Playing host to an old high school friend who had migrated to Australia with her family eons ago, we did some activities which to me were quite normal, everyday-type affairs.. but to my friend were novelties and cravings-satisfiers.  It's true what they say - you only learn to appreciate things when you no longer have access to them.

First up on her list of cravings - sweet popcorn at the movies.  Now this is definitely something we take for granted.  Whilst us spoilt Singaporeans get a choice of sweet or salted popcorn (or even mixed if you liked!) at the cinema, some other countries, like Australia, only serve salted popcorn.  I've been informed that you can pay a premium for a caramelized version, but those are supposedly tooooo sweet.  Yup, our sweet popcorn is not too sweet, not too tasteless.. it's juuuuuuust nice. ;)  Come to think of it, I think it's the same situation in the U.S.. only salted popcorn available.  Sweet popcorn in hand, we caught Pacific Rim at GV VivoCity since we planned to go into Sentosa later.  It was somewhat enjoyable, but I couldn't help but wonder.. With all that technology powering the Jaegers, couldn't they have added some jetpacks to enable them to fly?  Kinda sad that they have to be air-dropped by helicopters.  I mean, even the Kaijus evolved to be able to fly...

Post-movie, we headed in to Sentosa with the aim of going for a short bike ride.  From the Sentosa Express' Beach Station, we took a short walk to the GoGreen bicycle kiosk (currently located past the beach eateries at this point of writing, but we were informed it would be merging with the GoGreen Segway kiosk just beside the Beach Station next month, so cyclists need no longer take that long walk back to the station after returning your rides. Great idea!).  The staff at the kiosk were really friendly and helpful, and having read up about the hybrid bicycles online, we decided to give those a whirl.  With the rental price being only $3 more than the normal bipedal bikes, of course you should spring for the one with a power boost, unless you're a purist and want to workout those guns.

Tanjong Beach, Sentosa

Never having ridden a hybrid bike before, this experience was a really fun one.  Not to be mistaken that the bike is going to do all the work for you - you still have to pedal before the bike motor gives you the extra boost.  The harder you pedal, the bigger the boost.  No pedal = no move / no boost.  Seriously, you guys have gotta give it a try!  With the extra help, you can easily zip up and down the beach line comfortably in an hour.  Our route was: Kiosk > Palawan Beach > Tanjong Beach > Palawan Beach > Siloso Beach > Kiosk.

Yay to Hybrid Bicycles!

Dinner was a sumptuous seafood feast at House of Seafood, Yio Chu Kang branch.  Do make a reservation before hand to avoid disappointment.  Must-haves: Salted Egg Crab, Fried Mantou, Steamed Bamboo Clam with Minced Garlic.  Cleanse your palate with a pot of Chinese or Chrysanthemum Tea to share.  We had 2 crabs, 6 mantou, 3 clams, a small sliced-fish dish - spent about SGD$80 per pax.  Compared to more mainstream seafood chains, I think this was pretty solid for what had to eat.  Good serving portions as well.  Left the restaurant VERY STUFFED. ;)

Salted Egg Crab

The next day, we met up with another high school friend to have breakfast at a hawker centre near our houses.  In the North-East area, I think the hawker at Kovan (nearest MRT: Kovan MRT on the North-East Line) houses a very large and decent variety of yummy hawker eats.  It's been donkey years since I've last woken up that early to have breakfast at a hawker, and I was pretty surprised at the long hello-kitty queues formed in front of several stalls already.  Singaporeans are really all about the food.  Breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, supper.. We eat 24/7, really.

On our table:  Mee-pok, chwee kueh, you-tiao (fried dough fritters), fried carrot cake, soya bean drink, kopi-o siew dai and teh.

Hawker food which I take for granted, my friend craved so badly.. Wonder if I'll crave these too if I'm ever away from SG for an extended period of time.  I think I survived 1 month+ in the U.S. without craving local food.. not sure how I'd fare longer than that.  I think I'm not too big on local eats and can satiate my hunger well with other stuff.. but then again, we'll never know till we get there, will we?

“♪Maaaaaaaa-zee-payniaaaaah♫" ...I literally had a chill run up my spine and goosebumps on my skin as the show opened with the familiar ‘Circle of Life’ song. How many times my parents had to endure the multiple re-runs of Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ on our VCR player, I have no idea. I think it was only when the tape had gone mouldy and beyond cleaning rescue that I reluctantly retired it!

