Adventures in Melaka

Class this Friday wrapped up with assigning teams the responsibility to continue developing their proposals to get them stage ready. Presentations will occur in front of a professional panel of judges next week who are quite experienced in the field of startups and entrepreneurship, so lessons have focused on the intricate details which these judges will be sure to touch on. The teams are all feeling confident in their progress, and we can't wait to see their final products come to life!

We left early Saturday morning at 6:45am to try to beat the weekend traffic to Malaysia! We are taking short trip to Melaka to learn more about the country and experience a much different culture than the one we're used to in Singapore. Malaysia is much more "traditional" than Singapore and tends to stick to historic traditions more closely than Singapore. We made it through traffic and customs and started the day off with Batik painting. We became like the Malaysian artists and adopted a long-time traditional style of paining with cloth, wax, and water-based paints. Students got to be creative and created beautiful pieces they will be sure to share with their families! Following painting we had a family-style Chinese meal with many new and interesting dishes we couldn't quite identify but enjoyed nonetheless! 

Diving right into more exploration, we went on a riverboat cruise of the canals of Melaka. We got to see the cafes and shops directly on the riverfront and walked through the streets of the town. The city is full of rich history and stories which we enjoyed hearing about from our lovely guide, Chu. We can never go long without shopping, so we hit up the night market and students enjoyed the snacks, jewelry, clothing, and other options offered at the strip. We had another family-style dinner and called it a day! 

We have a packed schedule which is optimal for adventuring, but tough on the body, so we are making sure to stay hydrated and include time for much-needed rest. We are busy, but excited for what more is in store for us!