Here is a quick overview of my trip to East Asia.
On March 19th, my family and I flew to India. We stayed with family until the 24th. On that day, we began our flight to Singapore. However, we landed in Malaysia, early on March 25th and had an 8-hour layover. During this time we went to explore the Batu caves. That night, we took a final flight to Singapore and rested in our hotel. From March 26th to March 28th, we explored Singapore and it’s beauty. My family and I visited the Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands, Clarke Quay, and Sentosa Island. At night, we visited local malls and outdoor food courts with hawker stalls to try the enticing cuisine. On March 29th, we boarded our cruise in Singapore and explored the activities we were able to participate in as well as making new friends from all over the world! The next day, March 30th, our cruise took port in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our family had booked a private tour of the city. Our guide took us to see many local monuments, parks, the Petronas Towers, as well as the Royal Palace. We disembarked in Phuket, Thailand on March 31st. Once again we had hired a local guide to navigate us through the southern part of Thailand. We saw an amazing amount of scenery, traveled to Phang Nga Bay, took a local long-tailed boat to visit an water gypsy village known as Koh Panyi, and even went on a short kayak ride to explore majestic caves in the rock formations about a mile off the coast of Thailand. Our last full day on the cruise, April 1st, was spent with our new friends, from Singapore, Dubai, Spain, Mexico, Australia and the Philippines. We went rock climbing, played games around the cruise, and even had a dinner party. The morning of April 2nd, our family disembarked the cruise, and found ourselves back in Singapore. We spent that resting with some final touring on our own that night spending more time in the Clarke Quay outdoor and indoor mall. Finally on April 3rd, we began the journey back home, arriving on April 4th.
Reflection Questions:
1. During our time in Singapore, I experienced a culture shock in an unusual way. Singapore is -for lack of better word- a very controlled environment. Every single building is perfectly painted, streets are perfectly paved, and though Singapore is a city, you continue to see lush vegetation all around. Living in the US, this came as a shock to me. The United States is pictured as the perfect place, clean and beautiful, but upon my trip to Singapore, I have realized that we have often neglected the simplest things required to make our world a better place. These simple necessities were met by the citizens of Singapore. Singapore is one of the safest places in the world, not once was I scared during our visit, another shock as the crime rate can vary from place to place here at home. Overall, the cultural shock I experienced was of a world, not known by many, whose standards far exceeded our own.
2. To be frank, there aren’t many parallels between my culture and that of East Asia. Here in America, citizens are often are free to dress in whichever way they would like. In East Asia, emphasis is placed on modesty as well as cleanliness. Food is also a big division between these two cultures. Unhealthy food is an All-American staple, however grease is almost non-existent in the countries I visited. Laws about public presentation are also varying in Singapore. For example, no car over 10 years old may be driven on the road, and all buildings must be painted every 5 years. Here at home, we allow things to grow old not fully understanding the environmental impacts. All in all, there are not many parallels between these two cultures but each country is thriving in their own ways.
3. One local out of the many that stood out to me was our guide in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He was familiar with everything about the city. From popular tourist attractions to local markets. He guided us through the city, providing us with historical background on important landmarks and the influence relevant modern structures have on the city. Finally, he did not treat us as customers to a business but as friends. He treated us with respect and we did the same in return. Our guide was an outstanding local who truly understood his own city and country.
4. My previous perspective of East Asia was that it was not a very modern region of Asia compared to China or Japan. However, my perspective has changed as I saw amazing city structures and modern settings everywhere I looked. Singapore appeals to modernists from all over the world with an amazing skyscape and innovative attractions such as Gardens by the Bay and Clarke Quay. Thailand and Malaysia contain perfect balances of city and nature, providing for the scenic qualities of a vacation as well as amenities from home.
5. The major takeaway from my trip to East Asia would most definitely be that there is something new around every corner. I’ve learned to enjoy things as they come and appreciate them when they go. This trip allowed me to take a step back from my busy life and truly enjoy the world in a whole new way, with my family and new friends. I will always remember the friends I have made and the places I have seen, however I have yet to truly comprehend the true beauty of our world and the amazingly diverse societies found in every corner of every region.
