Of (Heart)Beats and Bylines [Completed]

Chapter 22- Trees Part 2

A/N: There were no titles yet prior to Chapter 17, so Trees Part 1 refers to Chapter 13. Thanks!!

Today marks the first day of the ASEAN summit.

This summit is a meeting held by the Association of South East Asian Nations. The association was established in 1967 with five founding members. Through the years, this membership has grown and to date, it has 10 member nations.

The ASEAN aims to develop the political, economic, and social climate of the region through the active collaboration and mutual cooperation among its members while respecting the sovereignty of each nation.

That morning, the host country's Prime Minister led the opening ceremony of the summit. All ten countries' heads of state or their representatives were in attendance.

The Prime Minister's opening speech centered on the theme of this particular summit while emphasizing the values that the ASEAN stands for such as regional unity despite each member country's cultural differences.

A week ago, I questioned if I was really cutout for this profession. But now, being in a room with all these international leaders, it affirmed that this is really I want to do for rest of my life. That is, to deliver matters of important events and policies to the public.

~~~~~

I'm typing the closing sentence of my article today to be emailed to my editor, Andy.

"Done with your stuff?" RJ asked after he approached me in a corner of the hotel lobby.

"I just need to email."

"Take your time," he said and turned around to roam the lobby.

After pressing the send button, I shut down the laptop and went up the room to secure it. When I went back down, RJ was sitting in the lounge and reading the local newspaper.

"Checking out today's news?"

"Of course! Like an obedient boy's scout on a mission."

I laughed at that. "Where are we going?"

"Patience, please. Just a few more minutes and you'll find out."

"You're not going to blindfold me, are you?"

"Not for this activity."

Put--! Maharot siya!  "OH NOOOO! Ayoko na ata sumama!"

"Biro lang! Tara na."

We are now on the road via Uber. We have passed by Clarke Quay where we hung out last night. From the looks of it, we are heading towards the Marina Boulevard. Are we going to the Marina Bay Sands?

But the car passed by it. No! We are going to the Gardens by the Bay, I gasped as the giant, alien-like, tree structures came into my view.

~~~~~

The Gardens by the Bay is a sprawling nature park in central Singapore. At 101 hectares, it consists of three parts: the Bay South Garden, the Bay East Garden, and the Bay Central Garden. Each garden features a distinct horticulture and artistry. The park also has a conservatory complex divided into two, called Flower Dome and Cloud Forest.

"What do you want to do first?"

"Can we try the scenic walk?" I asked, looking up in awe at the Supertrees that stand magnificently in the Garden.

"Let's go."

The Supertrees, ranging from 82 to 164 feet, are not just structures that dominate the garden. They are vertical structures that also house plants of various genus and species. At night, these Supertrees come to life in a spectacular lights and sounds show.