After 5 hours at the office (yes I know it is Sunday....don't ask) I went to KLCC to grab a quick bite and get a thank you card for my host. Klang was fun. The trip there was quite interesting...I took the commuter rail there. It's an electric train and we had an intense lightening storm on the way over. A bolt must have struck the line and the train came to a complete halt. I had been warned that this can happen, so I wasn't really that concerned until I heard it was going to take over an hour to fix, if at all. It was pooping rain, but fortunately we broke down about a hundred yards from the last stop so I just jumped off and walked back. G picked me up at the station and we headed to her house to cook up some tasty food. We had spice rubbed garlic baked fish, cheesy potato gratin, some type of veggie, and we attempted to make mango rice, but we were all too full to eat any of it. I also met her friend R who is an awesome chef. After overcoming our food comas we headed to the mall.
Mall going is a pastime of Malaysians, plus I really needed to get a few things. Our apartment doesn't even have filtered water, and I was in desperate need of another fan to blast in my face at night so I was going in prepared to spend some. I also bought beer for later that night. The mall, especially Jusco (kinda like a target but with more of a grocery focus) was a complete CF. It didn't really surprise me, the annual sales are going on because the schools are on break, and westerners find a lot of things in Asia a complete CF in general. This mall was medium to large size (I thought it was enormous) something like 5 floors. Pretty redic. They have stuff from all over, and yes, all the crazy things you can imagine do exist here. I got some household items, including a fan...which I just opened to set up and found that the plug only has one prong...ugh! I'm going to return it, so I went to look on Google Maps for the nearest Jusco, and it's actually quite close, but the roads here prohibit me from walking there, unless I want to wander way out of the way, so the only way to return it is to go by LRT (inner city light rail) to the next stop. So unless I want to drag this fan to work with me tomorrow (it's surprisingly heavy) I'm going to have to come back home, then go back out just to take the train one stop over, hope I don't get lost by going the wrong direction and return the fan. Total bummer cuz it's hotter than hell tonight (didn't rain today). I'm going to just shower and not dry off or something lol. We had some Indian and Chinese last night and watched House, then I passed out. I had a fitful night of sleep due to heat and bad dreams. I awoke the this morning, headed to the market (which I always find interesting) and the sweltering heat got to me. I had to lie in the AC at G's place. We stopped on the way back to KL to get some much needed Gatorade, I was pretty dehydrated. That compounded with missing my bf and doggy made for a tough morning, but I came out stronger.
I had some really good conversations with G. She's getting ready to move to Brazil to be with her boyfriend. She get's what it's like to be in a new place, miss your significant other, and other culture shock related issues. I was so grateful I got to meet her. She made me feel better about things that bother me on the inside about being away from home. It is definitely harder than I thought. It isn't like I'm on a holiday, I'm working and living here. We talked about various global issues and Malay life. Malaysia is surprisingly international. Many kids go to school overseas, thus it's common to marry or move to another country and with a shrinking world, there is a lot of racial mixing going on. On the flip side, there is a lot of racial undertones. Maybe not like racism as we know it in the west, but she said that the one thing that bothers her is that Malaysians don't identify themselves as Malaysian first. Instead, they identify themselves as Indian, Malay, Eurasian, Chinese ect. It even goes as far as to state their race on their identity cards. I found this interesting. Countries like Rwanda did this and it led to a terrible genocide. Not that I think Malaysia is going to erupt into a brutal civil war, but it was interesting to me. The government has at the same time started a campaign called One Malaysia. You see this logo everywhere that is a Malaysian flag pattern shaped into the number one. I was wondering what that was all about.
