Events

Wow! How time flies...this is nuts! My blog posts are, well, firstly delayed, but secondly organised based on the trips I make away from Singapore! I knew I would travel, but not this often! Ah well, you only get a chance like this once, right? The money can work itself out later.

Sandwiched in the two weeks between my weekend in KL, and my big mid-term break in Cambodia was Chinese New Year (my first in a Chinese-majority country), Kiran and Doreen's birthdays, and the NUS International Fiesta! Plus my first assessments (one for SE Asian studies, and one for History). It started relatively quiet...and then rapidly accelerated until the day we left for Cambodia I was majorly stressing! But more on that later...

Tuesday, February 1st, 2005.
Tonight we went to dinner with my host father. The Host Family programme is one established by NUS to help exchange students, however as with many things, it has its limits. Basically, the program involves each student being paired with a local 'parent', with the aim being they take them out to the non-touristy attractions and places, and show them a side to Singapore that would otherwise not be known. Since signing up for the program when I arrived, I have only been out once with my host father - Prof Albert Teo - and this level of meeting seems quite normal. Many have only been out once. Whilst it would've been great to have seen him more and done more, everyone knows how busy we all are - because after all, we are not just here on holiday.

Regardless, thanks Albert! It's been great! He took us to Muthu's, an Indian restaurant owned by the brother of the owner of the Apollo Banana Leaf restaurant 2 doors down!. It turns out they worked together until about 30 years ago, when they had an argument and began operating competing restaurants. Having eaten at both now, I can say its a neck-and-neck race - both are SOOO good! Although Muthu's has just undergone a refurbishment and looks really nice. Definitely wins points for style. No more banana leafs though

So, back to the evening. Faruuk (Bosnian, studying in the Netherlands), Martin (Hungarian, studying in the Netherlands), Albert and myself headed off to Racecourse Rd. Once there, an ex-student of Prof Teo's came up and said hello - something which would rarely be done at a Uni level in Sydney I think. Or maybe not. I dunno - I would do it with my year 12 teachers, but I don't think I would with Uni lecturers etc... - they wouldn't know me for a start!

We ate fish head curry (!) - the first time for us exchange students - and it was really tasty. Not too spicy (we specifically asked for it mild), and really juicy. Definitely a must-try. Just don't eat the eyes - leave that to the locals! We also had vegetables, and an assortment of curries. All of it was far more authentic (as far as I have been told) than Sydney Indian food, and so cheap too! Even better.

We then went for a walk through the red-light district of Little India - somewhere that I didn't even think existed. Well, it does! In all its un-subtle glory. One moment you are walking down a seemingly innocent busy street, full of money changers and food stalls, and then you turn left down a back alley and end up in a distinctly different world. Compared to the almost-clinical Signapore portreyed in shopping centres and Orchard Rd, this is something else. We almost called it un-Singaporean, but of course, that's nonsense. ALL of Singapore is Singapore, and it's this variety that makes it so special.

The alley (Deskar Rd if you're interested) is just a very simple street, with red lanterns hung above all the (open) entrances to the brothels. As you walk along, you can peer in and see the ladies 'available' - the idea being you can see before you buy, so to speak. Apparently this street exists to serve the migrant workers mostly, with the 'quality' being lower than the other red-light district of Geyleng.

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2005.
No clubbing for me tonight - need to budget now! KL ate too much money

Instead, I went to two cultural performances held on campus. Tonight made me realise how un-cultured USyd is, and also, how busy NUS is at night - even so early in the semester. It just seems to be far more lively come 5pm+, at a time when USyd just dies. I still can't pin it down to one, or a few, reasons, but I think it has something to do with regular and efficient transport leaving the Uni till 11pm, and a general desire to study and stay at the libraries to do so, until late in the evening. I'm presuming living in apartments adds to the quest for space - which NUS' libraries have in abundance.

