Dr. Samuel Chuah is the newest addition to the Honors Program. He will be leading the trip to Malaysia starting Summer 2019, and this past quarter taught the pre-trip course, UHNR 231. His primary appointment at La Sierra is as a Professor of Finance & Economics in the Zapara School of Business. It is our pleasure to welcome Dr. Chuah to the Honors family!
1. Where are you from and which school did you go to?
I grew up in Penang, Malaysia. I went to a Chinese-language grade school, where most of the courses were in Chinese, but we also had to study the Malay language, which was the national language of Malaysia, and the English language, which was the language used in general business and social activities. Then I went to a Chinese-language high school, where all the courses were in English, except for language courses in Chinese and Malay. I went to the University of the Philippines in Quezon City to study Mathematics for my undergraduate degree, and finished a Master’s of Arts in Economics there as well. Later, after working as a missionary in Hong Kong for about 5 years, I went on to Washington State University in Pullman and finished a PhD in Economics, with emphasis in monetary economics and econometrics, and a focus in finance.
2. What are some of your favorite hobbies?
I prefer quiet activities, with low competitive objectives, and participate in them only for the sake of being sociable. Hence, I love to play word games such as scrabble and boggle, without the usual time constraints. The interest is in having fun and learning new words at the same time. Being competitive in these games takes away the learning component. Besides, these games can be played in solitude, another form of educational pastime. I also like number games such as sudoku, which is played in solitude. Other quiet pastimes include stamp and coin collecting. I also play some group activities with low emphasis on competition, such as international and Chinese chess, and table tennis. Other hobbies are walking and hiking (if I have time), cooking (and the eating that comes with it), and travelling. Travelling for me is not the same as for others. I like to travel for leisure and enjoyment, sometimes visiting friends or relatives if they are in the vicinity of the destinations on my itinerary. But sightseeing is not my ultimate goal, at least not for myself, but I can accommodate it for my travelling partners.
3. What are your top pet peeves?
I am normally quite tolerant of other people’s activities or behavior, unless these invade into my personal space, affecting my individual comfort or safety. Accordingly, I feel very uncomfortable when someone drives around the neighborhood testing the limits to their newly bought boombox, eagerly sharing their brand of music. Their right to the freedom of expression had clashed with my right to quietude. There is never a good balance found for this. Next on the higher list is the smoke that drifts around on a windless evening when I am having an outdoor dinner. Which patron at the restaurant has a greater right, the one who smokes or the one who doesn’t?
4. What are some of your favorite snacks in Malaysia?
There are many food items in Malaysia that remain my favorites. There is laksa, a noodle in spicy minced fish with a variety of herbs; ice-kachang, a fruit salad topped with shaved ice and flavored syrups; char-koay-teow, a stir-fried flat rice noodle with local vegetables; mertabak, a south-Indian roti wrapped around mixing made with eggs, chopped onions, and minced meat of choice (or vegetarian); fresh coconut drink; and of course, anything durian!
5. What is your favorite activity to do in Malaysia?
Among the many things I can do in Malaysia, my favorite activities are eating and shopping. This will be my first time leading a study tour to Malaysia, but I expect that will become a new favorite experience.
6. What is an interesting fact that you would like us to know?
I have taught classes on eight university and college campuses in five countries across three different continents.
7. What are some goals in your bucket list?
Sometime in the near future, I would like to go on a cruise marathon, city to city connected only by cruises. One example would be from LA through the Panama Canal to Miami or Galveston, from there through the Caribbean to Orlando, from Orlando to Spain, then on to Southampton in London, then to Boston. Another can be from LA to Alaska, then Vancouver, BC. From there to Japan, then to Singapore, then through Vietnam to Hong Kong, and then another 30-day cruise back to Vancouver BC. In a good season, it may be possible to purchase from the overstocked inventory market for around $5,000. Imagine three months in the summer, relaxation and travel, going to the gym on the ship for exercise, doing sudoku and boggle when in the mood, working on a couple of research projects. I won’t even mention the food. What a wonderful experience!
8. A few pictures of Dr. Samuel Chuah and his favorite Malaysian eats:
— Interview by Kay Kim, Class of 2021