Friday night. My good friend and room mate was already packed when I got back from work. With one big box and a rolling suitcase, he's bound for home in the next 4 hours. The box is not that heavy but its size makes it hard for one man to handle so I offered to lend a hand and tag along to the airport.
It was raining heavily earlier, heavier than normal for the tropical island of Singapore, and there was still a drizzle while we were in the taxi. The taxi ride was quite smooth for the most part. The driver didn't bother to engage us in conversation and my friend and I had a pleasant talk in our own dialect. It was when we turned for the exit from the expressway to the Budget Terminal when the taxi somehow lost control and slammed to the safety barrier. The driver got out to inspect the damage and when he came back in, my friend asked, "What happened?" To that he curtly answered, "Slipy." Did he mean that the road was slippery or that he was sleepy? Of course, I didn't bother to ask. What's important was that the taxi can still run and we continued our trip to the airport.
A couple of hours later, my friend was already inside the passengers-only area and I decided to grab a quick bite at the McDonald's inside the Budget Terminal. I was wondering earlier who I'll bump into tonight. Every time I come to this terminal to send someone off, I see old acquaintances. This time, it was a former colleague who happened to be sitting in the next table. She was also bound for home and her friend was there with her. I said, "So you're going home for the Day of the Dead." She smiled and nodded and her friend said, "She misses her mother." It was absurd but the timing of her friend's statement made me think that her mother is dead.
It was already midnight and I was still on the bus from the airport. I still need to transfer to another bus and there was a possibility that I'll miss the last trip. I had two choices, alight at the bus stop for the transfer and take the risk of missing the other bus or ride further and walk the rest of the way. If I choose the former and indeed miss the other bus, I will be forced to hail a taxi. So, I decided to ride further. When I saw a familiar area, I alighted. I've jogged to this place before, I can therefore walk from here. I was now about one and a quarter kilometer away from our place - still far but walkable. I have only taken a few steps when my bladder started calling my attention - the coke from McDonald's. Singapore is known for its green environment and big trees line the sidewalk. It was dark and quiet. Every tree that casts a huge shadow was an invitation to relieve myself. I was about to burst but I can still think straight - I better hold it in or risk paying a hefty fine.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Counting Cars
I got bored so I went to out to count the number of cars that will pass by in the next 10 mins.
Seriously, I got to watch the 2009 Singapore F1 Grand Prix practice race for free thanks to my room mate. For the finals, I watched it on live TV.
Seriously, I got to watch the 2009 Singapore F1 Grand Prix practice race for free thanks to my room mate. For the finals, I watched it on live TV.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Cleanup at Pulau Ubin
Today, our company took part in the ICCS (International Coastal Cleanup, Singapore; News here) and as a member of the HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) Committee, I had the privilege to participate. Our cleanup site is Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin in northeastern Singapore. Literally, Pulau Ubin means "Granite Island" in Malay because it is a rich source of granite and many quarries operated there in the past. Pulau Ubin is also known as the last kampong (village) in Singapore that is preserved from urban development. It is very close to Malaysia that at one point, my mobile phone caught a Malaysian signal and switched to Roaming.
The day started with a quick taxi ride to Changi Port Ferry Terminal where we ate our Nasi Lemak breakfast. Apparently, the hawker centre (food court) near the terminal is home to the best Nasi Lemak in Singapore. Nasi Lemak is Malay for rice cooked in coconut cream and it is served with fried egg, sambal (spicy sauce), cucumber slices, ikan bilis (small dried anchovies/buwad bulinaw in Bisaya) and your choice of main dish. I chose Otah which is fish paste mixed with various spices and wrapped in a banana leaf. After grilling, the mixture hardens and resembles a slice of luncheon meat. The whole meal was then concluded with a serving of local coffee.
To get to Pulau Ubin, we rode on bumboats - small, wooden, motorized boats that can accommodate up to 12 passengers. For 2.5 SGD per person, the boats took us to the island in about 15 mins. Then from the Pulau Ubin Ferry Terminal, we rode on vans to get to our cleanup site in Chek Jawa. Along the way, I observed the surroundings. It was like I was being transported close to home. Everything around me reminded me of the rural areas of Cebu - palm trees, dirt roads, stray dogs, warm ocean breeze. I even saw a house with a sign that said "Cold Drinks For Sale". We were in a non-aircon van and being in the front seat, I arrogantly let my elbow stick out from the window - one of the little pleasures that I've stopped doing since I moved to Singapore.
