I stayed fairly busy in Penang this past week, and I guess I forgot to take any pictures of anything - sorry! So instead, I thought I'd share 30 random things I've learned in 30 days living in Singapore. In no particular order or structure. Enjoy!
1. Groceries are expensive, and the American brands are the most expensive of all. I think I will need to adjust some of my eating / grocery buying habits!
2. I love bubble tea. In fact, there are tons of delicious drinks in Asia that I love. In the US, I basically only drank coffee and water, with the occasional vegetable juice or Diet Coke. In Singapore, I love bubble tea, fresh squeezed fruit juices, teh tarik (Google it!), lime juice, etc. One thing I still don't love is hot soy milk, but hey - its not as scary to me as it once was :)
3. I am so excited to travel everywhere, but it has really opened my eyes as to how little I know about geography and world history. I actually Wikipedia-ed the history of Malaysia the other day because it was something that I never learned about in school.
4. Everyone loves pizza, hamburgers, and ice cream.
5. Living in a city with a reliable and efficient public transportation option is awesome. I love being able to walk everywhere!
6. Apparently, I moved here during the "holiday season". My first week in Singapore had two public holidays for National Day. My first week of work in Malaysia had two public holidays for Hari Raya. This past week of work in Malaysia had a public holiday for Malaysia day.
7. I have a lot to learn about other cultures. Singapore is much more of a melting pot than Tampa or Nashville in terms of international diversity. (You can tell American men versus European/Australian men by their shoes and how tight their pants are!)
8. Women's fashion in Singapore, particularly women's business fashion, is very different from what's on my Pinterest board.
9. Staying in a really nice hotel in a foreign country will instantly put me at ease.
10. It is important to know whether the treadmill is set to kilometers or miles.
11. Cash is king here. Everyone uses cash for absolutely everything. In the US, I could make a 20 dollar bill last me a month. Here in Singapore, I can't make 200 dollars last a month!
12. Apartment hunting sucks. Especially when you have no clue where anything is.
13. I did a terrible job of packing my things from the US. Even though my shipment won't get here for a few more weeks, I am already shaking my head. I know that I packed several lamps (with US plugs duh!) and not nearly enough shampoo. Oops.
14. Even though the general climate here reminds me a lot of Tampa - hot and humid - it feels so much hotter here because I am walking around in it all. the. time. Sweating is just becoming the new normal.
15. So called "budget airlines" can vary in their degree of "no frills". Silk Air (which is the budget carrier of Singapore Airlines) feeds you a meal on the one hour flight between Singapore and Penang. Air Asia asks that you pre-order your soda when you book your ticket for the 3.5 hour flight between Penang and Hong Kong.
16. Singapore is really, really safe. There are people walking around all the time, streets are all really well lit, and the MRT is incredibly clean and not sketchy at all.
17. Keeping up with your friends takes effort when you live on the other side of the world.
18. I love reading. I love reading on airplanes. Everyone who travels should get a Kindle. The base version is like 80 bucks and worth every penny.
19. The Singapore airport is the best airport ever. One great thing for residents is the efficiency of the immigration process. All you do is scan your passport and then scan your thumbprint. It probably took me less than 10 minutes to get off the plane, get through immigration, pick up my checked baggage, and get into a car to take me home. I feel like at O'Hare that would've taken me 45 minutes at a minimum.
20. I still love a good Friday happy hour.
21. I am loving all the different Asian foods I've been having! I think Chinese food is still my favorite out of all the Asian cuisines - but maybe just because that is the most familiar to me? (But I do still crave the salt and pepper tofu from the Yummy House!)
22. It is actually a small world after all.
23. In some ways, work is very similar to what it was like in the US, and in some ways it is completely different. If you haven't seen the YouTube video that shows off my new office, you need to go look for it immediately.
24. I miss the Amex buffer really badly. Hell, I miss the corporate Amex altogether!
25. Not being able to watch football is going to seriously suck. Big time.
26. Social media - primarily Twitter, Facebook, and blogs have helped me feel like I actually know what's going on. I feel like it would be extra hard to keep up with it. (Also - I love Huffington Post's "Seven and a Half Things" delivered to my inbox!)
27. Not having cable tv for my last year in Nashville was really good prep for moving here. I've had cable in the hotels I've been in, but cable in Asia just doesn't offer the same level of awesomeness as BravoTV. So I'm glad I'm not dealing with Housewives withdrawal while in a foreign country.
28. I don't like mooncakes.
29. I am very grateful for my iPhone and all the apps. I recently finished reading the Steve Jobs biography, and it is really hard to imagine what life would be like without all the conveniences that my iPhone provides. My most useful apps in Singapore are definitely the Maps (not really an app but whatever), Convert (currencies, weight, distance, anything really), Book a Taxi (text for a cab!), Kayak, and Viber (does nobody use What'sApp?).
30. I feel incredibly lucky. To have this opportunity, to have a good support network here in Singapore to share the experience with, and to have people back home in the US who care about me and encourage me.
Wow, Singapore sounds a lot like NYC with all the walking, sweating, horrible apt hunting, and the impossibility of making $200 last a month. Oh, and we have bubble tea! Though I haven't tried it yet. Glad you're having fun over there!!
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