Sentosa Island and Staff Club

I started the day by texting every exchange student that I could find in my contacts and making a few plans to head to the beach. I was extremely excited to see that about 25 people showed up ready to head to the beach. A few people changed their minds and ended up staying around the Jurong Area, while the rest of us braved a bus, two trains, and a shuttle to Sentosa.

Several local students warned us that Sentosa is not the greatest place to hang out, but we were so desperate for a beach and went anyway. Keeping track of 19 people was a little difficult, and we actually lost a few during a bus transfer. As our numbers slowly decreased, we arrived at the absolutely beautiful island (which is also the Southern most tip of continental Asia). All of us exchange students had an amazing time soaking in the sun and playing rounds of beach volleyball.


A few of us ended up getting separated on the way back, so I ate dinner at the mall food court with a few others. I ate--with chopsticks of course--a sizzling hot plate of chicken and rice. Just like all of the food here, it was delicious!!

We ended up getting back later than expected, so everyone got ready quickly and met up at the only bar on campus, Staff Club. When I asked my exchange student about nightlife on campus, she mentioned that students were actually not usually allowed to go to this "bar." Since other exchange students had all heard about it, we broke the rules and tested our luck. After being escorted by two fabulously great local students, Alex and I arrived. Luckily, there were about 100 exchange students there ready make friends.

We spent a few fun hours mingling, and we noticed that there were a few professors there as well. Unlike what I am used to, the professors openly mingled with students almost inappropriately. Once the bar got a little too rowdy (a professor named Melvin started pouring drinks all over himself and other people), we called it a night and cleared the place.

Even though I've only met a lot of these people yesterday and today, I already feel like I've made amazing friends. I know this semester is only going to get better!! A bunch of us are taking a tour for exchange students tomorrow to see Chinatown and Little India, and then we'll be hitting up Clarke Quay again. Can't wait!

--Ishmeesh on a semester-long vacation

First Night Out

It's currently 3:18am in Singapore, and I love this country more than ever. After meeting up with other U of I students (Alex and Bagi), we went to the new student orientation. Not only did we learn about fungal infections such as Singapore Foot, we also had the opportunity to meet several other exchange students. We tried our best to go around and gather the names and contact information of everyone we met. After the orientation, we went to the mall again to buy a few things from Fairprice Xtra (the Walmart of Singapore). We had an amazing dinner at a Japanese restaurant with a sushi conveyor belt! As it gets later in the night, the mall becomes more crowded and less enjoyable, so we made a quick escape on Singapore's public bus system.

We decided to get ready and head to Clarke Quay. After meeting up with several exchange students, we took a 20 minute cab ride to the Clarke Quay, and our cab driver taught us that it's pronounced Clarke Key. After arriving, we met up with everyone else at the bridge. Unlike other cities, people hang out and enjoy the nightlife on the streets outside bars, pubs and restaurants. Several other NTU exchange students were on the same bridge, making it easy to make friends. Going out in Singapore is WAY more expensive than Champaign or even Chicago. Cover is never less than 20 dollars, and a single drink is somewhere between $15-$30.

We spent a few hours meeting people, and we took a cab home just now. Tomorrow we are planning a trip to Sentosa Island to hang out at the beach. Singapore seems like a permanent vacation, and I have nothing negative to say about it! :) Thanks for reading!

--Ishmeesh

Exploring Campus

Jet lag woke me up around 6am this morning, so I decided to fill my dorm room wall with pictures of family and friends! I printed 100 photos before I left, so my roommate (who I still haven't met) is probably going to think I'm ridiculous. I haven't completed my decorating yet, so pictures will be up later!

After killing some time, I grabbed some breakfast from one of the canteens. To my disappointment, there was only one option: half-boiled egg. I assumed that was the same thing as a hard-boiled egg. Boy, was I wrong. It was like raw egg soup, and I didn't know how to eat it. Most of the cafeteria stared at me while I tried to crack this strange brown egg on my plate. Yuan Han later explained to me that you're supposed to pour the contents in the bowl and mix it with soy sauce. I obviously still have a lot to learn about food.

After having a more delicious bento bowl for lunch, my buddy and I spent a few hours climbing the many beautiful hills of campus. Our campus has several staircases and slanted walkways, because the hills are so extensive. On one side of a building, ground floor could be the fourth floor; on the other, it is the basement. There are two "spines" that contain several buildings for different colleges within the university. Additionally, the greenery on the campus is beautiful. The trees, flowers, and bright grass constantly remind me of how beautiful Singapore is!

View of NTU Residence Halls from student walkway

A few other U of I students arrived today! It was great to see other people that are as lost as I am. We have our exchange orientation bright and early tomorrow, and we're hoping to make friends with people from other universities around the world. I finally get to explore downtown tomorrow, as well! Until then, goodbye, lah!

--Ishmeesh 

First Night in Singapore

I just arrived here yesterday, and I'm definitely jet lagged. It's currently 8am, and I'm hoping that one of the canteens is open so that I can get a snack. The canteens are set up food court style, and I haven't tried it yet. It looks delicious, especially in comparison to the U of I dining halls.

My NBS Exchange Buddy, Yuan Han, picked me up right on time from the airport yesterday. Not only did she answer a thousand questions, she also helped me unpack and took me to the mall. The mall looked similar to ones at home, but I've never seen most of the stores. It was EXTREMELY crowded, and she told me that it was unusually empty. Singapore is such a small country with a population of 5 million, so I guess they have to cram in somewhere.

There really aren't very many houses here, and Yuan Han told me that only the very wealthy have land for a detached home. Most people live in huge 10-story apartment complexes that are government subsidized.

I still don't have a roommate, but I'm hoping to get one soon! My dorm room is getting lonely. (It looks just like the 6 pack dorms with more spiders, new furniture, and older walls.) I finished unpacking, and I feel like the room is empty, even though I brought 3 big suitcases worth of stuff. I don't know where everything went? I had a lost key crisis last night, but luckily I found it in my laundry bag. Typical!

The public transportation is amazing! I bought an EZ-Link card yesterday, so I start using. The buses within NTU are free. However, if you take them outside the school, you have to pay anything from 50 cents to $1.50. It's not too bad! Overall, things are looking good!

Well anyways, I'll keep this updated when I make some friends and do something interesting. :)