My First Two Weeks in Singapore
By: Kevin Shi (CAS ’28)
GRIP: GAO Capital in Singapore
When I got off the plane, I was immediately struck by the immense heat in Singapore. The air was thick and humid, wrapping around me like a thick blanket. Within minutes, I was drenched in sweat, even from just walking a few blocks. At first, it was a bit overwhelming. Coming from a cooler climate, the weather took some getting used to, but I slowly began to appreciate the tropical intensity as part of the experience.
The food, though, made everything worth it. Just in front of our apartment, there was a little shop that sold a chicken rice set for five Singapore dollars. It quickly became my go-to meal—simple, savory, and satisfying. Iian and I also made a habit of starting our mornings with kaya toast, a local breakfast staple made with coconut jam, butter, and perfectly crisp bread. It was small moments like these that grounded me in daily life here. My friend Alton also took me to Orchard Road for a famous Singaporean ice cream sandwich—literally ice cream wrapped in rainbow-colored bread costing 1.5 Singapore dollars. They were out of the durian flavor that day, but the others were surprisingly good, especially the yam one.
One of the things I appreciated most about Singapore was how culturally Asian it felt. Despite being far from home, I found a strange comfort here—something familiar in the language, the values, the food, and the social etiquette. It felt orderly, safe, and welcoming. The city is unbelievably clean, with recycling bins and rules about littering everywhere you go. And everything was so convenient—from the MRT trains to the 7-Elevens on every block.
I also became obsessed with hawker centers—the food court equivalents unique to Singapore. These open-air complexes are packed with stalls serving decades-old recipes, each with its own history. The quality and affordability are unmatched. Eating there wasn’t just about filling up—it felt like participating in a living, breathing part of Singapore’s cultural fabric.
My favorite memory so far has to be a biking trip along the East Coast with Iian and our co-intern Rave. We rode past Marina Bay, weaving through beach paths and fishing piers. As the sun set and the city lights came on, we stopped to take in the view. That night, everything—sweat, food, ocean breeze, laughter—felt perfectly in place.