5 Things I Will Miss About Singapore

Considering that I am now into my last couple of weeks in Singapore, I thought I should do a post on the things that I have grown to love during my year here and things that I will take with me once I leave.

1) Food

If you ask a Singaporean what they are most proud of about their country, it is food. Hawker centres (food courts which can be found on almost every street corner) are where most people eat. There are stalls serving a variety of food, demonstrating the country’s mixing pot of cultures, with the added bonus of all dishes usually costing no more than £3! As families tend to eat out here rather than in their homes, these hawkers centres are communal hubs and help in bringing people together in an environment which could have been socially isolating. The worry is that this distinctly Singaporean institution will disappear in the new future since the sons and daughters of current stalls holder have mostly received good educations and have different aspirations.

Hawker Centre in Tiong Bahru, Singapore

2) Travel opportunities

I have been lucky enough this year to have visited many wonderful places in the region such as Myanmar, Malaysia and the Philippines. The cheap transport (especially in Malaysia) has meant that I have been able to take advantage of any free time I have to get to know the areas around Singapore much better and as a result, I’ve had experiences that I will never forget. Without visiting the region, some may be inclined to think of the Southeast Asia as one homogenous region. My travels have shown me this is very wrong as I have seen a variety of different cultures and (certainly in comparison to Singapore) huge disparities in ways of living, living conditions and prosperity. Although arguably Singapore has no more travel opportunities than anywhere else, the exchange environment that I have been living in has definitely been conducive to exploring as much as possible.

Photos from my travels (Left, Philippines; Top Right, Mt Kinabalu, Boreo; Bottom Right, Bagan, Myanmar)

3) NUS

Undoubtedly I will miss the university. They made my move very smooth considering how daunting the experience could have been. The Geography department itself has opened my eyes up to a completely different perspective which I hope will benefit me when I return to my final year at UCL (see some of my earlier posts). The students have also been extremely friendly and welcoming, always wanting to tell me about the best places to go in the city. If I was to change one thing about my experience, it would be where I live. In terms of amenities, I cannot complain about the residential sites on campus. However, living on campus has meant that I perhaps have not experienced what it is truly like to live in Singapore, as university campuses can be artificial environments. On the plus side, this has given me the incentive to return to Singapore as a worker when I’m older so that I can really immerse myself in the city.

4) Urban Geography

This isn’t technically something I will miss about Singapore and more something that I have learnt. Having done one urban geography module at UCL, I already had an inclination that this might be the section of geography that I enjoy the most, and this year has confirmed this. ‘Globalization in Asian Cities’, ‘Changing Landscapes of Singapore’ and ‘Cities and Regions: Planning for Change’ have introduced me to new concepts in urban geography that relate in particular to the Asian region. Because Singapore is effectively just a city, I have been able to witness the vital importance that the state puts on urban planning, more so than I have seen anywhere else.

5) The people

Finally, I will miss the wonderful people I have met. People from far and wide have joined me on adventures and have we comforted each other during the times when the distance from home began to sink in. I have them to thank for making this year an experience that will stay with me forever.

Group of friends in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Changi as a 'Non-Place'

My year abroad journey began in Changi Airport and that is where it will end in a couple of weeks’ time- and it is certainly a nice place for a journey to begin! It consistently tops the rankings of the best airports in the world boasting amenities such as a cinema, butterfly and cactus garden, swimming pools, foot-massaging machines, the list goes on. For first time visitors, it is a good indication of what they should expect from the city as a whole- clean, efficient, offering everything you could possibly think of.

