Initial Impressions

After the whole flight debacle I arrived in Singapore to hot, sunny 30 degree weather. I also arrived on New Years eve, so as much as I was tired from the long haul travel, I was eager to experience my first day in Singapore and ring in the new year.

My first impressions of the city were that it did live up to its "clean" city appeal. Everything looked very pristine and modern. My first excursion on day 1 was to the local mall to grab some food. I was shocked/amazed/surprised as to the number of stores I recognized, both from home and from my time in Australia. The number of store brands I recognized was plentyful, so I knew just then I wouldn`t have to much trouble here. It also helped that the area I was living in was the shopping district of the city (Orchard Road). There was still reminisce of Christmas along the street lined with malls and high end shops.

After some initial walking around and a nap I headed out for my new years celebrations. I was fortunate enough that one of my parents childhood friends was in town with his family from Japan. I met up with them to ring in the New Year at the famous Raffles Hotel. We started off at the famous Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling was invented. I enjoyed a few of those before going up to the balcony of the hotel to watch the countdown and fireworks going on over Marina Bay (all celebrated with Champagne of course). Singapore did not disappoint with there new year celebrations!

On the Saturday I joined a free walking tour around the city; what a great way to see a snapshot and learn about the city I`d be living in! A few of the main things we saw were the Fullerton Hotel, Marina Bay Sands and the National Gallery.

 

One thing I have learned in my initial few days is Singapore is not that big! Yes, duh, from looking at a map you can see that, but everything is very walkable to get around. If you`re not a fan of walking the subway system takes you pretty much anywhere and is supplemented with buses all around. 

Saturday was capped off with a viewing of the nightly Marina Bay Light Show. Every night in front of the promenade they hold a light show, in which they shot water up into the air and project lights and video on it, all while coordinated to music. It kind of resembles some of those touristy light and water shows you would see in Las Vegas, but I didn`t decline the chance to see it. 

On Sunday, my roommate invited me to join a group of him and his friends on a bike ride around East Coast Park. We rented bikes and headed west in the park, where we ended up at the Marina Barrage. The barrage was built to keep sea water out of the marina, but it also offers an amazing view of the city.  

After a quick photo stop, we headed to Gardens by the Bay where we had some snacks from the hawker centre 'Satay by the Bay'. As we rode back to the rental centre, we also stopped at the Bedok Jetty, which offered a different perspective of the city from the ocean. The sun setting over the ocean with a view of the city was a perfect ending to my first weekend in Singapore. 

Travel Blunders

As per my previous posts, my plan was to travel from London to India then onwards to Singapore. So as I prepared myself for a warmer climate and a new culture that I had never seen before, I headed to Heathrow airport to check-in for my 9 hour flight to India. I arrived 4 hours before my departure time, just to ensure there was no chance of missing my flight. This even gave me a chance to call home before I took off. The check-in desk opened 3 hours before the flight time and up I trotted to the lady at the desk. I had a slight worry about my bag being overweight, but no problem there, off I watched it go down the conveyer. The lady handing me my boarding pass and said "you have a visa, right?" At that moment I really don`t know what my face conveyed to the lady, but all that could come out was, "I need a visa"?

To make a long story short, in the busyness of the last month I had managed to overlook the step of ensuring I had a visa for India. The lady at the check-in called over one of the supervisors who, thanks to his reassurance, saved me from having a complete panic attack. There was no way to get a visa in such a short timeframe. They recommended that the best course of action would be to fly straight through to Singapore and only make Mumbai a stopover so I wouldn`t need a visa. I complied, thinking more about just getting somewhere, versus the experience I`d miss out on. They re-booked my flight to leave the next morning with a 9 hour flight to Mumbai, a brief 1 hour layover and then onto a 4 hour flight to Singapore.

The next morning, I re-approached the same check-in line and repeated the same process. When the lady asked me about my visa, I was quick to reply "I`m not staying in India, just transiting through". Off I went and onto the flight!

Typically I`m an okay flyer. As much as I hate the long haul flights, I manage to pre-occupy myself enough to make them okay. It must have been something about the combination of the stressful events from the night before and the lack of sleep, but when I got on the flight I nausea started on strong. I had taken some medication prior to the flight, but clearly it wasn`t working. What followed was some 9 hours of hell on the flight. I strongly declined the two meals and snacks they served over the flight duration, as I knew anything that went in, probably wasn`t going to stay. Instead, I requested cups of ice to chew on, which along with focusing on a movie, helped marginally. When we landed in Mumbai, I knew the 9 hours of hell was over, but that was only about 75% of the journey...

