An Interview with Julia Goh on Her Time in Singapore
Photo courtesy of Julia Goh
This past week, The Echo sat down to talk with Julia Goh, an eigth grader who spent the last semester of her seventh grade year in Singapore.
Echo: How long did you live in Singapore?
Goh: Six months
E: What was it like going to school there?
G: The school I went to was a private and international school, so it was very different from here. What was funny was that everyone thought I spoke really good English.
E: What was the culture like?
G: There are a lot of different cultures and everyone is very accepting of everybody else’s culture.
E: What was the climate like in Singapore compared to here?
G: It is very hot with very high humidity every single day. The main difference is that there are no seasons in Singapore.
E: How was the food in Singapore?
G: The food was delicious. There is a food stall on every corner, and you can get whatever you want.
E: What are some differences between Singapore and Williamstown?
G: A big one is the snow versus no snow. Another is the freedom I had in Singapore. My family didn’t have a car, so we took the bus everywhere. I would leave at seven in the morning, and would just have to be home for dinner. Between then, aside from school, I could do whatever I wanted.
E: What was it like to be a female athlete there?
G: There was definitely a gender bias in favor of the boys. The boys got first dibs on fields and things like that. But, all of the girls were extremely nice and supportive.
E: Relating to the laws and regulations, what was the atmosphere like?
G: It is a very safe place even though it’s a city. Because everyone is required to serve in the military or police force, there are police with weapons in the malls, but you can also go to them to ask for help, which makes it very safe. They also try to keep it clean. You can chew gum, but you need a specific license to sell gum. That way there is not as much gum just sitting on the street.
E: What was the best part about living in Singapore?
G: The yummy food.
E: Would you go back and live in Singapore again, and for how long?
G: I would definitely live there again for six months. I would live there during the winter, and then here in Williamstown in the summer.
E: What have you learned from living there?
G: I feel that Singapore has strengthened my acceptance for all cultures.
I am a Senior here at Mount Greylock, and I have been a member of the Echo for five years. Along with being a journalist, I love playing soccer, reading Jane Austen and trashy murder mysteries, and seeing how fast I can complete the New York Times mini crossword puzzle.
Michael Ng • Oct 30, 2020 at 5:43 pm
I am Michael Ng and I taught Julia Goh grade 7 science when she was with us in Chatsworth. Julia had phenomenal amount of good energy in class, on the basketball court and the soccer field, at the four square court and at the Phoenix square where she hung out with her friends at lunch. Some time after school, she will head down to the Swiss Club swimming pool for training. One of my best observation was Julia caring for her younger sister in school. She is a role model older sibling. My science class was already good, in terms of energy and engagement, before she came but Julia made it excellent and vibrant by her relentless drive for learning, collaboration and growth. She came for extra classes at lunch, together with the weaker students, because she wanted to increase her understanding of the MYP Science. While some students avoid the extra classes because of the perception that it’s for struggling students, she came to learn, embrace the opportunity and enjoy the experience. Usually, students would stop working on their science reports after receiving their grades but she kept working on the teacher comments; she resolved EVERY google doc comment carefully. The best thing about her was that she made people around her better. Anusha, her science fair and learning partner, won the science fair award together with her. They explored every suggested method and technique to investigate their science fair research question. The science fair judges were blown away by her team’s enthusiasm, explanation and quality of display. Teachers get tired sometimes (maybe most of the time), but when Julia and her enthusiastic friends arrive for their science lessons, I find myself teaching more enthusiastically and creatively. I could teach high school science in that grade 7 class because the level of curiosity and aptitude were unusually high. In summary, in the 6 months she was there in Bukit Timah Singapore, we may have benefitted more from her enjoyment, interactions and work ethics. In my conversations with teachers who taught or knew her, they were saddened to lose her, weeks before she left to go home. One student, even for a 6 month stint, can make a huge difference by being kind, hopelessly positive, resilient and irredeemably growth-driven. I hope this honest testimonial about Julia Goh provide encouragement to at least one reader; while we may never set out to make a difference, we simply do by being the best version of ourselves.