a little bit of happiness.... and its gone.

Work has moved out of the city of Hanoi to the province of Bac Ninh. Facilities and infrastructure is so much better but the work still remains the same, mundane.

The journey to work takes an hour on motorbike and there are 2 routes that I could take to work. The big highway with the speeding trucks, cross winds and roadside police stops or the rural roads through villages and farms. Well, its obvious that the latter is chosen. The roads out of the city feel rather tranquil with the passing villages where you get a glimpse of the simple village life outside the city. Kids running around, flying kites, people bringing their herds of cows and horses out to graze together with kids playing football. But what I found rather peaceful is the stretch of roads that passes by the many rice farms. Every time I pass it, it somehow feels different with the different lighting and stuff going on. I can’t help but feel a sense of serenity when I pass by these farms and rice fields with farmers working on then, but then I arrive at the big empty 4-lane road that leads to the industrial park which means I’ve arrived at work.

Reality check bro. fml.

Btw these roads are quite scary at night with no streetlights and it gets worst when it rains.

I don't get it. I really don't get it. Where is the professionalism I'm suppose to be encountering. None at all. Even in the army we displayed more professionalism and tact. Wtf is this?

Musings from the cafe yet again.

So I don't know what has been happening to me. I'm not my usual  self these few days. I tend to be more pessimistic and grumpy at times. I'm not socializing with random ppl as much as I used to. In fact none at all! I went for a music festival ALONE and went out of it without knowing anyone new. This is really unacceptable. Nowadays, whilst riding to work, I find myself thinking really pessimistically emoing about my current predicament - not being able to have much free time to immerse into te culture and the fact that time is all wasted on a job which has no value to me. And I attribute it to the current situation I'm in. Shitty work conditions and stupid job scope. I really wonder if I can find any drive to carry on for the next 3 months anymore. 

Many people say I've got a good life of traveling. Yea it's true, ive seen many things, but they do not see the shitty side of things that I've got to face. And you can learn that everything isn't all that it seems and live by it. 

I really did not come here to see the warehouse the whole day. I came here to see Vietnam and maybe some Vietnamese girls haha. Come on... To some celestial power pls grant me that wish. 

Where is my adventure in Singapore?

Talking to a german who used to live in singapore in the 90s, i found out that there was a time where Singapore had a 60m outdoor natural wall and you could do some cliff jumping into the water as well. Where is it now? Where can the young Singaporeans experience the adrenaline rush of such activities anymore?

Musings from the coffee shop facing the road

Traveling has really broadened my perspective on world issues. sometimes I look upon my tiny country with its tiny issues and I can't help but smirk at those issues where my fellow citizens go crazy about with continuous whining and complaints. Not that condescending anybody here but it has helped me grow more appreciative of this little nation of mine.

Singapore is the only nation that has grown from a poverty stricken 3rd world country to a developed country within the span of 1 generation and I'm proud to say that I'm a product of this process. One of these things that amaze others is how the mindset of this society changed so rapidly during this period, from a very traditional conservative asian culture to a moderately individualistic one. But that being said, filial piety and family still remains the root of the society. Parents are still being taken care of and kids are raised with their own freedom of thought but Asian values such as respect to your elders is still inculcated. Although this little country of mine cannot be really spotted from space, it has placed itself on the world map for its own merits. Europeans, Americans (well maybe some, definitely not all) and Asia look to Singapore as a champion in its own right. However, this is not a reason for us to get complacent too. We must always remember that There is never a finish line in this race but rather if we start lagging behind the pack, we'll struggle to keep up and get left behind.

Okay. So I went running just now around the west lake. Okay maybe not around the 17km route but just a small portion of it. I ran for about 10mins at a 4:30 pace and I died. That is epic. My cardiovascular fitness is at its lowest. Okay. My overall fitness. I'm in a state which I've never imagined to be.

