I live now for almost three months in Singapore and would like to describe at this point again and again small things from my everyday life.
appeared In the meantime, a small portrait of me in the Schaffhausen " workers newspaper, founded as the voice of the general strike in 1918, today a local weekly newspaper, the politically left of a stand. Well, I tend to be more of a leftist background, but in my current situation is rather a symbol of the globalized (working) world. In some I make sense in any event know-how to Asia, where it is urgently needed. The developing Volkswirschaften East Asia have a great need for infrastructure construction. The civil engineer is coming!
I copy below the portrait so into it (approved friendly), but recommend the PDF version at Page1 Page2 and found.
, of a certain culture shock
the Schaffhauser Florian Dieterle has wound up in his civil engineer study in Singapore. There he worked in Asia for quite competent planning office of a Swiss company.
By Susie Stühlinger.
The connection is. Florian Dieterle laughed off the screen, half the editorial he stares towards lured by the wonders of modern communication technology. It is the first "az" interview, which is run via "Skype". With him are on the clock just before nine clock in the evening and the thermometer at nearly 30 degrees Celius, while here for lunch just arrived in the stomach, and it will not stop snowing outside. For a month Florian Dieterle bored in Singapore. There, the civil engineer, who grew up in Stein am Rhein and last year his ETH graduated, started his first job.
"Yeah," he replied when asked if he already feels somewhat have. That sounds very nonchalant, but is understandable when you realize that this is not his first time abroad, but he stayed already for an internship in Kazakhstan and for his final year in Tokyo. Yet this time something is different, because: The stay in Singapore is unlimited. A couple of years he would stay on, said the 25-year-old knows exactly he is now, not yet. "I'm contractually obliged to stay at least a year. But when I got used to only just so right all at once would go elsewhere, and even nonsensical. "
Florian Dieterle worked for an international Swiss construction company that specializes in bridges added. Forty employees of the Singapore office, half of working on local projects. The other department, which also belongs to Florian Dieterle, calls itself "Asia Technical Center" and is responsible for planning work: About 15 bridges create the company is currently in Asia and Australia, says the engineer. "My job is to analyze bridges under construction by means of structural calculations." His employees come from Singapore, China, India. Cooperation with them was no problem, so Dieterle, even if he only had a little bit along in the group. "Swiss are known to be well received, if prejudice exist, . Then mostly positive "that he is on staff level in his department, the only Swiss, he explained as follows:." The Swiss begin their career in the rule at home and then eventually sent as executives abroad "He however, has, according to a first assessment in Switzerland, presented the same directly in Singapore, where it signed the contract. That was the end of November last year. Meanwhile, he has moved into an apartment that he had to find myself. "This went on the Internet and is on the high turnover here is relatively simple." While the company reimbursed the set in Switzerland staff housing and travel costs, he must itself take responsibility for this, so Dieterle. However, get it from the company for a contribution towards a party.
But why did he want to work at all in Asia? On the one hand, the infrastructure in Europe is already very well developed and therefore are relatively few giant projects such as long span bridges rebuilt. In the rapidly developing South and East Asia, the need is acute for such large projects. "On the other hand, I also want to wear the sophisticated engineering know-how in the world. Where I think it is needed most. There also the most exciting tasks await me. "
His working day is eight hours. In the morning a bus takes him up at home and drives him to work back again. Then there is
Florian Dieterle time the city-state know better. Specifically, he is mainly a mix of three cultures. "There are many Chinese, Indians and Malays. Although they often have the citizenship, they do not see themselves primarily as Singaporeans, but feel they belong to ethnic background. "So you see in a district of many Indian shops and temples, while elsewhere one can eat very good Chinese. And despite the exotic atmosphere, he has to refrain in Singapore not Western lifestyle. "The transport system is great, the rooms air-conditioned throughout. Compared with other places in Southeast Asia, it is quite pleasant and not just full of adventure. "Nevertheless, they exist, the small Differences. "Many of the shops are open 24 hours, when you wake up suddenly at night, you could quickly get a beer at the store" Another small example is the waste separation. '. Since threw everything into a sack, made the separation then later on by hand and using special machines »
What the island at the very tip of Malaysia offer recreational activities, he found out just says Florian Dieterle:" There are many Park, where I was already jogging or cycling. "enjoyed general, water sports, also pretty crazy, such as water skiing great popularity among the population. "There are beaches, but which are not exactly nice. All day drive huge cargo ships to and fro, the water is anything but clean "Since pulls Florian Dieterle before it, one of many to visit in the city distributed swimming pools, such as for the equivalent one franc are accessible. He
try now slowly build up a circle of friends, says Florian Dieterle. And who thought up previously: the poor boy, all alone so far away from home, let him be reassured at this point, for he goes on .. "My girlfriend has already moved here a bit earlier and has already made some contacts . 'girlfriend? Indeed. And will clarify then on, why it Florian Dieterle slyly calculated to Singapore: ". We considered together on the city for us, language and job moderately in question comes" The choice of the two fell on Singapore, where Dieterle can pursue his engineering career, while his girlfriend works in the tourism industry.
So it seems the risk of acute homesickness to be not so great. "It could happen to me perhaps that I'm trying to think in a crisis: In Switzerland, but all would be better," says Dieterle. Back in Tokyo he had ever faced. And quite as easy as with the recent visits of his departure from Switzerland is not yet fallen. "It is a bit different when you in a place where just about everything for the sake and does not know when to see again the friends stayed there the next time. "And so loose you can obviously not everything behind, except a few personal items and photo albums, and begins a new life. "It is a process of adaptation is not always easy. And now and then makes itself felt a certain culture shock. "
" I would not "deny, Florian Dieterle answer to the question of whether it is possible to consider, in Singapore to settle down. "It can live quite well here. For me, however, would condition that I can feel the midst of the most diverse cultures. Otherwise there is a risk only to finish in Westerners. Although it could be life itself then: There is a Swiss club, where you can eat hash browns every weekend. And especially in times when you might have a bit homesick, it is already in danger of wanting to stay only there. "
