Scribbles

Just like that, and we approach the end of P3 in a blaze of seven weeks.  Instead of studying for finals, I am finding other things to fill the void of my cancelled scuba trip.  Something about weather conditions making for unsafe diving in Malaysia this weekend… hence my ennui.  Let me leave you with a picture of me and friends enjoying Dragon Fruit in Cambodia, instead of the countless Angkor Wat photos you've seen all over.

Dragon Fruit, aka Pitaya, tastes like Kiwi

Woohoo!  Today was the happy conclusion of my PADI Open Water Certification.  The entire course spanned a few weeks, broken into nice sized chunks to accomodate our busy INSEAD schedule.  We started with some home studying and then a five hour course to reinforce the theory, just in case.  After that, two pretty arduous sessions at the pool to drill the basics.

This weekend, a comfortable group of 6 of us, took the requisite four dives to complete the course.  Although the vis (scuba lingo for visibility) was horrible, and the water wasn't exactly, eh, pristine, it got the job done.  Please don't ask me about the oil refinery.  We are now ready to tackle the beautiful ocean floors around the region. 

Yes, I drank some of the water too.  But it was worth it!

The local scuba training school, 51 Scuba, made a few trips to INSEAD campus to offer us discounted group sessions.  I would say most of us are highly satisified.  The coordinator and my instructor, Dennis, did a fantastic job in particular.  His easy demeanor and friendly communication style made the learning easy and fun.

I survived, literally.  Thanks to Dennis and crew.

Finally, I can't thank my buddies enough for watching my back in the water.  Look forward to future dives together.

At school the other day, I was chatting with a recent INSEAD graduate who spent his whole time in Singapore.  He made the interesting comment that the students here typically fall under three categories when it comes to social activities: the travelers, the partiers, and the divers.  I thought about it and he makes a good argument.  Let me elaborate.

Singapore's location makes it perfect for traveling all over South East Asia, countries like Cambodia, Thailand, Viet Nam, and so on.  Many of the Fonty exchangers only come for one period, and as a result, get greedy with their travels.  They are gone every single weekend and I haven't seen them for most of the time.  It amazes me how they accomplish this given the incredibly heavy workload during P3.  I, for example, have not traveled to a single place since arriving.  Although I would attribute it partially to getting the flu twice.  Good thing I made that trip to Thailand and Cambodia before arriving.

For the folks who love going out to town, living a city helps a lot.  The partiers find it very easy to stay out and dance the night away at the numerous clubs and bars.  Everything is only a 5-10 minute cab ride away – convenient to say the least.  In contrast to Fonty, this ease of transporation alleviates the worries of drinking and driving.  And every so often, you see somebody stumble into an 8:30 lecture, straight from a wild night out.

Finally, there are the scuba lovers.  The geographic advantage comes into play again, as the fabulous dive sites around the region offer pleasant weather for most of the year round.  And since the certifications and trips cost so relatively cheap, it's simple for beginners to discover the attraction of diving.  A significant number of students who sign up for the first certification course find themselves pursuing the activity rather frequently.  What's not to love about traveling and making new friends while exploring the aquatic life in some of the clearest oceans in the world?

Obviously you will find the majority of INSEADers in two or more of the described buckets.  For example, groups of us would travel to private islands nearby and party there for a weekend.  And as mentioned, traveling and diving go together hand in hand.  However, I would discourage the combination of diving and partying, since alcohol is prone to cause decompression sickness (the bends.) 

I can't fathom why some people call Singapore boring. 

After months of European cafes, I’ve been reintroduced to the US-style coffee beverages. While many of you would cringe at the thought of me frequenting the large, evil (?) corporation of Starbucks, I can’t deny that I’ve missed the large soy lattes that gave me a steady supply of caffeine at the coffee shop for hours while reading. Back in Cali, I preferred the local shops over the chains, but here, I’ve found the environment at Starbucks the most conducive to studying. However, just to satisfy all you anti-corporate, socially responsible tree huggers out there, I will explore the surrounding competitors for more comparison. But don’t forget, I am after all, on the other side, being an MBA student.

Yes, that sign reads “ugly chicken puff.”