Befriending the Merlion

In 3 days, I will complete my first month living in Singapore as an exchange student in NUS. I can sense from the very beginning that this opportunity worth so much and I don’t want it to get into waste by letting time just flies. 

I started off as a stranger to the sophisticated system they have here. I can tell it from how many times I stopped at the wrong bus stop (not that many actually..), to my failure to comprehend the self-service printing system in campus, up to the confusion to differ Teh O from Teh Ice.

Daily life in Singapore is very much an excitement as I encounter a different routine. I’ve bought so many room embellishments ranging from dehumidifier, scented gel, shower basket, sticky hanger, to food rack to make things look neat in between the 5 other girls that I share the room with. I guess desire to clean up and rearrange things has been sitting in my blood all this time. It’s just that before I always have someone else to do it for me so I haven’t been so extensive about it.  Settlement shopping was clearly a highlight in my first month here. I might have been exaggerating a little, but choosing the color of my shower basket and food rack was really a muse for me I can even imagine filling up my future home with edgy furniture and embellishments. Food is still a challenge as I can probably find only one Halal food counter in a huge food court. It then leaves me with so little option on what to eat – which is sometimes a good thing as I’ve been known for having difficulty in choosing what to eat- while cooking doesn’t seem to be the greatest option here in the hostel I stay in.

Taking only 12 credits hours, I have left with so many times to do something else rather than reading journals and writing paper -Such an experience after a very tight 2,5 years in my home university although sometimes I feel bad by seeing how hardworking other students are-. I compensate it with sitting-ins, online course and extracurricular activity mostly sport and volunteering. I find that chances to gain yourself are even wider when you go out of class and leave the routine in a balanced amount.

Other than those, I feel especially obliged to observe this country deeper than its outer appearance. I am afraid that I will be so quick to judge as I haven’t indulged myself in any deep conversation or immersing into the real life of Singaporean. What I can quickly tell though, Singapore government- whom we know as a rather closed-autocratic one- is really a big part of everyone’s life here as they are so proactive in ensuring its people convenience as you can tell from elderly work-out station in a local neighborhood to a healthy life campaign in a hawker center. Meanwhile the kiasuist hardworking young generations are taking their bits of leisure time by watching TV series on their smartphone during the ride to work or back home.  

I guess I can go on and on with this, but let me get back to my laundry for now, Ciao!