Thursday, August 23, 2007

End of Summer

My 4 months long summer holidays finally ended this week and it is back to school again.

This summer holidays had two important events: FTB and the backpacking trip.

I really learn a lot of things from the FTB training; more importantly I got to know more about my strengths and weaknesses at the same time.

I was really apprehensive about facilitating my groups; looking back now I felt that I didn't do too bad. Although the outcome was far from desired, at least my freshies learned a thing or two from the experience.

My run 4 group with senior faci Elisa

Through FTB I also get to know many new friends. My social circle seems to increase almost 3 fold over the course of the summer. Got to know some really funny and interesting people along the way and it is really good to expand my social circle in SMU.

The other important event got to be the backpacking trip. It was my first time backpacking although in actual fact it was more like flashpacking. I did most of the planning and it turned out not too bad in the end.

While there were misses like the guesthouse in Siem Reap, the overall experience was not too bad. Maybe I could do another similar trip at the end of the year.

The first week of school has almost passed and it is textbooks frenzy again. It sounds a little crazy that I'm doing 5.5 modules but at the end of the day it will be done.

Project groups are being formed too and fate dictates that I will be working with Cecilia. We had a hell of a time doing LTB together and it will be fun working with her again.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Trip Photos!

Finally managed to consolidate all the photos from the trip. I've picked out some for the benefit of my readers. Enjoy!

Day 1 - Saigon

View from the plane


Notre Dame Cathedral - A piece of Europe in Indochina

Post Office - Right beside Notre Dame

Interior of the Post Office

Reunification Palace

Me with one of the tanks which crashed into the gates on 30th April 1975

View from inside the Reunification Palace and down the boulevard

My ride at the War Remnants Museum

Guillotine

Photo of My Lai Massacre

You have to wear white to eat glass noodles...

Day 2 - Mekong Delta + Saigon

Me after the 3h and 120km bus ride

The Cathedral feels out of place in the Mekong Delta

After hours at the Cai Be Floating Market

Old lady making spring roll skin at one of the home factories that we visited

Ho Teck with our new Vietnamese friend

Folk singers singing during our lunch

The Mighty Mekong

Vinh Long Marketplace

Q: Where did we have our dinner?
A: Cappuccino...

Day 3 - Cu Chi Tunnel + Saigon

What a small hole...

Nasty booby trap

Guarding the kitchen

We always forgot to take photos of our food

Chilling out at the fruit bar

Kok Wai with the fruit girl

Pasar Malam

Alley to our guesthouse

Photo with the friendly owner and receptionist

Day 4 - Saigon - Phnom Penh

One last photo in Saigon

Crossing the Mekong at Neak Luong

National Museum of Cambodia - closing by the time we were there.

Somewhere by the riverside

Wat Phnom: Where Phnom Penh gets its name

Day 5 - Phnom Penh + The Killing Fields

Landscaped garden of the Royal Palace

The roof is simply too bright

Me in front of one of the buildings

Kok Wai has a heavy hat

Ho Teck attaining enlightenment

Stupa where skulls of the victims are kept

Beyond words

Eerie and depressing - this is our only picture of Tuol Sleng

Bird's eye view of Phnom Penh

The Khmer girl whom we bought books from

Day 6 - Phnom Penh + Siem Reap

Farewell to Phnom Penh

Cute baby whom we met on the bus

Tribute to our 'missing' friend

Lunch at the famous Blue Pumpkin

Simply love the beds

Dinner at Figo's

Day 7 - Angkor

The magnificent Angkor Wat

Ho Teck aka Peter Parker

Tuk-tuk: our choice of transport in Cambodia

Bayon: Nowhere to escape the faces

The faces up close

Our young guides at the Terrace of Leper King

I thought that we were supposed to look at the temples

Ta Prohm

An intricate and complete artwork in Ta Prohm

Looking cool while enjoying the breeze at the top of Phnom Bakheng

Day 8 - Siem Reap + Bangkok

An unexpected stop: The driver decided to zhng his car

Thailand! Finally!

Stranded at Phloen Chit

Girls will always be girls

Day 9 - Bangkok

Bangkok's buffet breakfast

The famous Khao San Rd

Chill-lax time

Day 10 - Bangkok + Singapore

Yaowarat

Wat Arun

Group photo

Some monument which we passed by

Erawan Shrine: Landmark of Bangkok

High Tea @ THB 199 nett

The satisfied customers

End of the road: our companions throughout the 10 days

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