Thailand: Phi Phi Island

Thailand last weekend was a nice rest from urban S.E. Asia. A group of almost twenty exchange students made the trip north, flying to the colorful town of Krabi and taking a ferry to Phi Phi Island.

The main method of transportation around Phi Phi was by longboat, and we hired these extensively for the next three days.
After having a delicious lunch in town on Phi Phi, we split up into boats to get to our resort. Although our resort was on the same island, the dense jungle makes travel nearly impossible. Traveling by long boat in the swells of the Indian Ocean was somewhat nerve-wracking, and we were all relieved when Relax Beach Resort came into view.
As you can see, our resort was nestled right in the jungle, and had little stilted huts set up along the beach. Although it was clean, the hut I shared with two others was not exactly luxurious. Electricity only ran from 6 PM - 5 AM, you flushed the toilet by dumping water into the bowl, and the bathroom sink had plumbing that drained out on the floor.

However, the view of the ocean was well-worth it. I took this picture standing on the porch of my room.
After a day of swimming and playing beach volleyball, we settled in near the beach-front bar to enjoy the sunset. Please ignore the sunburn that is all too clear on my legs. In one day, I managed to create all types of tan lines: watch tan, shorts tan, sunglasses tan, neck tan. Hopefully it will even out soon.
The next day we chartered a boat to take some of us snorkeling in the neighboring islands. We had four stops at different reefs and beaches. Our guide took us to some of cliffs and let us snorkel through some of the caves created through millennia of erosion. We brought toast and held it in the water for schools of tropical fish to eat from our hands.
The coastlines of the island are very dramatic. I believe I've already mentioned that Phi Phi was the setting for the Leonardo DiCaprio movie, "The Beach". (I bought a (pirated) copy of the movie on my way back to Singapore).
After a long day of snorkeling, we settled in for the night at the lodge.
Low tables were set up on wooden platforms, and cushions scattered around for seating. I had the best green curry in the world at this resort. Here are some of us, relaxing after eating a delicious meal.
After another night of beach-fun, it was time to think about heading home to Singapore. SOME of us actually needed to get back for class, while others decided to prolong their stay a couple days. Instead of taking the longboat back to catch the ferry, we decided to hike up the mountain to the other side.
As you can see, the views were beautiful, but the hike was not ideal for flip-flops and carrying luggage. Phi Phi was a fantastic way to hang out with exchange student friends, and now I have to go back to Thailand to see more of the cultural sights. Unfortunately, last night I was reading that Bangkok International Airport will be closing because its Safety Certificate was not renewed. Evidently, the airport has been plagued by corruption, and although brand new, has such poor facilities that it is not up to international standards.

Bus ride up to Thailand? We'll see.

Off to Thailand

Its a Thursday night here in Singapore, and believe it or not, I've made time between traveling to go to classes, write papers, and attend group meetings.

When I signed up to go on exchange to Singapore, I didn't have any idea how much I'd be traveling. For the past 21 days in Singapore, I'll have been outside the country for 11. In fact, tomorrow morning I'm waking up at 4 AM to go to Krabi and Ko Phi Phi, Thailand.

It should hopefully be a nice break from the city atmosphere we've found in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Phnom Penh.

I'm also really excited because today I booked tickets for Myanmar. Before I came to Singapore, I don't think I even knew that Myanmar was even a country, but from my research I think it will be one of the most amazing, and most closed societies I'll get to encounter in S.E. Asia.

Anyways, I've got six hours before I leave, and I need to finish a paper, pack and find time to catch some shut-eye. Hasta Luego.

Cambodia: WBO in Phnom Penh

I spent the last five days working with World Blindness Outreach (WBO) in Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh. WBO is a medical organization started by Dr. Albert Alley to travel around the world performing cataract surgeries to restore vision to the poor. On this trip, we did over one hundred cases. This type of surgery is so amazing since, for many patients, they only have light perception due to the extremity of their cataracts. Within 24 hours they can see better than they have in years.

The patients were so grateful, and we were lucky to learn some of their stories. One woman had been complaining of headaches years ago, and went to a type of witch doctor for treatment. In order to cure her head, he put a branding iron to her eye, which is now shrunk to the size of a pea (and obviously useless).

We also treated monks (who could not change into the hospital gowns because they couldn’t wear anything but their saffron robes) and a woman with over one hundred grandchildren.

I wore scrubs every day and prepped the eyes by sanitizing them, and then circulated in the operating room, opening supplies whenever needed.

