Today was my "official" first day in Singapore. As I tredded up the hills and stairs with Andrew and Bobby, I felt a rush of sweat down my back, on my forehead and ...well all over the place. Singapore is one hot and humid place, my friends. If you don't like to sweat, don't come here hahaha. NTU campus is HUGE and when I mean HUGE, probably the same or bigger than College Park MD. Loyola is this itty bitty campus. So Greyhounds, if you are reading this don't complain about that hill you have to go up to class everyday from Newman and Campion, you check out these hills in Singapore, talk about 6 flights of stairs to get lunch, I felt like I was walking up an Egyptian pyramid. My poor feet were crying in pain, but hey I'll come back with legs of steel...watch out!
Bobby, Andrew, and I decided to go to Boon Lay to buy mobile phones (aka cell phones) and toiletries that we forgot..well mostly me. I forgot a razor, tweezer, and a couple of other "girly" things (poor Bobby and Andrew). As we were sitting on the bus and cooling off, I heard what sounded like perfect English (since I am used to the Singaporean English--man is it hard to understand!!). I saw a Caucasian girl with a Singaporean NTU student and another girl who looked European. I looked at her and said, "You're not from America, are you?" She said she was Canadian (close enough!). Bobby, Andrew, and I exchanged names and where we were from. The Canadian girl's name was Jasmine. The European girl's name was Donna. The Singaporean NTU student's name was Cheryl. They were all such nice people. We were all on the same page---to find a mobile phone. I could not fathom the idea of not having a mobile phone whether I'm home in the US or in Singapore. The mall was crazy--people everywhere! We went into a "Wal-Mart" that had everything from rice cookers (only in Asia!) to pillows and to food. We got all we needed, sadly I walked out with a sad face with the amount of money I had just spent. We all took the bus back together to NTU (except Cheryl). We decided to hang out and get dinner tomorrow night. It's so cool to make friends with people out of the US =)
Justin finally arrived and joined us! We went to a cafe near Andrew's residence hall for dinner. It was all Asian food from noodles to fried rice to sweet and sour pork. I got the sweet and sour pork rice (that's what it was called). It was alright; my stomach is still shaky.... After we finished our meals, we decided to go into the city and explore (and of course drink...LEGALLY!).
We took a cab to Clarke Quay (pronounced "Clarke-que"). It is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. It's outdoors with this huge roof on top of the bars, boutiques, and restaurants. There were different color lights beaming through the place. This is probably a "hot spot" for tourists, as I saw Europeans, Asians, and Caucasians. We went to "Forbidden City" first, a bar inspired by China's Forbidden City. We ordered Singapore Slings that costed... wait for it... $13!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Outrageous, but what the hell I'm abroad, so I bought it of course. It was sweet and cold, just what I needed after walking in the humid weather.
After "Forbidden City," we walked on over to "Asian Fusion," which looked like a hookers bar, I wasn't so comfortable with Asian women dancing on a stage in front of me, so went to "Clinic." Now "Clinic" was an interesting bar. They had syringes and shots of alcohol. We got a syringe of this red drink that costed...$50!!!!! (What the hell were we thinking?!) and ordered 2 cold beers to share.
After the syringe and beer, I felt a buzz (probably cause I haven't been eating). We decided to leave after we were "treated" at the "Clinic" (funny, aren't I?). We tried to get a cab but none showed up, so we decided to walk around and look for a train. Walking aimlessly to nowhere, we finally spotted a cab that took us back to NTU. I fell asleep in the cab, knowing it was bed time. I showered and now I'm here blogging =) I need to get to bed because tomorrow is when I "officially" sign into NTU with papers that need to be signed and fees that need to get paid. Until then, much love from the Chatty Chong!
Sunday 31 July 2011
Saturday 30 July 2011
Tossing and Turning
Terrible sleep last night! Talk about jet-lag! I decided to fall asleep around 3am, but it took forever, from the sweat dripping down my back to a pain in my stomach, last night did not fly. I woke up around 7am, feeling this weird pain in my stomach. I decided to get up and chug some water down. After some rubbing of the belly here and there, I passed out for a couple hours. Joanna (my roomie) woke me up because Bobby was at the door! Bobby asked if I wanted to get lunch and walk over together to the ISC (International Student Center) with Andrew so I could officially "check-in." I of course agreed but requested to sleep a little more because my stomach was still in a fishy pain. I set my alarm for 10:30 and proceeded to get up. As I walked out of my room, a nice breeze greeted me. Today in Singapore it will be breezy with the sun (of course) in the mid-upper 80's....better than the Baltimore humid heat!! I decided to wear a black skirt and a yellow v neck with black strappy sandals. Bobby and Andrew are meeting me in a few minutes to grab some lunch and walk around campus....I can't wait! Until then, Much love from the Chatty Chong!
1st Day in Singapore
I have been dreaming about this day since day one when I stepped foot on the Evergreen campus at Loyola, Study Abroad was here! Finally a Junior I will spend my fall semester somewhere new and exotic. What better place than Singapore? It took a lot of anxiety and "freaking out" to finally make it to my first day.
