January 30, 2007
SINGAPORE
Buying Football Tickets, Featured in the Newspaper
(Again)
Jalan Besar Photo Gallery
Last Saturday Singapore won a gripping encounter with their arch rivals, Malaysia, in the semi-finals of the Asean Football Cup (former Tiger Cup). At the end of regular time there was a 1-1 stalemate, and penalty kicks were growing tense as nine consecutive shots found the back of the net. Unfortunately for Malaysia, their last shot was denied by Singapore’s goalkeeper, and Singapore was on its way to the championship.
I went absolutely nuts along with the rest of Singapore. Although it was not the best football I have ever seen - especially since I am used to watching the Arsenal - there was a tangible tension as both sides were fighting for the pride of their home country. The two neighbors are notorious for (how do I word this so that it is politically correct?) not being entirely warm to one another.
Singapore will play Thailand for the championship match on Wednesday, January 31.
This was the course of events that brought me to Jalan Besar stadium on Monday morning to buy 13 tickets for the championship match. This will be the last event held at Singapore’s beloved National Stadium, which is being torn down immediately after the match to make way for a new stadium. It was thus little surprise that all 55,000 seats sold out the first day they went on sale, and it was a good thing I turned up nearly two hours early to join the queue.
I spent the drawn out wait chatting with other fans. They were hardly able to control their excitement over beating Malaysia and the prospect of doing the same against Thailand. Before we knew it, we had a large group formed as people were gathering around to have a laugh with us.
I suppose it was the crowd and the fact that I clearly wasn’t “local” that brought my attention to a journalist. She approached me and conducted an on the spot interview while I put up with being the butt of the jokes for the next fifteen minutes. I must admit I did not think much of this event at the time because I figured she would interview 150 other people in the day. I should have caught on when a photographer snapped pictures of me buying all my tickets, but the cheering of the crowd behind me and the excitement of getting tickets were all I could think about.
I was eating lunch the following afternoon when a group of students approached me and pointed me out on page two of Singapore’s largest newspaper. I popped up like a jack in the box as I couldn’t believe my eyes. I bought a few copies of the paper and by the time I got back to my dorm I noticed all my missed calls and messages. It may not be a billboard that makes me famous this semester, but page two of the newspaper just might!
Quotes from the paper…
“American Fan
One man stood out at the Jalan Besar queue – American Brett Davenport, 20, a foreign exchange student at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
He said: ‘All the students in the NTU campus and even in other universities, like NUS and SMU, have been following the championship.’
The mechanical engineering student from Atlanta bought 13 tickets on behalf of his hostel mates, who include a mix of locals and Thai students.
He joked: ‘The Singapore fans will sit on the left, the Thai fans will sit on the right, and I will sit in the middle as the referee!’
**UPDATE** Despite what the newspaper wrote, I
would like to clarify for all my Singapore friends out
there: I will be cheering Singapore on the entire time
(unless Thailand begins winning, of course, in which
case "fair weather fan" simply doesn't apply to me).
January 21, 2007
SINGAPORE
Both Forms of Football
For any readers out there who think sports are only for the overly-aggressive apes of society I apologize, but this has been a huge weekend in sports.
First, I will focus on what the world calls “football.” For those of us who are lovers of the metric system, this sport is also known as soccer. The United States pulled off a solid 3-1 win over Denmark with Landon Donovan getting on the score sheet and the new manager showing he can re-establish respect for the relative new-comers to the “world sport.”
In other news, David Beckham’s record signing with the LA Galaxy (highest pay in the history of sports) should do wonders for the MLS. Personally, I would drive several states to watch a match just to be a part of the excitement. Beckham is arguably not the most talented player in the MLS, but he is certainly going to be the most watched. My hope is that a) other European players will follow suit, b) young footballers will have a “real” icon to identify with, and c) an MLS side will make it into European competitions. Realistically, European football is to American soccer what the NBA is to the WNBA . Those who love the game will watch both the MLS and the WNBA, but unless there is more talent/excitement, they will never challenge for top honors. I believe Beckham can change all that.
