“What we call the beginning is often the end"

What we call the beginning is often the end

And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.
-T.S Eliot “Little Gidding”

Tonight, we, an odd mess of college students, bid farewell to the city that has housed us, entertained us, educated us, and for all intents and purposes, been our home for the past month. Singapore, the [mer]lion city, which welcomed us in as wide-eyed strangers, extended its hospitality through our final days, sending us away as friends.

And sending us away with friends. These last few days have been packed, as we made our lists and tried to squeeze in a museum here, a ride on the flyer there, that last unexplored food, our final papers (oh my!), and spend time with the people we met here. In class, we have been discussing what exactly is it that binds us to a place—is it the ideologies, the food, the very clean streets, or the language everyone speaks. Of course, it’s none and all of these things. Whatever causes us to love, to miss, to mourn a place is impossible to name or quantify without being made aware of one’s woefully inadequate control of language. Facing this problem, I asked a Singaporean what he wanted the world to know, if they could only know one thing about Singapore. His answer: “Singapore, like every other place in the world, is not about rules or government or gum (though perhaps those are the things you may hear about it), but about the people.” And as I reflected on my time in Singapore, I realized that the absolute best parts of the trip were the times spent with the people we met here.

When we ambled curiously through Little India, the History Museums, and the hawker centers, we were walking the routes that Singaporeans walk every day. When we ate stingray and chicken rice and durian we were tasting the foods that Singaporeans identify as childhood favorites. That is the joy of traveling, that you are stepping into someone else’s world (and at the same time broadening your own!).



And how many people have shown us Singapore through their eyes! From Dr. Quek who patiently introduced us to the idiosyncrasies of Singapore by sharing with us its short but rich history, to Dr. Emmanuel, who took us out to neighboring Malaysia and back again, showing us the differences and similarities between the two. Both of whom made a huge effort to teach us outside of class as well, answering our questions well after class had ended, showing us the best hawker stands, and even feeding us from time to time!




Our field research gave us the excuse to talk to local domestic workers and restaurant owners, Singaporean citizens and non-citizens alike, who gave us a variety of perspectives on daily life in Singapore-- sometimes joyful and sometimes sobering. Through them we were reminded of the diversity of life and living in every culture, in every nation.

Then, of course, there is Nadiah and Yong Min, our official and unofficial guides to a student’s life in Singapore. Nadiah not only ferried us through many a governmental agency and educational field trip, she was also there to take us shopping, tell us where to eat and what to see. She spent her free time teaching us Singlish (unsuccessfully) and taking us to movies or to ride the flyer, introducing us to Kaya toast (a gift from God) and Chendol (a somewhat less delightful treat). She even invited us into her home to eat a meal with her family.

Yong, who came to UNC for one semester before we even were there, showed up on the first day to greet us at the airport, and never disappeared after that. He miraculously appeared to help navigate the buses and city at night, showing us where the locals eat and which places are open late for the student’s late night cravings. On our last day, many of us went to the City Planning Museum to see the future of Singapore that Yong will have a stake in creating, as one of Singapore’s newest city planners. There, we saw both the future of the city we had grown to love, and the future of the person we had grown to love more.

“And to make an end is to make a beginning.” We have left Singapore. We know not if we shall return, but we do know that the end of our time here was just the beginning of our friendships here. We know that however intangible our feelings for Singapore may be, our feelings for the Singaporeans are very real. And secure in the knowledge, we embrace the new beginning awaiting us in Thailand.

-Sarah

“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”