What’s Cool about Asia!
This was the best summer that I ever had. The Cansbridge Fellowship gave me a memorable week in San Francisco, followed by a summer abroad working in Malaysia. Outside of work, I also had the chance to travel to 10 other countries in Asia, including India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong.
You may be wondering, what’s interesting about Asia? Well as I reflect upon this summer, here’s a couple of interesting things I noticed when I was visiting these countries:
What’s cool about India is the mobile-first economy. A lot of the population is gaining access online for the first time on their phones. Since many are new users looking to try new apps, the rate of adoption is extremely high and technology companies are making the most of it by creating multipurpose apps.
What’s cool about China is the fully cashless economy. Everything is paid using WeChat, the leading messaging platform in China. This concept is totally absurd In Canada. Who can imagine paying for things with a messaging app and QR codes? Yet WeChat has taken off. When I visited Shenzhen, I was given a barcode with my restaurant bill. In parking lots, I saw my uncle pay by scanning a big QR code on the wall.
What’s cool about Japan is the kindness. When I asked a cashier where to find a specific Japanese food, she stepped out of the café and walked with me for 5 minutes to help me find this food.
What’s cool about Indonesia is the culture of negotiation. Literally everything is negotiated. When I was visiting Bali with another Cansbridge Fellow, we were shocked that we had to negotiate the price of the food we ate and the price of the taxi ride.
What’s cool about Sri Lanka is the doorless buses. The buses never stop except for a traffic light, Passengers get on and off the bus when the bus slows down.
What’s cool about Hong Kong is the shared tables. In a place where space is at a premium, every space is utilized. In a restaurant, if I’m eating with 2 friends at a 4-seat table, expect a total stranger to sit next to you and order their food.
What’s cool about Malaysia is Ramadan. A majority of Malaysia’s population was Muslim and all Muslims fast for one month in June for Ramadan. Since my company, dahmakan, was in the food industry, the company was impacted a lot by Ramadan. It was really interesting to see how the entire business model shifted for a period of 1 month. Since a large portion of dahmakan’s customers were Muslim and cannot eat lunch while fasting, dahmakan shifted to extend dinner times.
Key Learnings
If I were to do business in any of these countries, now I have a better understanding what works and what does not work. It’s one thing to read about it online, but it’s totally different when you experience it.
Beyond a new perspective, I learned how to connect with people from different cultures. Whether it’s the bow when you want to thank a senior in Japanese or connecting with someone from India by talking about the traffic in Mumbai, I learned that small things go a long way.
My favourite experience abroad was meeting people from around the world to learn about their cultures and perspectives. To my family, friends, colleagues, mentors, and Cansbridge fellows, thank you all for supporting me in my journey this summer and thank you for making Malaysia feel like a second home to me :)
Advice to Others
My biggest advice to others is to be open to new experiences, especially when you’re young. Sometimes it’s easy to be trapped in a set career path or a set location to work by your university program, but I challenge you to look beyond that. Consider working abroad for a summer or going on an international exchange! It helps you to see the world from different angles and bring a unique perspective to the table. For example, when you’re working with an international team who wants to do business in certain foreign countries, since you have been to that country, you can directly give valuable insights about how things work in that country. This will pay a lot of dividends in the future for both your personal development and your career.
Cansbridge Fellowship Opportunity
If you’re passionate about technology and entrepreneurship, you should consider applying for the Cansbridge Fellowship! Spend a week in San Francisco with top tech companies and investors, get $6000 to work abroad in Asia for a summer, and be a part of a global network of innovators. Check out https://www.cansbridgefellowship.com/ for more info and to apply
Company name & website: dahmakan (2017 Y Combinator cohort), https://dahmakan.com/menu
Position: Entrepreneur In Residence (EIR) — Product & Operations
Location (city, country): Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Dates of internship: May 10th-August 11th, 2017
