Yes, I know it's not November

Hey!  I have three more days in Singapore (kinda) and then I'm off to the Philippines for 10 days!  Today, was my last Sunday at Redemption Hill Church.  It may be the place I miss most in Singapore.  It is full of fun people from around the world who simply love Jesus.  Today I had to say goodbye to many.  At least five people wondered why I still haven't shaved my mustache...

I have two more exams, on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I will pack all of my things on Wednesday and head out to the airport on the other side of the island in the evening.  I am flying in and out of Cebu, Philippines.  My ultimate goal within the ten days is to earn my PADI Open Water Scuba Certification.  I think I will complete the certification and spend most of my time in the Western Philippines in and around Palawan.  I cannot stop looking up flights, hotels, diving centers, things to do, etc!

I am not sure if I will create another post before I arrive home on December 18th so here is my reflection sneak peak:

- I love meeting people from other countries.  Each person's life is interesting and unique.  One of my regrets is not learning more about the people I encountered here. 

- One's attitude has a very large impact on their outlook.  No, Singapore is not my favorite place in the world.  However, there are some pretty incredible aspects.  The country is warm and beautiful.  The people work harder than I believe they should, but clearly, they have earned their high status in the world.  The food is great.   Singapore's location is perfect for seeing the rest of South East Asia.  In other words, this country actually rocks.  My occasional cynical attitude tended to not let me see that truth.

- Something is not wrong because it is different.  For example, I do not like the school system in Singapore.  I think it facilitates unhealthy competition more than learning.  Yet, I was raised in American schools my entire life.  We each appreciate different aspects of our system.  They both produce successful and unsuccessful people.  It's simply, different.

- Your location does not creating lasting happiness, your relationships do.  When the exchange students and I return home we undoubtedly will tell all our friends and family about the places and things we saw.  Most will not ask about all the friendships created because they're simply not relevant.  However, the exchange students and I will stay in contact with the people closest to us.  And I guarantee the majority would visit their friends before returning to a place they raved to their relatives about.  When you're in good company, everything else is trivial

That is all for now, back to "studying"!

Coffee and Bell Curves

Not much is happening here.  Singapore universities are in a studying frenzy and I am included.  I just had my first and most important exam today, yes, on a Saturday.  I have three exams and a paper to go for the next three weeks and then I'm headed to the Philippines.

Funny fact I learned this week.  Bloomberg put out an article ranking Singapore the most emotionless society.  No disagreements here.  But it just so happens that the Philippines is the most emotional society!  I'm excited to experience both extremes before I come home.  There are about three weeks left!  I hope to be have my PADI scuba certification when I return.  Let's see what happens :).

It's never too late for Movember

Hello Everyone,

Exam time is coming, and you know what that means... Mustache!  Actually, my roommate and I talked about it last night and decided we would give the mustache a try in honor of Movember.  However, I remembered today that I also had a mustache for exams last year at this time.  My rationale in the past was, "I will walk in to take an exam with my mustache, people will see it, and instantly their stress level will go down."  I'm not sure if the questionable growth on my face will be enough to handle an average Singaporean's test anxiety, but I'll give it my best try.

All my assignments, projects, presentations, and tests are done for the semester, woohoo!  This isn't America folks.  Of my four classes, I have about 50% of my grades left in front of me, not to mention they are given on a bell-curve.  They don't tell you this is the study abroad office...  On the bright side, I have plenty of time to study.  Oddly enough, exam period is my favorite time of the semester because I can completely set my own schedule.  Also, I have a planned trip to the Philippines successfully motivating me each day.  Then, of course, I'll return home to my wonder friends, family, and snow!

Thanks for reading!

Motivation and Gratitude

So, the finish line is in sight... I think?  Yesterday, one of my four classes ended.  Exams don't start for almost three weeks.  Now you know what I'm dealing with when I talk about the studying "problem" in Singapore.  With some of my exams being worth 70% of my total grade, I will have to seek some serious motivation for this final month.  Only ONE month and I will be in the Philippines with all thoughts of school completely behind me.

What is going to keep me motivated?  Well, today I read an awesome chapter from the book "Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul," and it taught me a lot about gratitude.  It mentioned, "When we are grateful, we see and experience life with a healthy optimism.  When we lack gratitude, we move toward pessimism and even cynicism.  An ungrateful heart always sees what's wrong with life."  I'll be the first to tell you that I struggled with pessimism and cynicism when I first got here.  Although it has gotten a lot better, thanks be to God, the habit still seems to creep in.

