This week was all about adapting and learning how to navigate a new culture. Just as a reminder, our time in Singapore will be centered around our internship experiences, in addition to other activities.
On Monday, we officially kicked off our internships. I’m working at a tech startup, primarily on the finance side of things. My supervisor and coworkers have been incredibly welcoming, and the overall atmosphere is relaxed, even though the workload isn’t exactly light. Unlike some of my peers, I wasn’t able to work from home at all this week, but honestly, it turned out to be a good thing. I learned the route to the office, so now I don’t need to rely on map apps as much.
One of the biggest challenges this week was figuring out where to get groceries. We’re staying in a pretty upscale neighborhood filled with massive malls, but they mostly house luxury brand stores. Aside from one 7-Eleven and a few overpriced cafés, there aren’t many affordable options. Since I’m still a college student without a full-time income, I’ve had to get creative about finding budget-friendly necessities.
Like most of my peers, I also spent time exploring the city and checking out local spots. On Monday night, a few of us went to an Irish pub near our place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The atmosphere was so authentically Irish that, for a moment, it felt like we were in downtown Dublin instead of Southeast Asia.
Later in the week, I went to Marquee, a well-known local nightclub. To be honest, I wasn’t too impressed. While the three-level layout was pretty cool, the ticket and drink prices were way too high for what it offered. Famous DJ Marshmello was performing that night, but even his set didn’t quite meet expectations. He started really late, and by the time he got into it, most of the crowd was already tired, and the energy just wasn’t there.
On Saturday, we had an organized tour to Little India, Arab Street, and Chinatown. It was a great experience, I learned a lot about the different cultures and even got to try some of their traditional foods. The highlight of the tour was visiting a Chinese temple, which was absolutely fascinating.
All in all, this week was about transitioning into a new environment, especially one that feels like the complete opposite of what we experienced in Sydney. I’m excited for the weeks ahead and hopeful that Singapore will be just as amazing in its own way.