I stayed up late last night to watch a worthwhile match as Arsenal came from a goal behind to pull out a stunning 2-1 win in the final minute. It was dramatic football at its best, and it felt great to pull one over on Sir Alex Ferguson. It makes the title race a hell of a lot more interesting as Liverpool dismantled Chelsea the night before.
Enough soccer talk, it’s on to American football (the pigskin type). I have been refreshing my browser through morning lectures to see how the Colts-Patriots drama unfolds. While the Patriots certainly have a mountain to climb (the Colts have a much stronger outfit), they seem to be doing well so far in the game. Nevertheless, it always comes down to the wire when the two rivals play one another. If my life was on the line, I would rather it is in the hands of Brady/Belichick than Manning. I know a Pats win would add several years to the men in my family, and there would be eruptions of “Take that Peyton, you [think of something vulgar]!” I smile just thinking about it.
**Update**
The "weekend in sports" ended on a real downer: the Patriots lost to the Colts. Almost as if their roles were reversed, the Colts pulled off an amazing come from behind victory. I will sit through the coming days praying no family members are in the hospital after punching through the television. More likely, they are still comatose on the couch staring into space with disbelief.
January 18, 2007
SINGAPORE
9 Hours of Class, Buddhist Talk, and the Idea of Enlightenment
Today was a long day with classes running from 8am to 5pm and no breaks anywhere in between. This was made worse by a three hour Mandarin lesson to finish the day. Foreign language classes are like that – you must always be on top of what you are doing lest you are called on and don’t know the proper way to respond
Otherwise, there was no sleeping through the marathon of lessons and I even managed to learn a thing or two. I am particularly pleased with my tutorial sessions, which have been excellent so far. The tutorials are all being taught by professors or research/design associates (with the obvious exception of my materials science tutorial, which has not started yet). This is the only time students are able to interact with the professors because lectures are a one way street. For the sake of time, I don’t think questions are even encouraged in the lectures.
I went running after my classes to bring my body back from the dead and barely beat the rain. One really has to be careful in Singapore because rain comes out of nowhere. It can be uncomfortably hot and sunny all day, and in twenty minutes time the sky will be as dark as night with rain coming down in droves.
Later in the evening my roommate brought me to a Buddhist gathering held on campus. I did not know this at the time, but he is the former president of the NTU Buddhist Union. The gathering consisted of small conversations and a two hour sermon about gratitude delivered by a Buddhist monk. The talk felt a little too preachy for me (“ask for answers, and thy shall receive” type thing), but it was a new experience and I got a lot out of it. The biggest difference between Buddhism and most other religions is that Buddhism has less emphasis on faith and more emphasis on Buddha as a teacher.
Buddhism is full of pearls of wisdom that are excellent codes to live by. However, I have always had a difficult time worshipping a higher being, or enlightened one. If there is something to be learned then I am all ears. I both respect and appreciate the guidance, but similar to my professors who teach me engineering, it all ends there.
On the idea of Enlightenment…
I do not buy into the idea of giving up all one’s earthly possessions in the search for enlightenment. My first reason comes down to a different approach: such a state of enlightenment, assuming it exists, must come from within. One’s surroundings are irrelevant if one is enlightened within. More credit should go to the person who can reach a state of enlightenment (or any other “higher” state common to other religions) without giving up on the world.
This leads to the second reason I do not adhere to religious ideas of enlightenment: all of the luxuries in my life are a direct result of other people’s determination not to give up on their contributions to society. More specifically, if everyone in history simply stopped what they were doing to meditate, pray, and live a life of devoutness then society’s physical standard of living would be seriously set back. This is not meant to be disrespectful because perhaps society would benefit in spiritual ways, but realistically speaking, more credit to the hard-worker who challenges himself in new ways without sacrificing his inner ideals.
In fairness to Buddhism, the religion does not ask that I accept it, and equally they do not interfere with what I do. Such an approach is in stark contrast to most other world religions, which have (historically if not presently) severely interfered with the lives of others.
