While you're in Singapore, I'd suggest during your semester breaks, do get around our region to experience what's going on and how people are like. I quite regret that I was not free enough to go traveling up and down South East Asia during my four years here.

There's a lot to experience, and just like how our friends Eurotrip, it would benefit us as individuals to see how our neighbours live. We would only be better people by being more open, understanding and tolerant to others, while choosing to stick to our own values.

There is nothing like traveling and seeing things with your own eyes, even though we can just land on a website, or go to a bookstore and read about how places are, how cultures are, living conditions, how other faiths and beliefs are. No doubt it's still beneficial, but with the cheap traveling rates around the region, we should be able to get by easily. Our undergraduate/college experience should include traveling and seeing the world; in my personal opinion, I feel that I am not a fully developed..and nurtured person if I were to remain stagnant just traveling to and fro Singapore and Brunei during the holidays.

Granted the crazy workload we have here, our time is so precious and we'd just work work work and I realised that I burnt off my two years from August 2007 til NOW, at school, in lab, in workshops, seminars, internships, without breaks. It's a horrendous feeling to come to a halt, losing your momentum. So do get some time off between semesters to travel a little..

I just came back from a trip to Genting--> Malacca --> KL and I only spent SGD150 in total for 4 days for traveling, makan and accommodation. Well I guess this is not the peak period either, so that factor comes into play too when you're considering your budget.

Ok, now I know we all come from Brunei and I realise that most of my friends who live in cities like Singapore choose to have vacations in the 'country', and vice versa. When I travel with my family, we head to cities and I guess its a different atmosphere for them. This time, with my friends, I chose to go to Malacca because it's got a great history, great food, and it's very laid back and colourful. It's a totally different vibe from what we have in Singapore :)

It's a great way to meet people, backpackers from everywhere possible.. I met a Czech who lives in Australia, an Iranian, some Brits, a couple of Lebanese guys, and Italian, all in Malacca itself. It's easy to communicate with the locals because we can speak Malay dialects, English, and some of us, Mandarin/Chinese dialects too.

So go ahead and explore the region! spend time with your International friends, backpack, do random things! Ensure you do take care of your valuables and safety too. Do get your research done, the Lonely Planet guides and online forums are a great help too.

Here are a few pictures from my trip in Malacca:

The remnants of the Dutch and Portuguese rule in Malacca are still well-preserved.


Below: St Paul's Statue on St Pauls Hill, A Formosa Port. The church (in the background) was turned into a burial ground, so there are a few tombstones in there, I'm not too sure about the stories behind that. The graves are of Dutch nobelmen back from the 1800s.

Legend has it that the real St Paul's arm was cut off and shot off into a canon when he passed away. The statue was actually built completely, BUT the day after the statue was consecrated, a large tree fell on it, and resembles the real St Paul.

Malacca, just like Singapore in the olden days, was a port where traders come and go, a place where the East meets the West.

The Baba-Nyonya heritage (rich Chinese traders marrying into the local families) is still so well preserved. I went to a family museum (no pictures though) and it's very interesting to know that these old houses had little holes where you could peep through the floor upstairs to see who's knocking on the door downstairs!! and Also, where 'family friends' would enter the house, versus, normal guests. There were just adorable little secrets everywhere in the house! :) [Chan Heritage's Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum: Jalan Tan Cheng Lock, Malacca (06-2831273) ]

The Night Market is only open on Friday and Saturday Nights and it's where you can get cheap stuff like earrings as well as touristy things, and second hand super antique things :)

Below is Makam Hang Jebat, tuck somewhere in one of the many little lanes in Malacca's Chinatown.

We tend to meet a lot of people while we study and we would only understand them if we put ourselves in their shoes. So traveling is great way to know others, to understand others, to learn from them, to know yourself better, and let's not forget, adventures are always exciting :p

And my usual closing note, good luck to those receiving results soon, the NUS people and NUSHS too (next week for both).. and all the best to the ones leaving SG for good as well as the others who will be here for the next few years! Roar on! :)

senyum lots,
Arditta Z

p/s: Wafee says DPMM ada lagu baru arah their website. Heehee