My plan was to have breakfast IN the cab, but once I got in, I didn't find the idea so appealing. I kept wondering whether there were any laws in Singapore about not eating in cabs. So I took the breakfast bag, which lucky for me wasn't that big, in to Quality Hotel, Marlow. There was a hotel personnel in the doorway welcoming us.
 |
| Lobby of Quality Hotel Image Credits |
 |
| Image Credits |
He asked us to go to the 7th floor (if memory serves right) and I went into the elevator with a bunch of other people, not all of them my age. When I stepped off from the elevator, I saw how crowded it was. There must have been about 100 people in there, and that was just outside the ballroom where we were supposed to have our exam. I could tell that unlike the hotel I was staying in, this was a "quality" hotel. Everything from the customer services to the rooms to the elevators to the restrooms spelled GRAND. Since it was only 8.45 and the exam wouldn't start until 9, and since it was a 3 hour exam and I didn't have any food in me since 6pm the previous day, I sneaked in to the 7th floor restroom. I ate my sub quickly (it is not yucky or ew as you might be imagining, because even though it was just a rest room, it looked so royal, and hygienic! :D). It was half way through my juice bottle that the exam fever entangled me in it's merciless claws. I just couldn't finish the fruit juice.
 |
| Image Credits |
 |
| Image Credits |
We had to stay for quite a while before they started registering people. By now I realised that most of the people in the room were family members of the students who were there for moral support. But there were some mature students (old people) as candidates too. How could I tell? By the yellow horror which was our exam ID slip needed for our registration.
One by one they started calling out our names. Mine was called after quite some time and when I finally went into the ballroom after registration, there was an invigilator who asked me to leave everything except my water bottle, exam slip and stationery on the floor near the entrance.
 |
| This is the ballroom. Even though it wasn't this grand during our exam, the place looked as awesome! Image Credits |
 |
| Image Credits |
 |
| Image Credits |
 |
| Image Credits |
The exam began, and I attacked the paper. First section was easy, but since I had never actually timed myself doing it, I suddenly found myself looking at the clock with 10 minutes left and 2 whole pages untouched. I tried my best, but I left about 2 questions incomplete.
Section 2 was better (that was the section I liked best, about Psychology, people's behaviour, how to deal with different people in different situations! I scored highest on that section even in practice tests!). I finished 10 minutes before time was up and I even had time to visit the restroom before the 3rd section started.
Section 3 was awful! Again, try as I may, I wasn't able to finish almost 1/3 of the questions before they asked us to stop writing.
But I decided not to let the paper ruin my otherwise perfectly awesome trip to Singapore. I was leaving on 27th and I decided to make the best of the 2 days I had left. So I grabbed a cab and went to my hotel to get my things. Iko had asked me to go to their place after the exam. So after a hasty lunch, and an enjoyable chocolate-something dessert I grabbed from this cupcake place (they were holding a promotion!), I went to the taxi stand nearby (just 20 feet from my hotel) with all my luggage, grabbed a cab and went to West Bay Condo.
It was almost half past 2 when I reached Iko's apartment. I left my things there, and told Iko that I wanted to go to Botanical Gardens. Matt was home, something about fixing the AC ;) Iko told me she would be busy since Soph and Ad had a play date that evening and I assured Matt and Iko that I can totally go by myself! In fact, I was excited at the prospect of having to go alone! It would be like an adventure! :D
Matt wrote down the buses and MRT trains that I'd have to take to reach the place and gave me the directions twice! So concerned! I felt lucky to have had them to take care of me in Singapore. Matt gave his number in case Iko was busy with the community centre volunteer thing later in the evening. And not ot be forgotten are the glasses of water Iko keeps bringing me constantly! It's like she can FEEL it when I'm thirsty! Almost Psychic ;) And she made sure I ate fruits, and cutlets and all these awesome stuff that she makes!
So I went out the back door, to the nearest bus stop, which was around 10 feet from the back door. I took the correct bus (bus no 19 I think) to Haw Par Ville. (I do not remember that well, so there might be some mistakes in the Bus numbers and mid-stops, I hope you would forgive me for that, but I assure you, the final destinations in each case are accurate!) Again, I did not know how many stops until the place, so I asked this guy sitting nest to me, and he was kind enough to tell me. All the time I was snapping pictures of all things beautiful that we passed (if you know me, you'd know that that would be almost all the blooms I saw :P lol!)
 |
| Platform Level at Haw Par Villa MRT train station Image Credits |
 |
| Map of MRT Trains Image Credits |
 |
| The bus stop near the back door Image Credits to Google Map |
I got off at Haw Par Villa and went in to the MRT station, caught the train to Botanic Gardens through Circle Line. This was the 1st time I was in Singapore underground! It was much like London Underground! All the Lines that the trains took were drawn there, along with intersection points, and the stops along the way. So it was way easier than travelling by bus!
 |
| Singapore Underground Image Credits |
 |
| There is no "Mind The Gap Please", like in London :P These doors open only when the trains arrive and close as soon as the train leaves :D Image Credits |
 |
| And just like in London Underground, the place where you swipe your cards and the doors open to let you pass :) Image Credits |
 |
| The lines are shown, and the glowing lights show which stations you have passed! Really easy, even if you fall asleep, you wouldn't wake up and have an unneccesary panic attack! Image Credits |
 |
| MRT Station at Botanic Gardens Image Credits |
 |
| On the right, you see the MRT station. On the left is the awesome gate of Botanic Gardens Image Credits |
No comments:
Post a Comment