G's friend R also had some interesting insight. She's Malay, which usually means Muslim. However, she doesn't wear the head-dress or anything like that. I asked why and she said because she didn't grow up wearing it and it's an all or nothing kind of deal. Like you should cover everything but your face or hands or just don't do it. She doesn't believe in what I'll call the halfsies you see. People dressed in normal street clothes, usually not shorts, with the head covered. It's so hot here I really don't blame her. She also said the main reason why the people of North Africa and the Middle East cover their faces is because of the horrid sandstorms. I think this makes sense, cuz sand pelting at your face sucks no matter what religion you are, but what both of us didn't understand was the color choice. Black to me seems like it would be terribly uncomfortable in the heat, white may be a better choice. I also asked about the dog thing. She said that Muslims can't keep dogs as pets, but they can have working dogs. She also mentioned that it is un-Halal to touch a wet dog (because of the rabies outbreak back in the day) but that today they are making Halal soap for dog owners. I thought that was kinda cool. She said that the main reason why Malay Muslims don't like/tease dogs is because they are afraid of them. She's an animal lover but doesn't keep dogs. She also mentioned that drinking is forbidden in Muslim culture, it just needs to be consumed under the right pretenses. She said that a drink or two in a social occasion is acceptable, but the law was created to discourage dependency on alcohol. She said that most Muslim countries don't serve alcohol unless you are a foreigner, but alcohol may occasionally be consumed in the private of one's home. When I asked about countries (such as Brunei) that straight up ban it, she and I both agreed it was probably done for control over the population.
I know next to nothing about Muslim culture, so I'm trying to ask as many people as I can about it. Us westerners, especially Americans, have a very skewed view and access to information about Muslim culture. A lot of practices seem contradictory to me, but I believe people have the right to believe what they choose and practice accordingly. However, I also believe in refraining from passing judgement about things you don't know about as much as possible. Asking never hurt anyone, and I find here especially, Malaysians may appear shy, but if you ask they will share in a candid manner. Obviously R can't speak for everyone, but it was interesting to get another opinion on things I know little about. I'm finding that is the best way to get to know Malaysia. Ask and observe. Everyone here is very different, much like any other place, but to a larger extent here because of so many different belief systems and cultures. I've had a couple of people around where I live ask about me. For example, I was buying street food from my favorite wok man and I guy around my age asked where I was from and was asking about America. I'm sure this was provoked by the fact that I was in a very local part of town where foreigners are rarely seen, even expats. He wanted to practice his English and I'm sure he debated a while whether or not to approach me because I caught him looking over at me several times. However, I spoke some Malay to the wok man and he started to ask me questions. He was with his girlfriend and it was a well lit area so I didn't feel threatened (plus I had a good 4 inches on the guy). I was quite impressed with his courage to just talk to me. That's not super common here. But I, in a way, understood how he must have felt.
I'm well aware that I stand out here. I'm ok with it though. Ya, it means I have to haggle a little more, people try to pull fast ones on you. They assume you can't understand them (although they will not talk shit about you just sometimes stare and giggle). You are aware that no matter how hard you try or how well you speak the language, the color of your skin is a clear indicator that you are not and never could be from here. However, it doesn't really bother me. I'm not from here. The world is shrinking and Malaysia isn't oblivious to it. They are just as curious about you as you are of them. I mean, I don't have a British accent, being an American is much less common here. I really don't know where I'm going with all of this. I'm sure it's the heat talking. Needless to say I know I am in a place that is truly foreign to back home, and they know it as well. But I have yet to experience true malicious intent. I told G and R on the way home that I have been blown away by the hospitality here. Anyone who has done any extended amount of international traveling and has any sort of sense what-so-ever for cultural intelligence knows when you are not welcome and I have yet to have that feeling here (knock on wood). R told me this is because Malaysians value good food and good time spent with friends and family. That is something I can relate to. Family life is important here. Family includes friends. If you make the effort, you really can feel welcome.
Tired and in need of a shower.
-M
After 5 hours at the office (yes I know it is Sunday....don't ask) I went to KLCC to grab a quick bite and get a thank you card for my host. Klang was fun. The trip there was quite interesting...I took the commuter rail there. It's an electric train and we had an intense lightening storm on the way over. A bolt must have struck the line and the train came to a complete halt. I had been warned that this can happen, so I wasn't really that concerned until I heard it was going to take over an hour to fix, if at all. It was pooping rain, but fortunately we broke down about a hundred yards from the last stop so I just jumped off and walked back. G picked me up at the station and we headed to her house to cook up some tasty food. We had spice rubbed garlic baked fish, cheesy potato gratin, some type of veggie, and we attempted to make mango rice, but we were all too full to eat any of it. I also met her friend R who is an awesome chef. After overcoming our food comas we headed to the mall.
