It's Almost That Time!

I can't believe it! I'm leaving in only 3 days for Singapore!! It feels like just yesterday that I was feeling overwhelmed about having to even apply to study abroad; but now, thank God, everything has worked itself out. I even have housing! I'm living in the Prince George's Park Residences, which was where I had really hoped to end up.

I tried to do some image searches to see what the rooms look like and this is what I came up with:

The rooms are set up so there are 15 singles in each cluster that share a common bathroom, kitchen, and an air-conditioned lounge. That last room will probably be where I spend most of my time since none of the rooms are air-conditioned! Luckily, we have ceiling fans though. We're also given a full-height wardrobe and a corkboard so I can put up pictures of all my friends back home =)

We also don't get a meal plan living in PGP, but there are many options for purchasing food in the facility. If I had to cook for myself, I would probably starve over there since my cooking skills are severely lacking. I guess I'll have to work on that.

I'm hoping to get to know the other 14 girls in my cluster well because they will be the first few people I meet in Singapore. And hopefully I won't have to worry about it feeling like a psych ward with all the single rooms over there like it did in Sprague since no one is actually choosing to live in a single.

After seeing my mom's family over Christmas and hearing them tell me so much about Singapore, I can't wait to get over there myself! And I still can't believe I'll be there in less than a week! I'm so excited to be able to see everything myself, take my own pictures, learn about others as well as myself, and share everything with all of you. I will miss everyone at home so much, but we'll keep in touch!

And now I guess my next post will be in 2011 from the other side of the world!

Love,

Reb

Geography Lessons

I realize that not many people actually know a lot about Singapore, like where it is and what it's like to live there. So in an attempt to put off studying for finals, I thought it would be fun to have a little geography lesson.

Here's where Singapore is located in Asia:

Here's a more detailed map:

I'll be at the Kent Ridge campus of NUS, which is right near Queenstown on this map.

Singapore is located in Southeast Asia, and it's an island between Malaysia and Indonesia. It's size is only 697 square miles, which is slightly larger than 3.5 times the size of Washington D.C.! It also located about one degree north of the equator, so the climate is hot and humid. The average daily temperature is about 27˚C (80˚F) with an average relative humidity of 84.3%. It will definitely be a welcome change from the weather we're experiencing in Storrs now!

In terms of what it's like to live in Singapore, the urban population is 100% since the country is just one large city. There will never be a dull moment! A lot of rumors also fly about how strict the laws are, and I think this humorous T-shirt sums it up nicely.

It sounds rough, but yes, there is no gum chewing allowed. At least it results in a clean city! And I'm sure I'll be able to adapt (hopefully).

Another positive aspect is that they all speak English there! All my classes will be in English, and I'll be able to understand everyone, except for maybe a few cultural differences in slang words and stuff.

And for those of you wondering about time zones and stuff, Singapore is currently 13 hours ahead of Connecticut time. So I apologize if I seem like I'm wishing anyone an early happy birthday, since it will technically be your birthday in my part of the world!

I know I'll be far away, but I look forward to the experience, and hopefully you can all enjoy it with me through this blog. And if you have any other questions about what it's like in Singapore, feel free to ask! For now, though, I need to finish up my semester strong so I guess I should start studying!

Good luck to everyone who has exams!

Reb

Ready To Leave!

Hey guys! As many of you know, I'm headed off to the great unknown (a.k.a. Singapore) in only 24 days! I can't even believe it myself!! My awesome friends suggested blogging so that everyone can keep up to date on what I'm doing half a world away, and thanks to Meggassus I'm up and running.

Just as a brief overview of where I am now, I've been accepted to study abroad in the fast paced city/country of Singapore at the National University of Singapore.

 

Of course, I still don't know where I'll be living, but I would love to live in the Prince George's Park Residences. Doesn't it just look amazing?



Hopefully I'll figure out accommodation within the next few days, and then I'll be all set to go! For now though, it's back to the real world of UConn and studying for finals.

Love,

Reb