Time flies. As I sit in the Dubai airport, on my way home, it is difficult to believe that I have spent nearly an entire summer in Singapore. I have become acclimated to the pace of life, adjusted to my workplace, established new friendships, and come to love to the local cuisine.
Life in the Lion City is always fast paced, but work hours are not considerably different from US standards. I normally worked from 8:30 to 5:30, but as my job duties intensified so did the hours and I occasionally worked as late as 8:00. My employer?s office is located toward the north east end of the island, while my hostel was centrally situated. This made for a daily commute of about 2.5 hours. This sounds terrible, but it was quite enjoyable. I began each morning by walking through the Botanic Gardens to the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) Station. I would then take the MRT to a large transportation interchange and transfer to a bus which would drop me off very near my work place. Average work days leave little time for other activities. I began most days around 6:00 AM and managed to return to my hostel by 8:00 PM. Needless to say, I did most of my exploring during the weekends. However, my daily commutes immersed me into the life of typical Singaporeans, allowing me to experience aspects of Singapore that tourists do not see.
My daily commutes allowed me to appreciate, and grow to love, Singaporean public transit. Public
transportation in Singapore is extremely efficient, sophisticated, and very intuitive. To conserve limited real estate, many public locales serve several purposes. Focal transportation interchanges are no exception. They are well integrated in the fabric of daily life. MRT Interchanges (major transport hubs) resemble large malls, housing hundreds of shops, restaurants, markets, and a large food court. This provides public transportation users a degree of unparalleled mobility and accessibility; owning a vehicle in Singapore is not a necessity. The thoughtfulness of the system made travel very easy and enjoyable; I could sleep, read, or relax to and from work each day. Even the highways are well managed. Though the city is comparable (in population) to Houston, traffic jams are much less severe and traffic moves smoothly. Overall, Singaporean transportation contrasts heavily with the daily nightmare most Americans term a ?commute?-I am not looking forward to Houston traffic!
My last month was extremely busy, but I was able to see a great deal of Singapore and even some of Malaysia. I visited, Johor Bahru, the nearest state of neighboring Malaysia. That trip took me to a local chocolate manufacturer, a large agricultural complex, and an ostrich farm. The contrast between Malaysia and Singapore is striking. Both countries are growing and a sense of opportunity is prevalent, but Malaysia is much less developed and lacks the organization that Singapore has perfected. I also visited Sentosa, a popular tourist spot that houses several theme parks, a museum, and a beach. I revisited Chinatown several times and took advantage of the large tailoring scene by purchasing a well-made, low priced tailored suit. I really explored the local cuisine, eating at hawker centers daily. I believe that I tasted the vast majority of local dishes including chili crab, laksa, fish head curry, sushi, chicken feet, dumplings, pork buns, durian (certainly an acquired taste!), and all sorts of noodles. I also ate many varieties of local chicken rice, including the world famous Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice Stall. This modest hawker center stall is highly regarded by Anthony Bourdain and recently bested celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsey in a local competition. The Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Urban Planning Museum, Sim Lim Square, Bugis Street, Mount Faber, and Fort Canning are some of the other sites I explored.
My last several weeks allowed me to witness Singaporean patriotism. National Day, Singapore?s independence day is quickly approaching (August 9th) and the country has been busily preparing for the celebrations. The preparation has been going on for weeks. School children have been rehearsing the national anthem at local stadiums, banners have been hung, Singaporean flags stream from every local residence, and temporary stands have been erected. However, the armed forces have done the most preparation. For the past several weeks, the air force has practiced its aerial show, the navy has shown off its maneuvers, and the army has displayed its drills. All has been done in preparation of National Day. The cost of such preparation has been millions of dollars and has been the subject of many local news headlines. For such a small country, Singapore demonstrates a great deal of patriotism. A large degree of this seems to stem from the government, which uses such events to unify the many different cultures/peoples of Singapore and to help create a true Singaporean identity. National Day is also a highly political event that is used to display Singapore?s military prowess to its far larger, often more aggressive neighbors. Government?s heavy role in Singaporean life is evident in National Day patriotism, which is largely government ?created?. This contrasts heavily with American patriotism, which is more ?home grown? and grass roots.
Singapore has been an amazing experience, but it is, once again time for change-it is time to go home. Change is a good thing; it forces adaptation, growth, and innovation, but it is always met with mixed feelings. I know that I will miss Singapore; the people, the culture, and my job, but I am also extremely excited about returning to the US and getting back to school. Singapore is an incredible country and working/living there has improved my global perspective, provided me with practical experience, and helped me appreciate other cultures. However, there is no place like the United States. I have visited many countries, and no nation can compare. No place in the world offers the same level of freedom, education, growth, diversity, and natural beauty. Living and working abroad has accentuated the great privileges that we all, as American citizens, enjoy. Viewing the United States from a distance has helped me appreciate and better understand the place I call home. I plan to work internationally and I will return to Singapore in the future, but I am glad to be coming home and to start a new year at Texas A&M University!
Myself and fellow Aggie (left) with our boss (center) who graduated from A&M in 1995 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