Mall going is a pastime of Malaysians, plus I really needed to get a few things. Our apartment doesn't even have filtered water, and I was in desperate need of another fan to blast in my face at night so I was going in prepared to spend some. I also bought beer for later that night. The mall, especially Jusco (kinda like a target but with more of a grocery focus) was a complete CF. It didn't really surprise me, the annual sales are going on because the schools are on break, and westerners find a lot of things in Asia a complete CF in general. This mall was medium to large size (I thought it was enormous) something like 5 floors. Pretty redic. They have stuff from all over, and yes, all the crazy things you can imagine do exist here. I got some household items, including a fan...which I just opened to set up and found that the plug only has one prong...ugh! I'm going to return it, so I went to look on Google Maps for the nearest Jusco, and it's actually quite close, but the roads here prohibit me from walking there, unless I want to wander way out of the way, so the only way to return it is to go by LRT (inner city light rail) to the next stop. So unless I want to drag this fan to work with me tomorrow (it's surprisingly heavy) I'm going to have to come back home, then go back out just to take the train one stop over, hope I don't get lost by going the wrong direction and return the fan. Total bummer cuz it's hotter than hell tonight (didn't rain today). I'm going to just shower and not dry off or something lol. We had some Indian and Chinese last night and watched House, then I passed out. I had a fitful night of sleep due to heat and bad dreams. I awoke the this morning, headed to the market (which I always find interesting) and the sweltering heat got to me. I had to lie in the AC at G's place. We stopped on the way back to KL to get some much needed Gatorade, I was pretty dehydrated. That compounded with missing my bf and doggy made for a tough morning, but I came out stronger.
I had some really good conversations with G. She's getting ready to move to Brazil to be with her boyfriend. She get's what it's like to be in a new place, miss your significant other, and other culture shock related issues. I was so grateful I got to meet her. She made me feel better about things that bother me on the inside about being away from home. It is definitely harder than I thought. It isn't like I'm on a holiday, I'm working and living here. We talked about various global issues and Malay life. Malaysia is surprisingly international. Many kids go to school overseas, thus it's common to marry or move to another country and with a shrinking world, there is a lot of racial mixing going on. On the flip side, there is a lot of racial undertones. Maybe not like racism as we know it in the west, but she said that the one thing that bothers her is that Malaysians don't identify themselves as Malaysian first. Instead, they identify themselves as Indian, Malay, Eurasian, Chinese ect. It even goes as far as to state their race on their identity cards. I found this interesting. Countries like Rwanda did this and it led to a terrible genocide. Not that I think Malaysia is going to erupt into a brutal civil war, but it was interesting to me. The government has at the same time started a campaign called One Malaysia. You see this logo everywhere that is a Malaysian flag pattern shaped into the number one. I was wondering what that was all about.
G's friend R also had some interesting insight. She's Malay, which usually means Muslim. However, she doesn't wear the head-dress or anything like that. I asked why and she said because she didn't grow up wearing it and it's an all or nothing kind of deal. Like you should cover everything but your face or hands or just don't do it. She doesn't believe in what I'll call the halfsies you see. People dressed in normal street clothes, usually not shorts, with the head covered. It's so hot here I really don't blame her. She also said the main reason why the people of North Africa and the Middle East cover their faces is because of the horrid sandstorms. I think this makes sense, cuz sand pelting at your face sucks no matter what religion you are, but what both of us didn't understand was the color choice. Black to me seems like it would be terribly uncomfortable in the heat, white may be a better choice. I also asked about the dog thing. She said that Muslims can't keep dogs as pets, but they can have working dogs. She also mentioned that it is un-Halal to touch a wet dog (because of the rabies outbreak back in the day) but that today they are making Halal soap for dog owners. I thought that was kinda cool. She said that the main reason why Malay Muslims don't like/tease dogs is because they are afraid of them. She's an animal lover but doesn't keep dogs. She also mentioned that drinking is forbidden in Muslim culture, it just needs to be consumed under the right pretenses. She said that a drink or two in a social occasion is acceptable, but the law was created to discourage dependency on alcohol. She said that most Muslim countries don't serve alcohol unless you are a foreigner, but alcohol may occasionally be consumed in the private of one's home. When I asked about countries (such as Brunei) that straight up ban it, she and I both agreed it was probably done for control over the population.
