Singapore!!!

I was accepted to the National University of Singapore by a study abroad program of Penn State University, and I am going there Spring 2014. I can't wait to blog about my life in Singapore, the wonderful and prosperous country. My GeoBlog application letter: 

I am  deeply grateful for the opportunities that are provided by Penn State. I will blog about the things that might be interesting and helpful to people who want to take a chance and apply for the study abroad program. I think one of the most important things that applicants want to know is the educational aspect. Basic things like how much time I spend in labs, what kind of problems an engineer might encounter, how overall engineering experience is "different" relative to a pennstater's perspective. Hopefully such stories will encourage more engineers to try a global engineering experience. Also, another important thing is the cultural aspect: events, traditions, cuisine, out-of-class activities, and unique opportunities one can try in Singapore. I will talk about the national holidays and how/where it is best to celebrate them. I'm sure, there are lots of things I will be able to talk about like popular classes and hobbies of local students, population, weather, accommodation, sport events, pop culture, etc. I would be happy to answer any question to help the future applicants. 

The following text is taken from www.lonelyplanet.com: 

At first glance, Singapore appears

shockingly modern and anonymous, but this is an undeniably Asian city with Chinese, Malay and

Indian traditions from feng shui to ancestor worship creating part of the everyday landscape. It's

these contrasts that bring the city to life.

Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore on the Singapore River, which is still the heart of the

city, encompassing the central business district and the popular entertainment and dining

precinct along the quays. Most of Singapore's tourist action is centered around Orchard Rd,

Chinatown and Little India.

In the crowded streets of Chinatown, fortune tellers, calligraphers and temple worshippers are

still a part of everyday life. In Little India, you can buy the best sari material, freshly ground

spices or a picture of your favorite Hindu god. In the small shops of Arab St,the cry of the imam

can be heard from the nearby Sultan Mosque.

Singapore and Its Stereotypes

by Kamila Dagilova

Travelling is a nice way to enrich your life experiences, meet new people and see different places; however, it takes a lot of preparation before you go abroad, and it often happens that we don’t have enough time to learn about those cultures and places. By watching random videos on YouTube and reading web articles about the places you plan to visit, it is easy to become a victim of “stereotype” thinking.  Stereotyping is just an easy way of thinking, because it simplifies our social world, and some people just ignore “deep” details. But things can be a lot complicated.

There are a lot of stereotypes about Singapore, the place where I’m planning to go this spring. This enables me to pay close attention at those particular things, to verify how close they are to reality. One of the stereotypes that I learned, conveys positive impression; it is about the thing that Singapore is the cleanest place on the Earth. Also, one of my friends told me that you are not allowed to chew gum in Singapore, because they want to prevent public littering, and fine or incarcerate people, who don't obey the rules. This was quiet surprising! I cannot agree or disagree with that stereotype yet, because I haven’t seen the streets of Singapore with my eyes, but it does make me have high expectations and step back from chewing gum in public places during my first days in Singapore.

Another thing that I have heard is that it is important to know feng shui, if you want to understand the culture of Singapore, because the feng shui symbols appear almost everywhere. For example, all the buildings and roads are made using the rules of feng shui, according to which, the sharp angles are not allowed, and shapes of the buildings should symbolize the elements of nature.  In addition to that, a prime minister of Singapore explains that the prosperity of the country is due to “good feng shui”, and even their currency has a symbol of Ba Gua, which brings luck to every resident of Singapore. I personally know some basics of feng shui, and I hope that I will learn more while I’m there.

There are some advantages in knowing some stereotypes, like for example, a stereotype about the thing that “all the rooms of all the buildings in Singapore are very air-conditioned because it's hot outside”. This stereotype is helpful and prepares me to take some warm clothes with me, so I can avoid sickness. However, there are, obviously, disadvantages in stereotypes as well, when people actually start believing that these “generalizations” about a particular group of people or places are true, and they often rely and base their decisions on them, which can cause a lot of problems in the future. For example, one of my American friends, before coming to Kazakhstan, the place where I live, was influenced by negative cultural stereotypes about Kazakhstani traditions and people, after watching a British-American mockumentary movie about Borat. However, according to her, the experience she had there was completely different from herexpectations, so stereotypes are rarely a good thing to rely upon.

"Enlightenment – rising above thought" to be continued...

Here is a story of Enlightenment:

One person had searched everywhere for enlightenment, but could not find an answer - until one day, he saw an old man walking slowly down a mountain path, carrying a heavy bag. Immediately, he sensed that this old man knew the secret he had been desperately seeking for many years.

" Old man, please tell me what you know. What is enlightenment?"

The old man smiled at him for a moment, and swung the heavy

burden off his shoulders, and stood straight.

" Yes, I see!" cried the person. "My everlasting gratitude. But please, one question more. What is after enlightenment?"

Smiling again, the old man picked up the bag once again, slung it over his shoulders, steadied his burden, and continued on his way.


