"A trip to Australia"

haha.. within such a short time did I went to Australia?

My father drove us to changi airport terminal 3.. this trip is so cheap just costs $3 per person.. and the money will go to cancer foundation.. doing something for charity.. okay there are no options of tour guide.. English or Chinese.. my mum only understands mandarin so should follow chinese tour guide.. but my dad.. who understands english better than chinese wants english.. but must be more considerate to mum mah.. she does not understand english at all leh.. and we came as a family.. how can we follow separate tour guides? so he just follow lor.. and the thing is he is very very impatient.. the queue for english tour is long so they set off earlier but only the 7 of us want chinese so he is very very not happy.. he complaint loudly about how long more we have to wait for turn to set off.. just then the tour guide came and she told us not to be unhappy and we will set off now.. she also tried to ask my father to cool down and don't be angry.. actually the rest of us are not unhappy at all.. only my dad lor.. then other people are all old man and old lady who have a lot of time and just want to have fun.. so am I and my mother.. that timeI really feel like finding a hole to hide.. and don't want people to know that is my father.. what a bad attitude he has.. hai~

the tour guide was saying that she will show us around terminal 3 and she will be bringing us to Australia.. Yeah! I never been to Australia before leh.. Will she really bring us there?
This new terminal is even larger than the terminal 1 and 2.. and it allows natural sunlight to enter with its many butterfly wing shaped flaps of shield that reflect the light at an angle.. the shields will move according to the the direction of daylight.. it is all computerised.. amazing right..


this terminal also gives a sense of openness.. there are no large partition walls.. as all the walls are made of glass and so transparent.. but the place is so large and you cannot really see the ends.. it will take about 30 mins to walk from one end to the other end.. wow! and it is so transparent that you can see people in the departure hall and the arrival hall.. so even if your loved ones are inside the transit area at level 1.. you can also see them from level 2, 3 and 4..
the arrival hall view from a level up.. you can see your relatives taking the luggages from outside..
A good wide view of the "crossroad" in the departure hall.. crossroad becos it is the place where you will either turn left or right.. to the Gate A or B..

this terminal also go green.. it has a five storey high, 300m wide green wall with real green plants.. the plants can grow becos of the sunlight and they are watered by mist..
the tour guide brought us into the departure hall.. oops.. we didn't bring our passport.. how did we get in? we have our tour tickets mah.. haha..

and do you know about the new automated system of going thru the custom? just scan your passport and thumbprint and you will be allowed thru.. no more long queue.. easy and fast..

inside the transit area.. there also real trees growing..
A koi pond with no koi.. why? the pond is still not clean enough and construction is still carried out in the area.. they are still cleaning it so the high chlorine content sign..

this will give a good view of the planes departing or landing but there's no plane yet..

At the crossroad, there will be a bar called "Post Bar" opened by Fullerton hotel.. and the picture shows where a large water flowing display will be located.. water means money fortune lor..
there will also be many shops and F&B outlets opened like FIFA, Brewerkz, Chocolat Factory.. but most of them are still under construction and renovation.. hai~ not time to shop yet..

Have you heard of the $800 chairs? I have sat on them at terminal 3.. nothing special lah.. just chairs that will be durable and last many years bah..

the chair my father sat on worth $1000 plus.. and there are so many of these chairs that they can accomodate about 1500 ppl who will be waiting for their flights at the gates.. no wonder they need $1.75 billion to build this terminal.. the chairs already cost so much.. don't know where the money comes from?

okay.. the tour guide has brought us to the holdroom at the gates.. we will be taking our flight to Australia yah.. but after some introduction and explanation of the place, she told us that is bringing us to take our luggage.. huh?we are back from Australia already.. so fast right.. and we have just arrived in Singapore.. and taking back our luggage.. haha..

at the luggage collection area.. there is a large sandstone art wall just below the green wall which is hand-sculpted with tropical flora and fauna and multi-language welcome messages..
Welcome and Selamat Datang!

that's the end of the tour!

terminal 3 haven't start operation yet.. they only let us to have a tour around there first and we can enter the transit mall also.. this tour thing is until 9th Dec which this sun.. becos after that they will be preparing for the opening and first flight on 9th Jan 2008.. for me this is of course a good experience lah.. becos I seldom get to go airport.. seldom go overseas mah.. it has been so many years that I last take a plane.. but I think I will get to take plane next year de.. my grad trip mah..

as my father drove us out of the terminal, I took some photos..
the Crowne Plaza Hotel which is under construction.. it is right next to T3.. a 4 star hotel mainly for those transit passengers bah.. becos the transit hotel inside the airport is always full..
the familiar icon of Changi Airport.. in the rain..
further and further away..

I have one thought after this tour.. actually it should be a happy family outing but the few hipccups along the way.. really makes me uncomfortable.. izzit that it is quite impossible now to have a good outing with my parents already.. we always nearly end up in heated exchanges.. I have controlled my temper a lot.. I have tried my best.. but both of them are getting more and more sensitive.. does this mean that my parents are really becoming old liao.. and I should be old enough to know how to handle this properly.. I am really worried I can't..