YeYa, Creative Platform Articles Collection
The Journey to Winning the Grand Prize at the Yonsei Nexon √i RC Creative Platform
Advice for Juniors Interested in the Creative Platform
A Review of My Trip to Singapore with the Creative Platform Grand Prize
I wanted to go to the US if I won the grand prize, but it was difficult to go to the US with the 5 million won prize for the top prize. I discussed with my team members where it would be good to go with 1 million won per person. I could have gone to Japan, but a team member who had been there often said that we decided to go to Singapore, which is in Southeast Asia and has a developed economy.
1. Writing an Exploration Plan
The first thing I had to do was write an exploration plan. At first, I only wrote about things to see and do, but it was rejected and I received feedback to add more educational activities.
So I added a plan to interview a research lab that studies seniors and a company that makes related products. I wrote the final exploration plan as in the file below.
In fact, it is a bit ambiguous to make a clear plan because you can only book accommodation and flights after receiving the subsidy, and a specific plan can only be made after the accommodation location and flight time are fixed.
Still, I roughly narrowed down the places I had to go and when.
At this time, I used Google Earth to mark the places I had to go. Since the actual buildings were visible, it was easy to know roughly how much I had to walk.
2. Preparing for Departure
This was my first time traveling abroad, so I had to get a passport first. After the exploration plan was approved, I was finally able to receive the golden corporate card from Baekyang House. I booked a flight with Tway and also booked accommodation. At this time, I made a fatal mistake. I thought Jihun's passport name would naturally be Jihun, so I booked it that way, but it turned out to be Jihoon. It was really not easy to change the name, but fortunately, I was able to change the name somehow.
And I didn't know when I first went, but when you go to Incheon Airport from school, you have to take the airport limousine bus if you have a large carrier. If you try to take a regular bus, you may be denied boarding. I didn't know and just got on and got yelled at a lot lol The limousine bus has a luggage compartment below so you can load your carrier.
3. First Day - January 18th
3.1. Changi Airport
This was my first time on a plane, and the feeling of taking off was very strange. It was January, so it snowed a lot in Incheon, but as soon as I got closer to Singapore, I could feel the heat. Even though it was January, it was quite hot because it was a Southeast Asian country. I wore short sleeves for 5 days straight, but it was still quite hot. It wasn't so hot that I couldn't stand being outside like in the Korean summer, but it was hot and humid enough.
I took a night flight and arrived at Singapore Changi Airport. I actually edited a vlog video, but I didn't have time to upload it and left it unfinished, so I'll try writing a post lol
There was a food court at the airport, but when I arrived around 10 pm, most of them were closing. The food I managed to order is the food above. It's Chinese food, and it's salty and has a very strong Chinese spice scent. Especially the black soup in the middle was as bitter as herbal medicine, so it was hard to eat, but the rest was exotic and edible. The right side was duck meat, and it felt a bit dry. The prices are about 10,000 won, 7,000 won, and 9,000 won from the left.
3.2. Almost Got a Free Taxi Ride
After eating, I took a taxi, and I took it through a local taxi app called Grab. I thought I could pay by card, but it turned out that Grab taxis can only be paid for through the app, and they only accept cash, and there was no card payment machine in the car. I tried to pay with my corporate card, but it wasn't registered in the app, and I hadn't exchanged any Singapore dollars. Everyone only had a travel card, so I was in a very difficult situation, and they didn't exchange money at the hotel either. Fortunately, one of my team members had dollars, so I paid with dollars instead and got away with it. But later I found out that I had paid tens of thousands of won more. I felt that I should always carry dollars with me when I go abroad next time.
3.3. ARF Restaurant
There was a 24-hour restaurant right next to the accommodation, and it was a real hit. They sold both drinks and food, and the menu was huge, like a Kimbap Cheonguk. After unpacking, I had some time left, so I looked for a place to go, and I came here because the drinks looked delicious on the way in the taxi. The menu names were very unique, with things like Godzilla shakes and many things I had never seen before. But what was very surprising was that all the drinks were unbelievably delicious. They were very cool and sweet, but each had its own unique character, so it was good no matter what I ate. I used this place for the rest of the day. The downside was that the corporate card didn't work sometimes, so I paid out of my own pocket quite a few times. Still, I kept trying, and sometimes the corporate card worked.