The number one thing I canNOT do if I want to study hard without dreading it is focus on what's wrong with my life.  Because when I honestly face myself, there is nothing wrong with my life.  Today, I was reminded by many about the freedoms our country gets to practice every day.  Even more so, I'm reminded by the Lord about the freedom I have in His Son, Jesus Christ.  As I consider this freedom, and the many blessings in my life (including the opportunity of a great education), it will produce a love and joy that will keep my cup half full.  Then, I will not need to be apprehensive towards studying, but I'll push on until the finish doing my best.  That is the plan anyway! :)

Happy Halloween!

Where is my costume?!  I'm sorry folks but this year I am not dressing up.  One, my guess is Singapore does not have many halloween shops.  Two, you never know what random things may be expensive here.  Three, it is bloody hot from dawn until dusk, any extra apparel is not worth it to me.  Four, it would be pretty difficult to trick or treat in this place.  Okay, now I am just making excuses.

Sometimes the world seems so small.  For example, I have traveled as far away from the US as possible, but I have still met a couple of exchange students who are members of my business fraternity.  Yet, it is the disasters like Storm Sandy that remind you of the Earth's size and power.  As millions lose power, their homes, and for some their lives, life in Singapore is unchanged.  In fact, Storm Sandy probably isn't even the most threatening phenomenon in the world right now.  As I hear the requests of so many to pray for those in the storm, I hope myself and others can remember to pray for the rest of the world and its problems each day.

Not much has changed here in the last week.  Call me unpatriotic, but I have decided I am not voting because it would cost $60 to ship my ballot back to Michigan in time.  I wish I would have registered much earlier, but it was not the first thing on my mind during the excitement of starting my semester in Singapore.  On Saturday, I am going to Legoland Malaysia.  I always enjoy an opportunity that gives me an excuse to act like a little kid.  Children seem to be much more advanced than us college students and adults when it comes to their attitudes on life. 

November will be my last full month and I'm excited to see what God has in store for me.  My goal is to find joy each day in my many blessings while trying not to dread the upcoming exam finals.  Thanks for reading everyone :)

Contenment

Whether you are a Christian or not, being content in all situations is certainly a virtue that we covet.  In the book of Philippians, Apostle Paul writes, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."  I believe that in addition to prayer and study, you can train your mind to be more content.

This week monsoon rains started a few minutes before I had to head to class.  As I walked outside I hesitated before leaving cover and one of the local students noticed.  He was quick to offer me a spot under his umbrella until we made it to shelter.  That act of kindness put me in a very good mood.  However, when my professor spoke about our final exam in my class an hour later, I felt sad, nervous, and a bit angry.  At that point I think I had two choices.  I could continue sulking over a stupid test or I could remember my new friend and his umbrella. 

In the remaining two months I hope to be more conscious of the situations I let rule my mind.  Continually thinking about the blessings in my life including my family, friends, traveling experiences, educational opportunities, and good health will likely lead me to deeds such as holding an umbrella for a stranger.  While letting silly frustrations rule my thought process could easily lead to insensitivity, rudeness, pride, and a long downward spiral of negativity. 

Pairing this mentality with seeking balance in life like I believe I mentioned in my last post should help me attain the growth I wish to bring back home.  Coming to Singapore isn't only about seeing the world.  It is about learning to be content in new and different situations, and sharing that skill with all the people I know and meet in the future.

Thanks for reading everyone, stay in touch!

Rounding Second

Although I'm not sure on exact dates, it looks like I am about halfway done with my second study abroad experience.  I am very grateful for everything I have seen and done so far, and I very much look forward to the future.  Many things are certainly going to be different in these next two months.

Study, study, study.  I am finally giving in.  No longer will I simply accept the fact that I will come back with a much lower than average GPA because I am attending a top 50 school in the world.  As with anything, I am going to do my very best and serve God through my school work.  It seems that each day I am better learning how to have balance in life, but God is my balance beam.

Traveling will be delayed until further notice.  I have big plans to travel to the Philippines when my semester ends December 6th.  But because of a lack of funds and what I said in the previous paragraph, there will be very few if any trips made before semester's end.  This will also give me a chance to visit popular destinations in Singapore such as Universal Studios, the Botanic Gardens, the National Museum, and more.

In other news, the Tigers are going to the next round of the playoffs.  I couldn't be happier that it will be against the Yankees.  Ah the internet is a wonderful invention!

Thanks for reading everyone!

