The eighteen Monmouth College students and faculty who traveled to Southeast Asia over the holiday break are shown here doing the traditional tourist pose in front of the Merlion in Singapore. The city-state's name comes from the Malay words "singa" (lion) and "pura" (city).

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MONMOUTH, Ill. — On a holiday break trip to Singapore and Malaysia, a group of Monmouth College students saw and learned many things, and their experiences with food were among the highlights they shared at last week’s monthly Monmouth Associates luncheon.

Led by psychology faculty members Kristin Larson and Corrine Lim-Kessler, the group included nine psychology majors and seven business students. The educational focus of the trip, Larson explained, was to study cultural factors in psychology as well as international business practices. Along the way, the students were also exposed to new ideas in politics, collectivism (the whole, not the individual), religion, education and food.

While in the Far East, the group toured landmarks such as the Merlion tourist icon, the Carlsberg Sky Tower, the Petronas Twin Towers, China Town and Santosa Island, where a multi-cultural volleyball match was one of the highlights.

That area of Southeast Asia is home to more than two dozen Monmouth College alumni, most of whom attended in the 1970s. Two of then. Mohamad Zakaria and Wan Elias, played host to the group during the visit.

One of the psychology students, sophomore Meredith Mattson of Knoxville, was interested in studying eating habits, specifically portion sizes. Hypothesizing that Americans eat far more during a meal than do their Asian counterparts, she observed that not only did the locals eat smaller meals, but restaurants also served smaller portions. For example, when she and two friends ordered a medium pizza from Pizza Hut, what they received was the size of a personal pan pizza in the United States.

Another fast food story came from sophomore Matt Rogers of Manito. The business major, who also reported on business trends in Singapore, commented on McDelivery, which is just what it sounds like – McDonald’s food available through delivery.

“We saw the little McDonald’s delivery guys everywhere,” he said, adding that due to an absence in livestock, all McDonald’s beef is imported in Singapore, and “it doesn’t taste the same.”

Larson noted that her favorite dish was a “century egg,” which is an egg that has “allegedly been preserved in horse manure for three months.” More likely, the egg was preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime and rice straw for several weeks, giving the yolk a pale and dark green coloring, while the egg white becomes dark brown and transparent.

While Mattson studied food, senior Hilary Binks of Glen Ellyn noted differences in personal space and boundaries.

“They don’t have any,” she said of boundaries. “They’ll walk up to you and touch you on the arm. It’s really a wonderful community feeling.”

Binks also noted a large reliance on public transportation and the “intense” American influence.

In her turn at the podium, Lim-Kessler, who is a native of Singapore, said there is very little corruption in the city-state, and when crimes are committed, there is “swift judgement. They have very strict laws, especially relating to drugs. Violators are often hanged, even for possessing small amounts. As a result, drug traffickers don’t pass through Singapore.”

While discussing the business portion of the trip, Rogers mentioned such trends as employee incentive programs and a high priority on customer service. The group also gained a great deal of respect for Singapore Airlines, which Rogers said is the second-most profitable airline in the world behind Southwest Airlines. The company will soon be unveiling its A380 superjumbo jet, a double-deck, four-engine model.

Besides the airline, the group also visited the corporate headquarters of Mesiniagi and Unilever and toured Singapore Management University, where it was impressed by its hi-tech classrooms.

Singapore’s modern style and overall cleanliness were also acknowledged by the group, although Binks noted that on a visit to the Institute of Mental Health, they learned it was “50 years behind” today’s common practices.

Released by the Office of College Communications
Barry McNamara, Associate Director of College Communications
Phone: 309-457-2117
Fax: 309-457-2330