3.4. Sleeping at Value Hotel Balestier
I don't have a very clear picture lol Value Hotel was a chain, and this place was called Balestier. The streets were clean, there was no trash on the road, and the atmosphere was good, but later I learned from a local that it was the poorest neighborhood in Singapore. It was very shocking.
The accommodation was divided into two rooms, and it was 370,000 won for a double room and 490,000 won for a triple room for 4 nights. Other places were too expensive, so I chose this place even though it was far from the tourist attractions. Our room was fine, but the female team members' room had a lot of mold and the sheets were damp, so even after changing rooms, it wasn't very good.
4. Second Day - January 19th
We discussed what to do on the second day, and we originally planned to see Marina Bay Sands first, but we decided to go to Sentosa Island first as we felt like it.
4.1. Universal Studios
I was going to take a bus, but the travel log didn't show the bus, so I decided to take a taxi.
This time, I looked into it properly and took a taxi that accepts card payments. There was a blue taxi, but I don't remember what it was called. But when I tried to pay, the corporate card gave an error no matter what I did, so I ended up using my own money. The Korean IC chip and the Singaporean one were slightly different in standard, so the recognition was not good. If I kept trying, it would work, but I had to ask for it in either English or Chinese.
There is a Universal Studios, but the entrance ticket is expensive and all the team members said they had been there, so I didn't go in. I just took a picture in front of it. I went in January, and this period is the rainy season, so it rained on and off frequently.
I had lunch at the food court inside Universal Studios. Singapore has a well-developed food court culture to the extent that most restaurants are food courts, and people use them frequently. It was Indian curry, lamb skewers, and a dish similar to braised short ribs. They were all delicious, but Singaporean food all has a similar side, so I think I was already getting a little tired of it. lol There was a mix of Southeast Asian, Indian, and Chinese food, and there were many dishes that were fragrant and salty or sweet. The total price was about 68,000 won.
For dessert, I had ice cream. The one on the left was a yogurt ice cream that tasted like Yo-Ah-Jung, and the one on the right was a regular vanilla and chocolate ice cream. They cost 21,000 won in total.
4.2. Sentosa Express
I was buying water at a convenience store, and for some reason, there was Chamisul, so I just took a picture.
Sentosa Express is a monorail that connects the inside and outside of Sentosa Island. On the internet, there were conflicting reports about whether you had to pay or not, but when we took it, we didn't have to pay. It was so hot at that time, but thanks to the air conditioner, I felt like I was going to live.
Palawan Beach was so beautiful, so I came to Sentosa Island to go there.
A rainbow-colored parrot is sitting on the left sign and a white parrot is on the right. I was able to easily meet various wild animals in the tropical region.
You can take a bus like this to Palawan Beach. It's free, so you can just take it.
4.3. Palawan Beach
Unfortunately, it was raining, so it didn't look clear, but I don't know if you can feel it in the picture, but the water was emerald green. But now that I look at it, it seems a bit cloudy lol It rained on and off, so I couldn't just wait until it stopped raining, so I just went into the water and played to my heart's content even if it rained. The water temperature was also moderate, so it wasn't that cold.
You can cross to the opposite island via a bridge, and there were a lot of people.
You could also take pictures at the observatory. Everyone was taking shelter at the observatory because of the rain.
A peacock was also walking around on the beach without any sense of incongruity.
After playing enough, I washed up at a nearby shower and got ready to leave for dinner. I had to take a bus like this to get back to the station, but it was always full at this time, so it wasn't easy to get on. I missed it once and was lucky to get on after paying close attention.
4.4. VivoCity
I took the monorail again and arrived at VivoCity. When I arrived, there was another food court, but we had talked about eating chili crab this time, so we just looked around. The place that caught my eye here was this malatang restaurant, and I was a little tempted because there were so many kinds.
It was a big department store, and on the rooftop
There was a garden like this, so it was good for taking pictures.
I was able to get a picture like this here. lol
4.5. Marina Bay Sands Food Court
I took a double-decker bus and moved to Marina Bay Sands, the most famous place in Singapore.
Right in front, the high-rise buildings were shining brightly, and the lake was also visible, so it was a romantic place.
We were supposed to eat chili crab, but it was fully booked, so we decided to come on another day and moved to the food court. The department store was so unbelievably large that it took 20 minutes to get from one end to the other.
There are many places like this. I tried to exclude foods similar to those at Changi Airport on the first day.
