Singapore, 'A Great Melting Pot'

By Jacob Cogman

Posted February 12, 2018

Second-year MDiv student Jacob Cogman recently arrived in Singapore, where he is spending the semester studying at Trinity Theological College. We checked in to see how his experience has been so far...

Biggest adjustment?
Being in a different time zone made communicating back home challenging at first. Now I have scheduled windows of time to contact my family and friends. It is great to know that I have a community across the Pacific who loves me and is actively praying for me.

Favorite food or meal?
On my first Sunday here, I was introduced to a local dish called chicken rice. One order is only [approximately] $3.00 USD. Since I've been here, I've eaten Thai, Malay, Singaporean, and Chinese dishes. I appreciate the communal nature of meals here. It reminds me of Sunday dinners at my home. Of course, I've tasted a few of the American franchises in Singapore and have been pleasantly surprised by the cultural adaptations on popular American fast food dishes.

Favorite class?
I've enjoyed all of my classes thus far. The professors at TTC are brilliant and passionate about what they teach. Of all of my courses, I have enjoyed "Theology of Mission" the most. In this course, we are studying mission from a historical, philosophical, and theological approach. I appreciate this course because it puts me in conversation with other traditions and cultures concerning how we “do” church. My eyes have been opened to many of the advantages and opportunities that we take for granted in the United States.

Most memorable moment?
Admittedly, I'm not a big "birthday" person. I did not know what I was going to do to celebrate my 24^th birthday in Singapore. I was still relatively new, having only been at TTC for a month. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of love and care that was shown to me on my birthday. My adopted cohort got me a present, an official Trinity Theological College t-shirt. The students in the hostel also threw me a party that night and brought a cake to celebrate.

Jacob also shared several Haiku poems that he’s written about his time in Singapore so far.

To listen and learn
The Lord led me to this place
To study and grow

Hospitality
Community at the core
Intentionally

Pastoral teachers
Answers to many questions
Holistic learning

Great public transport
So many places to shop
A great melting pot