Memories flashed back to a few years ago when I was first in Singapore,everything here was very new to me. The most surprising thing about Singapore is nonetheless the multicultural society here. I am from China where people in the country is mostly Chinese, so the multi races and religious here gave me a "cultural shock". I could still remember that I was appointed as a monitress in my primary 4 class and my form teacher was an Indian lady. As a transferred student, I don't have a co-curricular activity(CCA) which was compulsory, so my form teacher who is also the teacher-in-charge for Indian dance urged me to join her CCA. I agreed and joined Indian dance muddle-headedly.
To be an Indian dancer was my first opportunity to obtain a deeper understanding about another culture since I came to Singapore. Despite I am a Chinese and I am new to Singapore, I took up the challenge to befriend with other Indian girls who were in the CCA. For my height, I was chosen to be one of the lead dancers in the upcoming dance competition in Singapore Youth Festival despite I am a Chinese(such an irony). I put in a lot of efforts to learn the dance steps that are easily understood by others because the trainer spoke Tamil 70% of the time during training. Fortunately, my fellow Indian friends kindly repeated the instructions to me in English and guided me the dance steps. From the dance and the time I spent in the CCA, I understood the Indian culture and arts very well. For example, there are basic and unique dance moves that are specially from the Indian dance, the kind of costumes and the kind of makeups are usually used during performance. Eventually, all our efforts paid off by clinched a silver medal from the competition.
That one year I was laughed at(positively) by my friends for my interest in the CCA, but the same year I spent in Indian dance was truefully fruitful.It was not only a key to integrate into the multi-races society but it also opens a door for my entrance to the globalized world.
