GRAND OPENING of UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE

On Friday, there was a fabulous Red Carpet event with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, a parade of a chefs, a concert by Kimberly Caldwell (Season 2 American Idol contestant, who was really good) and a spread of themed food from all the lands at Universal Studios Singapore! It was a fantastic event, albeit bloody hot and humid, but you can't tell looking at the photos! Did I mention Shayne and I were VIPs!?

Shayne and I were dressed to the nines. (He got SO many compliments on his choice of shirt!)

A few celebrities, such as Paula Abdul and Jet Li, turned out to place their hands in "gold"

The Food was so good, especially the desserts!

Kimberly Caldwell performing

Shayne and I never pass up a photo-op!

Then, Saturday morning there was a delicious breakfast, a spectacular parade of characters from all the lands and an awkward moment between Paula Abdul and Beetlejuice.

Shayne and I waiting for the Opening Ceremony to begin

Hollywood

Jurassic Park

Madagascar

Paula and Beetlejuice!

Singapore Dancing Cranes

Singapore Dancing Cranes - Water & Light Show. It is a multimedia moving art installation with choreographed animatronic cranes built over the sea.

A Little Singapore Getaway (pt 2)

I was in Singapore for roughly 5 days and those days consisted of sight-seeing, eating A LOT of different foods, exploring a theme park that was all too familiar, spending as much quality time with Shayne as possible during a jam-packed weekend, all while coping with intense humidity!

Shayne took me to a Hawker Centre, an open-air complex with many stalls that sell inexpensive food. (We tried an assortment of things...all delicious!)

Shayne tells a tale that this becomes a bar at night?!

One of MANY shopping malls

AHHH!!! It's Attack of the Durian Fruit!!!

Hindu temple

Chinese Temple

Chinatown

Our last meal was at JUMBO Seafood, where we ate Pepper Crab (yum!)

Marina Bay Sands Resort (night)

A Little Singapore Getaway (pt 1)

When one of your best friends asks, "Will you be my 'Plus-One' for the Grand Opening of Universal Studios Singapore?"...the only appropriate response is, "Tell me when and where, and I'll be there!" On May 25th, I departed Sydney and flew 8 hours to the small island country of Singapore. Here are some fun facts about Singapore:

•The English name of Singapore means, "Lion City"

•Singapore is the world's fourth leading financial centre

•Singapore's port is one of the five busiest ports in the world

•Singapore has no true distinctive seasons and is 1º North of the Equator

And here is a bit of my exploring:

City Skyline

Singapore Cable Cars (I did not go on this)

Marina Bay Sands Resort (day)

Sentosa Island and Singapore's mascot, The Merlion

The Fullerton Hotel

Beautiful statues all over the city. I love this one of boys jumping into the Singapore River

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay (and a river cruise boat)

View of River Walk on the Singapore River

The Famous Raffles Hotel

Sipping on a Singapore Sling

Shayne enjoying the view

I'm Officially a Working Australian!

I've always been able to say that I'm an Australian citizen, but now I can actually say that I'm a working one too! I was hired as a Front of House Attendant at the famous Sydney Opera House. I will be one of the first points of contact for patrons and guests that visit the Sydney Opera House. I'll be ushering, checking tickets, handling programs, assisting guests with any questions or needs, working the cloak room, and any other duties that arise. I'm incredibly excited for the opportunity and have no doubt that it will be a a wonderful place to work!

When it Rains it Pours!

Many might know Australia as a typically dry country and they would be correct. The outback makes up by far the largest portion of land here and it is the driest inhabited continent. That being said, on Saturday April 16th, 2011, Sydney had it's wettest April day since 2001. Before 9am it had already rained 57mm (2.25 inches.) These photos were taken around 10am and it continued like this all day.