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Well time is as usual going much too quickly. It seems like the weekend was just yesterday and it is already Thursday evening. Our project is consuming our lives but we are making some really good progress. For those of my friends who think I am just vacationing…and not studying…haha… yeah…right… I would say it averages 1 hour seeing things to every 15-20 hours class and group work on our design project. And that is probably being conservative in the estimation.

            So I have narrowed down the direction I want to go in my education (finally…I know right?) I love the design process and after visiting the labs at Stanford I am thinking I want to go there to get my masters in mechanical engineering with an emphasis in design. The project we are working on now is the problem of urban farming in Singapore. The government housing is very small and population density is one of the highest in the world so space is a major issue. We have decided on a modular hydroponic system inspired by these…

Thanks go to the parental for actually giving us educational toys (for those who don’t know, they were/are teachers). We are making amazing progress. It is amazing how random bits of inspiration come at just the right time. I will post more pics/info as we get into the prototyping phase and get things ready to present.

            Another topic. Things I love about Singapore/Singaporeans. 1 – The whole country is spotlessly clean…no litter anywhere. 2 – It is one of the safest places I have ever been. No joke. 3 – The have very harsh penalties for breaking the laws…some may remember the American teenager getting caned for vandalizing some building…yeah they don’t mess around. On the immigration entrance form in large red letters it politely informs all entering Singapore that the penalty for drug trafficking is death. And this is not like the U.S where you sit on death row for 30 years…nope they off you ricky tick. That is just how it is here. I am pretty sure that the most common penalties are caning or death. But you know what? I don’t think harsh penalties are the reason why people obey the law here. For example I have not seen more than one police car while I have been here, yet everyone goes the speed limit and obeys the traffic laws…no it is something more. They have something sadly many in America and other places do not possess. Respect. You can see it in the way they carry themselves and the way they treat others. Which brings me to number 4 – They are unfailingly polite. They almost go out of their way to help. I love working in a group with students from NUS because when they are given an assignment or say they are going to do something – they do it. You never have to worry about whether or not it will get done. It is refreshing. 5 – They dress very well. It is not uncommon at all to see a fair percent of the students dress in business casual and I would say about 50% of girls I see are wearing dresses or skirts. I like it. It brings a different attitude towards what they are doing. 6 – Their clothes fit. This is more a stab at American clothing sizing. Why is it that I cannot buy dress clothes that fit well in America without getting them custom made? Have our waste sizes really gotten so large for the average population that our dress shirts can fit 3 or 4 of me around the waist? So. Frustrating. Granted I know not everyone has a 28 inch waist and a size 40 shoulder but I am not alone with this…as evidenced by the enormous parachute blob of extra shirt around the waist of most people I see in dress clothes. Fold and tuck away as you might…it does not look good…nor will it ever. I just want shirts I tuck in without any folding and extra material. Is it too much to ask not to have to buy so called “fitted” shirts…and then pay to have them tailored again to bring in the waist to a normal (I assume) size? America would be much classier if people’s clothes actually fit them. 7 – The food here is amazing. It is a mix from all over Asia as Singapore is a melting pot. So. Friggin. Good.  8 - Public Transport. They have it figured out. Granted they have a very small space they are working with, I know this would not work as well in America...but hey it IS really nice to not have to drive everywhere.

             Well I think that is quite enough for today. More to come this weekend. Out.

                                         This is a Hydroponics farm we visited in our research.

Singapore

Well here we go. I have decided to finally enter the blogosphere! I figure I waste enough time on the interwebs, maybe it would be a good idea to put that time to something semi-productive. Plus I have a lot of family and friends that want updates on what is going on in my life and travels…and let’s be honest…this is probably the easiest way.

            So I am currently in Singapore on a study exchange program through BYU and NUS (National University of Singapore.) We are working on a product design project. Let’s see…well the flight here took forever. I am so over long flights, like the ones where by time I get off I have a good growth of facial scruff. Neither my rear end nor the airplane seats have enough cushion for 20+ hour flights. We have been kept pretty busy with school. On the first day we divided into groups and I am going to have to say I definitely got into the best one. We decided after class that we would go into the main part of the city and have some team get to know you time. One of the guys from NUS – Hitesh got us onto the observation deck of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

 

AMAZING. This place was legit and a perfect way to end our first day in Singapore. I am not going to lie, I was half expecting to run into George Clooney the whole night…it is that classy of a place. Google it. You will see for yourself. Well the weekend finally came and we decided to go to Sentosa Island, which is also the southernmost point of continental Asia.

 They have a little resort park there. It was so pretty and the water was the perfect temp. After we finished up there the student from NUS we were with took us to china town (he is Chinese – so a legit guide to the area) and showed us around…he took us to this sweet restaurant. It was tucked away and you could tell that it was definitely not a tourist place at all. It was entirely filled with just Chinese people…with us three BYU students tossed into the mix. Love being the minority. Food – SO GOOD. For those who know me, you know how much I love to eat, and this did not disappoint…unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures…it didn’t seem like the type of place you just pull out a camera and start snapping away. Well I figure this is a good place to stop for my first post. I will try to keep up on this fairly regularly. Until next time, out.