But that's besides the point. I went out in my usual running gear as I would in Singapore, a singlet which read "screw calm, go running" which was a gift from my friend who visited me in Vietnam and my army running shorts. At first I didn't notice it at first but as I ran and started observing my surrounds, I noticed people staring and me, some even laughing. Seems like the running culture isn't really strong here to see people in running split shorts. My colleague also exclaimed when I told him I want to go run. He said why! Haha guess the idea of keeping fit and healthy is still rather primitive here.

Lying on my rooftop deck chair where the winds blowing towards the west lake, I can't help but feel as though everything have been moving so fast. Few months ago, I never thought to be right here in Vietnam, where chaos is the the only constant on the city. Okay. I shall just end here. I'm too lazy to carry on. Sitting on this deck chair and listening to some lounge house music is making me too nua......

Dog

Many a time, easy satisfaction doesn't really come to me as I am one who aims high.

I left Singapore knowing that I will not get any job satisfaction from this internship after temping at the Singapore branch for 2 weeks. I wrote in my application for this programme that it would be a good opportunity to be exposed to another culture, especially one from a developing country. And like any other person, say that I'll gain from the many cliche things that one would write in such applications to get accepted. In truth, I only wanted to get out of the hectic Singapore rat race. And also the struggle to gain an A for that internship. That meant, being a slave and dog to your supervisor. Okay. Not an ordinary slave, but a good one. Although its no different here (we are still dogs), the way how we Singaporeans take pride in work is very apparent here, and hence our value is quite evident in this environment. This value of how we ensure that work is done to its best of ability has been nurtured in us since young and is a very valuable trait in most Singaporeans. Something that was cultured through the many years of the rat race. Some might call this level Asian but I would prefer the term level Singaporean because sometimes it's quite clear that we are a cut above. Though this might not apply to ALL, I would say the majority of the educated ones in Singapore are like this. It may not be apparent back in Singapore because of the high expectations but having Been exposed to many cultures, I must say its really very evident. Keep this up and you'll definitely be an asset to the team. Right now, I on the other hand, i am tasked with a shitload of work, some being menial tasks while others analytical ones. just because I'm a Singaporean intern where tag lines like reliable, machine and many other ridiculous phrases apply and hence more work. Many a Time, i can hear my name barked at as a command to drop what i am doing and carry on with another ridiculous task. Sometimes I wonder if they really need a university engineering student to do most of the job when in Singapore, it can be tasked to anyone, including an uneducated worker. (Not condescending anyone here btw). The work culture here is so much different where people are more laid back and I found out the hardway. I couldn't assume simple stuff to be instructed verbally. Even for simple things like sticking labels. Then again. I think I'm still a dog here. Woof woof. Will fetch anything for an A grade. Sucks when I'm in a foreign country, unable to fully immerse in but rather having my nights and free time spent doing something not related to my field of study.

Again, I'm a dog here, wandering into a new zone in search of food and finding its feet on the ground. Learning as much as the harsh environments throws at it. But then I rmb what a friend once said to me, "hardship brings about perseverance, and perseverance, character." And that is what I'm going to get out I this journey. Thanks friend.

so far nothing has gone well since i arrived in Hanoi. My first accommodation was somewhat different from what i'm used to back home, in budget hostels, student accommodate back home, around Europe and while travelling. just fyi. i showered in cold water from a pail! haha. certainly something to remember next time.

Many a time when I'm alone here, I wonder if all these has been worth it. I gave up a position with Exxon, gave up studying for a sem, gave up being there for my friends and loved ones, gave up the comfort of my home and the comfort of being in a developed country and I'm not saving much money for my grad trip here anyway, intact I'll be exceeding my costs here. Oh wells.. After all, I said I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. And this is as out of my comfort zone I can get. Outside the comfort zone of te comfort zone of the comfort Zone. Like in the desert and barren lands of Australia. Or the gobi desert. Haha you get the point.

work has been overly hectic, i've not gotten a life here. conditions wise, it isn't as nice as saigon nor is the workload as forgiving. i've been OTing everyday and my first weekend was spent in the warehouse man.

moved to my next accommodation. it wasn't what it seemed from the pictures on airbnb. the landlord wasn't as friendly as i expected. i told him i wanted a bike when i moved in but noooo i didnt get one. and i almost couldnt get to work.

but i must thank my colleague to have helped me through everything in hanoi so far. i think i would be feeling much worst now if not for him.

hope things will become better and i get to meet more friends.

