After observing lessons at my attachment school this morning, I headed to a "Get to Know You" meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore. The U.S. Embassy periodically hosts any American citizens completing a Fulbright foreign exchange program to learn more about our experiences, answers any cultural/social/political questions, and hear about the inquiry projects we are completing while in Singapore. It was exciting to get to visit the embassy!
It was a very high security building with a double check-point security gate. We were told not to bring any laptops or tablets. I even had to leave my cell phone in my bag and leave my bag at the security check point. Once inside we met with the Deputy Public Affairs Officers as well as the Fulbright and Professional Exchange coordinator. We also briefly met and spoke with Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath, the Chargé d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore. She oversees 199 U.S. government agencies in the advancement of our wide-ranging bilateral security, economic, and people-to-people cooperation. If you're like me, then you don't know what a chargé is--so here is the Wikipedia definition; a chargé d'affaires, often shortened to chargé (French), is a diplomat who heads an embassy in the absence of the ambassador. The term is French for "charged with (in charge of) matters." Our meeting lasted about an hour and half. It was great to talk to other American's who have lived in Singapore for a year or more to hear about their experiences and noted cultural difference. Katie specifically asked how we should handle the many questions Singaporeans ask us about "how Donald Trump got elected President of the United States of America" and "what we think about that"--because we have our own personal opinions, but also the Fulbright program is a people-to-people diplomacy and cultural exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State. The Deputy of Public Affairs reassured us that we are American citizens who have our full right to freedom of speech and should feel free to express our own personal opinions. She also recommended that we use the fact that Donald Trump was elected as a conversation starter about democracy. Because living in the U.S. context of democracy is quite different than the Singaporean context of democracy. This idea and conversation had me feeling a sense of pride to be an American citizen. That at the end of the day, no matter how sad I am about some of the things Donald Trump has chosen to say and do, I am still thankful for the democratic freedoms and specifically the freedom of speech I have as an American citizen.
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