Chinatown - The land of introvert Singapore scholars?
In one sweeping statement, a Professor Lye, for the Nayang Technological University, might have insulted genius introverts, Singapore scholars and the importance of Chinatowns the world over.
Wrote twasher for rot.blogsome.com,
First, there was a great reply from a foreign professor-VIP, whose identity I still have not isolated, who practically rushed up to the microphone and said, “If you get into a top ten university and get funding from them, just GO!”
Oh dear. Damage control time. Most of the defenders made satisfactory glosses, but NTU practically slapped themselves in the face with a huge cream pie.
Lye went up to the microphone and started spewing phrases like “I will challenge you”, “the world has also come into Singapore”, “there are 40-over countries down here” (referring to NTU’s mix of nationalities), and ended with this gem: “If you’re an
extrovertintrovert and you go overseas, you’ll just go to Chinatown!”
I find Professor Lye’s statement that describing Chinatown as a place where introvert go to the most forgiving.
Chinatowns started because of 1st generation overseas Chinese who could regularly gather in a place to socialise.
A place where homeland Chinese cuisine could be bought and shared among other overseas Chinese.
A place where homeland Chinese could engage in trade of homeland Chinese wares that was well missed.
From Wikipedia,
Some Chinatowns have a long history, such as the Chinatown in Nagasaki, Japan, or Yaowarat Road in Bangkok, both of which were founded by Chinese traders more than 200 years ago.
Chinatown, San Francisco, California was the first Chinatown to be established outside Asia, during the California Gold Rush, which began in 1848.
Other cities in North America where Chinatowns were established in the mid-nineteenth century include almost every major settlement along the West Coast from San Diego to Vancouver. By the second half of the nineteenth century, bustling Chinatowns were also established in New York and Chicago.
The discovery of gold in Australia caused the establishment of relatively small Chinatowns in cities there, and similar migrations of Chinese resulted in tiny settlements termed “Chinatowns” being established in New Zealand and even South Africa. European Chinatowns, such as those in Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, are for the most part smaller and more recent than North American Chinatowns.
Chinatown is a place where a lot of communication and socialising take place and is definitely not somewhere an introvert might want to go.
Also, as most Chinatowns might have been built before the universities, the distance between the two areas can be extremely far.
The distance between Nanyang Technological University and Chinatown is almost a 90mins or more ride by both train and bus.
If you are an overseas scholar and would like to go Chinatown, wouldn’t you need to ask around to find out how to get there? Which bus to take? Which MRT station should one stop?
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This is really farnee. I guess the prof was relying on NLB quality historical information, that could very well account for why he has such a dim view of Chinatown. Or maybe he didn’t read this: http://intelligentsingaporean.wordpress.com/2005/02/12/the-confessions/
Yes, we all know now, there are Chinatowns and there are Chinatowns.
Just as there are scholars and there will always be scholars.
Mediaslut,
Good analysis. We seem to like shooting ourselves in the foot, then patting ourselves on the back. I wonder, is that a skill?
Cat,
That I believe is the real tragedy, the good ones are never given any credit, that in my view is also confirmation they must really be good and probably as close to the real thing as they can possibly get - like of course, the Singaporean Gangster in Chinatown London.
I miss Darkness & Co terribly, I do.
“Chinatown is a place where a lot of communication and socialising take place and is definitely not somewhere an introvert might want to go.”
I agree completely with this statement. I have never studied abroad bfr. However I would have imagined, it takes significantly more life skills to thrive in chinatown NYC, London or Paris than it does to do the same in SG.
I have read the confessions of the Singapore gangster at least 6 times and as I understand it the story is based in Leicester Square in London China town.
I just want to say the one posted in the Intelligent Singaporean is the condensed (RD) version. I believe the original version is twice as long.
I really hate to say this, but I think by Professor Lye trying to discourage students from going abroad as he claims they are going to another CT, he may have actually accomplished the reverse.
To all, thanks for the comments.
If it was me to explain to the participants, I would have done it in a way to achieve both long and short term goals.
On the long run, I would have encourage the participants to consider an overseas PHD if they had the opportunity. I would also encourage them to come back to NTU to be mentors or share their experience with other PHD students in NTU.
If the opportunity for them do not exist, then I would encourage them to be part of the NTU PHD program.
And rather to highlight that we are the best, which NTU isn’t based on the number of citations per paper, I would highlight to them that NTU will continue to enhance communication and relationships with these well-branded foreign universities to the benefit of local PHD students.
There are times in communications where the best offense could be the worst defense.