5. Involved in a political party at the electorate level.
6. Involved in a political party at the regional level.
7. Involved with the National Council of Women of New Zealand because of number 4.
8. Involved with the New Zealand Japan Society of Auckland (NZJS) on a semi-casual basis.
9. Learning to play softball with the NZJS team.
10. Considering doing some volunteer work with Antarctica New Zealand to pay my Antarctica trip 10 years ago forward.

So reality is that 10 years ago, aboard 2041, I believed that I would be traveling the world as some sort of foreign correspondenty business persony thing woman lady. The truth is that I a) live with my parents and b) am doing completely different things to what I ever would have dreamed of. The reality is that I am busy and the furthest that I get to travel this year will probably not even be as far as Dunedin.

I was at a family function the other day (Happy 70th Auntie!!!) with family that I had not seen in what feels like forever including my great aunt who makes me feel like a lazy poo poo head every time I sit down to write because she is still running around with few hearing, sight, or mobility issues at 82! I felt like a complete loser when I filled my father's cousins in on what I was up to these days, purely because I am living at home on a strict strict budget semi-reliant on my parents for the life to which I could so easily become accustomed. This is not a nice feeling even if they did have that look of understanding about the economy not being in such a flash state since 2008 when I moved to Japan.

But I have a plan and if I play my cards right will be able to return the favour (I am incredibly excited about her visit very soon) and visit LadyLovesCake in London next year en route to Africa. I am hoping that she's in a financial position to join me too maybe. ;-)

More about the past 8 months to come. There is soooo much that needs writing.

Peace, love and penguins.

Rae

JET Pre-departure Orientation from the other side

As a member of one's local JET Alumni Association one is sometimes asked to help out with JET promotion events, JET orientation events and such like.

This past week I ran into the local JETAA president at the meeting of another Japan related organisation that we both belong to. Having established that orientation was this weekend and that eating might be occurring afterwards (eating!!!! I am always up for eating!), I asked him if they needed any extras for it. Well! As luck would have it another person had had to pull out at the last minute and would it be ok if I helped him with his section. No problem man!

It turned out to be a lot of fun, both the eating and the orientating. It was quite the trip down memory lane and a really fun day in the end. Of course, it culminated in Karaoke! I haven't sung like that in ages.

I am really excited for the new JETs beginning their journey. It feels like only yesterday that was me sitting where they were sitting asking questions etc. They all seem so excited.

I'm so glad that I was given the opportunity to help out.

Oh and for those that want to know where good Japanese food is in Auckland, try Don (丼) on High Street in the central city, the duty manager's name on the sign might be Korean but I swear to goodness that that place has authentic Japanese staff and food! Nom nom!

OK I'ma say it!!!

This has nothing to do with my travels, my studies or my travel plans but I am annoyed!

I am today studying in Starbucks. Getting some s*** done for my masters course work right?

The fact that I even got admitted into a masters course puts me on a level of intelligence that is not beyond most people but that appears to be recently.

In my time studying at a Starbucks in the suburb next to the suburb of Auckland that I grew up in I have made some observations. You know, as a good scientist with an interest in human behaviour and community policy does, observes the world around them. Good scientist, listen, eavesdrop, observe, pretend like I am working etc etc etc etc etc etc... blah blah blah.

Aaaanyway, yesterday there was a couple here, in their 40s on a date. A date during the day, most probably because both had children from another relationship. They were hiding the fact that they were on a date from their kids. They sounded like they wanted to do right by them. I didn't catch the full story of their split ups though.

Then! Today, there was a pair of women having coffee, both were about my age, both had babies ranging between 3 and 9 months old, BOTH were single!!!! One left her guy because everything changed once baby boy came along. Umm duh! If you didn't know that before you had unprotected sex then you probably do not want to know what I am thinking right now.