Sorry for all the religious talk, but I tried to make as fair an analysis as I could. Please feel free to let me know if I have said anything offensive or unfair.
January 17, 2007
SINGAPORE
Supper Hop, Singapore Justice, and Asian Prostitution
I
went out with a group of Nanyang students for a late
night “Supper Hop.” It basically involved piling onto a
bus and driving all over Singapore to try out the best
hawker centers. It was a lot of fun and a good break
from the routine. I made a whole host of friends tonight
as it felt like every person that came wanted the
angmoh to try their favorite food. There is no way
of remembering the different foods I tried, but the one
I liked the most was something like a soft shelled
tortilla stuffed with vegetables, diced chicken, red
peppers, and a variety of herbs. The frog porridge (seen
to the right) was as bad as it sounds.
Cheap, great tasting food aside, the hawker centers are
worth visiting simply to people watch. Since the
Singaporeans and Chinese love great food irrespective of
the location, one can see people from all walks of life
and all echelons of society sitting at adjacent tables.
While
we were eating I was able to ask my nagging questions
about Singapore. As to the boy who was whipped in
Singapore (a point highlighted by my mom before I left),
he was guilty of being doped up on drugs and defacing
public property throughout the city. Singapore carries
very harsh penalties for sexual abuse, physical abuse,
drugs, counterfeiting, and anti-government actions. Most
other law violations are only punished by a fine. This
was quite a surprise because in the U.S. a fine is
always in addition to legal action. I cannot imagine
being caught drunk-driving and only having to pay a
fine. However, Singaporeans love their money and rather
than disrupting families with jail sentences a stiff
fine is all that is necessary.
One of the sadder moments of the night came when we made
our last stop in the Geylang District, which is known
for harboring the dark side of Singapore. Driving
through the streets I could see prostitutes (all from
surrounding countries) lining the streets in front of
purpose-specific motels. After trying the different
foods at the hawker center, I ventured out with a group
of other students to the heart of the prostitution
district to get a closer look.
The prostitutes are divided by those working for an
agency, which imports women from surrounding countries,
and the independents (who are of a much “lower
quality”). It was one of the saddest things I have ever
seen: many of the women were actually quite beautiful,
but because of where they were born they have little
choice but to sell themselves.
Whereas in America many
of the prostitutes need to finance drug habits, many of
the prostitutes here were either tricked by an agency
offering valid work in Singapore (once they arrive, with
no money and no way of returning without risking a jail
sentence, they have little choice) or they must support
a family in their home country. Indeed, the students
told me that prostitutes have been highlighted by news
agencies, and some of the women even have husbands back
home. It was difficult to be so close to such tragedy
and know there is very little I can do about it. I have
an even stronger sense of gratitude to the parents and
society that provided me with all of my opportunities
and high standard of living.
January 16, 2007
SINGAPORE
Posing as a Teaching Assistant, Tough Choices
My second week of classes kicked off today and for the first time I feel integrated with the campus and student body. I suppose integrated is a relative word given that I am still an angmoh (white foreigner, or "red head"), but it feels good nonetheless. Perhaps when I have a stronger hold of Singlish phrases I will fit in as a Singapore local.
Today I put my western appearance (button down shirt, jeans, and a computer bag as opposed to shorts, sandals, and a T-shirt that the local boys wear) to use in one of my tutorial sessions by posing as the teaching assistant and arranging a quiz. There were only a few other students sitting in the tutorial room waiting for the session to start when some one saw online that this week’s tutorial session was cancelled. Knowing other students would not have read their email this morning, I decided to pose as the teaching assistant. I sat at the front of the classroom, wrote my particulars on the white board, and wrote that the first quiz would begin at 10am. As students began to come in I introduced myself, and to the obvious horror on their faces, I announced the first quiz would begin shortly so to please make sure they had studied enough. The original few students played along the entire time and we had quite a charade going until 10am arrived and I let the class in on the joke. They had a good laugh out of it, as did I.