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.

Vietnam in 2011

Having been back in Singapore for the past 22 days, I can’t help but reminisce whenever I post process pictures or browse through them on facebook. While writing the instep report in the afternoon, it was an emotional journey for me trying to recall how I started my baby steps to travelling Europe and surviving as a student in a foreign land.

I couldn’t help but pass the emotion onto vern and toad. Toad told me

‘looking through the pics

i want to go back..

tees build me a time machine

please’

when I said he just needed money, he said

'hahaha

by the time i get

no time to go like this alrdy

with friends;

oh wells. I guess it’s something that will be edged into memory for time to come.

3 more days and im due to start my next adventure in Vietnam. I will be studying for 3 weeks prior in Saigon prior to my internship where I will spend 2 weeks there and the subsequent 20 weeks in Hanoi.

As the day approaches, there’s this nagging feeling in me, something which I cannot describe in words but I think uncertainty and a tiny tinge of regret has something to do with it. The past 3 weeks in Singapore has made me grow quite comfortable with how safe and wonderful Singapore is, that being said I refer to the food and friends but definitely not the weather. Having grown attached to some of the spirit of hall, the climbing club and friends around, the anchor sinks slowly into the ground giving inertia to leave this place. It often makes me wonder if I made the right choice applying for this programme.

Unlike Europe, my next destination is totally different. It will not be as organized nor easy to communicate with the people there. It will definitely be a big challenge for be this time round. Sure, I’ve backpacked in Vietnam before but this time its different. I will be working alone in Hanoi. Its like being thrown headfirst into a waterfall. When people hear that I’m going for another overseas programme, all they see is how much fun I’m going there and that I must have quite a shiok year having gone for exchange prior to that. But they do not see what I worry about. What if I can’t master the Vietnamese language? What if I cant work with the people on the ground? What if I am unable to adapt to the life there? What if.. What iff what iff. It is so full of uncertainty! I foresee that it will be tough in the beginning and you’ll have me bitching but nothing sinks jon tee! After all, I think I’ll learn many life lessons here despite the sacrifices I’ll be making just to be in Vietnam. Not all lessons are taught with a nice straight road paved out for you. Some are through the ones which are filled with pod holes and these are the ones which teach you best. Okay I shan’t start going all philosophical here with my analogies but I’ll miss you when I’m there.

If you even read my blog, I will not be posting nice travel experiences but more of the lessons I’ll pick up there as well as boring diary like posts documenting my experience in a totally new culture and language. But as much as I would like, I want to try travel the indocine region, do deep water solos at Halong bay and climb the mountain in Sapa. But one step at a time yea….

The adventure continues….

  

The Baltics

Well, my last Euro trip ended with the Baltic state of Latvia. I really wanted to visit the other Baltic states during my short exchange in Europe but flights were rather inconvenient from Scotland. So i seized the opportunity to fly from Stockholm where flights were about 50 euros. 

A city of spires, churches, museums and one of the mos vibrant social scenes in the Baltic, Riga is Latvia's capital city. At one time an influential port city, today Riga is a popular destination with many europeans. This is thanks to a plethora of historical and cultural attractions. 

It was too, the only place which i didn't meet any Singaporeans cept 1 random exchange student from NUS. (damn our luck

Riga is a pleasant little small town where everything is in walking distance. It was quite different from the other European cities i visited because of its medieval heritage and Russian influence. Remember those scenes with the overly thick animal fur coats and squarish fur hats from Russian pictures, you see it everywhere here. You can find many of that in the markets around town. Although the Latvian currency, Lats, are rather big (about 2.4 SGD to 1 Lat), most of the stuff there are rather cheap, especially the local eats. 

