In my work with the TOMODACHI Initiative I have been focusing on reaching out to young potential members of a TOMODACHI Generation. We are trying to connect interested young Japanese and young Americans to collaborate on short term goals like working on projects in Tohoku together or on our larger goals of improving cross-cultural relations between the US and Japan.
Tag: Asia
Life as a Singaporean Student
My classmates at NUS are fairly different than my classmates back home...their typical lives differ vastly than what I am used to in many ways.
The first difference I noticed was that these students appear to study MUCH more than what I am used to. The students in some of my classes can be seen at the library reading and sometimes re-reading the required texts/articles. When asked why they re-read assigned readings, I was told something interesting. I was told that since these classes are based on a bell-curve, only a couple of students can obtain the top mark of an A+. Thus, a lot of the students spend countless hours trying to practice memorizing the readings and create their own conclusions in hopes of being able to obtain a great grade. I, however, have never re-read a textbook unless I was studying for an exam and did not understand some of the material. I noticed that some of the students are used to memorizing texts rather than applying and understanding the significance behind some of the readings. After discussion with some local students, I found out that they have been raised to memorize. Their college entrance exams, called the A-Levels, apparently require some level of memorization. One local student mentioned that having a great memory would secure a very good grade on the exam. Overall, there are far fewer essays/assignments in my classes here than back home, but the weekly discussions in tutorials or in classes require great understanding of the readings.
Patan, Kathmandu
By tierneybb
Friday was indisputably the best Nepal day so far. We have been warned of "bad Nepal days," when the chaos and clamor and complete otherness of this city will break us down, and we will want nothing more than to find a couch (a considerable task, especially if you expect it to be comfortable) and demand a mocha and faster internet. But after Friday I will take those blows knowing that this semester is more than worth it.
Kathmandu Valley
By tierneybb
So just imagine I'm having a splendid time trekking through the Tsum mountains (I've now looked them up, they are not gradual or little mountains, gah), pulling leeches off my legs (apparently leech season is almost over, but you especially can't kill them here as they're representations of water spirits from another dimension), and bathing in a stream wearing a petticoat ( I wasn't clear on this either, but apparently not like victorian underwear, but bathing shifts like the Tale of Sir Galahad, unfortunately no one here has heard of them either so some helpful monks tried to assist in my shopping for a "nightie," but I got one eventually).
Kathmandu Valley
By tierneybb
For the next two and a half weeks I will be trekking through the Tsum Valley, along the Northern Border of Nepal. Featuring the famed Mt. Manaslu, we are headed into this remote valley in order to do research on the Tibetan(iod) peoples there. Only recently made accessible to a group of our size by the government, there are no "proper roads" (as in motorable) into Tsum from Nepal, and only one from China. Instead, after a ten hour car ride to the bordering state, we will have a six day trek into the valley, three days of homestays in remote villages, and a five day hike out. That's seventeen days, eleven of which will be spent hiking, some for an estimated six hours a day, which for me, means more. I would say I'm more outdoorsy than most of my D.C. friends, but that mostly just requires having pitched a tent at any time in your life. Compared to my Colorado friends... well I have other interests. In vague preparation I camped out a night with friends before hiking a 14'nr (Mt. Bierstadt, elevation 14,065 ft, and named after a painter, so I could tell art history stories the whole way up). But I'm concerned. I've already asked our house manager Rinzi to bring an extra donkey along to carry me up the mountain, and despite his laughed agreement, I think I will be alone on this one. Well, alone with twenty other students, nine program staff, and a large group of sherpas doing the actual heavy lifting and camp setting. So, alone like the Tim Curry (King Arthur) song in Spamalot, mostly just in self despair.
Singapore’s Public Transit System
One of the best things about Singapore is its public transit. One can literally get from one end of Singapore to the other within the time frame of an hour and a half to two hours. The public transit system here is referred to as the MRT, and to use it, you must have an EZ-Link card (identical to a SmarTrip). There are four basic lines: the Circle line (this is the line that contains the stop for NUS called Kent Ridge) , the Northeast Line (this line has Chinatown and Little India on it), the North-South Line (this line contains a major shopping district called Orchard Road, as well as "downtown" Singapore, known as Marina Bay), and finally, the East-West Line (this line contains mainly residential areas, as well as one of the largest street markets for shopping). You may only have a minimum balance of 3 Singapore dollars (SGD) before the system forces you to add a minimum of $10 SGD; traveling on the MRT usually costs anywhere from $1-$2 SGD one way.
Namo Buddha, Outside the Kathmandu Valley
By tierneybb
Traveling by road in Nepal is not for the light of heart , but mostly it's not for anyone prone to motion sickness, acrophobia, or concerned about a head on collision in cars that have mysteriously been stripped of all the padding from their frames. Barring such concerns its easy to enjoy the jolts and jarrs of the rough road and the scenic views provided by steep drop-offs overlooking the valley. While this had a number of the students clutching the stripped frame of the land rovers in which we rode up to Namo Buddha, the professional drivers here are probably just as skilled as any Nascar driver, and collisions are incredibly rare despite the harsh road conditions.
...continue reading "Namo Buddha, Outside the Kathmandu Valley"
…Study Abroad Problems?
Before I left for Singapore, I was told that it was a very different culture than the US and that I should be aware of certain things that may be considered disrespectful in this country. Throughout my time here, I have been extremely cautious of my vocabulary and actions. However, most of the time, the locals here are familiar with people from the US and usually forgive small nuances that I may have done accidentally.
Biggest shock(s) of Singapore
This week I've decided to write about some of the biggest "surprises" I faced so far in Singapore. I haven't had a huge shock yet in Singapore, but have had small surprises that demonstrate things that I would have never expected.
Everyday Scene:
Boudhanath, Kathmandu
By tierneybb
Observing my surroundings as we eat delicious dhal by battery powered light I realize this is not a place where Blanche DuBois could thrive. Bare bulbs jut out from the walls, their wattage unshielded or dimmed, and this rechargeable light for load shedding hours is especially harsh, casting long shadows and distorting the most innocent objects. Kathmandu has a way of being similarly blunt and glaring to a point of distortion. Where poverty versus wealth is so clear a dichotomy, the standard of living itself becomes obscure. Everyone here has some variation of idiom about how nothing makes sense but ultimately it all works. The constant state of destruction and rebuilding that at first stood out so much has faded into the background and navigating the broken streets has become second nature in a short amount of time. White, unlabeled, TATA vans packed with people are actually a surprisingly effective public transport system, with teenage boys leaning out the open doors shouting the names of different routes. While many other students are feeling pangs of culture shock, homesickness, and often actual pains from the limited adaptability of their own digestive system, I have somehow managed to avoid all of these hazards of the first few weeks abroad (so far, now I've jinxed it).