So, instead of my regular diet of Dinner-->Procrastination-->Clubbing-->Cheese Prata-->Waking up at midday on Thursday, I went to the pre-Chinese New Year (CNY) presentation at PGP, and a Thai Dance performance by a group from a Thai University.

Both were really interesting - and for different reasons. The CNY presentation was given by some local students, as was more an inidication of Singaporean presentation-styles, than it was about CNY - but that's cool. As a result, I met Pavi, an international student here who runs iCare - a program similar to ADG or UniMates at USyd. We talked about the similiarities and differences between volunteering in our two countries, and how Uni students respond. As may seem strange there are far more similiarities than differences.

Back to the presentation: we went through the various rituals and traditions associated with CNY, and the various Singaporean touches - such as Bak Kwa (glazed pork). We then gave two mandarin oranges to the person next to us, and learnt the standard CNY greetings: Xin nian kuai le / Gong xi fa cai. Which translates to: Happy New Year / May you be very prosperous!

At the Thai Dance performance, we were treated to some really beautiful, fluid dances performed by students our age! It felt far more real than those I've seen at hotels and tourist attractions in Thailand, and it demonstrated the different styles and motions of Thai dance through about 10 dances. It was great to be able to see performances like that - I really think USyd should start promoting local and regional performances on its grounds. I'd definitely go.

January 2005

Instead of doing a day-by-day approach for the rest of my six months here (which even I would find boring), I will let my photos tell a story, and supplement it with a week-by-week thing...hopefully posted every Wednesday morning [I am most likely to be away for all or part of the weekends]

So...where to begin...

Wednesday 12th January
Had my cluster welcome tonight [a cluster is the corridor in which I live - there are 15 rooms in each cluster]. Met about 5 of the 10 occupants of my cluster, and they all seem quite nice. None of them I expect to be best-buddies with, but it is finally refreshing to feel like I am not living in a vacuum. As I have mentioned on here before, it does feel at times that there are no other people in my corridor - only shadows that disappear when I open my door. From now on, that should not happen

Also enjoyed a free beer at Munchie Monkey's (the only place licensed on campus, and even then it isn't anything like Manning). This place only opened this year, and it is only allowed to sell beer and pre-mixed drinks, and even then, only in glasses, so that they can't be taken away. How stingy is that?!?!? Aussies would go crazy if they got rid of our Uni bars - they are such an important social venue...Singaporeans: take note. Get a bar on campus.

Ended the night at Insomia, a bar in CHIJMES, a converted Church compound. It was fantastic until they started playing Lu & I's songs, and I got very home-sick.... I also had the misfortune of missing the last cab from PGP there, so I got to take public transport on my own...really cheap night though.

Thursday 13th January
Had an interesting experience tonight at the 'Cross Cultural Exchange' session, with various staff members and students attempting to explain and define Singapore over the course of two hours. To their credit, I think they managed it quite well - all the basics were covered - the four official languages and cultures, the pluses and minuses of Singapore, the food etc... and of course, Singlish. We had a lesson in Singlish which was really fantastic. A Singaporean Chinese representative from PROSE (Promotion of Standard English) stood up and spoke in perfect Queen's English (i.e. nothing like Aussie slang) for 10 minutes about Singapore, and then read us the first poem written in Singlish. Immediately, her accent changed and she became a natural Singaporean, complete with emphasising 'lah's at the end of every sentence. It was surreal.

Also ate durian again....ugh! Whilst I feel I *should* like it, as I know I looove the ice-cream, I just can't take it....it tastes a lot like it smells in my mind. The ice-cream though, is still one of the nicest things in the world. mmmm....

Friday 14th January
Went shopping for a large part of today, and visited Suntec City with Shirl & Lauren (US). Suntec was quite cool, and the laser-water show at the World's Largest Fountain was pure kistch. Great touristy fun.

Saturday 15th January
Tonight I was meant to go out and see the hall play 'Romeo Loves Juliet'. No that isn't a typo, the play is a comedic adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. Yes, yes, I know that alone should have sent my running, but when in Rome....