Unfortunately for us, we didn't manage to escape the cold. A storm brewed the moment we stepped into our hostel (Friendly Fun Franks Hostel). The winds were so strong that you could see the snow float horizontally from the window. Temperatures ranged from -10 to -15 degrees, warmer than Sweden but still cold enough to make your fingers tingle with pain. Also, with the cobble stone pathways layered with black ice, every step we took, with extreme caution. Even my hiking boots couldn't prevent me from slipping haha. With the many Public transport (bus 22) was rather cheap, ~70 Latvian cents to the city center. Alternatively, if you have a big group, you can opt to take a cab which shouldn't be too expansive as well. 

Honestly, i was rather disappointed by my hostel for the amount i paid relative to other hostels. The room was very small, the toilets weren't heated and worst of all, the walking tour was utterly disappointing. I regretted not listening to Justin's recommendation to take the yellow suitcase tour. The tour brought us around major landmarks in Riga but because of her poor PR skills, she couldn't offer any historical or more informative remarks about those places except, 'here we are at freedom monument' or 'this is the St Peter's Church'. Absolutely horrible. 

But on the lighter note, Riga is rather quaint in a sense that the architecture and the culture is more scaled towards Russian influence. A fine example would be the Russian Orthodox Church and random things which we would find quirky like a Rabbit play area where a miniature town is built in the park for Rabbits to hop around. Like Singapore, because the town is so small, everyone flocks to the same spots, like the Skyline bar, where the locals claim that it's nice to dress up just to go in and local eateries like Lido, a marche style restaurant that offers cheap Latvian cuisine. As it only gained independence when the Iron Curtain lifted, Macdonals and Starbucks were considered as novelties and couples would flock there for their dates. You'll also see random christmas tree monuments throughout the year as the Latvians are proud to proclaim that they founded the Christmas Tree. As for food wise, do try the cheesecakes at Sweetday Cafe.

Medieval Insignias 

 Oldest Bar in Riga, since Medieval times. Its still using candle light!

 Freedom Monument

Nativity Cathedral, Russian Orthodox Church where there are no chairs

Interior of LIDO

Christmas Market, where they sell things from mulled wine to animal fur

Blackhead's House

Riga itself can be covered within one day with continuous walking. With that, I seeked out things to do at the outskirts of town. Somehow, it being the peak of the festive season and winter, many things were closed. Things like the Gauja National Park, Soviet Secret Bunker and many others were closed and many tours were unavailable. Even when we wanted to rent a car, the cars were all fully booked with available ones being overly inflated. 

With the help of the friendly tourist officers, we planned a trip to Sigulda. With the first bus departing Riga bus station at 10 plus on a Sunday, we explored the infamous markets that took up occupancy in old zeppelin hangars, you know those german war air balloons..

Having occupied several hangars, the market was huge with an indoor and outdoor market!  Each section bringing new surprises. Each hangar housed a different section of the market from meats, cheese to fresh fish. Somehow, the wet market reminded me of the markets back home. When looking for cheap eats, the market is the right place to go! Chinese Style chai fun (vegetable rice) was the most common way of displaying their food. What you do is select the dishes you want and they'll heat it up in the microwave for you. Their fried rice is one of the best i had in Europe. You can choose several dishes. It will make you full and all for less than 1 Lat! Pastries there was also extremely cheap. You can get stuff as cheap as 5 cents! I was also rather amazed by their fish market. The fishes were so fresh that you can still see them breathing and many fishes there were considered premium fishes back home. It was considered rude to take photos of their stuff so sorry guys, no pictures!

Zeppelin Hangers turned into the market where most locals get their produce from.

Chai Fan Style

Having travelled most of Europe getting around with English, Latvia proved challenging with most people being unable to speak english, so i had to improvise and use sign language and pointing with my phone haha. The bus ride to Sigulda took slightly over an hour and a half and it brought us to a totally different place with thick white snow instead of the black ice shoveled to the side of the roads in Riga. 

Sigulda is a destination for the citizens to escape the crowded streets of Riga. It claims to be Latvia's winter capital and the Switzerland of Latvia. It houses the only authentic bob sled facility that allows tourists to enjoy the thrill of the actual olympic sport in the world. However, that can also burn a hole in your pocket. The town is dominated by castle ruins and unspoiled nature. 