I ordered this because there was a daily food budget limit. The bottom left was a greasy and spicy noodle, but it wasn't chewy, so it wasn't good. On the left is a white shrimp ramen. It wasn't particularly special and had a familiar taste. It tasted like a clean kalguksu. At the top was duck, pork, and rice. It's a food that I keep seeing, but I like duck, so I didn't get tired of it and it was delicious.
The most delicious thing here was the soup called bak kut teh on the right. It's a type of pork rib soup, but the taste is completely different from Korean-style galbitang. A very famous place in Singapore is Song Fa Bak Kut Teh. I visited there too, but the bak kut teh I ate at the food court at Marina Bay Sands was much more delicious. Compared to Korean-style galbitang, it has a slightly sweeter taste, and the soup is very rich and refreshing. The seasoned cabbage that comes with it is also really delicious. There is also something like a fried bread, and you can dip it in the soup.
The prices are 18,000 won, 9,000 won, 14,000 won, and 21,000 won in the order I mentioned them. It feels a bit expensive compared to Korean prices.
For dessert, I had something called tea jelly. It was the first time I had ever eaten it, but I don't think I would eat it again. lol The topping on top has a texture like bubble tea tapioca pearls, and below it is a very watery jelly. It's not very sweet and has a bland taste, but it has a tea flavor because it's tea jelly. If I were to rate the taste, it would be like a sugar-free Dejava? lol
The price was 7,000 won.
I collected receipts every time I ate and recorded how much I spent in Excel. I had to pay a lot of attention because there was a daily food budget limit and I had to provide receipts later.
5. Third Day - January 20th
5.1. Meeting with SMU ROSA Lab
I couldn't just play, so I had to do some meaningful activities. I contacted several places, and the ROSA lab at SMU responded positively, so we set up a meeting date. But I still hadn't made the English presentation materials, so this is me making them... That juice is a combination of various fruits such as apples, kiwis, and strawberries, and it was so delicious that it woke me up. lol
I took a bus and arrived near SMU from my accommodation!
As soon as I got off, there was a rooster that had come out of the yard. lol It's amazing that the animals are there without any sense of incongruity.
The PhD student and professor were there to meet me. One of the team members was good at both English and Chinese, so it was very smooth throughout. They say that if Korea has Konglish, Singapore has Singlish. It was easy to understand, and most people speak English. And they also use Chinese frequently. It seemed that most people were more comfortable with Chinese.
We moved to the basement, and the subway was directly connected. It was huge and well-equipped.
It wasn't the highest place in Singapore, and the QS ranking was 500th, so I thought it would be a small place, but the school itself was really huge and well-equipped. For sure, it felt bigger than Yonsei University's International Campus.
We arrived at the Centre for Research on Successful Ageing.
I presented in English what I had presented at the Creative Platform finals with the presentation materials I made overnight. In addition, we discussed the current status, problems, and solutions of senior digital alienation in Singapore, and the possibility of introducing and collaborating with YeYa.
After the meeting, I asked where the local restaurants were, and they explained that all the good restaurants are in food courts, and among them, they told me to be sure to go to Satay Street and Lau Pa Sat. So I decided to go there for dinner tonight.
5.2. Subway
We decided to take the subway from SMU to Little Arab. But the travel log card didn't work on the subway again. On the other hand, the credit card I used in Korea worked.
So, just in case, I withdrew some Singapore dollars in case something happened like on the first day. Singapore dollars are made of vinyl, so there is also a transparent part. But if you are going to exchange money, you should do it somewhere else. When I did it at the subway, they took 5 SGD as a fee to withdraw 20 SGD, so it was too expensive.
I took a picture of the escalator because the transparent side was interesting. What surprised me more was that the escalator was incredibly fast. It was almost at a running pace.
I got out and walked towards Little Arab, and it was too hot even with an umbrella. If the summer in Korea is hot and intense, Singapore was a sweltering heat.
5.3. Zam Zam Murtabak Restaurant
This place was also very famous, so I came to visit.
When I went to the second floor, I saw a few Koreans. lol
I ordered tea first, and it tasted exactly like Dejava without milk. It's sweet and bitter. I could taste this kind of tea here and there.
I ordered several things, and what looks like a red soup is all curry. But the taste seemed to be fish curry, lamb curry, and pork curry. They were all delicious, but the lamb and pork had a familiar taste. It's the curry you eat at a curry restaurant in Korea, but it's a bit richer and has a stronger spice flavor. But I liked the fish curry the best here. The team members really hated it, but when they tried it, they all said it was delicious. It was a curry taste I had never had before. It had a slightly fishy smell, but I could feel the unique umami and salty taste of the fish, which rather caught the greasy taste of the curry and gave it a refreshing taste.
