Thursday 24 April 2014

MATILDA - I LIVE IN SINGAPORE!

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to live overseas? Reader MATILDA tells us all about her life in SINGAPORE...


Matilda says:
I live in the North-East region of Singapore, the Sengkang area; I live in a flat in a high rise building. I'm thirteen, and I go to an all-girls school; the school day lasts for about eight hours. In my school, the students are very united and the teachers are really nice too. Our uniform is a pale blue short-sleeved dress - the weather here is Summer all year round, so it's pretty warm, but you do get used to it! As a student, one of the most important times in your life is when you turn twelve, as that's when you take your Primary School Leaving Exam (PSLE). Each secondary school has a certain cut-off point when it comes to grades, so to find a place at your chosen school, your PSLE score must equal or excel their cut-off point. It's a stressful year but also the most fun and memorable one of primary school.

The food in Singapore is a mix of Chinese, Indian, Malaysian and Indonesian influences. Some of the favourite dishes include satay (meat skewered and marinated in turmeric, grilled over an open fire), roti prata (a fried, flour-based pancake cooked over a flat grill), and bak kut teh (a chinese soup containing pork ribs, herbs and spices). The picture is of a dish called hokkien mee, which I cooked myself. There are lots of restaurants here, but local people like eating at food courts as you can get such a wide range of dishes.

Singapore has a rich and varied history; more recently it was a part of British Malaya for many years, and ruled by the Sultanate of Johor. It was a major trading port. Singapore became part of Malaysia for two years, and then became independent in 1965. It is a very cosmopolitan country, where east meets west. One of the things I love most about Singapore is that there are plants almost everywhere you look. There are many amazing parks and reservoirs here, and although it is very densely populated and built up, the abundance of beautiful flowers can take your breath away. I guess that's why Singapore is known as the Garden City! In Singapore, we are a mix of cultures and religions but on the whole we get along fine - and the mixture makes Singapore the unique place it is. I love it, because it's the place I was born and where I've grown up, and I have come to love so much about my country. I feel very proud to say I am a Singaporean!

Cathy says:
Wow... I've been to Singapore for a mini tour a few years ago and I agree it is a stunning country, a real mixture of East and West and very modern, too! Do YOU live outside UK/Ireland? COMMENT BELOW if you'd like to tell us more about YOUR country, or just chip in with a comment about Singapore!

11 comments:

  1. Totally unrelated but I love the flowery hairband the girl is wearing in the first photo. The food sounds delicious too (although I'm imagining meat-free versions - no disrespect to their cuisine, obviously, I just like eating/imagining eating food but I can't do that with meat). It must be tough having an 8 hour school day though! Is she exhausted by the end of the day - I know I would be! - or is she used to it, seeing as she grew up in Singapore?
    Blue :-)

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    Replies
    1. I'm used to it. :) I've grown up like this....most kids in Singapore have.

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  2. I live in Australia! So I'm keen for Sweet
    Honey.

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  3. The food sounds lush in Singapore I want to go there!!!

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  4. It must be stressful taking all those exams to get into a good secondary school... I live in New Zealand, and the education isn't as hard as it sounds like in Singapore. One other thing I like about New Zealand is that it's very open, there are lots of trees and big spaces.

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    1. Starry - contact me on FB fanpage or email if you'd like to do a report on New Zealand! xxx

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  5. I live in Singapore too but I live at Yishun.
    What school are you currently studying in?
    We are the same age.

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    Replies
    1. Matilda/ Anon - please, NO personal info can be given out on the blog for net safety reasons... OK? Anything that breaches that won't be OK'd for publication. Fab that you're both in Singapore, yay! xxx

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  6. I live in australia!!!!! It's very hot here [except in winter, but i live in melbourne so it makes sense] and a lot of australia is just bush!!!!!!!!!!

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  7. i live in Australia too!!!! i live in Canberra, the capital
    and im rereading Marshmallow Skye for the 100000000th time (cuz its the only chocolate box girls book we have in our school library), i love skye, cuz i m just like her!!!!!!!!
    P.s. me& my 3 bffs loooooooooooooooooooove the chocolate box girls!!!!!!!

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