Singapore: When Worlds Collide

  

So I am an American, living in Indonesian, visiting a park in Singapore where I heard a South Korean singing group practice an Italian Opera.

That is Singapore in a nutshell; the place where cultures collide.

The above picture is just a taste of the language diversity. While everything is listed in English, you can see the “way out” listed in Mandarin first because this was the Chinatown exit of the MRT or
underground train system that can get you close to just about everywhere in Singapore for about one US dollar. Most things are actually listed in four languages: English, Mandarin, Bahasa, and Hindi. The last three accommodate the three largest people groups: Chinese, Native Singaporeans, and Indians.

I never thought I would love any city the way I have come to love Singapore. From the polite British voice that reminds me to “Mind the gap” on the MRT to the western restaurants that have helped me get over my homesickness. While Indonesians can make rice amazing in a hundred different ways, they don’t really understand bread. Or sandwiches. I think I ate at Subway 6 of the 7 days I was there.

But when I wasn’t enjoying real bread I spent my time reading in cafes. In the week there I finished 3 books. I miss the quiet moments when the world slows down for me to get absorbed into another world. Rest for the mind and the soul. Everyone needs that every now and then but teachers especially.

I also enjoy Singapore because I am not such a minority there. Many westerners visit and live there. In Indonesian being Bulia (a white person) is a lot like being famous because we are such a minority. Everywhere I go people stare at me and want to take pictures with me (or in some cases not so sneakily try to take a picture with me in the background). I never understood what a struggle it is to not look like everyone else. I don’t really feel uncomfortable about it, it is just a reminder that everywhere I go I clearly do not come from there. It is almost hard for me to imagine now going back to the states where I am a majority and not having random people almost get in car accidents just because they are staring at me.

And if you haven’t already, check out this awesome culture day my school puts on every year where I got to dress up and dance a traditional dance! If you don’t have time for the whole thing my dance starts at minute 42. https://youtu.be/oKY3YXyMeBc

Indonesian (Bahasa) words:

Home: rumah

Sleep: tidur

Night: malam

-Rachael