For the uninitiated or those too young to have seen ‘The Lion King’ animation film as a kid, here’s my very own relationship map to help you get up to speed:

Back to the musical, this production by Andrew Llyod Webber comprised of scenes and a script which followed that of the original animation almost to a T.  I know 'cos I could almost mouth the script along with the actors on stage, that's how many re-runs I made, lol.  A little odd that Rafiki turned out to be a woman though, I always thought it was a old male baboon? Hmmmm.  That definitely threw me a little off track, but since Rafiki isn't really the main protagonist here, I'm gonna let it slide... :)

Housed at the Sands Theatre in Marina Bay Sands, the tickets for the show are rather pricey, starting from S$65 up to S$240 for the Premium seats which come with a gift and drink.  I sprang for the Category A Reserve tickets at S$185 a pop - for a whole S$60 less, I think I could do without the gift and drink.  The seating for Cat A is no worse off than the Premium seats.  Also, if you know of folk working in the bigger companies in Singapore, you may want to ask around to see if any of them have access to corporate discounts.  I've heard some companies have discounts up to a whopping 50% off - and some of these erm, entrepreneurial folk are even selling these originally discounted tickets at retail prices over the Internet. -_-"  I'd advise to purchase your tickets through the official channel Sistic, or through an immediate friend/relative to play it safe.

The production runs 8 times a week, once a day at 8PM, with an additional 2PM show on Sundays.  Ticketing runs the same for both the 2 PM and 8 PM shows.  From personal experience, it is perhaps recommended to attend the 8 PM shows on a weekday if you want to decrease your chances of sharing the theatre with loud, chatty kids and their inconsiderate parents around you.  Yes, I know this is supposed to be a children's story... but hey, we're in an adult setting here, this ain't your living room.  We expect silence at a $10 movie screening, what more at a $200 musical?  Really, some of us have just not yet learnt the meaning of 'consideration for others'.  UGH.

In comparison to the Esplanade theatres, the Sands theatre seems a tad smaller, although the limited stage area was rather well utilized for The Lion King.  Revolving and hidden platforms within the stage keep things interesting when you would least expect it.  Acoustics within the theatre are decent too, and the audience has a clear view of the orchestra in front of the stage.  Two small balconies on either side of the stage house two percussionists on the traditional African instruments, immersing the audience even deeper into the Africa scene.

My gripes about the Sands Theatre:

• Warm air-conditioning (or none at all?).
  Not sure if it was a malfunction, but the air conditioning did not seem to be operational on the afternoon I was there.  Having read that 'the theatres could get quite chilly' from the MBS website, I had dressed slightly warmer than our insipid tropical weather would call for.  Boy, I think if the theatre had been any warmer, I would surely have started sweating.  Even my party members dressed in thin cottony tops were very aware that the theatre was warm!  Later on, during the 2nd half of the show, I thought I heard the air-conditioning roar to life, and it really did seem slightly cooler after that... Oh well.  Only the management of MBS will know the truth behind the matter, not that it's something worth pursuing (unless they would like to offer my party and I complimentary passes so that we can truly enjoy the show in comfort like it was meant to be? Heh~).
  
  
• Hard knock seats
  Rather appalled at the quality of the seats, really.  For such an atas place, you would expect at least Cathay cinema standards - ample leg room, fully cushioned chair.  But noooooo, the seats were more reminscent of the old Lido cinema seats.  Cushioned seats with wooden backings.  OH. MY. GAWD. Never mind that the spacing between rows was so tiny, you could acutely feel every single kick or tap against your chair!

Despite the crappy air ventilation, uncomfortable seat and extra unwanted narration by the prudes behind me, I reallllllly enjoyed The Lion King.  So much so that I listened to the soundtrack for days after the musical, and that I'm really contemplating bringing my folks to see it.  Ohhhhh yeah, I'm gonna make them sit through the re-run one last time - but this time, it's gonna be 'LIVE' in the flesh!


