Well it’s certainly been a fun packed weekend. On Saturday we finally got a chance to do a tour of Kuala Lumpur. We all met at 9am, which was quite tiring but Alice and Caitlin came prepared with water and some breakfast for us which was really nice. We were taken to our tour bus and greeted by a friendly man called Tan. We first visited a mosque which was really pretty especially with all the water fountains and it being really sunny. We then went to see Independence Square which was also really nice to see, especially seeing all the flags lining the pavement.

We then went onto the Batu Caves, which was really interesting. I loved seeing all the monkeys roam free up the stairs. The caves are made of limestone and there is over 250 steps up to the top. I must admit I was very tired once I reached the top! The statue was also very beautiful, it was over 42 metres tall, making it the world’s tallest statute of Murugan, a Hindu deity it also cost around 24 million rupees to complete.

The monkeys were quite manic! I almost fell down the stairs a few times – they run around quite a bit and they were stealing coconuts off everyone which was quite funny. There was also some monkeys with babies which was really sweet especially seeing them cling onto their mums.

For lunch we went to a Thai restaurant on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur- it was clearly traditional Malaysian food. They served us sweet and sour fish, fried chicken, sweet chilli fishcakes and lots of rice! After lunch we went to visit a fabric shop which used wax and paint to create lovely spreads of material. When we arrived a gentleman was painting a 4m piece of fabric in lovely shades of purple. Once they have finished a piece the wax is removed using a special machine and the fabric can be made into several scarfs or even a top. There were a lot of lovely pictures on the wall- and if I hadn’t have struggled to get one home, I definitely would have brought one. Once we had finished here we went to the Royal Selangor base factory where they make pewter which is used to make a variety of products. The museum was also home to the World’s largest pewter tankard which has been recognised by the Guinness Book of Records and stands at 1.987 metres tall.

Once we had finished here we went to another museum called ‘Muzium Negara’ which serves as a great part of Malaysia’s rich cultural and historical heritage. The museum had 4 rooms which all worked through the phases of Malaysia’s development. It was especially interesting to learn about the split from Britain in the 1960’s and learn about the challenges they faced as part of the independence. For example at the time, it seemed like it had great economic advantages- it was a world leader in rubber, tin and palm oil. However more and more competition decreased the need for Malaysia, which meant wages decreased and this perpetuated rural Malay poverty. I also found it interesting to learn about the clothes of Malaysia- all the stunning dresses.

Finally we went to the Menara Tower, we didn’t actually go up the tower, but we did have the option at an extra price. We did have chance to look around all the lovely cultural shops within the tower, and it was nice to see so many happy locals in their jobs. I was also very intrigued by the revolving restaurant there which has a panoramic view of the city- I can’t wait to go back and try this! It made me laugh a little notice on the wall- it described races that are held annually where participants have to race up the stairs to the top!

The tour was a great opportunity to see Malaysia, especially when being shown by one of the locals. It was a very packed tiring day but it was good fun at the same time. For dinner we went to a Reggae Bar close to China Town and it was nice to sit down and have a couple of drinks. I really don’t want to leave!

I really am enjoying myself. The days are packed to the brim with activities and it’s just an all-round great experience. The research project I am undertaking is really interesting and is giving me a good experience of what it’s really like to undertake a study, especially a multicultural one!

On Tuesday, we compiled are own set of an information sheet, consent form and debrief sheet for the study which helped give us hands on experience in what is entailed in a research project. After we had completed this we had a go at making our own experiment using a variety of programmes included PSYScript. This was helpful to me as it could be applicable to my degree and dissertation.

During the afternoon we went to Kuala Lumpur to see the Menara Tower which opened in 1996 to the public. The towers looked amazing, however it did begin to rain, well thunderstorm! This didn’t ruin our day however, as we visited a lovely bar called ‘Lemoncello’ and had some divine cocktails! I think that’s what’s really nice about the Global Exploration Trip is that you learn something (i.e. psychological) but also get to go away on your own and experience things for yourself.

We had a look around the Suria KLCC shopping mall which was filled with designer shops including Armani Exchange, Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton. I found lots of things I liked but funnily enough couldn’t afford nor justify 1500 ringgits on a bag! But it did make me think about my future and how excited I am to earn my own money and be in a proper job. I think trips like this really help boost your CV and help gain experience of life outside of the UK as well as appreciating other cultures. After this we went home, and had our dinner at Sunway’s cafeteria which was really nice- once again I experienced a real taste of Malaysia with a lovely chicken and rice dish.

On Wednesday we spent the whole day finding participants for our research project. At first it was abit daunting as it took quite a lot of confidence to approach people, however this was soon not the case. We exceeded our expectations and tested at least 150 participants when we expected only around 40 participants. The experience was great and it was evident how difficult it was for an experimenter in real life but also how rewarding the experience was. Once we had finished we came back to the accommodation and made our way to the outdoor pool. It was lovely to relax and enjoy the last hour of the sunshine as well as paddle in the pool. We went to the Pyramid for tea and went to a Chinese called Dragon-I.

