It’s been more than 2 weeks since I’ve arrived in America. It was my first time in the USA, travelled alone and living alone without really knowing anyone beforehand. But it has definitely been an adventure, right from the get-go when I spent the first night walking the streets by myself, looking for a place to buy bath towels so that I can finally shower after 21 hours in flight. I found it in the end after much hassle though I could’ve possibly landed myself in trouble for walking around at night alone.
Being in a foreign country and interacting with people from various nationalities most certainly required a higher standard of spoken English but more importantly, the willingness to open yourself up to new cultures. The exposure to these experiences help bring about a greater understanding about others’ perspectives but also urge me to try things I otherwise wouldn’t have tried. For a change, it’s refreshing but draining because I haven’t quite settled into a routine yet, and especially so when new challenges await every day.
And all that talk about exchange being a relaxing break from frenzied life of SMU, that’s not quite true – or at least with the modules I’m currently taking. Instead of group projects, there are more case analyses and readings to complete here. So on one hand, I’m spending less time meeting up for group work and instead focusing more on individual assignments. Honestly, I don’t even recall a time when I had that many readings to do back home. And although I only technically need a pass to transfer the credit, sometimes I doubt my ability to achieve this feat.
Final words: 2 weeks in, I haven’t really miss Singapore that much, yet. The weather’s good here when it doesn’t rain though it’s still a tad too cold for comfort at present. Food-wise, it isn’t that bad here (lacks variety though). However, there’s a lot of walking to do if I want to eat out ‘cos there’s no eateries nearby. But for 4 months, I think I can go without laksa or chai tow kway. Public transit isn’t fantastic either but passable if I’m not in a hurry to get anywhere. In all, I’m surprised by the relative serenity of the city although I’d still avoid staying out alone late into the night. I guess I’ve adapted pretty quickly to the culture here, so I don’t think surviving the next 4 months is going to be an issue.
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