In these respects, it does work as an example of what Augé has referred to as a ‘non-place’. It is a super-modern, utopian environment. However, according Augé, people do not stay there long enough for it to be a site of social relations that would allow for it be considered a ‘place’. For some, place ‘to be a place, necessarily has meaning’ (Henderson, 2009a).  So from this perspective, even though Changi airport may not hold historical meaning, the airport allows me to live a ‘meaning-filled life’ (Henderson, 2009b). It is a place that incites excitement when I enter it (the anticipation of new adventures) and will be a place of sadness when I leave. However, for others, it will hold different memories and for this reason, ‘non-place’ does not seem like an appropriate term. It should be noted that the area of Changi does hold significant historical importance as it was the site of a prisoner of war camp during WWII and so those with a connection to its pas, may associate multiple meanings, emotions and identities with the general name ‘Changi’ which may be conflicting. Finally, Massey sees place as ‘not constituted by what is internal to it, but by its distinct lines of connection to other parts of the world’ (Henderson, 2009a) and who can deny that airports have some of the best global connections in the world!

References

Augé, M. (1995) Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity, London: Verso

Henderson, G. (2009a) ‘Place’ in D. Gregory et al. (eds) The Dictionary of Human Geography, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pg. 539-541

Henderson, G. (2009b) ‘Placelessness’ in D. Gregory et al. (eds) The Dictionary of Human Geography, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pg. 542

Streets of Singapore: Safe or Sterile?

As I have mentioned before in this blog, as have many others along the way, Singapore has unfortunately built up a reputation for being clinical. It is famed for its ‘no chewing gum’ law, it has strict laws on public drinking and vandalism, not to mention its anti-homosexual laws. Considering that it wants to attract the ‘creative class’ this is somewhat surprising. Creative cities are places of technology, talent and tolerance which together allow for an environment that breeds creativity (Pratt, 2008). There is a certain ‘rawness’ and ‘coolness’ that attracts a particular type of person. While Singapore certainly has technology and talent, tolerance is more debatable. Are clinical and creative mutually exclusive?

I want to argue that the factors that are often cited as making Singapore feel clinical, also make it an incredibly safe city in which to live. In the Urban Geography module I took in UCL, one piece of work in particular really stuck with me. This was Jane Jacob’s ‘The Uses of Sidewalks’. In this she talks about how, rather than strangers making a street feel unsafe, they are necessary for a city to feel safe.

London, while undoubtedly a centre for creativity and a vibrant place to live, is also somewhere that I personally would not feel very safe going for a run after dark. Some will disagree but this is my personal opinion and experience. Conversely, in Singapore, I am able to go for a run well after dark, I feel safe coming home on my own after dark, etc.

Prohibitive signs can be seen all around Singapore (source)

‘the bedrock attribute of a successful city district is that a person must feel personally safe and secure on the street among all these strangers’. (Jacobs, 1961, 10)

Although Singapore also has strangers of course, there is something about its streets that feel less menacing. Jane Jacob’s says that it is the public on the streets that voluntarily police the streets and in Singapore, people are happy to be on the streets in the first place because they are pleasant places to be, arguably thanks to the laws. It is also helped by the abundant open-front food centres and void decks at the bottom of apartment blocks which allow for many ‘eyes upon the street’. So while the strict laws may be part of the reason, I do not believe they are completely responsible for the safety on the streets of Singapore. And although these laws may make the city less raw and creativity-inducing, I also believe that cities need to feel safe in order to attract the ‘creative class’.


References
Jacobs, J. (1961) The Death and Life of Great American Cities, New York: Random House

Pratt, A. (2008) 'Creative Cities: The Cultural Industries and the Creative Class', Geografiska Annaler, 90, 2, 107-117

The Passing of the 'Father of Singapore'

This week has been a fascinating time to be in Singapore. Lee Kwuan Yu, the first prime minister of Singapore and the man who almost single-handedly took Singapore from a third World country (his own words)  to the prospering nation that it is today in 50 years, passed away on 23rd March. When Singapore was expelled from the Federation of Malaysia in 1965, the country’s future was far from certain. However LKY (as he is often referred to here) opened the country up to much needed foreign investment and set an example for other East Asian countries to follow and make equally impressive developments.

