Exchange in SUTD: Exchange in SUTD Week 2: Celebrating Chinese New Year in SG

This was the first time that I celebrated Chinese New Year in a foreign country. After chatting with exchange buddies from SUTD, I found out that they also celebrate Chinese New Year because there is a large proportion of Singaporean who are Chinese. However, the ways we celebrate are not exactly the same. For instance, in Taiwan, we usually have a whole week break, but in Singapore, they only have two days off. Moreover, in Taiwan, most of the family will go on a vacation during Chinese New Year. On the other hand, the Chinese in Singapore tend to gather together with their family or meet their friends.

I have never thought of going back to Taiwan since I came to Singapore. However, when my family and friends posted photos of their dinner on New Year's Eve, I began to feel homesick! Though I didn't celebrate CNY with my family this year, I did experience CNY in Singapore with exchange students. On New Year's Eve, we had lunch in Din Tai Fung (Tampines Mall). Actually, Din Tai Fung is a restaurant derived from Taiwan, and is famous for its dim sum. I never tried it in Taiwan, but somehow I tried in Singapore even it's more expensive than in Taiwan.

On the second day of CNY, we went to Gardens by the Bay in the afternoon, and then we watched the fireworks at Marina Bay. The garden is so beautiful that I will absolutely come again. Although we didn't go inside the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, the outdoor garden is pretty decent. We also got to watch the fantastic lighting show of the Supertree Grove. After the show, we followed the crowd to the Marina Bay and waited for the fireworks.

All in all, it is definitely an unforgettable memory, and I wish I could keep enriching my exchange life in the future.