‘Malaysia Is Truly Asia’ is the song that was played to us as we were welcomed into the Nottingham Malaysia campus and how true that turned out to be…
The summer school was open to students from all over the world, including the University of Nottingham students from all years. A variety of courses were on offer for the two-week programme, for example creative writing, business, politics or Mandarin for beginners. We were warmly welcomed with a welcome dinner and our first taste of local cuisine which was amazing, especially after the fifteen-hour flight! My favourite was roti; the traditional bread and chicken satay, which I ate a lot on the trip. Malaysia has influences from Chinese, Indian and Malaysian cultures which is reflected in its cuisine. We were also treated to a traditional dance performance, showing the cultural influences Malaysia has.
“food was a central part of the trip”
Following this, we had a week of summer school; getting to know our peers and making some great friends. On our first weekend, the university had organised a trip for us to a traditional village. Here we had a traditional meal made by people in the village, where we ate lots of amazing food. The fascinating thing about somewhere like that is you would not otherwise get the same kind of submergence into a community, providing us with a real taste of Malaysia.
A lot of the food we had not had before, but it was important to be open-minded and it was delicious. This included a fruit called a rambutan, which could only be described as a giant grape with a massive stone in the middle and a spiked shell around it. As you can probably tell by now, food was a central part of the trip and this continued. After the village, we went to a town called Melaka, which is famous for its night markets and did not disappoint. The smell of durian filled the air, (a fruit that is banned in hotels and aeroplanes for its overwhelming vomit-like smell) but we soon got used to it.
From dumplings and duck egg waffles to whole watermelons and satay, we tried it all! We bought bags, purses and souvenirs at very low costs. A special memory I made here was when me and some friends stumbled across a community centre, where they invited us in to partake in what could only be described as Malaysian Zumba (random but hilarious). Also in Melaka, we visited Harmony Street where there were several mosques, churches, Hindu and Chinese temples all in the same area in harmony. They were great to see due to the sheer beauty of these temples.
Back to summer school, where along with academic classes we experienced a culinary class, Chinese calligraphy and a hike up a local mountain in the middle of the forest. They also took us to Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, a giant golden statue and temple surrounded by monkeys. (May I add, monkeys are very clever animals and one stole my crisps).
At the weekend, we had lots of free time to explore. Me and some friends visited the island of Langkawi, known for its stunning blue sea and white sands. Summer school gave us the opportunity to explore many parts of Malaysia and see the variety of places in the beautiful country. We went up the cable car to see the view of the island from above the clouds. We also went into a giant waterfall which again saw us surrounded by monkeys. Being so close to nature with the waterfall and monkeys is something I will never forget.
“I would recommend it to anyone.”
Back to summer school for the last couple of days and it was drawn to a close with a farewell ceremony with certificates, singing, stories and many tears. From there, we went on our separate journeys. I stayed in Malaysia and Singapore with my dad for ten days to explore some more of the country I fell in love with. Some friends went to Thailand, others more of Malaysia and some home to go and tell people about the amazing place they had visited.
Summer school gave me the opportunity to taste studying abroad, but aside from that, be fully submerged into the culture, see some amazing locations and make friends for life. I would recommend it to anyone.
Megan Bowie
All images courtesy of Megan Bowie.
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