Category: Asia

Submitted by Rebecca Beswick on the 2022 spring semester exchange program with the National University of Singapore…

During the recess week, which was the last week in February, I purchased tickets to the Singapore Zoo and surrounding wildlife attractions. Singapore actually has four major wildlife parks: the Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, Jurong Bird Park, and Night Safari. Each park is incredibly large and designed with an open layout, and has animal species – many of which are threatened in nature – from all around the world. My favorite park was the Night Safari, which allows visitors to explore in the nighttime when all is dark and the nocturnal animals are out. I was able to see these animals interact with each other and their environment, and it was cool to see their personalities come out. Something that I noted about the zoo was their devotion to conservation and conservation education. They funded many international and regional conservation projects, had a breeding center for endangered birds, but most importantly set out to teach children and adults alike the importance of animal diversity and what they can do to help.

Submitted by Rebecca Beswick on the 2022 spring semester exchange program with the National University of Singapore…

This week, I decided to spend a day doing the Singapore Coast to Coast Trail, which is a 36 km walk from Jurong Lakes Park in the Southwest to Coney Island in the Northeast. The trail goes past some of Singapore’s more nature-forward locations, including the Botanic Gardens and the Macritchie Reservoir. I started the walk at 7:15 am and finished around 4:00 pm.

Submitted by Rebecca Beswick on the 2022 spring semester exchange program with the National University of Singapore…

Pictured are photos of orchids from Singapore’s National Orchid Gardens. Orchids have been closely associated with Singapore’s Botanic Garden’s since 1859, and in the 1920s one of the world’s largest orchid breeding operations began here. There are over 2,000 different uniquely-breed breeds of orchids on display. The National Orchid Gardens are a registered national heritage site. It also hosts the VIP gardens, where there are orchids named after some of the world’s leaders, including the Kamala Harris and the Queen Elizabeth orchids.

 

Submitted by Rebecca Beswick on the 2022 spring semester exchange program with the National University of Singapore…

In 2022,Chinese New Year Eve was on January 31st and the New Year was celebrated on February 1st and into February 2nd. In Singapore, where the majority of the population is of Chinese descent, the ramp up to the holiday is extravagant, and similar to the scale of that of Christmas in the United States. There was advertising for CNY deals and decorations in public spaces since the beginning of January. The University was given two days off for the holiday, and all students who lived locally went home to celebrate. On the eve, most things were closed, but the days after everyone was out and enjoying their days off. Public transportation and many of the malls were very busy. Because Covid-19 is taken very seriously in Singapore, there were no large celebrations which would bring gatherings in Chinatown, but there were televised events and Chinatown was decorated.

Submitted by Rebecca Beswick on the 2022 spring semester exchange program with the National University of Singapore…

Singapore is located near the equator, where it is hot and humid all year round, leading to tropic conditions and allowing for jungle flora and fauna to flourish. While most of the country is taken over by city and high-rises, the northern part still has jungle around many reservoirs with several hiking trails to enjoy. There are many wild animals of interest to see on a hike, from monkeys, water monitor lizards, wild chickens, and even boars.

Submitted by Rebecca Beswick on the 2022 spring semester exchange program with the National University of Singapore…

This weekend, we traveled to Orchard Road, which is a must-see destination on the list of things to do in Singapore. The most noted spot on Orchard Road is the Ion Orchard Mall, which is home to hundreds of shops ranging from H&M to high end Gucci stores. Ion Orchard is located at the Orchard Road MRT (train) station. In Singapore, every MRT stop is attached to a mall or large shopping center, which is different from America where most of the public transportation terminals are stark. These stations are designed for people to spend time there and get food or groceries, as opposed to in the U.S. where most people will usually get into their own vehicle to drive to their final destination.

Submitted by Rebecca Beswick on the 2022 spring semester exchange program with the National University of Singapore…

Singapore is home to a vast array of religions. On my recent trip to Little India, I experienced quite a few of them. January 15th, the day I visited, landed right in the middle of the Hindu celebration Pongal, which marks the end of the winter solstice. After taking in the flowers and colorful crafts the Indian Heritage Center had out for kids, I moved on down the street to where there was a line of historic temples. Right next to each other were two Hindu temples and two Chinese Buddhist temples. I was able to go inside with long pants and after removing my shoes, and observed the statues and decorations. One of the Buddhist temples, named the temple of 1,000 lights, was home to a giant Buddha statue and had a pamphlet for visitors so I could read about the history of the building.

Submitted by Audrey Cicerchia on the 2022 spring semester exchange program with the National University of Singapore…

It has been exactly two weeks since I touched down at Changi Airport to begin my semester long study abroad program at the National University of Singapore. While now it all seems like a blur, traveling here was no easy feat. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Singapore has put in place many restrictions in order to stop the spread of COVID-19, including on travel both in and out of the country. To be exempt from serving a 10 day stay-at-home notice, we had to fill out heaps of paperwork, obtain a special Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) and arrive on a specific pre-approved Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flight.

Within the first several outings visiting Singapore’s most iconic sites, I began to notice how quiet they all were. We visited the famous Merlion Statue at Marina Bay, but it was not flocked with tourists taking silly photos as I had seen in all my guidebooks. Instead, we were actually the only people there on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. After speaking to several locals, I learned that the extensive and expensive requirements to enter the country deterred most short-term visitors who might have come on vacation. This has not only allowed me to see all the famous sites with ease, but I also now always know where the best hidden local spots are by just following the crowds!

 

Submitted by Rebecca Beswick on the 2022 spring semester exchange program with the National University of Singapore…

Since I arrived in Singapore about four days before the class semester was to begin, I and the students I traveled with decided to take the time to explore our new location, and in the process got a crash course in the culture and logistics of our new home. The best part was we were able to simultaneously see the classic sites of the city while getting much-needed experience with public transportation.

Day 1: Taxi. Getting out of the airport, we had to take a private car to our residence halls, due to the COVID requirements. We hopped in a taxi from the airport, and quickly found we had no idea where we were going. We had an address, but the driver was used to verbal directions, so we typed addresses into his mobile phone and gave directions that way. The driver was incredibly kind, and we got the first glimpse of Singapore through the car windows, including the fact that cars drive on the left.

Day 2: University Shuttle. On the first day, we stayed on the university campus and worked to get our bearings. We wandered throughout the campus on sidewalks and through buildings, finding the nearest canteens (lines of food stalls) to our classes, but after a while we got hot and decided to stare at a campus shuttle map. The campus shuttle was the easiest way to get around for students, and was free to use. Riding from stop to stop on the different lines was helpful for when classes began and we had to go from one lecture hall to the next.

Day 3: Singapore Bus. This day we went to a mall and Hawker Center for supplies and food, and we had to figure out the bus system. Some locals were kind enough to take me the day before to get an ezlink card, a card which can be loaded with money to pay for both the bus and train. The buses are good for short distances and are quite clean, but we found they were a bit confusing to navigate with around the city.

Day 4: MRT. By far my favorite day using my favorite mode of transportation, we used the Singapore mass rail transit system (MRT) to go to the more touristy places in the city. The MRT is clean, quick, and the most technical train system I have seen in any city. It is also very clear where each train is going and each station has plenty of signage which makes it easy to change trains and choose the correct exit. There is also a cultural convention of not talking on the train, as it is seen as rude. We used the MRT to visit Marina Bay Sands and the famous Merlion Statue, some of the most iconic places in the country.