This is what happened when procrastination becomes my best friend. I got tons of food photos in my hardisk drive that I’ve been taking since a few months ago (even a few years ago) yet they had never been published. Worse, I can’t even remember the dish name so it is a bit difficult to blog about them.

Anyway, who cares? I should just blog them right away here.

Up right there is the half-cooked salmon sushi that I ate with my cousins last month at Ichiban Sushi. In case if you wonder, ichiban means number one by the way. If you think rice and salmon are supposed to be served raw, no worries cause their raw brothers are coming up next.

Here they are the raw version of the sushi hmm.. I really have no idea what this dish is called. Probably mentai sushi? But the one that is called mentai supposed to be served with mayonnaise and tasted different. Yes, whatever. This is not a review though.

Anyway, raw or half-cooked which one is your favorite sushi? Will you swallow a raw fish down your throat?

While we’re waiting for the chef preparing the other menu, here I snapped away the restaurant interior. Pretty cozy with Japanese tables and pillow seats. However at that time we chose to sit on the chairs with usual dining table.

And the next dish to show themselves on our table was this sushi rolls with cooked eels (unagi) on the top of them. If this was served to me five years ago I probably already threw them to the trash can but everything changes now. Unagi are good and the taste is not as gross as they seem. Especially if they were combined with the savoury Japanese ketchup. Hmmmm…

A trooper of California rolls came next. Until now I’m still wondering why they’re called Californian. I probably found the answer on Google or maybe I should give it as a homework for you any reader of this blog. Find the answer and post on the comment section. Win nothing.

When I thought that the lunch was over, this fried udon with slices of crispy golden chicken katsu appeared on our table. Turned out that my cousin ordered this meal on the last minute. It supposed to be a personal dish but since she was full, she decided to share. Fried udon tasted pretty good but I don’t really like udon, I think udon is too thick and chewy for my liking especially while I always adore thin smooth noodles.

Just a quick update about Snoopy. Saw these Snoopy & Friends mascots, promoting for an event at the mall. They look cute and for a few seconds, I had this idea to queue among the kids, get up on stage and get my picture snapped. Thankfully my mind was soon getting back to the sanity. If I really did, it would be pretty embarrassing to be the tallest slash the oldest among the queuing kids. But it would be pretty challenging though, I should do it with my friends as a challenge next time.

And while the topic is about mascot, I should share a bit about my goal in life. I swear someday I will turn one or some my drawn characters into walking mascots! Be ready to witness, readers. (^^ , )

When I came on Monday, there were a lot of signs in the area telling that, “Ticket For Universal Studio Singapore Is Sold Out Today. Check For Another Date” and so the first visitation was quite heartbreaking. However, I still purchased the tickets for Tuesday.

Info: One-day pass for adult costs SGD66 on weekdays and SGD72 on weekend. Get a free SGD5 voucher each for souvenir and meal in Universal Studio Singapore area. Purchase your ticket on the day before.

Tuesday Is The Day

Tuesday morning, my left ankle was sprained and I have no idea how it got sprained. But I had to go since the tickets were already purchased.

After grabbing an Egg McMuffin at McD – Lucky Plaza, we went to the Universal Studio for the second time by taking a taxi from Lucky Plaza.

Me: “Uncle, take us to Universal Studio – Resort World. Sentosa.”
Taxi-man: “Sorry?”
Me: “Universal Studio. Resort World.”
Taxi-man: “Can’t hear you. Where to?”
Me: “Resort Wooorld!”
Taxi-man: “Ah Resok Wok ah?”
Me: “Yaaa~” (^_^)
Taxi-man: “Ok ah.”

Info: One-way Taxi fee is around SGD10 from Orchard to Sentosa. You can save more dollars by taking an MRT to Vivo City and cross to Sentosa Island by using a monorail train. However it saves more energy and time by using a taxi. It takes only around 10 minutes to reach Sentosa from Orchard by using taxi, while MRT might take an hour.

Arriving at the Resok Wok, the Taxi-man told me that foreigners might enter the casino for free just by showing our passports. With my mindless curiosity, I dragged my underage cousin to the casino and she got busted right away by the officers. Since she was prohibited to enter the casino and it wouldn’t be fun to explore the casino all by myself, I chose to just go straight to the Universal Studio.

Universal Studio is located upstairs. The entrance to the Universal Studio seems cool, feels like entering a UFO or climbing up from a deep well.

Around The Universal Studio

Let’s begin the tour! You might want to take a look at the USS map first to understand what I’ll be writing after this.

If you have seen the map. The Universal Studio is divided into 7 areas. The first area that will be passed by every visitor is a street called Hollywood.

Some mascots might appear in this street. In my case, I met the Frankenstein! But I didn’t take a picture with him which is I kinda regret!

Cool thing about Universal Studios, one mascot is accompanied by one or two entertainment staff. The staff will manage people to get in queue and they will also help the visitors in taking picture. They are nice and helpful.