The bright red thing on the left is a mixture of spicy meat, potatoes, and various vegetables, but it only had a strong spice scent and was greasy, so it was difficult to eat.
This was rice with a curry flavor along with meat. The Indian rice was also fluffy and delicious.
This bread-like thing could be filled with deer meat or lamb meat, and it had a familiar taste. It was a mung bean pancake with no oil and a lot of meat.
It all cost 78,000 won. It's worth going here once.
5.4. Little Arab
While the female team members went to get custom perfumes, Jihun and I were calculating the receipts.
There were a lot of shops like this on the street, and it was a shame to just go, so I bought a set of durian chocolate. When I got home and ate it, it tasted like regular chocolate, but the smell was a complete durian stench. I also tried durian, but it didn't taste like durian at all, so I was disappointed. I think a different, normal taste would be better. lol
There is also a Sultan Mosque right next to it, and we each took a picture.
5.5. Little India
I saw a cute bird for the first time, so I took a picture.
It was also amazing that a parrot was sitting quietly on a bicycle.
We came to a place called Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple.
When we entered, we had to go in barefoot and cover our bodies as much as possible. The atmosphere was solemn.
When you visit a Southeast Asian country, you can't miss the fruit, so I bought several kinds.
Most of them used a payment machine like this, and I was worried because it sometimes worked and sometimes didn't, but fortunately, the payment went through. It cost about 29,000 won in total.
As soon as I bought it, they immediately cut this and that for me, and they gave me mangosteen first. I had only eaten it frozen at buffets every time, and this was my first time eating it fresh locally, and it was a completely different taste. The frozen one is not very sweet and chewy, but the fresh mangosteen, as its name suggests, was very sweet and soft like a mango.
They cut the dragon fruit and mango for me like this. But there was no place to sit, so I decided to eat it later.
5.6. Little China
It was almost the Lunar New Year, so there were red lanterns everywhere in Little China. There were many things to see, but I had to see the Marina Bay Sands light show in the evening, so I couldn't look around properly.
The place that sold fruit earlier didn't have durian, but they were selling durian and coconut, so I bought them. They were selling durian by grade, and I bought the best one. It cost 50,000 won in total.
There was a table here, so I ate it with the fruit I bought earlier.
The red banana at the bottom was something I was looking forward to, but it wasn't special, and it just tasted like a regular sweet banana. The coconut was something I was looking forward to, but it wasn't different from the coconut I had in Korea. It wasn't that sweet, it was bland, and it had a slightly unique smell of a washed rag? lol
The yellow thing on the right is durian. If you just smell it, it has a really strong and intense sewer smell. But when you chew it, you can hardly smell it, and the taste is a mixture of potato, sweet potato, and banana. The texture and taste are close to a banana, but the scent is like a sweet potato, and it has a slight dryness of a boiled potato. Except for me, all the other team members said it was not good. I thought it was edible. However, the downside is that as it digests, the sewer smell burp keeps coming up. lol
The ones on top of the durian are mango and apple mango. As expected, mango is the most delicious. Unlike frozen mango, it was very soft and very sweet. I think the apple mango was sweeter and softer than the regular mango.
The dragon fruit on the left was not as sweet as I thought, and it was similar to the taste I had in Korea, so I was disappointed.
The fruit on the left with a green exterior and red interior was a fruit I had never seen before, and the texture was very crispy, but it wasn't sweet at all, it was sour and bland, and it had a lot of seeds, so it wasn't good. The rest were not that delicious either.
On the way, there was a bakery, and since I had some budget left, I bought a lot of egg tarts and traditional snacks. We each bought a box to take home. I bought 130,000 won worth. lol Actually, there was nothing special, but the ones in the red-lidded container are pineapple cookies and almond cookies. They are crispy and sweet, but should I say they taste like butter rings without butter? They were delicious with Singaporean tea.
5.7. Marina Bay Sands Laser Show Spectra
I took the bus again and moved to Marina Bay Sands. The laser show was at 8 pm, so I hurried. I missed it on the second day, so I'm going again. lol
From the other side, it looks like this, and it's really beautiful.
But when I actually watched the show, there were no fireworks, no grand drone show, and nothing much to see other than the building lights, so I was a little disappointed.
