Singapore – Page 4 – GW Blogs from Abroad

"Gong Xi Fa Cai!" My Chinese New Year in Singapore

AdminFebruary 26, 2018December 14, 2018

“Gong xi fa cai! Hong Bao na lai?!”

My local friend promptly burst out laughing. “Happy new year to you too… but… do you know that you just asked me for gift money?” She said, with tears in her eyes. I had assumed that this was the standard way to greet people for Chinese New Year. Furthermore, I had repeated the greeting to every Chinese Singaporean I had interacted with, including my professor. Apparently, I had just committed my first faux pas in the year of the dog.

Chinese New Year is one of the biggest festivals in Singapore and is often celebrated with family reunions, food, and Hong Bao. Hong Bao translates to ‘red envelope’ in English and is often synonymous with the cash gifts or “lucky money” that is gifted in the envelopes. During Chinese New Year, family members, friends, and colleagues exchange these packets of lucky money. In most cases, it is the elders or married couple who give the Hong Bao to younger or unmarried people. Sometimes, children may gift Hong Bao to their elderly relatives. My local friend told me that saying “Hong boo na lai” or “Give me the red packet, please” is a very cheeky way of asking for the money. This greeting is generally reserved for greeting close acquaintances and friends.

“Don’t say that to an aunty you don’t know lah” she warned me. “Or maybe you should ah! You are a foreigner, you can get away with it.”

A few weeks before the Chinese New year, red decorations start popping up everywhere in Singapore. The red color is considered to be lucky in Chinese culture. Thus, complicated red paper cuttings of traditional characters for luck and prosperity are stuck on doors and windows. One of my local friends even changes all her bed covers and pillow covers to the festive red and gold.

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Coffee: A student’s best friend

AdminFebruary 23, 2018December 14, 2018

By shellytakessingapore

Across universities, cultures, and people, college student's best friends are naps and coffee. With temperatures ranging from the mid 70s to 90s, the heat in Singapore, among several other factors, steals a lot of my energy and leaves me fatigued. To combat this issue, I have found myself taking more naps during the day than I normally do back in the States. While napping does help me regain energy, it requires staying in bed more often and takes a lot of time out of my day. Therefore, coffee has been an effective source of energy. However, I learned the hard way that the type of coffee and way of ordering coffee is not the same in Singapore as it is back home. After committing a few cultural faux pas, I believe I have mastered the proper way to order coffee in Singapore.

In Singapore, the term for coffee is the Malay word "Kopi". Kopi is a sweeter, richer version of coffee. The beans are usually roasted with butter and then brewed through a small sack made of cloth. As a substitute for fresh milk, Kopi is served with condensed milk which adds an additional sweetness to the drink. When I had my first cup of Kopi, I immediately noticed how it was much sweeter and thicker than coffee that I was accustomed to. However, for those who enjoy a less sugary cup of coffee, Kopi can be modified to several different versions. The two most common versions of Kopi are Kopi O and Kopi C. Kopi O is served without milk and with sugar. Kopi C is served with unsweetened condensed milk and no sugar. Kopi is also very cheap in Singapore and costs SGD$0.80 (USD $0.60) for one cup. It is often served with toast that has a coconut jam spread called kaya. Just as the java jacket protects you from burning your hands from the hot coffee, a small plastic bag is wrapped around the coffee and allows you to carry it without holding the cup (please refer to attached picture).

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The Truth About Abroad While Abroad

AdminFebruary 20, 2018December 14, 2018

By shellytakessingapore

In my previous post, I mentioned ways to get around Singapore. However, another important component of the study abroad experience includes traveling to nearby countries and exploring other cultures as well. Often times, friends will post their crusades in other countries on social media. While the pictures seem to portray simple, fun adventures, what isn't shown are the numerous hours pouring over details about flights, lodging, activities, and meals.

Even before arriving in Singapore, I had a vague idea of other countries I wanted to travel to visit while studying abroad. This list included countries such as: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Laos. As days turned into weeks and I continued to remain in Singapore, my anxiety about traveling increased. I had created an unreasonably high expectation for myself regarding traveling. For me, studying abroad meant doing something new everyday and exploring new countries every weekend. However, the reality is far from this idealized theory. Below I have listed some myths that I believe people have about traveling to other countries.

Myth 1: Everyone's schedules will align perfectly.
The experience of traveling to other countries is enhanced when friends join along and explore together. In an ideal world, all of the friends that one makes while studying abroad have the same class schedule. This schedule would consist of classes from Tuesday to Thursday so that Friday to Monday can be dedicated to traveling. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. On my trip, I have friends whose classes end around 6pm on Friday. I, myself, have classes on Mondays that start at 12pm. Moreover, the situation becomes even more nuanced when more people are factored in. While it can be frustrating to have to limit traveling to certain days throughout the weekend, it is important to be flexible and accommodate everyone. A benefit of traveling with a group of friends as opposed to traveling alone is that you can feel safer in an unfamiliar place.

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An unfortunate ‘twist’: Dealing with an ankle injury in Singapore

AdminFebruary 20, 2018December 14, 2018

By tanvibanerjee

“Do you know what NUS stands for?” My local kaki (friend) asked me one night, “National University of Stairs!”

Her joke rang in my head as I lay on the bathroom floor for the second time that night. My crutches had somehow managed to land far away from where I had slipped and my casted ankle throbbed painfully. Of all the things I had thought I would experience while studying abroad, I didn’t think I would be experiencing my first serious ankle injury.