I signed up for the National Vertical Marathon this morning, which involves racing up 66 flights of stairs. I am not really sure how to train for such an event - one cannot find 66 flights of stairs available just anywhere – so I may have to accept second place for this event. Anything lower than second would, of course, be an absolute failure.
I have forgotten to mention the most important decision I have had to make for the past week. Each time I walk into the bathroom I am confronted with one of these two choices:
Which will it be today?
January 15, 2007
SINGAPORE
Fun with the English Language
Every morning I go through a drawn-out process when I
try to order my food at the canteen. None of the
employees speak English so I must say everything I want
in Chinese. This is not too bad for the basics like
ordering coffee and such, but you can imagine how it
gets tricky when I want my bread toasted and buttered.
This morning, for example, I wanted a slice of
watermelon and for the life of me I had no idea what the
Chinese word for watermelon is. Through enough laughing
and gathering around of employees we eventually worked
it out. Come to think of it, I still don’t know the word
for watermelon.
I do not want such incidents to give the wrong
impression of Singapore because the native population
speaks fluent English – it is the official language.
When I say fluent, I mean they speak like I do. It has
been difficult adapting to this because I have a
tendency to water down my words and speak slower. It is
especially disconcerting when I hear locals use the 25
cent words I used to have on vocabulary tests. Somehow
when I see an Asian looking person brought up in an
Asian country I have a hard time imagining they know
most of the same slang and most of the same vocabulary
as I do.
By far the most commonly used language in Singapore is
“Singlish” (Singaporean English), which is comprised of
the four dominant languages in Singapore: English,
Mandarin (Chinese), Malay, and Hindi. Chances are you
can hear similar derivations in “Chinglish” (Chinese
English) when you order Chinese take-out or head to the
local Chinatown. Here are a couple examples of Singlish
that I can recall hearing:
1) Would you please repeat that?
What talking you-la? (“la” is used at
the end of most sentences)
2)
Where is the restroom?
Toilet zai nali? (“zai nali” is “where” in
Mandarin)
I should add that English is spoken with tremendous pace
in Singapore. More often than I care to admit I cannot
catch what others are saying because they speak too fast
or include a dash of Singlish in their sentence.
January 14, 2007
SINGAPORE
Slow Weekend, Dealing with the Stigma against Westerners
I will go ahead and wrap the weekend up in one posting as most of the weekend was spent studying and catching up with the logistics of being overseas.
I had breakfast with my roommate this morning and got the usual “You aren’t like most Americans” spiel. I explained that American Pie, MTV, and George Bush are not what made America into what it is today. Still, it is difficult to dissuade people that westerners are not all lazy, overly-aggressive, and prone to party hard. My case is not helped any by news headlines in Iraq, hung-over westerners sleeping through lectures, or the stigma of Asians being more technically gifted.
As for the technically gifted argument, I have a strong opinion on this…
While I agree that most American students may not be able to match the technical prowess of Asian students, when it comes down to understanding a new problem, planning for a solution, and seeing the job through to completion then I believe the western education system is excellent. Students are not “trained” to solve a set of problems, but rather to approach each problem as if it is unique and solve it as such. This creates less apparent ability than is common in Asian countries because the emphasis is on breadth of knowledge over depth of knowledge.
In examining the effectiveness of the two methods…
The best analogy I can think of is to look at both a technician and an engineer: a technician may have all the hands-on know-how, but an engineer will still be the boss for his broad range of problem-solving skills. This is not to say the engineer is useless when it comes to the nitty-gritty hands-on jobs, just as the technician is not useless at the planning portion. The style of the technician and the engineer are simply different.
One great feature of NTU that I have failed to mention is that each professor creates a digital recording of their lecture that they make available online. This was a godsend because I arrived in Singapore a couple days late and have been changing my classes around all week. It may even entirely defeat the purpose of getting up for my 8am courses.
I am afraid that will have to be all for today as I don’t have many interesting stories to tell. Maybe I can try spitting on the street and see where I end up.