In hopes of passing out on the airplane ride, I decided to sleep at 2am (American time) and wake up at 7:30am. I saw down on my phone that I had two missed calls from my friends Kelley Dolan and Libbie Gerham. To know that I have friends back in the US who comfort and support me is a feeling that is irreplaceable. After my shower, I quickly called them back. I did not realize how much I was gonna miss my friends after the last few calls. As the nerves started, I tried to calm myself down with short breaths and telling myself, "you will be okay." Airplanes freak me out. It's too small; it smells; the food is not great; and I just prefer to be on the ground.
The car ride there was quite a ride. I kept rambling on how nervous I was to my mom as my mom slowly started to ignore me. My grandpa in the front seat was reassuring that things were going to be okay and he was instructing me step by step on what to do and how to do it (it being the layover and such). Meghan was passed out in the back seat. Dad was driving away.
When I walked into Dulles Airport in DC, the nerves not only got worse but created a pit feeling in my stomach and head thinking to myself, "you can't do this, turn around, and go." My mom and I got in line to grab my plane tickets. "Alright (I thought to myself), this is it, no turning back, we're here." We walked to the entrance of security as I kept looking at the clock to not be late. I kept wanting that clock to freeze in the moment or go back because to be honest, I was not ready. I was not ready to leave my family and friends and embark on a new independent adventure in Singapore. "Why on Earth did I pick Singapore?" (I thought to myself), as the tears went down my face as I hugged my family away.
I went through security safely and got what I needed to get done. Riding on Korean Airlines taught me a lot about Koreans. They love to dress up and look good, as I sat there in my Old Navy yoga pants and a red Miami college shirt (from Aziza Alaoui). Grandpa had given me money for "hungry #1" he called it, so I got up and bought myself a whole wheat grilled chicken and pesto panini since I had no eaten breakfast or anything because of my anxiety. It tasted so good, I wanted more, but my stomach could only take half of it. I sat there in front of the gate, panini in hand and cellphone in the other (this was going to be my last time using my phone in America). I quickly dialed Kelley Quinn's number to calm myself down (since she has expertise in flying back and forth from Baltimore to Rochester). Once again, I realized how much I was going to miss home....
Airplane ride #1 was HELL---13 hours in a crammed seat that did not recline so well. I was uncomfortable, unhappy, and overly exhausted. I tried getting through one movie which was "No Strings Attached." I could not get through it so I decided to pass out (hoping the medicine would soon kick in). I woke up a couple of hours later and lunch was served. It was horrific! Little cubes of beef with vegetables, I wanted to die. I drank coffee to get the taste down my throat. Movie #2 was up, "Just Go With It." This movie was comical but once again I could not get through it, so I slept. Few hours go by, I decide to go for Movie #3, "Toasted." I had never seen it, got in a hour into it, and passed out. I wake up and there was still 6 hours to go! I thought I was gonna bust that window open and jump off the airplane. I sat there, praying to God that I could make it. Overly exhausted and nervous, I slept. Basically, I slept through Airplane ride #1.
The layover in South Korea went well. It was barely 2 hours long. I went through security with flying colors and decided to sit in front of the gate and not buy any food or drinks (nerves were kicking in..). My gate number was called and off to Singapore I went. It was a crowded plane ride and a cold one too. As we were slowly landing in Singapore, the plane started to do weird things, a feeling in my stomach that was unbearable. I thought right then and there I was going to vomit (I did not luckily!). I decided to have Korean food on the plane for dinner, but I ended up just eating plain rice. My stomach had caution signs all over it. I was not feeling well AT ALL. 13 hours on Airplane ride #1 plus a layover, now this!
Finally, I see a familiar face, Patrick (my program director) was waiting at baggage claim. I patiently waited for my two 50lb. bags. Patrick got a taxi and away we went. Singapore is not hot, it's REALLY HOT and sticky if I may add. My poor face will break out with blemishes and pimples in no time. NTU campus is soo large, it could eat up Loyola in one bite. It's huge!!
My dorm was very confusing to get to, it was like a maze. As I opened the door, my roommate was already there and unpacked. Her name is Joanna. She is a 1st year from Malaysia studying mathematics. She is this short Asian girl with short black hair. Joanna has a twin sister who stayed back in Malaysia. I can't wait to get to know her better.
I decided to shower since sweat was dripping all over the place as I unpacked. There was no AC in the room because apparently you have to pay before you get the AC. I have never had to share a communal bathroom so this was interesting. This dorm is not indoor too, it's all outdoor, meaning I was walking around naked in my towel getting from my room to the bathroom and back. Loyola spoils me, so I can see already that it's going to be a bumpy ride. I'm pretty sure when a few weeks go by, I'll feel like a regular.
It's 3:18am Singapore time and 3:18pm America time. I should be going to bed or at least trying. I already miss America and my friends and family, but once I get myself busy, I know I will focus on the great opportunity in Singapore... until then! MUCH LOVE from the Chatty Chong!
