This day 13 August, a year ago I boarded a UA flight to Dulles International Airport. I arrived in Washington, DC after a 20-hour flight, still on 13 August because of the 12-hour time difference. The path I would journey in the next 4 months simply cannot be fully expressed within this blog, but I shall make a small attempt to revisit that memorable journey.
I started this blog as a way to capture and share my amazing journey in the Fulbright Award in Teaching Program. But towards early December, with the looming deadline of the capstone project, I took a break from this blog to focus on the final lap of the project, not realizing that I would only return to it several months later.
Back in August 2013, I was still working at full steam a few days before departure and was indeed thankful for the National Day holiday, which gave me a breather before leaving home. Forget the long flight and the uninspiring airplane food, I arrived at Dulles International Airport full of anticipation. The first two Fulbrighters I met were Bishakha and Analia, who would become my flatmates at The Varsity!
All the settling-in and adjustments took about 2 weeks (they are captured in my earlier posts in this blog). The Metro card, the Metro map and schedule, the apartment key to activate the lift, the C2 bus times, the walk to CVS and Benjamin building, and all the little operational hassles have now become shared fond memories within the 13 members of the 2013 Fulbright family.
The experiences of living away from home, of living with 12 other initial strangers from 4 continents, of networking with US educators, of having to work on a capstone project under all these circumstances are life changing for us in great and small ways, and some more so than others. But whatever the impact, we all have gleaned some perspective of the differences in the education systems of the 6 countries (Argentina, Finland, India, Morocco, Singapore and USA). We all recognize the strengths, potential and challenges in each country, and I believe we all recognize that there is no such a thing as a perfect system. We became acquainted with the term Common Core almost on a daily basis, and observed the range of responses and reactions to this new US national standards by local educators. We have learnt how the word 'Fulbright' would open doors and provide networks for us with other US educators. The three of us from Singapore received many queries from educators who are curious of the high scores our students get in international tests such as PISA and TIMMS. In my mind, test scores are test scores, they reflect little of the cultural milieu of the education systems of high scoring countries.
The 4-month journey came to an end with the completion and presentation of our capstone projects. The weekly Friday Seminars and Country-led breakfast sessions have brought us together in many ways. I remember the final Friday morning after the capstone presentation and graduation, there was no more Friday seminar but several of us who had not left Maryland gathered at Dr Lettitia Williams' office, and we chat and chat. Well, it was a mini informal Friday seminar.
When it came the time for us to bid farewell, there were many hugs and photo-taking. The last potluck meal and cup of tea together in the nearly emptied apartment with half packed suitcases became precious moments. As much as we were happy to go home, there was a tinge of melancholy in parting, knowing that we may or may not meet again. We left College Park, Maryland on different days, some travelling to other US cities before heading home. I managed to fly out a day before the big freeze in the north eastern seaboard and midwest, that was followed by a record breaking cold winter in the US. I would like to think that we could be somewhat responsible for that, having taken some 'global' warmth with us when we left. Whichever day we departed, we left with some excess baggage, a suitcase that the US Customs could not scan or detect, a suitcase filled with deep memories. I am not sure if we had left footprints in the US, but something of the US has etched in our consciousness. We may travel to the US again sometime, but none will be the same as this unique journey, a shared experience by 13 individuals who would otherwise not have met if not for the Fulbright platform.
I returned to Singapore a grateful citizen, appreciating the things I have been given. A year on, we have all been fully re-integrated back to our respective local lives, but a part in us is no longer local. As for me, it is more than fond memories. It is appreciating the smallness of the self within a vast world of diversity.
I want to thank all the members of this 2013 Fulbright community, the University of Maryland faculty members and graduate students involved in the hosting of us 13 'Aliens' (our status according to our US Social Security Cards) and the International Institute of Education for the organisation. This has been a priceless journey. Praise God!