"I love the Buddha’s simple definition of enlightenment as “the end of suffering.” There is nothing superhuman in that, is there? Of course, as a definition, it is incomplete. It only tells you what enlightenment is not: no suffering. But what’s left when there is no more suffering? The Buddha is silent on that, and his silence implies  that you’ll find out for yourself. He uses a negative definition so that the mind cannot make it into something to believe in or into a superhuman accomplishment, a goal that is impossible for you to attain. . Despite this precaution, the majority of Buddhists still believe that enlightenment is for the Buddha, not for them, at least not in this lifetime."

Picture taken by me at Tea Institute Penn State

Diamond

In this post I am simply sharing the "precious diamond" I have found in one of the books I read this year. I always highlight interesting phrases that I like, but I am lazy to copy them down... These sentences, however, might be very helpful. They can describe very well my feelings about certain aspects of my life. 

Religious vs. Spiritual

I always tell people that I am a spiritual person, although, I think it is a little bit incorrect because everything comes from the same teaching, and it's weird to say that "I belong to this, not that", "I am this not that"...All these divisions cause wars and other sorts of negativity. How about "I am everything", "I belong to everything and everything belongs to me, and there are no borders"? Here is a good statement from The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: There is and always has been only one spiritual teaching, although it comes in many forms. Some of these forms, such as the ancient religions, have become so overlaid with extraneous matter that their spiritual essence has become almost completely obscured by it. To a large extent, therefore, their deeper meaning is no longer recognized and their transformative power lost.

(Taken from the Internet)

God vs. Being

The word God has become empty of meaning through thousands of years of misuse. I use it sometimes, but I do so sparingly. By misuse, I mean that people who have never even glimpsed the realm of the sacred, the infinite vastness behind that word, use it with great conviction, as if they knew what it is that they are denying. This misuse gives rise to absurd beliefs, assertions, and egoic delusions, such as “My God is the only true God, and your God is false”, or Nietzsche’s famous statement “God is dead”.

The word God has become a closed concept. The moment the word is uttered, a mental image is created, no longer perhaps, of an old man with a white beard, but still a mental representation of someone or something outside you, and, yes, almost inevitably a male someone or something.

Neither God nor Being nor any other word can define or explain the ineffable reality behind the word, so the only important question is whether the word is a help or a hindrance in enabling you to experience that toward which it points. Does it point beyond itself to that transcendental reality, or does it lend itself too easily to becoming no more than an idea in your head that you believe in, a mental idol?

The word Being  explains nothing, but nor does God. Being, however, has an advantage that it is an open concept. It does not reduce the infinite invisible to a finite entity. It is impossible to form a mental image of it. Nobody can claim exclusive possession of Being.  It is your very essence, and it is immediately accessible to you as the feeling of your own presence, the realization I am that is prior to I am this or I am that. So it is only a small step from the word Being to the experience of Being.

 If there isn't, then time is covering up the present moment, and life is perceived as a burden or a struggle. 

                                                         (Taken from the Internet)

Wealth and mind

Everything that I have makes me happy and vibrantly alive!!!I don't need anything. And you?

I realized that nothing I ever did could possibly add anything to what I already had.

Those who have not found their true wealth, which is the radiant joy of Being and the deep, unshakable peace that comes with it, are beggars, even if they have great material wealth. They are looking outside for scraps of pleasure or fulfillment, for validation, security, or love, while they have a treasure within that not only includes all those things but is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

Water lily. Picture taken by me at Arboretum Penn state

Here and Now

I usually have no use for the past experiences when I am "here and now". But sometimes, my life, my spiritual guru, sends some moments, which are hard to let go. My trip to Mexico was one of the fascinating experiences that happened to me last year.
All the way from a snowy american town State College to a tropical Caribbean tourist destination Cancun, I was overly excited to take winter boots and coat off and enjoy gentle humidity and sun shines of Mexico on my skin; but most of all I was excited to make a list of "must-visit" places that were advertised by friends and Internet. What was amazing in Mexico are the beautiful nature, wonderful history, local hostile people, unforgettable shopping, and of course warm ocean! What was dissatisfying is the shortness of winter days which made it impossible to cover everything we wanted to see. I did go to Chichen Itza - a great pre-Colombian city built by Maya, which is located in Yucatan, (~ four hours from Cancun). I can talk for hours about the magnificence of this "mythical" site. Its various architectural style (it was not entirely "Maya-style") verifies that the population of the city was culturally diverse. The distinctive set of traditions, beliefs and art of Maya civilization, as well as the sacredness in the air always attract people from all over the world to visit this large city. From our amazing tour guide Abel, we found out a lot of interesting facts about Maya, like they were the first people who invented "zero", and further developed the math. They were also the only ones who had a written system of language in pre-Colombian America. Their medicinal and astronomical inventions still surprise everyone.
Briefly, you have to be there to understand how special this place is.

 Feliz Navidad and Feliz Ano Nuevo

 Divine

 Virgin white sand beaches

 Houses of La Isla Mujeres