After being back in the United States after a trip in Singapore, I have had many reflections on what the trip had meant to me and my understanding of how extraordinary this world is. This was by far the best trip as I was able to see Asia in a new perspective. We always talk about culture but it wasn’t until being there that it all came together.
I think that what made Singapore so unique from a business perspective is that the people take so much pride in the cultures. No matter where we went on a business visit, they were all so excited to show us their work and where they have come from. For example, when visiting Haliburton having such a connection with Texas A&M, they wanted to see how much even when having such a American presence, there are many opportunities in Asia as well. There were many things I did not know about when it came to culture and the business world. One thing that surprised me was the idea of Islamic banking that we learned at Maybank. This was a unique approach that I didn’t know as it was in alignment with Islamic law.
Finally, being able to spend time outside of the events with others exploring the place made a big impact on how I was able to perceive the people. I was able to go to a gym to workout for a day and I think that this was the most eye opening part. People spent their time differently in that they didn’t seem to put a lot of effort in the fitness and health compared to the US. I think that just the way they went about it seemed to have a bigger cultural difference but is something that I can take back as even though it is still important to be healthy but it doesn’t need to be everything.
I don’t think I will ever get a chance to go to Asia again and I am so grateful to get outside of my comfort zone and learn more about business in a new place.
