The other day I realized that 60 days have already passed since I arrived here in Singapore. For this reason, I would first of all like to acknowledge the comments I got from some readers about the speed of which I am updating my blog. I admit that 30 days is a bit long, and I did not even realize how fast time is passing by. This past month has been filled with a lot of lab work, Chinese New Years celebrations and exploring of Singapore.
On Friday the 15th of February, Ashley and I went to the parade Chingay, which is a parade that occurs as a final celebration of the Chinese New Year. It was an amazing experience to take part of this event and I am so happy that we had the chance to go. The parade was filled with playful and creative acts and creations. For instance, at several occasions, the audience was invited to take part in the acts. At one act, the parade was filled with ballet dancers dressed as butterflies and the air was filled with bubbles from bubble guns that all of the people in the audience received. Also, during the parade they displayed a first-of-its-kind painting that was 270 meters long. Due to it’s size, the painting was carried by a lot of people. This year, the theme of the parade was the past, the present and the future of Singapore. For this reason, they ended the parade with a futuristic creation. This was my favorite as so many things happened at once and it was really impressive.
On Saturday that same weekend, our condominium arranged a lion dance for all residents, which was really fascinating. It might not look like it is a hard act to perform, but considering that I was bothered by the heat just standing there and watching the show, one can only imagine how exhausting it must be. I’m still amazed how they can be two people in the same costume, moving in a way that makes it look effortless.
The week after the Chinese New Year ended, I was invited to a “steam-boat” at one of my lab collegue’s house. Steamboat is when the food is cooked in a broth, and traditionally Singaporeans have this dish at the end of the Chinese New Year. The food was really good and I appreciated that they invited me to join!
Last week my family came to visit me. I took them around to show what I think are the best parts of Singapore. Unfortunately you can only do so much in 4 days, so I never got to show them everything that I would have liked to. However, I was really happy having them here and spending time with them.
Next Saturday it is time Biathlon Ashley and I have been training for. For that reason, we tried out a swim-run at the pool by our house earlier today. I’m still not sure how we’re going to make it next week, but as Ashley said earlier today the most important thing for us right now is not to win, but to actually finish the race. I’m very excited about the race, and I think the most important to remember on the actual day is just to have fun and enjoy it!
Hope to see you here again soon!
//Paulina