I know next to nothing about Muslim culture, so I'm trying to ask as many people as I can about it. Us westerners, especially Americans, have a very skewed view and access to information about Muslim culture. A lot of practices seem contradictory to me, but I believe people have the right to believe what they choose and practice accordingly. However, I also believe in refraining from passing judgement about things you don't know about as much as possible. Asking never hurt anyone, and I find here especially, Malaysians may appear shy, but if you ask they will share in a candid manner. Obviously R can't speak for everyone, but it was interesting to get another opinion on things I know little about. I'm finding that is the best way to get to know Malaysia. Ask and observe. Everyone here is very different, much like any other place, but to a larger extent here because of so many different belief systems and cultures. I've had a couple of people around where I live ask about me. For example, I was buying street food from my favorite wok man and I guy around my age asked where I was from and was asking about America. I'm sure this was provoked by the fact that I was in a very local part of town where foreigners are rarely seen, even expats. He wanted to practice his English and I'm sure he debated a while whether or not to approach me because I caught him looking over at me several times. However, I spoke some Malay to the wok man and he started to ask me questions. He was with his girlfriend and it was a well lit area so I didn't feel threatened (plus I had a good 4 inches on the guy). I was quite impressed with his courage to just talk to me. That's not super common here. But I, in a way, understood how he must have felt.
I'm well aware that I stand out here. I'm ok with it though. Ya, it means I have to haggle a little more, people try to pull fast ones on you. They assume you can't understand them (although they will not talk shit about you just sometimes stare and giggle). You are aware that no matter how hard you try or how well you speak the language, the color of your skin is a clear indicator that you are not and never could be from here. However, it doesn't really bother me. I'm not from here. The world is shrinking and Malaysia isn't oblivious to it. They are just as curious about you as you are of them. I mean, I don't have a British accent, being an American is much less common here. I really don't know where I'm going with all of this. I'm sure it's the heat talking. Needless to say I know I am in a place that is truly foreign to back home, and they know it as well. But I have yet to experience true malicious intent. I told G and R on the way home that I have been blown away by the hospitality here. Anyone who has done any extended amount of international traveling and has any sort of sense what-so-ever for cultural intelligence knows when you are not welcome and I have yet to have that feeling here (knock on wood). R told me this is because Malaysians value good food and good time spent with friends and family. That is something I can relate to. Family life is important here. Family includes friends. If you make the effort, you really can feel welcome.
Tired and in need of a shower.
-M
After 5 hours at the office (yes I know it is Sunday....don't ask) I went to KLCC to grab a quick bite and get a thank you card for my host. Klang was fun. The trip there was quite interesting...I took the commuter rail there. It's an electric train and we had an intense lightening storm on the way over. A bolt must have struck the line and the train came to a complete halt. I had been warned that this can happen, so I wasn't really that concerned until I heard it was going to take over an hour to fix, if at all. It was pooping rain, but fortunately we broke down about a hundred yards from the last stop so I just jumped off and walked back. G picked me up at the station and we headed to her house to cook up some tasty food. We had spice rubbed garlic baked fish, cheesy potato gratin, some type of veggie, and we attempted to make mango rice, but we were all too full to eat any of it. I also met her friend R who is an awesome chef. After overcoming our food comas we headed to the mall.
Mall going is a pastime of Malaysians, plus I really needed to get a few things. Our apartment doesn't even have filtered water, and I was in desperate need of another fan to blast in my face at night so I was going in prepared to spend some. I also bought beer for later that night. The mall, especially Jusco (kinda like a target but with more of a grocery focus) was a complete CF. It didn't really surprise me, the annual sales are going on because the schools are on break, and westerners find a lot of things in Asia a complete CF in general. This mall was medium to large size (I thought it was enormous) something like 5 floors. Pretty redic. They have stuff from all over, and yes, all the crazy things you can imagine do exist here. I got some household items, including a fan...which I just opened to set up and found that the plug only has one prong...ugh! I'm going to return it, so I went to look on Google Maps for the nearest Jusco, and it's actually quite close, but the roads here prohibit me from walking there, unless I want to wander way out of the way, so the only way to return it is to go by LRT (inner city light rail) to the next stop. So unless I want to drag this fan to work with me tomorrow (it's surprisingly heavy) I'm going to have to come back home, then go back out just to take the train one stop over, hope I don't get lost by going the wrong direction and return the fan. Total bummer cuz it's hotter than hell tonight (didn't rain today). I'm going to just shower and not dry off or something lol. We had some Indian and Chinese last night and watched House, then I passed out. I had a fitful night of sleep due to heat and bad dreams. I awoke the this morning, headed to the market (which I always find interesting) and the sweltering heat got to me. I had to lie in the AC at G's place. We stopped on the way back to KL to get some much needed Gatorade, I was pretty dehydrated. That compounded with missing my bf and doggy made for a tough morning, but I came out stronger.
