Saturday, May 30, 2009

Back from the City...

So I don't quite know how to explain this. Apparently Singaporeans have these machines in 7-11's where you can get mashed potatoes out of a machine (which you can then top with BBQ sauce). Beats me, but I thought it was pretty funny.

Me and the Merlion



So I made it to downtown and back, although not necessarily alone...

When I walked downstairs most of the group was there, so we made it to the bus stop (I knew where that was, so I would've been okay without them, of course) and got on the 200 bus and took that to the MRT.
Yesterday Nadiah met the group at this nice Thai restaurant after class before we went to the Asian Culture Museum, where we toured a few exhibits on South Asian (India), East Asian (the middle east), West Asian and Chinese culture. The tour was just a little over an hour long, but I plan to go back the museum because there was so much to see! The most memorable artifact was the sheild decorated with human hair from a head-hunting tribe...

There were other interesting things there too, of course. For example, there were the two costumes of two "assitant" God-type things. I think the red one was in charge of listening for lost sailors and the green one was in charge of watching out for rough seas. Either way, they're pretty fun to look at.


After the museum tour we took a boat ride on the Singapore River. We saw the merlion and an ampitheatre shaped like a durian (a local fruit that smells pretty awful, in case I haven't explained). After that the group split up and I went to Orchid Road, a pretty big shopping area with lots of very expensive stores (that I didn't go into).
Today I caught up on some sleep and ate lunch with the group at a vegetarian indian restaurant in China Town. I briefly visiting a small Hindu temple in China Town with a few people before heading indoors (in search of a bathroom), at which point a few people decided to get their feet cleaned by fish that eat dead skin. From what I heard and saw, it was a pretty, uh, terrifying experience...

Later I went to Arab Street and tried the Satay (basically chicken on a stick that you dip in peanut sauce). We also briefly visited a mosque! While I was in the Arab area of town I also tried durian. It was pretty smelly. It tasted a bit like mushy, yellow onions at first, but the more I ate the more it tasted like fruit. I'm still not quite sure what I think.
I hope everyone is well. Let me know how you are! I love hearing from you all.


Allison


Friday, May 29, 2009

Lost in the City!

Hello to everyone back home in the States!

Right now I'm about to head off to find the MRT station (subway station) without the assitance of either Nadiah or Yong (two Singaporean students who are in the joint-degree program between NUS and UNC), so wish me luck. I'm sure it will all be fine because Singapore's a pretty easy place to navigate given it's size -- the MRT is really easy to understand, especially when you have a map!

We started classes on Thursday. My first class (which starts at 9 -- I have to catch a bus around 8:20 if I want to go to the canteen to grab some breakfast) is about migration, and it's taught by Dr. Steiner, a professor from UNC. The second class in Singaporean/Southeast Asian history, and it's taught by Dr. Quek (I'm still trying to figure out how to pronounce her name), a delightfully frank professor at NUS who tells it like it is. She's not necessarily anti-Singapore, but she definately focuses on some of the more negative aspects of Singaporean society, maybe because those things are often glossed over and she wants to give us a well-rounded education.

Thursday night we had a ton of reading, and it's pretty obvious that this is going to be a very EXHAUSTING experience! Between being on the move, adjusting to the heat, noise, and sheer amout of people in this country (in addition to recovering from the remants of jet lag), I've been sleeping like a baby at night. Still, everything is very exciting and new and different, and I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to be here.

I'll update a little later on my adventures downtown last night and today, complete with pictures, I promise!

Hope everyone is well. SEND ME MESSAGES! On facebook or e-mail (I check both).

email: agcummin@email.unc.edu

Also, if you'd like, add me on Skype. My name is allie.grace17

Lots of love!
Allison

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

A Day Lost, A New World Found

An orchid in the Orchid Garden



My first Singaporean meal (wonton noodles)!

A BIG plant in the Orchid Garden


Mary and I with the flowers!

My friends Stephany, Andrea, and Nicole frolic in the Orchid Garden





(Psst: I'm being a bit lazy -- I did this entry for the SEAS blog, but I'm going to use it here too! So if it seems a bit formal for my personal blog, that's why. Either way, I hope it's informational!)



Hello from Singapore!


The past few days have been incredible. After upwards of 20 hours in transit by plane, all of us were happy to stretch our legs and discover that yes, our bags had arrived (in tact and with their original contents). Most of us were pretty jet-lagged. We left on Sunday, but as a result of the travel time and time difference (12 hours) we arrived in Singapore on Tuesday afternoon.
Nadiah and Yong, two NUS joint-degree students, were waiting at the airport when we landed. After we exchanged some currency Nadiah and Yong helped us board the bus to Prince George's Park (PGP), a residential area on NUS campus. It took about thirty minutes to get from the airport to PGP by bus, but the ride gave us an opportunity to begin observing one of the most amazing things about Singapore: the flora.

Everything in Singapore is so GREEN! It's obvious the city has comitted itself to being not just a "garden city" but "a city within a garden." Everywhere streets are lined with trees and bushes and flowers (and more trees and bushes and flowers). Walls are covered with vines, and guardrails are disguised by plants! Even some high-rise public housing buildings had green roofs, where miniature gardens are kept.

When we arrived at PGP, Nadiah and Yong assisted us in finding our rooms and gave us about an hour to freshen up before taking us out to explore the NUS campus. After our much-needed showers, we learned about the bus routes we will use on a daily basis to get to class in the mornings, then took a public bus out to Holland Village, "the Franklin Street" of NUS, for dinner.

Buying dinner at the hawker stand was an exciting (although somewhat confusing) experience. Some people were adventurous enough to try a desert which consisted of durian (that stinky fruit), ice and some stringy-jelly things resembling gummy worms. Most agreed that the desert was "different."

Today we got down to business. After making sure we were all properly registered at NUS, Nadiah took us on a tour of the NUS library and then we headed over the the office for immigration and customs to handle the paperwork for our student passes. After, we took a bus to the Singapore Botanical Gardens and did nothing remotely related to paperwork (much to my relief)! The orchids in the garden were beautiful, as were the rest of the plants. It's no wonder that many locals come to picnic, jog, or walk their dogs in the gardens.







Thursday, May 21, 2009

Pre-Departure

Hey everyone!

As promised, I'm going to at least attempt to keep a blog with updates about my trip to Southeast Asia. For everyone's benefit, here's a brief outline of the trip:

Departure: Sunday, May 24th from Charlotte-Douglas Airport
Landing: Tuesday, May 26th in Singapore, Singapore at 12:30 p.m.

In Singapore I'll be studying at the National University of Singapore (NUS) with about 24 other Carolina students. We will be taking one class about immigration and asylum in the United States. When we're not in class (which takes up only about three hours a day) or doing homework, we'll be visiting many places around the country including government agencies, national parks, and businesses. Oh, and we'll be eating some SWEET (and spicy?) food, for sure. I can't wait to post pictures!

On June 24th, I'll be leaving Singapore to head over to Thailand. We'll be landing on Wednesday, June 24th at 2:55 p.m. in Bangkok, at which point I imagine we'll settle into Mahidol University International College (MUIC).

I'll be leaving Thailand on July 17th, at which point I'll stay in Hong Kong for a few days with some people from the trip. So as of now, I'm scheduled to check out of the hotel in Hong Kong on July 21st and I'll arrive home sometime (either the 21st or 22nd -- I can't ever figure out with time differences).

I will miss everyone back home, but I can't wait to get started on this adventure! All my love to everyone.