When my flight was re-booked, they told me I would have a very short timeframe to get to the other flight. I arrived in Mumbai at 12:30, and the flight to Singapore started boarding at 12:45 and departed at 1:30. The line getting off the flight barely moved for 5, 10, 15 minutes, as I looked in my watch in a panic. Finally at 12:45 I made it off the plane, preparing for a sprint to my other flight, when I was faced with a bus... It was one of those airports, where they bus you from the plane to the terminal. I knew this was not going to help my cause of making this next flight on time. As we pulled up to the terminal I stopped looking at my watch and just ran as fast as I could with my carryon bag in hand. I followed the signs to the transfer gate, where I finally reached the transfer desk. The lady at the desk must have seen the exhaustion and panic in my eyes, as she offered me water when I approached the desk. I said I was alright and just wanted to make the flight. She re-assured me that they would hold the flight for me, but I would need to move quickly through the security checkpoint. After trying to remain calm through security, I started my jog again to reach the loading gate. Of course it was no easy feat once again, as I moved swiftly up and down multiple escalators to different floors of the airport and then finally reached the gate I needed to be at. The sign on above the door was flashing "last call" as I handed the attendant my boarding my pass and approached yet another bus to take me to the plane.

I think my panic finally settled, when I saw the two pilots boarding the bus with me. The plane couldn`t leave without them, so as long as I wasn`t far behind I`d be okay. I reached my window seat on the plane and once again all the nausea came back as I proceeded to vomit before the plane even took off. At that point I think my body officially just gave up and I fell asleep. I was clearly tired as I slept through the entire 4.5 hour flight to Singapore and only woke up as we were approaching landing.

Yes, I made it Singapore. A little worse for wear in the process, but the goal was just to make it! More about my first impressions to come.

London - Getting Your Walking Shoes On

Day 2 in London began with a sleep in, followed by a trip back to the spot of the wonderous Big Ben and Westminster Abby from yesterday. It was incredibly more busy, in comparison to the day before. You`re lucky not to get trampled if you stop to try and take a picture in the middle of the sidewalk! After taking in the daytime sights of Big Ben and Westminster Abby, I crossed the Westminster Bridge with a view of the London Eye on the way. I then took a long walk along Southbank of the Thames River on my way to the London Bridge. I had read about this walk in some web searching I had done before my trip, but didn`t realize how significantly long it would be. Along the way there were some very cute winter/Christmas markets along with views of some very old buildings along the rivers edge.

One of the other very extraordinary sites I ran into along the walk was the magnificent Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare`s plays have been performed for thousands of years.

My walked ended at the famous London Bridge in all its glory. I knew I would be back here at some point in my final days, so didn`t spend to much time exploring.

 

That night I had booked in to ride the London Eye, which overlooks the whole of London. The new metal structure sticks out like a sore thumb in the old aged city of London. My overall experience with the London Eye was okay, but I wouldn`t say it`s a 'must do' by any means for those visiting the city. It does offer some nice views of the city, but London is a very flat city, so there isn`t much skyline to see from up high.

I strapped the walking shoes on again and headed to see Trafalgar Square. The Square was decorated with a beautiful Christmas tree, which I later learned is a Norwegian fur tree, a yearly gift from Oslo. The pictures don`t really do the enormity of the square justice! 

Another reason that the square was so awesome, was that the Canadian embassy overlooked the square!

After trying to navigate my way back to the hostel, I stumbled upon an area which soon became my favorite part of London - Covent Gardens. Don`t let the name deceive you, it`s not a garden! The centre is an open market concept surrounded by lovely stores. The streets surrounding the area are lined with high end stores, which only exemplify the charm of London. More on Covent Gardens later, as this wasn`t the only visit on my trip! 

London - First Impressions and Second Glances

I arrived in London on the afternoon of December 26^th at Heathrow airport. I was my usual prepared self upon arrival, with my public transit directions printed in hand on how to get to my hostel. I get to the airport express train, to confront a big sign that says closed. Well then… I had passed a sign for the “tube” (subway in Toronto terms), so I headed back to there to try and navigate my way. The first train ride was no problem, then I had to transfer to a different line. As I approached the transfer station, I was confronted with a sign once again: ‘Closed’. To save you the details, after trucking up and down numerous flights of stairs in different stations and trying to navigate one of the busiest London streets with all my bags, I finally reached my hostel.

The hostel is located a few blocks from Oxford Circus, one of the main shopping districts in London. Arriving on boxing day, the streets were flooded with shoppers making their way into all the stores the street has to offer. It was a pretty overwhelming site for a first glimpse of London!

