Thursday, June 27, 2013

Singapore and Meeting Blogger Friends

In late May I had the amazing opportunity to go to Singapore for a few days to participate in the Asian Festival of Children's Content. I was excited to get to add yet another country to the list of countries I've been able to visit. At my previous job I knew bright students who studied in Singapore, so I've wanted to go and see what makes this country have such a good international reputation.

Singapore is a manageable city with an easy-to-navigate public transportation system. I hadn't heard of any "unmissable" sights in Singapore, so I just sort of chose metro stops at random and explored the areas there. (This is a great way to get to know whatever city you're in, and you never know what delights you'll find.)

Raffles Hotel, one of the oldest and most prestigious buildings in Singapore (not where I stayed):

Chinatown:

Boat Quay and Clarke Quay (pronounced "kee") along the Singapore River:

The Singapore skyline. It's not as instantly recognizable as other cities' skylines but once you've seen it it's pretty unforgettable:

Probably the most famous "Singapore sight"--Marina Bay Sands, seen here through a mini-thicket of "supertrees" in Gardens by the Bay:

The Singapore Flyer:

So yes, my camera really liked everything it saw and was able to capture in Singapore, but probably my favorite thing about my time there was that I got to meet, for the first time, some bloggers that I have been talking to for years! Bloggers like Liyana of LiyanaLand and Tarie of Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind encouraged me and inspired my blogging back in my early days, reminding me with their mere presence to keep the importance of diversity in mind as I blogged about YA lit. And what would a Singapore blogger meet-up be without mentioning Chachic, with whom I've exchanged countless postcards and whose unabashed enthusiasm for her obsessions is infectious?

Chachic, Tarie, and I (we're sorry you couldn't make it, Liyana!) met up in a giant mall on Orchard Rd. for a blogger girls night out, where we got plastered and danced with hunky men in themed clubs until dawn. No, actually, we just ate cupcakes. But they were VERY GOOD CUPCAKES. Thanks, Chachic, for introducing us to them!

[left to right] Tarie, me, and Chachic <3 p="">

Chachic showing off the cupcakes!

It was great fun hanging out with these incredible ladies, and I would love to do it again. My tastes of Southeast Asia so far (Singapore, Malaysia, hearing about Manila from Tarie) have only made me want to explore it more. Next year la!

9 comments:

  1. Woohoo, you wrote a post about Singapore! I'm SO glad I got to meet up with you when you were here. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will happen again. Let me know if/when you plan to go to Manila, maybe I can schedule a trip back home at the same time. :)

    The pictures that you took are lovely. I haven't been to Raffles Hotel yet, which is funny because I think it's within walking distance of my office? If we had more time together, we could have visited the Singapore Philatelic Museum!

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  2. That hotel is gorgeous! I love the feel of old elegance it projects. What are those supertrees? Communications? Yay for meeting blogger friends IRL! I so love that.

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  3. So jealous! My husband and I have been wanting to go to Singapore for years. It's such a fascinating place. And of course, my main thought is that they must have fabulous food.

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  4. Looks like a beautiful place! :)

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  5. Hooray for Singapore! I got the chance to visit last year, and it was WONDERFUL. I really wish I had had more time to explore the city, and I hope to visit again soon. So cool that you met Chachic!

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  6. Great pictures as usual! And as usual, I'm totally jealous of your travels! Singapore is a place that I've wanted to go for a while (though it seems unbearably hot in the summer?) but until then, I'll live vicariously through your pictures.

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  7. I'm extremely jealous of anyone who's met Chachic.

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  8. This looks like such a fun trip. I've visited Singapore a few times - it's one of my favorite places!

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  9. Such awesome pictures! I studied abroad in Singapore and wish I had had a camera at that time-hopefully I'll get to go back and visit some time.

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