Anyone with steeply discounted tickets to share? ;)

In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

I am by no means a culture vulture, but I do get curious about certain arts productions from time to time when they look interesting or are about something I actually DO know about!  Tonight, I attended my first 'Shakespeare in the Park' performance - Macbeth.  About twelve years ago, I had to eat, sleep and breathe Macbeth.  If you had taken English Literature for your 'O' Levels, you'd know what I'm talking about!  But admittedly, I did not care much for Macbeth back then.  In fact, other than a few choice quotes and the 3 witches' scenes, I couldn't remember most of the plot before the play tonight... but glad to know I wasn't the only one - my party also had fuzzy memories of that navy blue book we had to dissect eons ago... Nevertheless, Macbeth in the Park was a really enjoyable experience, and I highly recommend it! Unfortunately, at the time of this writing the play only runs for 6 more days (till the 22nd of May 2011) so if by some sheer fortune you happen to stumble upon this post before then, hurry over to the Sistic website to book yourself some tickets for a performance!  You won't regret it!


Background Information
Produced by The Singapore Repertory Theatre (non-profit) and presented by Transtec, Macbeth in the Park is part of The Audi Classics Series 2011.  Previous 'Shakespeare in the Park' runs in Singapore were 'A Midsummer's Night Dream' (2009) and 'Much Ado About Nothing' (2007).  Looking at the timeline, it seems like this performance is only held once every two years?  Well, I'm glad I went for Macbeth this round, and hope that the next one would be perhaps Romeo & Juliet? :D


Plot Summary
If you've done something against your conscience, it WILL eat you alive slowly but surely.  Death imminently follows...

Front: Witch, Patricia Toh (Lady Macbeth), Adrian Pang (Macbeth)

The Cast
Directed by Nikolai Foster, the cast is led by Adrian Pang as Macbeth, and Patricia Toh as Lady Macbeth. Whilst Adrian Pang gave an excellent performance as Macbeth displaying his versatility and linguistic prowess, Lady Macbeth failed to mirror her hubby's standards.  I do applaud Pat's effort put into memorizing those oh-so-lengthy soliloquies, but somehow I think her mixed accents of British English and Singlish kind of killed the delivery of her performance.  I'm no qualified arts critic, but I think I'm able to recognize a good performance when it hits me.. and sadly Pat's rendition of Lady Macbeth just didn't cut it for me.  Going on to the supporting cast members, I think they did a good job filling the shoes of their characters.  William Landsman (Banquo) was as entertaining alive as he was as a ghost, and Daniel Jenkins (McDuff) put up a good fight at the end. Special mentions to the ladies who played the 3 witches - they must have been melting under their full-faced make-up and elaborate costumes in our horribly humid weather but they were cackly, loud, mysterious and creepy, bringing a sort of energy to the play.  The brief appearance by Andy Tear as the Porter also helped to lighten the dark theme of the performance, and was quite a humorous one at that.


The Setting
The play is held in the open ground area in front of Fort Canning Centre (see 'How to Get There' below) and is also in the vicinity of the Colonial Christian Cemetery.  With large, tall trees flanking the side of the stage, and the dusk sky overhead, there is a naturally eerie feel about the whole place - an almost perfect complement to the dark plot behind Macbeth.  Even though it was a rather humid night, the occasional boughts of wind grazing across your skin and accompanied by the gentle rustling of leaves in the trees overhead was good enough to up the chill factor. ;)  The grassy area surrounding the stage area is also a gentle sloping one, so no worries about not being able to see the stage even if you are seated at the back - you're actually higher up the slope.

Being in an open park setting, this also means you have to bring your own seating - picnic mats and ground sheets are most commonly seen, but we did see someone with small field chairs and an All Terrain Wagon which doubled up as their dinner table.  Apart from the humble picnic baskets, also spotted were bigass camping boxes, "pails" of food/drink and one group of folk looked like they brought their whole kitchen shy of the kitchen sink... Like, seriously? -_-"  Also heard as we were about the leave the grounds, the unmistakable sound of glass shattering against the ground... I guess they had a drop of wine too much... Hope they do not start prohibiting the audience from BYOB, 'cos I'm soooo bringing a nice chilled bottle along the next time!

Macbeth in the Park @ Fort Canning, Singapore

The Stage
A simple double-storey stage set which had simple but visually effective transitions, the stage was joined to a long runway spanning the entire length of the audience seating area, effectively dividing the area into 2 sections.  The runway also served as part of the stage setup, and certain entrances were made via the runway,  bringing the performance closer to the audiences further away from the main stage.  I thought this was quite a nice touch, really.


