Hosted by the Rotary Club of Jurong Town (District 3310) (Singapore)
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Del Mar &  Rotary District 5340 (San Diego)

January 16, 2002

I arrived safely in Singapore on January 2 and have been spending the last two weeks getting settled at the university and exploring Singapore. So far things have been good, but it has definitely been an adjustment. First of all, it is very warm and humid--vastly different from San Diego's temperate weather. I am slowly getting used to the heat, but, then again, this is the cool season here....

MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF SINGAPORE

Dr. Stephen Lee, my Rotary Host Counselor and President of the Rotary Club of Jurong Town (my host club in Singapore), picked me up from the Changi Airport. That was extremely helpful because I dragged two large (and heavy) pieces of luggage with me. When I walked out of the airport, I was immediately reminded of Florida, where the weather and foliage are tropical. Singapore is a very pretty place. The roads are lined with huge green trees and flowers. But the lush tropical vegetation strikes me as a little odd when juxtaposed with the many skyscrapers and high-rise condominium complexes.

WHERE I LIVE

Dr. Lee drove me to my new home, NUS. I am staying at a dorm on campus, but here they call it a "hall of residence." My hall, King Edward VII, is in the back of the campus, a little far from everything, but thankfully there is a fleet of internal shuttle buses that drive all over campus. The first thing I thought when I saw the hall buildings was that they look like bungalows. While I am apparently lucky to have a single room, I don't have much else to say about it. One of the girls in my hall found a cockroach and a lizard in her room.

THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

The university itself is an interesting place. It is very process-oriented. They have many rules, but the rules do not always make sense. Classes started last week, but I spent most of my time wading through university bureaucracy to register for classes. Non-graduating students cannot use the online registration system; they must do everything manually. For each class that I wanted to drop or add, I usually had to visit each department, speak to a faculty member and gain his/her approval, obtain the department stamp and return all paperwork to the Registrar's Office. In addition, students must register for tutorials separately, after they register for their classes). Most of the international students have found this to be a tedious process. It's been difficult to understand why the process is this way--I am so used to registering online and that be it.

All that said, I am enjoying my classes. It is a real treat for me to be able to study about and in this region. So far, my favorites are a class on the preservation of cultural heritage in Southeast Asia and a class on urbanization of Southeast Asia. Coming from a UC where the classes are huge and students have to make a conscious effort to have a relationship with their professors, the way that students are evaluated here is worthy of note. Larger than UCSD, NUS enrolls some 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students. In all my classes, in addition to the final examination, a large percentage of a student's grades are based on classroom assessment (CA). The CA consists of the professor's evaluation of a student's classroom participation and of a student's presentation of a related topic during tutorials. I hardly ever needed to do a presentation in class at UCSD.

EXPLORING SINGAPORE

I have done a little bit of sight-seeing in my short time here with some of the other international students at NUS. My first weekend here I hiked around the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve which is a tropical forest that, for the most part, has been left untouched. This weekend I went to the famous Singapore Night Safari, the first in the world. It was mostly entertaining because the tram ride was led by really, really cheesy and dramatic tour guides. One highlight of the park was the bat exhibit. Huge bats were flying around me (right by my head) and screeching high-pitched noises at each other because they were fighting over their territory. I have also checked out the shopping here. One famous spot is Orchard Road, where numerous malls line a long stretch of road. Orchard Road is home to a variety of stores, including Prada and Gucci.

CONNECTING WITH ROTARY IN SINGAPORE

While I have kept busy, I have been a bit homesick. Thankfully, Rotary serves as a kind of home away from home, where I know what the people are like and feel a sense of familiarity. I went to my first Rotary Club meeting last week at my host club. One of the other scholars in Singapore, Machiko Kimura from Japan, was giving a presentation about her hometown of Hiroshima and her experience as an Ambassadorial Scholar in Singapore. It was my first Rotary meeting overseas. While it was conducted slightly differently than what I am used to, the fellowship and teasing were the same as back home. I also got a chance to meet another Ambassadorial Scholar, Hiro Katsumata, who is also from Japan and working towards a PhD in Political Science. The next day, I had the chance to meet the fourth and final scholar in Singapore, Tracy Colley who is from Nashville, TN. It has made such a difference for me to have a network of scholars. They understand what I am going through and are able to share their experiences with me. (They have all been here since last summer.)

I also had the chance to visit another Rotary Club, Serangoon Gardens, because Tracy and Machiko were giving presentations there. The Rotarians of Serangoon Gardens were wonderfully hospitable and friendly. The three of us were invited and attended a special tour of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) of Singapore, the world's largest public housing agency. It was fascinating because over 80 percent of Singaporeans live in HDB flats. There are HDB high-rise complexes all over the city. The meeting was an opportunity that I would not have had on my own or even thought of seeking out. What is also interesting about the HDB is that it promotes certain government values, such as encouraging filial piety, through its policies. For example, potential buyers are given more preference if they are trying to buy a flat near their parents.

Currently, I am looking for a service project to get involved with during my year here. I contacted a few Rotaract Clubs (Rotary at the university and young professionals level) to see what they were doing. I got an immediate response from a number of clubs, and I ended up going to a Rotaract activity the next day. Some Rotaractors from Hong Kong are in the area for a few days and are being hosted by local Rotaractors. I joined them for dinner and a little sight-seeing. My thought is that getting involved with Rotaract will allow me meet some like-minded local young people.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED SO FAR

LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING THE STREET! I am getting used to the fact that they drive on the left side. I was crossing (and I was jay walking, I am afraid) a fairly major road at night with a friend. I looked to see if it was clear, and it was. The only problem was that I looked the wrong way. I turned around, and I saw the headlights of a bus driving quickly towards me. I panicked and paused before _running_ to the other side of the road. Both my friend and I were surprised that I made it across--that is how close the bus was. I think that is definitely on my list of most terrifying moments.

PICTURES FROM HOME PROJECT AND NEW CONTACT INFORMATION

You can still help me with my project. I am collecting your photographs and postcards of your hometown, house or favorite neighborhood spot, so that I can share you and your hometown with the people whom I meet here. (It is also a way for me to remember you and home when I get a little homesick.) I will ask the people whom I meet here to do the same, so that I can compile all these pictures into a book and share them with you when I return. As added incentive, if you send me pictures or a postcard, I will send you a postcard from my travels sometime during this year. You can send your pictures and postcards to me at:

Kent Ridge Post Office

PO Box 1036

Singapore 911102

I want to send a big thank you to those of you who have already sent me pictures--I have enjoyed them very much and will be sending you something soon. Thanks for reading this very long missive. (Please do not hesitate to return the favor.) I hope this finds you well, and I look forward to receiving your (electronic and snail) mail.

All the best,

Catherine