January 12, 2007
SINGAPORE
Monsoon Season, Academic Issues, Fun with my Roommate
Situated two degrees above the equator, when it isn’t raining in Singapore it may as well be. Of course, when isn’t it raining during monsoon season in Singapore? I had to abandon whatever western style of dress I still had in favor of breathable fabrics (Nike Dri-Fit and Adidas Clima-Cool are working miracles for me), sandals, and a portable umbrella. Now that I am dressed more appropriately I am beginning to like the weather. There is something relaxing about the tropical flowers, chirping birds and buzzing insects, and the sound of the water trickling its way down trees. Maybe that is all too poetic, but I like it nonetheless.
I spent most of today studying and attending lectures. My courses seem to be (dare I say?) more engaging than those at Georgia Tech. I hated the stuffiness of the classrooms in Atlanta, but here all my professors have shown a genuine interest in teaching. I am probably being too hard on my alma mater – it really is a fantastic school. Like any institution so large there are bound to be a few down sides that pop up every now and then.
Speaking of my home university, I have been jumping through hoops all week trying to receive approval for the courses I am taking. I can tell there is a growing minority within my department who are not happy about what I am doing. Already the deans from two different departments have asked that I stop by to discuss my courses and grades when I return. It does not bother me because I take my courses seriously and have nothing to hide, but it is frustrating nonetheless because they do not seem to care about the upside of my experiences.
The great thing about mathematics, engineering, and the sciences is that they are the same everywhere when it comes to academics. The same material is taught, the same textbooks are used, and the correct answers in America are the correct answers elsewhere. The only difference in my mind is that Georgia Tech’s hardware (research facilities) is some of the best in the world. Since I am not doing any research, this has very little bearing on me.
I would go on to argue that when it comes to learning material and earning grades it is far more difficult in Asia – and the strict bell curve for each course does not help matters. The students are all the best of the best, and must maintain a high standard for fear of returning to their home country/province and losing their scholarships. A group of Singapore students once commented that all they remember from their childhood is studying, whereas all I remember is summer vacations, playing games with friends, and generally “being an American kid.”
Enough academic talk.
I went to lunch with a group of mainland Chinese students I met at the Night Safari and had my favorite meal, Gong Bao Ji Ding (diced Chicken, red peppers, white rice, and vegetables). The prospects for my semester have increased tenfold now that I know I can find this meal on campus.
I have one more interesting tidbit I want to include. I have mentioned that my roommate and I have only had the opportunity to talk a couple of times, but there was our second conversation had a quirky moment. It went something like this:
Brett: “Where is the best library to study at on campus?”
Roomie (very seriously): “That is a question of personal taste that I am unable to answer.”
Brett: “Right”
That is a good place to finish for today.
January 11, 2007
SINGAPORE
To-Go Cups, Visiting NUS, Chinatown, and Going Out with Friends
Chinatown Photo Gallery
After the late night safari adventure, I was finally able to sleep in. Granted it was only until 7am, but it felt like an improvement nonetheless.
I have a funny story about the picture posted to the right. For breakfast, I decided to try the Singapore set-meal at my local canteen. It basically involved eggs, soy sauce, buttered toast, and a drink called kopi. The kopi is similar to coffee, but much stronger – I took an immediate liking to it. So much so, that I asked for a to-go cup to get me through my upcoming Fluid Mechanics lecture. The “cup” is not exactly what I was expecting. To be perfectly honest, it is more of a “bag.” I asked other students about this incident and they said it is perfectly normal for this to happen, but I was supposed to get a straw to drink out of it with… Right. How silly of me. All I can remember is being so dumbfounded when she poured hot kopi in a bag that a straw was the last thing on my mind.
After my morning lectures I took public transportation to the other large campus in Singapore, National University of Singapore (NUS). Whereas my university, Nanyang (NTU), is focused on the Sciences and Engineering, NUS is a much more western-oriented university that focuses on business and the arts. There is a bit of heckling between students of the two universities as they both claim to be at the more prestigious university. In my mind, it is tit-for-tat because the students at both are top-class.
