Page 84 - AEI Insights 2019 - Vol. 5, Issue 1

AEI Insights, Vol 5, Issue 1, 2019

background. The confidence and maturity that she felt was a natural progression, where she
quipped, “100 percent more confident”. She further added that, “I see things in a broader way,
am more critical and analytical about what someone else would say. Last time I would just take
anything that people said at face value”. Pacilia believes that as a designer and a professional
it is important to emphatise with people’s needs and one can build a better relationship when
possessing this trait. She discovered she became more firm in making decisions, starting from
her traveling experience, where she had to make countless decisions whether she could catch
the trains and buses. She recognized that this little steps accumulated make huge strides,
realizing that until she did it on her own, did she finally see.
Living on her own overseas also affected Pacilia’s religious outlook. She said she was prepared
to face the challenges as she believes God has a better plan for her to explore in Italy Europe.
She managed to find an Evangelical church despite being in a Catholic country. She mixed
with different people, such as an Irish couple who was a full time missionary in the church.
The church community helped her a lot to find herself at times when things are rough. Even
though it was a positive and significant two years of her life, she encountered egoistical and
difficult people although on hindsight the problem with verbal communication was a barrier.
She felt that in general, Italians are quite insular and determined in preserving their culture, to
foreign people’s dismay. Culturally they try to preserve themselves and will not change,
whether it is to do with food, thinking or mannerisms. She said that Malaysians, whom she is
one, are more flexible as, “we are consisting of three races and have to learn to tolerate each
other.” she remarked Italians love their language, art, music and heritage.

When asked whether she sees herself “working overseas’’, Pacilia said that she is opened to
the idea to go overseas if there is an opportunity for employment, adding that she prefers a
medium size architecture company rather than an international company. However, her priority
now is to complete her Malaysian Architecture Board’s Professional Part 3 examinations to be
a registered architect. The idea of professionalism was also gained from the Italian experience
as she said that accepting other people’s ideas is important, and is the same, when working or
studying. She said, “It is not about whether one’s ideas are better than others but to explore the
best ideas in the situation, therefore one must consider the best ideas”. She added that, “the
person must be a humble person so that she is able to accept other views”.

Finally, when asked to reflect whether her two-year experience in Italy was the reason her
current employer took her in (her overseas living experience and architectural exposure), she
agreed that it might be as she feels she is now bold enough to interact with people regardless
of their nationality. In fact these days she enjoys holding a conversation with her international
clients.

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