What has been most interesting about the last few days has been the range of reactions to his death. On the one hand, there has been an outpouring of emotion, with Singaporean businesses to my classmates all paying their condolences in one way or another. One of my classmates was one of 1.4 million who are said to have queued for up to eight hours (despite temperatures in Singapore rarely dropping below 28 degrees) to see his body lying in state or to pay their respect at community sites. Tens of thousands took the streets on the day of his funeral to see the funeral procession drive through the streets of the city, many from the older generation who can fully appreciate the progress he is responsible for. LKY’s death has reignited a fierce patriotism in the small nation, many noting how vital he has been to the development of a sense of national identity. This however has allowed some to overlook more controversial aspects of his record. LKY had a reputation for running Singapore as Prime Minister until 1990, and then influencing subsequent governments as Senior Minister and Minister Mentor until 2011, as a soft authoritarian state with strict rules over the press (The Straits Times is government-owned and CEOs of all major media organisations are government appointed) and free speech (a license is needed to start a protest). In addition, he ensured that any parties that might seriously threaten the People’s Action Party’s hold on power, were ruthlessly challenged, making Singapore effectively a one-party state. Therefore the other contrasting reaction has been to question whether Singapore can continue along this same path. A video made by a 17 year-old Singaporean expressing his disdain for the former PM has gone viral, suggesting the younger generation may be less willing to accept the restrictions of the Singaporean political system.  There are also those with more of a neutral (and possibly rational) outlook. Young Singaporean blogger Jeraldine Phneah has written an interesting post laying out her ‘middle-ground’ perspective (not one that I have often come across while I have been here), which received a lot of attention. Much of this was strongly critical of her stance, showing just how fiercely protective people are of their former leader.

But whichever conclusion you come to, and whichever side of the argument one lies on, there is no doubt that LKY will remain the single-most important figure in the history of the State of Singapore. RIP.

Exploring Singapore and its Festivals

I am now 7 months into my time here in Singapore and so I think I now have enough experience to be able to write a post about what it has been like to live in the city-state affectionately referred to as ‘The Little Red Dot’.

NUS itself is a campus so in that respect, compared to the very metropolitan experience at UCL, this year has been different. While I certainly can’t complain about the facilities, it is an atmosphere that I have at times found to be claustrophobic. For this reason, and because there is unfortunately a time limit on this adventure, I have tried as much as possible to get to know the city outside university ('Sunday Funday' has become the official name for our exploring day)- in fact, it puts my knowledge of London to shame!

NUS University Town campus (source)

Singapore has often come under criticism for being sterile and boring but my time here has proved that this preconception is unfair. This year, Lonely Planet named Singapore its No.1country to travel to in 2015 and for good reason, especially this year. 2015 marks the 50^th anniversary of Singapore's so the Government has put in a lot of effort to enhance the vibrant atmosphere and celebrate its diversity. My first weekend in Singapore happened to be National Day when we were treated to an impressive display in Marina Bay (which Kong and Yeoh have written an interesting article about in relation to national identity and hegemony). And just the other week, I got up bright and early to head down to Little India where the Hindu population were celebrating the festival Thaipusam. I had not previously heard of it but found it fascinating! Men walked for 5km through the streets with hooks fixed into their skin which they were using to pull carts, while some were pierced with many spears. The pain is meant to connect them more closely to the god Murugan.

Singapore National Day 2014 

Man carrying a kavadi (burden) at Thaipusam

Considering that 74% of the population are Chinese Singaporean, the Chinese festivals also feature widely in the calendar. Although Chinese New Year (CNY) was the larger spectacle, the more enjoyable was the Mid-Autumn festival where families wandered through the streets of Chinatown with lanterns. The atmosphere was better because, unlike Chinese New Year which in Singapore is spent at home enjoying family time, the Mid-Autumn festival felt like more of a community occasion.

Crowds gather in Chinatown for the Mid-Autumn festival

I hope I have succeeded in demonstrating that Singapore has shaken off its dull reputation and is in fact a place where I have been able to discover a vibrant city that is full of tradition and heritage. Its modern development essentially rooted in immigration, has actually meant that it is an extremely diverse place, making it a great place to spend a year abroad. 

