Rambling Into The Next Adventure
Editor’s Note: Danielle’s flown all the way from New York to intern with us for a few months, and she’ll be bringing a fresh set of eyes to document what we do, make, and (probably) end up accidentally destroying. We’ll let her introduce herself from here:
Twenty-one hours later, bleary-eyed and running on adrenaline, my plane pulled into Changi Airport. Stepping off the plane onto Singapore soil meant rambling into my next adventure and experiencing Singapore’s warmest welcome, a greeting by a wave of humidity.
Other than thinking about how South East Asia mugginess was a cruel joke played on a traveler coming from balmy early New York summer days (and where I could get a SIM card because, well, millennial struggles), I was eager to find food. The first stop after dropping off my bags was a shop to get a taste of the most economical one-Michelin-starred meal: soya sauce chicken noodles. I was told Singapore was a foodie’s paradise, and yes, my first meal did not disappoint.
National Day Parade Preview
In a sense, you could say that I came to Singapore because of my appetite — my appetite for food, exploration, and growth. As my time as an undergraduate began to wind down, I craved adventure. I wanted to pick up new experiences and to soak up some of what this incredible world has to offer. [Insert joke about idealistic liberal arts college graduate.]
By a stroke of luck, I came into contact with a company called Tinkertanker — a technology and education firm. For the next few months, I’ll be based in Singapore, working at Tinkertanker, drinking kopi, learning about the technology space in Asia, helping people build things, and hopefully putting together some pieces of this complex puzzle called life.
Already two weeks into my job, I’ve had the chance to observe technical workshops delivered to teachers and banking professionals, and to teach programming classes to primary school children. It has been interesting to see the differences (and similarities) between kids’ and adults’ interactions in classes. Additionally, as someone who has grown up in the American education system, it’s fascinating to experience the different types of schools (international and local) in Singapore and the classroom cultures that exist within these settings. While it may sound like a hectic first two weeks, it was a great introduction to the company and its work. Tinkertankerers are welcoming, friendly, intelligent, and motivated to make things happen. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with this group of people and to be getting my vitamin D from this Singaporean sun.
Exploring Tiong Bahru (left) and Pulau Ubin (right)