The things you learn

You can learn a lot through a walk in Chinatown: which camera stores NOT to buy at, that a small bakery in the neighborhood called "Backstube" is quite popular among the locals, and how to prepare eel for dinner. That last one was particularly inspiring. Not for the squeamish.

Photo essay to bridge the gap

Some camera work during our exploration. The captions tell the story (be sure to click on the cartoon dialog box in the lower left corner).

A bit of everything...as you haven't seen much of anything here

OK, Tramps Abroad is still on - but I doubt the frequency of the posts will keep up with what is going on over here (heck, I'm still working on posts from Belize). Therefore, Kate has seceded - to set up her own photo-blog on Singapore, and she is much more loyal than I to her readers. She already has several posts from our excursions and mishaps. 

Here it is: a bit of everything. 

Kate's photo-blog is much cooler, obviously, because she uses Mac software and photos she takes. I will still be here though, wallowing in my Web-app inferiority.

Ms. Bravo-Bhasin has a go at culture shock

As I prepare to write up a first impression of Singapore, I wanted to draw some attention to an adept describing of culture shock. Travel novels are often the literature of choice for those researching a new country (I recommend works such as Paul Theroux’s Dark Star Safari or Bruce Chatwin’s In Patagonia), but they are usually too specific - and too long. When it comes to succinctly capturing the psychological tugs of culture shock, Marión Bravo-Bhasin pegs it.

The book in which these few paragraphs appear is actually a series – appropriately named Culture Shock!; Ms. Bravo-Bhasin writes the installment on Singapore. But the feelings she relates in five stages could apply from Columbia to Cambodia; Juneau to Jakarta.

Culture Shock

Stage one: the honeymoon

Everything is new and exciting. The best thing to do is learn to observe with curiosity and interest; learn to focus on the similarities and how we are really very much alike. 

Stage two: initial confrontation

Difficult times and crises in daily life begin to occur as the focus shifts from the similarities to the differences, which are suddenly everywhere! Communication may be a problem and feelings of dissatisfaction start to creep in. You may even feel discontent, impatient, angry, sad, and generally a little incompetent as you try your best to cope. 

Stage three: Gradual Adjustment

You begin to gain some insight and understanding of the new culture, and a feeling of pleasure and sense of humor may be experienced. The environment is more familiar and a feeling of wanting-to-belong begins to take over. You start to evaluate and compare the old ways and the new ways, and may encounter some confusion over your own identity as a result. 

Stage four: Adaptation

A greater integration into the new culture occurs and you start to get solid feelings of belonging and ease. There is increased enjoyment in new customs and ways of doing and saying things. It becomes clear that the new culture has good and bad things to offer. You then start to realize that there will be things you will miss when you return home. 

Stage five: re-entry shock

Moving back to one’s country of origin has new consequences and you may find that things are no longer the same (because of course, you are no longer the same).

Copyright © 2006 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited

Now, with a staggered start, Kate and I had both made it through the list in Germany over the course of several years. Before I go into any detail about Singapore, I’ll just say we are already straddling stages one and two.