Aided by the tourist office there, we got a cab to Turaida Castle and walked back. On the map, it looked really far but everything was actually very near. 

Turaida Castle, built in 1214

some of the artefacts in the Turaida Castle Museum 

walking to the next landmark

Gutman's cave is the deepest and largest cave in the Baltic countries. On the walls of the cave there are inscriptions from the 17 Century. Having read there, we were led to believe that it was a cave where you can explore like the ones in Budapest. But instead it is only 19m deep, 12m wide and 10m high, practically just a hole in the wall. The cave is considered the oldest tourist attraction in Latvia because visitors, from even the earliest days, wanted to leave “decorations” such as names, initials and the dates of their visits engraved on the walls of the cave. Inside the cave you may even find coats-of-arms and names of various barons and estate owners. These were made-to-order for a fee by local craftsmen who would wait for wealthy visitors near the cave armed with tools, stepladders and templates. Today, it is no longer permitted to write on the cave walls because it is a protected archeological and geological monument.

The legend of the Rose of Turaida also began in this cave and after reading the story behind it its just another lame love story which isn't even interesting haha. You can google it if you're interested. 

Gutamanis cave

The scenery was just amazing and i really enjoyed the trek from attraction to attraction. After all any amount of snow is winter wonderland for a snow deprived asian like me. 

Honestly, i thought this was a random castle ruin until i was looking through wikipedia links and stumbled upon this. Apparently this castle dates from the 14th century and was destroyed in war in 1601. 

 Krimulda Castle

Finally after exploring the northern part of Sigulda, it was time to return to the main Sigulda area to catch our bus back with the help of this Gondola. It is the only other way to cross the Gauja river besides the car. And unlike a cable car service, there's only 1 that runs every hour. The service is rather primative with a girl running the gondola collecting your money and manually opening the doors for you. Haha and since it was around the Christmas period, it was quaintly decorated with christmas lights. But in the summer, it transforms into a bungee jumping platform into the Gauja river for as little as 20 Lats!

Incoming Gondola

  

Iconic symbols of the native people from Sigulda who once made canes for tourist to support themselves walking on the slippery rocks in the nature parks.

With that, the chapter of my Europe Adventures has come to an end. Many places to go, many things to do but to each at its own time. 

My very first White Christmas

This was the very first time I’ve seen and played with so much snow! I would say, snow decreases the age of an average person by 5 and for tropical Asians like me who have not experienced so much snow their whole lives, 10 years. It was truly a journey of discovery through the Scandinavian country of Sweden.

Christmas of the year 2012 will always be a special one for me. Not only was I studying overseas, all the mini gatherings around Europe built up to this, the big hall 2 exchange overseas Christmas trip.

D-12hrs, we were awaken by the inconsiderate French neighbors living on the 4^th floor, blasting their dance music so loud that by 1am, I was wide awake. D-9hrs, we were out of the house and trying to get the last bus that leaves Glasgow for Edinburgh. What amazed me was that only on our last trip to Edinburgh airport did we realize that the bus that we usually take to Edinburgh passes by a bus stop that we could alight and walk to the airport. We have been wasting time and money taking to the Edinburgh Bus Station and walking to Waverly Bridge to take Airlink, the bus that services the airport from Edinburgh. Haha

skyping justin from edinburgh airport

The flight to Skavska was the usual. Konked out way before the flight took to the skies and by the time the plane arrived in Sweden, I was totally rejuvenated! Housten, team uk has touched down at ground zero. 1.5hrs later, team germany+Amsterdam+Singapore consisting of Potter, Poh E, Wei Chong, Kenryu and Dyanna arrived from Berlin and we made our way towards Stockholm.

Welcoming Team Germany

The journey was long but having not seen each other for so long, it was a good opportunity to catch up with one another and laugh bout other adventures together. We finally reached Stockholm after 2+ hours and met up with team Sweden+France+Finland, Justin, Shuk, Alwin and Shearn, not forgetting the advance party of Team Singapore, Marky and Theresse and Team UK, YY and Hualin.

