Musings of a Caribbean princess

INCEPTIO

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 16:14:00 +0000

Hi lovelies. I know it has been FOREVER but I have been and I still am very busy with the final year of my PhD. I do miss all of you though and all the filofax addicts will be pleased to know my lovely Malden is still by my side. I am coming out of my blog hiatus for a very special guest post. I am really pleased to have Alison Morton on the blog today and she has written about her new novel Inceptio. It is a fantastic read (I would love it to be made into a movie) but without further ado..... here is Alison!

Thank you very much for welcoming me to your blog today, Kyla.

My debut novel, INCEPTIO, was published this month, the end of three years of slog – researching, writing, and polishing. It’s a thriller, so it’s doubly exciting.

It started off when I was eleven. I was fascinated by the mosaics in Ampurias (huge Roman site in Spain). Who had designed and made them, whose house were they in, who had walked on them?

I asked my father, “What would it be like if Roman women were in charge, instead of the men?” Maybe it was the fierce sun boiling my brain, maybe it was just a precocious kid asking a smartass question. But clever man and senior ‘Roman nut’, my father replied, “What do you think it would be like?” Real life intervened (school, uni, career, military, marriage, motherhood, business ownership), but the idea bubbled away in my mind and INCEPTIO slowly took shape as an alternate history thriller.

How is an ‘alternate history thriller’ different from a normal thriller?

Alternate history is based on the idea of “what if”? What if King Harold had won the Battle of Hastings in 1066? Or if Julius Caesar had taken notice of the warning that assassins wanted to murder him on the Ides of March? Sometimes, it could be little things such as in the film Sliding Doors, when the train door shuts and Gwyneth Paltrow’s character splits into two; one rides away on the train, the other is left standing on the platform.

The rest of the story from that point on develops differently from the one we know. In my book, Roma Nova battled its way from a small colony somewhere north of Italy in the late fourth century into a high tech, financial mini-state which retained and developed Roman Republican values, but with a twist. It’s really fun working this out! The thriller story then takes place against this background.

Stories with Romans are usually about famous emperors, epic battles, depravity, intrigue, wicked empresses and a lot of sandals, tunics and swords. But imagine the Roman theme projected sixteen hundred years further forward into the 21^st century. How different would that world be?

So what’s INCEPTIO about?

New York – present day, alternate reality. Karen Brown, angry and frightened after surviving a kidnap attempt, has a harsh choice – being eliminated by government enforcer Jeffery Renschman or fleeing to the mysterious Roma Nova, her dead mother’s homeland in Europe. Founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles and ruled by women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety, a ready-made family and a new career. But a shocking discovery about her new lover, the fascinating but arrogant special forces officer Conrad Tellus who rescued her in America, isolates her.

Renschman reaches into her new home and nearly kills her. Recovering, she is desperate to find out why he is hunting her so viciously. Unable to rely on anybody else, she undergoes intensive training, develops fighting skills and becomes an undercover cop. But crazy with bitterness at his past failures, Renschman sets a trap for her, knowing she has no choice but to spring it...

And next? I’m working on PERFIDITAS (Betrayal), the second book in the Roma Nova series.

You can find INCEPTIO on Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inceptio-Roma-Nova-Alison-Morton/dp/1781320624 and Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/Inceptio-Roma-Nova-Alison-Morton/dp/1781320624

You can read more about Alison, Romans, alternate history and writing here:

Blog: www.alison-morton.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor

Twitter: @alison_morton

Have a wonderful day all of you and I hope you go out and buy this book!

This is not goodbye but........

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Image

Hi lovely people. I am just touching base to say that I arrived safely back in the UK on Sunday after spending a lovely vacation (sans DH) with my family back home in the Caribbean. I really had a wonderful time catching up with my friends and family. And I was true to my word and did absolutely no work whatsoever! So I am well refreshed.

I just wanted to let you know that while I am not closing down the blog I have to admit that I will not be blogging very often as I will soon be entering my final PhD year. I have a lot of work to do still and I feel that I just cannot commit to blogging on a regular basis anymore as by the weekend I am quite mentally spent! Anyways I will always be responding to emails and will pop up on twitter now and then so don't forget me.

