Nightlife in Singapore

The legal drinking age in Singapore is 18, and many, many people take advantage of it. While some people say it's the best part about living in Singapore, I will politely disagree. However, it's undeniably a cool part about living here. I haven't done a lot of partying, mostly because I waited until I was legal to do so. So, here's some of the places I've been.

Zouk:  My first night out! Zouk is a beautiful club, and even though the cover charge is $45, it's worth it for a special occasion. I went to Zouk to see Disclosure, which was pretty neat. The atmosphere is unbelievable, and it's architecturally impressive. Even though the night I went was packed, I still had a good time.

Avalon: Right on Marina Bay, Avalon has an amazing location. The outside is glass, which earns it serious cool points. I went there with Nick a few weekends ago and we had a pretty good time.

Bianca: After-grad was held at Bianca, which is in the heart of Clarke Quay. I must admit, it's tiny. However, it's not a bad club, like many people were saying.

Chupitos: Shots bar! This place is so fun. It has a slightly wild atmosphere while being laid back. Go figure. They have some crazy shots.... worth a try for sure!

Places I want to go: Attica, St. James Power Station


Being able to club in Singapore is great, but one certainly has to keep in mind that there is a degree of risk to it. I haven't gone out that much, but I've seen people get pretty sick. At one party, people were totally floppy drunk... not even sloppy, just falling over. While I do think the drinking age in general should be 18 (if you can die for your country and vote for its leaders, why not be able to have a pint?), I think the attitude towards alcohol that parents and society fosters is extremely important. Americans have a crazy binge culture... in college, kids drink for the sake of drinking. I'm not saying that I don't do that at times, but I can also appreciate a glass of wine at dinner. If people treat alcohol like some forbidden substance, others will want it even more.

Make of that what you will.

I Graduated

Well, it's been two days since I graduated from high school, and it's been a whirlwind. I successfully walked across the stage, shook hands with the principal, and got my diploma. I currently have no idea where said diploma is, but it's floating around my house somewhere. Good enough.

Below is the Senior Video, which is tradition. My class was super lucky to get an awesome film guy, as well as a great animator, to create this video. Check it out, it's pretty darn awesome. I tie my pointe shoes in it and do a kick. However, I'm not the girl walking away with the pointe shoes... my legs aren't that long!





Since graduation, I feel like I've been partying and sleeping non-stop. It's strange how much freer I feel now that I'm not in high school. I can do what I want and hang out with who I'd like... the social boundaries are gone.

WOOHOO! I GRADUATED!

The Eve of Graduation

Tomorrow, I graduate from high school.

What a crazy statement to be able to write. Tomorrow, I'm going to be able to call myself an alumni of something. I wonder what freshman-year Natalie would have thought.  Graduating on a tiny island with a class I really don't know is so different from the small town I grew up in. There were kids that I went to preschool with that I would have graduated with. I wish I had been able to do so.

To be honest,  I think high school graduation has more significance to parents than students. Yes, graduating high school is an accomplishment... I guess. In this day and age in which having a bachelor's degree gets you an interview, not a job, a high school diploma doesn't really matter. It's not that hard to graduate from high school in the environment I live in. In many places, graduating from high school is in fact an achievement. But here in Singapore, if you don't graduate from high school, something is seriously wrong with you.

Here in Singapore, at least in expat-land Singapore, the accomplishment goes to the parents. The parents, who have managed to transplant their lives who knows how many times. The parents, who have managed to raise mostly-functioning kids despite strange circumstances and even stranger experiences at times, deserve the recognition. Graduating from a school that is willing to spoon-feed and hand-lead students to receiving their diploma is not an accomplishment. But to support and guide someone through this craziness certainly is.

So, on the eve of my high school graduation, I want to thank my parents. My parents, who have done more for me than I could ever name. Thank you.