Fun & Nonsense
Did anyone else think Adrian Pang's hoodie costume resembled that of the hunter in Left 4 Dead??!  Even the colour scheme seemed similar!! I couldn't help thinking it, especially when he crouched down on all fours with his hood up in a scene.. Heh.

What's the purpose of including the bicycle and the modern-day clothing here and there?  I didn't quite get the significance and found it a bit distracting.. Would be nice if anyone could enlighten me here. :)  Leave your comments!



Ticketing Information
Availability:  Sistic Website or Sistic Counters
Dates:  28 Apr - 22 May 2011
Showtime:  7.30pm - 10.15pm (15min interval)
Price:  SGD 38 - SGD 80 (Starhub customers 10% off, see Sistic Website for more discounts).
Venue:  Fort Canning Park


How to get there:  Nearest MRT is Dhoby Ghaut MRT.  Exit to Park Mall.  Enter Park Mall, and take the elevator/lift up to the 4th floor (carpark).  Walk towards your left once you exit the lift, and exit at the carpark entrance/exit barriers.  Cross the road and walk towards your left again.  Keep walking 'till you hit a flight of stairs on your right.  You can either walk up this flight of stairs, OR keep walking straight up the slope.  Both ways lead to the same area and you should find the Gothic Gate in sight!  (Estimated time for this walk: 10 minutes.)

Fort Canning map:  http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/docs/diy_guide/ancient_colonial.pdf

Officially opened in the 2nd half of 2010, Universal Studios Singapore is still a work-in-progress.  After 11 months of being grounded, the theme park's main attraction - the Battlestar Galactica, re-opened only recently in February 2011.  Other up-and-coming attractions include the Madagascar Crate Adventure boat ride (slated to open in mid-2011) and a Transformers ride expected to open at the end of 2011.  The Transformers Ride should be part of Sci-Fi City, but it isn't marked on the current version of the Studio Guide.

Since the Battlestar Galactica was not operational yet, many Singaporeans (self-included) chose to put off making a visit to the park.  Must get the most out of my money, mah!  Having missed the opportunity to visit USS via a corporate event last year, and being a huge fan of theme parks, I decided to take the plunge anyway and headed for the park back in January this year (told myself that it was for my birthday, nevermind that I would be paying to enter an incompleted park).  Plus, there was a credit card promotion for a 20% discount on entry to the park that month!  With two such compelling reasons, the only thing that could have dissuaded me from going would be the haphazard rainy weather this tiny island has been experiencing for the past few months.  Thankfully, the clouds held back on the day of my visit, woot! \(^o^)/

Battlestar Galactica @ Sci-Fi City - Re-opened in February 2011

Planning Your Day at USS
Despite its humble size of 20 hectares, you can still easily spend up to an entire day in the park.  Since the attractions are relatively close to one another, you can walk back and forth between the different attractions without much effort.  At my estimation, it should take about just 15 to 20 minutes to walk one round the entire park (without stopping for anything).  Rides are pretty short as well, and the queues move relatively fast.  At the most popular rides such as the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure and Revenge of the Mummy, expect to wait up to or over an hour during peak periods.  If you're intending to spend an entire day at the park, this should not be a concern.

Park operating hours:  Mon - Sun: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Ticket prices:  Click here to see official website.
Time needed:  I'd estimate at least 3-4 hours to explore just the good stuff.
Getting there:  Click here to see official website.  If you're leaving from Harbourfront/VivoCity, I recommend taking the bus, RWS 8, as it is $2 for a round trip as compared to a $3 round trip ticket on the Sentosa Express (monorail thingie).  Both bring you right to the doorstep of Resort World and the bus tends to have more seating, although the ride is less scenic and less of a novelty.


Universal Express Pass
Like most mega theme parks, USS gives you the option to purchase an additional ticket - the Universal Express Pass, which allows you to join a priority queue on pre-determined rides where long queues are expected.  However, priced between S$30 to S$68, and usuable on each ride once only, I personally would not advise spending the extra money on the pass.  For starters the park is not that big, there aren't that many rides, and if you have one whole day to spare at the park, it is probably more than enough time for you to sit on each ride at least once, even if you have to queue an hour for the popular rides.  Unless the park gets insanely crowded in the future when all the rides have opened, even then I would suggest getting a two-day pass instead.  It's more economical and you get to enjoy the rides as many times as you like.  Take the time to bond with your friends/family while you're queueing. :)