Since when has it been ok for couples to not raise the baby that they clearly had a lot of fun making together? Since when has it been ok for a woman to not let her imprisoned ex-boyfriend (?) find out about their child's milestones? Since when is it ok for a woman to cheat on her man, then go out for dinner with the other guy the day after they break up despite having a child? Since when did communities cease to care whether or not the next generation is raised with a moral compass?

SINCE WHEN?!

We hear all this stuff in the media lately about rich kids and their booze and their drugs at a prominent Auckland high school and kids dying etc. Is that because the parents have no time for them?

A community raises a child.

A community should give a damn about our kids.

Our kids are dying either at the hands of their parents, or at the hands of drugs, be they legal (ahem Kronic) or otherwise.

We need to set an example for them. We need to make things work. We need to show them how a good citizen is supposed to behave.

For goodness sake, if you want a kid make sure you pick a partner who wants you FOREVER first and foremost. Then make sure they wants you to have a baby with them. Not the other way around.

Make sure they are going to stay.

Make sure they are going to have a respectable job and not end up in the clink.

Make sure you are going to raise that kid TO-GETH-ER!

I am sick of the me me me BS that this world seems to think is ok.

It is not ok to want a human doll to play with and then to not stay with the other half of the fertilization process just because "everything changed when the baby was born". It is just not ok.

I don't know when society is going to wake up but watch out if I ever get put in charge of social development because I'ma come out guns blazing. None of this is ok!

Neither is me neglecting my study so off I go.

Rant over! (For now!)

Post script: My friend just pointed out that we shouldn't need to be having this conversation. Too true sister but it is a fact of life. Now, what to do about it without sounding like a condescending bitch face?

Hototiu, The Train Taniwha

Right, so, I am annoyed this morning. I have been hearing and seeing a lot of culturally insensitive people, some who aren't even Aucklanders jumping up and down about the Taniwha that is guardian over the creek that runs underneath Auckland's Queen Street.

Taniwha = mythical creature that protects its domain's Mauri.

Mauri = Life force/spirit. It can be added to or it can be subtracted from. Things that subtract from Mauri are things that disrupt the natural balance.

Kaitiaki = guardian. Maori are kaitiaki over their lands, people and gods. The land is kaitiaki over the Maori, animals and plants who live upon it. The gods are kaitiaki over everything.

The taniwha, to my understanding, is a lower level god.

The "T-bomb" was dropped at the Auckland Council this week. The "T-bomb" that could stop Auckland's rail link from going ahead. I don't mind, it won't get all the way out to where my parents live anyway so why waste my rates on it. But it does affect those who live closer in and may use it.

What I want to point out is that people are ridiculing someone else's belief system. One that was perfectly fine until us white fullas came along and ruined it because we thought that our ideas are better. The land was fine, it was productive, birds sang and there was plenty of food to go around. Possums didn't eat the native foliage and stoats didn't eat the Kiwis that ran around in the bushes in the cute way that they do.

This taniwha was NOT the government's idea. In fact, certain Maori MPs who are part of the government have been making jokes about it on Twitter all of the last 2 days. I don't think it's a government stalling tactic at all and would have said the same thing if I stood on the other side of the political "fence" (bahaha what fence?!).

I want to point out that this member of the Maori Board (or whatever it is it is being called, Auckland Council still confuses me, doing my local government policy assignment on the Waikato for that reason) is asking a valid question. Have you considered the spiritual protector of the land? Have you considered its Mauri? Have you thought about how you are going to minimise Environmental Impact? If you have not, you'd better do it again because like it or not it's in the Resource Management Act that all factors, especially those relating to the Treaty of Waitangi should be considered and a full environmental impact assessment undertaken. What he is getting at is that perhaps full consultation was not undertaken and whether or not that is legally ok is beside the point, is it morally unquestionable? I don't know.

Suffice to say that whilst I did initially laugh at the taniwha that lives in the Auckland CBD, I am not going to ridicule it because even though it's not my belief, it is someone else's and we live in a multicultural society where, at least I thought, it is part of our collective culture to respect other people's beliefs.