Singapore: Lydia Randall (Daily Life in Singapore)

Program: Nanyang Technological University, Fall

After one month on my exchange, I finally established a strong routine in Singapore. Sounds great, right? NO. It wasn’t until last week that I realized how stuck in my ways I had become. I had a meeting for a group assignment before cheer practice, so I missed dinner. Cheer practice ends at 10:30 p.m., and all of the canteens close by 9 p.m., or so I thought. After a kwik trip (a little pun for my folks back in Madison) to trusty 7-Eleven, my roommate asked me why I didn’t go to Canteen 14. Canteen 14? That is when it hit me that I had already stopped exploring campus. Singapore was supposed to be new and exciting, and here I was eating at the same spots, walking the same routes, visiting the same buildings, and playing the same sports. In reality, NTU has so many more opportunities.

On a typical day, I go to class in the morning, either a lecture or tutorial depending on the day, and then grab lunch at South Spine. All of my classes happen to be in the same building, so heading to South Spine and getting my go-to lunch is convenient. I pretty much always go to the same stand and order rice, potatoes, eggplant, egg, tofu, or fish, depending on what is available. I like getting food here because it is fast, cheap, and all of the dishes are laid out in front of you to choose from. After lunch, I grab a fruit smoothie and head to my afternoon class. When classes are done, I go back to my dorm for a couple of hours before dinner. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I have cheer practice from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. On other evenings, I usually study in the reading room in my hall, play volleyball, hang out with friends, or go on a walk after the sun goes down.

At the beginning of my exchange, it was easy to check out different places because everything was new. Over time, routine took over without me noticing. On the other hand, since settling in I have become more connected with the culture. One way is through food. I’m typically a picky eater and was not a fan of the food when I arrived. Oddly enough, now I find myself on a daily basis craving the local rice and noodle dishes.

I have also picked up some of the locals’ habits for keeping out of the heat. Now I wear sunscreen daily, carry a hat, follow shaded paths, and schedule outdoor activities for the evening. The other week, three of my local classmates and I visited the Chinese Garden for a cultural activity. We went around midday and only lasted about 30 minutes before heading to a nearby mall. They explained that it was too hot and we needed air conditioning ASAP. The heat even troubles the locals, so I try to keep it in mind when planning my own activities. Finally, I joined a hall sport so I could get a glimpse of what team sports are like here. I used to cheer in high school, so I was curious to see how the drills, communication, and team dynamics vary on the other side of the world. My local teammates are very direct with me, which at first threw me off as a cultural difference. I was also surprised because I had learned that Singapore uses a high-context communication style. However, I now understand that the communication style depends a lot on the setting. In cheer, feedback is direct and focused on technique, which I have actually come to appreciate because safety is important when stunting. It’s interesting to see how the same culture I am learning about in class looks different in other contexts.

Looking back, my biggest connection to Singapore is not from checking off a list of tourist attractions. It comes from the ordinary parts of my routine like eating at canteens, practicing with my hall teammates, and figuring out how to function in the heat. I am learning that settling into a routine does not mean I have to stop exploring. Sometimes, all it takes is discovering that there is a Canteen 14.