 When the comfort bus dropped us off in front of Ginza Plaza after our amazing weekend in Malaysia, it felt like we were returning home. It’s strange to think that Ginza Apartments and Singapore will only be our home for two more days. Although we’ve mastered riding the MRT, adjusted to the aromas […]  It’s hard to believe that this is our last week in Singapore. The last few days have been a good time to connect what we have learned here to Carolina and the US. On Wednesday evening we attended the reception at the Shangri-La Hotel with NUS Administration and the delegation visiting from UNC. […]  As my addition to this weblog I will present you with my vital experiences on the fourth week of our stay in Southeast Asia. I can say with full confidence that I will be reporting on the best week yet. Though I can assure all of you that the SSIP class of 2005 is not […]  It’s amazing to think that the trip is half over. We’ll have been in Singapore three weeks tomorrow, and it’s as if we just got here. There’s so much more to do! I can’t speak for the rest of the group, but the longer I’m here, the more comfortable I feel getting […]  “Are you ready to dance for God??!”  Singapore continues to be amazing. This weekend was the homestay weekend, which for some of us were the two most meaningful days of our Program so far. Roy and I were hosted by a Singaporean student named Joel Zheng who had attended UNC during the last semester. His family welcomed us into their home […]  Professor Barnard’s class was focused on Malaysia. The best part of the class was that it was not just a lecture class. It included trips outside of the classroom and Malay films. Professor Barnard was humorous and not only taught us about Malay history but also much about Singapore as well. Being […]  This afternoon’s trip to the Housing & Development Board (HDB) Hub was another opportunity to witness Singapore’s sprawling bureaucracy at work, and it also acted as our first — albeit surface-level — glimpse into the home life of Singaporeans. About 85 percent of Singapore’s population lives in government housing (HDB flats) spread across the island. […]  The second week here has been even more amazing than the first. Now that everyone is over jet lag and settled into their apartments, we have begun to explore more. Recently Dr. Barnard took us to see Fort Canning Hill, the site of an archaeological dig and also of Raja […]  We started classes at NUS on Thursday. The campus is a wonderful maze of buildings and staircases. The first class, taught by three NUS professors, is a basic overview of Malaysian, Singaporean, and Thai culture. Prof. Levine’s class is based around South East Asia’s interaction with the world. After class, people […]  We arrived at Changi Airport early Tuesday morning after a long 21 hour flight. We were immediately struck by the cleanliness, beautiful flowers and greenery, and, of course, the humid air of Singapore. Many of us set out to explore the hawker stalls across the street and found delicious and inexpensive meals and […] |