Yesterday's elections were interesting for a variety of reasons. First, the government declares a national holiday, so that people are free to turn out and vote. Early indications claim between 60% and 90% of eligible voters turned out (numbers this afternoon are now claiming 86%). Second, the opposition party offered up Thursday and Friday as successive holidays if they won, and the current ruling party offered up Monday and Tuesday of the following week as holidays if they won - to incentivize voters further. This, of course, throws quite a monkey wrench into our plans, as it affects everything from our tour bus companies, to caterers and university officials.
In the wee hours of morning, poll results claimed a landslide victory for the opposition party. For the first time in 60+ years, Malaysia will have a different party in power. What does that mean? That's the million-ringgit question. No one really know the implications for changes in public policy. Like the political parties in the US, each party has its own platform, but each side is not diametrically opposed. They have some ideas in common, but it remains to be seen how those ideas will take shape.
Our hosts at Sunway have been gracious and attempting to answer any questions in their power. There is certainly no sense of dread, just a lot of questions. In many ways, this is a fresh, new start, with new faces and new ideas. We, too, have no trepidation, but the students wonder, "will Uber Eats still deliver our pizzas to the residenence?" The mind boggles... :-)
That being said, we had a lot of great conversation with morning, getting to know more about Sunway and its philanthropic founder. After an excellent lunch, we returned to afternoon session, getting a chance to meet student ambassadors from Sunway. Our students connected quickly and a lot of spirited discussions ensued.
Interestingly enough, we had our first strong thunderstorm of the trip. The strong winds and heavy rain drew quite a bit of water under the covered awnings of the buildings. It was interesting to see the drainage quickly move the water away from the walking paths, but I could imagine the monsoon rains would be a force to be reckoned with.
A few discussion sessions in the afternoon were focused more on student affairs and the transition of students to the collegiate level. What's interesting, is that Sunway offers multiple education institutions under one affiliation: Sunway International School, Sunway College and Sunway University. The International School offers preparatory courses for students who need to finish or are finishing the equivalent of their last few years of primary education, high schools in the US. Sunway College includes curriculum to bridge that requirement and provide coursework to perform at the collegiate level, not unlike a community College or junior college. Finally, Sunway University provides a number of degree programs at the collegiate level. All three institutions are separate, but operate under a common banner and support structure. The founding principle was to ensure students were capable of learning, growing and developing - a successful fact supported by Sunway's high graduation rates.
As the afternoon wound down, the students broke off to find dinner, attend to laundry and explore the adjacent mall. Ramona and I took the bus to the mall to grab dinner and pick up a few items for our travels. We'd hoped to find a store we had visited two years ago to pick up some souvenirs, but sadly we could not find it. We did, however, find a very nice dinner. And, of course, found a very nice dessert!
The evening grew longer, so we returned to the bus stop and headed back to campus. Fun fact: instant coffee is by-and-large the most common form of coffee consumption here. Since our arrival, we've had instant packets in our hotel rooms and lodging every day. The dining establishments we've used all have it as well, typically with coffee vending machines that will produce a single cup of black coffee, latte, mocha or what-have-you. Personally, I'm not discerning enough to notice the difference - I just need the caffeine kick. If you're particular about your coffee, be sure to plan ahead and bring your Starbucks Via or pack your French press!
Interestingly enough, we had our first strong thunderstorm of the trip. The strong winds and heavy rain drew quite a bit of water under the covered awnings of the buildings. It was interesting to see the drainage quickly move the water away from the walking paths, but I could imagine the monsoon rains would be a force to be reckoned with.
A few discussion sessions in the afternoon were focused more on student affairs and the transition of students to the collegiate level. What's interesting, is that Sunway offers multiple education institutions under one affiliation: Sunway International School, Sunway College and Sunway University. The International School offers preparatory courses for students who need to finish or are finishing the equivalent of their last few years of primary education, high schools in the US. Sunway College includes curriculum to bridge that requirement and provide coursework to perform at the collegiate level, not unlike a community College or junior college. Finally, Sunway University provides a number of degree programs at the collegiate level. All three institutions are separate, but operate under a common banner and support structure. The founding principle was to ensure students were capable of learning, growing and developing - a successful fact supported by Sunway's high graduation rates.
As the afternoon wound down, the students broke off to find dinner, attend to laundry and explore the adjacent mall. Ramona and I took the bus to the mall to grab dinner and pick up a few items for our travels. We'd hoped to find a store we had visited two years ago to pick up some souvenirs, but sadly we could not find it. We did, however, find a very nice dinner. And, of course, found a very nice dessert!
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