Learnt some politics and history

Today, I read about 靖国神社, Japanese colonialism and Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia. Those hostorical and political topics are what I would have never studied in Japan. :P
Because in Japan, I am major in FOREST HYDOLOGY, more like natural science, and I rarely read newspaper. But from last August, since I started studying in Singapore, I read news. I dun read newspaper in Japan because... my friends tell me something important/interesting happen in Japan or in the world. In Singapore, I have three reasons why I read news almost everyday.
First, simply because I am in foreign country. I have to think about both my country&culture and other countries everyday. There are students from many different countries studying in NUS. We are exchanging cultures, languages and knowledge everyday. It is natural to be interested in everything happened or happening in the WORLD including my own country.
Another reason is because I am studying in ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES faculty here. I am studying history, sociology and politics. So I have no choice but to read many world news, articles and books. It is quite different from my major in Japan so it is difficult for me to study, but at the same time, it is very interesting!! I am glad to have oppotunity to study about social sciences. The last reason is that I want to know what happning in Japan even I am in Singapore, but there is no one tell me about Japanese news here so I read myself. :P