At NUS I met up with a couple of girls I met while studying in Hong Kong, and they showed me around for the day. I cannot begin to remember the many foods I tried, but some of the best ones came when they took me to the hawkers in Chinatown. There are long aisles of hawker stands that, according to the locals, “serve the best food in all of Singapore” – and all food is cheap. My favorite dish, lhaksa soup, was a spicy mix of bean curd, noodles, fish skin, a shellfish, and various vegetables.
By far the worst thing I tried was the “century egg” – a black egg cut into halves, soaked in vinegar for several days, and eaten with ginger to offset the taste. For whatever reason, locals love this food and view it as a delicacy. Perhaps it is the Singaporean equivalent of caviar, but of a much worse taste. I immediately had a gag reflex when I tried eating it, but spitting is illegal in Singapore. I was having a fit because there was no way I could swallow this mess filling my mouth (I was doing everything I could to keep it away from my tongue), but my friends were not at all eager to get me a drink or a trashcan. Eventually I began staggering from vendor to vendor until I found a rubbish bin to spit everything out. I apologized profusely for my rudeness (although the Chinese were laughing), and drank one of my friend’s drinks sugar cane juice. Although far less severe than the century egg, the sugar cane juice was not great either. In the end I bought a Coke, and felt surprisingly better. This might as well be a Coke commercial for ex-pats in Singapore.
We continued walking around downtown Singapore and they were always pointing out how clean the city is. As much as I hated to admit it, the city is a miracle. Nobody spits, litters, or even jaywalks (although I did see it a couple of times on small streets).
Later in the evening I went to one of the girl’s homes and met her family. Having a house on the island of Singapore is a fairly big deal as 70% of the population lives in government apartments. The per capita is similar to a western country, but land is Singapore’s second most valuable quantity. Water is the most valuable item, and in the past all of it had to be imported. Now they have ways of catching rain, using salt water, and even purifying toilet water. I did not find out about the toilet water part until after a few days of drinking the local tap so I figure it is too late now. Maybe I will come back with a third arm.
January 10, 2007
SINGAPORE
Adapting to my Habitat
What a difference a few days makes; I have begun feeling at home on campus. I am finding my way around along with meeting people left and right. In one day I have become friends with Indonesians, a Vietnamese, a Thai, a Philippino, Malaysians, Indians, Chinese, and local Singapore natives. Singapore is in many ways the capital of Southeast Asia, and the top students from all of the aforementioned countries can study in Singapore on a government scholarship. The catch is that they must earn high marks and then work for three years in Singapore upon graduation. Given the stiff competition (for most international students this is their “way out” of the doldrums of their own country) and ubiquitous bell-curve grading scheme, earning high marks is a rarity.
My roommate is a fourth year Mechanical Engineering student from Indonesia. He is working on his final year project (FYP) and is usually at the laboratory until very late. I have been waking up at 5am and sleeping at 10pm so we have only had the chance to chat once. I have many questions for him about Indonesia given that it has the highest Muslim population on earth, it is lagging behind the rest of Southeast Asia in terms of economic growth, and there have been many bombings directed at Westerners in places like Bali.
One of the biggest differences between Singapore and the other places I have studied is how far away the United States is in people’s minds. Whereas China and Hong Kong are always in intimate contact with America, Southeast Asia is a world of its own. Basically, it is not developed enough yet for the average person to focus on the opportunities provided by western countries like America. Similar to how I once felt about Southeast Asia, most of America is no more than a place on a map with a few (largely skewed) mental images and a far-off feel.
This evening I went to the world’s only night-time safari on a university organized international students outing. Despite all the hype, I am afraid it was not as exotic as I was hoping for. In my mind, a safari is only exciting if there is action and the animals are in their natural habitat. Somehow winding through dark jungles and seeing animals across a pit does not feel real enough. Even the animals that came right up to the vehicles had a bored look that seemed to say, “I have seen people like you before.” With all of the U.S. grants, donations, and charities, the standard of American zoos are simply too high for other countries to compete with. I cannot wait until I travel to a nearby country and see the good stuff – men with their head in alligator mouths, feeding frenzies, cock fights, and so on.