After refreshing in the hostel, I headed out on the streets of London. I had pre-booked tickets to see the musical ‘Wicked’ that night, so I headed towards the theatre to make sure I could find it without to much navigational distress.

I located a dinner spot nearby, a local British pub, where I indulged in a traditional pint and pie before the show. 

With still an hour before the show I took a bit of a walk to see what else I could find. And there I saw it… Big Ben! It started faintly in the distance, but then it grew bigger as I approached. The nighttime light of the figure is stunning and only adds to its beauty. As I got closer there also stood Westminster Abby, right next to Big Ben. It was all coming together in my head, the pictures and videos of the Royal Wedding, and now here I was! After a few initial glances and photos I turned back so that I didn`t miss my show.

Since I was about 16, I`ve been singing the songs of Wicked. Despite it being in Toronto a few years ago, I had never seen it. When I saw that it was playing in London during my stay, I knew I had to go! The show was great! The British accents of the actors, threw me for a bit of a loop at first, but what a great show it was. It was playing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, which has a lot of charm in and of itself just to be there.

On the way home, I got a glimpse of the beautiful Oxford Street all lit up with its Christmas charm. This sort of picture is exactly why I wanted to come to London around Christmas!  

Leap into the Unknown

I`m not typically one for horoscopes, but the other day as I was sitting for a rare moment of relaxation I stumbled upon my 2016 horoscope, which could not have been more perfectly fitting. "The endorsements of others give me the courage to leap forward into the unknown." 

Today I depart on another once in a lifetime journey across the world. It begins with a four-day stop in London, followed by a four-day stop in Mumbai and then onto Singapore where i`ll spend 4 months studying and then throw in some travelling to other far off lands.  

As I`ve talked to people about my upcoming trip over the last month, I`ve got a lot of comments like "oh your so brave"or "that takes a lot of courage". Yes, it does take a little bit of bravery and courage, but it takes a lot of support from others. Leaving is just as hard, if not more so, on those you leave behind, then being the one leaving. The family, boyfriends and friends that have a hole in their lives from your absence, versus being the one carving a new path in new places. This post is not only a bit of a goodbye as I depart, but it is also a thank you to all those who have got me to this point. To the heartfelt well wishes, the supportive words of encouragements, the gifts that have landed very thoughtfully in my suitcase and the memories of all those back home that I carry with me. You`ll be with me in more ways than you`ll know throughout this journey. 

The practicals

Two weeks today I will be on a plane! With only two weeks to go there seems to be a lot left to do, but when I look at all that has been accomplished so far in preparation for this big adventure, a lot has already been done. All my "stuff" has been moved home to my parents, who are greatly storing it for me during my time away. I have completed all my

Flight Booking 
I booked my flight to Singapore about 4 months in advance of leaving. When I booked my flight nothing had been confirmed from the school, so I took a bit of a gamble booking it so early. I spent hours looking at different flight options, partly because I knew I wanted to stop over places on my way over. I`m flying the "other way" around the world, stopping in London and India (read more about this in Pre-Exchange Travel). Flights vary greatly in price, even just for economy seats. I saw some flights as high as $3000. I paid around $1200 for my flight, with the multiple stopovers. I`ll let you know about my flying experience at this price point, once it has happened...

Pre-Exchange Travel 
As I mentioned I will be stopping over in London, England and Mumbai, India on the way to Singapore. I`ll be spending around 4 days in each city. I booked my accommodation for these cities at the same time I booked my flight. As I am leaving around the Christmas holiday`s accommodation does get a bit more expensive, depending on where you are going. The one thing I didn`t fully consider when booking my pre-exchange travel is the climates I would be going to and from. London and Singapore are both very warm, whereas London will be cold at this time of year. This means I have to back some warm clothing just for my 4 days in London. I`m thinking these my be clothes that I don`t mind leaving behind somewhere, so that I can lighten the load (marginally) after London.

Singapore Accommodation 
Finding accommodation in Singapore has been one of the most difficult parts of preparing. NUS was very clear from the outset that they did not provide housing for graduate students.  I started looking back in September, not knowing how best to go about the process. Starting in September gave me time to learn about the process of renting in Singapore, but it was to early to actually confirm anything. Most rentals are advertised about a month before they are avalible. 

