Shoppes@MBS part 2 and Aggie! :D

Whoa whoa whoa...19 days without updating? My, that is really a while.

The reason is because I was really, really busy. I've just finished a class presentation (which was epic win) today, and I've to prepare for another one this coming Monday. At the same time, I'm also handling my lecture summaries, practicing excessive piano (and I'm glad my Beethoven sonata is actually picking up speed and accuracy), making sure everything's organised, finishing and editing assignments (which are going to drive me psychotic anytime now)......the list goes on.

Nevertheless, I've managed to squeeze in some time for 3 Aggie mini-photoshoots. Here are some of the pictures accumulated over them:

Photoshoot 1: "Automobile Aggie" (simply because she was a poser on someone's bright red car)

Photoshoot 2: Just a general Aggie photoshoot...

Photoshoot 3 involved Aggie, Steph (my awesome buddy) and Lisa (a tutor in college). And as always, Aggie purred and posed happily. :) She even yawned at one stage....and that was the 2nd time I actually got a picture of her yawning...

Out of all 3 photoshoots - this is one of my favourites.

So anyways bach to where we stopped last time - Shoppes@MBS and Marina Bay Sands. Whoa...I've been away for about a month already, and I still haven't finished uploading pictures from Singapore? Jeez...I'd better get cracking...

So just to contrast - the Marina Bay Sands hotel and the Art-Science museum at night...

And the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and DNA bridge in the day.

The Art-Science museum is built to resemble an open lotus, and each "petal" is an exhibition gallery. And coincidentally, the shallow pools around the museum had lots of lotus flowers...maybe it was intentional.

Spotted some men from the military driving motor boats with seashell-shaped props. About a month later, when I watched the National Day parade, I realised that these were the props used in one of the performances.

And here are some pictures of the Art-Science museum! I wasn't used to the heat (since I had only been in Singapore for a few days), so I was dodging in and out for some aircon.

Exterior, including the pools and the lotus flowers.

One of the featured exhibitions: Salvador Dali's melted clocks. One of them was situated right outside the museum.

The orange paper crustaceans on the glass are permanent exhibitions I think...

Just playing around with reflections and stuff. Seriously the pools were really still! The water didn't move at all - unless it rained of course, but then again, reflections were always very clear.

One last picture of the museum before I headed to the Shoppes@MBS for lunch and more phototaking.

Work was still going on at one of the glass houses near the Shoppes@MBS. I think this was going to be one of the branded shops along the river. Can't remember which one though. I also explored the surroundings of the Shoppes@MBS before actually going in for lunch.

There was an ice-skating rink just outside the food court where I ate.

Rasapura - the food court which served really good hunger satisfactions. I had Hokkien Mee as usual! :) It was a little more expensive but oh my gosh, it was so delicious!

Had a fail moment just as I was leaving the Shoppes@MBS. Because the shopping complex was so massive, walking from one end to another was like a hike. I didn't realise that there was an exit where the food court was, so I walked ALL THE WAY back to the place I came from when I first entered the building! And that was roughly where the Swirling Vortex of Terror (mentioned in the previous post) was! Jeez...fail indeed!

Anyways besides that, I did manage to get more pictures of the DNA bridge. I had to cross it to get back to the bus stop anyways.

I'll be posting more Singapore pictures soon, before (finally) moving on to the Melbourne ones! Should really get cracking with more photography trips soon!

Shoppes@MBS part 1 (feat. the Swirling Vortex of Terror)

Here's the gorgeous entrance of the Shoppes@MBS. Discovered it when I went exploring around the Art-Science Museum after Steph left for Malaysia and after I took a train from the airport to the city (in search of places to take pictures at and in search for more Hokkien Mee of course!). It looked as if it was going to rain and I had to find somewhere for lunch.

And oh yes...the swirling vortex of terror at Shoppes@MBS. Here are some snapshots...and I'll definitely elaborate about it later in the post. Wait...maybe not too late into the post...but yeah it's coming up.

Here's a closer look. Pretty impressive hey? I haven't figured out what it is for though, but it happens every now and then. I've seen it in action twice.

But first, before reaching the swirling vortex of terror: this is the popular canal on the ground floor of The Shoppes. Feels a little like Venice - shops (or shoppes) at both sides of the canal, and "sidewalks" beside the canal. People pay for a trip up and down the canal, and the other end of the canal is the area where the Swirling Vortex of Terror is.

I also met another photographer who was taking pictures of her son and husband - and here her husband is in the boat. She even provided me lots of awesome tips...

End of the ride. The boatmen swapped shifts...and of course, people got off and went for more shopping. And this is where I parted ways with the photographer I met.

The area where the Swirling Vortex of Terror is. This was before the Vortex was activated, and this is also where the boats took a U-turn and went back to their original location.

Looks pretty calm - for now. And believe it or not, it was raining very heavily outside.

The 2 brave boatmen who managed to survive the Vortex. They were pretty good - they somehow managed to row out of the Vortex, but the boat was shaking very violently when the Vortex was activated.

This was just before the Vortex was activated...

And a few seconds later, the Vortex was activated! The water came down in a trickle at first...but shortly after...

It seemed to slow down a little, and we thought it was over...

But it came back again! This time, stronger than ever. It sprayed everywhere - and it WAS cold! Plus, the aircon was on full-blast.

And here's evidence of the 2 brave boatmen - looking in awe at the Vortex.

They rowed around the Vortex, and oh my gosh, for one moment I thought the boat was going to capsize. Luckily the boat did not capsize, but here's evidence of them clinging on to dear life.

But they slowly inched themselves away from the Vortex...to somewhere safer...

While the Vortex raged on, and shoppers didn't seem to notice. Some of them stopped by, out of curiosity.

After quite a while (including a short period of time where I walked away to answer my phone), the Vortex started losing power.

And then it slowed down really quickly, to a trickle...

And became virtually non-existent minutes later. And of course, boating activity resumed.

Outside the Shoppes@MBS: places where people could sit and relax. Awesome tree-lined pathways outside open-air cafes and the river's just nearby too! There's even a boardwalk for people to sit and relax, and enjoy a fountain show at the end of the day (I'll write more about this soon!).

The amazing architecture of the Shoppes@MBS. It looks even nicer at night.

And of course, I walked across the DNA bridge - to get back to the Esplanade to grab my Beethoven book. It was so good to be back in the Singaporean CBD! And I'm really impressed by the changes and upgrades of this area.

Back in the Esplanade - to enjoy the air-conditioning of course!

Part 2 will be up soon!