I had some really good conversations with G. She's getting ready to move to Brazil to be with her boyfriend. She get's what it's like to be in a new place, miss your significant other, and other culture shock related issues. I was so grateful I got to meet her. She made me feel better about things that bother me on the inside about being away from home. It is definitely harder than I thought. It isn't like I'm on a holiday, I'm working and living here. We talked about various global issues and Malay life. Malaysia is surprisingly international. Many kids go to school overseas, thus it's common to marry or move to another country and with a shrinking world, there is a lot of racial mixing going on. On the flip side, there is a lot of racial undertones. Maybe not like racism as we know it in the west, but she said that the one thing that bothers her is that Malaysians don't identify themselves as Malaysian first. Instead, they identify themselves as Indian, Malay, Eurasian, Chinese ect. It even goes as far as to state their race on their identity cards. I found this interesting. Countries like Rwanda did this and it led to a terrible genocide. Not that I think Malaysia is going to erupt into a brutal civil war, but it was interesting to me. The government has at the same time started a campaign called One Malaysia. You see this logo everywhere that is a Malaysian flag pattern shaped into the number one. I was wondering what that was all about.
G's friend R also had some interesting insight. She's Malay, which usually means Muslim. However, she doesn't wear the head-dress or anything like that. I asked why and she said because she didn't grow up wearing it and it's an all or nothing kind of deal. Like you should cover everything but your face or hands or just don't do it. She doesn't believe in what I'll call the halfsies you see. People dressed in normal street clothes, usually not shorts, with the head covered. It's so hot here I really don't blame her. She also said the main reason why the people of North Africa and the Middle East cover their faces is because of the horrid sandstorms. I think this makes sense, cuz sand pelting at your face sucks no matter what religion you are, but what both of us didn't understand was the color choice. Black to me seems like it would be terribly uncomfortable in the heat, white may be a better choice. I also asked about the dog thing. She said that Muslims can't keep dogs as pets, but they can have working dogs. She also mentioned that it is un-Halal to touch a wet dog (because of the rabies outbreak back in the day) but that today they are making Halal soap for dog owners. I thought that was kinda cool. She said that the main reason why Malay Muslims don't like/tease dogs is because they are afraid of them. She's an animal lover but doesn't keep dogs. She also mentioned that drinking is forbidden in Muslim culture, it just needs to be consumed under the right pretenses. She said that a drink or two in a social occasion is acceptable, but the law was created to discourage dependency on alcohol. She said that most Muslim countries don't serve alcohol unless you are a foreigner, but alcohol may occasionally be consumed in the private of one's home. When I asked about countries (such as Brunei) that straight up ban it, she and I both agreed it was probably done for control over the population.
I know next to nothing about Muslim culture, so I'm trying to ask as many people as I can about it. Us westerners, especially Americans, have a very skewed view and access to information about Muslim culture. A lot of practices seem contradictory to me, but I believe people have the right to believe what they choose and practice accordingly. However, I also believe in refraining from passing judgement about things you don't know about as much as possible. Asking never hurt anyone, and I find here especially, Malaysians may appear shy, but if you ask they will share in a candid manner. Obviously R can't speak for everyone, but it was interesting to get another opinion on things I know little about. I'm finding that is the best way to get to know Malaysia. Ask and observe. Everyone here is very different, much like any other place, but to a larger extent here because of so many different belief systems and cultures. I've had a couple of people around where I live ask about me. For example, I was buying street food from my favorite wok man and I guy around my age asked where I was from and was asking about America. I'm sure this was provoked by the fact that I was in a very local part of town where foreigners are rarely seen, even expats. He wanted to practice his English and I'm sure he debated a while whether or not to approach me because I caught him looking over at me several times. However, I spoke some Malay to the wok man and he started to ask me questions. He was with his girlfriend and it was a well lit area so I didn't feel threatened (plus I had a good 4 inches on the guy). I was quite impressed with his courage to just talk to me. That's not super common here. But I, in a way, understood how he must have felt.