My time in Stockholm was spent shopping for groceries for our meals in Camp Alta, Kiruna and that last minute Christmas gift exchange gift. But before we knew it, it was time to board the train where the 18hour journey up north would soon start. In my opinion, if you plan to go up to kiruna, just fly. It was just because the plane tickets were too expansive (cos we booked to late) that we opted for the cheaper version.

grocery shopping in stockholm

I don’t know if the train had some magical powers but most of us had an average of 12hrs sleep there! Some didn’t even realize that half of the train changed. Everything was moving as planned and it was only another 2 more hours before we arrived at Kiruna. We stopped at a station between Boden and Gallvare, 2hours away from Kiruna and that was when disaster struck. Little did we know while we took a break in the white snow, experiencing our first snow ball and chilling cold, the train was experiencing a technical error of which, the engine was down. Soon, we were notified that we would continue on once the engine starts but soon after, the train company made the call that we would not be continuing up to Kiruna that day because it was too cold (-40 deg) and it would be too dangerous of the engine were to break down again.

testing the -20 deg temp

things we do in the train

It was the worst news we could get, having planned for this since the start of the exchange. The much-anticipated Christmas dinner in our cabin in front of the lake at Camp Alta would now be spent somewhere else. As we remained optimistic for the train to proceed on as planned, the train reversed and headed towards the nearest proper town, Lulea, a two-hour ride away. The winter sun disappeared and darkness fell. Feeling sian and disappointed, we were dropped off in the cold at Lulea with our groceries and bags in the snow, while busses came slowly to relieve the over crowded train station and bring them to the pre arranged accommodation in Lulea – Scandic Hotel. It was all quiet and as the snow fell upon the decorative Christmas tree outside in the artic cold, we huddled inside waiting for our turn for the bus, looking for alternative solutions to get up to Kiruna.

Apparently Scandic Hotel was the best hotel chain that Lulea had to offer and it was not that bad. Having to make the most out of this outcome, several of us suited up and went out to play in the snow. Shearn said that it was fairly obvious that it was the first time I saw proper snow as I was running around experimenting and jumping into snow! We made a snow slide off hardened snow, ran around sliding on ice, jumped into knee deep snow, snow ball fights etc etc etc. It was fun and it was cold….

all our bags and groceries at scandic

braving the cold

It took fairly long to gather all 17 of us for dinner but to our delight, the staff had prepared a meeting room for us due to the shear numbers! Being considerate Singaporeans or rather lazy to queue ones, we basically just talked cock inside, and discussed different ways to get up to Kiruna, one of them was a 8-10hr drive in a van on the icy roads if there was no hope that there would be a train up. To our surprise, Poh E and Dyanna made Santa hats with our names for us! Haha Merry Christmas! When we finally went out to get our food, everyone was staring at us like what the hell are these Asians doing with Santa hats. But even that didn’t damp our spirits. However, food ran out and all that was left were rice, fries and meat balls. Damn those chin people for taking mountains and leaving none for the rest. So that was our Christmas dinner of the year 2012. I also felt quite bad for the kitchen staff because they were called back at the last minute to prepare food for a train load of hungry and angry people.

the conference room just for us!

christmas gift exchange

Being residents of hall 2, we took no time to entertain ourselves and played Polar Bear till the staff chased us out. It was apt timing too! Christmas was here and time for the gift exchange! What better way to do it than put it under a pine tree out in the snow?  Although things didn’t work out the way it should, it was one of the best Christmas I had. And it goes to show that its not always the big lavish things or location or event but the company that matters. And this was the perfect example how many years down the road; we will still remember this hall 2 overseas exchange Christmas.

The next morning at 7am, through the semi consciousness of the lack of sleep, we received the good news – train service will continue enroute to Kiruna at 10am. It was a relief for us, especially me as I didn’t favor driving a manual van for 10hours to Kiruna and back.

Onward we went, towards Kiruna, lugging the many bags of groceries meant for our hearty Christmas dinner along. Looking outside the train window, with the heavy snowfall and limited vision, I felt extremely relieved that I didn’t have to drive through all that! 5 hours later, we finally arrived inside the Artic circle, in the mining town of Kiruna. It was colder than in lulea! Snow piled up everywhere as we made ourway to Camp Alta at the outskirts of the city built on mine.

