Singapore: The Art of the Brick at the ArtScience Museum.

Right, so I know I only posted a blog last night but what I did this morning was so brilliant I had to share it!  Now despite being 20 years old, I do have a slight thing for Lego... Some of you are probably aware, some definitely won't be! I know that sounds ridiculous but it does kind of fascinate me. I used to spend hours playing with it when I was a kid and I still today can't resist if I see a set hanging about. It's hugely iconic. I enjoy experimentation with it, especially when it is sculpted and presented in ways like I saw today. The exhibition follows American born Nathan Sawaya who uses Lego to create art. He builds a range of models such as Human bodies, Household items, Logo's and even portraits (which are exceptionally clever)!  As the pictures show below he has made some truly amazing things out of standard Lego bricks...

The exhibition shows you his journey from a small set of bricks and how he transforms them into a work of art. It reveals his influences for his work and it discusses whether his work should even be considered art. After all, without Lego he wouldn't have been able to produce his work. You then get to have your photo transformed into Lego Bricks! I found this rather fun and messed about for a while :) After seeing the final piece (A huge 80,000 piece dinosaur which was stunning; and took months to complete!), you were lead into the creativity area where you could step on a huge lego floor, try the finger maze which was impossible, or just have a go at building something.

I was truly blown away by it. If I was a child I don't know what I would have done! It was definitely one of my favourite experiences of my trip so far. That might seem barmy to a lot of people but what can I say, I like Lego ha! I ended up buying the limited edition official book as well because I was so impressed!

To get the general gist of his stuff, have a look at me with the Lego man in the chair:

Here are quite a few pieces of his work...

         

Singapore: Raffles, Marina Light & Laser Show, Hard Rock Cafe & Oceanarium!

So I am entering the last day of Singapore tomorrow! Yesterday, I spent the day on the bus tour taking in some of the areas I hadn't got to visit yet. On the way, I stopped off at the famous Raffles Hotel :) I didn't have a Singapore Sling as the prices are quite hefty and I've heard it's pretty horrible! I instead had lunch there in the bakery which was really posh... I was asked if I wanted a newspaper... very formal! The hotel itself is quite unique in it's look, and it appears modern despite it being very old. The tour said it cost 400$ US dollars a night!

I then went to 'Merlion Park' which is a very touristy area with the famous Lion Statue shooting water into the Singapore River. The views here were incredible... Probably the best I've seen so far this trip! Here's a couple of pictures :

Yesterday evening I went to see the Marina Bay water and light show. This was amazing and potentially better than the Burj show in Dubai! They spray up a cloud of mist which then has images and lasers projected onto it. It was really clever and fascinating to watch. There was fire balls, water shoots, bubbles, fireworks... really worth seeing! I also ate a Nanyang Nasi Lemak which is a signature Singapore dish with rice, fried chicken and finish with a spicy paste. Probably the best thing I've eaten so far, it was so so good!

So today I decided I would head back to Sentosa Island as I didn't get to see it all the other night... Like I said I couldn't resist going to Hard Rock Cafe :) Had a bbq pulled pork sandwich :) I always love it in there, they had Beatles vinyls and pictures of Nirvana, Gwen Stefani and Guns n Roses amongst others :) They played Coldplay, Jamiroquai and Arctic Monkeys which I was very happy about being probably the only English person in there!

Walking up and down the island was seriously wearing me out (very hot again today), so I decided to part some cash and go into the Oceanarium/Aquarium, which is officially the biggest in the world! It was seriously cool and made Bournemouth's look stupid! Being in Asia I obviously saw fish from the Pacific Ocean and the Arabian Sea rather than the usual Atlantic stuff I have seen before. It took you from the smallest of fish to the larger ones, then stingrays, crabs and sea-horses, starfish (which I actually got to touch in one area), jellyfish (still the weirdest!) and then finally sharks... It built you up to the sharks at the end with them being the last things you see before leaving. The place was heaving but it's a great place to visit. The whole aquarium is surrounded by an 'open ocean' giving the fish masses of space to roam wherever they like. Really quite unique :)

So tomorrow is my last day! In my room of 6, I have just been joined by 5 chinese girls after everyone else moved out! Ha! I fly on Tuesday to Hong Kong so I am getting myself ready for that... Not long and I'll be settled in Australia where I stay for nearly 2 weeks, before starting the very slow journey towards home! I would have to say Singapore and Dubai is too close to call. Singapore slightly just edges it for me; simply because it's more cultured and there is slightly more to see that interests me. I like the idea of an urban city but also one that boasts lush green landscapes like Singapore does. It is probably the prettiest place I have ever been and certainly the cleanest. Yesterday a young child in a pram dropped there plastic spoon for their ice cream. Without knowing, their parents carried on down the street. Only one person passed before a local man, who looked in his 60s bent down and put it into the bin. They have a level of care and respect that is beyond our realms. Very telling...

