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By shivaniinsingapore

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.

...continue reading "Singapore’s Public Transit System"

By shivaniinsingapore

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.

...continue reading "…Study Abroad Problems?"

By shivaniinsingapore

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:

...continue reading "Biggest shock(s) of Singapore"

By shivaniinsingapore

After having been in classes for three weeks, I can safely say that there is a lot of curiosity amongst my classmates as to what exactly constitutes American culture. In classes, I always get asked several questions about US perspectives on various topics; the most discussion of US culture comes from my Gender and Society of South Asia course. While in this class, I am pushed to think critically about how the US/Western mindset is different than the Eastern mindset. Most of the time, I don't know how to answer. Culturally, there are numerous things that are different between the US and Southeast Asia; however, I have enjoyed every last bit of the learning process!

...continue reading "Foreign Perceptions of Americans"

By shivaniinsingapore

After two weeks of adding and dropping courses, I was able to finalize my courses (at NUS, they are called modules). Since I am a non-graduating exchange student, there was only a select number of modules I could apply for. I was extremely lucky and ended up with 4 modules, which equates to 16 or so hours at NUS. However, I met people that only had 3, which is the bare minimum number of classes you need to maintain your students pass. It was mentioned at orientation at NUS that there is very good chance that you will not get ALL of your ideal schedule or classes if you have a "popular" major, namely business, economics or psychology, but you may end up with some of them. Additionally, you also have the option to submit an appeal form. As a senior, I have a few remaining GCRs left for my major, so I am focusing on courses that relate to specific cultures. My course list includes: Rice, Spices and Trees: Peasants of Southeast Asia, Gender and Society of South Asia, Introduction to Theatre and Drama, and Pre-modern Japan: History and Culture.

...continue reading "Week Two- Classes have begun!"

By shivaniinsingapore


Singapore

Hello everyone! I have been here for a little over three weeks and have experienced so much excitement that I cannot simply express it in words. I arrived to the National University of Singapore (NUS) at the end of July and was greeted by a student that currently attends NUS. She helped me find my way back to the university and aided with my check-in process. NUS provided me with housing in their newest addition to campus called University Town, or UTown for short. UTown hosts academic based programs, such as the University Scholars Program, in these residence halls. Each hall appears to have a theme to it, similar to how Thurston Hall is broken up into floors based on academic interests. I currently reside in the Graduate Residences, which is a large high-rise building that provides an excellent view of some of the many buildings of Singapore. The picture in this post is the view from my room on the eighteenth story. I have three suitemates that share the bathroom and living room area; I was delighted to learn that my suitemates are all from different places in the world. They are all seniors; one is from Sweden, another is from Canada, and the last one is from France. So far, it has been a great joy to learn about their cultures and what daily life is like for each of them back home. We talk about anything from stereotypes to healthcare and education systems in their home states. Another added bonus is that each day, I get a mini-lesson on the Swedish language! ...continue reading "Week One- Hello from Singapore!"