Catching Up ... End of Semester and Kuala Lumpur, Pt 1

Phuong, Tien, Kha, Vi, and Xuan

The last few weeks have been a whirl, in many ways. It seemed the end of semester just barrelled in, in spite of knowing it was on its way. It caught me by surprise. The students I taught this semester were all in their second-last semester and getting ready for their internship semester. In class we had completed interview preparation before a day of mock interviews and then had sessions on alumni affairs, portfolios, student currently on internship presentations, and the nuts and bolts of accepting and refusing job offers. But the most fun was a networking event that the career centre put on for students, alumni, employers, and staff who had participated in the mock interviews. It was a really nice affair at the Hotel Intercontinental and I have to say, the students really looked good. Most people were a bit nervous, but for the most part, I think folks relaxed and most students were able to have a few good conversations. I wish we’d had a few more students attending, but those who came did a great job. After that the internship process went into full swing, with employers interviewing (or not) students who had applied and then offering (or not) their placements. It was (and for some is continuing to be) a nerve-wracking experience. Despite everyone’s best preparations, it is still anybody’s guess what the employer sees or is looking for ... I really feel for the students in this situation and am hoping it all works out for the best.

ProfComm Students ... Cuong on the right.

Thao

Once classes were over, there were plenty of administrative things to do ... most days I felt I had accomplished nothing ... create a set of FAQ’s ... try and organize files ... have meetings about this and that. See a few students. Do some debriefing there. In the meantime, I realized that I wouldn’t be able to go to the orphanage for about 4 weeks or have Vietnamese lessons. Luckily, there are several more people going to Mai Tam now, and I think many of them will be fairly conscientious about going. And about Vietnamese? Oy. Hopeless.
So, last Friday I worked most of a day and then I went to the airport and headed off to recertify for the MBTI in Kuala Lumpur, or KL, as they call it in these parts. No problems with the flight ... in fact it was the first non-full flight I had been on in a couple of years, so it was nice to be able to get a seat alone and spread out. I had a couple of days to explore the city before I started my MBI course. I had been warned about traffic jams, but no problems there. The city reminded me a bit of downtown Toronto on Sunday, when all the big office towers are deserted. Certainly KL has its share of steel and glass towers.

View from the KL Tower

View of the KL Tower

I checked out the light rail system and saw a lot of the city that way. I went up the KL Tower and saw the lay of the land from that vantage point as well. I went to Petaling Street, or Chinatown, and then over to the Central Market, where many traditional craft products from all over Malaysia are sold. I am sorry I won’t get to see more of Malaysia, but now that I have been here, maybe I will get to come again ... just a short flight.

Entrance to Petaling Street ... McDonald's and only 1 motorbike ... not Vietnam, that's for sure!

One of the pieces I thought was interesting ... Islamic and Malay influences

One of the current shows was by this artist/professor ... very interesting commentary

I went to the National Art Gallery, which was virtually deserted and then over to the KLCC, which is the shopping area at the bottom of the Petronas Towers.

KLCC in Petronas Towers

There I saw people ... and the stores! Omigoodness! No skating rinks or canals, but every bit as impressive as Qatar’s malls. Malaysia’s Muslim tradition certainly feels familiar ... although more religiously diverse than Qatar, the majority of people here are Muslim. And the juxtaposition with the Mid-Autumn Festival and all the incredible-looking mooncakes and the curries and nasi lemak (rice made with coconut milk, served with anchovies, peanuts, cucumber, hard-boiled egg, and chilli paste ... and sometimes meat like spicy chicken) and batiks and the colourful and beautiful baju kurung that many women wear makes for a very exotic place in many ways.

Large mosque near light rail system station

I was a bit disappointed I wasn’t able to see more of KL before I started the MBTI, but I needed to prepare, as I had not done any of the pre-reading ... however, if anything can put you to sleep faster that the MBTI Manual, I am not sure what it is. Joking, sort of ...
So, on Sunday, I moved into the fancy schmancy hotel where the training was being held, the Renaissance, and it has been a good week in most ways. I had certified for the MBTI about 15 years ago and although I was surprised to find out I didn’t actually have to recertify, I was glad I came, as the test has changed quite a bit. I also met some nice folks – of the 18 in the group there were 7 from Jakarta, about 4 from Singapore, 5 from KL, 1 from Thailand and me, from Vietnam. Ethnically/nationally we were Indonesian, Malay, Chinese, Indian, Brazilian, German, and Canadian. Like a little UN.

Ano, Nurul, Maya, Diya, Elena, Yoni, Laksmi, Fati, and Fredy

I felt I had a better sense of how the MBTI can be used in other cultures, and how certain organizations use it. So, that was all good. Being cooped up in a windowless room doing group things was another matter ... all the introverts and even the extraverts were exhausted. And some of them have signed up for the MBTI for Teams training, which is tomorrow. More stamina than I have, that is for sure! However, I have very much appreciated the opportunity to attend this training. I feel much more prepared for the MBA course I will be teaching next semester; we will be doing the MBTI with them, and so I will have a chance to put this training into practice quite immediately.

Laksmi, Fabian, Soumiya, Diya, Maya, Yoni, Gerrit, Weifang, Brian, Fredy, Christine, David, Azlan, Allan, Jose, Nurul, Fati, Ano

Another piece I liked

Tomorrow, I have a chance to see a bit more of the city and more importantly rest by the pool. What a luxury, to be able to go bobbing whenever you feel like it! A Part 2 of KL might follow; I certainly want to try and take some decent pictures of this place that has hosted me for one week. I can hardly believe my good fortune (or audacity). I am off to Japan in six short days! I finally bought a travel book on Japan, so I should read it and get a sense of where I will be shortly.
Wherever you are, I hope you are well and happy and enjoying travelling or staying put. I can imagine that fall is starting in Canada, while spring is coming in NZ and Australia. Not sure of what will be happening in Europe. I imagine the rainy season will be winding down in Vietnam soon ... a period of meteorological transition is likely being experienced. Hope it’s smooth!

I don't think this vestige of colonial days will survive too much longer ... I am glad I saw it before it is replaced by a skyscraper