Also DH and I are celebrating 5 years of wedded bliss this Saturday. I just don't know where all of that time went! Time really does fly when you are having fun. Another wonderful couple, Steve and Alison Morton will be celebrating their wedding anniversary today and I just wanted to wish them the best as they have made many more years together than we have! hehe. I cannot thank them enough for the wonderful time we had in France last year.

Anyways I am on call so need to rush off now. I hope all of you had a wonderful summer!

Leaving on a jet plane.......

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Image

I am so looking forward to flying back to Trinidad for 3 weeks of relaxation. It has been a rather busy and stressful year for me so I will hoping to just kick back and relax.

I will therefore be on a blogging break until around mid September. In the meantime check out my posts on Trinidad and Tobago or just continue to browse around and enjoy my older posts.

Take care and enjoy the rest of August!

I hope that so and so rooster doesn't keep me awake!!! hahaha!

Inspirational quotes: Success

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Image

Although I am not a sportswoman, I have been inspired and humbled by so many of the Olympic athletes. But what makes a successful person? At some point I will share my thoughts on this but here are a few of my favourite success quotes.

"They can because they think they can." Virgil

"Nothing can stop the woman with the right mental attitude from achieving her goal; nothing on earth can help the wo(man) with the wrong mental attitude. " Thomas Jefferson

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." Vince Lombardi.

Have a wonderful weekend my lovelies!

Ten tips for selling on evil.... sorry eBay! Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Hi lovelies. Are you ready to make money today? Here are the last 5 tips for selling on eBay! Part 1, with the first 5 tips can be found here.

5. Choose the type of postage. For designer items I would use special delivery so that I had enough insurance and because it is the safest form of postage. For international items I used Royal Mail's Airsure. For the minimum use Royal Mail 1st class recorded. Always make sure the item will be signed for and that you can provide a tracking number! I cannot highlight how important it is to ensure things are tracked. There are many unscrupulous people out there. Get proof of DELIVERY!

4. Get your timing right. I prefer to have auctions end on Sunday evening between 8 and 10 pm so I would list the previous Sunday using a 7 day listing. With my more recent sales I didn't necessarily stick to this. However it makes no sense for your auction to end on Wed morning at 3 am!!

3. Make use of eBay's free insertion fees weekends. I think eBay is a bit greedy. They have cornered the market and they have just raised the amount of fees that they can take to 10% of £750 as the sale price, up from a maximum of 10% of £400. Of course they take PayPal fees as well (3% of sale price). However they do offer a lot of security and at the moment I can't think of a better website to use.

2. Package securely for postage. Use a box or a proper courier bag so that your items don't get damaged in transit. Do not scrimp on this as you may end up with an unhappy buyer returning a damaged item that means more stress for you.

1. Don't complete transactions outside of eBay and PayPal. Again there are some very dodgy, unscrupulous people on this planet. If someone wants to collect your item in person DO NOT ACCEPT PAYPAL, make sure you take cash!! This is because they can do a chargeback on paypal and without proof of delivery you cannot prove you actually gave them the item. People may also contact you trying to knock down prices, or deliver to a country/address which is different from their ebay or paypal account. Beware of the eBay scammers. I prefer to get hit by ebay's fees than to get scammed! Using ebay and paypal gives the buyer and the seller protection.

OK so do you have any more tips for selling on eBay? Please feel free to share in the comments. have a wonderful day!

Ten tips for selling on evil..... sorry eBay! Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Since earlier this year I have become a keen seller on eBay. The lovely Imy requested that I do a little post on how to shift items on eBay. Now I have had quite a successful last 6 months selling my unwanted or unused items on eBay and in the process I got rid of a lot of clutter! I have sold quite a lot of stuff, including most of my Radleys, my Michael Kors Hamilton tote, my filofax deco and some Boden clothes. I even got rid of 2 preloved LV handbags and a Mulberry handbag. I also sold all of my new Carbotti handbags. It has been a mostly pain free process. And it is actually not that difficult to do.

There are many free and detailed guides available on the internet so in this post I will basically give a summary of what I have done and what I have found most useful.

Remember it is extremely important to be open and honest. This will always be beneficial!

Here are the first five tips!

