6 Months Later: Reflecting on my exchange

To continue to discover new lands, one must time and time again, leave firm ground. Coming to Queen’s, a place I now consider home, was a milestone in a period of personal, academic and professional growth. Living and working abroad, however, was the braver decision. Following a strong impulse for adventure, looking to learn in new and exciting ways required more strength, passion and determination than any decision previously taken. However, not for a moment did I regret my choice, because for some of us, the journey in itself is home. I don’t want to tell you about how this was my first time abroad, nor praise it for having changed my outlook on the world. I want to tell you about how my experience in Singapore consolidated a relentless dedication to explore faraway places and cultures.

If you’re anything like me, you want to collect moments as opposed to things. You want to observe dynamics changing, patterns of behaviour and last but not least, you want to observe yourself – in different contexts and spaces, allow yourself to be surprised in ways you didn’t think are possible. The lens which colours your life on exchange is responsible for a distinct worldview. The patience of someone who is not, for once, rushing to get from class to club meeting to volunteering to work, complemented by curiosity, uncovers a new student.  A student of people, of stories and languages. It is with those eyes that every time I arrive back to where I started, I know the place for the very first time.

Living and studying abroad – which I was so incredibly lucky to be able to do in Singapore, and working at the Asia Research Institute, were by far one of the more challenging and humbling experiences of my life. They taught me to observe before acting, and double-check my instincts. As a history and political science student in Singapore, categorized to be a soft-authoritarian state, I was soon categorized to be a “know-all Westerner, critical of state planning and of tough-on-crime governmental attitude”.  There were tutorials in which I was the only person to openly criticize a state policy. I never thought there can be social repercussions to the critical thinking skills I valued so much. Sometimes, it was easier to be critical than constructive. I had unknowingly become a stereotype. Along the way however, I realized how many more ways of learning are open to us and how to change my frame of reference when I’m asked to analyse information. I began to be able to carry my point across without perpetuating the myths I was so sceptical of myself. Stepping outside of the boxes created for us and by us, I found a flexible mindset, willing to adapt rather than convince, willing to listen rather than talk. I hope that attitude will never change.