There were also strong rumours that it was going to be done in Singlish, so this I could not miss.

However, it was not meant to be - the person who was meant to get me tickets didn't get them in time, so we ended up not going. I heard later that it was laughable and supremely stupid (unintentionally it seems), and was so bad that just before the interval they announced the English Premier League score. And to top it off, there was no Singlish!

Instead, I went to Chinatown for the light-up ceremony, marking the start of the Chinese New Year festivities with some new friends. Mark, Andy, Caroline, Mercury, Erik, Thilo & I met in Chinatown and managed to watch the fireworks from obscure angles, as we expected the fireworks to be later than they were. It turns out this was the first time in over 20 years that Singapore has had firecrackers for the CNY light-up. From there we walked from Chinatown to Robinson and Clarke Quays, and then over to Boat Quay. Singapore River at night looks amazing, but still has nothing on Sydney. Only one view matches it, and I have yet to take photos from there. It's on the ECP (East Coast Parkway), and it offers a panoramic view of the Singapore CBD & Esplanade.

Sunday 16th January
This was the day we had all been looking forward to....the Grand Final of the ASEAN Tiger Cup. The Tiger Cup represents ASEAN's intra-regional football competition, and each country fields a team. The 4 finalists were Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. The final, between Indonesia and Singapore, was nowhere near as interesting and dangerous as the semi between Singapore and Myanmar, but the turnout was unbelievable.

For starters, it was the first non-European football (soccer) match that had sold out in Singapore for over 20 years, and 95% of the stands were filled with supporters wearing red - Singapore's national colour. All 50,000 tickets sold out in under 2 days. It was also great to see so many Singaporeans of different nationalities as one was great, as I have heard many state the inter-racial harmony may not be as deep as it seems.

The match itself was rather uneventful, with Singapore winning 2-1, and thus winning both final matches 5-2. This was to be expected, especially with such a vocal home crowd.

What was more interesting, however, was the complete lack of local support after the game. Once it was over, everyone spilled out towards the MRT and home. Given that it was a Sunday night, I would have maybe expected street parties until say midnight, but there wasn't even that. No ticker-tape parade either... it's so different to Australia, where we go crazy after small victories. Nothing is too small for a parade!

09-01-2005
Bukit Timah National Reserve
Today wasn't intentionally as active as it became, but it was definitely an insight into a side of Singapore I didn't really anticipate.

Six of us (Andy, Mark, Bianca, John, Sandra and myself) left PGP around 11am headed for Bukit Timah NR, in the centre of Singapore. We got there around 12ish, and made our way straight up to Bukit Timah Summit (163m). The summit is something only a country with a warped (from my perspective at least) view of the importance of nature could create. It was completely devoid of a view, as all the trees had grown over the surrounding hill, yet it had a small picnic area and an electricity substation.

Huh?!?!

Yes, that is correct, at the top of this forest (which is really all it can be called - it rains soo much here that a patch of unkept nature just thrives), there is this totally incongruent electricity tower and substation. It doesnt really destroy the atmosphere, but it does a pretty good job of it! The other anomoly here is the graffiti. Schoolkids have been practicing their english swear words on the back of signs. I guess its the only place where they can guarantee there will be no security cameras

But aside from all this, BT is awesome. It really is a wild national reserve in the middle of a highly organised and regimented society. In more ways than one it was a breath of fresh air. We were one of only a few people who explored the extra tracks (non-bitumened), and that was also amazing. The vegetation is quite similar to that found in Thailand, but nothing like Aus.

10-01-2005
The first day of Uni for 2005!!
I really had no idea what to expect from the first day at NUS, but I guess it didn't surprise me. Really NUS is just another Sydney Uni, when it all comes down to it - students worldwide seem to act, talk, and dress the same. Loads of tshirts and jeans, people running around and looking stressed, market stalls, student advertising everywhere, and just general organised mayhem. The bureaucracy here is frustrating, as I've mentioned before, but today I didn't really experience any of it.