5.8. Satay Street, Lau Pa Sat
There is a place called Satay Street nearby, and the SMU PhD student recommended it, and it was originally famous, so I decided to come. It was 11 pm at this time, and many places were already closed.
I was so thirsty, so I ordered a drink first. The green one at the bottom was a lime cucumber ade, so I ordered it because it was interesting, but it tasted as expected. It's a lime ade with a cucumber scent. The rest were okay, but they were very disappointing compared to ARF. It cost 16,000 won.
The food court was all closed, and on one side, there was a place selling food on outdoor iron tables on the street, and this was the real night market. As soon as the owners saw us, they asked us in Korean what menu we wanted. lol
This place is very memorable. Everything you see here costs 100,000 won. Looking at it like this, it doesn't seem that cheap, but lol the portions were large and it was really delicious. The skewers on the left are chicken and beef skewers, but the seasoning was very salty and there was too much, so I got a little tired of it. At the bottom is roasted duck and pork. I'm eating this for the third time, but since it's meat, I don't get tired of it whenever I eat it. On the right are shrimp skewers. They were grilled over an open fire, so they were warm and delicious. The shrimp were large, so the portions were large. At the top are squid skewers. The squid was really big and they gave me a lot, but the squid was definitely cheaper and more delicious than in Korea. It was very plump.
Ah, the taxi that accepts card payments is this taxi. I remember now. lol The taxi fare from Lau Pa Sat to the accommodation was 16,000 won.
This building is the accommodation we stayed at. The streets are really neat and clean. Among the foods I looked for, I only couldn't eat chili crab and kaya toast, and I had tried all the rest, so I plan to try them tomorrow.
Every night, I checked the receipts I spent to see if I had missed anything or if I had gone over budget.
6. Fourth Day - January 21st
6.1. IJOOZ Orange Juice
I saw a lot of these juice vending machines on the street, so I was curious and tried one. Surprisingly, I just held my card to it and the payment was made immediately and the juice came out right away. It seemed like two oranges fell and were immediately squeezed to make it.
This was really delicious, but since it only contained oranges, it wasn't as sweet as store-bought orange juice. However, it had a natural umami taste and a certain savory taste of orange, and it was refreshing, so it was really delicious.
6.2. Song Fa Bak Kut Teh
Among Singaporean foods, bak kut teh is also very famous, and among them, Song Fa Bak Kut Teh was said to be really famous. I had already tried it at the Marina Bay Sands food court on the second day, but I was curious about what the most famous place would taste like, so I went.
The ZIG blue taxi accepts card payments, but it's not compatible with Korean cards, so the payment didn't go through well. Thanks to the team member who is good at Chinese, I was able to get the payment through by asking them to keep trying.
Right in front is the Old Hill Street Police Station. It's a police station, but the colors are colorful and the lights are pretty at night, so it was a famous place.
I went to the main branch of the Song Fa Bak Kut Teh brand at lunchtime, so there were a lot of people. The store wasn't that big, so I waited for 40 minutes. They gave me a drink like this while I was waiting.
I think I tried almost everything on the menu. There were many types of bak kut teh, including with or without intestines, but when I tried them, there wasn't much difference between the types, so I think it's best to order the cheapest one.
As I said before, it tastes like galbitang, but the soup is much richer and uses pork ribs. The difference here compared to the place I ate at Marina Bay Sands was that the soup had a slightly spicier taste and no sweet taste. And the refreshing taste was a little disappointing.
When you eat the soup like this, they refill the broth, and this broth had a slightly ordinary taste. It tastes like a mixture of anchovy and meat broth. Because the broth was the same, the other bak kut teh also tasted similar.
This has the herbal scent of jokbal, and because it was simmered for a long time, the texture is very tender. The seasoning was strong in sweet and salty.
The seasoned bok choy was also a little disappointing because it was less refreshing and sweet than at Marina Bay Sands. The fried bread tasted similar.
If you order one tea, you get six cups, and you can get one more refill, so you can drink a total of 12 cups. I think this tea was absolutely necessary. All the food was greasy, but after drinking the tea once, the greasy and bloated feeling disappeared. The aroma was strong and the taste was good. The brown food to the right of the bok choy seemed to be related to intestines, and it had a unique texture and a soy sauce base.
6.3. Boat Cruise
I walked to the boat cruise. The boat cruise cost 140,000 won in total.
It was raining a little, so the water was cloudy. If I were to ride it, it would be better to ride it at night, but I came in the afternoon because I planned to go to the Marina Bay Sands observatory at night.
