Packing up

So this is it. I'm preparing to leave UCLA. Shading the last circle on my OAS, attempting to squeeze all my possessions into my shrinking backpack , trying to use up my facial foam, shampoo, dental floss and all other essentials. 6 weeks passed incredibly fast. I don't think I've experienced American culture fully. I communicated with only a few Americans and even then, there's not much depth to the conversations. I never had a homestay here. I do not know how they lead their lives over here. The only real opportunity I had was my American roommate. But since we don't talk, the opportunity was lost.

America, I've discovered, is a land of wastage. It is too blessed with resources that its people have forgotten how to cherish things. I see so many huge vehicles around and quite often, there's only one person in the vehicle. The canteen is so obsessed with hygiene that when I tried to add another serving to my old plate, I was refused. The staff gave me another new plate which meant that there will be another dish to wash. The shoe shops here give off cotton socks for trying on shoes which are then thrown away. I couldn't bear to see a perfectly good pair of socks being thrown away like that and so took it back. The people here don't even know where their water came from. It just flowed out of the tap for them. I've been wondering about it ever since I came here because it has not rained at all.

I've seen for myself how fat Americans can get. And fat Americans are really fat. 60% of Americans are obese. And it's no wonder, looking at their diet. Fats, sugars and salt are loaded in their every meal.

There's good in America too. The people here are more than willing to help out a stranger. Many a times, I've had help without asking. Just by appearing lost, there will be a stream of people asking whether i need help. Americans are generally friendly people and I've not encountered any racism here. There is a good mix of people here, Asians, Hispanics, Blacks, Whites and many other people. This is a country of immigrants and they're generally receptive to foreigners. However, I still see segregation along ethnic lines over here. It's still the same everywhere. People still tend to stick to their own kind.

Coming to America has made me appreciate Singapore a little more. It just feels good to be able to go from one point to another without having to travel for miles after miles. It feels good also knowing that everything is so close. The hospital, schools etc. And the best thing is Singaporean food. I seriously think we have the best food in the world. Such a large variety of different cultures and at affordable prices. Singaporeans take their food seriously and we are immensely proud of our food. Going to poor places or rich places still make me appreciate home more. I love Singapore.

Will I ever get the chance to visit this country again? Maybe but not in the near future. Maybe one day when I have a family and my kid pesters me to bring him or her to Disneyland and I tell him or her: "No, you're going to Legoland."