Khmer Style

It has been awhile.  Where could I possibly begin?  Let's just fast-forward to Cambodia because I just arrived back after a nine day vacation there.

There are many reasons why I love SE Asia, but the number one reason has got to be the contrast.  I left one of the richest, most developed countries in the world, flew less than three hours, and arrived in a country that is totally different, and nearly an opposite.  Although Cambodia is a third world country, do not assume any negativity.  The people were extremely nice, the food was cheap... I loved it there!

I spent my time with my friend Derek and many of his friends.  It was so encouraging to find that Derek has a large friendship circle made up of people from several different Christian NGO's in Cambodia.  I had the chance to meet many of them.  I was most excited to hear each person's story.  How on Earth did they arrive in Cambodia's capital city, Phnom Penh, after growing up in Iowa?!  The stories revealed to me that our life plan thankfully is not created by us.

Major Happenings in Cambodia:
1) Many people don't know that less than 40 years ago Cambodia experienced a three year genocide that wiped out nearly 3 million people from their population of 8 million.  I had the chance to visit one of the hundreds of killing fields and a prison in Phnom Penh that were used during the Khmer Rouge genocide.  I have never seen anything like it and I still feel as if every part hasn't registered in my brain yet.  It truly is unbelievable what humans are capable of; luckily, we have the opportunity to use those capabilities for good.
2) I scratched another one of the seven modern wonders of the world off my list, Angkor Wat.  Derek and I spent two and a half days in the city of Siem Reap.  Much different than the capital city, it was full of tourists, hotels, a large variety of restaurants, shows, and many fish spas (a fish spa is a pool of water containing small fish who will gladly eat the dead skin off of your feet for hours, of course I tried it)!  The Angkor temples were incredible.  Still standing after 700 years, the temples were mostly architecturally sound and full of amazing wall artwork.
3) One day I had pumpkin pancakes, muffins, doughnuts, and bread.  Leaves aren't falling, but I can do my best to experience fall.


I could go on about my time in Cambodia, but I would much rather tell you the rest in person.  Plus, I just got back today.  I still need to figure out what I actually learned.  As always, thanks for reading and have an incredible day!

Life is good.

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!  So many things are happening right now that I have no time to catch my breath.  Just the way I like it...

Thursday afternoon five friends and I boarded a ferry for Bintan Island, Indonesia one and a half hours from Singapore.  We stayed in a hostel called the Ocean Bay Resort on the western, less inhabited part of the island.  Ocean Bay was held up by stilts over the water, very similar to a place I stayed at in Bocas Del Toro, Panama during my last study abroad trip.  It was a very laid back place with a restaurant, some pool tables and games, a television, and some small huts to stay in.  On Friday morning we took a boat taxi with three other hostel guests to a neighboring island with nothing more than a small shack, white sand beaches, and crystal clear water.  It was exactly what I had been looking for.  Saturday, we rented scooters and sped across the island until monsoon rains ended our plans early.  We decided to check out of the hostel and spend the remainder of our day in Tanjong Pinang, a medium sized city on the island. We met plenty of local university students who wanted to interview us tourists and practice their English.  They were thrilled to hear about our home countries and what we thought of Indonesia.  The students even joined us at the local bowling alley for awhile.  Great fun was Bintan Island!

In the next three days I have two mid-terms and a big presentation.  However, I am visiting my friend Derek in Cambodia on Thursday for recess week!  I will be in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap for a total of 9 days for my last big traveling trip until the end of the semester.  I am extremely excited to see how God has blessed the ministry where Derek works.  Many people are enslaved in the sex trade in Cambodia, and Derek, along with many others and the power of the Holy Spirit, are trying to put an end to it.  Cambodia will be very different from the first world, westernized culture of Singapore.  I hope that my eagerness for the trip will speed my academic week to its finish.  I'm feeling so blessed to have experienced so much in my short time in SE Asia.

Love to all my readers!

Feel the Rhythm

I definitely feel as if I've gotten into the "swing of things" here in Singapore.  Some help came from Disney's infamous "Cool Runnings" movie, while much more came from the Lord.  I no longer have to frequently look at my class schedule to remember the times and locations of my courses.  I am going to bed at decent times while strictly following my marathon training plan.  For the most part, I'm even staying up on my studying, e-mails, and communication with people here and back home.  Even more, my 10-day stomach from last week finished on Friday.  I feel great!

