My Encounters, My Life: 2019

Sunday, July 07, 2019

Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellows Program (Spring 2019)

This is a compilation of my once-in-a-lifetime Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Professional Fellows Program (Spring 2019).

The program brought me to visit the United States of America for the first time in my life. During the 6 weeks' stay in the US, I had the chance to visit Washington DC and was based in the City of Chicago for 4 weeks. At Chicago, I had the chance to work in Metropolitan Family Services and learn they support families and build strong communities. From Chicago, we also had the chance to visit nearby places such as Springfield, Illinois; New Berlin, Illinois; Village of Barrington; the City of North Chicago; and Madison, Wisconsin.

Special Thanks to US Department of State for the opportunity; American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) for delivering a robust schedule for the program; Ric Estrada, CEO and President of Metropolitan Family Services for hosting me at the organisation for 4 weeks; ACYPL alumni who facilitated our placements and arranged our visits and meetings; colleagues and friends we met in the US; and most importantly, the 23 other ACYPL Professional Fellows (especially Ivy, Yasmin and My who were also in Chicago with me) who made the experience the way it couldn't be any richer.

There are too many people to thank, and I hope, in a way, that my blogposts had done justice in showing appreciation to each and every one of them.

Pre-Departure

I am a YSEALI Professional Fellow!

Orientation Week in Washington DC

Placement in City of Chicago

Springfield and New Berlin, Illinois

City of Chicago

Madison, Wisconsin

City of Chicago

Village of Barrington

YSEALI PFP Day 28: Barrington - the Bedroom Community

City of Chicago

City of North Chicago

YSEALI PFP Day 33: City of North Chicago

City of Chicago

Washington DC (Memorial Weekend)

Professional Fellows Congress

Home Sweet Home

YSEALI PFP Day 42: Home Sweet Home

Saturday, July 06, 2019

YSEALI PFP Day 42: Home Sweet Home

31 May 2019

Last few hours in Washington DC and the United States.

We had our last breakfast at the Capital Hilton, and bade our final farewells to one another.

A Mustang

ACYPL YSEALI Professional Fellows from Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore left for the Dulles International Airport together.

Reminded of #PearceRanch

The Potbelly Stove

Pre-flight Lunch

When our Indochina counterparts and us flew to Washington DC, we transited at Incheon International Airport. They had longer wait times than us. On our return trip, we had the longest wait time. To be exact: 10 hours.

Enjoying a musical performance at Terminal 2

At the Korean Traditional Culture Experience Center, we past time by making our own Hanji Fan.

Hanji Fan

Donning the Korean traditional costume

Annyeong haseyo

Moving on...

At the Kids Zone:

After conquering the Kids Zone, we went to check out the digital gym.

Tracking the amount of calories burnt by throwing balls into the cones

Jumping Challenge

Clearing the triangles as one jumps

Stepping Challenge

As evening approaches, the hustle and bustle of Incheon International Airport dissipated into a calm and serene place.

Dinner

Augmented Reality

And soon it was time for us to take our flight.

Professional Fellows Congress Day 3 & Farewell Reception at State Department

30 May 2019

Several of us were in our National Attire as that was the dress code for the Dinner hosted by US State Department.

With Professional Fellows from Malaysia, Nepal and Thailand

My ethnic Indian wear drew several curious questions as to that was Singapore's national costume. Was happy to share and explain that there are four main ethnic groups in Singapore.

With Huang Shuling (China) donning an ethnic minority costume

First, we had the plenary session on Transforming Vision into Reality, by Viola Llewellyn, Co-Founder and President, Ovamba Solutions Inc.

Viola Llewellyn

Viola shared that the toolkit of diversity is our strength. The Leader Within has the power of managing failure; the power to encouraging growth; and needs to hone the art of authenticity and vulnerability.

Viola urged Fellows to make managing change a legacy, and to develop a culture of connecting the old and new. She added, "We will die one day."

Viola shared that solving problem is an honour and privilege. One needs to sell the upside/game, not the product itself, e.g. when someone wants a hole in the wall, we don't sell the wall to the person but the tools to drill the hole.

She ended off with an analogy which succinctly describes most of our journey: When you drive at night, you can only see the lighted road right in front of you and can't see your destination, but you keep driving. Why? Isn't it because you want to reach your destination?

After the break, Matt Bikoff, Alumni Outreach Coordinator, Alumni Affairs Office - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, US Department of State shared with us on the alumni resources available to us after the Professional Fellows Program.

Past Alumni of the US State Department programs include Louis Armstrong and Henry Kissinger

Alumni include 588 Heads of State

US State Department adds 55,000 new alumni every year. Alumni gains free access to news, periodicals, research journals; as well as entrepreneurship resources and opportunities.

"Citizen Diplomats"

With Ivy (Malaysia) in Kebaya

Was chatting with Sokha and learnt that she was with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and was based in Chicago. We lamented at how we should have got to know one another much earlier so that we could go for meetings with unions in Chicago.

With Sokha Chov (Cambodia) and Sumair Sethna (India)

Dr Deidre Combs leading a workshop on "Be a Leader We All Want to Follow"

With Dr Deidre Combs

ACYPL staff with Professional Fellows

With ACYPL staff Pete DeAnna and Kaylee Boalt

With fellow NUS alumnus Becky (China) and Jocelyn

With Jay Mataio (Papua New Guinea) who shared that he had just started reading Mr Lee Kuan Yew's memoir :)

We adjourned to the small group dialogue workshop to reflect on and share our learnings and experience.

My car waiting for me. Just kidding

278 Professional Fellows

With ACYPL CEO Libby Rosenbaum

With ACYPL's Cameron Schupp

The Alumni Impact Awards Presentation of Awards Ceremony:

Robert Ogburn, Director, Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, US Department of State

Closing Remarks by Chris Miner, Managing Director, Professional and Cultural Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, US Department of State

Presentation of Alumni Impact Awards

With Thome Xaisongkham (Laos) who had met my wife in a regional forum

The Professional Fellows were bused to the US Department of State building for dinner.

Flags on display at the lobby of US Department of State Building

That was a spectacularly well-decorated pathway to the toilet

A portrait of George Washington

The Definitive Treaty of Peace and Friendship between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, signed at Paris, the 3rd of September 1783