I'm well aware that I stand out here. I'm ok with it though. Ya, it means I have to haggle a little more, people try to pull fast ones on you. They assume you can't understand them (although they will not talk shit about you just sometimes stare and giggle). You are aware that no matter how hard you try or how well you speak the language, the color of your skin is a clear indicator that you are not and never could be from here. However, it doesn't really bother me. I'm not from here. The world is shrinking and Malaysia isn't oblivious to it. They are just as curious about you as you are of them. I mean, I don't have a British accent, being an American is much less common here. I really don't know where I'm going with all of this. I'm sure it's the heat talking. Needless to say I know I am in a place that is truly foreign to back home, and they know it as well. But I have yet to experience true malicious intent. I told G and R on the way home that I have been blown away by the hospitality here. Anyone who has done any extended amount of international traveling and has any sort of sense what-so-ever for cultural intelligence knows when you are not welcome and I have yet to have that feeling here (knock on wood). R told me this is because Malaysians value good food and good time spent with friends and family. That is something I can relate to. Family life is important here. Family includes friends. If you make the effort, you really can feel welcome.
Tired and in need of a shower.
-M
After 5 hours at the office (yes I know it is Sunday....don't ask) I went to KLCC to grab a quick bite and get a thank you card for my host. Klang was fun. The trip there was quite interesting...I took the commuter rail there. It's an electric train and we had an intense lightening storm on the way over. A bolt must have struck the line and the train came to a complete halt. I had been warned that this can happen, so I wasn't really that concerned until I heard it was going to take over an hour to fix, if at all. It was pooping rain, but fortunately we broke down about a hundred yards from the last stop so I just jumped off and walked back. G picked me up at the station and we headed to her house to cook up some tasty food. We had spice rubbed garlic baked fish, cheesy potato gratin, some type of veggie, and we attempted to make mango rice, but we were all too full to eat any of it. I also met her friend R who is an awesome chef. After overcoming our food comas we headed to the mall.
Mall going is a pastime of Malaysians, plus I really needed to get a few things. Our apartment doesn't even have filtered water, and I was in desperate need of another fan to blast in my face at night so I was going in prepared to spend some. I also bought beer for later that night. The mall, especially Jusco (kinda like a target but with more of a grocery focus) was a complete CF. It didn't really surprise me, the annual sales are going on because the schools are on break, and westerners find a lot of things in Asia a complete CF in general. This mall was medium to large size (I thought it was enormous) something like 5 floors. Pretty redic. They have stuff from all over, and yes, all the crazy things you can imagine do exist here. I got some household items, including a fan...which I just opened to set up and found that the plug only has one prong...ugh! I'm going to return it, so I went to look on Google Maps for the nearest Jusco, and it's actually quite close, but the roads here prohibit me from walking there, unless I want to wander way out of the way, so the only way to return it is to go by LRT (inner city light rail) to the next stop. So unless I want to drag this fan to work with me tomorrow (it's surprisingly heavy) I'm going to have to come back home, then go back out just to take the train one stop over, hope I don't get lost by going the wrong direction and return the fan. Total bummer cuz it's hotter than hell tonight (didn't rain today). I'm going to just shower and not dry off or something lol. We had some Indian and Chinese last night and watched House, then I passed out. I had a fitful night of sleep due to heat and bad dreams. I awoke the this morning, headed to the market (which I always find interesting) and the sweltering heat got to me. I had to lie in the AC at G's place. We stopped on the way back to KL to get some much needed Gatorade, I was pretty dehydrated. That compounded with missing my bf and doggy made for a tough morning, but I came out stronger.
I had some really good conversations with G. She's getting ready to move to Brazil to be with her boyfriend. She get's what it's like to be in a new place, miss your significant other, and other culture shock related issues. I was so grateful I got to meet her. She made me feel better about things that bother me on the inside about being away from home. It is definitely harder than I thought. It isn't like I'm on a holiday, I'm working and living here. We talked about various global issues and Malay life. Malaysia is surprisingly international. Many kids go to school overseas, thus it's common to marry or move to another country and with a shrinking world, there is a lot of racial mixing going on. On the flip side, there is a lot of racial undertones. Maybe not like racism as we know it in the west, but she said that the one thing that bothers her is that Malaysians don't identify themselves as Malaysian first. Instead, they identify themselves as Indian, Malay, Eurasian, Chinese ect. It even goes as far as to state their race on their identity cards. I found this interesting. Countries like Rwanda did this and it led to a terrible genocide. Not that I think Malaysia is going to erupt into a brutal civil war, but it was interesting to me. The government has at the same time started a campaign called One Malaysia. You see this logo everywhere that is a Malaysian flag pattern shaped into the number one. I was wondering what that was all about.
