July 30

Singaporeans

The gentle, quiet spirit of the Singaporean people consistently impresses me.  Whether I am in a line waiting for a taxi, in a bus, or in a public place, I find that Singaporeans are often silent.  

I meet the public bus on my way home from work.  That bus stop was shared with a school bus carrying kindergarteners.  As I waited, a little boy emerged from the school bus and was met by two women.  I watched the women greet the boy without a word being said by the child or the adults.  The smiles, love and the joy of the three people was obvious in their faces and in the shoulder and head touches that they shared.  I found this exchange somehow restful. 

Being an educator, I make the assumption that more expressive language is better.  If we encourage a child to express herself, often this verbalizing will carry over into a child acquiring more language, a broader vocabulary, and better skills at thinking analytically.  I wondered if there was more conversation at home with the Singaporean child.  I wonder if I saw the public persona, not the personal persona.  I am sure this will be one more thing that I will gradually understand.

I also know that in Native American languages often words are sparse and meaning is conveyed in gestures, tones, and stories.  One elder told me that the intention was to stimulate the listeners imagination so that they would form their own pictures.  

It is a puzzle.  Sara

July 27

I am in my apartment and am adjusting to the small space. The electrical voltage is higher here, so plugs are different.  I have been plugging my computer into a converter and I kept noticing that I could feel electricity running around the edge of the computer and buzzing my arms.  It dawned on me that the charge was not being entirely used by my computer so the excess was running around the edge.  Once I unplugged the computer, it stopped biting me.  Electric service is very expensive here. All electrical outlets, water heater, and air conditioning units have turn off switches.  To turn on the stovetop, you have two separate switches to use.  I have not seen the bill yet, but I am sure I will be impressed.

Yesterday was the Ghost Festival.  It is a Chinese and possibly Buddhist celebration based on the lunar calendar.  Along the streets, people left gifts of fruit and other items for their deceased relatives who are believed to return to the realm of the living on this day.  There are burners along the street for the burning of incense, paper money, and paper-mache items shaped like gold and clothing, items the relative would like. 

Burner for offerings

Food offerings and incense burners

Rather than thinking that is this idea is weird, let’s consider our cultural history.  In the pre-Christian tradition of Europe (nature-based spirituality), our ancestors had a similar tradition on Halloween based on the solar calendar.  It was the day that the veil between the spirit and material world was thin.  It was believed that spirits could be seen and/or experienced.  The Christian church in their efforts to convert the pagans created a related celebration on Nov. 1 and calling it All Saints Day.   In addition, they gave Halloween a scary story.  Much of that scary story is acted out in Halloween costumes and decorations today.  Sorry if I sound like a teacher; I can't resist the impulse.

Tonight I went out to dinner with another teacher and his wife in Little India, a section of the city that is almost completely Indian.   We went to a great Indian restaurant.  It was truly unimpressive on the outside, but the food was incredible.  They had a 10 page menu with every form of Indian food other than the name of the bread, I could not read the words.  Fortunately, they had pictures.   Afterwards, we walked down the local streets; they were teaming with Indians, mostly males.   They sat in large groups on the sidewalk or congregated around their cars and trucks right on the edge of the very narrow, one-way streets.  There were very few women out in the streets.  I could have been in India itself. 

7/22

I visited an area in Singapore that once was their shoreline.  Today it is several miles inland because Singapore has added land to their edges.  This gives them space to grow.

This area, like most of Singapore, is a cross section of Asia.  The buildings had shops on the first floor and houses above.  This architecture is carried out in other structures as well probably because the overhang provides shelter from the heat.  I have taken some pictures of the houses that interested me. 

There are Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Moslem places of worship.  Churches look like those from the states, but the others reflect differences.  As we walked around I took pictures of these places of worship. 

We did not feel welcome at the Mosque so I did not go inside.  Shoes are not allowed in any of these places of worship.  At the mosque, I saw a man washing his feet, hands, and face before he entered the mosque.  

For the past month, Moslems who make up the largest religious group in the region, have been celebrating Ramadan.  It is a month of fasting during the day and breaking the fast in the evening.  The month is based on a lunar calendar so the timing will change every year.  Observance of the fast is one of the five pillars of their faith.  I was told by a cab driver that the evenings are celebratory and the streets in the neighborhoods are filled with lights.  I am not sure I would be welcome there or I would visit.

Mosque

The Buddhist Temple is very old.  It is more like an open air porch than a typical building in the states.  There were people bringing flowers and fruit as gifts.  There were incense sticks burning at the front and several people used the incense to cleanse themselves before entering the temple.  The feeling of this temple was very welcoming.  I did not understand the symbols, but I was appreciative of the gentle love that was here.

Outside of Buddhist Temple

Incense for purification

Look at altar in Buddhist Temple

The Hindu Temple was being renovated but I was able to take some pictures of both the outside and inside.  In the Hindu tradition, living things are sacred especially the cow.  The outside of the temple was decorated with animals and gods of their tradition. 

Hindu Temple exterior

Hindu Temple

Shiva

Shiva is a very important god. 

I love to find things that I do not expect.  This was one of them. 

This appears to be a monument, but it is actually a musical instrument.  The columns are struck on both sides to create a particular resonance.  I am sure this is done on special occasions. 

July 25

I went to deposit my first pay check yesterday.  If you have cash, you deposit in ways that you would recognize, ATM or teller.  A customer told me that checks are treated differently.  You drop the check in a slot in the wall.  I put my name, account # and phone # on it.  There is no envelope or anything.  The slot was partially open and I could see other checks inside.  I got nervous and decided to wait to talk to someone before I left my money. 

 signed the lease on my apartment today with a two year lease.  I will be paying $2300 per month and the school will be paying $1000.  Not a bad deal for the owners.  It is very nice one bedroom apartment in a quiet, high rise building.  The security is very tight.  No one can get on the floor without an electronic pass.  The elevator will not ever stop on another floor unless someone who lives on that floor is riding with you. The apartment is along the river promenade so there are lots of restaurants and walkways.  Once the sun goes down, the streets and restaurants are very busy.  They all have tables right out along the walkways.  You hear languages of all kinds.

I am enclosing some photographs of the apartment. A few photos cover the whole thing.  The bathroom is quite fancy.  Singaporeans really like granite and this bathroom sports a lot of it.  Notice how tall the tub is.  Tubs are all tall.  At the hotel, they have warnings to hold on getting in and out.  Their bathrooms have sunken floors with drains in the floors.  I guess they are expecting overflows.  

The kitchen is tee tiny.  I got a very small trashcan to fit in the corner and I could not get my rear into the space to place the can.  I guess I will need to use the broom to pull it in and out.   

 

I was happy to learn that the refrigerator had ice trays.  I had been told that ice cubes are uncommon in their homes.  Before I left the apartment, I decided to fill the ice trays.  Well, my friends, don’t expect me to share my ice!  The cubes are 1” x 1”.  The trays are about 8” long.  I am enclosing a picture of the trays next to a very small flashlight to give you perspective.  The tee tiny trays fit in the tee tiny kitchen and are clearly intended for tee tiny people.  I will make it work.