Singapore, until we meet again

I am done. Finito. Completamente. Lately, I have been a little M.I.A. because I was cramming for finals - succesfully, I think. But the semester at Nanyang Technological University has come to an end, I have said my goodbyes and I fly out of Singapore tomorrow morning. A 'veni vidi vici' feels quite appropriate right now. As my departure is dawning on me, all I can think about is how time has flown by.

It feels like only yesterday that I arrived on campus and watched the lady at the canteen pour my coffee into a plastic bag. It clearly upset me greatly at the time since it is the one memory that stands out the most of how I had to adjust to Singaporean life. Funny enough, I leave with a similar coffee-related memory: it was literally yesterday that the word 'coffee' caused great confusion for the 'subway' employee. She had to be rescued from her misery (I screamed COFFEE at her at least five times will stirring in an imaginary cup) by the guy behind me in line: "she wants kopi".

Despite that I can nowhere near call myself a Singaporean, it takes nothing away from the fact that I fell in love with all that this city has to offer. I can say with certainty that Singapore has not seen the last of me. I leave with new experiences, new friends (if you read this, and I expect nothing less, Oktoberfest 2011- we are making this happen), dreams for the future and a long list of foods that I will simply have to learn how to cook.

So what is next? I am not yet going home but am ready for phase 2 of my exhange: a two-month backpacking trip to Vietnam, Laos, Camboadia and Thailand. A dream trip that I suspect will cause Asia to keep stealing my heart, over and over again. I have never done anything like this before and seriously, it takes the principle of light packing to a whole new level (not my forte). But as I have given up make-up a while back, I figure showering and clean clothes are only one step away?

I will try and keep this blog running while I'm traveling, so keep an eye out :)

Sending you love - once more - from Singapore (rhyming was unintentional.)

Emma

Ubud, Bali

Cool kids sit in the back

With the final week of class, a deadline craze has hit Singapore. So instead of the usual running around the city, I took it down a notch and find myself ‘mit die nase in den buchen’ as I described to my German friend Alex. Still, there are worse things than sipping on the latest Starbucks chocolate-cappuccino blend (yum) and munching on their granola for breakfast, while researching and writing passionately on the presence of gender inequality in Western society. If I do need a study-break, the shops are next door; a perfect study setting for me.

Truth be told, I did have the option to write about Asian society and as learning about Asia was (and still is) one of my exchange goals, I was greatly tempted. However, the prof advised us to choose a subject we were most familiar with. This advice in combination with the crazy competitiveness of my classmates, I decided to stick with what I knew best.

To illustrate how on top of their work they truly are: a week before the deadline I was asked whether I had finished the final term paper. Blurting out a “pff no”, I quickly made a mental note that I should be deciding on a topic soon. My reply was met with giggles and the confession that she had been working on it for two weeks already. Trying to beat them on their own turf was pointless, clearly.

A different approach to academics and the exam period as compared to what I’m used to became clear early on. The university’s sports committee that I joined for a yoga class, already finished mid-March because exams were approaching. With my first exam on May 11^th, this left me very confused. A few weeks ago posters were hung up around campus wishing us luck with the upcoming exams and goodie bags were given out to comfort us during these stressful times. Apparently, I am right in the midst of the official exam period. Yet, I still have a full week of no class and no exams, as far as I know this is commonly referred to as vacation.

With no means am I trying to downplay my own nerdyness – I cram, study, plan and highlight my notes like the best of them (and enjoy it at the same time). When Rory Gilmore describes her passion for making to-do list, I whole-heartedly agree with everything she says. Frankly, I even write lists of things I have already done – just so that I can cross them off. How’s that for geeky? But with exams weeks away and a trip to Bali planned in between, I honestly don’t see the need to lock myself up in a library just yet.

And so I spend more time preparing my trips and meeting all the final deadlines than cramming for exams that are so far away. Comparing myself to local students I can’t help but feel like a bit of a slacker. I run off to Bali while others are facing the pressure of the upcoming exams. Perhaps now I finally know how the cool kids feel back home.

Family, Love, Food and other wonderful things

No matter how strong and independent I would like to believe to be, the first sight of my parents in Singapore had me jumping up and down, literally. Visiting Singapore for three nights only, I had to carefully plan my weekend with them. After all, there was too much to eat and too little time. Plotting the perfect plan to align the best food places with the best sights, I created the ideal itinerary.

