Rubik's Cube

A student approached me after class today with a Rubik's Cube.  She asked if I could solve it, and I said, "Sure!"  I thought I would be able to impress her by quickly rearranging all of the colors, something I was able to master while I was in junior high school.

As I began to twist and turn the familiar object into its rightful colors, I explained to the wide-eyed student that the first Rubik's Cube came out when I was about her age.  She immediately inquired with a completely serious expression on her face, "Was it made out of wood then?"

(Ouch.)

Movies in Singapore

There are many more movies playing at theaters all around Singapore compared to when we lived in Morocco and China.  One of our favorite movie theaters is Lido on Orchard Road.  They have a great lobby with a huge TV screen that you can comfortably watch if you show up a bit early for your movie.  They also have a variety of black metal displays above the lobby showing scenes and characters from different blockbuster movies.  However, because the characters are in silhouette, it's a bit of a challenge to recognize them all.  Give it a try!

Jaws, Edward Scissorhands, Buzz Lightyear...

Up, Spiderman, Jurassic Park...

ET, Star Trek, Alfred Hitchcock...

Me!

Night Safari

We recently visited the Singapore Night Safari which is similar to the Wild Animal Park in California.  The fun part about the Night Safari is that it does not open until 7 p.m. so everything is dark and more jungle-like.  You can tour along walking paths or ride on the trams to get up close and personal with the animals.  The only bad thing about a night safari is dark, blurry photos.  The pictures from the Night Safari official website are way better than ours, as you can see.

We saw huge elephants roaming the lush surroundings with baby by their side.

Their Picture

Our Picture

We saw tapirs, which looked like they fell into a bucket of gray paint.

Their Picture

Our Picture

The only thing between the leopard's head and ours, was a thick sheet of plexiglass.

Their Picture

Our Picture

Another great exhibit was the fruit bats.  We have never been that close to free-flying bats.  They were virtually silent when they flew by except for the little clicks they made as they zoomed past our heads.

Our Best Bat Photo

The Night Safari was a fabulous nighttime adventure, and we saw many animals we wouldn't normally see at a daytime zoo.  But maybe it's about time we consider getting a better camera.

Sentosa

I heard a lot about how Sentosa is the "playground of Asia", so this weekend we decided to check it out. Sentosa is a small island off the southern coast of Singapore that has a host of activities such as Universal Studios, a casino, water sports, maritime museums, an underwater theme park, a pink dolphin exhibit, a theater, a concert hall, upscale hotels, the southernmost point of continental Asia, and, of course, plenty of food and shopping.  We spent the whole day there, and there was still not enough time to see it all.

Universal Studios, Singapore 

Huge Candy Store

Replica of "The Thinker"

Beaches and Sunsets to Enjoy
(That small island is the southernmost point of continental Asia.)

105 Foot Christmas Tree