Only nice things

So I have been trying to say only nice things about NTU and S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies but this is now coming to an end. When it is necessary to take a blanket to class and you are still cold. It is too cold in the room and the air conditioner should be turned down. I now understand why there is global warming it is because of places like Singapore, that turn up the air and leave the doors open so that they are cooling the outside.

blanket on my head during class

This little rant is coming from the fact that I am freezing during my class. The A/C is blowing directly on my head. And I look like an idiot with my blanket pulled up over my head but this is the only way not to get a brain freeze and well just feel horrible. How they expect us to learn anything in a situation like this I don't understand. I am not learning anything except how to be miserably cold in a country which is normally miserably humid and hot.

The one question I have is have they ever heard of a reasonable temperature? This means that it is not extremely cold inside compared to outside. Yes, it is hot here, but it would be nice not to have to take a large WINTER jacket to classes and lectures. A learning environment defined would be a place where students are comfortable and can study and learn with out outside interruptions. In this case RSIS is not a good learning environment. I mean this in the nicest of ways. Please understand that I am happy to be here, in Singapore studying, I just wish they would learn something about what a good environment for their students is.

The RSIS library is way to small and it is not big enough for the number of students. While I am at this, I think that the mere fact that you can not check out course readings before 5pm and then you have to have it back the next morning is a good example of why this is not conducive to learning. When are you going to read the book? Really I don't think you will have time to absorb the book and really understand anything. When there is normally only 1 copy of the book and sometimes 2 or 3 there are not enough copies for a class of 20 students or more. What makes this even worse is that the bookstore on campus does not carry any of the books for the courses at RSIS, and if you go to one of the bookstores in the city they will tell you that will take 4 to 6 weeks to order that is about 2 to 3 months. Now if you are scratching your head so am I. 4 to 6 weeks does not equal 2 to 3 months any way that you look at it.
How is this a good learning environment?
In my opinion it is setting the students up for failure.

So when none of us are doing the readings why do the professors look surprised? They should know you can not buy the book and you can't really check it out from the library. To have a successful educational institution they need to have the books available to us and they also need to create a place which is a good place for the students to study. Also a good learning environment includes students not suffering during the lectures because they are freezing.

Food On Friday: Shredded Chicken Hor Fun

This is a meal that I got at the hawker center in Pioneer. The Shredded Chicken Hor Fun is not an exciting dish but unlike a lot of the food here it does not have the skin and bones included. They are rice noodles and a soy sauce. It is not a very flavorful dish but it is alright. For those of you that know me I did not eat the mushrooms.

Food On Friday

I have decided to add a new day to my blog. I thought that people might be interested to see what I'm eating. This is mostly for while I'm in Singapore but you might get pictures of Western food later one if I like taking pictures of food which I do. It is fun to take pictures of food and as such I'm going to be posting pictures and descriptions of the food that I eat.

Hair Cut

Since I went to the Asian Civilization Museum I haven't done anything outside of classes. I got behind on readings and so I spent a bunch of time sitting on my butt. I think it might be a little bit flatter now. I also did some unscheduled  napping as the reading was really boring. Then I would wake up and wonder what happened why was it dark?

Self portrait

The biggest thing which has happened in the past week is that I got my hair cut. But that was last Friday. I cut off 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) so that I can give it to locks of love. The main reason for the hair cut was because it is really hot here, and, well, I wanted a cool do. Literally. When I went into the hair dresser the first sign that maybe this wasn't a good idea was that they had to go and find someone who spoke English. Oh, no. Then when I explained what I wanted (them to cut the 25.4 centimeters off and give that too me and then I either wanted a straight cut or a slight slant with the line of my jaw) they looked at me and my hair and turned to each other and started discussing it in Chinese. Now I don't understand much but I did learn the word for hair and I know what bad is. Now when you are getting your hair cut you don't want to hear them talking about your hair and bad in the same idea. She then turned to me and told that if they did that it would look messy. Now trust me I know my hair and on a good day I will take messy. Curly hair is naturally messy and I don't mind. Messy is the way I like my hair. I've also had short hair before and I generally like my hair when it is short. One issue with my having short hair is that it tends to make me look younger and this is not always a good thing. But I was counting on the Asians to be able to acuartly judge my age.
However, from my Rotary club meeting I guess I shouldn't count on this.
Rotarian: "What are you 15? 16?"
Me: "No I'm a Graduate Student at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies".
I don't tell him my age, even though what I want to say is: did you listen to anything? I'm an Ambassadorial Scholar. You know what that means? It means that I am at least college age so the youngest I can be is 19. And as I'm a Graduate student that makes me at least 22. But I don't say any of that. I just smile. I don't know why it bothers me but I really don't like it when people think I'm 16. I am I that immature? I don't think so. Alright I do look young and people tell me this is not a bad thing but I really don't appreciate it when people think I'm still a teenager. I don't mind getting carded at a bar or music show but really I am NOT 16.

