So far, I’m lovin’ the Fonty campus. It is much bigger than the one in Singapore and more spread out. Despite the huge number of students now in Fonty (close to 400 for my promotion alone), we have not had much problems finding empty cubicles to work in.
The weather is splendid today. The sun’s out, but the wind’s cool enough for comfort. There’s a lovely forest at the back of the campus which I walked through yesterday.
The selection and quality of food here is amazing. Fish and meats are cooked right in front of you, Teppanyaki-style, and somehow that makes it feel more delicious. Some people think that, being Singaporean or Asian, we will miss Asian food, but I beg to differ. Back home, the nickname for me was ‘jiak kantang’ which means ‘eat potato’ which in turn means that I’m more Westernised than the average Singaporean. I know some other Singaporeans have packed Asian sauces but I didn’t bring any seasonings with me. My flatmate Sing Ai and I will jiak kantang all the way (or so we hope).
Very importantly for me, the Internet connection on the Fonty campus is much faster than the one in Singapore. I suspect it is because there is lower population density in this region than in Singapore, and/or the website we visit tend to be overseas and the servers are in or nearer to Europe than Asia. It is such a good feeling to click and have an entire web page loaded in a couple of seconds.
The facilities in the Fonty campus are fantastic too. The gym here is bigger and brighter and I have already paid my 85 Euro membership for 2 months, because I really have to exercise and work off the cholesterol that has surprisingly built up over the last couple of years since my last health screening. My diet hasn’t changed much and the only thing I’ve stopped doing is exercising regularly, so that has to resume soon. Also, the shower facilities here are nice and clean and towels are provided on weekdays, which is good enough for me.
Of course, administration-wise things are much slower. A classmate tried to collect a box that was shipped to him and was simply told to go into the store room and look for it himself. Stationery and other items are more expensive, but (naturally) the wine selection is vast and attractively priced. We are living off different types of jamon and fromage (ham and cheese) and have so many kinds of breads at home it is turning out to be a ‘pain’ [that’s a pun!].
Our landlord however warned us that utilities are costly here. 1 cubic metre of water costs 4.50 Euros! I think it’s more expensive than in Singapore - and we don’t even collect enough water on our own! Also, our landlord’s internet connection is slow and wonky.
So it looks like I will spend more time on the Fonty campus than in Singapore, even if I only have 2.5 credits of classes left to take.
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