It all started with sushi for Friday night dinner, then Singaporean kopi, kaya toast and mee siam for Saturday breakfast, to be followed by a Taiwanese lunch and Thai dinner. Sunday was scheduled to include Chinese pastries, an elaborate Indian meal and Hong Kong dim sum dinner. Monday consisted mostly of Malay snacks and a Thai lunch. In between meals, the occasional Tiger beer intermezzos took place. Welcome to Singapore!

I chose food places spread out all across Singapore so according to our city conquering routine, we strapped on our walking shoes and set out to take on Singapore by foot. The botanical gardens in the morning, Little India and Arab Quarter by day and a walk along the Singapore river at night. In line with our philosophy of ‘you don’t experience the culture from the inside of a cab’ we hope to have taken in as much as we could in the time that we had. It left me inspired, exhausted and with muscle-aches.

To relax, I took my parents for a drink where I enjoyed a lychee martini with Tim and Kira only a few weeks ago – an adorable bar on Emerald Hill. While at home I usually go to different places with my parents than with my friends, apparently this doesn’t hold true in Singapore. Either this is because Singapore is the place for mixed crowds (the locals and the expats, the young and the less young) or it is a sign of me becoming more mature and sophisticated (fingers crossed everyone!).

Regardless, I enjoyed taking full advantage of any opportunities to be taken care of by the parents. A good and slightly embarrassing example is the backpack my dad carried with him. The content? He brings his wallet and, more importantly, reading material for when my mom and I get distracted on Orchard Rd. In addition to this, he carried my camera, my sunglasses, my wallet (it is the thought that counts), my sweater, and that what initially distracted me on Orchard. I am still in doubt whether I should confess this, but he may or may not have carried a second pair of shoes.

On Monday afternoon, mom and dad headed to Bali as I made my way back to campus. Our much-needed family time was definitely a relaxing break from exchange life, where I honestly do carry my own backpack. But as I listened to a lecture on globalization only a few hours later it seemed slightly surreal. A weekend that revolved around family, sharing stories and excessive hugs settled back to normal exchange life in an instant. Luckily, I have the feeling that the happiness that their visit brought me will last me quite a while.

Counting my lucky stars

My first memory of my own room was the one I shared with my sister. It was spacious, the walls were pink and being close to my sister was something I loved. The day she said she wanted to have her own room, I cried uncontrollably. But because it was her idea, my parents decided it was her who had to move to the room next door. It was smaller and the walls were yellow – clearly I had the better end of the deal. Ever since, I have had my own rooms and with the exception of a short blue-phase, the walls were pink.

In Singapore, I share my room once again. This time, my roommate is not family, the room is everything but spacious and the walls are definitely not pink. The only color that can be found is on the curtains. Leave it up to a lovely shade of brown to truly light up the room. I can also jump from one bed onto the other, even though both are pushed back completely against the walls. Anyone who is familiar with my athletic abilities can now guess how narrow the rooms must be.

So now I find myself on the other side of the deal, it is me who wants to leave this room. Luckily, I play my cards a little better than my sister at the time and trade this room for stays in Indonesia, Malaysia and so on. It was not until this weekend, though, that I got to spend the night at a luxury hotel: The Marina Bay Sands.

How does one end up in the most well known hotel in Singapore, you may wonder? Well, spending a night – or at least a dip in the infinity pool – at the Marina Bay Sands is on the things-to-do list of many exchange students. This was no different for Carmen and Cass, my partners in crime, who have some impulse buying tendencies. So before I knew it, they booked a stay. A plan that started with sneaking me up for a swim ended with them shoving the beds together and inviting me to sleep over. Who am I to refuse a slumber party at the Marina Bay Sands hotel?

We slowly but surely gathered all ingredients for a girls’ night: chocolate, Jennifer Anniston, cheese & bruschetta, fluffy pillows, gossip sesh.. Topped by the complimentary macarons that we devoured within minutes. Of course, the highlight of the evening was swimming in the infinity pool overlooking the Singapore Skyline by night. A magical moment.

There’s no question about the Marina Bay being a luxurious and fancy hotel, so we tried our best to blend in with the crowd. I wore my silk maxi dress, Carmen brought along her sunhat and Cass brought her million bikinis to choose from. However, keeping our cool was a little too much to ask for and it only took a matter of seconds before we were running in the hotel corridors and taking pictures on every possible corner of the pool. When bedtime came, we were still too happy and excited to actually fall asleep.