It felt like I was going back and seeing the path I had come on again.
We took turns taking pictures of each other on the deck. lol
If you wanted to get off in the middle, you had to tell the driver. If you didn't, you would go back to where you originally got on. We got off at Merlion Park.
6.3. Starbucks
When I arrived, I was thirsty, so I stopped by Starbucks. I asked what special drinks Singapore had, and they took down the menu and explained it to me. lol
These are the things I ordered. The cake is a lychee cake. The lychee fruit scent and taste were very strong, so it was delicious.
This drink had these round things in it. The drink itself was a sour and refreshing fruit juice, but I thought these round things would be chewy like tapioca pearls, so I put them in my mouth and chewed them right away.
But it wasn't chewy at all, and it burst with just a little touch. The inside was also very sour and cold, so my teeth were too sensitive. A team member captured that moment and took a picture. lol
6.4. Merlion Park
Actually, the place I went to on the third day was near Merlion Park, but I couldn't see it because I was going to Satay Street. I finally came. The one spouting water is the Merlion. It's a Mermaid + Lion, so the head is a lion, but the rest is a mermaid? fish? There were a lot of people.
I tried various poses, but the most interesting picture was drinking the spouting water again. lol
6.5. Jumbo Signature Chili Crab
I'm on my way to eat the chili crab that I couldn't eat on the second day because I didn't make a reservation. I only had 20 minutes left, so I walked almost at a run. The lake is huge, so it takes a long time to get there.
Fortunately, I arrived just in time. The JUMBO brand was quite famous, but it turned out that the restaurant I went to was the most luxurious brand among them.
Chili crab is very famous in Singapore, and it is a dish made with this king crab in a spicy way.
It was a high-end restaurant, so the atmosphere was good, but maybe only people who don't worry about money come here. The waiter asked if we wanted sparkling water or still water, and I thought, of course, sparkling water is better, right? But they didn't even explain that sparkling water costs extra. And that waiter couldn't speak English or Chinese, so another waiter came.
I had a set budget, so I asked them to match it, and they chose everything for me.
This appetizer cost about 10,000 won. The left one was a soft and thin bread with savory shrimp inside. The right one was a very soft and sweet beef jerky.
This one cost about 6,000 won per shrimp. It was like a Bburinkle powder, a sweet and salty powder that you eat with fried shrimp, and the combination was good.
Finally, the chili crab came out. The price was by the kg, and fortunately, there was enough for 5 people. But it wasn't easy to peel the crab meat myself because the shell was so hard. Then the waiter said he would peel the meat for me. To the right of that, there was a round, yellow thing, which was a fried flower bun. They also gave me condensed milk, which I could dip it in or eat with the chili crab.
Finally, they peeled all the meat for me, so I tried it. I was very excited, but it was actually a very familiar taste. It tasted like dipping very plump crab meat in a luxurious cream tteokbokki sauce. I think this is somewhat unavoidable. When you add seafood and sweetness to a spicy sauce, it naturally tastes like tteokbokki.
The team members didn't eat much, so I ate my fill, and the portion was surprisingly large.
When I was about to finish eating, they gave me a drink like this. The taste was really strange. It was basically a sour, carbonated pomegranate flavor. But the foam on top was a bit firmer and sweeter, so it was good.
They also gave me a dessert like this. I thought it was ice cream, but it was closer to a rice cake, and it had a black sesame rice cake taste that was not very sweet, not cold, and not chewy.
It all cost 345,000 won. It was the most expensive meal I had during my exploration. lol
6.6. Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck
After eating, I went to the observation deck on the roof. The building is really huge when you look at it from below. It's 57 floors, so it doesn't seem that high, but it's intimidating from below.
This is what the inside looks like.
I also bought a coin for 4,000 won at the souvenir shop.
The entrance fee was 190,000 won for 5 people.
Passing by a place with Singapore's history written on it
I came to the elevator. I think it feels similar to Lotte World Tower.
It goes up to the 56th floor in an instant.
The night view from the top was really amazing.
Next to it, I could see the infinity pool for hotel guests only, and I really wanted to go, but considering that the accommodation costs several million won, I think it's too much of a luxury. lol
We took a lot of pictures of each other.
6.7. Gardens by the Bay
After looking around for a while, I came down and headed to Gardens by the Bay. I could get there from inside the Marina Bay Sands building. Admission to Gardens by the Bay is free.
