We have now returned home from what was a truly fantastic week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Kuala Lumpur and at Sunway University and have enjoyed sharing all of my best photos and stories with family and friends. The wonderful weather, the friendly people and the amazing food are just some of the things that I am going to miss the most from my time there.
Whilst at Sunway, my fellow Psychology students and I took part in a research project where we aimed to replicate previous research investigating the impact of culture on memory. Although not all of our results were significant, we all learned a lot by being able to conduct and take a leading role in a research project first – hand. I know thay my experiences over the past week, such as recruiting participants, analysing data and giving a presentation in front of Malaysian students will no doubt be of great use when I return to my studies in Lancaster.
The trip itself has been a fantastic cultural experience. Malaysia benefits from being a made up of a mix of different ethnicities from all over Asia. This of course equals brilliant food! I’ve particularly enjoyed the Thai and Indian styles of food, whilst also experimenting with traditional Malay styles of cooking. However, if there was one thing I’d most love to bring back to the UK, it would certainly be the wonderful weather. Even spending time indoors analysing data is made all the more exciting when you know that lunch can be enjoyed by the pool. My favourite part of the week has been the guided tour of the city which we took on the weekend.
Exploring the different religious and cultural sites all over Kuala Lumpur was a brilliant experience as I was able to learn more about the diversity of the city and it’s rich cultural heritage. I particularly enjoyed visiting the “Batu Caves”, a site of great significance to many Hindus there, as well as the home of many monkeys. What has surprised me the most about life in Kuala Lumpur is the great ethnic diversity and the regular occurrence of thunder storms.
All in all, visiting Kuala Lumpur and studying at Sunway University has certainly been one of the highlights of my first year. My time here has been memorable, providing me with excellent pictures and an increased enthusiasm for my subject of Psychology, thanks to the opportunity to put in to practice my learning overseas. One thing for sure is that when I return to the UK, taking part in more opportunities to travel overseas, either with friends or with Lancaster, shall now be on the top of my bucket list for future plans.