Thank you Carmen and Cass for a lovely girls night,

Emma

If I'm a Tourist? No, I live here

April came around a lot faster than expected this year. Its arrival means I only have four more weeks of regular class left and about a two-week exam period. As soon as May 16^th hits, I will be closing the NTU door behind me; and jet off to discover Asia all summer long. So having passed the halfway mark a while ago, I wonder how well I have managed to integrate into Singaporean society.

One of the biggest barriers I encounter here in Singapore is language. Before I came here, I was told that English is the most commonly used language and communication should not be a problem. Yet, too many blank stares on either my end or the person I’m talking to have led me to conclude that there is something a little different about my English and Singaporean English. After a while I came to learn that ‘Singlish’ (Singaporean English) is actually a mixture of English, Malay, Tamil, Cantonese and other Asian languages.

Because I’m pretty sure my Chinese will never go much beyond ‘Ni Hao’ (Hello), which I can only remember because it is the name of most Dutch Chinese restaurants, I have not set myself the goal of mastering the Singlish language. What I have been able to conquer, and yes I am quite proud of that fact, is a spontaneous ‘can?’ ‘can’ exchange. Let me show you by the message I received from my roommate:

‘Can help me sth? I msg u in fb can?’ She basically asked me if she could contact me on facebook to ask me for help. The correct Singaporean reply would not be something along the lines of yes or no problem, it would be: ‘can’. Her next question was: ‘Can check ur fb msg inbox?’. After I would say: ‘also can.’ Talking to Singaporeans in quick exchanges such as restaurants, shops and taxis, I have caught myself replacing ‘yes’ by ‘can’ and ‘can not’.

So does this step in the direction of integration make me blend in a little more? Sadly, no. It certainly fills me with a sense of satisfaction but make no mistake that I am often still the odd one out. I couldn’t help but notice that in buses and lecture halls, seats often fill up everywhere else first, before people take a seat beside me. While I know I can give a pretty good mean girl stare, I promise my inner Regina has not come out yet so that can not be the reason. Luckily, it often stays at this initial stand-offish vibe and once I interact with the locals they are very friendly.

Other things that I have slowly gotten used to is the ‘driving on the left side’-debacle, which seeps down way further into everyday life than you’d initially think. For example, when you walk on the street you step to the left to avoid each other instead of the right. Needless to say, I have bumped into countless of people. On the escalator, you stand to the left so that people that are in a hurry can pass you on the right. I am proud to announce I automatically wait on the left side of the escalator now.

When I go to the movies, I come fully prepared for the out of control air-conditioning: leggings, sweater, scarf and hot chocolate. Two months ago, this newbie nearly froze to death while watching Love and other drugs. Thank god there was Jake Gyllenhaal to warm me up. (Excuse the cheesy joke, it had to be made.)

Also, I can distinguish between all sorts of different noodles and can explain to you the difference between prata, thosai, chapatti etc. And while I used to call the beans often served with sushi ‘green beans’, I know casually call them ‘edamame’. Cool, no?

Reflecting upon Singaporean life, I guess I can say that I have certainly learnt a few things and picked up on some local customs. But maybe the most valuable thing of all is to experience how it is to live in a society where you are simply different. I, for one, have a new understanding as to why a “little India” or a “Chinatown” or Utrecht’s “Lombok” come into existence.

When the sun came out

Remembering: sailing off into the sunset, feet touching the water. Pancakes topped with mangoes, local beers and dinners on the beach. Live music. Beautiful company and heart-warming resort staff. Dancing on the beach with a bunch of Filipino kids, posing for a million cameras. Snorkeling, riding ATVs up to the highest point of the island, laying out on the beach. Laughs in paradise.

Spring Break - coping with the unexpected

Sun, 2 for 1 margaritas, snorkeling, white beach, palm trees, mangoes… I had a picture perfect image of what my spring break was going to look like. I booked a flight to idyllic Boracay, the Philippines, well in advance, so I was all set, right?

The day before I left, I told my friends “Uhm.. you might want to check the news”. Visions of sun, cocktails and sarongs were replaced by warnings for earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear catastrophes and evacuations of the Philippino east coast. Worried phone calls from parents soon followed. It is interesting how difficult and strange it is to worry about how our week of fun is in jeopardy, when you put it in the global perspective of how many people lost their lives or homes. It is impossible to balance the two.