Singapore: Botanic Gardens, Orchard Road, Sentosa and Singapore Zoo!

 I have been very busy the last two days seeing loads of Singapore in quite a short space of time :) Yesterday (24th) I had a much needed lie in, then headed over to the Botanic Gardens. Now, I'm not one for plants or flowers (daisies, lilies, sunflowers are about as much as I know haha!) but this place was really beautiful. It was very peaceful and it's treated with respect from the locals. This isn't a park to come and have a picnic or play games, it is truly a peaceful place to think or relax. I then paid a small fee to go into the National Orchid Garden (I know this sounds crazy. Me, in an Orchid garden enjoying myself)! It was well worth it though... Every single type of slower or plant was labelled with descriptions. Must have been thousands! Well worth the visit...

I then visited the famous Orchard Road which is the fashion street of Singapore. It had all the top names like Gucci, D&G etc. It was similar to Oxford Street in many ways, just an Asian version! I don't have wads of cash to spend on aftershave and suits so it was great to see but wasn't a lot that I could do there...

That evening after returning for a shower (still so hot, nearly 35c ahhh), I went to the Harbourfront and then the amazing Sentosa Island, which is a tiny little island holding some amazing attractions. Universal studios Singapore is there, Sea World, Singapore Hard Rock Cafe and some great Bars and Restaurants :) I had a quick walk around but I was short for time and had to head back. Think I'll go back again before I go (Can't resist a hard rock cafe!)

That brings me to today which was amazing! I went to Singapore Zoo which is one of the best in the world! I saw everything you'd expect, but mainly asian and african animals. It's amazing how many things you see that you didn't even know existed! Also, it's incredible to think just how many animals there are... You forget easily and just remember the big names so to speak. It was weird seeing an Elephant (which you could ride!), Giraffe, Rhino, Cheetah, Leopard,Tiger, Lion, Penguin etc up close... Was my first time! Not a fan of baboons though... how peculiar! There were two live shows, the 'Rainforest strikes back' which was a selection of animals climbing around the stage. My favourite was the second show which was 'Splash Safari', which was a Sea Lion performing tricks and generally getting everyone drenched. I had no idea just how intelligent and clever they were! They could even clap and hide there face for their trainer! When looking at the kangaroo's there was a piece of Steve Irwin. He was a close friend to the zoo and was there regularly. It said how much they loved him and how they miss him. He was very exuberant and passionate and he cared so much for animals. It was very sad actually. Then this evening, I did the night safari which is a tram ride in the dark with the wild animals not in the zoo, on display... Was really amazing being so close. A deer seemed to like me a lot and nearly boarded the train!

Singapore is a very lovely place. The people are the kindest I've ever met. Everyones smiles at you, everywhere. You walk into a little shop and you are greeted and smiled at instantly. It's different to back home. Next couple of days I plan to do the bus tour to see more and hopefully even a trip to Raffles Hotel! I have a quite a few photos from today :) :

This Baboon clearly wants to be a DJ.

This isn't Santa - It's an Orangutan :')

Zoo Staff holding a giant snake. Guy at the end on the right clearly hates everyone in the crowd taking pictures.

Singapore! My first day...

 So I have arrived in Singapore and I am writing this desperately trying not to fall asleep. I got about 2 hours on the plane from Dubai and then spent all day walking around in 30c heat : / I am shattered!

Firstly, my first experience with Singapore Airlines was a good one...They are different to Virgin. Bit posher and luxurious... Leg room, food etc was that little bit better. The air hostess' wore a long asian type dress which was different! I took the metro straight from the airport to my hostel to drop off my bag. I saw similar things to what I saw in Dubai first up. Tall buildings, greener areas, parks, museums, shopping centers... In may ways I would say they are similar but in many they are totally different. As soon as I stepped outside it hit me. The heat and the humidity. It was energy zapping. It was like there's no air to breathe, it can be quite hard to deal with at times (me overexaggerating). After wondering around my hostel area, I dragged myself (quite literally) back onto the tube and to the Marina Bay area which is relatively new to Singapore with it's quirky hotel and shopping mall..