Okay back to them arguing about my hair being messy and not looking good. I finally just tell them to cut the 25.4 centimeters and do what they think will look best. They give me an appointment to come back in about an hour. When I come back they ask me what kind of cut I want do I want a stylist or do I want a specialist. I just want the stylist as the specialist is much more expensive and I just want them to take off the 25.4 centimeters even it out and send me on my way. However, I think the stylist wanted to try her hand at cutting Western hair. Thus, even though I didn't want a style she gives me one. I can't really judge what it will look like later as she blow dries it and in Annalisa's world of hair this is a big big no no. You do not blow dry curly hair. She also put lots of product in it. The funny thing is after them telling me that it wasn't going to look good with a slant in the front that is how she cut my hair. I was really hoping that the humidity would help it out some. By the time I went to a lecture on campus my hair had curled and was looking better.
Many people that I didn't know said "oh you got your hair cut".
The people I did know said "You cut your hair. Why did you do that?"
Okay I don't think that question deserves an answer and in my opinion means that looks like shit. That was a really stupid thing to do. But they are to polite to say so.
After a shower and natural dry the cut started to look much better and I know think that it is a nice style. I came to this conclusion after a 20 minute ride on the train at night were the best thing to do was look at myself in the window as it was dark and I couldn't see out. I am not one of those people that normally spends lots of time looking in the mirror but it was a new style and I wasn't sure if I liked it or not so the ride was an opportunity to one see if it was good and two improve my posture. However posture while you are hanging on to a thing from the ceiling of the train car is a little strange to perfect but by golly I think I have it down.

Okay so for this week my big events. Hair cut, reading, reading, reading, eat some food, reading, nap, reading, sleep. And then Yesterday I wrote my first paper. Exciting. It was a book review. For my review I choose "The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What can be Done About It" by Paul Collier. This is an excellent book for an introduction to the 58 countries with one billion people living there who are in poverty. I don't know if I can say the world would be a better place if we all read this book but it would definitely be a more educated one about poverty and the countries which find themselves there. I don't know why but I am a little bit worried about the review, I think it is mostly because I have no idea what they are expecting from us as they didn't really say anything. Hence why I started it and finished writing it more than a week before it is due. Way to go!

I don't think I have mentioned this before but Singapore has a lovely system called McDelivery. And let me tell you Daniel, Jan, and I have learned how to take advantage of this. On days like today when Pioneer doesn't sound good. It really doesn't ever sound good anymore, and we don't want to travel somewhere else, McDelivery here we come. Okay so this is not something to be proud of but what can I say. I like french fries a little to much. Also they bring it right to your door. How nice is that? Alright I think it might be nice if there was more of a variety of places that delver that seem like they would be good, but one does what they must.

Burning Hell Money for the dead

This is the month of the "hungry ghosts" so the Chinese in our building burn hell money and put out food offerings. It is interesting. However, the smoke blows right inside and it is nice to have the door open to let the air in. I'm thinking this might not be pleasant for long though as the neighbors stack of shoes outside is really starting to smell. They really need to get some febreze or something to cut the smell some. The hungry ghosts, is the messiest I have seen Singapore, and the funny thing is that it gets cleaned up really fast. The offerings are not out long. Just over night and in the morning it is all clean like it didn't happen. Well there is some red wax from a candle, but clean is that there aren't any candles left and besides the wax there is no sign of them having been there.

Coming soon a new day on my blog....

Really Wednesday: Please Don't Shake Your Hands Dry

The bathroom sign that makes you laugh or at least go what? Why are their guys on a sign in the girls room?

Asian Civilization Museum

Daniel, Me, and Jan at APPSMO

Last night Daniel and Jan convinced me to go clubbing with them. We went to Zouke which is one of the  most popular clubs in Singapore. It does have a nice dance floor but as Mambo night. I can't say that I was that impressed. There was not a single Latin song played. Isn't the Mambo a Latin dance? They played mostly 1990's music and there were only about 5 songs that I really liked. We were there until about 2:30am and by the time we got home I wasn't really even tired anymore but I new I needed to get some sleep so that I could be on time for my Student Pass appointment.

Me on the river

I finally got out and saw something in the city. I got my student pass this morning and it was an interesting process. Not one I really want to have to go through again. I find it strange how in a place like an immigration office where English is going to be the main language spoken that many of the people do not speak clear English. How did they get the job? I could barely understand the woman who was giving me the pass. I don't think she could understand me either.

After I got my pass I went and met with my Host Councilor. He gave me the District directory so that I can organize speeches. It is really good to have him as a resource for organization of rotary events and helping me complete my requirements for Rotary. I don't think I would be able to do it without him.

Creature of Myth

Today was my first day as a tourist here. I went and visited the Asian Civilization Museum with Jan, and Jan's friend visiting from Taiwan, Chrisy. There was a lot way to much to see, and the lighting was dim so when the cloth came up I started yawning and was thinking that maybe it would be good to go outside and get some sun.

looking over the river

The river front is a very pretty area but it is very touristy. While this is not a bad thing, there are definitely more westerners and Chinese tourist here. When you see a skyline of Singapore this is what you see. It is also a bank and business area, so you have some really tall buildings in this area. After the museum we went back to the apartment for some dinner. The Hawker centers here while they don't have a very large variety of food are almost cheaper than cooking your own meals.The one thing that is hard for me in the hawker centers is that they include all parts of the meat and I really don't like it. I try to be vegetarian but sometimes fish is considered vegetarian. Why they use fish oil to cook veggies I don't know but they do. I wish it was easier to vegetables in the hawker stalls but most just want to sell meat. I might be doing some expensive cooking soon.

Someone Please Tell Me How This Works

Elevator Floors

These are the floors on the elevator and you have no idea how many times I go to the wrong floor because I think I need to go up as logically 5 is higher than 3 when I really need to be going down. Why did they do this to me?