Hannah Dadah
I spent the summer of 2022 in Southeast Asia traveling, living, and experiencing all this land had to offer. While my summer externship was based in Singapore, I took advantage of some vacation time and explored other parts of the region. I started my trip on a small island off the coast of Malaysia named Langkawi. This island had everything you’d want for a tropical get away: amazing white sand beaches, beautiful hikes to waterfalls, fun water activities like kayaking and jet skiing, and a wonderful mix of Malaysian and Thai cuisine. It was on this island that my first solo traveling journey began; it was the start of a 6-week experience that was truly unique to me and only me. While I did meet so many friendly locals and other travelers along the way, no one else really shared the memories I get to hold from this time away. On Langkawi, I fell in love with spending time with myself and learning how well I can navigate any of life’s situations.
After soaking up the sun, I journeyed over to the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, where I spent a couple of days immersed in the big city atmosphere of an Asian nation. Like many other cities in the area, it was amazing to see a mix of giant skyscrapers and ancient Hindu temples or multistory malls and tranquil gardens. In this city, I was able to visit some the world’s most famous “pasar malam” (aka night market). Once the sun sets, these street bazaars pop up all over Southeast Asian cities, and you see whole communities flock to the different booths for some of the most authentic, delicious, and affordable food in all of Asia. These were the type of experiences that I was going to miss once going back home; something that was so unique to the region and could not be fully replicated anywhere else.
My last stop before heading to Singapore, was Chiang Mai, Thailand. Due to my limited travel time, I could only choose one city to explore in Thailand, and I am so glad I picked Chiang Mai. The city itself has 117 Buddhist temples, some dating back to the 13thcentury. Along with its beautiful architecture, you are also welcomed with the most striking, lush mountainous landscape. This northern province was the perfect place to be embraced with the Thai culture and nature all at once.
After 2 weeks of travel, I finally arrived in Singapore to begin my summer externship for the Mandai Wildlife Group. This organization manages four of the nation’s zoological parks, where I was able to volunteer alongside the parks’ veterinary staff for 4 weeks. I spent 2 weeks at Jurong Bird Park, where I learned all about avian medicine. At this park, I got to help with breeding program efforts for critically endangered species, like the Philippine eagle, and also advanced specialty avian medicine, like cataract surgery for king penguins. The time at the park educated me so much on species that we learn so little about in school, and really highlighted important disease management strategies, nutritional requirements, and housing conditions needed for these animals to succeed.
My last two weeks in Singapore were spent at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve which housed the 3 other parks, the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, and River Wonders. At this location, the vet team oversees all of its resident animals and helps care for Singapore’s wildlife. I was able to see the various welfare and behavior training programs necessary for zoo medicine. I also witnessed surgical procedures on an array of animals from kangaroos to chimpanzees. With my future goal to work in a zoo or aquarium, this experience really showed the ins and outs of a successful zoo operation. The importance of communication between vet staff and animal keepers, the different medical approaches and precautions necessary for different species of animals, and the importance of community engagement to ensure proper education and funding to help keep these animals safe and alive. It was amazing to work with an international team of vets from not only Singapore, but also Malaysia, Australia, France, Japan, and Taiwan. While these vets and I all came from different cultural and educational backgrounds, we all were united through veterinary medicine. Animals are all over the world, therefore the need for veterinarians is seen all over the world.It is so special that our field is so universal, and I am thankful I was able to experience it myself.
My time in Singapore was spent mostly at work for my externship, but I also had plenty of time off to explore the city and make it my own. I ate at the famous Hawker centers, went to tons of museums highlighting Singapore history and Asian art, hiked in the rainforest, ran into plenty of monkeys and birds, and enjoyed the popular nightlife. While I have visited many countries before, this was my first time truly living outside of California. The first time I could call somewhere else my home, even if it was for a short period of time. It has only sparked my desire to experience something similar again and keep living and thriving in this global atmosphere.