The camp consisted of many chalet style buildings scattered around a giant frozen lake. Our house was huge! It had a big living area with a giant flat screen to nuah and a proper dining area and kitchen. Too bad none of us had a hdmi cable, but most of us felt immediately at home. While some cooked, the rest just nuahed and waited for dinner to be served!

Nuahing

dinner in our cabin

As we thought we would never see the northern lights, a knock came on our door as we prepared to go out for a sauna session. There was a break in the clouds and there it was, the Aurora Borealis peaking through the clothes. Although it was weak, at least it was better than nothing. While some headed over to the sauna first, the Aurora started to dance but the show was quickly covered by the clouds once again. Oh wells. I guess it was time to head to the sauna. Haha.

Aurora Borealis 

The suana against the moonlight

This trip was full of new experiences! Never had I gone to a sauna built on a lake that freezes over a meter thick in winter, jumped into a hole in the lake after over heating in the sauna, ran out into the freezing -30 deg cold. tried super cooling water, threw boiling water out into the -30 deg temperature and had it turn into vapour instantaneously, made snow globes with food colour and many more!

The suana above the lake

frozen shorts

Riding the snowmobile was an interesting way to get to the ice hotel. Riding through the artic scenery with the winter sun hiding at the horizon was truly an amazing journey. But first, we had to wrap up in so many layers that we look like we’re on a EOD suit so as to not become a popsicle out there. But wearing the overalls they provided minus our age by 10 for every pit stop, we would be jumping into the thick snow and making attempts on snow angels!

The standard artic attire would require 15 mins to put on and consists of; upper layer: thermals, long sleeve, fleece, down. Lower layer: thermal tights, snow pants, thermal socks, cotton socks and boots. You also wear gloves so thick that its impossible to take photos on a normal compact camera.

 making snow angels

I felt that the ice hotel wasn’t as fantastic as I expected it to be but it did have many impressive ice sculptures I must say. But I wouldn’t pay so much to stay in a freezing room! It was a pleasant journey to and fro on the ice mobiles but the ATs were rather irritating, trying to cut here and there and not listening to instructions.

                                                               entrance of the ice hotel

dragon decor

ice bar

crafter at work

setting back home

   early dinner before dog sledding

Tried reindeer kebab and it was fantastic! The same day, we went for dog sledding. Honestly I expected the huskies to be much bigger in size but these dogs were rather small compared to their Siberian counterparts but were extremely agile and able to go distances from 300-500km in a day.  On the way back, due to the fatigue of the dogs, I had to get down and help push the sled upslope. Magawd. It was shag. Imagine running through the soft snow with so much clothing in the freezing temperatures. The air was so cold that I coughed for an hour after that. But it was kind of worth it because I go to stand at the back after the slopes. The dogs were so cute! Talked to the owner of the company and he said that he and some of his dogs were the dog sledding champions many years back. Everything that we say that day from the transportation kennels to the sleds were all built by him.

dog sledding

With all the activities packed back-to-back, the day ended quickly and so did this Christmas adventure. As we chilled round the fire in the teepee (native Lapland cone shaped tent), playing would you rather, the snow started falling heavier and so did the love between poh e and yuzheng. Haha im kidding.

the adv party at the teepee

The check out the next day was at 11 and everybody thought that meant that the cabin should be inspected at 11 and not gtfo at 11. Most woke up at 10 because we slept like at 5-6am and because they said we couldn’t get our cleaning deposit back if the place needed a cleaner. From the lady saying omg this place is a mess to this is acceptable to get your deposit back in 30mins, level Singaporean like a baus.

early morning shoot

As we parted ways at the train station, with some leaving to Spain, London and us to Riga, a part of me felt sad because of the people and fun I’ll be missing the next semester when I do my internship overseas. Nevertheless, the people of Hall 2 are still the best and it was a great gathering from all over the world.  

Getting their lunch at Kiruna