Hot, humid and a table of seafood

After 24 hours of first visiting our designated regions, we delivered our first group presentations today. The presentations were mostly factual, concerning the architectural, demographic, commercial and social aspects of each region. It was interesting to observe that each group had approached the task differently, some focusing on a single estate whereas others chose to adopt a broader overview. The presentations helped to distinguish the characteristics of each region which would be valuable in moulding our final research question. Through this exercise it was evident that our presentation skills could be improved, in particular, our time management and coherence as a team. But I’m confident that our next presentation will be better!

The evening took on a different twist to the more academic day, as we were joined at dinner by ten Singaporean students who will soon be studying at the University of Sydney. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip so far, we devoured a luxurious (and some exotic!) array of seafood dishes including chilli crab, shark’s fin soup and jellyfish. Talking with the Singaporean students enabled us to acquire a local perspective of the housing policies and the regions we were studying. The conversations also enlightened us to some cultural features of Singapore, while the Singaporeans were interested in our Sydney tales. The night has made me more culturally sensitive and aware of the unique cultural composition of Singapore. We look forward to seeing our new friends back in Sydney!

This blog was originially published on Sydney Life: Student experiences at the University of Sydney.

Betty Huang
Current student at the University of Sydney Business School and participant in the New Combo Plan, a short-term interdisciplinary field school in Singapore where students work together to understand and analyse the Singapore government’s housing policy