suri's individual portfolio

CAT A: SBG and Hawker 

CAT B: Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong 

CAT C: Golden Friendships 

Reflection - social, psychological, cognitive 

Social Capital: 

Going into the activity room, I knew no one other than my friend whom I had signed up with. I was a bit close-minded as I’m not a people person. Even after introducing ourselves, my whole table fell silent. It wasn’t until when we started the “draw on my back” challenge then we started to talk and communicate with each other, as though we were had known each other for quite some time already. We further bonded through the cards games like Huats Up! And Kopi King!, both of which were very interactive. Before we summed up all the activities, we read a case study on racism and discussed our thoughts of it and talked about our personal encounters of such events. One of us shared that he often gets mistaken as a Malay, despite being from Myanmar. He also added that he faced ridicule from other Burmese as he did not look like the typical Burmese. I shared that I sometimes also get mistaken for being Malay due to my darker complexion. At the end of the activity, I realized that being able to have such topic openly conversed about was very eye-opening as it is often seen as a taboo topic. We often assume that others are part of either one of the main 4 races in Singapore and forgetting about the rest. Through this, I learnt the importance of being empathic and understanding of diversity when building connections, as well as to appreciate how diversity can bring people together.

Cognitive Capital: 

I always thought the Botanic Gardens drew more significance to Singapore as it is a popular spot among tourists and locals, known for its environmental and historical significance. I felt that I had proven my own point when I visited the place and saw locals and foreigners alike, strolling and taking pictures of the views in front of us. After visiting the Garden, I did some research on Singapore’s hawkers and its culture. To me, it was just a convenient place where people can get cheap and good meals. I did not know that the Singapore hawker culture is more than just that. During my research, I found that they are a popular spot for people to come together, giving a sense of community and cohesion among the people. Hawkers also offer a wide variety of foods from different cultures, which also retains Singapore’s cultural identity. 

Psychological Capital:

Prior to watching the film, I thought that life in Hong Kong would be similar to those in Singapore, fast-paced, non-stop competition among everyone. I wondered how the lives of expats who settled in Singapore and those in Hong Kong would be different and why they chose the respective countries. From what I have found, expats choose their respective countries by ranking career opportunities provided in the country, safety and the day to day living of the country.

Iceberg theory video 

https://youtu.be/y7Czu31d8tQ