Living in a Foreign Land

Living in a Foreign Land

You should be lucky enough to live in any foreign place, other than your birth-place. If you are a keen observer of events happening around you, then living in a new place can teach you loads and loads of History & Geography.

Unknowingly you get to know the details about the geographic location, climate, language, culture, customs etc…of your living foreign place. You get to learn pages and pages of facts explained in Geography book just hands-on, as a breeze, in a very few days.

The most common tendency is that, we take our birth-place for granted. We show the least interest to visit the tourist spots in our own city. But a new place kindles our interest to visit many adventurous locations. It just wakes up the “Explorer “hidden in each one of us.

In foreign land, we are out of our safe niche. This makes us feel alienated sometimes, so we keep our eyes and ears wide open. Put-in more data inside. Try our best to mingle and be one with the locals yet keep our identity distinct.

As far as, I am concerned, Singapore has taught me many new things. Now I know the location of Singapore and other neighboring countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Korea more accurately in the world map.

Learnt a lot about this Island City - its National flag, National flower, some history regarding its independence, clean politics, important inspiring national leaders etc…

I learnt many new English words like alighting, curb side, escalator, barbeque, sand castle, glider, rolling pin, malls, hand dryer, finger bowl, stroller, trolley, skimmed milk, peanut butter, margarine, marinate, hot dog, cock tail and many more…Of course, all these are very common, but earlier I never knew the exact term to refer to these or haven’t come cross such words.

We tend to read and hear news, just to keep an update on what is happening back-home. Thus, we know more of current affairs in general.

Happy that now I can understand the most common acronyms used here as HDB, MRT, LRT, PUB, PAP, PCF, RC, CC, PIE, AYE, ECP, ERP, JB, SCV, KFC, CHIJ etc..

Can understand the meaning behind their Singlish

• Go where
• Long time no see
• Die ah
• Blur Blur
• Aiyah
• Ya la
• Then how
• Crazy eh

So in a way, Blessed are the ones living out of their native place……..!!!