The light show had already started, so I hurried. But really, every place was so beautiful.
Various songs were playing, and suddenly Arirang came on, which was very funny.
Everywhere I went was beautiful and the lights were pretty.
After watching it all, I took a taxi and came back to the accommodation. I felt a little sad, so I ordered tom yum and various drinks at ARF. What was really good about ARF was that not only the drinks but also the other foods were really delicious.
7. Fifth Day - January 22nd
7.1. NCT Cafe - Kaya Toast
There was an NCT cafe right next to the accommodation, and they were selling kaya toast, so I visited. Of course, I thought I could use my card, so I ordered whatever I wanted, but when I tried to pay, they said they only accept cash. I could have paid with my own money, but the problem was that there was no place to exchange money nearby. I asked if I could exchange money at the hotel, but they said no, so I was going to give them the S$20 I had, but the owner said they would just give it to me for free and to eat comfortably. ㅠㅠ
This is kaya toast, and it has a white milk-flavored jam in between. The toast was crispy in every part, so it was really delicious.
They also gave me red bean paste rice cakes, candy, and pineapple cookies, as well as coffee and tea. I was so sorry and so grateful. Even the coffee was really delicious. I don't know how they made it, but it felt like rich coffee powder completely melted and touched my tongue. It was very rich but not bitter, and it was luxurious yet light.
It was a cafe run by a family, and they said they gave it to me for free because I was like their own children. They were very generous and my heart was warmed.
They also gave me traditional taffy, which was similar to Korean taffy. It was soft and chewy.
7.2. Exploring Marina Bay Sands Again
After that, we split into teams and freely went to the places we wanted to go.
I wanted to go to the Apple Store
because it floats on the Marina Bay Sands lake like this. I took several pictures. lol
And there is a small canal inside the department store, and I took a picture here too.
Water also comes out from above like this.
Shopping is also a must, and TGF tea was very famous. I bought raspberry vanilla tea jelly and geisha blossom tea bags. A Korean employee who spoke with a Gyeongsang-do accent gave me detailed instructions. lol
When I brought it home and ate it, the tea jelly had a slightly dry texture and a sweet taste mixed with raspberry and vanilla flavors when eaten as is, and when eaten as a tea, it felt like sugar water with a scent, so it was a bit disappointing. Geisha blossom tea is a tea with a floral scent, but I don't actually like tea that much, so I still have some left. lol
I also bought Maghogany Teakwood perfume at Bath & Body Works. I paid 80,000 won, and it's my favorite perfume so far. It has a cool, sweet, and slightly sexy scent.
7.3. Singapore Flyer Ferris Wheel
After each of us saw the sights, we came to ride the Ferris wheel for the last time. The ticket price was 210,000 won for 5 people.
There were many things to experience with a beam projector like this up to the boarding area.
There is also a space made of mirrors like this.
This Ferris wheel is said to be the largest in Asia.
There weren't that many people, and the cabin is this big.
I didn't know, but there was also a racing track right below.
We took a lot of pictures of each other.
We rode for almost 2 hours and got off after the sun went down.
7.4. Changi Airport
I called a familiar airport taxi from Value Hotel. It was spacious and very comfortable.
I didn't see it on the first day, but I think it was Terminal 1 where I could see a fountain like this. Behind it, the airport monorail was passing by. The monorail was directly connected to the boarding gate, but it took a long time to walk there.
I didn't have much budget left, so I looked for a cheap restaurant for a long time. This place also cost 60,000 won. I was hungry, so the curry and ramen felt really delicious.
I was a little late, but I arrived on time.
Jihun forgot and didn't put two jars of kaya jam in his carrier, so he threw them all away in front of the security checkpoint.
8. Entry
I couldn't believe that everything was already over and I was leaving.
After 6 hours
I arrived at Incheon Airport and had breakfast. As expected, Korean food seems to suit my taste the best. lol
I filmed 60GB of video and ambitiously edited a 1-hour vlog, but for some reason, it became difficult to upload. I'm also spending several hours writing this post, and it's a lot of content.
For juniors who are preparing for an exploration, I think it would be helpful to refer to our team's report below. I'm attaching it.
I gained friends, built great capabilities, and made unforgettable memories of traveling abroad through the Creative Platform, and it was a great help. I hope this post will motivate juniors to work hard and finish the finals well. If you have any other questions, you are always welcome to DM me on Instagram or email me.