Attractions with Showtimes
I frown upon the current version of the Studio Guide, mainly because it does not inform you which attractions have limited performances per day, nor a separate leaflet providing the show timings.  My memory is a little fuzzy on this, but if I am not wrong, there is an electronic board with the various show timings located around the end of the Hollywood stretch - either at point 'L' or point '11' on the map.  It would be a good idea to find out the various timings of the performances so you can better plan your route around the park.  To my knowledge, current attractions with limited showtimes include WaterWorld and Pantages Hollywood Theater.  Do check with the ticketing counter for updated information at the point of your visit!  As a value-added bonus, this blog has marked out the locations of timed shows on our copy of the Studio Guide!  Look out for the red coloured movie clapper symbols!

FromTwoPassports's Studio Guide with exclusive info!


Free Lockers
Near some rides like Revenge of the Mummy, the lockers offer free usage for the first 30 minutes, and it costs about $2-$3 for the next hour or so. Do remember to bring along some cash/credit card with you in case you end up spending more than 30 minutes on the ride.  Some rides like the smaller coasters also have cubby holes for riders to place their bags when it's your turn to ride.


Die-Die-Must-Ride/See
1)  Revenge of the Mummy [Ancient Egypt] If you had time for only 1 ride, this would be it*.  Not only is Ancient Egypt one of the more intricately designed and built-up areas in the park, the Mummy ride has a good storyline and sufficient speed/surprises to get some adrenaline pumping.  The walkway into the ride is about a good 3 minute walk.  If you find yourself queueing near the entrance to the ride, expect the waiting time to be over an hour, I'd imagine.
*Note: This is without consideration for the Battlestar Galactica & Transformers rides which were not yet open at the point of my visit.

A gianormous Anubis statue standing tall in Ancient Egypt



2)  WaterWorld [The Lost World]

A live action show with excellent effects and even the routine to warm-up the crowds before the actual show starts is entertaining.  Depending on how dry/wet you would like to end up, find yourself a seat in the splash/dry zone and enjoy the show (seating zones are differentiated by the colour of the benches).  The show arena is quite large and could probably accomodate a few hundred/thousand spectators at a time, so do not walk away from the ride if you see a large crowd in the queue - the guides at the entrance will probably inform you if the seating capacity has been reached.

As aforementioned, the performance only runs a few times per day at certain timings, so you'll have to check this out before you begin wandering around the park.  You wouldn't want to miss this! 

Warming up the crowd at WaterWorld

3)  Lights, Camera, Action! Hosted by Steven Spielberg [New York]

Experience a major hurricane in the safety of this show-ride.  Warning, you may be blown away at the end of the show - by the awesome special effects, that is! 

The hurricane is legen..wait for it... dary!

4)  Enchanted Airways [Far Far Away]

I would call this a kiddy coaster, but the queue clears relatively fast and the coaster is still quite speedy to stir up some excitement.  I find the ride is a tad short though, and it felt like the ride ended prematurely just as the adrenaline was kicking in.  I suppose with the limited land space, this was the best they could do~

Far Far Away



The B-Side Rides/Shows
If you have time left after visiting the above 3 attractions, you may want to consider these next few rides:

1)  Shrek 4-D Adventure [Far Far Away]
Story progression wise, it gets a bit slow if you're already familiar with the Shrek movies.  The 3-D visuals are not too fantastic, but some of the 4th-D effects were quite realistic, enabling this ride to be even part of the B-list.  I found the seats a bit too hard as well, and it got a bit painful when the seats rocked - but this can be overcome by leaning your head slightly forward, no biggie.

2)  Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure [The Lost World]
Touted to be one of the most popular rides in the park, I really didn't care much for this spinning raft ride.  Not only is the spinning rather redundant and bordering on annoying, this ride leaves you a 30% chance of getting SOAKED from head to toe.  And by head to toe, I mean your scalp will be wet, and your feet will be ankle-deep in water.  Leave your bags in a locker unless you want them flooded (assuming you're in the seat which gets you soaked).  I have a hypothesis on how to choose the seats which leave you the driest, but that would spoil the only fun this ride has to offer, wouldn't it? ;)

3)  Canopy Flyer [The Lost World]
An overhead coaster which gives you the option of being seated faced forwards or backwards, I'd choose the backwards option to up the thrill factor.  Not much to scream about, but it's a good ride to be on to blow-dry yourself if you've just been soaked on the Rapids Adventure. ;)

4)  Pantages Hollywood Theater
Limited performances per day, the rock-n-roll musical wasn't too entertaining either.  And what is up with the usage of The Wonder Girls' 'Nobody' song in USS?  This wasn't the only attraction which made references to that song... A little passe, isn't it?  Maybe it was still amusing at the point when the choreography was being put together... but it's 2011 now, perhaps emulating a SNSD or Super Junior hit is more relevant??