In hopes of passing out on the airplane ride, I decided to sleep at 2am (American time) and wake up at 7:30am. I saw down on my phone that I had two missed calls from my friends Kelley Dolan and Libbie Gerham. To know that I have friends back in the US who comfort and support me is a feeling that is irreplaceable. After my shower, I quickly called them back. I did not realize how much I was gonna miss my friends after the last few calls. As the nerves started, I tried to calm myself down with short breaths and telling myself, "you will be okay." Airplanes freak me out. It's too small; it smells; the food is not great; and I just prefer to be on the ground.
The car ride there was quite a ride. I kept rambling on how nervous I was to my mom as my mom slowly started to ignore me. My grandpa in the front seat was reassuring that things were going to be okay and he was instructing me step by step on what to do and how to do it (it being the layover and such). Meghan was passed out in the back seat. Dad was driving away.
When I walked into Dulles Airport in DC, the nerves not only got worse but created a pit feeling in my stomach and head thinking to myself, "you can't do this, turn around, and go." My mom and I got in line to grab my plane tickets. "Alright (I thought to myself), this is it, no turning back, we're here." We walked to the entrance of security as I kept looking at the clock to not be late. I kept wanting that clock to freeze in the moment or go back because to be honest, I was not ready. I was not ready to leave my family and friends and embark on a new independent adventure in Singapore. "Why on Earth did I pick Singapore?" (I thought to myself), as the tears went down my face as I hugged my family away.
I went through security safely and got what I needed to get done. Riding on Korean Airlines taught me a lot about Koreans. They love to dress up and look good, as I sat there in my Old Navy yoga pants and a red Miami college shirt (from Aziza Alaoui). Grandpa had given me money for "hungry #1" he called it, so I got up and bought myself a whole wheat grilled chicken and pesto panini since I had no eaten breakfast or anything because of my anxiety. It tasted so good, I wanted more, but my stomach could only take half of it. I sat there in front of the gate, panini in hand and cellphone in the other (this was going to be my last time using my phone in America). I quickly dialed Kelley Quinn's number to calm myself down (since she has expertise in flying back and forth from Baltimore to Rochester). Once again, I realized how much I was going to miss home....
Airplane ride #1 was HELL---13 hours in a crammed seat that did not recline so well. I was uncomfortable, unhappy, and overly exhausted. I tried getting through one movie which was "No Strings Attached." I could not get through it so I decided to pass out (hoping the medicine would soon kick in). I woke up a couple of hours later and lunch was served. It was horrific! Little cubes of beef with vegetables, I wanted to die. I drank coffee to get the taste down my throat. Movie #2 was up, "Just Go With It." This movie was comical but once again I could not get through it, so I slept. Few hours go by, I decide to go for Movie #3, "Toasted." I had never seen it, got in a hour into it, and passed out. I wake up and there was still 6 hours to go! I thought I was gonna bust that window open and jump off the airplane. I sat there, praying to God that I could make it. Overly exhausted and nervous, I slept. Basically, I slept through Airplane ride #1.
The layover in South Korea went well. It was barely 2 hours long. I went through security with flying colors and decided to sit in front of the gate and not buy any food or drinks (nerves were kicking in..). My gate number was called and off to Singapore I went. It was a crowded plane ride and a cold one too. As we were slowly landing in Singapore, the plane started to do weird things, a feeling in my stomach that was unbearable. I thought right then and there I was going to vomit (I did not luckily!). I decided to have Korean food on the plane for dinner, but I ended up just eating plain rice. My stomach had caution signs all over it. I was not feeling well AT ALL. 13 hours on Airplane ride #1 plus a layover, now this!
Finally, I see a familiar face, Patrick (my program director) was waiting at baggage claim. I patiently waited for my two 50lb. bags. Patrick got a taxi and away we went. Singapore is not hot, it's REALLY HOT and sticky if I may add. My poor face will break out with blemishes and pimples in no time. NTU campus is soo large, it could eat up Loyola in one bite. It's huge!!
My dorm was very confusing to get to, it was like a maze. As I opened the door, my roommate was already there and unpacked. Her name is Joanna. She is a 1st year from Malaysia studying mathematics. She is this short Asian girl with short black hair. Joanna has a twin sister who stayed back in Malaysia. I can't wait to get to know her better.
I decided to shower since sweat was dripping all over the place as I unpacked. There was no AC in the room because apparently you have to pay before you get the AC. I have never had to share a communal bathroom so this was interesting. This dorm is not indoor too, it's all outdoor, meaning I was walking around naked in my towel getting from my room to the bathroom and back. Loyola spoils me, so I can see already that it's going to be a bumpy ride. I'm pretty sure when a few weeks go by, I'll feel like a regular.
It's 3:18am Singapore time and 3:18pm America time. I should be going to bed or at least trying. I already miss America and my friends and family, but once I get myself busy, I know I will focus on the great opportunity in Singapore... until then! MUCH LOVE from the Chatty Chong!
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