Our New Pet!

We've got a new guest at our apartment! A bird actually set up her nest on the mop we have, hanging out of our kitchen window. Looks like a hummingbird but I'm no bird expert!

Hopefully, we'll get to see some baby birds in the near future. In the meantime, my dad is all excited about her and is making sure that she'll stay on for a long long time!


Our pet's new house!


Our pet's saying 'Hi' for the camera!

Mt Fuji Clips (7th - 9th Jun)

Here are two interesting clips from I've taken during my stay at Mt Fuji!

The nicest view I personally saw of Mt Fuji was on my Keio bus trip to Kawaguchiko Station. The setting sun was shining on Mt Fuji, making it all red... unfortunately, I didn't catch it on my camera thinking I will get some really awesome photos when I get to Kawaguchiko! =(

This clip was taken on my bus trip to Mt Fuji 5th Stage from Kawaguchiko Station. i do not know why but I can only see the summit view ONLY when I'm in some bus! This definitely reminds me of that dumb panda Kit Kat commercial!


Fleeting Mt Fuji

This clip was taken when I hiked about an hour from 5th Stage to the 7th Stage. The trail was closed so there's really not much people at all. Most of the climb was just me alone and the only sound I heard was the sound of my footsteps. I was the only one when I hit Stage 7... this experience is really quite surreal... to be alone with Mt Fuji...


Stage 7

Mt Fuji,Japan (7th - 9th Jun)

7th June
After a 20-hr flight from Maryland to Tokyo, Japan, I’m back to my traveling days again!

It is definitely not a good idea to lug around 100 pounds of luggage while trying to find your way in the maze-like rail system in Tokyo! I had the most nightmarish time trying to get to the Keio bus station in the Shinjuku rail station because the escalators were tiny at best and some exits only have staircases! (imagine a jet-lagged 115 pounds boy trying to get his 100 pounds luggage up the stairs… omg)

The 2-hr bus ride to the Kawaguchiko Station is comfortable enough and it was really nice to have Miho from my hostel, K’s House, come pick me up at the station.

K’s House Mt Fuji is really a nice little hostel. It’s almost like going to somebody’s house where you have to take off your shoes at the front door. The dorm is nice and clean, there a really nice dining room/lounge area, a very clean and spacious kitchen with everything (more well-equipped than any kitchen I’ve seen actually). The staff speaks excellent English and was very helpful and friendly.

8th June
I took the first bus to Mt Fuji 5th Stage the second day (2000yen round-trip, 1hr) and started climbing right after I got off the bus. The temperature was supposed to be chilly but I was sweating so bad climbing, that I was more hot than cold!


5th Stage, Mt Fuji


I'm sooo exhausted! Stage 7, Mt Fuji


Me and my walking stick!


Looking out into the fog

The trail route was mainly loose black volcanic rocks and it was much like walking on sand except that it was upslope and rather steep… not easy! It was pretty cloudy/foggy along the way and it took me about an hour to hike up to Stage 7. Beyond Stage 7, the trail was covered in snow and I didn’t think it was safe to continue the ascent. I pretty much rested up, took some pictures around the mountain huts before making my way back.


Road block at Stage 7 (more like snow block!)

9th June
I couldn’t get any nice pictures of Mt Fuji due to the fact that it was pretty much covered in fog the whole time I was there. However, I did see a very nice sunset view of Mt Fuji during the first day when I was on the Keio bus to Kawaguchiko. The second time I saw Mt Fuji’s peak again was on the second day when I was on the Mt Fuji bus, about 2 mins away from the 5th Stage (again on a moving bus!). I tried one last time early this morning to catch a view of Mt Fuji at the Kawaguchi Lake but this is by far the worst day to try to catch Mt Fuji… the whole volcano pretty much disappeared in a mass of fog….

Adeus America

I’m finally going back home to Singapore after a year and a half in the States! The eighteen months in US was really quite the highlight of my life (so far!)… For the first time, I was really on my own, away from family and friends, away from a life I’ve been so accustomed to. Here in Maryland, halfway across the world… I was treated like family, like a friend… It’s hard to describe the warmth I felt throughout my stay here.

Of course, along the way, I gained a lot of work experience… I learnt to be a lot more independent, street-smart and confident… I learnt to drive (once again… Americans love their cars! I hate to admit it but I end up loving my car too!)… I’ve finally seen the four seasons… and I’ve traveled a lot… and made many friends! And I’m really lucky and have met a mentor and friend in my manager Anthony Williams… words can’t describe how much respect I have for him!

In a little more than a year, I’ve touched eighteen states and been to major cities like Washington DC, New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco. I got to do very interesting things like climbing the Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park, visiting the largest waterfall in the world in Niagara Falls, visiting the Old Faithful geyser at Yellowstone National Park, exploring the beautiful Yosemite National Park and then there’s the awesome Grand Canyon!

But all these travels are just a tiny part of my time in Maryland… it’s the work at Human Genome Sciences that made everything so great! I guess nobody would believe it if I say how much I enjoy going to work everyday… but the people in Human Genome Sciences just made it such a great place to work in! I think I’ll never forget this place!


HGS rock!

George Washington National Forest (18th May)

After a year, John, Jason and me finally got ourselves to go on a camping trip together! We went camping in the George Washington National Forest in West Virginia. X came over for the weekend and joined me, while Jason brought along Jess, Mike and Kathy so we got a decent group of seven!

Needless to say... the trip was a whole lot of fun thanks to our outdoor expert, John! Yes... he has everything you can possibly think of for a nice camping trip.


Unpacking at our campsite


Jason's little tiny tent

After setting up our camp, we made our ascent to the Big Schloss. The climb was relatively easy but we were still rewarded with a great view up the peak!


The mountaineers (I'm the photog)


John's the man!

After making our decent, we started a good fire and John made us some good burgers and hotdogs with his outdoor grill. The drinks were good and we enjoyed ourselves totally, sitting around the campfire! The star-filled night sky was just so amazing.


Chilling by a nice warm fire


Cooking up a storm!

John still made us some nice pancakes in the morning! And of course, we can’t miss the good old coffee!


Pancakes!

Later in the morning, we went on another hike up Tibbet Knob trail. The view up the peak of the knob was as great as Big Schloss!


X's flying!


Me at Tibbet Knob


The crew

Check out my pictures at imagestaion