Hindi Festivals and Giant Trees

Sorry I have been doing so terribly updating this blog! Time has been flying by. I cannot believe that: 

1. It has been 2 weeks since my last post. 

2. I have been in Asia for 2 and a half months. 

3. I have 51 days until I leave for the U.S.

Since recess week I have taken a little break from travelling since things are getting busier with my classes. I am taking this opportunity to see more of the sights in Singapore. In the last couple weeks I have visited Gardens by the Bay, and also got the chance to go to a Rang Barsay festival for the Hindu holiday- "Holi"! 

RANG BARSAY- "SHOWER OF COLORS"

Rang Barsay means "Shower of Colors" which is a pretty accurate name for this Hindi festival.  Everyone wears light colors, and gets packets of powder to throw/rub on people. Some also mixed it with water from the beach in large buckets or squirt guns, then proceeded to shower the crowd. It was all an amazing chaotic mess of Bollywood music, dancing, conga trains, colors, Indian food, and showers of water. Needless to say, we got quite a few strange looks when we took the MRT (above ground subway system) and buses back to campus. It also didn't come out the easiest, and I still have a little red on my cheek and some light pink left in my hair- but it was worth every minute! I'm so happy I got to experience this cool culture. 

GARDENS BY THE BAY

What would Singapore- "The Garden City"- be without a large garden attraction? Gardens by the bay is a very cool, completely self-sustainable park made up of 2 domes, the "Cloud Forest" and the "Flower Dome", and a large system of "trees" that tower above the area. It is all so beautiful and visually dynamic, with a mixture of modern architecture and amazing plants.   

Cloud Forest (left and right): 7 layers of amazing plants and information about cloud forests- found in rainforest mountainous areas, and also some scary facts about the earth (if it keeps heating up at this rate, 50% of the world's species will be extinct by 2080- SAVE THE EARTH, people!)

Flower Dome (right): The flower dome was a gorgeous collection flowers from around the world. Unfortunately, by the time we got there it was pretty dark and since it is in a large glass dome the lighting wasn't the greatest to see the colors. What we could see was still very pretty though! And decorated for Easter! 

Giant "Supertree" Garden (right): Large towers with plants growing up the entire structure. Completely self powered by the rainwater/solar energy they collect!