Universal Studio Singapore

I went to Universal Studios Singapore with HF and TH today. Gosh I still feel dizzy from the rides. The concept is very similar to Disneyland, I guess, with mascots, rides, 4D movies and interactive performances. We went on a Monday, but it was still awfully crowded. Should be feeling happy for Singapore's economy, I guess, but the queues were crazy (45 minute wait for a 5-minute ride?), and the tourists (esp those from certain countries) are downright annoying, cutting queues everywhere, taking up the center block of seats despite the emcee's repeated prompting and using flash photography in a dark room. Maybe the park will be more enjoyable if it wasn't so crowded. And hot. I also feel that the staff could do with a little more enthusiasm. I mean, some of them sounded like they were reading off scripts. (Which they were, I suppose, but must it be so obvious?)

We had arranged to meet at VivoCity at 9.45am as USS opens at 10, but due to an unforeseen fire drill the entrance from the MRT station was closed. After making a roundabout we managed to enter via another entrance. It's really cool to walk inside an empty shopping mall. :D

Upon arriving at USS, the first ride that we took was "Madagascar: A Crate Adventure". It was pretty unexciting, though the animals were cute. Next, in Far Far Away (hah), we took the "Enchanted Airways", which is a short roller-coaster ride that I was totally unprepared for and ended up screaming alongside TH. Luckily it didn't last very long. By then, people were starting to head for lunch, and we queued for "Donkey LIVE", in which a computer-generated Donkey talkedwith the audience, much like Stitch in Disneyland. Started feeling hungry then, so we searched around for food. Naturally the price was exorbitant, and we settled for "Fossil Fuels" (hah doesn't it sound like we're eating crude oil).

After lunch, we joined the quque once again for "Shrek 4-D Adventure". The chairs shook a bit, but after the horrifying "Enchanted Airways" earlier, I felt rather at ease. No, it was the "Revenge of the Mummy" at Ancient Egypt that broke me. It is an indoor ride, much like the Space Station one in Disneyland. (That one was a nightmare too.) TH was pretty spooked out by the mummy jumping out, but it's the motion that got to me. The feeling of ascending, coming to a halt, and plunging, taking with it my guts and what-not, is one that I do not foresee myself wishing to experience again in the near future, which is why I did not join HF on the "Battlestar Galactica" later. I don't care what people say, but it's just freakin' scary. You feel like screaming but you can't quite find your voice; yet there is nothing you can do except to close your eyes and scream. Gosh I still shudder when I recall the ride.

Rounding back to the Lost World, we finally got to try the "Canopy Flyer" after queueing for an hour. It didn't look like much when I was walking beneath those people, but it was scary. I screamed a lot and some bad language came out (sorry TH :P). And then it ended and I was sitting there, shaken and exhausted, when the kid in the next car returned smiling... Brave kiddo.

This is beginning to sound like a list of what I did... Ok I shall just summarise what's left,since the fear portion is largely over. haha... Next we did "Accelerator" (which was kind of no kick), "Lights, Camera, Action!" (really cool!) and "Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure". The rapids ride was ok; dinosaurs roared occasionally from both banks, the waters got a bit turbulent at times. Towards the end we entered a dark tunnel, which I knew for sure was a bad sign. It was so dark you can barely see your fingers, it was so oppressive. And then we ascended vertically and there was this T-Rex with jaws wide open above us. But I wasn't afraid of the T-Rex, I was dreading what I knew was imminent. Sure enough, the gates behind us opened and we were plunging, my back facing the open air. I was so scared I wasn't thinking properly, and I screamed, and only when I had swallowed mouthfuls of water did it occur to me to shut my stupid mouth. So we emerged, looking foolishly wet.

We met the 'Pharaoh' in Ancient Egypt and took photos with him. *smiles at muscles* Just as we were nearing the exit and I was feeling abit sad and unfulfilled, we saw Frankenstein. The guy (I should think it's a guy) inside is really interesting and came up with all sorts of interesting poses. I can't really explain it, but he feels warmer than other mascots. Maybe it's because he's Frankenstein, who is sort of a tragic figure, or maybe because he pretended to strangle me (hah), or simply because he waved to people on his way back. Whatever the reason, Frankenstein left a warm fuzzy feeling in me... :) (I'd imagine that's how drinking Butterbeer will feel like.)

Look at those soles! lol