From Nihao to Selamat Datang

The Studio 5 batch trip is a milestone many of us can only dream of when in the 1st year at CSA; for in the way stand numerous crits, exams and the formidable CDP (so glad we’re passed all that). Last year, the students of Year 5 were taken to Singapore and Malaysia.

Accompanied by the Head of School, Prof. Lal Balasuriya and his wife, Archt. Shiranee Balasuriya; first up was Singapore, with its clean and green urban cityscape. A full day workshop at NUS, including interesting lectures and informal student discussions, was an enlightening experience. Not to mention, it marked our first face-to-face encounter with a 3D printer! (fingers crossed that CSA will get one soon). The Urban Redevelopment Au t h o r i t y, ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay were some of the places we visited.

They say that certain places, people or instances in life can never be forgotten. Despite being just a passing entity amidst a plethora of experiences, they leave an indelible mark on our memory. Our tour guide in Malaysia is one such person – with his quirky accent and downright epic commentary, he kept us entertained for an entire week! (PS: ask Eddie Senior for an authentic impression). A tight schedule in place, we visited Melaka, Penang, Putrajaya (Malaysia’s fancy new administrative city), KL Tower and of course the Petronas Towers – thank you to CSA for taking us right to the top! A day spent at Sunway Lagoon was the perfect ending to this adventure.

Two countries and bags of shopping later (shout-out to the dear lady at KL airport check-in for conveniently overlooking some overweight luggage), we landed in Colombo – tired but satisfied. The journey was indeed a memorable one; and we hope that students of CSA continue to get this opportunity to travel the world and experience different cultures and landscapes – which is indeed a necessary source of nourishment to a young Architect’s soul.