Boo?

Merchandise
I usually have to be restrained by weary friends at the merchandise shops in theme parks to limit my buying, but it was almost the exact opposite situation at USS.  We were given two $5 retail coupons with our pair of admission tickets (1 coupon per ticket), and you could only use 1 coupon per purchase so we had to make 2 separate purchases to make use of both coupons.  S didn't see anything to buy in ANY of the shops at all (we went to every single shop, mind you), and I myself barely managed to spend my own coupon.  Is the quality of merchandise in USS really that unappealing?  Or maybe I've just been spoilt by Disney / Lotte World / Everland...

Not suitable for consumption




Food
1)  Loui's NY Pizza Parlour [New York]
I've not been to NY before so I've no idea what the 'Original NY Pizza Slice' should taste like, but the one you get here is a very thin crusted pizza slice.  Cold pizza is never nice, so ask that your pizza slice gets warmed up if you find you've been served a slice that's been sitting out for awhile.

2)  Fossil Fuels [The Lost World]
Junk food with a cute Woody Woodpecker lunch box for the Kid's Meal.  I'm an '80s kid so I'm a sucker for anything that reminds me of my childhood, and Woody Woodpecker was part of my early years. :)

Refueling at Fossil Fuels

 3)  Mel's Drive-In [Hollywood]
Classic all-American comfort food, 'nuff said.



To wrap up this post, I'd say I would definitely make a return trip back to the park, but perhaps only when all the other rides have opened.  Despite its humble size, USS is still quite entertaining for a day trip.  The only risk though, is the erratic days of rain Singapore has been seeing in recent months.  Feedback from friends who have experienced the park on a rainy day reveals that the park does not seem to be able to handle a heavy downpour too well - some of the waiting areas to the indoor rides were flooding even!  A good number of the fun rides are also outdoors, and would probably not be operational in the event of heavy rain.  Make sure the sun is brightly shining before you decide to make a trip down to the park.  And even then, you'd best be praying for good weather throughout the day! ;)



See ya next time, Universal Studios Singapore!

This morning, we headed to one last iconic place in Suzhou before leaving the province - a silk factory.  Suzhou Kaidi Silk Co. Ltd is a recognized and properly certified silk factory, so you can be rest assured that you are getting quality goods for your dollar.  As with entering any factory-type place which tours tend to love to bring you to, I had the mindset that this was going to be just another tourist trap.  Once in the silk factory, it was easy to see that the most popular products being touted were bedding products - several vacuum-packed bags of quilts and bed paddings lay ready on the sales floor for the taking.  Despite the somewhat honest sales pitch from our tour guide, I was only drawn in to make my purchases after hearing the rave reviews from current users of the same quilt in my tour group (Facebook effect at work!).


Paparrazi shot of the silk making process in the factory! Ssshh!

As a 4-month old user of the quilt, I've not regretted the purchase and might even go so far as to say it is one of my best purchases ever.  I was using a part-feather quilt before this and it simply pales in comparison.  The silk quilt is so light and comforting, you almost feel like the silk worms in their cocoons.  Just how awesome is this quilt?  Let's just say that if there is an emergency which renders me little time to grab important things from my room and flee for safety, this quilt is gonna be amongst those things - that is how awesome this quilt is.
!! Tip:  For tropical weathered countries like Singapore, buy the lightest and biggest quilt available.  This is the most bang for buck.  Also, the silk quilt covers are extremely expensive and are more of a luxury, really.  Buy only if you are able to spend that much on a piece of cloth without batting an eyelid.  I'm using a normal cotton quilt cover and the quilt still feels like a charm.


SUZHOU to HANGZHOU
The journey from Suzhou to Hangzhou by bus takes about 2 hours+ with a rest stop available along the way.

