FAQ: Finally, Some Useful Information

I figured that most of what I’ve been putting on my blog hasn’t been any actual day to day stuff, and not very informative. So here’s a list of questions that I’ve gotten since day one, in case anyone is curious.

Where have you gone so far?

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to leave Singapore yet because I’ve been waiting for my student pass, which I finally picked up today! Earlier on I went to the Night Safari and on a bus tour through China Town and Little India. Most recently this weekend I went to beach at Sentosa, and I’ve posted a gallery of pictures from that beautiful trip. I swear to god, it was absolutely divine, but also absolutely overpriced (free admission to the beach, but $20 dollars for a daiquiri). Other than that I have gone to a few shopping malls, mostly on a desperate quest for art supplies, and to a small market/ foot court on Jurong West Street. I’m sure I’ll be back there again.

What’s different in Singapore?

This, honestly, is a loaded question. So I made a list, since lists are nice.

• Locals are very friendly. Not quite Canadian friendly, but they will try their best to help you, and are very apologetic if they don’t speak English.
• Everything’s cheaper, sparing alcohol.
• Instead of a chipmunk running past you on the sidewalk, there are lizards. I’m not kidding.
• I went to a booth at the canteen that claimed to serve “Western Food,” and they served absolutely everything with a side of spaghetti.
• There is a volunteer network that feeds and cares for the feral cats on campus, so they are very friendly towards people, and will happily let you pet them.
• Singapore still has all of the signs of being a British colony. Everywhere I see “lifts” and “canteens,” and they drive on the wrong side of the road.
• Tax is almost always included in the price, and no one gives tips; it just isn’t in the culture. It’s so much easier to calculate in your head.
• Pennies have been fazed out. So. Much. Easier.

Have you made lots of friends?

Yes! I have a few different friend networks (all of which have their own group chats). I’m in the group chat for RPI people currently on exchange. I met a whole bunch of people on the bus trip to China Town/Little India, and they are a good group to go get lunch with and are excited to travel! I’ve also made friends with some people who share classes with me, and they have added me into this gigantic group chat called NTU Friendos (don’t ask me why it’s called that, I have no idea). There is at least 100 people in this group chat. Great for making plans (if you ever want to try to do that in a group chat that big).

How’s your roommate?

She is very nice! Her name is Hiromi and she is a Singaporean. She has kind of a strong Singlish accent, and the first few times we talked I had to ask her to repeat things several times. I still missed what part of the city she’s from and what sport she plays, and was too embarrassed to ask again. She’s very nice, and we’ll get along well, but we probably won’t be great friends.

Do you know what classes you’re taking?

I didn’t earlier this morning, but now I (kind of) do! How can I be a week and a half into the semester and still only barely know which classes I’m taking? Trust me when I say you don’t want to know. I will be making a post to warn future exchange students, and the whole debacle will go on there. Regardless, I am now officially registered for 4 classes, for a total of 12 AU (credits): Applied Drawing (aka Figure Drawing), Creative Writing: Fiction, Drawn Animation I, and Graphic Storytelling. There is a 5th class that I was super interested in, 3D Modeling I, but the waitlist had over 50 people on it and there was no vacancies to be found. Thankfully, I attended the lectures and the professor is going to let me sit in on the class without being officially registered, and he is going to try and find a way to get me in!

Where are you going next?

Ahh, I wish I knew for sure. Plans this weekend are up in the air. I do know, however, that tomorrow I am going to the Pokemon Cafe in downtown Singapore! I am super excited to go, I’m going with friends and we are all going to share meals so we can try as much as we can. There is also a few future trips in the works, such as a long weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a day trip to Lego Land right across the bridge, and possibly a spring break trip to Tokyo! 🙂

Stay tuned, and I’ll let you know my future adventures!