On March 19th, my family and I flew to India. We stayed with family until the 24th. On that day, we began our flight to Singapore. However, we landed in Malaysia, early on March 25th and had an 8-hour layover. During this time we went to explore the Batu caves. That night, we took a final flight to Singapore and rested in our hotel. From March 26th to March 28th, we explored Singapore and it’s beauty. My family and I visited the Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands, Clarke Quay, and Sentosa Island. At night, we visited local malls and outdoor food courts with hawker stalls to try the enticing cuisine. On March 29th, we boarded our cruise in Singapore and explored the activities we were able to participate in as well as making new friends from all over the world! The next day, March 30th, our cruise took port in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our family had booked a private tour of the city. Our guide took us to see many local monuments, parks, the Petronas Towers, as well as the Royal Palace. We disembarked in Phuket, Thailand on March 31st. Once again we had hired a local guide to navigate us through the southern part of Thailand. We saw an amazing amount of scenery, traveled to Phang Nga Bay, took a local long-tailed boat to visit an water gypsy village known as Koh Panyi, and even went on a short kayak ride to explore majestic caves in the rock formations about a mile off the coast of Thailand. Our last full day on the cruise, April 1st, was spent with our new friends, from Singapore, Dubai, Spain, Mexico, Australia and the Philippines. We went rock climbing, played games around the cruise, and even had a dinner party. The morning of April 2nd, our family disembarked the cruise, and found ourselves back in Singapore. We spent that resting with some final touring on our own that night spending more time in the Clarke Quay outdoor and indoor mall. Finally on April 3rd, we began the journey back home, arriving on April 4th.
Reflection Questions:
1. During our time in Singapore, I experienced a culture shock in an unusual way. Singapore is -for lack of better word- a very controlled environment. Every single building is perfectly painted, streets are perfectly paved, and though Singapore is a city, you continue to see lush vegetation all around. Living in the US, this came as a shock to me. The United States is pictured as the perfect place, clean and beautiful, but upon my trip to Singapore, I have realized that we have often neglected the simplest things required to make our world a better place. These simple necessities were met by the citizens of Singapore. Singapore is one of the safest places in the world, not once was I scared during our visit, another shock as the crime rate can vary from place to place here at home. Overall, the cultural shock I experienced was of a world, not known by many, whose standards far exceeded our own.
2. To be frank, there aren’t many parallels between my culture and that of East Asia. Here in America, citizens are often are free to dress in whichever way they would like. In East Asia, emphasis is placed on modesty as well as cleanliness. Food is also a big division between these two cultures. Unhealthy food is an All-American staple, however grease is almost non-existent in the countries I visited. Laws about public presentation are also varying in Singapore. For example, no car over 10 years old may be driven on the road, and all buildings must be painted every 5 years. Here at home, we allow things to grow old not fully understanding the environmental impacts. All in all, there are not many parallels between these two cultures but each country is thriving in their own ways.
3. One local out of the many that stood out to me was our guide in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He was familiar with everything about the city. From popular tourist attractions to local markets. He guided us through the city, providing us with historical background on important landmarks and the influence relevant modern structures have on the city. Finally, he did not treat us as customers to a business but as friends. He treated us with respect and we did the same in return. Our guide was an outstanding local who truly understood his own city and country.
4. My previous perspective of East Asia was that it was not a very modern region of Asia compared to China or Japan. However, my perspective has changed as I saw amazing city structures and modern settings everywhere I looked. Singapore appeals to modernists from all over the world with an amazing skyscape and innovative attractions such as Gardens by the Bay and Clarke Quay. Thailand and Malaysia contain perfect balances of city and nature, providing for the scenic qualities of a vacation as well as amenities from home.
5. The major takeaway from my trip to East Asia would most definitely be that there is something new around every corner. I’ve learned to enjoy things as they come and appreciate them when they go. This trip allowed me to take a step back from my busy life and truly enjoy the world in a whole new way, with my family and new friends. I will always remember the friends I have made and the places I have seen, however I have yet to truly comprehend the true beauty of our world and the amazingly diverse societies found in every corner of every region.