Different Approaches to Learning

In today’s blog entry I will continue on a similar train of thought as my previous entry- on the practical side of studying Geography at NUS. The degree structure at UCL, from my experience, has focused very much on independent learning- particularly independent reading. At NUS, while there is certainly a heavy emphasis on reading as well, there are more contact hours with the lecturers or teaching assistants. For every module, we have two hours of lectures a week (the same as at UCL), however we are also expected to attend a 90 minute tutorial, once every fortnight, for each module. For these, we are given an article to read prior to the tutorial which we then discuss- what we learnt, concerns we may have with what the author is saying, etc. We can also go over any themes from the lecture that we may not have understood.

On a personal level, as someone who is not particularly forthcoming when it comes to seeking help and utilising lecturer’s office hours, these regular tutorials have been very helpful. It forces people to make vocal contributions in classes and to really think critically about what the compulsory articles are saying as critical analysis and thoughtful comments are expected from the participants.

These are the reasons why I think these tutorials have been beneficial.  However, I also think there is a specific reason why a university in Singapore is using this tactic. There have often been criticisms of the Singapore education system in that, due to its highly competitive nature, students reach the end of their education lacking the skills to think critically and creatively. This has even been acknowledged by the PM himself. For a discipline such as Geography, with such a strong focus on problem-solving, this is an issue, and this may be why more time is invested in making students question rather than accept everything that is written (in an academic sense) at face value.

However, what I have noticed is that, whereas the readings at UCL really stretch your learning by moving further away from the content of the lectures and encouraging you to make new links, the readings at NUS, in most but not all cases, tend to reinforce, rather than expand on, what has already been covered in the lectures.

Overall, having reached the end of the first semester, I can say that I am thoroughly enjoying my time in Singapore and believe that it has already broadened my horizons. Bring on the second semester!

Geography on Your Doorstep- A Local Perspective

In today’s post, I want to talk about the more practical aspects of the Geography modules that I have studied so far this year. The four modules I have taken this semester are:

• Changing Landscapes of Singapore
• Geographies of Social Life
• Geographies of Development
• Globalisation and Asian Cities

The thing that has struck me is the scale of the cases that are used as examples on these courses. While in the UK, the modules have drawn on case studies from all over the world. In Urban Geography, examples come from a variety of regions such as North and South America and South Asia, while in Globalisation & Asian Cities the majority of real life examples that have been used have come from the Asian region. In Development Geography (at UCL), there was more of a focus on Sub Saharan Africa and Latin America whereas in Geographies of Development (at NUS), there was a strong interest in Asia's progress, in particular, the 'Asian Miracle'. This links back to my first blog post on how academics are wanting to contribute perspectives from under-studies regions to existing theories that centre on the West.

On the practical side, the tendency to base modules on more local geographical phenomena has resulted in courses that require us to venture out into the field more than I have done at UCL. For the Geographies of Social Life module, I was required to create a fieldwork journal analysing one social group in a neighbourhood of my choice. I decided to visit an area called Tiong Bahru (a well-known area undergoing gentrification) to examine how its newfound popularity with the younger generations has affected the elderly population. In Changing Landscapes of Singapore, I had two fieldwork-based assignments. One involved us exploring the arts landscape in Little India. The second gave us more freedom- we were allowed to choose any location, as long as the project was based on heritage tourism. Our group chose to visit the last remaining kampong (rural village) in Singapore which is unknown even to many Singaporeans. Considering Singapore’s remarkable urbanization journey of the last few decades, it was fascinating to get a glimpse of what life used to be like on this island.

From a geographer’s perspective, I believe these are really good exercises for encouraging us to apply what we learn in lecture theatres to our surroundings, and vice versa. It has also encouraged me to engage more with the people in these landscapes as well (because for some projects, mini-interviews were required). From an exchanger’s perspective, this aspect of the courses is great as it allows me to discover neighbourhoods that I would not otherwise have visited. It also forces me to enter these landscapes with a geographical frame of mind, whereas on a day-to-day basis, this would not necessarily be the case. With any luck, the modules next term will continue to allow me to discover new areas of Singapore.