Guy Simpson

All good things must come to an end!

The last few weeks have been exciting and busy! I had an memorable last day at work, enjoyed my final weekend in Singapore, flew back to Aberdeen (with an unexpected stop in Manchester!), and on Saturday moved back down to Edinburgh to resume university. Everything has happened so fast, and it's hard to believe that I've spent 2 whole months working and living so far from home. Even though it wasn't plain sailing all the way, Alastair and I have relished the challenges the internship threw up, and have come out much the wiser for it. Understanding and appreciating Asian culture has been particularly valuable, and I hope to visit Singapore again in the future. Having had some time to reflect upon those action packed months, I can confidently say it has been my most memorable summer yet, and an amazing experience that I will never forget!

On our last day of work Alastair and I wrapped things up at the Hyatt by helping to throw a charity Ramadan banquet for a local Muslim children's home which cares for orphans and youths from broken families. I have never been involved in charity work before, but I'm sure I will volunteer again in future as the appreciation the children showed towards us was humbling and the opportunity to assist very rewarding. Wearing the traditional Malay dress for the breaking of fast was definitely the highlight of the evening, and earned us both compliments and a few surprised looks!

We ended by thanking John Beveridge for affording us the opportunity to come and work in Singapore, and to John and his staff at the Grand Hyatt I am very grateful. I know I speak for both Alastair and I in saying that we have the utmost respect for John, and consider him a definite role model. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Mark Hallan, who has been fantastic in easing us into life in an unfamiliar city and introducing us to Singapore's expat Scots and watering holes in the process! Last but not least my thanks go out to the Saltire Foundation team who made everything possible and without their hard work I would not have this extraordinary opportunity - I look forward to catching up with them and the other interns back in Glasgow!

Keeping busy

I'm happy to report the Hyatt has been keeping me very busy over the last few weeks, and I've been getting involved with a variety of different projects across the hotel. My first task was to rebuild a concierge database which is essentially an A-Z of all things on offer in Singapore from restaurants and shopping to museums and landmarks. The resource hadn't been updated since 2004, so needless to say, most of the material needed updating badly. It took me a few days to bring the database up to date, but the the research process greatly increased my local knowledge, and by the end of the week I left the concierge service armed with lots of insider information about the city!

The following week, Alastair and I were assigned to the sales and marketing department, where we observed first hand how the hotel positions it's products to remain competitive in the cutthroat Singapore marketplace. We also had a crash course on the complex yield management system which ensures that the hotel always sets the room rate at the optimum level to maximise revenue. Sales and marketing is definitely an area that interested me greatly, and I'm eager to learn more about this aspect of the business before my internship comes to an end.

Most recently, I have joined the spa team which is currently involved in a huge redevelopment of the entire spa and fitness complex. The existing leisure facilities are nearing the end of an extensive renovation and will be relaunched as an entirely new concept. It is a particularly exciting time to get involved with the team as the project is entering the crucial final stages of development and there is a huge effort to get the facility ready for its grand opening next month. I have been busy assisting the management team, and have had the opportunity to take on real responsibility and get heavily involved with the rebranding process.

Cultural observation: There's only one way to get stoned in Singapore...

It's no surprise that Singapore's drug laws are notoriously strict. The country takes law and order extremely seriously and all regulations no matter how trifling are stringently enforced. The same zero tolerance applies be you guilty of high level corruption or chewing gum on the street. It may seem surprising then, that I can confidently count the number of policemen I have seen on the fingers of one hand - and I've been living here over four weeks! Crime simply isn't an issue in Singapore.

A recent Straits Times article I came across was particularly revealing: according to the paper, conditions in the country's prisons are spartan at best, and a number of crimes still carry the death penalty. Last weekend I glimpsed the imposing Changi jail through barbed wire and high security fences on our way to the prison museum. It really isn't hard to see how effective these deterrents are to would-be criminals! Whilst Singapore has adopted a very hard stance, the results speak for themselves. In contrast to many western cities I have visited, wherever I am in Singapore I always feel safe. I am completely free to explore the whole city at my leisure without fear of mugging or straying into the wrong neighbourhood.

At work today I volunteered as a model (read: guinea pig) for the Hyatt's new trainee masseurs; and bagged myself a free massage. Lying on my front for two hours whilst the masseur rubbed hot stones over my back gave me a chance to ponder Singapore's law enforcement policies, and I came to the conclusion that the traditional burning basalt therapy really is the only practical way of getting stoned in Singapore...