Another interesting aspect of how everybody looks at these situations differently. Alex’s parents were the most worried and wanted him to stay put because they remembered Chernobyl and its effect on Germany. Carmen got the low-down on when and when not to grab on to something in case a tsunami hits. Kira’s parents thought everybody was overreacting and laughed at the idea of not going. I got some down-to-earth advice: “Watch the news and be careful. Have fun, we’re jealous”.

Fears set aside, we all decided to go to our paradise for the week. But surprise, surprise, upon arrival we had to deal with another depressing fact: rain. All of the above lead me to conclude that Mother Nature is in a funky, funky mood. So what you do on an island that revolves around sun, beach, cocktails and outdoorsy activities? YOU SHOP. Deciding it was too depressing to buy an umbrella in Boracay, we were soaked after fifteen minutes.

Apart from retail therapy, the incredibly friendly staff at the resort provided a lot of comfort as well. They tried their hardest to refer to everybody by their first name and had nothing but smiles for all of their guests. When we said our goodbyes at the end of the week, we were genuinely sad to leave them. They made it incredibly easy to focus on the great things in Boracay:

• Death by mango overdose is more likely at this point than a tsunami. They are the best I've ever had.
• A girl-talk gossip sesh over tea and mangoes, while the rain is dripping on the roof is actually a very relaxing, mellow and easy morning.
• A group of stranded travelers from all over the world, having the amazing local beers at night caused for a great ambiance.
  

Despite the initial set-backs, I had little trouble keeping my spirits up. I was convinced the weather would turn around before we left and if not, I would not let rain stand in the way of having fun. I know how to handle a moody Mother Nature. Come on- I was born in Holland.

Keep an eye on my blog for part two of Spring Break, in which I’ll report back to you on how it all turned around for the better – causing me to fall in love with this beautiful country.

A Splash of Color

Oh Orchard... you give me fever

I consider shopping one of the things in life I’m quite good at. It really never presents me with many difficulties and, most importantly, it gives me great, great pleasure. Having the reputation of a shopper’s heaven, I thought Singapore to be the last place to throw shopping hurdles at me. Oh- how naive I was.

I came here with a vision of edgy Asian brands, which is why I attempted to pack lightly - in case I would acquire a new wardrobe. However, my vision was rudely destroyed in the form of frilly, cartoon-inspired ‘free-size’ clothing. ‘Free-size’? It’s an Asian term carrying out the philosophy of ‘one size fits all’ and any non-believers just have to deal with it because you cannot try on the clothes. After all, what is the need to try it on if it is guaranteed to fit?

Call me crazy, but I have this hunch that I have a slightly different body-type than the women here. My longer legs make me worry about whether mini-dresses really do ‘fit all’. I’m guessing no. So I decided to abandon the local shops of cheap, lacy, questionable fabric clothes and head down to Orchard Rd. As I set foot in the first shopping mall, my friend commented on the grin on my face. Yes, trouble had arrived.

Besides my successful shopping spree, of which I will casually leave out the details, I have further discovered the other things that Singapore has to offer. A lot of them are food related because I became friends with some locals who love to take me out for dinner. My love for Asian food and my tolerance for spices are greatly appreciated. They also share some crucial inside information: “In Asia, you don’t tip. You bribe.” Very handy for when I go backpacking in the summer.

On the same day as my shopping, I also went to the National Museum of Singapore. You know, to balance it out a little. Finally getting the low down on Singapore’s history, I enjoyed it a lot. In the hopes of discovering a little bit of the less well-known arts scene, I also went to a couple of galleries and attended a poetry slam in the Arab Quarter. Innocently sitting in the audience of the poetry competition, I was asked to be one of the judges. A perfect example of what often happens here – casually rolling into another great experience.

As for this week, I am working on my speech for my ‘speech and argumentation’ class that I have to present this Friday. My chosen topic is the importance for today’s students to keep dreaming – even if your wishes seem wild and crazy. I will share one of the quotes I am using to leave you, my devoted and much appreciated readers, with some food for thought:

“All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.” – T. E. Lawrence

How I became a real journalist

“This assignment is not going to be fun. You will have sleepless nights because of it. You will have to interview people that do not want to be interviewed. You will have to ask questions people don’t want to answer. You will have to find a news story.” While I didn’t take the threats of my journalism professor too seriously, every single one of them came true.

When I was pitching the first couple of ideas, it became clear that I had taken this assignment too lightly. I could not just cover a recent event; do a little research on it and bam- write apiece. No, it had to be a story no one else had reported on before. I needed to actually find it myself. How? “Just ask people.”

