My introduction to Southeast Asia has been nothing but incredible since I stepped on the plane in New York and stepped off in Singapore. It's so hard to try to summarize everything that has happened due to how busy we have been running around town, getting used to using the MRT (the Singaporean subway), trying new food, seeing museums and shows, taking boat rides, having banquets, and starting classes and getting acquainted with the University. However, in between all the action, what has impressed me the most over the past week, besides how clean and efficient the city of Singapore is and how much there is to do and see, is the people. The Singaporeans themselves are so diverse--Chinese, Malays, Indians, and many interesting visitors from every other country. I've met ex-pats, tourists, and other foreigners from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Mongolia, China, Britain, Switzerland, Morocco, and Egypt--just to name a few! One example that just proves how small our world is: Yesterday, I was waiting in the line for the MRT and started up a conversation with the woman besides me. Turns out she is from Buffalo, NY, too, and is backpacking through SE Asia right now! It was so incredible! This also brings me to another point--how friendly everyone is! Besides the "big city let me just push you out of the way so I can get on the subway first," which holds true for just about any metropolis, the people are so welcoming! Jazmine and I found ourselves running into a cheerleading squad on Orchard Road yesterday, and since we were both cheerleaders in high school, we wanted a picture of them to show our friends at home. Surprisingly, when we approached them, they all ran over to us and smiled hugely for our picture and afterwards clamored around us to find out where we were from. It had been raining(it DOWNPOURS every afternoon here) all day and we had been a little lost before, so this encounter really picked up our moods by showing, once again, that the Singaporeans are AMAZING!! Our "Singaporean guides/friends", Zhiqi and Alexius and Yongmin, among many others have been so helpful, as well, and so eager to show us their country! I can't thank them enough, from explaining what food is what to giving me napkins (since there are none), to giving flawless directions to get across the city.
I'm also extremely pleased because I've been able to use my Chinese skills here in Singapore more than I ever thought. Going into Chinatown, I don't let myself speak English with the vendors at all. I get some strange looks sometimes, since they don't expect a blonde, American girl to be able to speak Chinese, but when I do, I'm also rewarded with smiles, polite corrections, and steep discounts for my attempts! I was even able to get us directions to the bus station from a woman who couldn't speak English the other day. It was so rewarding to be able to exercise my language skills!
All in all, I'm still in awe of this tiny nation-state that has to much to offer. I have a list the size of the 747 we took to get here of things to do, places to go, people to hang out and share a conversation with, and, of course, readings to do for class! Luckily, I'm not even remotely homesick with all this excitement and adaption to my new life. It's starting to feel like home when we pull up to the PGP after a long day of activities. I know where to go, how to get there... and I'm absolutely in love.
Signing off for now as I go to sip my DELICIOUS fifty cent coffee from the canteen and read about the Asian Economic Crisis,
Elaina Giolando
I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pictures so far:
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