10. Make sure you have good feedback. No one is going to buy from you if you have a feedback score of 0. I would recommend buying some cheap items to build up your profile. Also you can start off by selling lower priced items before getting to that designer handbag. Buyers will need to trust you before they part with their cash.

9. Check out the prices at which other buyers are selling your item or similar items. Of course you can make adjustments for age, condition, whether gently used or well used. Price accordingly.

8. Create an honest description of your product. Do not lie about what you are selling as this is guaranteed to annoy buyers and will result in headache for you later on. If it is stained, has pen mark, or smells like a chimney stack, ADMIT IT in your description. Although this will affect the price you may get for it, DO NOT LIE. Lying is guaranteed to score you negative feedback at best and a dispute at worst. It is NOT WORTH IT. Also make sure you use proper grammar.

7. Take great pictures. For example if selling a handbag, make sure the bag is stuffed and not floppy. Take clear pictures of the inside, outside corners, handles etc. If you are selling a designer item you will also need to take clear pictures of certain features which show it is an authentic item and show the receipt. You can find guides for this on bag forum sites such as the purse forum. DH was my photographer and he was simply excellent!

6. Choose your start price. I am not a risk taker so I tended to set my start price as the minimum price I wanted for the product. Braver souls may put lower start prices. Or if you are a little less gutsy then set a reserve price although this will cost a bit extra on eBay.

Ok I will continue these tips in my next post. Do you sell on eBay? Please share.

And have a lovely day!

The stork has arrived......

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 14:31:00 +0000

Image

The stork made a second visit to my best friend M on Friday night :-) Congratulations on a lovely baby boy. And at 8lbs 12ozs this was no easy feat! hehehe

Inspirational Quotes from Olympians

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Today I wanted to share with you some favourite quotes from former Olympians. Did you watch the opening ceremony last Friday? I LOVED it, especially the spoof segment involving the Queen and Mr Bond. The only thing that irritated me was the short shrift the Trinidad and Tobago athletes got in terms of viewing time. DH and I didn't get any tickets for any of the games but I will be certain to watch some of the gymnastics, swimming and athletic events.

Here are the quotes.

"Falling in life is inevitable. Staying down is optional" Carrie Johnson Olympic kayaker

"It's not the destination, it's the journey." Missy Franklin

"If you're not having fun then what the hell are you doing?" Allison Jones Paralympian

"Keep calm and carry on." Betsey Armstrong.

I hope you are feeling inspired now. Have a wonderful weekend.

Another handbag post.......

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 23:00:00 +0000

I can't seem to get handbags out of mind (the ones I shared with you in my last post were purchased much earlier in the year). Already I am thinking ahead to what I should get for my birthday/Christmas/wedding anniversary this year. hehehe. I mean I even have a bag bucket list... Who DOES that? Fortunately my supervisors have no idea what I REALLY love thinking about. I shall have to keep it that way!

So my first love has been and always will be Mulberry. DH is traveling through Heathrow in a few weeks' time and I have already given him my down payment! I am really THAT eager. I am also being super nice to him to ensure that he passes by the Mulberry store. Wink wink. Now I just need to decide..... Although I am 99.9% decided already! A feat for me, as I can be very indecisive in everything except my work! Here are a few of the options from the website.

Black Mulberry Del Rey

Petrol Mulberry Daria Satchel

Black Forest Mulberry Bayswater

Oak Printed Mulberry Lily

Now with the exception of the Del Rey I own all of the bags but in different colours. I would really love to have a doctors' bag but I dislike the Del Rey because it is called the Del Rey and I am not interested in fads and one season bags. Sigh..

As I said before I am 99.9% decided. Which one would you choose and why? Please share in the comments and have a wonderful day!

In Lvoe with Louis Vuitton

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 23:00:00 +0000

OK so it has been a while since I have done a handbag post. Now this does not mean that I have fallen out of love with luxury handbags (poor DH wishes I would go back to my previous filofax and Radley addiction....haha!). Nope... Not at all... This current addiction will continue unabated unless DH threatens me with divorce papers ;-)

I have been in love with the LV speedy 'shape' (did you notice the title.... clever eh?) for a while. I am a big fan of Audrey Hepburn and I remember how chic the Parisiennes looked carrying theirs. However I really dislike bags with too many logos. And DH would always comment that the canvas ones looked like washbags. And that anyone who paid that much for canvas had more money than sense. Maybe he has a point. But as we approach 5 years of marriage I am becoming more practiced in ignoring what DH says (well at least when it comes to fashion). After selling all but one of my Radley bags as well as lots of other ~~junk~~ stuff together with a little bit of saving I was ready to make the leap into the land of Louis Vuitton. I decided to get a leather item as well to prove that LV does so much more than canvas.