I was lucky enough to travel with WBO to Honduras three years ago, so I knew many of the team members on this trip. I knew all of the medical staff on the trip, but there were new faces in the “non-medical staff” a.k.a. people like me who got to tag along.

US Dollars are accepted in Cambodia, a country that despite its rich history, is shockingly poor. Doctors in our hospital were paid $90/month, and nurses starting out only got $15/month.

In addition to the medical mission, we were able to see some of the sights around Phnom Penh. Sulyn, one of the team members who helped organize the trip described it very well: there are two distinct sides of Cambodia to see: the cultural (temples, palaces) and the historical.

We went to the National Palace and saw the throne room, and the many treasures reclaimed since Khmer Rouge. We actually were forced to leave one room because Chinese President Hu Jintao was visiting the country. He walked past us with his security entourage.

For those of you that don’t know, Cambodia was wrecked in the 1970’s by the Khmer Rouge. The communist Khmer Rouge completely evacuated Phnom Penh in one day, and spent their reign killing all the educated, professionals, politicians, foreigners, and those with capitalist ties. Two million people were killed in the genocide. As much as 25 percent of the Cambodian population died under the Khmer regime.

We visited Tuol Sleng, a high school-turned prison where thousands were tortured and killed. Called S-21 under the Khmer regime, it is now a museum for people to see the horrors of genocide.

Phnom Penh was an experience on a completely different level than anything else I can expect to experience this semester. I was able to see a side of Cambodia many visitors overlook, and was struck by the stories of what these people endured, and how they are rebuilding their country.

We were about twenty minutes late departing from Phnom Penh to Singapore this afternoon. In explanation, the pilot told us that a passenger wanted to board…with Smallpox. They wanted to make sure the passenger would not infect the rest of us... Wikipedia says smallpox has been confined to laboratories since the 1970s, so I guess I don't know what the deal is...

Malaysia: Malacca and KL

Just got in tonight from a trip to Malaysia. A group of forty SMU exchange students left Friday early morning and bussed from Singapore up to Malaysia. Our first stop was in Malacca, on the western shore of peninsular Malaysia. We were able to explore the city on our own, and Maite and I found our way up to St. Paul's Church. The church, of which only the exterior walls remain standing, was built by the Portuguese and eventually used by the Dutch as a burial grounds (St. Francis Xavier was interred here temporarily).

From the hill, we got a view to the coast and the Straight of Malacca.
After visiting several important temples, we loaded up the bus and headed towards the capital city Kuala Lumpur (known as KL by the locals).

In KL we went up the KL Tower, the 4th largest telecommunications tower in the world, and visited the world-famous Petronas Twin Towers. Obviously the most prolific buildings in KL, I had to include the shot every tourist takes:
Chinatown was a completely different experience: the smells the market were pretty overpowering, and upon seeing me (or any white person) all the vendors scream at you to buy their cologne/belts/DVDs. I eventually gave in, and bought an incredibly nice (and surely "genuine") Omega watch for around $20 USD. I'll be happy if it lasts a week.

We also enjoyed sampling the nightlife in KL. They have lots of open-air bars, which all play the popular American music. Here's a shot of me making some stupid face:
For most of the meals, we had traditional Chinese food, which meant most of us just ate plain rice. The more adventurous of us got to enjoy sting ray, multiple prawn dishes, and even more unidentifiable food. Here is a group of us at lunch on the first day. (The restaurant randomly had a "Barbie Wedding" theme, complete with pink-rose-covered archways and wedding figurines.
It was a really great experience coming back into Singapore, where the tap water is safe and the mall-toilets have plumbing. It really felt like a home-coming to me, which shows how much I've gotten acclimated in just three weeks. I'm in town for classes for a few days, and then I'm off to Cambodia to join my mom in a World Blindness Outreach mission.

Around Singapore

Although Singapore is generally a pretty conservative society, they have a really great nightlife. In addition to the many bars throughout the city, there are a few good clubs including the Ministry of Sound (MOS), Zouk, and Dbl O.

Since Wednesday nights are ladies nights (no cover, free drinks), alot of the exchange students from all the Singapore universities were out. We headed to Dbl O, where we knew many of our friends would be meeting up.

Before going out we had a pre-party at our apartment. We had invited something like a dozen friends (we don't have much room) but ended up with over forty people (no air-conditioning = a sweaty mess).

I didn't get many pictures inside the club, and these are pretty much the only good ones I got before my battery died.
Didn't quite manage to fit everyone in this shot.
Taking a break from the dance floor.

Class is starting to kick into high gear, and it seems that in Singapore, I'll actually have to do my readings, so that will be a change. Also, the group-work here seems really inefficient. I've had groups call meetings even before we have a single assignment, and weekly meetings have been booked for the entire semester.