I connected with a girl from Queens university who is completing an exchange in Singapore, and we decided to find a place to rent together. Originally we were looking for a place for just the two of us, but we quickly learned that our combined $3000 wasn't going to get us very far in a central location. Additionally, after connecting with a real estate agent, I learned that the minimum monthly lease that can be signed is 6 months, which doesn't bode well for a 4 month exchange. 

My switch then focused on roomshares, where people were already living but you could rent a room or two. After searching many Facebook groups and websites, I found an apartment owned by 1 man, who was also living there, that had 2 rooms for rent. I found this accommodation through airbnb and contacted the owner about a longer rental and to see if a monthly rate was possible, versus the nightly rate provided on the website. He has been great at facilitating the booking process through Airbnb. 

I would strongly recommend roomshare options, as they are most practical for the short term nature of a exchange. We settled on a location in the central city (near Orchard road), which will require about a 40 minute commute to school. I'll reflect on how this location worked out after the exchange. 

Academic Registration 
My school (NUS) first contacted me late July regarding the nomination Schulich had put forward for me to go. It was then around the end of September that I heard from them again requesting some more information. Course registration did not happen until early November with confirmation coming through regarding course selection, early December. Throughout the whole registration process, I felt like everything was very last minute, considering I was putting money down for plane tickets and accommodation. I`ve heard from others going on exchange to other parts of the world, that this is common. Try to freak out to much, as I learned it all works itself out in the end.

Visa 

Information regarding application for my student study visa, didn`t come through from the school until late November. After the information was received from the school, I had to go online and complete an application and pay an application fee. After this was complete it took them about 2 days to turn around my application. You are then requested to pay an issuance fee, which completes the visa process. The total cost of the visa for the application and issuance fee came to around 90SGD. 

I arrive 1 week before my student visa begins, so I will have to first enter on a Social Visit Pass and then transfer to a student visa when it begins the following week. I will let you know how this process goes throughout. 

Money 
At this time the Singapore dollar is almost of par with the Canadian dollar. I spoke to my bank about withdrawing money, and there first suggestion was to use a credit card whenever possible. When I need to withdraw cash, there will be a fee charged from both my bank and the bank I am using in Singapore. The suggestion from my bank was to try to withdrawal large sums of money at once. My accommodation will need to be paid in cash each month, so I will require several cash withdrawals each month.

Pre-Trip Packing 
There are certain things that I have had to purchase prior to departure. Some of these include a travel backpack, a new suitcase, a water sterilizer (for travelling not Singapore) and some new clothing (very minimal). I've also purchased the essentials that you take on any trip like over the counter medication. 

More on packing once it is complete!

Other Pre-Departure Notes 

There are some other important things to remember to do before you leave. 

Travel doctor: Singapore in itself is a very modern city that you would not require to see a travel Doctor for if you were planning on going their in is isolation. I intend to travel around to neighbouring countries, some of which require travel

Medication like anti-malaria drugs, which had to be obtained from a travel Doctor. I was fortunate that most of the recommended vaccinations I had received from previous trips, so I only required a booster for one. Be prepared, if you require many vaccinations and medications, to pay a pretty penny. 

Register with foreign affairs 

It is highly recommended that you register with Canada foreign affairs, through their website, for the destinations that you will be travelling to. The registration process takes between 5 - 10 minutes, and allows foreign affairs to contact you or your emergency contact in case of emergency. 

Call your credit card company/bank 

Make sure you call your credit card company or bank to let them know you will be travelling overseas. Often times try may block transactions on your card if they see out of the ordinary transactions, like the ones overseas. 

Hopefully that gives you some insight into the pre-exchange preparation! 

The Next Adventure

It has been a while since I have partaken in any long distance travels, but in 18 days I set off on one of my biggest adventures yet.

As some of you may know, since last September (2014) I have been completing my MBA part-time through Schulich School of Business at York University. When I was applying to MBA programs back in the summer of 2014 I knew that I wanted a school with international reach so I could complete an exchange. Last fall (2014) I began applying for an exchange and found out almost a year ago that I had been granted the opportunity to complete an exchange in Singapore in Winter 2016. In 18 days I`ll set off on my adventure to Singapore, where I`ll be completing classes at National University of Singapore from January to May. Since I found out a year ago that I would be going, there has been a lot of preparation both personally and academicly.

Some of my upcoming posts a little mundane, but as a requirement of my exchange you have to submit and summary of your exchange to pass down to other students. My blogging over the next few months will be dual purpose to act as a way to keep people at home informed as to what I`m up to, as a way to keep track of memories for myself and as a guide for future students who are looking to complete an exchange. So read what you wish, but one thing I can promise is that it is going to be a crazy year in 2016!