When the first gust of hot, humid air hit me as I exited Changi Airport I came to the realization that my study abroad experience wasn’t a topic of discussion with family and friends anymore, but finally a reality. The transition from the freezing temperatures from my home state of Massachusetts during winter break to the tropical rainforest climate of Singapore was quite drastic for me. Singapore is an island city state that is located south of Malaysia and lies immediately north of the equator. The locals here joke that there are four seasons in Singapore: wet and hot, wetter and hot, dry and hot, and dry and even hotter. The average temperature ranges anywhere from the mid 70s to the lower 90s. I arrived on January 9th, which was still in the wet season. As I travelled from Changi, which has been ranked as one of the best airports in the world, to the National University of Singapore (NUS) campus, I couldn’t help but be amazed as I saw the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore Flyer, and ArtScience Museum in person for the first time.
When I arrived on the NUS campus, I headed straight to my assigned dorm called UTown Residence (UTR). UTR is one of several dorms that exchange students live in. My dorm is filled with mostly exchange and graduate level students. I live on the 15th floor in one of the two towers at UTR. I have a really nice view from my room and share the room with three other exchangers. I would say the room layout at UTR is similar to that of West Hall at GW. Each student has their own room which includes a bed, a desk, and a dresser. Then there is a small common space with three couches and a kitchenette. As I mentioned, my suitemates are also exchangers. One attends school at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia; the second is from Germany but studies in Switzerland. My third suitemate is coincidentally a GW student! I was really surprised that one of my suitemates attends GW as I believe there are only five GW students studying at NUS this semester.
After settling down into my dorm, I went out to the cafeteria where I was shocked to find out how cheap the food is in comparison to those in the United States. My first meal in Singapore was this dish called chicken laksa. Its a soupy dish that has noodles and chicken in it. That meal cost me $4 SGD which is around $3 USD! Chicken Laksa is definitely one of my favorite meals in Singapore. While the price for local food is not too expensive, other products that are imported into Singapore are quite expensive. The price for sunscreen for example is $8 SGD for around 1.6fl oz. Because Singapore is such a small country, most of its products have to be imported which drives up the price of products.
In addition to enjoying the food in Singapore, I have enjoyed meeting people from all over the world. NUS has an amazing international peer advising program that facilitates the transition exchange students have. Through the various planned activities for exchange students, I have met people from Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia, and more. I have also met a lot of local students from my classes. Because of my major in biology and minor in philosophy, I am taking a class called Animal Behavior and Comparative Environmental Ethics. The other two courses I am taking are called Global Economic Dimensions of Singapore, in which I learn about Singapore’s economic history, and Systems and Policies to Improve Health, a class about Singapore’s healthcare system.
Overall, my first four weeks in Singapore have been amazing. I certainly still miss my family and friends, especially since the Superbowl is happening tomorrow on Feb 5th (go Pats!). However, I am really appreciative of everything that I’ve learned so far and the people I’ve met. I look forward going on more adventures and learning more about the culture of Singapore and other countries in South East Asia!