Ali, a Statistics student, spent his 4B term studying at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. Here's what he had to say about the experience.
What type of traveller do you think you are?
An escapist!
Why did you choose your host school and country?
I've always wanted to travel to Southeast Asia. Singapore is right in the centre, so it was the perfect destination. Within a couple of hours, and for as little as $50, I could fly to six different countries. Also, Singapore shares similarities with North America, and that made it easier for me to adjust to the culture shock. Plus, my host school, NTU, offered a lot of interesting courses, making it easy to find courses relevant to my degree requirements at Waterloo.
What was an average day like in your program?
Every morning involved meeting up with other exchange students for a classic Singaporean breakfast: soy sauce mixed with half-boiled eggs, and a side of toast spread with coconut jam, called kaya toast. It's really hot in Singapore, so by noon everyone is seeking refuge in air-conditioned lecture halls and libraries. In between classes and labs, we grabbed lunch or dinner at one of the local canteens on campus and planned our next trip abroad or nights out in the city. Every other weekend we'd visit another country; Malaysia was the easiest to get to as it was right there, but we also found ourselves in Thailand, Vietnam, and even Hong Kong. When we weren't traveling we'd go on excursions within Singapore to discover all the touristy spots.
What was one of your favourite experiences from your time abroad?
I took advantage of reading week to travel through Northern Vietnam. We started off by trekking through rice fields and mountains, and spent our nights at different villages with local families. They cooked us dinner, spent the night sharing a few drinks and playing games with us, and showed us on our way in the morning.
When we arrived back to the busy city of Hanoi, our days consisted of hanging out with locals, eating tons of banh mi and pho, and drinking Vietnamese egg coffee. We also spent time in the beautiful limestone islands of Ha Long Bay and went on cave tours through Ninh Binh.
What was it like to live and learn in another language?
Singapore’s main language is English. However, they have a dialect called Singlish, or Singaporean English, which often made it impossible to understand when locals spoke to each other. It was fun learning some Singlish, but otherwise they would switch to English so we could understand.
Were there any challenges? If so, how did you overcome or cope with them?
Homesickness was the biggest challenge. It’s hard to be thrown into a completely foreign environment far from any friends or family. There’s a 12 hour time difference, which left me a small window to talk to people back in Canada. But, what helped me tremendously, was getting to know the other exchange students because we’re all in the same situation and everyone is looking to make friends. The first week of my semester involved meeting so many cool and different people from all over the world. I met a group of friends that made Singapore feel a lot like a second home.
Did any of your experiences challenge the assumptions you held about your host country or culture?
Growing up and spending most of my life in North America gave me a very limited view of the world before traveling to Asia. I think we get a very western-centric view of the world and it’s a huge eye opener to see how other people live and to realize there’s so much more to the world than what we experience in Canada.
Has this exchange helped you personally, academically or professionally?
It’s helped me personally by forcing me out of my comfort zone. I’ve become more willing to take risks and to experience new things I wouldn't have given a second thought about before.
Do you have any advice for Waterloo students thinking of studying abroad?
It’s an experience of a lifetime. You won’t get many, if any, opportunities to live in another country with people from all over the world, and experience a different culture first hand.