stories of a foreign land

Just over a week ago I landed in a city I have never been to. This city is to be my new home. Singapore, Singapore!

In the weeks, nay, years ahead I will describe what it is like moving to a foreign land. What it is like trying to get a job in a niche market during the GFC (Global Financial Crisis just in case you didn’t know) and I will describe interesting observations of a country from a alien perspective.

Is it hard to make friends? Whats it like only knowing one person in an entire country, admittedly a small country, however small it is, it is also one of the most populated countries in the world, by area.

Is it hard to be motivated when there is so much exploring to do? A thesis has to be written in the first few month that I am here. Sure I should be writing some science words right now, but I figure this is a good distraction and a good way to take some much needed time out.

Okay for my first Singapore fact, well, more like observation. I think I will call these My SINGSERVATIONS.

My SINGSERVATIONS No.1

Singapore is not as clean as I imagined. Don’t get me wrong it’s clean, most probably the cleanest country I have been to. I also have high standards of national cleanliness, coming from New Zealand. But I was expecting some kind of complete rubbish free utopia. I know it’s crazy but I was not expecting to see rubbish bags on the corner, the stray drinking straw wrapper on the sidewalk and I even saw someone throw their cigarette butt on the ground. Did he or she (just protecting his or her identity) not know they could face jail time for that offense? All in all Singapore is a beautiful clean country, but just have some realistic expectations. Not like I did.

Fin