What would you say are the major differences from where you traveling and “home”?

For me, Pittsburgh (both Mt. Lebanon and Oakland) are “home,” so I will be basing the comparison off of those two. If I had to pick two things that are the most notable differences, they would be scenery and food.

For scenery, it’s just hard to match Singapore. It has everything from views of the ocean, to tropical trees, to stunning buildings. It’s hard to just passively walk around in Singapore based on how interesting one’s surroundings are. Singapore has made a very conscious effort to ensure that despite the modern urbanization that has taken place over the past 50 years, that there is enough green so you never feel like you’re trapped in a concrete jungle. Additionally, Singapore is, by many accounts, one of the cleanest places in the world. It’s amazing to walk through a metro station or through the city and not see litter, cigarette butts, or the like anywhere on the sidewalks or in the street. It seems like a very little thing, but it really does a lot to affect my outlook when comparing it to a place like Pittsburgh. I’m not saying that Pittsburgh is a dump, but it isn’t going to win any awards anytime soon for cleanliness or integration of green space.

Another thing that I will miss most about Singapore is its delicious, cheap food that is absent in Pittsburgh. Living in Oakland, I have the choice between fastish-food on Forbes or one of the campus cafeteria locations. While at least Forbes serves tasty food in some places, it can get on the pricey side for regular visits (about $7-9 a meal). The food that Pitt provides is also quite expensive, at roughly $12 a swipe. On the other hand, Singapore can offer a wide variety of food that is omnipresent on the island through their hawker centers. Each of these hawker centers has usually dozens of stands where fresh food from a variety of cuisines is cooked right in front of you. The best part, in my opinion, is how cheap it is! I could get large meals in Singapore for $3-5 at these hawker centers and was always satisfied. The cafeterias connected to the campus were even cheaper (and still at good quality), where meals could be found for as little as $1-3. It’s going to be hard to go back.