content in singapore
So darn happy in Singapore! For the past few days, I have tried to accumulate my thoughts on this experience thus far. It has been almost 2 months since leaving home, and I can't comprehend how time is flying by.
The start of the semester felt like the start of freshmen year. The start of the semester felt like the start of freshmen year all over again. In short, everyone was desperate to make friends, resulting in NUS feeling cliquey as people wanted to find comfort in belonging to a group. At first, it was a bit tricky to navigate this social scene, but through the most random occasions, I found myself meeting and connecting with so many people from all kinds of backgrounds.
I love the thrill of tossing myself into new environments as a means to challenge myself to adapt and form new relationships. Maybe more so than a passion for “traveling” itself.
Social anxiety can be the absolute worst, however, I do think last summer in Germany prepared me for the challenges of an exchange. My philosophy: it’s 2019 baby, and it’s time to shoot your shot. I have realized how direct I can be when it comes to meeting new people and how I am not afraid to be vulnerable when developing new relatinships. If I meet someone that I find myself naturally clicking with, I'll often reach out to grab meals or invite them to other activities. Most times, people respond well when you make the extra effort to get to know them. As a result, you'll either gain a new friend or realize they are not your kind of people and that's totally fine as well.
I am genuinely so thankful for all the people I have met thus far. I was facetiming Syd, who’s on an exchange in Chile, and we both concluded that we’re amazed by all of the interesting people we have befriended. The best part of studying abroad is this platform of meeting people, who come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds and experiences. I find myself learning so much through engaging in conversations. It's also interesting to see how quickly relationships can develop.
I am taking a SE Asia course, and I am learning so so much. I've lost count the number of times my professor has spoken about a certain part of history, and then encouraged students to go visit the site itself during recess week. SG barely reflects the rest of SE Asia. However, my experiences in traveling to developing countries and understanding Singapore's history have introduced greater perspectives on my privileges and my Asian heritage as well.
There’s a lot about SG that I love and I can’t imagine myself doing an exchange elsewhere!
Time is flying by and that makes me sad to think as we’re currently on week 6 of the semester. However, I am constantly reminding myself to express gratitude for the smallest things. That is all!