As another successful day of exploring drew to a close, the QUT study crew took to the skies to experience Singapore from the top.
Located next to the Marina Bay, the Singapore Flyer offers panoramic views of the city skyline and other iconic ‘must-see’ locations including Gardens by the Bay.
I was excited to experience the Flyer after our presentation from Sarah Diedro at Havas about how it was used in the launch of Air France’s first class cabin (which you can check out here).
I came to QUT in 2013 as a mature aged student. This was my second time at uni; my first time was back 2006 when I studied engineering in China.
I chose to study business because I have worked in business in Shanghai for the last seven years and I am passionate about helping businesses grow! I wanted to get the most out of my tuition so I chose the most solid skills for business: a double major in accounting and finance.
At the beginning, it sounded scary to not only go back to university, but to go to university in another country. I had been away from uni for so many years, could I pass this course? Maybe it would be too difficult? Despite all these negative thoughts, I told myself I never say ” no” to the things I want to do!
For my brother and I, the unknown wonder of a semester abroad created the allure of an inviting and exciting opportunity to explore new places, meet new people and experience new cultures. So we did not hesitate to sign up and ‘luckily’ we both ended up at the same university. Unfortunately this meant organizing everything for two which won’t be so comfortable when we have to share a double bed jet lagged.
Being lucky enough to say I have already visited Hong Kong twice before, I like to think I know exactly what to expect no matter what I may face in the bustling city. Whether it is the never-ending wave of people and cars, yelling and beeping at each other or the amazing lights, food and culture. I thought I had seen everything Hong Kong had to offer.
Over three days, fourteen universities from across Australia competed at the Enactus National Competition. Hosted at the Sofitel Hotel in Sydney, each university vied for the chance to represent Australia at the Enactus World Cup in Toronto, Canada later this year.
Each university presented the projects they completed on social entrepreneurship throughout the previous year, bringing attention to key issues throughout Australian society and how they were effecting social change.
Eleven members from Enactus QUT attended the competition; three incredible presenters, eight support staff and the amazing Marvin Fox as Faculty Advisor. It was the culmination of not only weeks of competition preparation, but of the projects Enactus QUT had completed throughout 2016.
As I sit in my shared room at the Hong Kong Baptist University, my laptop screen illuminates the darkened room. Admittedly, Jack Morton was not an agency I previously knew, but by the end of the next 15 minutes I was arguably an expert.
Waterfalls, jungle-like structures and century old trees isn’t something you usually hear of in a major city like Singapore. The Gardens By The Bay showed off an amazing array of colorful flowers, waterfalls and even some traditional masks from my home Papua New Guinea! If you are touring Singapore, I would highly recommend you visit the beautiful Gardens by the Bay. Our exploration in the human built garden enclosure was filled with “wow”, “amazing” and “beautiful” remarks, however appearances were not the only part that I found interesting. In particular, the sustainable practices that were implemented into this ecosystem was impressive. Water irrigation systems and energy saving practices were just two of the many practices I encountered on my tour.
Sustainability has been an interest of mine since the day I started watching Nat Geo so I am writing with a passion to someday implement sustainable practices in my home country Papua New Guinea.
Ni Hao!
A city made to make the world turn faster, the roads lined with cars powered by thunder. Thousands of startups work around the clock, more than in Silicon Valley. Shenzhen is the tech capital of Asia, situated in China along the Hong Kong border.
The QUT alumni we met spoke of Shenzhen in awe, vast factories churning out the latest drones and greatest gadgets, while the entire “smart city” was saturated in all kinds of new-generation technology. Australia, our home, seemed totally backward in comparison.
I wanted to see the brighter future before it hit us.
The ‘Vegas of Asia’, the point where old Portugal meets new China, and when in Hong Kong, a not-so far away island full of glitz, glamour and gold. This is the description any tour guide will give you when talking about the Macau. The majesty and mystery that surrounds Macau is still very much a mystery to me. With good intentions to travel to Macau, our study tour group was instead lost in the lesser known streets of Kowloon City, as we struggled with directions and bearings one too many times with missed buses, ferries and MTRs. With a lot of help from friendly locals, we eventually arrived at the ferry stop to Macau, just in time. Just in time to find it was sold out.
But have no fear, this blog promised monkeys and monkeys there will be, but first there was the walk.
Chanel. Temple Street Markets. Louis Vuitton. Granville Road Markets. Gucci. Cheung Sha Wan Markets.
Chanel, LV and Gucci are all brands synonymous with a world of luxury, indulgence, and an air of eminence carried with the ownership of one of their goods. The high class shopping precinct of Causeway Bay, lined with the glass revolving doors into Chanel and Coach, is a shimmering blur of high end designer brands fuelled by consumerism.
Hong Kong high end shopping – image from www.discoverhongkong.com