On Thursday, we analysed our data for our research project and tested the last few participants (turned out to be about 150!). In the evening we went to Kuala Lumpur to watch the sunset from SkyBar in the city centre. They did some really nice cocktails and the view was amazing. There was a thunderstorm too which was really cool to see, and we all got sent inside! Such a great place with a great atmosphere. Afterwards we headed back to Sunway and went to a few bars there, including The Rainforest it was really nice to sit on a big table and chat to everyone about the week.

Today (Friday) we completed our research project. We were divided into groups of four and asked to analysis a set of data and produce a PowerPoint with information about the study, our results and why we enjoyed Malaysia. It was really nice to listen to what everyone enjoyed. I have really enjoyed going into Kuala Lumpur because I have been there before and its changed a lot since I last visited (2005). The University has been so welcoming and I have felt so at home which has been really nice. We even got a certificate from the University which was a really nice touch! I really am considering coming on the LUSU trip to Malaysia in summer with Alice and Caitlin as the whole experience really has been amazing.

Tomorrow we are going on our Kuala Lumpur tour- it’s going to be a long day! We are going to Independence Square, National Mosque, Thean Hou Temple, Railway Station, Royal Selangor, Pewter Factory, Batik Design Centre, Batu Caves, KL Tower, Historic Ampang Road and the National Museum. So a very full, packed day! I am most looking forward to the Batu Caves and the Thean Hou Temple as it looks really pretty! I am also looking forward to learning more about Malaysia culture, religion and life.

Hi, my name is Jess. I am one of the official bloggers for the trip to Malaysia. I will be at Sunway University, Malaysia for 10 days with LUSU as part of the ‘Global Exploration scheme’. There are 20 students plus 3 staff going and we are staying at the Sunway Monish Residence.

10am – Saturday 21st March 2015
The joys of trying to fit everything into a suitcase! – By the time it’s all in the suitcase its literally bursting at the seams. I am very, very excited but also quite nervous about the whole experience. This is my first time away on my own so it’s all abit daunting- especially with the added pressure of having to remember EVERYTHING! I am counting down the time till I can leave. Considering a nap and some revision as I don’t think I’ll be able to concentrate very much on the plane.

8.25am (Abu Dhabi Time- 4+ Hours UK)- Sunday 22nd March 2015
So we survived the first flight. All feeling rather tired but really really excited about Malaysia. The food on the flight was really nice and there was lots of films to watch! I’ve visited Malaysia before but when the Psychology department and LUSU decided to do a trip this March, I just couldn’t resist revisiting- it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world!

Malaysia: 9pm, Home: 1pm – Monday 23rd March 2015
We landed yesterday at 10.30pm and then got a bus back to campus where we arrived shortly before midnight. So of course today we all look like zombies out of a ghost movie! When we pulled up to the campus it was immediately evident that it was well looked after. We checked in and went to our room which I was really happy to be sharing with 7 other people, especially in such a nice, welcoming and clean flat.

As soon as I made my way out of the flat, I was hit by the sudden heat of about 34℃. Once we all woke up this morning, we had breakfast at Starbucks- which was really nice and once again the staff were very polite. We then made our way across the Sunway Canopy walk to meet the staff at Sunway University. They were so friendly, and I felt at home straight away. This reinforced why I had come back to Malaysia- mainly because of the kind community they have! Some of the staff gave a short lecture about Malaysia and the history of the University, followed by a lecture on ‘culture’ which I found really interesting and very applicable to Psychology.

We made our way to dinner about 12pm where we had a lovely curry, despite it being very spicy, I really enjoyed it. Shortly after we started the briefing for our experiment and discussed the relevant ethical considerations we needed to think about it. During this, there was a large thunderstorm, which at first really scared me as it sounded like a building falling down! Obviously with it being March, it is the season for the tropical rainfalls and hot, clammy climate. After the lecture we met the Psychology Society students from Sunway who were all very nice- once again they made sure everyone felt welcome. They showed us round there recently renovated library which was very beautiful and made me look forward to Lancaster’s library renovation even more!

After they had finished showing us round the various areas of campus we made our way to a ‘food stall’ court. The outside court was made up of a variety of foods including Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, Indian and even English. We received 20 Malaysian Ringgits to spend (from LUSU) and we found (very quickly) this was more than enough! It was really good because we were able to try a variety of dishes from different cultures.

The exchange rate from Pound to Ringgits still astonishes me- 5 ringgits in every £1. Especially when in the food courts meals ranged from a mere 3 ringgits to around 12 ringgits maximum. Once we had eaten ourselves into a food coma, we decided to walk it off and head to the highly recommended Sunway Pyramid- Shopping Mall. This was not regretted! The mall has over 800 shops and covers a floor area of 396,000 m². We all ended up coming home with items from Topshop and H & M which we realised was rather silly when we have all these at home!

Hoping that tonight I get a good night’s sleep, as tomorrow we have another busy day. In the morning we are continuing with the experiment and setting up the stimuli and in the afternoon we are heading into Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) – where I’m hoping there are even more shopping opportunities!