UEA Science Roadshow: Malaysia 2018

The Kitchen Chemist has been to Malaysia! The University of East Anglia and their partners INTO arranged for me to visit schools in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Miri and Kota Kinabalu. Although there was lots of time on the road, or rather, in the air, on this “Roadshow” these was also the chance to sample local cuisine and take a quick look at my surroundings.

We arranged that I should arrive in Kuala Lumpur (KL) with a day in hand. This meant I had the chance to come to terms with the six hour time change and to have a look around. After a breakfast briefing meeting with my hosts, the UEA Malaysia staff, I took an open topped bus to sample the delights of KL. The advantage of this choice is that one gets a quick overview, and now I know what I will aim to visit if I get the chance to go back. What was very noticeable was the traditional two, and three storey buildings nestling at the feet of skyscrapers, such as the Petronas Towers, some of which had obviously been exposed to the harsh tropical climate.

The hotel was also very interesting. The outdoor swimming pool was on the top floor, and there were signs banning durians, the world’s smelliest fruit, on every floor. In addition there was a link through to a very impressive shopping centre, and the main transport hub: KL Sentral.

Monday saw the Roadshow get started. My first stop was at the Chong Hwa Independent School, followed by Sri Nobel International School. The next day was at the SMJK Katholic School, and Sri Emas International School who put a short report on their Facebook site. Once finished at Sri Emas we headed for the airport to travel to East Malaysia, and Kuching.

Once in Kuching we visited St. Joseph National and International School, followed by Lodge National and International School. We also had the benefit of a local guide which meant that we sampled the very best of the local cuisine. We also had the opportunity to try birds nest soup, and pick up a local speciality – pepper.

Only one night in Kuching and we were jetting off to Miri. In Miri we were hosted by SMK Chung Ha school and RIAM Road Secondary School. Again only one night stay before flying to Kota Kinabula. Unfortunately the impending election meant that exam timetables had to be shifted, and the result was that we were only able to visit one school in the morning: Kian Kok Middle School.

It sounds as if this was a punishing schedule, but there was plenty of time built in to enable us to sample local delicacies at our leisure. There were also  willing helpers on hand who made my job much easier. After the first day they had picked up what needed to be done, so setting up and clearing up were both very efficient. Thanks should go to Carolyn, Kevin, CL, and Amalina. The same team was responsible for the details on the ground. Not only organising all the schools, but also ensuring that we had the correct materials for the shows. Not all of them are allowed on an aeroplane!

I had arranged to fly back on Sunday so I had all of Saturday to explore Kota Kinabalu. I was advised to go island hopping, which I did, and turned out was a treat idea. There are a number of ferries between small tropical islands, with beautiful beaches, short walks through wilderness areas, and lots of water based activities. All of these lie just off the coast. My ticket included two islands, lunch and transport to and from the hotel to the quay. I also discovered the how refreshing fresh coconut is.

I had a great time and my shows seemed to go down well, so I may have another chance to visit, and see some more of Malayasia, and perhaps more of South East Asia.

I have put some of my photos together in a photogallery, where you can see some of the dishes we ate, teatime of fresh green coconut, and pictures of the shows. Thanks once again to the support team (L – R) Amalina, Carolyn, CL, Julie and Kevin.

My support team in Malaysia