On the night of January 31, as Singapore slept, I was wheeled into the emergency room by my fellow exchange friends. The dreaded question came next, “So, how did this happen?” I wish I could tell a tale of how I tripped while catching a pickpocket or something more heroic, but that was not to be. Red-faced and very embarrassed, I was forced to recount how I had stumbled while crossing a road. Worse yet, I hadn’t even fallen to the ground. Instead, I had squawked a very inelegant squawk and clutched at my friends who were walking beside me.

The nurses shook their heads in disbelief as they examined me for more injuries. “How did you trip lah?! This ankle injury happens more commonly while playing sports!”

Head swirling in pain, adrenaline, and shock, I could only hear bits and pieces of information that the doctor was telling me.

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T, Metro, MRT??

AdminFebruary 12, 2018

One of the key features of studying abroad is traveling within your host country and to nearby destinations. As a student in Singapore, there are multiple ways to travel within the university campus and around Singapore. I have listed five methods of transportation that I have used to get around Singapore.

1. Walking: At GW, I'm accustomed to walking to get to class, extracurricular activities, and exploring D.C. However, the campus at NUS is not only significantly larger than that of GW but also has more hills and slopes. Moreover, the constant humidity and heat in Singapore makes it difficult to travel long distances by foot. Consequently, most people do not walk everywhere around the campus of NUS. Fortunately, most classes in similar departments and areas of study are located close to each other. In Singapore, "colleges" replaced with the name "faculty of". For example, the GW College of Arts and Sciences is called the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at NUS. Each of the faculties around campus have their own cafeterias. This also makes it much easier for students to walk and find food between classes.

2. Bus: Because of the sheer size of the campus, NUS provides free bus transportation around different faculties and dorms. This is the main form of transportation around NUS. There are four main bus lines: A, B, C, and D. The D buses take me from my dorm to my classes at the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The A, B, and C buses also travel to many of the same stops as the D buses as well as other places that the D bus does not go to. The bus also stops at the nearest metro station on campus called the Kent Ridge Station. The buses have wifi, are air conditioned, have a few seats for people to sit on. However, during the day, the bus is often packed with students. There is also an app called NUS NextBus that tells students when the next bus will arrive at their stop. Unfortunately, the buses do not run on constant schedule. Sometimes I only have to wait for two to five minutes for the bus whereas other times I have to wait more than twenty minutes. These buses run from approximately 9am to 11:20pm. In addition to the bus offered by the university, at least two local metro bus lines run at limited stops around campus. While it costs money, these buses are very helpful when I am trying to travel somewhere off campus or if it is past 11:20pm. However, the local buses also stop running around 12:30am so it is important to try to manage your time to make sure you can get a bus back to your room.

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"Paddles up, Go!"

AdminFebruary 12, 2018December 14, 2018

By tanvibanerjee

“We will... we will...rock you...” we panted as our paddles cut through the water with the beats. It was a surprisingly rain-free day in Singapore, and the weather was perfect for a dragon boat race at the Kallang Water Basin. However, when the instructor first yelled “Paddles up” at us twenty amateurs, I realized that this was going to be a long day.

Growing up in the landlocked suburbs of New Delhi, water sports had never been a big part of my life. The Yamuna, Delhi’s river, is too dangerous to paddle or row in. Now, imagine my surprise when I first encountered people rowing in the Potomac! Unsurprisingly, Singapore is a haven for people who enjoy water sports. Swimming is one of Singapore's most popular recreational activities. In NUS itself, there are three big pools open to all students. Local community pools are also relatively cheap. Furthermore, the public beaches in Sentosa and Lazarus islands are clean and safe for a good swim. Other popular water sports in Singapore include kayaking, paddling, and dragon boating.

So, when my exchange university decided to organize dragon boating for exchange students, my interest was piqued. I wanted to try out water sports for once. However, only 120 students could go dragon boating, and unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them.

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Welcome to Singapore!

AdminFebruary 6, 2018

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. ...continue reading "Welcome to Singapore!"

Singapore? Can lah!

AdminFebruary 6, 2018

As an international student at GW, I am used to long flights, layovers, and the TSA. However on the 7th of January, as the plane circled over the small city-state of Singapore, I could feel my heart racing. Instead of the familiar lights of Dulles that greet me every semester, I could see oil rigs, boats, and a turquoise blue sea. And then, there it was— Singapore, bathed in the soft light of a January dawn. As I peered out of the window, I could see tall skyscrapers, gentle hills and winding roads dotted with cars. ‘For a small city-state, Singapore does not look all that small,’ I thought as I looked out of the window.

While Singapore is much smaller than other sprawling metropolises like New York, and my hometown, New Delhi, it is more than 5 times the size of Washington D.C. Unfortunately for me, I had no previous knowledge about this and had assumed that one could easily walk from one end of Singapore to another in a matter of a single day. On my second day in the country, I told this to an elderly lady on the MRT (Singapore’s Metro), who laughed and said, “Can lah! But would take more than a day ah.” Tickled with my ignorance she went on to tease me, “Aiyyo! Don’t walk too much lah, you might reach Malaysia.”

Singapore’s proximity to Malaysia and other Southeast Asian nations, as well as its history as a trading port, has allowed Singaporeans to become a very diverse people. Malay, Indian, and Chinese are just a few of the broad ethnic identities that Singaporeans identify with. In my first few days in Singapore, I learned that these identifiers were more complex. A local friend described herself as a Hokkien Chinese Singaporean, while another described themselves as an Indian Muslim Singaporean!

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