There is no greater joy than a College trip packed with fun, activities and a whole lot of learning. ISBR Students under MBA/ PGDM with International Tour Program were filled with excitement and pride as they entered the Bangalore Airport. We are known for our diverse backgrounds which was quite evident in the flight to Kuala Lumpur. There were the ‘Cool Dudes with shades’, ‘Quiet and Decent ones’, ‘Fashionistas’, ‘Selfie Kings and Queens’ and of course the list goes on. All in all, one thing was common; they were all set to learn. Learn how different the two countries- Singapore and Malaysia are from theirs, learn about the Cultural Diversity, the people, the environment and the aspects related to it.
Singapore has been called a playground for the rich and it’s true that the small city-state does have a certain sheen of wealth. Singapore’s organized structure, top notch planning, excellent transportation system and beguiling landscapes left the students in awe. Though tired physically, they could not cease the traveller in them to explore the streets of Singapore. You think it is impossible to cover an entire country in three days? Well, ask our students. In a short span they tried covering the ‘Lion City’; and not a thing they missed (Not to mention, MRT came in handy for most of them). Marina Bay, Chinatown, Clarke Quay, Orchard Road and Raffles Hotel were a charmer. While LTA (Land Transport Authority) Singapore was a complete eye opener at how efficiently the country has planned and regulated traffic; Newater Centre gave them chills when they learnt that the water they are drinking might just have been sewage (Rest assured, the water is ultra clean & safe and has passed more than 150000 scientific tests). The highlight of Singapore was undoubtedly Sentosa Island where the students got to relish in the bounty of beaches and trying out a variety of Asian food ranging from Korean Street food, Thai and Japanese and the other half was busy clicking snapshots of Universal Studios, S.E.A Aquarium and Wings of Time.
Honestly, there were traces of sadness as students were leaving for Malaysia but thanks to the well planned Malaysian trip by the faculties and the tour guides, there was not a day the students did not enjoy. University Putrajaya, Putrajaya War Museum, King’s Palace Putrajaya and Prime Minister Residence in Putrajaya might seem like boring places but be prepared to be proven wrong when you are with a bunch of hyper active friends, friendly faculties and lovely tour guides. Even the Industry tours were refreshing with like-minded people. The usually quiet Palm Oil Factory and Pewter Factory were experiencing mild laughter and glistening smiles of the ISBR Students. Their fantasies of Charlie and the Chocolate factory fanned the flames when Mr Abbas Ali and Dr.Ratna Sinha took them to ‘The Chocolate Boutique’ to shop for some of the exquisite chocolates in the world. The next day was an adventure to Genting Highlands which included Cable Car Rides, shopping at high end shopping malls and diverse ethnic quarters. Heavy lunch at a fine dine restaurant in Genting was undoubtedly a cherry on top. Petronas Twin Towers could not be missed when one is travelling to Malaysia. Once the tallest building in the world and now the tallest twin sky scrapers; the Towers beamed with glory in the land of the ‘Jewel of Kedah’.
As the students reached back to Bangalore Airport, their thoughts were heavier than the overly loaded bags and their experience was sweeter than the chocolates they bought. What was initially thought of as an 8 day International Tour became a lifetime of memories and learning for the students. It was probably the end of a beginning.
-By Sharon Angel
She is an MBA ( 2015-17) student under MBA with International Study Tour Program