I need to say something before July 2012 goes down in history as the first month ever there is no entry in this blog, although I wonder how long I can keep this up, as more and more friends are abandoning their blogs haha.
Ever since my last entry I have been involved in my past projects, and have also started on my final year project. There have been plenty of distractions though, in the form of Euro 2012, Skyrim, Battlefield 3 and more recently, the Summer Olympics, so progress has been slow. Luckily Diablo 3 is too expensive for me haha.
Last week I went for my third ICT, which was a short four day course. Maybe because I am still a student now, I actually don't mind going for ICTs, as I treat them as annual gatherings with my NS friends. This ICT was a little disappointing though, because some of my friends had deferred and I didn't get a chance to see them. Moreover this ICT was so packed, there weren't many opportunities to catch up with the others who attended. In fact I didn't even see a couple of them until the very last day.
During ICT I caught up with a friend who, although younger than me, has already seen the world much more in comparison. Sharing our overseas experiences with each other left me with regrets that I did not interact with the locals more during my student exchange trip to the United States. Indeed I have seen more of the world, but maybe I should have used more than just the eyes. Or maybe I shouldn't have hung out too much with the other Singaporeans. Or maybe I should have chosen a college with lesser Singaporeans to begin with.
On the other hand, this friend of mine was brought up very differently from me. I firmly believe family plays a very important part in shaping a person's character, like the fact that I have overprotective parents who would not have allowed me to go to Canada all alone to study at the age of 15, which was what he did. I am more reserved by nature, so I need time to warm up to strangers.
I don't say things like 'I wish I could turn back time', because I am not him, so even if I really could turn back time, things will end up the same anyway. However I take consolation in that it was my first solo trip overseas, so there was the inclination to stay in my comfort zone of sticking to the Singaporeans. I am glad I had that sharing experience with that friend; hopefully I do better next time.
School will be starting in two weeks, and it will be back to the old days of attending lectures and rushing assignments again. This will be my final year of studies before I graduate from university; after that I will be entering the workforce. Looking at some of my seniors and friends graduate is making me a little unsure and worried about my own future.
Xenophobia in Singapore is getting a little too much to be comfortable with.
1 comment:
Hey QW, don't worry -- I will never abandon my blogs, so keep on writing about your glorious life and read my sordid one. I've wondered sometimes why people stopped blogging, and the conclusion that I come to is that people are getting more lazy these days. With the instant gratification obtained from tweeting minutiae or posting that on facebook has driven careful composition of prose into the realm of the has-been. But you know what? You don't have to care about what others do! Just do what makes you happy.
As for xenophobia, it takes two to tango. On the one hand, the locals feel threatened by the unknown that the new foreigners bring, and on the other hand, the said foreigners, as you have experienced somewhat yourself, do not wish to mingle, maintaining some strong sense of their cultural identity and behaviour. While I think that having strong roots is an important trait, what is more important is that of adaptability, or at least, reducing the antagonising effect on one's hosts. That said, locals should also be more tolerant, but to an extent. Thus, the "right" answer really is that of moderation on the parts of both parties.
Anyway, July was hot. The US is suffering from a drought, and temperatures here have hit 42 degrees Celsius. So yeah.
Anyway, take care! And sorry for such a long comment. >.<
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