Singapore Orientation

On Tuesday, I went to an orientation meeting introducing information we need to know before leaving for Singapore. We got to meet some of the students we’d be travelling with and the professors that’d be teaching us. They also gave us a little presentation. This presentation was pretty cool, so I thought I’d show you some of the more interesting facts and pictures in it.

Prohibited stuff at the Singapore customs:
Intoxicating liquors, Tobacco product, Motor oil, Chewing gum, Chewing tobacco and imitation tobacco products, Cigarette lighters, Firecrackers, Reproduction of copyright publications, video tapes, video discs, laser discs, records or cassette.

Shit laws in Singapore:
Laws against jaywalking, littering, and spitting
Laws pertaining to the propriety of behavior between people and the modesty of individuals
Strict laws against the possession/use of drugs (I hear that 1 kg = hanging)
Strict penalties for those who possess or carry arms
There are no jury trials in Singapore, judges hear cases and decide sentencing

Map of Singapore:
I’d be staying in the south, right about where the second “o” is in the “Colonial District” label. Also, Singapore and Atlanta are evidently about the same size. Kinda cool.

Map of NUS:
This a map of NUS, the school in Singapore I'm at. The dorms I'll live in are the purple ones in the bottom right. Supposedly, there are only a few dorms with A/C on campus, and they give all of these to those damn Americans. Silly us. Having been to Hawaii in the summer in my grandparents non-A/C-ed house, I'm glad we Americans get special treatment. :)

Dorm Room:
It's pretty, right? There's one student per room. We also get our own bathroom. Sweet. So much better than gatech. Our school needs to invest in some awesome-ness liddat.

These are some rules governing the student residence:
No smoking or drinking in residences
Quiet hours: 11pm-7am
No physical games/sports activities in non-sport locations
Guests are responsible for the conduct of their visitors, who must also comply with all rules
All guests must leave the residences by 11 pm and are strictly prohibited from spending the night (aww... :( ... no dates)
A fee of $20 will be charged for each lost/damaged key
NO animals, halogen lamps, heating/food preparation appliances, refrigerators, and air conditioners
Appliances not provided are private property of residents and are NOT to be used without its owner’s permission

From an American perspective, these rules are limiting and suck, but whatevs... New place, new stuff.

One finals thing - food!!!:
I guess food in Singapore is awesome. As a melting pot, they gots everything Asian, everything Western, and everything Near Eastern. I'm so excited. I love food. Anyway, I thought this picture was cool because of the "FOR NON-MUSLIM UTENSILS ONLY" sign. I didn't realize Singapore had a huge muslim population, but I guess it does. I think it will be cool to be in an environment that recognizes religious diversity.