Welcome my two new babies.

LV epi alma and speedy 30 damier ebene

And here are the images from the website

Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene Speedy 30

Louis Vuitton Epi Alma

I will do a proper review of them at some point. But although Mulberry remains my favorite I finally understand why LV is the king of the luxury handbag market. These bags are classic and will never date. I can see myself carrying these bags for years and while pink may not be a classic colour every woman needs a hot pink handbag!

That's it for me now. What do you think of my new babies? Please share in the comments.

Have a lovely day!

Inspirational quotes: never say never

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Image

Never say never, for if you live long enough, chances are you will not be able to abide by its restrictions.

Never is a long, undependable time, and life is too full of rich possibilities to have restrictions placed upon it.

Gloria Swanson (US actress)

Moving on from the L Plates....

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Image

So I have been a little less than forthright with you my lovelies. You knew I was learning to drive. But I chose not to mention that I had my driving test scheduled for this week (yesterday in fact). I have to admit I was a bundle of nerves beforehand. And I had an AWFUL mock exam. I was also doing some crazy things the morning of my test. Arrrghhhhhhhhhhh!!!

But for some strange reason the moment the examiner stepped into the room, I went into the zone.... I don't know what it was. Maybe it is the fact that I have sat countless exams in my life. For those 40 mins I was calm and collected and did everything my instructor would have wanted me to do.

So I am pleased to say that I have ripped up those L plates. And I have achieved something that I never thought I would due to an irrational fear. Thanks to DH and my driving instructor for all of their support. I couldn't have done it without them. And of course my lovely little black Aygo. I promise I won't try to move off in 3rd gear again..... hehe

I shall still be driving with P plates for the moment though! :-)

Have a wonderful day!

Finally... a perfect summer's day

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Image

So today has been a perfect day. Lunch on the lake and countryside drives with DH in my little Aygo! :-) This is not a long post today but I hope you are all having a great weekend. I also wanted to say congrats to my big bro for graduating with FIRST CLASS HONOURS!! Very exciting indeed. But as I enjoy the little taste of sunshine I cannot forget those whose lives were taken so suddenly and senselessly in Colorado. Treasure each moment my lovelies; we do not know when it may be our last......

Inspirational quotes: Life goes on

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 23:30:00 +0000

Hope you enjoy your day!

So which is my new 'ish' baby?

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 23:30:00 +0000

Well as you know I am still learning to drive (ugh, manual, ugh) whenever I can find the time and so let's have fun with a little poll.

Which one of these cars do you think is my new baby?

A. BMW 1 series

B. Smart car

C. Audi TT

D. Toyota Aygo

Ok so share your pic in the comments (and why you think so). Answer and review of the car to follow next week!

Have a wonderful day!

I'm back!

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 12:37:00 +0000

Image

Regardless of how it goes down, life goes on.
Rick Ross

So I am back. Hopefully you all haven't deserted me completely!! It has been a long time and I really appreciated all the kind comments and tweets from all of you. I promised myself that I would not be too morbid, although you can forgive me if I find it a bit difficult to be as chirpy as usual. I am doing ok. And my mantra for the last few weeks has been the quote I shared with you above. It is not ground breaking in any way. But it is true. We all know that s**t happens. And bad things happen to good people all the time. What is even sadder is the fact that people no longer seem to attach any meaning to a person's life. It all seems so senseless. At times I have asked myself where is the justice in this world? But I won't hold my breath waiting for it. I will just need to move on.

So what have I been up to while away? The last few months have been a blur! I have been so incredibly busy. I think doing an extra certificate while doing a PhD full time was probably not the best idea even if it was for the most part by distance learning. Finding time to prepare a dissertation and study for exams as well as keeping up with everything else was quite difficult when one spends four hours a day commuting. But I managed and it is all over now!

