The Next Chapter: Singapore

After 3 wonderful weeks at home visiting with family and friends, it was time to leave for my next adventure. I would be spending 4 months in Singapore, studying at the National University of Singapore for the semester. I can't believe this is real life. The fact that I have the opportunity to have this amazing year is so special, and I am appreciating every second of it.

I arrived in Singapore around midnight, and was greeted by a Welcome Buddy from the university who showed me to my dorm room. The ride into the city to get to the university gave me a view of the city lit up at night. A nice way to be greeted I think. They have a giant ferris wheel like the London Eye and many lit up modern architectural buildings in the skyline. Once getting to my room, I unpacked my sheets and made the bed, then stuffed my sweatshirt with clothes for a pillow. After a warm shower, I fell asleep quickly, excited to start this new chapter. 

I have been in Singapore a month now, and it has been very different from New Zealand. The mixture of several different Asian cultures in one place leads to a unique voice and identity for the city. I have enjoyed exploring different areas and getting to know new friends through shared experience. Above all else, food seems to be the most popular topic in conversation. There are so many different types of food and local cheap places to eat that it is always an adventure when going in search of a meal. In Little India, the Tekka Center has some great selections and I've gotten some great chicken biriyani and masala dosai there. The many cheap and delicious food courts all around Singapore are called hawker centers and are basically where I've been eating the whole time I've been here.  The most popular dish I've seen here so far is Chicken Rice, a serving of flavored rice with fresh cut roasted or steamed chicken neatly sliced on top. Often times it is served with a side cup of soup. 

Noodle dish

Besides seeking out good food, I've visited the botanic gardens, the Gardens By the Bay, the impressive Chinatown markets, the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and many other places. The Gardens By the Bay had a lot of nice flower and plant displays that I really enjoyed. It is located near the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel which looks like there's a boat on top. This is where the famous rooftop infinity pool is. Chinatown had so many different shops and market stalls, it was a little overwhelming but fun to walk around. I have to go back for lunch because I've heard the food is really good there.

Gardens By the Bay

Chinatown

Chinatown

 The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve has lots of macaque monkeys running around and terrorizing the neighborhoods nearby. I can see how they could be more pesky than squirrels since they can open doors and do more damage.

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

 We saw a dog chasing two monkeys down the street like you would see with squirrels at home. I was surprised at how quickly it became normal to see the monkeys jumping around.

I still think they're cute

 In one  of my classes, we went on a field exercise to do some stream tests and collect some samples to analyze and there were monkeys curiously looking down at what we were doing. My teacher told us not to laugh as they see it as a sign of aggression and might become violent. Okay, no problem, I'll try my best not to agitate the monkeys. I was chased by cows in New Zealand, don't need to be chased by monkeys in Singapore.  

I also went on an adventure to a Buddhist monastery with some friends. It was very peaceful and beautiful.  

August 9th was National Day, Singapore's 48th birthday. The entire city was decked out in flags and patriotic memorabilia in anticipation for the day. A group of us went down to the harbor and watched the fireworks display at night. It was one of the more impressive displays I've seen! A fun night with new friends left me with a smile on my face.  

 

The Harbor lit up

The Singaporeans I've met I find to be very friendly, genuinely caring and funny. I met a girl on the bus on campus and we got breakfast last week. She was telling me to let her know if I needed any help at all. She was incredibly helpful and always smiling. She even asked me to text her when I arrived back to my dorm to make sure I made it there okay. The other day during one of the usual downpours, I was walking down a ramp and slipped and fell. May I add that I was extremely graceful in the execution of this fall and it was not embarrassing in any way. Now, if you fall in Boston, most people will walk by and ignore your moment of embarrassment, as you clumsily stand up and continue walking with your eyes glued to the sidewalk, attempting to hide your flaring red cheeks. That was what I was expecting in this situation, and as an added bonus, I thought, hey, I don't know anyone here so how embarrassing can it really be? I wasn't prepared for everyone to rush over to me and ask if I was okay with a genuine look of concern on their faces. While most people are very friendly, there are always exceptions.  For example, the woman who works at the food court that always growls at me while I am buying an apple.

My classes are in full swing now. I'm taking two science and one media class. While it's nice to only be taking three classes, they are pretty intense and I spend a lot of my free time doing work and preparing for class. I find Immunology especially challenging. My professor in that class is Dutch, and when someone is able to answer a bonus question in lecture, he gives them a package of stroopwafels. I am determined to win a package this semester! I love stroopwafels. 

In addition to class, I am hoping to start traveling to some neighboring countries soon and go on little adventures. I haven't made any concrete plans yet but hopefully will soon!