We divided ourselves into groups of 4 and after being given our assignments, we headed out to start the cleanup. The 2 ladies in our group took turns in being the recorder. As part of the activity, we had to make a record of how many and what type of rubbish we picked up. Everyone worked fast. It's not so obvious from the road but there were a lot of garbage to pick up. Plastic bottles, glass bottles, pieces of clothing, fishing nets, ropes, plastic bags - scattered and partially buried in the sand and the forested area nearby. It made me wonder. That side of the island is uninhabited so where did all of these come from? My colleague explained that when the tide rises and reaches the trees, foreign objects from the sea get entangled and are left there. These objects come all the way from the neighboring islands or sea-faring vessels that pass by. Since it's uninhabited, no one is there to clean and the garbage piles up. In the long run, it's going to destroy the coastal environment.
After filling up 45 trash bags and weighing them, the group hiked to the nearest Visitor Centre to wash up and consolidate the recorded data. Our Safety Coordinator, who is a frequent visitor to the island, toured us to the Seaside and Mangrove Boardwalks. We also went up the Viewing Tower which is 5-stories high by stairs. Tired from the cleaning and hiking, the group returned to the Ferry Terminal and had Pepper Crab lunch at the nearest Seafood Restaurant where the summary of our hard work was also presented. An estimated total of 322.5 kg of rubbish was collected. The most common type is the plastic bottle with a total of 453 pieces. Imagine that.
The day started with a quick taxi ride to Changi Port Ferry Terminal where we ate our Nasi Lemak breakfast. Apparently, the hawker centre (food court) near the terminal is home to the best Nasi Lemak in Singapore. Nasi Lemak is Malay for rice cooked in coconut cream and it is served with fried egg, sambal (spicy sauce), cucumber slices, ikan bilis (small dried anchovies/buwad bulinaw in Bisaya) and your choice of main dish. I chose Otah which is fish paste mixed with various spices and wrapped in a banana leaf. After grilling, the mixture hardens and resembles a slice of luncheon meat. The whole meal was then concluded with a serving of local coffee.
To get to Pulau Ubin, we rode on bumboats - small, wooden, motorized boats that can accommodate up to 12 passengers. For 2.5 SGD per person, the boats took us to the island in about 15 mins. Then from the Pulau Ubin Ferry Terminal, we rode on vans to get to our cleanup site in Chek Jawa. Along the way, I observed the surroundings. It was like I was being transported close to home. Everything around me reminded me of the rural areas of Cebu - palm trees, dirt roads, stray dogs, warm ocean breeze. I even saw a house with a sign that said "Cold Drinks For Sale". We were in a non-aircon van and being in the front seat, I arrogantly let my elbow stick out from the window - one of the little pleasures that I've stopped doing since I moved to Singapore.
We divided ourselves into groups of 4 and after being given our assignments, we headed out to start the cleanup. The 2 ladies in our group took turns in being the recorder. As part of the activity, we had to make a record of how many and what type of rubbish we picked up. Everyone worked fast. It's not so obvious from the road but there were a lot of garbage to pick up. Plastic bottles, glass bottles, pieces of clothing, fishing nets, ropes, plastic bags - scattered and partially buried in the sand and the forested area nearby. It made me wonder. That side of the island is uninhabited so where did all of these come from? My colleague explained that when the tide rises and reaches the trees, foreign objects from the sea get entangled and are left there. These objects come all the way from the neighboring islands or sea-faring vessels that pass by. Since it's uninhabited, no one is there to clean and the garbage piles up. In the long run, it's going to destroy the coastal environment.
After filling up 45 trash bags and weighing them, the group hiked to the nearest Visitor Centre to wash up and consolidate the recorded data. Our Safety Coordinator, who is a frequent visitor to the island, toured us to the Seaside and Mangrove Boardwalks. We also went up the Viewing Tower which is 5-stories high by stairs. Tired from the cleaning and hiking, the group returned to the Ferry Terminal and had Pepper Crab lunch at the nearest Seafood Restaurant where the summary of our hard work was also presented. An estimated total of 322.5 kg of rubbish was collected. The most common type is the plastic bottle with a total of 453 pieces. Imagine that.
Friday, July 10, 2009
World Cyber Games 2009
Last week was the Asian Championships of World Cyber Games 2009. We went to Suntec City with fellow DotA addicts to see how the professionals play.
We were just in time for the game between the Philippines and Taiwan. The Philippines won in that game but I heard that they lost against China.
A group of cosplayers were also there to grace the event.
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We were just in time for the game between the Philippines and Taiwan. The Philippines won in that game but I heard that they lost against China.
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A group of cosplayers were also there to grace the event.
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