After passing the Hollywood street, you will meet an intersection. If you turned left, you will reach the Madagascar area and if you turned right you will pass the New York and head to the Sci-Fi City.

Tips: Young fellas with the daredevil soul should take the right turn immediately for there are more thrilling rides in Sci-Fi City and later Ancient Egypt.

Since the dueling roller coasters in Sci-Fi City named Battle Star Galactica is currently not operating so I just skipped the area first and took a direct shortcut to the Ancient Egypt.

By taking an anti-clockwise route to the right and taking a shortcut to the Ancient Egypt, we could reach the area earlier than the crowd (the crowd is probably still at the Madagascar or Far Far Away area). I recommend this route for you really have to try the “Revenge Of The Mummy” ride, without being trapped in a long queue.

Revenge Of The Mummy

Revenge Of The Mummy is an extremely rapid indoor roller coaster with short adventure story line, dark atmosphere, scary track, and 4D effects. This roller coaster is located inside the pyramid and it’s seriously thrilling. Even we can already sense the spooky atmosphere from the ride entrance. The entrance is dark, long and confusing like a labyrinth.

On the first attempt, I shoved my camera to my pocket. I had this brilliant plan to take some pictures before, during, and after the ride. But in fact, I never took the camera out of my pocket because my hands were firmly gripped on the safety handle and I was busy with SCREAMING.

Info: You have to store your stuff in the automatic locker. The locker is free of charge for the first 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, it will be charged for $2. The locker machine will take $5 or even $10 but it won’t barf out any change, so bring some coins or some $2 papers.

That is why you have to take an anti-clockwise route. If you arrived at the Ancient Egypt early, you won’t need to pay for the locker. Even if you ride more than two times, it will take less than 30 minutes.

Treasure Hunters

Oh, look! A Hippo. Yes, from the Mummy place, we’re heading to the Treasure Hunters ride which is located near the pyramid. Treasure Hunters is more like a ride for little kids. We get into a car that is automatically dragged on a track, traveling around while enjoying the view and some robots with sound effects.

Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure

After passing through the Ancient Egypt, we will arrive to The Lost World area. The rain was falling even heavier when we got there. Since we’re already wet so we just decided to try the Rapids Adventure – a river raft ride that floats through dinosaurs habitats.

I didn’t take any picture in this area. Because I already saved my camera in my bag to protect it from rain. And later, I also have to save my stuff in the locker before queuing for the Rapids Adventure.

The raft ride itself is pretty typical with what we have here in Indonesia. But in Universal Studio Singapore, it was packed with some really cool surprises. You will absolutely get wet or even soaked. My jeans trousers and sneakers got soaked.. (-_- ) However I didn’t bother to change, because in less than an hour they were already dry again.

Tips: Bring yourself a raincoat from home to save $1. Spend $1 for a disposable raincoat made of a very thin transparent plastic. If you bring small bag, just go get a raincoat instead of paying for locker. You can stuff your bag inside a raincoat to protect it from water splash. Lockers are not free here, the first hour will be charged $2. Disposable raincoats could be bought at the souvenir shop nearby, just ask the shopkeeper for assistance.

WaterWorld

While you’re in The Lost World area, be sure to catch the WaterWorld show. It’s a live stuntman show that involves jet-skis, boats, explosions and water splash! We will get to witness some cool acrobatic live actions and surprising effects here. The show plays three times a day, at 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00 (if I’m not mistaken).

Tips: Sit in the blue seats if you want to get soaked. Take green seats if you want to get wet. Enjoy the dryness by taking the red seats. Beware of the pail of water…

Canopy Flyer

The clock pointed at 12:24PM, we were so hungry but on the other side we didn’t want to mess the route. So we decided to queue for the Canopy Flyer ride first which is still located in The Lost World area. The queue was already long with one hour estimated time. (-_-)

Actually I just wanted to leave the queue line and skipped the Canopy Flyer ride but cousin encouraged me to wait and just be patient. So be it.

Canopy Flyer is like a hanging roller coaster, the ride will lift you up high slowly! You can witness the pretty scenery of Universal Studio from above for a few seconds, then it will drag you around a hanging track fast.

Tips: Since the ride is pretty fast, bags must be stored in a shelf before the ride takes off. Just attach your camera strap so you can hang your camera on your neck or wrist safely.

Far Far Away

Walk a bit from The Lost World and soon the atmosphere will change into festive and dreamy. We will be welcome by a charming gate with warm greeting “Welcome to Far Far Away!”

The big castle is not difficult to be spotted in this very colorful area. (^^, )

Look, Puss In The Boots was busy telling people to come and watch the Donkey Show. That picture was snapped while I was queuing for a photo session with him. (^^)

Goldilocks

No, it’s not a ride. It’s a place where a “Chicken Done Just Right!”. Yes, your lovable tour guide had to grab a lunch first before she’d gone fainted.

