Singapore's oldest Chinese temple
With a Coke vending machine! HA!
The stunning and tranquil botanic gardens
The amazing colours of Little India
ION Orchard
Cafe Del Mar
Showing posts with label singapore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label singapore. Show all posts
Monday, 10 January 2011
Friday, 7 January 2011
Christmas in Singapore
One thing about Australia, made worse by the fact that it's an isolated island, is the lack of effort and spirit for Christmas. There are almost no decorations in the cities or shopping centres and the political and cultural corrected-ness is really pushing the limits. People do not wish each other a happy Christmas and schools have banned any mention of the celebration so not to offend those who do not celebrate Christmas. That's all well and good but instead of sweeping religion and tradition under the carpet why not embrace the many traditions of the many people living in Australia?
From what I remember the guide saying, over 30% of people living in Singapore are not Christian and it was so humbling and emotional for me seeing people of all religions and nationalities enjoying the Christmas parade on Orchard Road, taking photos of Christmas trees and nativity scenes. Even girls in hijabs wearing santa hats! It really made me believe in man kind again and remember that we can all live together and embrace the best of each others traditions.
The 3 countries I visited in Asia made me realise how much happier these people are than I am. Singapore is a very affluent country. Clean, polite and looked after. And the shopping? WOW.
The Balinese people are the happiest people on the planet, I have no doubt! They have very little, some of them live in cardboard boxes, yet the smallest things make their day and bring a smile to their face. I bought 3 plastic bags full of hand made art for about USD20 and told the lady to "keep the change", the change would have been less than 50 cents, yet you couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She wanted to kiss my hand. All week I was thinking - why can't I be this happy all the time too? Why don't the simple things in life always make me happy every single day? Why did I see a scarf in Zara in Singapore and obsess over it for 3 days, feeling restless until I went back to purchase it. It's a SCARF?????
Food for thought.
Hope you enjoy the Christmas themed photos as much as I enjoyed the 25th in Singapore! It's Orthodox Christmas Eve tonight, so this post ties in well. If you're Orthodox, I wish you and your loved ones a safe and blessed night and day. Hristos se Rodi. Christ is Born.
From what I remember the guide saying, over 30% of people living in Singapore are not Christian and it was so humbling and emotional for me seeing people of all religions and nationalities enjoying the Christmas parade on Orchard Road, taking photos of Christmas trees and nativity scenes. Even girls in hijabs wearing santa hats! It really made me believe in man kind again and remember that we can all live together and embrace the best of each others traditions.
The 3 countries I visited in Asia made me realise how much happier these people are than I am. Singapore is a very affluent country. Clean, polite and looked after. And the shopping? WOW.
The Balinese people are the happiest people on the planet, I have no doubt! They have very little, some of them live in cardboard boxes, yet the smallest things make their day and bring a smile to their face. I bought 3 plastic bags full of hand made art for about USD20 and told the lady to "keep the change", the change would have been less than 50 cents, yet you couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She wanted to kiss my hand. All week I was thinking - why can't I be this happy all the time too? Why don't the simple things in life always make me happy every single day? Why did I see a scarf in Zara in Singapore and obsess over it for 3 days, feeling restless until I went back to purchase it. It's a SCARF?????
Food for thought.
Hope you enjoy the Christmas themed photos as much as I enjoyed the 25th in Singapore! It's Orthodox Christmas Eve tonight, so this post ties in well. If you're Orthodox, I wish you and your loved ones a safe and blessed night and day. Hristos se Rodi. Christ is Born.
Macaron Christmas tree at the buffet
Orchard Road
Chanel windows
Takashimaya Department Store
Tree outside of ION shopping mall
Foam as snow!!
Raffles Hotel tree
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Where to begin!
I'm back in Melbourne (I still for the life of me cannot call it home and it'll be 4 years next month) for a few days. Just enough time to wash a mountain of laundry and repack before I go away again on Friday afternoon. Today was spent cleaning the flat top to bottom and doing mountains of laundry (it's 9.54pm and the washing machine is still going!). Hoping to squeeze in a few hours at the beach tomorrow and pick up some seafood from Richmond Oyster for Christmas Eve dinner before church tomorrow night.
iphoto is causing me headaches and not letting me upload my photos from the trip! And I have so much to show you all and tell you about.
On the 8 hour flight home, I had plenty of time to reflect on 2010. A year that was possibly even more challenging for me than 2009. It was a long, hard and cold year. In many ways. Very confusing and confronting with way too many cross roads. The trip to New Zealand in February was a huge spiritual highlight for me and one that I really needed at that point in my life. The two year hunt for a home ended last month, suddenly and unexpectedly. Dream home in a dream suburb. It's true. Good things come to those who wait (or those who spend every weekend inspecting houses like lunatics). I'm already eyeballing a couch even though I wanted to live in the house for a while before I decide what work I want to do on it and which furniture I want to update.
Think a trip to Camera House is in order for a card reader. I want my photos!
iphoto is causing me headaches and not letting me upload my photos from the trip! And I have so much to show you all and tell you about.
On the 8 hour flight home, I had plenty of time to reflect on 2010. A year that was possibly even more challenging for me than 2009. It was a long, hard and cold year. In many ways. Very confusing and confronting with way too many cross roads. The trip to New Zealand in February was a huge spiritual highlight for me and one that I really needed at that point in my life. The two year hunt for a home ended last month, suddenly and unexpectedly. Dream home in a dream suburb. It's true. Good things come to those who wait (or those who spend every weekend inspecting houses like lunatics). I'm already eyeballing a couch even though I wanted to live in the house for a while before I decide what work I want to do on it and which furniture I want to update.
Think a trip to Camera House is in order for a card reader. I want my photos!
Singapore Botanic Gardens - with frizzy humidity savaged hair, unintentionally decked out in shoulder to knee J.Crew.
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