On a good note I do feel that my PhD is starting to take off after all the 'tedium' of the first year. I have had a paper accepted and one in submission :-) Papers are like gold to academics so this is really important for my career. I think I just need to keep on keeping on and things will be ok on that front.

Other exciting news include a visit from my mum in July (and she didn't drive me as crazy as she normally does). Personally I feel that she is finally seeing me as a grown up (even though I passed 18 eons ago! haha). But then maybe parents never really see their children as adults. I am looking forward to going home in August. I have a new family member to meet!!

And I am still learning to drive!! For the life of me I continue to get confused by roundabouts. Why are there so many in this country? WHY?? They are the bane of my existence!!! But I have my very own first car now. I shall keep silent on it for the moment so I can do a review later. No worries, it is not a fancy shmancy car like DH's car. I wanted something cheap and cheerful that looked cute. And I prefer to spend my money on handbags. Yes..... really. You know I am superficial. I am very pleased with her though.

So handbags........My collection has grown and then reduced (and will probably grow again hehe). eBay has been wonderful I think. Tips for selling on eBay is another post I have in mind. Plus I may share some of my new acquisitions!!! :-)

With respect to blogging I probably won't be blogging as frequently as I did before as I still find myself just wanting to do solitary things. But I won't disappear for another 3 months (or I won't without at least telling you). I am trying to blog at least 2-3 times a week and see how that goes, although this time when I go home in August I think I will just want to spend time with my family and friends without documenting the entire trip.

OK so lovely people, what have you all been up to? Please share. It would be nice to get a few comments again as I have missed my blogging 'voice' and missed hearing your thoughts and opinions.

Have a lovely weekend!

Back soon I promise

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 15:45:00 +0000

Image

My lovelies, I have not forgotten you. I was all set for a big return to blogging over the weekend. Unfortunately my extended family is dealing with some unforeseen and tragic circumstances which have just left me reeling. At the moment it is impossible for me to write happy words so can you wait a little bit longer?

I am missing you all!

When life gets in the way: a blog hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Image

Lovelies it has been a little while. I think 1 week is the longest time that I have gone without a new blog post. But I am getting old and the flight back from Singapore really took a toll on me, which was not helped by the fact that I was on call over the bank holiday and am on call AGAIN this weekend.

Anyways I am sad to say that my upcoming weekends will also be very busy. I am currently completing a certificate course (in addition to my full time PhD) which will be examined at the end of May. But in addition to this I need to submit a 4500 word dissertation by mid May. Because I have no superpowers (although I would love to) this means that I am going to have stop blogging during this time. Either that or run myself ragged and I don't think anyone would like that. This is my 373rd post so I have been quite an active blogger. And lucky for you there are lots of posts for you to keep yourself occupied while I am away.

So what to do in my absence??

Well

1. Please don't abandon me. This will make me very sad :-( I promise to be back and you know I keep my promises.

2. Check out all of my old posts. There are so many labels and categories that you can browse (along the left sidebar of my blog) so go ahead and enjoy yourself. Note that you can't see this on mobile phone views so change to standard views to see them. I have even moved them closer to the top left hand side for easier access.

3. Buy a filofax!! hahaha. I continue to downsize my collection and move on items that I have never used. I am selling my wonderful personal Deco for £90 and my magenta Adelphi purse for £49. Both are still in their boxes looking pretty. Contact me on caribbeanprincessmusingsATgmailDOTcom (using the normal convention) if you are interested.

Ok that's it for now. I am officially signing off until MID JUNE (my mum is coming to visit early June.Yay!)

Take care my lovelies and continue to have a wonderful life while I am away!

Image

Easter Sale! My shop has reopened on eBay

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Image

Lovely people
I have reopened my shop on eBay and there are lots of stunning goodies available for up to 50% off including Radley, Fiorelli and Carbotti!!!! Prices start from £10.
Check it out here.
Enjoy the rest of your bank holiday weekend. I am on call today so feel sorry for me! ;-)

Happy Easter

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Image

For some, Easter is about more than eggs and bunnies. But whatever Easter means to you I hope you enjoy this day and celebrate the meaning of life and the joy of having good friends and family.