Goldilocks restaurant is located at the Far Far Away area, you will notice this area by looking at its big dreamy castle. The restaurant was so full until we had to sit outside. Anyway, I don’t mind since the view is greater than inside the restaurant.

Time to use the $5 meal-voucher. I picked a Mama Bear Combo, it consists of two chickens, corn, fried bun and coleslaw. They tasted quite delicious, crispy, crunchy, salty with a bit of rain drops.. Gosh, the rain suddenly fell again when we were in the middle of eating this lunch. (-_- )

Shrek 4-D Adventure

We spent a few minutes to stroll around the Fairy Godmother’s Potion Shop that sells lots of merchandise about Shrek. Then off to the Shrek 4-D Adventure that’s located inside the castle. The crowd was less around here and we had to wait for 30 minutes before the adventure started.

When the gate was opened, the audiences were gathered first at a dark chamber. There we will listen to an MC talking about some rules. The main point is those who have committed vlogging or any recording activity inside the theatre will be burned into a steak.

Then there’s a short intro from the Three Little Pigs, Pinocchio, Mirror Mirror On The Wall and other characters from the Shrek movie. After a few minutes of intro, the main chamber’s gates are opened. We will see a huge theatre inside. Pick the best seat and wait a few seconds for the 4-D movie to start.

When it’s started, just taste the Donkey’s sneezes, tickling spiders, and more surprises inside. The Shrek 4-D Adventure was my favorite!

From Far Far Away, we walked to the Madagascar area and spotted the tree from the Madagascar movie. Too bad the only attraction that is operating here was just the King Julien’s Beach Party-Go-Round aka a carousel. The river boat ride named Madagascar: Crate Adventure is still coming soon.

Lights, Camera, Action!

We walked fast through the Madagascar area and arrived at the New York area again. The Universal Studio is quite small and compact actually. Since it’s still around 15:30, we decided to walk around the USS once more to take more pictures and hunt for more mascots.

Then we were attracted by this “Lights, Camera, Action!” show. It’s a short show about how special effects are made by Steven Spielberg. I thought it would be like a boring history movie, but in fact it’s a cool live special effects show that will get the audience to witness how an empty room could become the setting for a major hurricane scene!

The Rest Of The Universal Studio

Since we skipped the Sci-Fi City just to reach the Ancient Egypt first, we decided to take a look at the area once more before leaving the Universal Studio.

Then got lost in this area that’s surrounded by pretty western-style buildings. I could hear some sound effect like the sound of sewing machine around here. I took a couple of pictures before leaving the area.

And right after we found the way out, we saw Charlie Chaplin!

End Of The Tour

Since my sprained ankle was getting worse, we decided to leave the Universal Studio at 16:30. The theme park still opens till 19:00 actually. That is all for my experience in Universal Studio Singapore! Hopefully my next theme park destination could be the awesome Disneyland and Disneysea in Japan. \(^_^)/

Dear life, I am tired. But it might be my mind that is really tired, not the body. It might be because lately you’ve been crushing my days a lot.

And why do I have to sleep more than 8 hours at night but still have to wake up in drowsiness in the morning? Still, I doze a lot during the day. I have less spirit in doing things and I just can’t finish much works either. My progress is really slow in finish everything.

Some say this might be the curse of working at an in-house design department. You will lose passion for working on the same monotone projects. It could be like a terror, especially if you like challenge, transformation, brand new stuff or whatever it is called..

My soul often screams for more interesting projects that will thrill my sense of design. Not just working on those colorful pieces of.. *barf*

On the other side, you life is also being harsh. You keep placing me under those who keep bossing me around, knocking me down, stepping over my presence, ignoring my opinion or attacking me with their silly misunderstandings and I am ended being judged by those who actually know little but act to know everything.

I wonder why you keep facing me with the jerks and bitches of the earth. Ehm, pardon my choices of words. I was just annoyed. (._. )

Anyway will I be against the goodness if I stab those with my straight-forward slash sting words? I bet you know my real temper, how I can break the table if I want to or smash my only one Mac Mini on the floor in one single swing.

Think about smashing my precious stuff.. It would be such a stupid waste. I’m sorry, life. I get whiny about you though you’ve been too kind for me. It’s just I am a bit upset that you put so many people around but no one that I can really talk to.

Be kind to me, life. In this mean time, please at least let me have a new iPod Touch to ease my pain. Life, you will grant my small wish, right? It’s just a new iPod Touch..

Just got back from a 4 days – 3 nights trip. Successfully added some new experiences, I am indeed refreshed and feeling happy but still so exhausted at the same time! I need more sleep. I wish I could have one extra day to rest and rejuvenate. In the mean time, I will leave this blog at ease for a couple more days but absolutely be back with some new journals later. (^^, )

To-do-list:

• Manage a pile of new photos from the trip.
• Upgrade to WordPress 3.0
• Tidy up the desk.
• Manage the wardrobe.
• Cure a sprained ankle..
• Finish some abandoned projects.
• Save more money so I can go for the next trip.

Wish me luck!