This past Saturday three friends and I completed a sort of obstacle race that was a ton of fun.  For $5 a person we got a great shirt, free movie ticket, lunch, beer, and a wonderful time.  My group even won a dance-off to the current South Korean phenomenon "Gangnam Style" which earned us $100.  Sunday, I finally made it to Church in the morning where I enjoyed a great service and met some awesome people.  Yesterday, my first small group for Campus Crusade had dinner and got to know each other.  In addition, this week I have been eagerly getting ready for my weekend in Bintan Island, Indonesia, just a short ferry ride from Singapore.  After finishing "Tuesdays With Morrie" and "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" in the past two weeks I'm optimistic and thinking I can finish another book this weekend at the beach.  Any suggestions?!

World Traveler: Level 2

If you have a spoken to several different people who have done a significant amount of traveling you will come to realize that they have many similar stories.  When I say similar stories, yes, there is the chance that maybe two different people both went to Thailand's floating market or the Panama Canal on separate occasions.  However, I'm talking about similar stories that could happen nearly anywhere in the world.  As the list of similarities develops it makes you think that maybe there are different levels that you can reach as a world traveler.  For instance, if I couch surf in three different countries maybe that will earn me five points!  Well, I have decided that there must be some credential for a stomach "virus" that lasts over a week.  Meaning, I have a reached a new level! 

I have seen the doctor here twice this week receiving a few new medicines each time.  He told me to return on Saturday so hopefully he can have one last look.  I have no idea how it started, but I have a few good guesses.  Is pork fat on a stick really sanitary when it has been reheated for 1 minute?  Why was that watermelon only 25 cents?  It couldn't have been the mango sticky rice, it was so good!  As much as I rather be out in about in another country, this is not the worst that could happen.  I assure you I am not dying.  Oh, and I may have "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" done by the end of the weekend.

Love you all!

Phase Two

Ladies and Gentlemen, I actually had a very relaxing weekend in Singapore, for multiple reasons. 1) Traveling is expensive. 2) Traveling is tiring.  Spending back-to-back weekends in two of the biggest cities in SE Asia exhausts even the hardiest college traveler.  It was time for a break. 3) The bacteria may have gotten the best of me.  As I mentioned to a friend, most Singapore food stations would not pass the United States' strict health and safety codes.  Tomorrow I plan to go to the medical center to figure out if I do indeed have a small stomach virus.  4) Nanyang Technological University is ranked as a top 50 university in the world on multiple lists.  In other words, assignments and studying must be completed at some point.  In addition, I am registered for two classes at home.  5) Finally, I signed up for a marathon in December!  This is a feat I have wanted to accomplish for many months.  I hope that the discipline of this training will carry over into the other areas of my life.

Other news: I found a mentor from Campus Crusade for Christ that I plan to meet with every week, I bought my round-trip ticket to Phnom Penh to hang out with my brother Derek for recess week, I am seriously considering spending the money to get my scuba diving certification soon!

Thanks for reading!

That was an experience

I cannot imagine there is any city in the world similar to Bangkok.  It was the largest city I have been to, next to New York City.  The culture is very eclectic and fast-paced.  We stayed at a hotel connected to the tallest building in Thailand, the Baioke Sky Hotel.  The view from the buffet at the top left a similar impression as the summit of Pike's Peak.

What exactly did I do in Thailand?  Here's a small list: rode an elephant, ate a giant grasshopper, cruised through the floating market, received an authentic Thai massage ($6 for 60 minutes!), had some phenomenal mango sticky rice, went to a market full of 20,000 shops, visited some amazing temples, went to the largest jewelry store in the world, experienced some crazy nightlife, I think that is sufficient!

I am actually staying in Singapore this weekend, what a crazy thought.  It is time to relax, get some work done, and hopefully meet more locals.  The excitement phase and first month are finished, now it's time to get down to business.

Thanks for reading!  I'll figure out a way to let all viewers leave comments right meow.

Bangkok!

Hello everyone,

The third week of school was pretty good.  It seems I have FINALLY figured out my official schedule for this semester, and it looks like I will graduate in May as planned.  This issue has been gnawing at me for a long time; so, this weekend I will completely forget about it as my friends and I take over Bangkok, Thailand!  This will be my second trip out of Singapore.  We will be staying for three nights and exploring as much as we can.  I believe this is the biggest city I will have ever been to, next to NYC.  I will be sure to provide some fun and interesting stories when I return on Sunday.

I am very interested to hear what is happening back on the other side of the world.  Do not be shy, leave comments!

Thanks for reading!

What's the difference between monkeys and young brothers?