So, there I was, at the hall office (HO) of my residence trying to find out what was going on at the student residencies by ‘asking’:

Me: “Has anything remarkable happened over the past days”

HO: “Like what?”

Me: “Uhm.. [pause] anything really. Anything out of the ordinary?”

HO: “Like what?”

Me: “Like… unusual things around campus? Around halls?”

HO: “Like what?”

Me: “Like… any rowdiness or bad behavior?” (Great question Emma.)

HO: “No.”

Me: “Alright. Thank you for your time.”

Hella Awkward.

Slightly embarrassed, I decided on a safer approach: e-mail. Contacting big tourist attractions in the neighborhood, I forgot one thing: e-mails are easily ignored. So I was stuck once again.

And so the sleepless nights began: twisting and turning, thinking about possible topics.. I didn’t know how to continue. But the next day I decided to pull my act together and go to the nearest shopping mall. I was going to find my story.

Talking to the Shopping mall’s office, my eye caught a poster for an upcoming event: “Be a fashionista Barbie” for girls aged 6-12. This instantly sparked some feminist feelings and I knew I was on to something. Surely, mothers wouldn’t agree with such a contest? I could smell conflict.

I pitched the idea to the teacher but he thought I was wrong – Singaporean moms would support this. My own shock made me determined to prove him otherwise. The entire Saturday I spent bugging shoppers with questions about the contest. The professor was right; people often did not want to talk to me. Either they were afraid they could not speak English, they simply couldn’t be bothered or maybe they were intimidated by a certain blonde towering over them? But I persisted and managed to collect my data in the end. Guess what? It supported my insights.

With the data to back me up, I continued to interview ‘aware’, a woman’s association in Singapore and, of course, the organizers of the event to ask for their opinion. Pursuing the story against the professors advice but in line with my own gut feeling and being rewarded in the end.. a happy dance was more than appropriate. I got a taste of what it would be like to pursue it as a career. Hmm.. something to think about.

Paradise - only an hour away

You can almost compare the proximity of Singapore and Indonesia to Holland and Belgium. But, as the Asians so eloquently put it: It’s same same, but different. Different how, you may ask? It’s just SO MUCH BETTER. Whereas fries and beer don’t have me running across the border, freshly caught shrimp, mango juice, beaches and massages definitely do. So I hopped on a ferry to Bintan, Indonesia.

It’s still hard to grasp for all of us that we are almost half way through the semester, it is February and… our biggest worry is if we applied enough sun block. It all just doesn’t seem to add up. But you don’t hear any complaints from my corner; life is pretty fabulous right now.

Transport always seems to be a funny adventure all over the world. I remember Istanbul, where the cab driver was dancing, singing, clapping, handing out cigarettes, tapping both his hands on the dashboard – all at the same time. Hands on the steering wheel? Guess again. In Indonesia, the car from the ferry to the bungalows was an adventure of similar sort.

Although there was plenty of room in the back of the car, it was kindly requested by our driver that I would sit by him, in the front. I was assured it was “not a problem”. When he noticed I tried to put my seatbelt on, which was not there, I was again assured it was “not a problem”. As he rolled down his window, he pointed at mine: “not a problem”. Trust me – Indonesia-style driving, no seatbelt, both front windows rolled down, a ridiculously strong ocean wind, me trying to decipher the drivers’ questions… it was a slight problem.

We arrived at our hostel to find out it were not just Carmen and I staying there, but we were blessed with a third roommate in the form of a giant centipede – I screamed. Using my womanly charms, I tried to convince the boys to capture it and take it outside, as opposed to the proposed murder. However, apparently it was not my day and the boys were not too keen. So I asked the staff to save us. They came to the rescue by crushing the animal, explaining to us that it is deadly. Sorry boys, for almost getting you killed.

The rest of the weekend was incredibly relaxing though. Earlier described massages, the beach, dips in the pool, kayaking and beach volley. We also went into town to mingle with the locals and try some of the local food. I bought a set of chopsticks so it will remind me on my serious intentions of becoming a master at cooking all the things I’ve been eating.

For the next weeks I am staying put in Singapore, spending some time with the local friends I’ve made here and enjoying all that Singapore has to offer. Also, I will be handing in my first assignments for my courses, which I will tell you about in a later post because I absolutely fell in love with some of the classes that I’m taking. Definitely worth sharing, so stay tuned!