I had my first lecture entitled History of Colonial Indochina. It was my first 3rd year subject, and was fantastic. The lecturer is American, so I really didn't have to strain to understand what was being said, which I've heard can be quite hard if your Professor is Singaporean. The subject itself deals with quite a large slice of Southeast Asia's history in seemingly an interesting way. The workload might be a little high though - we shall see "

I also met my Professor for another subject, whom I will remain nameless to protect his privacy, who is a very nice guy, and shares my incomprehension at how inept some departments are here. There are quite a few surprises at NUS, and a few sacrificies that need to be made to teach here. I think the fact that I can't really say any more gives it away

11-01-2005
Uni: Day II; Return to ICA; Host Family Dinner
Day 2 of Uni began earlier than Day 1, but the benefits of living so close to campus made themselves apparent almost immediately! I was meant to wake up at 6:45am (hah!) to have brekkie with Mark, but instead, I woke at 7:30, and still made class at 8am. Back home I could never do that - if I am not up by 6am, I have little hope of making class at 8am! This just makes me more lazy - and really, what is wrong with that

After a fascinating 2 hr lecture (given by the Professor mentioned in yesterday's post), in which I realised just how much you have to force a response from a lecture theatre here (although to be honest, Sydney Uni isn't much better - we are all quiet in large groups initially), I decided to make my way into the city to revisit the ICA. Interesting choice.

My Student's Pass was due to be ready between 2pm and 5pm, and to the ICA's credit, it was. The process by which you get your SP is quite strange, however.

To begin with, the queues to get a ticket to begin queuing for the collection of your SP (if that makes sense!) were far longer than anything I'd seen in Singapore for a while. This queue, however, was nothing on that inside, with the line of about 40 people processed in less than 5minutes. Good omen?? Hahah!

Once we had a ticket, we waited inside (as you would at a deli, or really any government office back home), however at the ICA, the numbering system is really there just for show. The numbers change randomly, and Tim & I think we have it figured out. When you get your queue number, it is added to one of the six booths you can go to, instead of a central line, with the next number going to the fastest booth. That would just make too much sense. Because of this, you can quite easily (and very regularly) have numbers 100 or 200 apart being called at the same time. I'm sure you can understand this makes waiting frustrating, as you never really know when you will be called. It stops you from going out and doing something productive, as you may just be called next.

Despite all this, we were called within 90 minutes of arriving - which is quite short by ICA standards (Maud claimed to have waited 150 minutes for her SP), and made it back to PGP in time for a quick email check, and a bus ride to Yusof Ishak House for the Host Family Dinner.

This meet-and-greet session was set-up for all those exchange students who had applied for the Host Family program to meet their respective Hosts. The program involves local families (usually staff members it appears) being assigned exchange students as a way of cultural exchange, and enabling us to see the real Singapore, as opposed to Sentosa, Orchard Rd and the Night Safari! From what it seems, its a fantastic idea, and one which is growing so big, there are now way more applicants than hosts...so if any Singaporean families are reading this (why they would be I have no idea!), please apply!!

My host, Associate Professor Albert Teo from the School of Business, is fantastic. He has been involved in the program for the past 5 intakes (since the program began), and really seems to understand why we are participating - to see a side of Singapore we wouldn't otherwise know. To this end, he is taking us to the seedier side of Little India! I share this host with two other students, Faruuk from Bosnia (studying in Holland) and Marton from Hungary (studying in Holland as well, but at a different Uni).

If I haven't already demostrated through examples, exchange has to rate up there with backpacking for meeting people from all around the world. It's amazing what you learn about other countries, and how quickly stereotypes are broken down. A lot of the exchange students here are from Europe, and they all have different ideas on the EU, and how Europe is and should be, and for a student from Sydney, it is giving me exposure that I could never have got elsewhere. I still have yet to really meet a Singaporean (aside from Samantha, but she doesn't count as I knew her before!), but there's still plenty of time!

