Is it a cultural difference?

This past week of classes has been a little exhausting. The NUS campus has a hilly terrain that I think contributes to this country's lack of overweight people. More so, I am walking from my apartment to the MRT everyday and to the bus stops to get to campus. My feet/knees are tired. But there is abundant sunshine which is really nice, even though the humidity makes you feel like you're walking through a sauna medium.

This semester I'm taking a Chinese Writing and Composition class, Nations and Nationalism in South Asia, and Singapore Society. I have already heard from all my roommates and the foreigners here that the courseload is difficult and intense. Teachers apparently have spent the first 1 hour class reiterating how difficult the class is. Lectures are 2 hours once a week for undergraduate classes (3 hours for graduate), making me feel like the mere 50 minute college courses I took in America are for primary school students. I have heard that the academics are stellar and competitive in Singapore. You take a placement test after junior college, around 19 years old, and based on that score, you are eligible (or in most cases ineligible) to apply for a certain school like medicine, law or business: so different from the unlimited times you can take a MCAT and apply for schools in America (as long as you have the money.) It makes me think we are spoon fed much of our education, at least from my experience in college.

These courses seem more about drilling students with lessons and very straightforward information. Although my Singapore Society professor is very funny and loves cracking jokes, I think he is one of the few. However, I know I will really enjoy his class this semester. We have already touched on what Singaporean society is based on: multiracialism and meritocracy. He raised the question about how why Singaporeans are very reserved, as in they don't "speak up" and complain about certain social issues. When he asked the class to raise their hands if they thought Singaporeans don't speak up because there's no point, I was shocked when many students immediately raised their hands. Is it a cultural difference? The reason that many people think asians work so hard is a stereotype I have been conflicted with my academic life. From my experience in America, kids who study hard are often made fun of, perhaps because other students feel threatened by them, or they just cannot culturally comprehend the need for excessive work ethic. I have felt many times that students will ridicule you if you do well, if you study well, perhaps because they don't have the same motivation. The asian academic environment doesn't seem to allow for much creativity, questions, or diversity - something I think as an American I was encouraged to promote. It's easy to criticize something you don't completely understand and feel threatened by it. It's a different lifestyle and mentality that doesn't fit with the schema I have created in America.

On the topic of speaking up, my professor also mentioned that in some places when you speak up about your government, a tank could run over you. A few snickers echoed through the large auditorium and he immediately snapped "Don't laugh, it happened in Beijing." I believe he was referring to the Tiananmen Square incident and I realized how close we are to China and how oblivious I am in America to the reality of strict government control over freedom of speech among other "rights" I have in my country. There are consequences to speaking up in certain areas of the world, something I think I take for granted.

I will be headed to Sentosa Island today, an island at the tip of Singapore. All I know is that I will be LATHERING on the sunscreen. It's do or die here according to my American friend who has been using an umbrella to protect herself from the sun (a very "Asian" characteristic.) There are days when the scorching sun and humidity leaves me drenched in sweat, perhaps that's why I haven't been blogging too much, cause I am a little exhausted. But I am also more settled, these first two weeks were a lot for me, the excitement of a new place had taken over my senses. I think I'm back to myself more so now. I've been playing tennis too and getting better at doubles, which makes me really happy! I think I'm going to invest in a racquet since I will be here for 10 months and have found many people to hit with.