Touchdown in the Lion City

My journey to the East began at the start of a new decade. To get there, I'd travel west, from Newark to San Francisco to Singapore. Twenty-three hours in the air, split into six-hour and seventeen-hour segments. It went about as smoothly as one could reasonably expect. I was grateful for the extra legroom in Economy Plus (thanks, IREX!) and for the absence of major delays. Big ups to my Kindle and my podcasts and my neck pillow for getting me through. Special thanks to the one-year-old sitting in front of me on my trans-Pacific flight. Your "hi"s and high fives brought some much-needed levity to the flight. Enjoy Singapore, little one.

After landing, I passed seamlessly through immigration and customs, secured an SMRT (Singapore Mass Rapid Transit) card, and made my way to my new apartment.

Thought 1: As a New Yorker I am struck by how clean and efficiently run the public transportation system is here. The train stations are all immaculate (no food or drink allowed!) and one has to wait no more than 5–6 minutes for the next train to come. Buses are just as clean but sometimes require a bit more of a wait.

Thought 2: I'm staying in the Geylang area, which I chose for its fairly central location, ensuring a fairly consistent 45-minute to 1-hour commute to each of my school placements, the Academy of Singapore Teachers, and the NIE. Geylang is famous for its amazing food options (more on food in a later post) and notorious for its red light district. Living in Geylang has resulted in this oft-repeated social interaction:

• Them: So where are you living?
• Me (hesitantly): I'm staying in Geylang.
• Them (dramatic pause/eyebrow raise/slow head nod): Oh… well, they have great food there!
• Me (sigh): Yeah.

My apartment is a studio in a high-rise condominium complex a short walk from an MRT station. The studio is small and has minimal furnishings, but it's comfortable and meets my needs. The complex's ample amenities, including several lap pools and a fitness center, give it a resort-like feel. I'm paying less for this than I did for my Brooklyn apartment. No complaints here.

Coming up, orientation week!

✌🏾