I became rather patriotic upon stepping foot in Singapore. It seems as though every person in this country has questions they want to ask, comments they want to make or opinions they want to share when they find out I’m American. In other words, everyone wants to talk to me, be my friend and hear my story.

And I won’t lie: this newfound popularity went to my head a bit.

When I checked into my hostel at Singapore, the security guard asked me question I was not expecting to answer.

“Is Singapore clean enough for you?” he said. “Is it cleaner than your place?”

I started to wonder if perhaps the U.S. and Singapore were having some sort of hush-hush, secret competition regarding security and cleanliness. Many of the questions I have received during the last few weeks are well thought-out, unique and posed with good intentions. Nonetheless, they frequently sound like they were designed to determine which of the two countries is doing a better job at task A, B and C. Like I said, a total competition.

Students at my exchange university reassure me that Singaporeans sincerely want to hear educated opinions about the U.S. from citizens. They value my views and well-being according to my assigned student buddy, Joey Chan, a sophomore business major at Singapore Management University. She says that people here are not used to regularly speaking with Americans. When they do get the chance, she added, they often ask questions related to quality of life, business, infrastructure and technology “because [they] are curious about how those things in America stack up against Singapore.”

Admittedly, they have every right to be curious. After all, the U.S. is a global superpower and a country, which Singapore strives to emulate in multiple facets. More than 100 years ago, this place was isolated: covered in trees and teeming with wild animals. In addition, it has a brutal war history.

Now, it’s filled to the brim with skyscrapers, train stations, universities, clubs and hotels. Singapore is one of the four Asian Tigers due to its exceptionally free and developed economy. This country is ultimately an economic miracle, garnering that title in merely one generation’s time.

I have met very few Americans here to discuss their experiences with the people and their unusual queries. There are nearly 350 exchange students and only 20 Americans. To be honest, it’s not solely the Singaporeans who ask loads of questions. Daily, I have Europeans and Asians come up to me to talk about American bands, movies and TV shows. They compliment our food and alcohol, clothing and cars. They have even asked me to recommend cities to live in after they finish university. They seem to trust my judgment immensely. I could be talking complete nonsense and they might take my word for it. This sentiment is completely overwhelming to me.

One thing I highly appreciate about this experience is living in a hostel. There are a myriad of cultures within a culture living under one roof: my roommate is from Slovakia, my best friend is Dutch and I share a bathroom with a Pole who lives in Russia but studies in Germany. It’s certainly a different place to live and I will not take it for granted while I’m here.

If I have learned anything about myself thus far, it’s that I’m — as trite as it sounds — proud to be an American. This is not to say that I did not feel this way before I left. Yet, I simply never realized how many people our country has influenced throughout the world.

Zachary Gipson is a senior majoring in economics and linguistics. He is striving to fit in with the fast-paced locals of Singapore. To chat about life abroad, shoot him an email at [email protected].

Published on January 13, 2015 at 12:01 am