Well hello again! It's been a while since we last spoke from the Lion City (that's the meaning of Singapore's name--from Singa-pura). It is now the evening of Day 6 and I'm sitting in my dorm, readily awaiting the opportunity for sleep. But I first wanted to answer a few questions recently asked:
Our classes have now started in full swing. We have lecture from 9-12am every weekday, split between 2 classes. MHCH 799 is Social Policy in SE Asia (looking namely at HIV/AIDS as a case study--taught by 2 UNC grad school professors) and ASIA 4?? is History of Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia (taught by 3 NUS professors who specialize in each region). Also, right now we don't have a whole lot of spare time. Our days are pretty packed with tours, museums, luncheons and dinners, but that's expected to lighten up next week and we'll be getting a lot more time on our own. I've heard that by the end, it's pretty much we do our own thing. And as for the ladder seen to the left of my desk in the last picture, it is neither a climbing ladder nor a passageway to the recreation room complete with pool table, disco lounge and wet bar (but thanks Dad :) ). I have no idea what it is. I've decided it's a washcloth dryer....???
But to catch you up on the last few days, Thursday was Vesak Day: a Buddhist national holiday celebrating the birth, enlightenment and final nirvana of Buddha. We went to Singapore's largest temple, which was PACKED. A few pictures to show you:
We also met with a venerable (a buddhist monk) for more than an hour and discussed Buddhism, world religion, global reconciliation, etc. It was one of the most enlightening, interesting and relatable conversations--there wasn't this formal distance people so often have when discussing religion. It was like we were his long time friends at his house and thus, he had us on the edge of our seats the whole time.
Since then, we've been busy: We played in Chinatown...
and went to the beach on the island of Sentosa (a short, 1 minute tram ride from the main island).
These just are a couple examples. But I'll end them here, as this is now getting quite lengthy and a wee bit on the boring side (so sorry!). I shall post again soon, but to keep this from ending on a completely boring, academic note, I'll leave you with these (which I found on a bathroom wall):
Our classes have now started in full swing. We have lecture from 9-12am every weekday, split between 2 classes. MHCH 799 is Social Policy in SE Asia (looking namely at HIV/AIDS as a case study--taught by 2 UNC grad school professors) and ASIA 4?? is History of Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia (taught by 3 NUS professors who specialize in each region). Also, right now we don't have a whole lot of spare time. Our days are pretty packed with tours, museums, luncheons and dinners, but that's expected to lighten up next week and we'll be getting a lot more time on our own. I've heard that by the end, it's pretty much we do our own thing. And as for the ladder seen to the left of my desk in the last picture, it is neither a climbing ladder nor a passageway to the recreation room complete with pool table, disco lounge and wet bar (but thanks Dad :) ). I have no idea what it is. I've decided it's a washcloth dryer....???
But to catch you up on the last few days, Thursday was Vesak Day: a Buddhist national holiday celebrating the birth, enlightenment and final nirvana of Buddha. We went to Singapore's largest temple, which was PACKED. A few pictures to show you:
We also met with a venerable (a buddhist monk) for more than an hour and discussed Buddhism, world religion, global reconciliation, etc. It was one of the most enlightening, interesting and relatable conversations--there wasn't this formal distance people so often have when discussing religion. It was like we were his long time friends at his house and thus, he had us on the edge of our seats the whole time.
(He also said shit and asshole twice, which made him the coolest Buddhist monk ever.) This is my new friend of whom i speak:
Since then, we've been busy: We played in Chinatown...
took a boat tour of the city....
ate some fun food (check the eyes on this delicious fishy wishy)....
and went to the beach on the island of Sentosa (a short, 1 minute tram ride from the main island).
It's easy to think that all we've been doing is fun and games (albeit we have been doing a little), but we've been learning too. I told you I'd be providing a bit more about Singaporean racism in the next post and I am prepared to do so!
In Singapore, I am considered angmoh, or a white westerner. We're not uncommon here, but our treatment is definately different from other ethnic groups. For example, I was eating in a hawker (remember the giant homemade food courts in the last blog?) in Vivo City (one of the 100000 malls) this afternoon. I was in line to get food and watching the server, who was grumbling along and muttering people's orders to the cashier as he worked. However when I got to the front of the line, the server looked up, smiled and jubilently offered up a "Welcome! How are you doing today? What would you like to eat today?" He then continued to make food recommendations, let me taste test a chicken dish, and wave me off with a "Goodbye, have a good day, and come again!" I wanted to laugh.
Sitting in a local coffee shop with a local NUS student yesterday, I asked him if he ever got sick of so many tourists in Singapore, often getting the treatment I mentioned in the previous example. He brightly said no however, explaining that tourism is Singapore's livlihood, and without it, they wouldn't function. (I don't know how much of that was honest and how much of that was him talking to a white westerner herself, but he made a point nonetheless.)
But racial differences do not exist purely between East and West. My NUS Singapore history professor is a Chinese-Singaporean woman and when she got to class, she gave us a prime example. Walking to class, she went to pick up 3 copies of the Singaporean newspaper (which is free) for class. But the man guarding the papers stopped her in her path and told her to put them down. It was not until after a heated debate that he allowed her to keep them and she walked away. She explained the reason this happened was because she was Chinese and female. The man was from somewhere else in Asia. Had she been male, had she been Indian, or had she been an western male (best choice of all), the man never would have automatically assumed she was a professor and would have let her go. But being a Chinese female (especially a history professor, too) she said she has to have a strong backbone to get around.
In Singapore, I am considered angmoh, or a white westerner. We're not uncommon here, but our treatment is definately different from other ethnic groups. For example, I was eating in a hawker (remember the giant homemade food courts in the last blog?) in Vivo City (one of the 100000 malls) this afternoon. I was in line to get food and watching the server, who was grumbling along and muttering people's orders to the cashier as he worked. However when I got to the front of the line, the server looked up, smiled and jubilently offered up a "Welcome! How are you doing today? What would you like to eat today?" He then continued to make food recommendations, let me taste test a chicken dish, and wave me off with a "Goodbye, have a good day, and come again!" I wanted to laugh.
Sitting in a local coffee shop with a local NUS student yesterday, I asked him if he ever got sick of so many tourists in Singapore, often getting the treatment I mentioned in the previous example. He brightly said no however, explaining that tourism is Singapore's livlihood, and without it, they wouldn't function. (I don't know how much of that was honest and how much of that was him talking to a white westerner herself, but he made a point nonetheless.)
But racial differences do not exist purely between East and West. My NUS Singapore history professor is a Chinese-Singaporean woman and when she got to class, she gave us a prime example. Walking to class, she went to pick up 3 copies of the Singaporean newspaper (which is free) for class. But the man guarding the papers stopped her in her path and told her to put them down. It was not until after a heated debate that he allowed her to keep them and she walked away. She explained the reason this happened was because she was Chinese and female. The man was from somewhere else in Asia. Had she been male, had she been Indian, or had she been an western male (best choice of all), the man never would have automatically assumed she was a professor and would have let her go. But being a Chinese female (especially a history professor, too) she said she has to have a strong backbone to get around.
These just are a couple examples. But I'll end them here, as this is now getting quite lengthy and a wee bit on the boring side (so sorry!). I shall post again soon, but to keep this from ending on a completely boring, academic note, I'll leave you with these (which I found on a bathroom wall):
Oh I love this clean city! Hope everyone's doing well.
Wish you were here...(cue the song),
Liz
2 comments:
hahaha, I like the squatting poster very much.
Lizzzz is the greatest
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