Well my first weekend in Singapore went well! On Saturday I went shopping with my host mom, Margaret. She attempted to teach me how to use the bus and subway system-eventually I will learn. The malls in Singapore are all very different, some are completely indoors, and others are outdoors, but are covered with sheets that act as a roof, and all of the different stores look like booths that seem to be privately owned. I was quite surprised to find a lot of clothes that I actually liked and wanted to buy, for some reason I didn't think Singapore would be up to date on the fashion trends, but they have some pretty cool stuff over here! My host mom and I went to lunch in food court at one of the malls, and again I had issues with the cuisine. My host mom figured I would like some chicken and rice, which normally I would be all for, but when I went up to order the food, I stood face to face with all of these chickens hanging upside down, their heads are fully attached , and their eyes are staring at me. Turns out, they cut the chickens neck off and place the head in your bowl next to a portion of rice. I have never really been on board the vegetarian train, in fact, some would say I don't even like animals, but in that moment I felt like a PETA spokesperson. There is no way I could consume that, so I walked myself on over to a stand that was selling noodles. Meanwhile my host mom went to get us some drinks, I was thinking she would come back with some tea, water, anything but a but bowl of jelly. She hands me a bowl of brown looking water with what looked like caramelized onions floating in it, but the onion-like elements were some form of jelly. You could either consume the "drink" with a spoon or straw, needless to say I struggled to drink even 1/4 of that stuff. Later that night we went out to dinner, where my host family ordered a large pot of fish head for all of us to share. Similar to the chicken situation, I soon found myself staring at a fish that looks like it came straight out of the ocean, and then they burnt it a little bit. The mouth of the fish is gaping open and you are expected to take a fork and eat the insides...great. After dinner we went to get some groceries at a local market. We picked up some durians, a fruit that is a favorite among the locals here. We went back home and my host dad placed some newspapers on the kitchen floor and cracked open the durians for us to eat. The fruit has a very distinct smell, that honestly is not appetizing, and I can't say the actual taste of the fruit is much better, which I am sure at this point comes as no surprise.Overall, I had a great night with my host family and I feel as though I am connecting with them more.
On Sunday I had the opportunity to go with my host family to church. They attend a Methodist church here in Singapore, which is awesome considering I grew up in a Methodist church! Being from the West, I feel like I always hear how important it is to share the Gospel with other nations, which don't get me wrong that's SO true, but I guess The Great Commission left me with the impression that there are only Christians in the West(even though Christianity didn't even originate in North America). I was pleasantly surprised to walk into a very contemporary sanctuary where we sang the same songs we sing at church back home-talk about a feeling of comfort. Before the service started, the preacher asked the congregation if it was anyone's first time at the church, and if so to raise their hand. Of course, the American girl was the only visitor that Sunday, so I got to raise my hand and watch the entire church turn around to get a glimpse of the newcomer. Since all eyes were on me, I said hello and told them I was from America(which I kind of like declaring). The preacher's sermon was very good, and as I stood and sang with a congregation that looks NOTHING like my church body back home, I could not help but feel the power of the Gospel. This morning I learned that the love of God truly does reach to all nations! After the service we ate with the congregation where I found some noodles that I actually liked-they are called Bee Hoon noodles(I made sure to remember so I can ask for them when I am eating at other places). At the lunch they did not have any forks, so I was forced to eat with chopsticks, which was not too bad this time, whew.
It is now raining here, but once the rain lets up I plan on walking to the place where my internship is located to make sure I have the route down since my first day of work is tomorrow! As of now though, I am currently enjoying the Sunday afternoon rain as I read a book up in my attic space.
The jelly "drink"
Durians- (you have to cut them open to get to the actual fruit)
No comments:
Post a Comment