First Week in Singapore!

After months of anticipation, planning and sending countless emails, I am finally in Singapore. The first week of my year abroad here has been excellent! I arrived at Changi Airport in Singapore last weekend after a gruelling 13-hour flight. Although Singapore Airlines’ service was great (loads of food + drinks) I can’t say I’m overly looking forward to the return flight home.

After everything I had read, I was very aware that Singaporeans prided themselves on efficiency, and this was certainly apparent after exiting the plane. Collecting my bag and going through security was a breeze, and I was out of the airport in next to no time. The second you step out of the (aggressively) air-conditioned airport the heat and humidity really does hit you. I like it though, and it does make a nice change from the usual weather in England.

I was lucky enough to be met by Don and Sandra my Singaporean friends who are also both studying law at Southampton. They had kindly offered to give me a lift from the airport and give me a tour of the island. We had a look at some of the famous attractions such as the Marina Bay, and went to eat in Chinatown at one of the many hawker centres. The food was great, which is more than what can be said for my chopstick skills. If you know a local it’s definitely worth getting them to show you around, if you don’t the National University of Singapore (NUS) offers a ‘buddy programme’ where they pair you with a local student to help you settle in.

Checking into my accommodation at Utown Residence was simple enough; this was welcomed because there were a few difficulties with applying for accommodation back in July. I met a group of exchange students who have turned out to be good friends Benjamin, Frederick, Laure, Manon all from Belgium, Miguel from Mexico and Michael from Australia!

Monday was the start of the orientation week. Along with all of the administrative tasks we needed to complete such as applying for the student pass visa and registering for courses, we managed to visit some of the best sites in Singapore. We saw everything from the surpassingly futuristic Gardens by the Bay to the old yet exotic Chinese temples. The highlight of the week was definitely National Day; we spent the day around the Marina Bay area whilst the city prepared for the parade and fireworks that were to commence later that evening. It was clear from the lively atmosphere that Singaporeans are extremely patriotic, and they have every right to be! We finished an excellent day by spending the rest of the night at the popular Clarke Quay.

My university courses start tomorrow, it’ll be interesting to see whether they are taught similarly to back in Southampton. I’ll post again when everything has settled down, and I’m back from what looks to be a good weekend in Malaysia!