HOR-LAN Vol. 01

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FRANCE ENGLAND NETHERLANDS GERMANY

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This is an atas hipster magazine; of musings and sights as I wander our little globe.

Printed and bound in Tampines.

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Paris

01

0065H20M

Finally. After an entire semester scutinizing the Parisien

I met up with Armelle on my return to the city for a

urban model, I finally got to witness the city in all its

delightful afternoon viewing dead things in a little

roughness beneath the ordered Hausmannian veneer.

terrace [Deyrolle], followed by a meal where she found

My kind hosts: Chiamin, Maeve, Olivia and Summer,

my limited French extremely amusing. Oh well.

classmates from the architecture school back home, put up with my nonsense for more than a week - muttering

Tragically, the Charlie Hebdo incident occurred the day

after the conductor on the train to sound sophisticated

before I left. I admired the city’s spirit, pouring out to

or randomly vanishing into the night at 0200 for a run

the streets in defiance and remembrance, and the media’s

to the Louvre to channel Robert Langdon. They, in all

refrain from fearmongering. We did our part to continue

their gracious hospitality, taught me the virtues of city

normalcy, whiskey hunting at night [Place de la Bastille]

life in the old capital of the world; jumping over metro

because that’s what architects do.

tollgates, etc. So proud to see them host a party at their crib. Partying it up, doing Singapore proud.

Pont Alexandre III - ‘Someone Like You’, Adele.

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PARIS

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PARIS

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Newcastle

0041H10M

Got here after a foggy London day spent searching for Westminster Abbey in vain. I walked up and down Victoria district for 3 hours at least (noob). In all fairness, Google Map was shit.

Jamie hosted me here in this city; of which my prior knowledge of was of football hooligans and the incomprehensible accent. Turns out I’m right on both counts. However, the people were extremely nice, at least till two hours before the derby with Sunderland.

Travelled to the coast of Tynemouth in search of the quintessential British fish and chips. Well, it was good but failed to live to the Kiwi standards I hold so dearly in memory [Bobby’s Fresh Fish Market, Tauranga].

Oh yeah, and the bloody wind.

02

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Amsterdam

0052H20M

Got in late night with Jamie after a plane ride filled with British boys talking about what’s gonna go down in Amsterdam.

After all the anticipation, Amsterdam failed to live up to the standards I had for it, perhaps underestimating the compact nature of the city core. Heard great things about what lay outside the old city but did not have the time to explore them further, sadly. We then went for a sex show but hurried out after seeing the entrance fee. Met Osh past midnight and went for a hooker viewing walk together (Jamie also there, not just two pervs).

Had a good time with Jamie the next day, got ourselves some innocent brownies [Dampkring] before heading to the Rijks.

I swear Rembrandt spoke to me.

03

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Lyon

04

0058H40M

Alone time.

I headed to Lyon on a 17 hour bus ride. My ass can’t

Total fare 250 euros, covered by SNCF - merci,

take this anymore at my age. Sadly, my wallet insists.

SNCF.

Lyon is breathtaking. Culinary capital indeed. My

Got back to hostel for an impromptu party over wine

deepest impression though, was the pastiche of

and ham.

cultures gathering [Guillotière], touting drugs in unity, whistling at chicks, unfazing the french ones walking by and scaring the shit out of tourists.

Spent Christmas on a journey to the (near) top of Mont Blanc. Worth. Every. Euro. Plus the ticket guy insisted on giving me student price despite me being severely overage so that was dope.

The trip back was a quintessential Christmas experience. In typical SNCF fashion, the last train back to Lyon was cancelled, leaving me stranded in a tiny little hamlet upon the Rhone Alps [Saint Gervais]. Flustered, I rushed around trying to communicate in my crappy French (“Pardon, train, s’il vous pait?”). The station workers helped me out following a quick exchange in hand gestures. The crew went all out to ensure I could head back to Lyon in time, calling me a cab, driven by a nice uncle who taught me some rude french, and me, some rude english to him.

Joyeux Noel!

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LYON

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ÉVEUX

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MONT

BLANC

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B erlin

05

0111H30M

Just when I thought my bus days were behind me, I headed to Berlin after a failed endeavor to source air or train tickets at reasonable prices.

21 hours this time, damn.

New Year Eve

LPT: book way before.

Epic.

Had a crazy NYE in Berlin, crashing at a McDonald’s

Set up a time with Olivia to meet at 2100 ‘somewhere

with a bunch of Spaniards, meeting up friends from

near the ferris wheel’. I got down at 2100 and the

Canada, and taking in the history. Berlin represents

place was swarming with people - 2,000,000. Well,

the fracture of modern history, and it is impressive

shit. No choice liao. Leave it to fate. I smuggled a

the way Berlin picks himself up time and again,

jaeger and bumbled around with the crowd towards

establishing as one of the frontrunners in the

the Ferris Wheel. Then I heard someone shouting my

entrepreneurial scene and cultural milieu of Europe.

name. In a Singaporean accent. Bingo. Super heng or what. But then got barrier. So I waved to some random asians and told the police that was my mom.

Double heng - got to climb the barriers. We hung out with a bunch of cool British and Australians, counted down with Hasselhoff before heading off to a bar-club, doing shots and having a sweet time with a new friend from Mongolia.

Happy 2015!

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BERLIN

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Munich Freiburg

0031H10M 0029H00M

Met up with Sereney and Dan to crash at their place in Munich. A nice little studio, complete with meals.

Thanks, Wong. The gracious couple took me around, showing me the sights of Munich. Perhaps due to expectations from Monocle, I felt disappointed by the lack of energy unlike Berlin. It was great to meet the rest of the NUS class in Munich, we had a beer dinner before Huang went crazy with the snowballs outside.

We left Munich and headed to the edge of the German-Franco border, to the Black Forest city, Freiburg. Had a great time freezing our asses off and hiking up the forest. Sadly the view across the forests to the alps was blocked by a thick mist. Still beautiful though.

Then the highlight: Wong slipped and fell - a yellow blob in the snow. Super funny and cute, sorry Wong but I had to mention it.

06

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FREIBURG

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THANKS

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RINTIN

G PRESS

B E D ROO

MP

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GA P ORE

A B edroom Printing Press Production.