Do the Hustle in SG

In each of these out of the country kinds of trips, the day that we would most likely be excited about would be the day of arrival, while we dread the day that we leave and say good-bye to such a wonderful place. Our final day in SG was dedicated to last minute shopping, roaming around un-toured parts, and of course, taking endless photos from everyone's cameras. Our plan was to do the hustle and we started our day off in Marina Bay Sands. We took the MRT from Lavender, then switched lines from East West line to North South line at City Hall interchange. Then from there, to Marina Bay. We walked from the MRT station to Marina Bay Sands past SG's 1st dragon boat international competition, Marina Regatta, where we got to see Team Pilipinas compete for a round.

Team Philippines

Marina Regatta - SG

The Bay was teeming with tourists, both international and local. It was actually quite a sight, since from where we were standing, I could see a lot of tourist destinations such as the Merlion on my left, the Marina Bay Sands on my right, and the Helix Bridge and Singapore Flyer straight ahead just past the Marina Bay Sands. It's a jackpot if you think about it, you can actually take photos of all these from one vantage point such as ours, or any point within the Bay for that matter. So if you're up for fast-paced touring, doing the hustle around the Bay would be perfect.

Marina Bay Sands as my backdrop

After taking some photos, we then headed inside Marina Bay Sands malls. The plan was just to pass through the mall, but then, we spotted some pastry shops and delighted with the sight of macaroons! Some shops were on sale during that time, so I indulged on shopping, and bought one box of macaroons each from 2 shops: TWG Tea, and High Society; so that I can taste different flavors from different shops.

However, we ended up spending too much time buying macaroons, so we had to find a place to have lunch. We chose to eat in the food court where I decided to have my last chicken rice meal before I leave SG.

SG Chicken rice

After lunch, we hurried outside Marina Bay Sands to the Helix Bridge. The view was quite amazing; you can actually capture the Marina Bay Sands along with other infrastructures as shown in the picture below.

At the Helix Bridge

Team OT with at Marina Bay

Just beyond the Helix Bridge is a spot where you can take a photo of yourself with the Singapore Flyer far behind.

With the SG Flyer

Then walk a little towards Esplanade, where you can take a photo of yourself with the Merlion statue behind. We opted not to go nearer since we were running out of time, and we had to hurry back to V hotel for check-out. We also had a plane to catch.

With SG Merlion

From V hotel, we then went straight to the airport still via train. And from there, home.

NAIA Terminal 3

From the moment this trip was conceived to the moment that we landed back on Philippine soil, I can say that I learned a lot from this trip; about life, about friendship, about chances, and about Occupational Therapy. And among these learnings I've gained, one thing that I'm positive I'll never forget is related to the phrase:

Ships on harbor are safe, but that's not the reason why ships are made.

If you think about it, never in my wildest dreams have I ever imagined myself going on an out of the country trip during my internship year. From a fresh OT intern's point of view, it is only but a hassle to be pulled out of the centers just to spend money on a trip like this. Furthermore, being pulled out would mean less number of thesis half-days. Not to mention that it would be energy consuming as well. But after the trip, none of these ever mattered. All of the things that we worried about, before saying yes to this trip, did not matter for even a bit. I learned, that it is indeed not within the confines of our comfort zone are we able to learn about the world; we could read about it all we want from the books, magazine pages, or articles, but we can only be able to fully understand such once we're in it --- this means stepping out of our comfort zones, exploring and discovering the marvels of the world. Sure we're not always going to find pots'o gold at the end of the rainbow, but even in such travels, one is still able to learn.

In life, there are times when we are faced with difficult decisions; on whether or not we should grab a chance. In such instances, reasoning is our best friend; we weigh the pros and cons of each decision, and then we decide. Other times though, reasoning isn't the one that we should turn to, for there are decisions that aren't made with the mind, but with the heart. And these are the decisions that make each and everyone of us unique. For it is in difficult crossroads in life are we able to define who we are. When we decide to take on the safe road, sometimes, we do the right thing, and sometimes we don't, and we'll only be able to find these out at the end of the road. But another thing that I'm certain is that during these difficult times that we have to choose between roads and when we think that 'there's still next time', we should also keep in mind that 'next time' is always too long before it comes again.

So that's it for my SG adventure. Thank you for bearing with me as I recounted one unexpected journey. Join me again on my next adventure.

XO.

- Keso