Out with the old, in with the new!

Looking back at my last entry, this is my first update in over three weeks! Whilst I'll be making sure to post more regularly from now on, it's fair to say that Alastair and I have been working pretty hard over the last few weeks and the going has not always been smooth.. Although the internship program didn't match our expectations initially, I feel we addressed our concerns appropriately and learned much in the process of resolving them; which is the most important thing! I'm really looking forward to the increased responsibility of the new schedule I was given on Monday, and am eager to get stuck into the projects we now have the opportunity to get involved in. Earlier this week Mark Hallan invited Alastair and I to meet with some of Singapore's other Scottish expats - of which there seems to be quite a few! Listening to stories of success out east and witnessing lively debate on the merits of Donald Trump's proposed golf course over (quite) a few Tigers has definitely been one of the highlights of the week so far!

Cultural Observation: Please mind the gap...and your head

It's not easy to express quite how unbelievably efficient Singapore's public transport system is. The country's urban rail system - know as the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) - does exactly what it says on the tin. Faced with a large population that resides predominantly in suburban 'high-rise towns' yet works in the city centre, the authorities in the 1980s invested millions to create probably the most efficient commuter network in the world. In contrast to the London Underground the MRT is decades ahead, and far cheaper: a single ride typically costs less than 30 pence! Trains are comfortable, frequent and never delayed by strikes or leaves on the line. The stations too are kept meticulously clean, with everything from the roof tiles to the escalators are polished and sparkling. In fact, Singapore's hygiene standards are so high I would feel confident eating my dim sum right off the platform.

The 25 minute journey from our accommodation to work everyday is ridiculously easy even though it is necessary to change lines en route. A welcome respite from the tropical humidity outdoors, the huge atrium-like stations are fully air conditioned and intelligently designed to handle the thousands of passengers passing through them every day; why can't our subways be like this! The automated announcer on the train informs riders of approaching stations in a sickly sweet tone, and kindly requests I please mind the gap whilst exiting the train. And here is the only fault I can level against an otherwise seamless travel experience - Singapore is just not designed with caucasian stature in mind! At 5 foot 11 inches I wouldn't exactly consider myself short, but I'm definitely not tall by European standards, yet everywhere in Singapore I am constantly at risk of being scalped by low doorways. On the upside, navigating crowds is a breeze as I can always see over the heads of Singaporeans to reach my destination. Getting around Singapore by MRT is effortless, but anyone taller than hobbit-size needs to mind their head as well as the gap when alighting the train!

Arrival

Arrived safely in Singapore yesterday, despite KLM's best efforts to send me via Paris. My luggage however, wasn't so fortunate! Apparently my bag wasn't loaded on the plane for some reason, but I've been assured it's being put on the next flight to Singapore. Hopefully it will arrive tonight! It's been a hectic 24 hours as there is just so much to take in, and Alastair and I are eager to get exploring despite the jet lag. Mark Hallan from Scottish Development International met us at the airport and kindly took us to our accommodation. We met Mark again this afternoon and took the opportunity to quiz him about the city and SDI over a few drinks. Many thanks to Mark for a great introduction to Singapore! My first impressions of the city are really positive - everything is absolutely spotless and incredibly efficient. Our accommodation (in typical Asian style) is small but perfectly formed. The place is brand new and offers complimentary breakfast every morning! The weather isn't too hot but the humidity is oppressive - don't think we'd last long without the air conditioning. Really looking forward to getting out and about again tomorrow though - we're becoming pretty familiar with our surroundings already!

The day before...

It's the night before my departure and I've just returned from the PR event at Scottish Enterprise HQ in Glasgow. It was really good to catch up with the guys and girls I met at the orientation day back in May, and share our enthusiasm for the weeks ahead. It was plain from the atmosphere that everyone was excited and eager to get stuck into their internships. After the photographs we said our farewells over a few drinks, which was a great way of spending my last day in Scotland. I even came away with a free Saltire Foundation T-shirt, what can I say?! My bags are (almost) packed and I've rooted through all my pockets for rogue packs of chewing gum... Really excited about seeing south east Asia for the first time, and looking forward to the prospect of immersing myself in a completely different culture. My thanks go out to all those at the SF and Grand Hyatt who have made this opportunity possible, and best of luck to all the other interns who will soon be jetting out to all corners of the globe!