Eeek, I am have not updated my blog in awhile! The internet was down at my host family's house for awhile, and this week was pretty low key, which explains my lack of posts. I have been in Asia for over two weeks now, and am learning more and more, I'll share:
1. Toilet paper is considered a luxury. Thankfully, my host family believes in using it, but the other Aggies on the trip cannot say the same thing. In many public bathrooms you will find a hose instead of toilet paper...uncomfortable.
2. Instead of saying "text message", they refer to it as "SMS".
3.The moon is SO much brighter here than it is in the U.S. At night you can't see stars, but the sky still has faint tint of blue to it and the clouds are still visible. In my attic there are no curtains for the windows, so the moon literally wakes me up at night because it is shining so brightly.
4. I have decided that in Singapore you can spend your time doing one of 2 things; shopping or eating. No matter where my destination may be, I somehow always end up inside a mall, they are seriously everywhere.
5. Jaywalking is a form of survival here-everyone does it.
6. Air conditioning is called "air con", and it is also a luxury. My family does not use it, but thankfully they have a unit in the attic and allow me to turn it on at night. I am not sure if I could have made it without "air con" at night.
7.Singaporean education is much more intense than American education. Granted, I went to a public school,so I am sure I didn't a very rigorous side of American schooling, but either way, the kids here are learning a lot at a young age. Some of the math problems that the 4th graders give me to work out I have trouble solving (Sorry, Dad).
8. Singapore uses the British English language, this being said, the words "queue and alight" threw me off at first. At school, I would hear the other teachers asking the girls to "queue up" and I had no idea what they were referring to, so I asked. Turns out, it means to form a line, or to line up. The other day I was looking up directions and the site I was using told me to "alight" at certain stops. I had no idea what it meant to alight, so again, I asked. Alight means to get off at a stop. Singapore is expanding my vocabulary!
9. They don't use clothes dryers here, and some families don't even own a washing machine. Thankfully, my host family has a washing machine, however they do hang their clothes on sticks of bamboo to dry.
10. Singaporean's know a lot about the United States. The girls I work with can name different U.S presidents and they asked me how I spent my July 4th holiday. This makes me feel very ignorant because I can tell you a few prominent international leaders, but not many, and I definitely don't know any holidays that other nations celebrate outside of the few popular ones(i.e Christmas). Oops.
Last night I went to a mall and ate dinner(surprise, surprise) with one of my co-workers, Wanqui. It was a quiet, but fun Friday night. Today I am going with the other Aggies to Sentosa Island, which is an outdoor adventure land basically with zip-lining, beaches and Universal Studios. I am looking forward to a day in the sun!
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