Much love

Ode to Elephants

Kuala Lumpur: my Chinese New Year get-a-way

Because I am currently residing in a state of ultimate bliss, I decided this would be a great time to write my blog entry. After weeks of an intense and downright grueling mission, I have found what seemed to be the impossible in Singapore: a decently priced yet well-prepared cup of coffee. I never asked for Italian excellence, all I wanted was something that did not either come in a plastic bag and a straw (no joke) or was equivalent to the price of a meal. Eureka!

Buzzing on my much-needed caffeine shot at café al Fresco, on my very own campus, I think back at Chinese New Year – my trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A trip that revolved around the impressive and oh-so-cute elephants! The journey there was already an adventure: we started off by taking multiple public buses and the last stretch into the jungle was done by ‘private car’ – cramming as much of us into a local’s car and paying him to drop us off at our final destination. Along the way, we picked up a local dish ‘Lemang’: rice and coconut milk wrapped in leaves, cooked in bamboo over a fire. It was yummy.

There are only a few things in life that bring you back to that kid-like joy, when you can not wipe the smile of your face. For me, swimming with dolphins was high up that list and now I can definitely add riding elephants. Sitting on top of an elephant in a river that lets itself, and me by consequence, fall onto its side, is one of those things I will – cheesy as it may sound – never forget. I am still waiting for some of the pictures, which I will upload as soon as I get them.

We also visited the Batu Caves, an important Hindu shrine in the form of a limestone hill, and a Buddhist temple close to KL. Because of the signficance of the Batu Caves and because it was Chinese New Year, both temples were full of people carrying out ceremonies. Both places were vibrant and colorful, and to make it all even better, there were monkeys too.

To be honest, KL wasn’t all peace, love and happiness. As soon as I crossed the Malay border, reality hit me in the form of dirty, squatter toilets. Flashbacks of China came to me as I tiptoed around the bathroom. Not to mention all the massage parlors around the city. In case you were wondering, your ‘happy ending’ alarm bells are going off for good reason. Really, giving up gum isn’t too bad of sacrifice for lovely, clean Singapore. So when I arrived back in Singapore after the weekend, I was genuinely happy to be able to call this home, for now.

I wish you all great fortune for the year of the rabbit! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

The first chapter of my adventures

When I was packing up my things to go study in Singapore for half a year, I had little intention of starting a blog. However, it happens that I love to write and that I have a new best friend: a canon superzoom camera. Both of these seem to be key ingredients for a blog so here I am, entering the blogosphere. Finding topics to write about should not be too big of hurdle because I fully intend on experiencing as many new things and places during my stay in Asia. Maybe my stories will even reach beyond my already established fanbase (hi mom, dad.) and this blog can be my way of sharing my adventures.

I have been frolicking around Singapore for a little less than a month now, thinking I have seen a lot but there is plenty to be discovered. My true exchange started when I left the hotel near Orchard Road (shopping mall heaven), where I stayed with my mom before my semester

started at Nanyang Technological University. Fully intending on turning into a legit backpacker over the course of this experience, I strapped on my backpack… and hopped into a cab. Let’s just say I’ll have plenty of practice ‘roughing it’ later on.

At the university, I have met a great group of people who, like myself, want to make the most of the time here. So together we take on Singapore and explore the different neighborhoods such as Chinatown (full of Chinese New Year decorations), Little India, Arab Quarter and the Quays. Of course, a great chunk of the reason why I love these areas is the food – prata, tom yum soup, green curry, pisang goreng, coconuts.. it is heaven. If I would answer the question why I decided to go to Singapore on exchange, the above-mentioned delicacies would be the honest response.

As for the nightlife, it is more than I could ask for. There are plenty of clubs to choose from and most of them host a ‘ladies night’. Contrary to what ladies night entails at my home university – a traumatizing performance by a repulsive stripper – it is a night where girls enter the club

and drink for free. Sipping on my cranberry vodka, I dance the night away. Another way of

spending your night is at the fancier clubs at the top of hotels. Where again, chances are big you won’t spend a dime because of all the businessmen buying bottles of champagne. Moët, anyone?

Looking at the length of this post and the weather outside, it is time to wrap this up. After all, the campus pool is waiting for me. Please stay tuned for my next entry, which will cover my trip to Kuala Lumpur. In order to keep you guys interested, I’ll use the old trick of a cliffhanger by saying one word: elephants.