Singapore: Day 22

Today, I woke up in the afternoon again. I was feeling quite disoriented, as many thoughts and emotions preoccupy my mind. I had an uncomfortable realization recently-- I pride myself in being detached from my childhood circumstances, but I think that I may not be detached from being American. I value independent and unbound existence, so I was disappointed in the fact that I was defined by my setting. I've also been questioning my identity, as I normally define myself by my academics, passion for science and helping others, pursuit of a meaningful existence, and my journey for understanding. In Singapore, all these traits are unrecognized or not valued, which is why in a sense I feel that I am not being recognized. Perhaps that is why I am disoriented, and I must re-define myself in order to feel more alive in this new home.

After I became presentable, I headed to Just Acia, an Asian Fusion restaurant inside the medical school. I ordered the deep fried dory with melted cheese on rice set, which came with a free flow of drinks and ice-cream. The meal was unhealthy, considering that I consumed large quantities of cheese, mayonnaise, milk tea, and ice-cream, but it was one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I must come back here again for another meal!

Rice dish, soup, pickled cabbage, ice-cream, and milk tea

After spending five hours in this restaurant, I went to NUH to grab popiah to snack on later. I must finish these applications soon and continue sending out emails to international service organizations, SASE, and research labs. My first deadline for Reach the World is also coming up on Monday, so I must complete that as well as my class assignments and readings for the week and more papers for my research lab. So much to do, but so little time!