[PLACES OF VISIT] 万松书院 (Wàn Sōnɡ Shū Yuàn) WANSONG ACADEMY
Once a flourishing educational institute, the WanSong Academy is the only cultural park around the West Lake.  Myths/legends suggest that this was also where the famed lovers Liang Shan Bo and Zhu Ying Tai studied, making the Academy a popular location for holding match-making events for single graduates.


Miniature sculptures of the Academy back in its hey day.

Lucky/wish charms, mostly hung by students wishing to do well.

Love the tiled roofs and pagoda architecture abound.


Location:  位于凤凰山上北万松岭上 / Eastern side of the Phoenix Mountain
Entrance Fee:  10 Yuan (~1.50 USD)
Opening Hours:  7:30 AM - 5:30 PM

[PLACES OF VISIT] 岳王庙 (Yuè Wáng Miào) GENERAL YUE FEI MAUSOLEUM

A national hero who is known to have fought fiercely and loyally for his country, General Yue Fei was murdered in prison, and the masterminds/accomplices of this heinous act kneel forever, cast in iron, before the graves of Yue Fei and his son.  Traditionally, visitors to the grave sit spat on the casts of these traitors in disgust, but the statues seemed quite clean while I was there (but I would not suggest touching the statues either), and I did not see anyone spitting.  Perhaps the act has been outlawed for hygiene concerns? :P

"Return me my rivers and mountains"

Traitors

Repay the nation with loyalty.



Location: 北山路80号 / 80 Beishan Lu (Zhejiang province)

Entrance Fee: 25 Yuan (~3.80 USD)
Opening Hours: 6:00 AM - 6:30 PM


[PLACES OF VISIT] 印象西湖 (Yìn Xiàng Xī Hú) IMPRESSION WESTLAKE
Brainchild of famed Chinese director Zhang Yimou, Impression Westlake is an absolute must see while you're in Hangzhou.  The show brilliantly utilizes the Westlake itself as a stage, and both the musical and visual aspects of the show are stunning.  If you go during the colder months, be sure to dress warmly as it can get quite chilly and you wouldn't want to be shivering in your seat for an hour.


Impression Westlake - Where's the stage? ;)

You have to be there to be even more amazed!

Location:  Across the road from the General Yue Fei Mausoleum
Ticket Prices:  For normal seating, the price is 300 yuan per person; for VIP stand, the price per person is 450 yuan per person and for the grand stand, the price is 600 yuan per person (with credits to http://www.hicenter.cn/guide_61.asp)
Showtimes:  1st show 7:45 PM - 8:45 PM / 2nd show 9:15 PM - 10:15 PM
Official Web Site: http://www.hzyxxh.com/

!! Tip:  Deciphering your ticket for seating information if you can't read Chinese...

2010 Impression West Lake Ticket

[ACCOMODATION] 杭州华辰银座酒店 HANGZHOU HUACHEN KENZO HOTEL

Official Hotel Web Site here.
Raves:  Decent breakfast spread.
Rants:  No free WiFi anywhere within the hotel, but this seems to be the norm amongst most hotels in China, even with the 5* hotel which I stayed at in Shanghai!

Given an option, I would probably have never chosen China as a potential holiday destination since I did not have the best impression of the place and its people.  However, after this chance trip, I think I can say those are now things of the past - I would not mind making a second visit back to this country.  So it's really true that one shouldn't be too quick to dismiss something until you've tried it firsthand.  You could end up pleasantly surprised, and if not, well at least now you know!

This trip was part of a group tour, so accomodations and transportation were all pre-arranged.  I'm therefore unable to provide information on getting to-and-fro places, unfortunately.

SIN to CHINA, Shanghai

Having grown accustomed to travelling via budget airlines, the flight to China via Singapore Airlines this round was a really refreshing one.  This was my first flight out from Terminal 3, a very pleasant and quiet scene compared to the usual hubbub going on in Terminals 1 & 2.  Come to think of it, this is probably my first time flying SQ as well!  And since I do not have the luxury of travelling so extravagantly all the time, it will probably be some time before I get to fly SQ again.. :(



  

Singapore Changi Airport, Terminal 3

 

SQ Boarding Lounge, wow!

The flight up from Singapore to China, Shanghai, is approximately 5 hours and 20 minutes.  There is no time difference between the two cities.  We left Singapore around 1 A.M. and arrived in Shanghai's Pudong International Airport*, Terminal 2 around 6.30 A.M.  Clearing customs was relatively a breeze, and we were out of the airport in under an hour (time includes disembarkation, waiting for luggage).  Am not too sure if the process was always this smooth, but I'm sure recently being the host of the World Expo this year helped some.