Take care :-)

Back to the UK

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Image

I am flying back to the UK today and by all accounts I have missed the UK's descent into utter madness.....pasty tax, cash for access scandal, fuel panic over a strike that did not happen.... Maybe I should have extended my trip. It was nice living in a bubble for the last 3 weeks.

Back to the reality of it all.....

Sigh.

At least I can look forward to going home to Trinidad in August! yay!

Do you eat like a bird or have a healthy appetite?

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Image

Ok so I just had to write this post. I am still in Singapore (which is great). And one of the best things about this country is its FOOD. Gosh it is heavenly. The range of cuisine available is just phenomenal and for the most part quite affordable. But let me get back to the point.

So most evenings DH and I go out for a meal with his physics crew. Physics, unlike medicine, remains an utterly male dominated field so my presence brings a well needed dose of oestrogen to the table. But what is surprising is the weird idea that some of these guys have about women's appetites. Basically they think that women don't eat. Now I am by no means size 0 (and I will NEVER be as being hungry ALL OF THE TIME would make me an extremely grumpy person indeed). But it seems that I am considered to be slim enough for the physics lads to decide that I can't possibly have that much of an appetite. So imagine the shock when I can actually eat ALL of the food on my plate. And then I get the comments. ' Wow, we didn't expect you to finish that!' Ummmm, I wouldn't order it if I couldn't eat it now would I? And then DH usually says quite proudly, 'Yes, she has a good appetite.' Like he is talking about his pet or something? I mean..... what the f....alafel? It is not like I am shovelling food into my mouth or something. I am just eating...... like they are. hahaha.

So my dearies, please share your views. Do you think women should be expected to eat like birds or have strong, healthy appetites? Or is the 'fragile woman has small appetite' concept totally dated and irrelevant to you too? Also what is your appetite like? I am eager to know!

Have a wonderful day :-)

Three Little Birds

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:00:00 +0000

This is the beginning of my last week in Singapore and I am trying to take it easy! Bob Marley does the best chill out music and this is on my iPhone :-)

What's your favourite chill out music?

Inspirational quotes: Life

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:00:00 +0000

"Life is not measured by the breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away"

Have a great weekend!

10 things to do in Singapore :-) part two

noreply@blogger.com (caribbean princess) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Jurong Bird Park

Here are the top 5 things to do in Singapore. For part one see here.

5. Visit Universal Studios Singapore. I am ashamed to admit that this was the FIRST theme park that I had ever been to. Usually I am a scaredy cat and AVOID them at all costs but I was encouraged by DH to go to this one. Of course I stayed far away from the Battlestar Galactica ride but I had a wonderful time here. Highlights included the Jurassic park rapids adventure and the castle in Far far Away. Aim to spend at least a day here. Adults and children will enjoy!!

4. Check out the Singapore Zoo. This is a fantastic zoo although I did not agree with the fact they had polar bears in one of the exhibits (they looked most unhappy). The penguins were very cute and I loved the free ranging orangutans and feeding the elephants. There is also a tram for those of use who are too lazy to walk (it is a huge zoo!)

3. Enjoy the Jurong Bird Park. There are no killer parrots here! But lots and lots of fantastic bird species. My favoruite was the African waterfall aviary although DH got a bit freaked by all of the birds. Haha!!!

2. Experience the night safari. This is one of my favourite tourist attractions in Singapore. I had never experienced anything quite like it and I think I have been about 3 times now :-) I even have a favourite little animal (the slow loris...... so cute). DH says I like it as I am just as lazy...... He is so mean!

1. Spectacular Sentosa. Sentosa has to come in at number one as there is soooooooooooooooo much to do here. I loved the little museum, images of Singapore, the luge, the butterfly park and Tiger tower. The beaches are ok (but not like Caribbean beaches of course! hehe) and there is a fantastic water show called Songs of the Sea. We also saw the theatrical feature Voyage de La Vie which was also marvellous. Don't forget to visit Underwater world and history buffs will love Fort Siloso.

Singapore has some fantastic museums as well which you should definitely try to visit. I loved the National Museum of Singapore and the Asian Civilisations Museum. Also there are lots of inexpensive food courts called hawker centres which serve really yummy food. But be careful, the vendors will let you know if they think you are ordering too much food! hahaha. That may be why Singaporeans are so slim!

Hope you have a wonderful day and that you found the post useful!