Here is the shopping mall and the hotel: 

What you are seeing there is the Marina Bay Sands Hotel Skypark which is a boat shaped infinity pool at the top. The highest in the world (surprisingly not Dubai)... Then the Marina Bay Mall connected to it which has a lake and a fountain inside, as well as a gondola which can take you round.. Crazy! 

I then wondered round to the Singapore flyer which was about 500m away. This is like the London eye but taller. You get amazing views of Singapore, you can literally see everything. In many ways this was better than the Burj because you could make out landmarks easier :) Here's a couple of pictures including something you've all been waiting for (you really haven't)

You''ll have to forgive the cringy classic 10 second timer shot and I had the whole carriage to myself! Also, I was close to crumbling of exhaustion and this point! Now I don't want to get all Michael Palin on you but Dubai was a place where eastern and western cultures met. Probably why it's the most likely destination for a terrorist attack now.. Singapore from what I've seen is more of a mixing pot of Asian cultures. This evening I went to Chinatown, Little India and also an area full of Japanese foods. The people range too with a vast number of different nationalities settling here. Dubai was purely UAE nationals apart from Businessmen. 

Now to stop the formal tone, I have also noticed a few other useless bits of information. The 7 eleven convenience stores are EVERYWHERE. Nearly every single girl here wears short shorts. Like really short. Not that I was looking ha! Something that caught my eye. Also, Eating out is expensive. On top of normal price, a 10% service charge and 7% singapore government tax is put on top! And the best of all..they have an official 'Tintin shop' with old memorabilia and models! 

So one week in now and it's been great! I do get a little lonely sometimes, it's hard not speaking to the people I usually do everyday. I miss not talking..or interactions... All I do is talk to my head which is a weird concept..and tiring after time! I had a good conversation earlier though with a chinese man who was trying to sell me my name engraved in chinese on a plank of wood for £75. No thanks mate.

Dubai: 7 Star Hotel and The '8th wonder of the world'

So today I took the tour bus to the to Jumeirah Area of Dubai - or in other words the most expensive and impressive part! I got off at Jumeirah public beach where I laid for a good hour or so (was about 25c today!), right next to what is known all over the world as the only 7 star hotel; the Burj Al Raf. The hotel is actually a small way into the sea making it unreachable to any looming tourists. The bus tour actually said the only way to get to the hotel is via an official hotel car, helicopter or submarine. You get a free helicopter ride from the airport to the hotel when you stay there!

After lying on the beach and going into the sea (clearest seawater I've ever seen!) I got back onto the bus where we drove past 'The World'. This is basically a number of hand made personal islands available to buy. Sounds good right?! $10,000,000 to $100,000,000 each. Ahh :( Many celebrities have bought an island though according to the tour bus guide...

After that we reached what is being called the 8th wonder of the world. The palm Jumeirah. A man made island with 17 off shoots off a long road leading to the Atlantis Hotel. It is simply incredible. It is one of the only few things you can see from space...This is what it looks like from above. I didn't take this picture..Although I wish I hadn't told you that so you all asked how I got so high up!

At the end of the palm is the Atlantis Hotel which is where I got off the Bus and took pictures. I then somehow managed to waggle my way inside and see the view back to the main city. After leaving, I took a wrong turn into a construction site and ended up on an empty beach. I walked a little further up and I had somehow snuck into the Atlantis guest only beach bar! I still had to pay for my drink but I was rather proud of myself haha! Here are some pictures of the Atlantis and the view from the Bar I had a drink at... (p.s My Mum and Nan are staying at this hotel for a couple of nights in 2 weeks time... Lucky!)

The scary thing about Dubai is that they are still building, and building and building. Despite it's skyscrapers and built up areas, there are areas which are deserted. After all, this was a desert and small fishing village a long time ago. There is so much money around now. Everything has to be the biggest or the best. They have the tallest building, the tallest hotel, the biggest shopping mall in the world ( Dubai Mall is crazy, I get lost all the time. 1,200 shops. No joke.), they even have the most vertical waterslide!

The big thing I will look for in 2020 when it is finished is DubaiLand. The theme park will be double the size of Disney Land Florida...Looks like I will be coming back!