Stories from the field

Author Santiago Fitznar

Hey, there! My name is Santiago Erding, and I am a 3rd-year student majoring in Political Science with a minor in Business at the University of Victoria. For my CAPI internship, I will be working with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, for 6 months. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and excited to see how this experience unfolds.

Santiago Erding – Blog 5: Dear Future Intern

Dear future intern, your life is about to undergo a paradigm shift into a world of self-reflection and unknowing. Just when you think you’ve cracked the code, the symbols rearrange themselves. When life begins to feel static, and the daily… Continue Reading →

Santiago Erding – Blog 4: Everything I didn’t pack and the pseudoscience of happiness.

When I first heard about the CAPI internship, I was eager to pursue it, but not for the reasons many would think. As much as I was interested in immersing myself in a random community in Southeast Asia and using… Continue Reading →

Santiago Erding – Blog 3: Stress, Songs, and Fried Chicken: Learning to Walk

Unplugging the Treadmill: Reflections from Sabah There’s an old saying, the “rat race,” that conjures a life of motion without movement: sprinting from obligation to obligation with barely a breath between. Running to work, running at work, running home, running… Continue Reading →

Santiago Erding  – Blog 2: Aramaiti: Politics, Lipstick, and an Ode to Sabah

After a sentimental farewell to my parents at the Vancouver airport, I embarked on my journey with my intern-mate, Sarah, on a gruelling 16-hour flight to Singapore. Upon landing in Singapore, we walked through the mega-scaled airport, people-watched, and stumbled… Continue Reading →

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