The Botanical and Orchid Gardens of Singapore are must-see tourist attractions. The Orchid Garden, a three-hectare plot of land inside the Botanical Gardens, is home to the most species of orchids in the world. Orchids are sent from all over the world to add to its insurmountable collection and to create new hybrids in this garden center. Although we expected to spend at least four hours at the Gardens, we were there for only half that time... it was too hot and humid, so we rushed through everything. Here's the pics, enjoy! [View Full Entry]

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With the exception of the Jurong Bird Park, Mom and I explored the Zoo and the Night Safari extensively. The only reason we saw probably a quarter of the Bird Park was because we were exhausted from the heat and travelling, so we went shopping along Orchard Road instead. Because all three facilities boasted such colorful and engaging animals, as well as enthusiastic keepers and trainers, every photo was a potential photo-op. Enjoy them, as I did! [View Full Entry]

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"Singapore is certainly the handiest city I ever saw, as well planned and carefully executed as though built entirely by one man. It is like a big desk, full of drawers and pigeon-holes, where everything has its place, and can always be found in it." William Hornaday, 1885. Hornaday's appraisal is certainly more valid today than it was in 1885. Singapore-a city, island, and country-is the land of skyscrapers and high-rise buildings. The envy of S.E. Asia, it is shockingly hi-tech and ultra-modern, with meticulous, regimented, yet stunning civil engineering. From road planning to its [View Full Entry]

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Photos for Sydney! I'll also be heading home tomorrow, hooray! Singapore photos will be up soon too. See y'all soon!! [View Full Entry]

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Okay, I lied. Sydney will be in the next blog... or maybe the next one after. Thailand wasn't what I thought it would be in many ways. I've just finished e-mailing a friend of mine about how glad I am to be back in Singapore, to put it in polite terms. We went with a tour group consisting of 22 people in total. And everywhere we went, we were joined by hundreds of other tourists at every single place. Business locals heckled us everywhere. Shopping was an exhausting chore because we were constantly being told what to buy and at what [View Full Entry]

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Finally, I got the opportunity to post up photos of Melbourne, Australia. Photos of Sydney, Australia are in the next blog. Enjoy. (PS: Heading to Thailand tonight for a week. Next blog will be available next week) [View Full Entry]

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This was our last leg of the Malaysia tour. Malacca, or Melaka depending on how you wanna spell it, is Malaysia's oldest city. I don't remember much of its history, though our tour guide spent about three hours explaining it. I had a cold and had energy sucked outta me. Anyway, it involves the Dutch and St. Francis and battles and other interesting stuff. [View Full Entry]

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Kuala Lumpur has a population of about 2.5 million people, with 95% Malays and 5% of other ethnic origin, mostly of Chinese and East Indian heritage. We stayed at the Legend Hotel, a 5-star hotel, for a couple of nights and it's a pretty spiffy place. We also happened upon a huge and important political meeting. During a breakfast buffet, Mom and I sat at a table next to one full of Malaysia's top ministers! Me, in my shirt and slacks... and them, in their beautiful and colorful original Malay outfits. Anyway, there are quite a few things to see in [View Full Entry]

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Hey y'all, just came back from a 7-day excursion to Malaysia. Whether or not you like the country depends on where you go. Crime is rampant in Johor Bahru, a city in the southern part of the country. Kuala Lumpur is safer, but it's advisable not to walk alone at night, especially if you're female. Men on motorcycles will stare at you with devious eyes, hoping to snatch your purse or wallet and ride away. The first leg of the trip was a journey to the Cameron Highlands. The highlands are mountainous areas with embedded spaces of flat lands that are [View Full Entry]

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Just arrived in Singapore last night from a missions trip to Fiji (which by the way was a fulfilling and fun-tastic experience). I'll be heading out to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by bus tonight. Here are photos from Fiji. I'll write a diary later since I don't have much time to spare... gotta leave for Malaysia in a bit. Enjoy! Update (July 23): Fiji is a Christian nation. However, many of its churches have become religious and legalistic; power plays between pastors are common. Two main people groups reside here: Native Fijians and Indians. The Indians are predominantly business-people. [View Full Entry]

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