Touchdown!

So, I've been here for a week now and I guess I'm not as excited about Singapore as other exchange students having been here before.. It's all about the exchange freshers' week and making the most of that for me which is currently being hindered massively by my failure to have these two essays for Manchester done over Christmas as planned.

It all started  with two friendly faces - Lia and Kully - who picked me up and sped me back to their house whilst I updated them on all the craziness that I'd just left behind in the UK like the anti-ConDem, anti-fees-increase protests and the imminent rise of VAT and of course the crippling weather of the deadly substance that is... snow. They offered me the option of staying with them for the entirety of my stay in Singapore which I really considered because it would be awesome to feel at home somewhere.. I've been in halls too long. 

Anyways 24 hours later they were dropping me at the entrance of PGP and I moved into my temporary room. (the aircon in my block were all being serviced or something): 

(that's not actually what it looked like when I entered.. the bed was a disgrace- I had them change it)

First Outing: to Marina Bay!!! That whole area is pretty awesome. We went in a fairly large group a bunch of French, bunch of British, many a Canadian, and the odd Indian, European and American. Marina Bay has this epic building called Marina Sands, which is basically three skyscrapers with this massive curvy boat looking thing across the top. The building has its own casino, beach and swimming pool with infinity pool which overlooks the city's business district skyline. We didn't go up to it because none of us were in the right gear to swim, but it's on the cards! 

The city is for me a good balance between Dubai and mmmm maybe, Manchetser (was going to say London but I remembered we now have this Shard building being built. Anyway, Singapore is a Dubchester hybrid because it's extravagant in it's design yet humble at the same time. None of its skyscrapers are competing for "world's tallest" but yet they look good, they're practical and they're up there with the Burj Khalifa as buildings to see (well the Marina Sands is anyway). 

Things to do: If you are in Singapore and around the bay, I suggest going to Butter Factory. It's a club, which a good atmosphere. I'd suggest getting there early because there's no chance of you slipping yourself onto a fast-track list or VIP (that costs S$3000). And they have three different levels of specialness: 1. Guestlist, 2. Table reservations, 3. VIP but I think I've already put you off that one. The views from inside the club make you feel like you're in some sort of Hip-Hop I-fly-from-New-York-to-Japan-just-for-sushi music video... it's great!