Travelers Page. Name: Owen Yeager. Major/Degree: Masters of Accountancy

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1 Travelers Page Name: Owen Yeager Major/Degree: Masters of Accountancy I am considered a nontraditional student in that I was 30 when I participated in this class. I earned my BBA in accountancy last year and I am wrapping up my Masters this fall. Last year I had the honor to serve as the President of Beta Alpha Psi where I first learned about this opportunity and having that network of fellow students made this trip all that more enjoyable. I am pursuing a career in public accounting and after taking this class my goal is to move into a consulting or advisory role within a firm that has global operations. Personally this class was a game changer and eye opening. The SHOCK from friends and family when I said I was going to Singapore was always interesting. More rewarding was coming home to say it was more than worth it. I will remain a traveler as the experience gave such a perspective of what this world is like outside of America. Now being able to share an entirely different culture is incredibly fulfilling and has only added to the experience. In high insight I wish I had made plans to do even more. I can promise you the adventure will be what you make it. You will be asked to work hard but you will appreciate the comfort you have in the knowledge you will attain. Being there and experiencing mass transit, hawkers, the people and just cultural differences were fun, interesting and difficult at times. Learning that personal space doesn t exist outside of the U.S. was my first lesson but one I learned to appreciate as the days passed. Eating at the hawkers was both familiar and completely different, if you go to any mall in America and visit the food court you will find the principal of what a hawker is but what is available is so much different in Singapore. The hawkers bring together the foods of the world s cultures all into one area. It wasn t uncommon to find Indian, Malaysian, fried chicken, Korean, Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Vegetarian, Japanese, soups and buffets. It wouldn t be more than 6.00 sing dollars for a complete meal. Don t worry though, if you re missing home you can find a McDonalds and 7-11 around the corner. I can t say enough about this experience, if you can make this happen you can t afford not to take this trip. This experience could literally be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

2 Introduction to Singapore Photos In our first weekend we jumped right in to meeting other students and traveling around the main business district, Raffles Place. This part of the tour gave us an idea of what it s like to work in the business professional world of Singapore. Students Network and Tour Downtown Singapore

3 On the same weekend as above the second part of our tour took us to the more scenic parts of the city. Here we see the Marina Bay and you get a little glimpse of some of the more famous parts of Singapore. Students Network and Tour Bay Front Singapore We experienced Singapore s worst air conditions in the history as illegal burning in Indonesia effected the entire area of the world. It was really amazing to see the mobility enacted by the government to take care of their citizens. We enjoyed masks for a couple days towards the end of the trip and got a chance to take a group photo having a little fun with it. Raffles Place (Main Business District)

4 Everywhere you travel in Singapore is by mass transit. Whether it s a double decker bus or a train or two you will learn to be a savvy mass transit traveler after you visit Singapore. The reason behind this is the country charges a licensing fee on vehicles of nearly 90 thousand dollars (only good for 10 years) on top of having to buy the car which prices are heavily inflated due to import taxes. So it wouldn t be uncommon to pay 130K to be driving a Toyota Camry without all of the options. This was done to discourage driving but the program actually allowed more drivers so Singapore is moving to a GPS tracking system on every car that will then force you to pay an additional tax per mile you drive.

5 MRT Train All over the trains and buses you will find posters that remind you to be mindful of those around you and also if you are an individual who needs a seat to ask politely. It shocked me to see people litterally look around before they sat which seemed so much more mindful of others than my experiences in America.

6 MRT Society Comic Strip