03-01-2005
Woke at 10:50 this morning, which is very much a Tristan thing to do. I had thought that because I was here, and everything that was associated with it, that perhaps I would change and be suddenly able to wake up early, but alas no, it is not to be!! Hahah!! I found out today from Tim that we can't get net access till tomorrow Whilst this is definitely not a long time to wait, because it was expected I am a bit annoyed now - I want net access!!!

The rest of the day was fantastic - I finally bought a camera from Far East Plaza [Orchard Rd] (which apparently takes the number 1 place at the top of the Singaporean 'Blacklist' of retailers not to shop at, but the place I bought from seemed very nice and the camera works, and the warranty card is there (both for Singapore and international), so I am very happy so far. For those of you in-the-know with digital cameras, it was a Pentax Optio S5i, which I bought for S$550 or A$440. Considering the same camera in Aus is at least $650, I was pretty happy!

As an aside, during our travels on Orchard Rd, Tim and I visited Borders (the bookstore), and discovered the slogan of the Expat magazine (for those Expatriates who are living in Singapore away from their home country) was 'Living well is the best revenge'. Revenge for what??!?! For living in Singapore...for living in Asia??? I am assuming it is probably in reference to living away from home, but still, it could be far more subtle and less us-verses-them!

From Far East, Tim and I once again returned to Sim Lim Square, and the Changi Prison Museum. Sim Lim remained unchanged, but the museum was a very somber experience. The museum itself is quite small, and the chapel has been recreated or moved from its original place, but that does not detract from the events. The displays are well laid-out, and the abundance of quotes and first-hand reports really add a personal scale to such a large event. It bought me very close to tears, especially reading all the 'In memory of' notes in the chapel. So many lives lost, and for what .... ?

What surprised me (aside from the honesty with which the Singaporeans have dealt with WW2) was the fact that the original prison location has been maintained, and is now a women's prison. It just seems quite surreal and almost sacreligous to re-use such a horrific place for modern purposes. In Sydney I think the site would have been maintained, and definitely not re-used. The memories and ghosts there would be too hard to handle.

Dined again at Clementi - quite possibly the best food in the world for under $4!!

04-01-2005
Live as an exchange student began for real today, with the day ending with me knowing people!! Hooray!!!

I woke up rather early (8:30ish) and went to find a bank. I had been told, and read, that there was a DBS (the main local bank) branch at the National University Hospital (NUH), which is located on campus, about 5mins walk from my room. However, after a 20minute walk to and around NUH, I could not find it anywhere. ATMs yes, branches no. I even asked at the main information counter, and they just smiled and said no. Damn!!!

So from there, I went to Clementi by bus and opened an account. In Singapore, you take a 'Q' number, and wait, and each counter (when free) serves the next person from a central queue. Seems to work really well, except their queues are HUGE!!! At least DBS has a seperate area for new accounts. They tried to cheat me by telling me my minimum deposit was S$500, when they knew for well I was under 21 and therefore it was S$1. Grrr!

At least that is done now!!

From there, I went to registration, and found out they had my email and internet account activated in AUGUST 2004!!! So they COULD have sent it to me, but no, that would have been too hard apparently.!!! Grrrr again! At least now I have internet access - you don't know how important email is till its gone!

From registration, I met loads of people, 25 from the University of California (mostly Berkeley), 3 from Holland, and one in my cluster from Scotland. Very cool! Because of this, we ate really early at PGP (6pm!!), and watched cheesy Singaporean tv - a show about exchange students called 'Big Unknown' which had a Polish guy going to SMU (Singapore Management Uni), and their sitcoms (Living with Lidia especially). They are awful!! But they are so bad they are good. They give a real insight into Singaporean culture, life, and especially, their language. They have 'Singlish', which is English, with key phrases in Malay and Mandarin added, oh, and 'lah' put at the end of every sentence! It's interesting to say the least.