1 Degree and 22 Minutes North of the Equator: October 2007

Well, after a busy summer of relocation (DC to CA), studying (take a seat Mr. GMAT!), and travel (Lake Tahoe. Boston. Wyoming. Iceland, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Venice, Florence+Chianti, Rome, Barcelona, and Paris.), I picked up and moved east, far east. My new location you ask? Well, 1 degree and 22 minutes north of the equator, of course.

I'm just about a month into my new life situation here in Singapore. For those of you who are a bit out of the loop, I am teaching microeconomics and "business communications" at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, which lies in a suburban area of Singapore. The majority of my students are first years at this polytechnic (a close parallel to an American junior college).

I'll be living here in Singapore for a year. I live in a 3 bedroom apartment with two of the other "international fellows," who turn out to be very pleasant fellows indeed. The apartment is a 10 minute walk to my office on campus, and a stone's throw from 3 basketball courts, 3 tennis courts, a soccer field, and a "hawker center" -- see below. Much to my joy, there's also an Olympic sized swimming pool on campus which I've happily taken advantage of for my daily exercise.

Singapore is generally well-known for the cuisine. This fame is largely derived from the cultural diversity that exists in Singapore (will get to this a bit more later). Also, it's the casual food that makes Singaporean cuisine famous, and that's perfect for me! I absolutely love visiting the "hawker centers" -- open air complexes that house many many food stalls that serve food (both inexpensive and delicious!) from all over Asia. I eat the majority of my dinners at such places. For example, just tonight I had a generous serving of a curry chicken noodle dish, with a lime juice for about $3 (US). This is quite the bargain for a relatively expensive "city-state" that sports high-end shopping just as naturally as cheap servings of chicken rice. If all you really know about Singapore is to not chew gum or spit in the street, well, let's have a quick lesson. Yes, Singapore is one of the Asian "tigers," or as the Economist recently described, "a developed country that grows at developing-country rates." Check it.

I'm genuinely enjoying the opportunity to interact with a culture that is -- for the most part -- simply different from what I'm accustomed to. Singapore is a culturally diffused locale. There exists a seemingly harmonious blend of ethnic Chinese (over 70% of the population), indigenous Malay, Indian, and yes, some of those Westerners... they seem to be everywhere, don't they?

For all of your other Singapore info needs, Wikipedia is awaiting you. “Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject. So you know you are getting the best possible information.” - Michael Scott, The Office. (In case you're unfamiliar with either The Office or Wikipedia, there is humor in that statement).

I'm several weeks into my classes, and they're going great. Really great. Like I mentioned previously, I really am enjoying the opportunity to teach within a culturally distinct environment. It's still very fresh, but I'm simply excited. I have many initial perceptions, but I will reserve my opinions for future blogs once those perceptions are more refined. But so far, I'm most proud of my head first slides across the tile in my business communication classes (yes, that's plural. I did it not once, but twice. Long story).

Aside from the excitement of the new job and the intrigue of the new "exotic" living location, a newly realized focus and calmness could be the most appreciated development so far in my time in Singapore. I've been leading a fairly simple life: wake up, teach, swim, eat delicious food, socialize, read, think, sleep. As a result of this global transition, my lifestyle has untangled the previous web of constant errands, engagements, and general hustle and bustle. I've been afforded the luxury of time to reflect. I view this year in Singapore as both a cultural and personal exploration. I look forward to my future travel opportunities to peruse the SE Asian region, but I'm also eager to explore my interest in teaching while also advancing my abilities to communicate and lead. Furthermore, this personal reflection I speak of is not without self-derived motivation. While much of the reflection has led to very organic and spontaneous introspections of personal values and unearthed emotions, the reflection has also possessed a self-driven pursuit of what is ahead for me beyond this year in Singapore. That's certainly not yet realized, but it seems that "life" (such a small word for such a big concept) has gotten to be a bit more clear while over here. Of course, that is so very vague... but there's good reason for that. I can't just divulge everything on this site, now can I?

My apartment building (to the left) on the walk home from campus.