Not much... I am sitting in my hostel in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia about ready to go to bed.  We arrived Friday afternoon and plan to take another bus home late tomorrow night.  It's not my favorite city in the world, but I finally made it out of Singapore and into more of SE Asia!  The name of our hostel is Reggae Guest House #2.  It is very laid back and fun, with low prices.  Today, we started the day off at the Batu Caves.  They were very impressive and FULL of crazy monkeys.  The monkeys would take things from people, fight each other, and run around liked they owned the place.  I guess they had more ownership rights than us tourists... We spent the rest of the day eating in Little India and touring more of the city.  Tomorrow, we wake up bright and early for a trek through the rainforest!  Okay, I guess I have it pretty good :). 

Thanks be to God, I'll keep you all updated!

Time Flies

I meant to make a post every 3-4 days and to my surprise it has been eight!  There are reasons for these things... School has begun and it is a whirlwind around here.  Exchange students, including myself, are frantically contacting advisors and professors attempting to register for the classes they need!  There are now 30,000 students on campus walking, running, busing, and driving on the wrong side of the road or path!  International students are beginning to plan trips to other countries while the locals start studying!  Lastly, we are all joining clubs and sports teams to try to be involved in something more than the nightlife and touring SE Asia.

In the past week, I have continued to meet great people and experience more of Singapore.  For example, on Friday I took the MRT and buses halfway across the island in the pouring rain in order to meet a businessman here.  He was kind enough to give me some great insight on the culture in order to help me with a research project.  As expected, we discussed our lives and families for the first 15 minutes as he handed me his business card with two hands.  After the last 45 minutes of our meeting he proceeded to take me out to lunch at a local country club.  I was encouraged to try some traditional Singapore food.  I had never eaten a whole fish before...

To say the least, things are going well and I'm being challenged in several areas of my life.  This experience is about growing holistically and I know that is and will be the case.  By the way, I learned that my university has Campus Crusade!  I attended their first meeting and I will be placed into a small group this week :).

Thanks for reading!

I guess I forgot titles were an option...

They forget to tell you STUDYing abroad includes class... This week starts week 1 of my final year as an undergraduate student.  Nanyang Technological University is a large and competitive school; therefore, registration can be a nightmare.  However, by God's grace things usually work out for me and so far they have.  I should be registered for all of my classes within the next two days.  And I forgot to mention, class should only be Monday-Wednesday :).

In the first week I managed to cram in many fun experiences, as I noted in the last two posts.  However, my favorite occurred on Sunday.  We went to Puala Ubin Island, about a 15 minute ferry ride from the main island.  There we encountered dense rainforests hosting monkeys and wild boar.  I rode my first tandem bike through the forest with my Scottish friend, Andrew.  There were about ten of us in all, representing six countries.  I love being an international business student.

Much Love!

WOW.  I arrived on Monday and this week has been overwhelming, shocking, outrageous, and fun.  There are about 550 international students at my school, Nanyang Technological University, coming from 30 countries.  It is amazing to see how the stereotypes fail when you find hundreds of adventurous students coming together for a common purpose.  Everyone is making lasting friendships and plans to travel Singapore and SE Asia together.  We are all experiencing something totally new creating memories that will drop jaws of the people who never had it in them to study abroad.

So far, I have been to Chinatown, Little India, Marina Bay, and several other amazing places.  I saw the best fireworks of my life yesterday and have already eaten liver, stomach, and frog legs.  To say the least, I am open to just about everything as I try to jam pack as much as I can in these four and a half months. Now, I am off to a wakeboarding cable park and Sentosa Beach for the day.  I am so incredibly thankful for everything here!

I'll keep you posted :)

As I sit in the San Francisco airport, three hours from heading to Tokyo and then on to Singapore, I am attempting to figure out how I got to this point.  Three years ago, I was starting to pack for my freshman year at Central Michigan University.  I knew that I would enjoy business because I like working with people, and I decided to add International to the mix so I could possibly get some travel benefits in the future.  Well, here I am ready to embark on my second semester study abroad experience.  I have never traveled across an ocean, and the majority of what I know about Asia I have learned on restaurant menus.

Yet, there are a few things that I know for sure.  The next four and a half months are going to be life-changing.  I am going to establish lasting friendships with other adventurous people from all over the world.  I will see the beauty of southeast Asian geography and culture.  Lastly, I will constantly get out of my comfort zone as I create memories for the future grandchildren.  I thank God every day for the life he has given me, and I will not take it for granted.

See you in Singapore soon!