A Week in Singapore

I spent the last week partaking in a career workshop during the day, and enjoying my time with the other people in my program at night. The workshop was somewhat helpful in revealing personality characteristics and career goals, but I think it's important to remember that I still need to apply myself at work otherwise defining my goals will mean nothing.

Obviously the best part was interacting with everyone in the group, touring the city, and general rabble rousing when the time called for it. One night I found myself sitting at a low wooden table in the middle of a pedestrian street in Singapore's "Chinatown" surrounded by a mix of cultures represented by the people, food, and general scenery. In the midst of a conversation I suddenly realized the uniqueness of my situation. For starters, I was in Singapore; the confluence of Easter and Western cultural rivers. Walking into Chinatown I could sense the Asian influences permeating through the streets. There was a hint of sizzling spiced meat along with the occasional, if somewhat off putting, stench of sweat and refuse that doesn't exactly make me cringe, but reminds me that the cookie-cutter, anti-microbial hygienic obsession in the West isn't all that normal. The red lanterns draping across the street put up a face of being Chinese, but the tautness of the wire betrays this Chinese appearance to reveal an attention to detail and order only found in Singapore.

This scene set the stage for what I often fail to recognize as an overwhelming blend of cultures and people in my program. It's at moments like this that I appreciate the situation I am in, and what I can learn from everyone else. At the table were: Jin and Feifan (two girls from China), Prashant (India), Kazuaki (Japan), Brendan Kilpatrick and Sean (Ireland), Nacho (Spain), and Brandon (U.S.). The collection of our various backgrounds in that particular setting eating various Asian influenced foods, sipping on cold bottled beer, and engagin in conversation about our travel experiences and general cultural differences we noticed in each other created a hilarious and insightful conversation that set the tone for our week together. It also helped that we spent several late nights chasing the young adult dream of humorous social interactions that can only be appreciated without any overbearing responsibilities. The transition from our college days to real maturity is, as I notice the world over, consistently cloaked in a veil of inebriation. Needless to say, it was fun.

I must admit that my feeling towards Singapore changed a bit as I ventured around different areas of the city. Everything is beautifully laid out with small green parks surrounding the sleek modern skyscrappers. Yet, there is an overwhelming commercial feel to it all. The main Clark Quay area is basically an outdoor shopping mall consisting of mainly bars and restaurants snaking along the river that cuts through the city. The tell-tale sign was walking by a Hooters after just passing by a Mexican restaurant with some ridiculous name like "Tacorita de Amor". Everything was a bit too focused on extracting every last cent out of the crowds that are trying to decide if they wanted to forget their daily problems by eating shitty generic quesadillas, gazing at the owl eyes on the Hooter's waitress' shirts, or fist pumping in the dark cavern of the clubs (I must admit I did partake in this last one a bit). On top of that, all Asian girls sport the same designer labels that I'm convinced is the only reason Italy's economy hasn't gone completely under.

Adding to the Big Mac eating, Prada bag swinging, eyeshadow covered dolls is the omniscient eye of the Singaporean government. Everything does run very efficiently as a result of this influence: from the Metro to the legal prostitutes that advertise on every street corner. On the flip side, efficiency makes life very easy here, but it's at odds with the enjoyable chaos that I think will be present in India.

Criticism aside, I still enjoy Singapore. The weather is hot and humid, but easy to adjust to seeing how every building blasts you with a suffocating amount of AC. I'm currently crashing with my friend Prashant in his temporary serviced apartment before my departure to Mumbai on Friday.

Fourth of July Facts in Singapore:
Yes, I'm writing this and drinking a Budweiser.
No, I'm not at the beach.
Yes, I'm wearing my USA soccer jersey.
No, I did not get any compliments on it.
Yes, I ate a Big Mac for dinner.
No, I did not feel good after.

Hope everyone enjoys celebrating the fourth

(The dinner group described above, and a scene from the street)

P.S. I forgot to give a shout out to my cousin Madeline. I still can't find a present for you. I need more ideas.