Finding a Familiar World - Personal Statement Example

My Days in Singapore Being in the Navy gives me an experience of seeing different places and feeling different cultures. It makes me in a way see the real world with my own eyes and see different people. One Asian country has been endeared to me so that I felt really belonging to such a community. I liked it when we pulled into the port of Singapore. It is a small country, with just around 26 miles from east to west and 14 miles from north to south (http://www.anniebees.com). It is however excellently planned so that the spaces are used well to create a beautiful environment.

Seeing people with chinky eyes, slim and with smooth reddish skin seemed so cool. It was of course different from where my own color. The people both the men and the women seem to be attractive with unique color and features. As a navy, being in the sea for most of the time, seeing people with friendly faces is a treat. We got to tour the place and it was amazing. I easily got caught by the different tourists' destinations and got to enjoy looking at the fashion and electronics products on the country.

The city was really clean and the people seemed to be so discipline. The most prominent symbol in Singapore is the Merlion. The Merlion is "an imaginary creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish" and "its name combines 'mer' meaning the sea and 'lion'" (http://en.wikipedia.org, 2009). The symbol is so popular in Singapore that you see it around the country. There is a Merlion on Sentosa, on Mount Faber, and there is also the famous Merlion near the Esplanade Park and fronts Marina Bay.

It is particularly visited during the night as it becomes more of an exciting view. Singapore boasts of rich art, history and culture as proven by its beautiful places such as the Singapore museum, Singapore River and Chinatown. It is also filled with the feel of nature and parks such as the Singapore Zoological garden, Crocodila Park, Haw Paw Villa, Singapore Night Safari and Singapore Botanic garden. It is indeed awesome to feel both an urban and a country life in Singapore. It boasts of a well-developed city, yet it seems so close to nature with its different plant and animal parks.

Aside from the parks, one can go to other neighboring islands in Singapore such as the Sentosa Island and Kusu Island. The night is alive in Singapore. Indeed, it is known for its night life as it "practically transforms itself from an ever-so-efficient business hub to a buzzing networks of bars and night clubs" (AsiaWeb Direct). This is when I developed close social relationships with my colleagues in the Navy as we would enjoy the Singapore night life together. Some of the Singaporean hot spots are the Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, the Orchard Road, the Mohammed Sultan Road and the Zouk.

"Many of the bars and clubs have taken on a unique Singapore or Southeast Asian character; you'll find restored Chinese godowns pumping out rap or retro, trendy bars of glass-and-steel exteriors and buddhist temple-style interiors, historic drinking dens that will you bring back to the days of the Raj", (AsiaWeb Direct). This feeling of the Asian culture is what makes me feel close to the country of Singapore. Its as if you drink a part of their history throuhg the historic drinking dens. It is their love for the past, their history and culture that makes Singapore a place close to my heart.

Eventhough it is a budding city, with a firm thrust to development, it does not in any way ;eave its culture to the past but coninuously relive them. Works Cited(n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2009, from http://www.anniebees.com: http://www.anniebees.com/Asia/Asia4.htm(2009, May 6). Retrieved May 7, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MerlionAsiaWeb Direct. (n.d.). http://www-singapore.com. Retrieved May 7, 2009, from http://www-singapore.com/nightlife/