 

Arrival in Shanghai on a lovely autumn morning!

Pudong International Airport, Terminal 2

*Shanghai has 2 international airports - 虹桥机场Hongqiao International Airport and 浦东机场Pudong International Airport; today Pudong acts as the primary international airport.  Unfortunately at this point in time, it seems that the website is available only in Chinese.  Google's Translate service does a pretty good job of translating the site into English though.  Else, you may also get a Chinese literate friend to help decipher the information for you!

SHANGHAI to SUZHOU
Located south-west of Shanghai, Suzhou is a 2½-3 hour car ride away.  A faster way would be via train, which should take under an hour. This page seems like a very good start if you'd like to know more about travelling via trains in China!


[PLACES OF VISIT] 虎丘(Hŭ Qiū) TIGER HILL
Also known as Surging Sea Hill.  A relatively small area to cover, allocate about 1 hour for a tour here.  Things of interest here are some rocks with interesting folklore/history attached to them; 千人石 Thousand People Rock; 剑池 Sword Pool; 云岩寺塔 Yuyuan Pagoda - a 7 storey pagoda which has a bit of a lean to one side, and is said to precedent the world famous leaning tower of Pisa in Italy.  The pagoda's lean is most obvious from a specially setup vantage point which is near the edge of the garden, across the foot of stairs leading up towards the pagoda.  Overall, Tiger Hill was just another touristy place to visit to me.  Unless you are well learned/interested in Chinese poetry/calligraphy which form the essence of Tiger Hill, this place will probably not leave a deep impression on you either.

 

 

Tiger Hill in the autumn

 

 

What's within

 

Signboard: Big Victory of Wu on this Soil / leaning Yuyuan Pagoda

 

Bits of Chinese history in stone/metal

[PLACES OF VISIT] 耦园(Ǒu Yuán) OUYUAN GARDEN
Also known as the Couple's Garden Retreat; part of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  In historical times, the place was originally referred to as the Lotus Garden, also read as OuYuan, as the Chinese word for lotus has a similar sound: 藕(Ǒu).  The two words are similar in writing, but bear different meanings.  It was later renamed to Couple's Garden Retreat, as the layout of the place consists of two gardens, and also the word 耦 has the same meaning as the word for a human couple, 偶.  Fun fact:  The romantic connotation and ambience of this garden have made it a popular spot for holding match-making events in current day!

 

 

Our tour also included a Canal Boat Ride, which I felt was a bit of an emotional blackmail thingie.  On a very short boat ride (like just up and down a short 100m stretch of the canal), the boatman/woman would sing for you.  Before the ride, the guide told us some sob story about these boatman/women, and you're not obliged to, but you can give the boatman/woman a tip on your way out if you liked their singing.  Uhh, okay.  So if after listening to that sob story, I don't give a tip, I'm gonna look like a poor excuse of a human being?  I understand though, that life in the poorer provinces is hard.  This not being my first exposure to less fortunate living, I wasn't taken aback by the blatant extortion, but was still a bit repulsed by it as always.  I like to part with my money on my own free will, instead of being told I should.  Like if the boats had a little tin with a sign saying something like 'Fill me if you liked my singing!', instead of the guides relaying sob stories, I'm sure more people would be more willing to fill that tin on their own free will.  It's not like we think these folk are rowing the boats for the love of it, duh.

 

[ACCOMODATION] 苏州宜家开元酒店 SUZHOU YIJIA KAIYUAN HOTEL

Comparable to Singapore's budget hotels' standards, but perhaps still a 3-star by local standards.  Oddly nice quadrangle area to bask in the morning sunshine on a cool autumn morning though.  Not sure if the hotel has non-smoking rooms, but the room we got reeked badly of cigarette smoke - ah, welcome to China, where smokers can run free, even in air-conditioned spaces.  I think I breathed in more 2nd hand smoke in the 9 days I spent in China than in the last 9 months back home.  In fact, I think I was even beginning to miss it a bit by the time I left China... *GASP!* -_-"

 

 

Raves:  Nice quadrangle area, clean toilet.
Rants:  Filthy carpeting, non-smoke free room, flat pillows.