Singapore: WW2 Sites, Movies & Aussimart!

This past week has been crazy! We are leaving tonight for Cambodia, a trip that has been planned, and re-planned and discussed incessantly for the past few weeks! It's been nuts, and a whole lot of fun.

However, this week has also made me realise *finally* that I am here to study as well as party and travel, and so I've been a little bad a left a few assignments to the last minute.

It began last Sunday with a walk around campus and the surrounding area with the local environmental group - the Kent Ridge Heritage Walk. It was a fascinating look at the history of the area – which was the site of the last battle of the Malay regiment in WW2 against the Japanese. The fact that we were there on the anniversary made it all the more special. That, and we discovered our campus has bunkers from WW2 hidden behind a water tank! How many uni’s can claim that! That night we went out for Kiran’s birthday dinner at Holland V(illage), the local expat hangout. Very nice Indian food! Happy 23rd Kiran!

Tuesday night, however, was not a time for celebration, as we saw Hotel Rwanda at the cinemas. I haven’t seen a film like that since Schindler’s List, and none of us left dry-eyed. The film was so powerful, and so moving, it really makes you want to do something and stand up against all the injustices in the world. I was almost speechless after seeing it, and for me, that is quite an achievement.

The past few days, Shirley, Tim, Aruni and I have been discussing setting up an 'Australian' stall for the International Fiesta to be held at NUS yesterday and today (where I got to finally see a dragon dance!). It didn't eventuate, but it did mean we finally went to Aussimart - the only store to sell Vegemite in Singapore - however it was shite! Really small, and with only one or two items of interest, we left having bought nothing. It was a letdown really - we had built it up (having walked past it many times when it was closed) to be this amazing store, and a cure for all our intermittent homesickness - but no, it was just a small store selling very little of interest.

However, back to the main topic: my Uni work. This week I had two large assessments due, and I needed to study for a midterm exam (which is on two days after we return from Cambodia!). Suffice to say, it was a difficult week, and I don't think my essay (for one of my history subjects: Colonial Indochina) is entirely up to scratch - but hopefully my Prof. won't notice. The tutorial presentation (for SE Asian studies - on migration) went really well, as that was today.

I feel so relieved now to have those two over - my first real test of studying in another country and I think I may have just made it. At least they were all done and handed in on time!

Now, it’s off to the airport and Cambodia!

Ciao!