January 9th, 2007
SINGAPORE
Adjusting to a New World
Singapore Photo Gallery
My second day in Singapore was equally as hectic as the
first, but there was a lot more solved today. I am
taking Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Circuits,
Manufacturing Processes, and a Chinese language course.
The classes are enough to break me in two, but my
intention for this semester is to gain a lot of
technical knowledge in preparation for the future. My
time in engineering school is not going to last forever
and I still do not feel like an engineer - I feel like a
student studying engineering. Maybe it is not in my
genes to be a down-and-out engineer, although I
desperately want to.
I have not met my roommate yet, and I feel very much
alone in Singapore. I called a few friends I made while
in Hong Kong and they are coming to pick me up on
Thursday to show me around, but they study at another
university. My campus is enormous and the student
population seems bigger than Georgia Tech so it is
difficult to feel at home. Plus, Singapore is probably
the most international city on earth in terms of
nationalities. The resident population is comprised of
Malaysians, Indians, Chinese, Singaporeans, Thais,
Indonesians, and Philippinos (along with the smattering
of other nationalities typical in most cities).
Conversations range in a wide variety of languages, and
there is a lot of combining the different ones.
Singapore definitely feels like South East Asia, and I
am still an outsider.
I suppose the day’s one bit of good news is that Georgia
Tech contacted me about profiling me for prospective
students. I don’t know if I found it more funny or
flattering but I was taken back all the same. I do not
know how I got this far, but if I know anything that can
encourage others I am more than happy to share my ideas.
Before family starts worrying, life isn’t actually as
bad as I am making it out to be here in Singapore. I had
an unusually good time in Hong Kong and it will take
time to reach the same level here. “Rome wasn’t built in
a day” and all that.
January 8th, 2007
SINGAPORE
Flying Around the World
Singapore Photo Gallery
Four consecutive days of flying finally came to a close
when I flew into Singapore’s airport this afternoon. It
was a whirlwind trip if ever there was one as I traveled
from Palm Beach to Atlanta to Paris to Hong Kong to
Singapore. I brought it on myself as I wanted to see
friends in each of my stops. Perhaps it says something
about how much traveling I have done when I know someone
at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
Another bonus to my travel is I was able to catch up
with several friends during my 4 hour layover in
Atlanta. We drove into downtown Atlanta, I stopped to
say hello to several Georgia Tech employees who have
been my lifeline, and we went to the ritzy Moe’s Mexican
Grill for lunch. While there, I ran into several friends
from a lifetime ago (high school) and it brought back a
slew of memories from the past. Kennesaw Mountain
already feels like a distant memory as does the
magnificent runs we had in soccer. It feels strange when
other people bring them up.
Hong Kong…
When I arrived in Hong Kong (Sunday) I was able to hit
the ground running, and it was a good thing because my
body was in shut-down mode. It is impossible to sleep
for more than one and a half hours on flights because of
the rotten air and cabin noise. Somewhere along the way
I contracted a cold which had me in fits of pain as the
plane ascended and descended. Quite literally, I was
feeling my ears expecting blood to be pouring out from
the pressure build-up.
I stayed in my old dormitory on UST campus and had over
30 friends stop by to say hello. It was really a good
feeling because they are all on vacation, but came by
the university because they remembered I would be back
today. I feel bad because I was drowsy when I chatted
with most of them, but I brought a variety of American
snacks (Twizzlers, Twinkies, Reeses, Popcorn, Pixie
Sticks, etc) that they ate right up.
Singapore…
There was no one to meet me at the airport so I took a
taxi to my university on the other side of the island.
After checking into my dormitory, I was unable to unpack
my bags because bother sides of the room were full of
other people’s belongings. When one of the roommates
came back later in the day he asked if I could switch
with one of his friends so it was not until 7pm when I
was finally settled down in my own room. By then I was
nearing exhaustion and hastily unpacked my things (all
in all weighing under 20 kilos, or about 45 pounds).