So much has been going on, and I can see how it will be difficult keeping up with this blog. I'll try my best though. I'm leaving tomorrow morning at eight for Malaysia, and will update with more toursity stuff.

Sentosa!

Ah, the life of an exchange student in Singapore! A group of us visited Sentosa Island, home to Singapore's beaches, resorts, and theme parks. Off to another late start today, we arrived to Sentosa around four and had lunch on the beach.
We spent the next hours swimming, napping, and exploring the coastline of one of the world's busiest ports. Although not someplace I would elect to spend my vacation week, Sentosa was an excellent diversion for a Sunday afternoon.

Away from the crowds of Singapore, the ocean breezes cooled down the air and made for a very relaxing day. This is probably one of my favorite shots so far:
Class tomorrow at 8:30 AM, but its well-worth it.

Night Safari

Last night before heading out, a group of us went to Food Republic, one of Singapore's popular food courts for dinner. There, I ordered Formosa Meat Buns, probably my single most-favorite dish I've encountered. It is a pork dumpling folded in at the top, but inside each one is a pocket of hot soup. It is also the first word I learned to speak in Mandarin, although I have no clue how to write it.
Maite and I are now dubbed "Dumpling Queen and King" since we always order the exact same dish. The vendor at Food Republic definitely recognizes us now...

Getting to the Night Safari after several failed attempts was definitely worth it. The self-proclaimed, "World's First Night Safari", the park is reminiscent of Jurassic Park, minus the velociraptors.

Visitors to the park can ride on trams through sections of the park where the animals roam free, as well as exhibits where big cats and hippos are kept behind discreet moats.
Maite and I with Elmar, a Swiss friend, on the tram.

There are also foot trails that take you through bat habitats and up close to a variety of species. The Night Safari gave us hours of entertainment, and now we want to see the zoo (a completely different park) by day.

Chinatown

Since today (Thursday) is the weekend for me, I went on a sight-seeing trip with my friends. On our way to visit Chinatown today, we stopped at a Kopitiam for lunch.
These indoor food courts are inexpensive, and have stalls like "Pig-Organs Soup" and other delicacies. Kopitiams are located around the SMU campus and serve in place of a school cafeteria.

After savoring the air-conditioning (and pig-organ smell) we headed off to Chinatown to spend the afternoon. One of several ethnic neighborhoods in Singapore, it has unfortunately become one of the most tourist-y places I've seen in the city.
We wandered through the market, which sells all kinds of Chinese snacks and trinkets, until we made our way to the red-light district. Prostitution is illegal in Singapore, but evidently the government turns a blind-eye to the practice.

I much preferred Little India to Chinatown, since the latter was just full of cheap gimmicks. The last ethnic neighborhood left for me to see is Arab Street, so hopefully that will be more authentic and interesting.

In the meantime, just getting ready to head out tonight. Clark Quay, known for its array of outdoor bars, is fast-becoming the hotspot for exchange students, and is where we'll meet probably dozens of our friends.

Tomorrow: tourist in Singapore day. Will we finally get to see the zoo? I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Getting into the Groove

Classes began today at SMU. I was relieved that I could understand my first professor's accent. I had marketing research today, and I was clearly the only foreigner in the class. It is interesting going from being the typical white male in Virginia to being a (very obvious) minority.

It is very easy to participate in classes here. Getting a word in at comm school at UVa can be an ordeal, but evidently Singaporeans are shyer and do not speak up. Also, they are late to class. On the first day of class, the room was only half-filled five minutes after the professor began lecturing. Students came in as much as 25 minutes late!

This is strange, coming from a society that practices Kiasu, the fear of missing out. This means Singaporeans are competitive in all aspects of life: from squeezing onto a full train to literally sleeping in the libraries at SMU. According to Wen, there are endless group meetings, and in face I already have a weekly group meeting set up for Marketing research. (One group member came in today wearing a pink polo, collar popped, Armani Exchange sweater and bright gold tennis shoes...his name is Sara. No joke.)

The facilities at SMU are freakishly nice, and a welcome change from the red-brick Colonial style at UVa. Here is a shot I took of our library:All the buildings are modern and clean, and all the classrooms are high-tech. I could get used to this really easily. Me in front of the business school building, where I'll have most of my classes:
So my weekend begins now. A trip probably won't happen this weekend, since some of us had professors schedule classes for Saturday. We'll do more tourist-y stuff around the city. Top of my list: the night safari, and the cable car to Sentosa island.