G's friend R also had some interesting insight. She's Malay, which usually means Muslim. However, she doesn't wear the head-dress or anything like that. I asked why and she said because she didn't grow up wearing it and it's an all or nothing kind of deal. Like you should cover everything but your face or hands or just don't do it. She doesn't believe in what I'll call the halfsies you see. People dressed in normal street clothes, usually not shorts, with the head covered. It's so hot here I really don't blame her. She also said the main reason why the people of North Africa and the Middle East cover their faces is because of the horrid sandstorms. I think this makes sense, cuz sand pelting at your face sucks no matter what religion you are, but what both of us didn't understand was the color choice. Black to me seems like it would be terribly uncomfortable in the heat, white may be a better choice. I also asked about the dog thing. She said that Muslims can't keep dogs as pets, but they can have working dogs. She also mentioned that it is un-Halal to touch a wet dog (because of the rabies outbreak back in the day) but that today they are making Halal soap for dog owners. I thought that was kinda cool. She said that the main reason why Malay Muslims don't like/tease dogs is because they are afraid of them. She's an animal lover but doesn't keep dogs. She also mentioned that drinking is forbidden in Muslim culture, it just needs to be consumed under the right pretenses. She said that a drink or two in a social occasion is acceptable, but the law was created to discourage dependency on alcohol. She said that most Muslim countries don't serve alcohol unless you are a foreigner, but alcohol may occasionally be consumed in the private of one's home. When I asked about countries (such as Brunei) that straight up ban it, she and I both agreed it was probably done for control over the population.
I know next to nothing about Muslim culture, so I'm trying to ask as many people as I can about it. Us westerners, especially Americans, have a very skewed view and access to information about Muslim culture. A lot of practices seem contradictory to me, but I believe people have the right to believe what they choose and practice accordingly. However, I also believe in refraining from passing judgement about things you don't know about as much as possible. Asking never hurt anyone, and I find here especially, Malaysians may appear shy, but if you ask they will share in a candid manner. Obviously R can't speak for everyone, but it was interesting to get another opinion on things I know little about. I'm finding that is the best way to get to know Malaysia. Ask and observe. Everyone here is very different, much like any other place, but to a larger extent here because of so many different belief systems and cultures. I've had a couple of people around where I live ask about me. For example, I was buying street food from my favorite wok man and I guy around my age asked where I was from and was asking about America. I'm sure this was provoked by the fact that I was in a very local part of town where foreigners are rarely seen, even expats. He wanted to practice his English and I'm sure he debated a while whether or not to approach me because I caught him looking over at me several times. However, I spoke some Malay to the wok man and he started to ask me questions. He was with his girlfriend and it was a well lit area so I didn't feel threatened (plus I had a good 4 inches on the guy). I was quite impressed with his courage to just talk to me. That's not super common here. But I, in a way, understood how he must have felt.
I'm well aware that I stand out here. I'm ok with it though. Ya, it means I have to haggle a little more, people try to pull fast ones on you. They assume you can't understand them (although they will not talk shit about you just sometimes stare and giggle). You are aware that no matter how hard you try or how well you speak the language, the color of your skin is a clear indicator that you are not and never could be from here. However, it doesn't really bother me. I'm not from here. The world is shrinking and Malaysia isn't oblivious to it. They are just as curious about you as you are of them. I mean, I don't have a British accent, being an American is much less common here. I really don't know where I'm going with all of this. I'm sure it's the heat talking. Needless to say I know I am in a place that is truly foreign to back home, and they know it as well. But I have yet to experience true malicious intent. I told G and R on the way home that I have been blown away by the hospitality here. Anyone who has done any extended amount of international traveling and has any sort of sense what-so-ever for cultural intelligence knows when you are not welcome and I have yet to have that feeling here (knock on wood). R told me this is because Malaysians value good food and good time spent with friends and family. That is something I can relate to. Family life is important here. Family includes friends. If you make the effort, you really can feel welcome.
Tired and in need of a shower.
-M
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