Just can't help myself...

      Adjustment to a life back in the States has proven harder than I originally thought. I often find myself trapped in my own little world, with my own little thoughts, looking around at a backdrop that was once familiar like the back of my hand. Now, the backdrop has its familiar wrinkles, but there is a sense of unfamiliarity, of displacement, of lines that I don't quite remember being there three months ago.

     Who can blame me really? I've gone from a place where possession of marijuana is punishable by death via hanging, to the city that boasts more dispensaries than Starbucks. I once inhabited a country with a 3% unemployment rate and returned to the one that is creeping slowly towards 10%. My age group is even higher. People here are active, outdoors frequently, and dog-enthusiasts. Can't say the same for the majority in Malaysia. I used to pay $5 for a beer ($3 at one spot) and that was considered cheap; here you can get 64oz of craft beer for a mere $4. On the flips side, don't ever expect to get a $2.50 lunch in this country that will taste like a million bucks. I can actually figure out where the hell I am now, not by landmarks, but by a city grid (albeit, Denver's is a little odd). Freedom of expression, dress, and behavior here are not confined to the much more omnipresent social pressures that un-deniably exist in Malaysia. I realize I'll offend some with this statement; however, you would be lying to yourself if you said they were non-existant. I've seen 'growth' on an astronomical scale. Here we are just hoping that Denver's numbers continue to stay above average.

I know it's tough to read, but trust me, this type of 'gas station' does not exist in Malaysia

     Despite all of those differences, the other side of the coin gives a much more 'same-same' feel. One can easily substitute Bangladeshi, Burmese, Filipino, and Indonesian illegal labor forces for those of South and Central America. We both have politically controlled mass media (ours less obvious than MY); as well as governments that truly believe they are being clandestine, but the educated know otherwise. Denver and KL both share an enthusiasm for food and local eateries. Our beer is your durian. Car dependency goes without saying. Branding here is more about outdoor sporting companies and less about Louis Vuitton, but it's the same idea. Lastly, who can deny that our flags are strikingly similar? I still don't know why this is...

Durian tasting, beer tasting? Same thing...well almost...

     With all of this being said, there is one thing that really bothers me about my experiences this past summer. A common conversation, had by both strangers and friends started off like this...

'Why did you come to Malaysia?'
'For work.'
'Why didn't you want to work in the United States?'
'There are no jobs for architects in the US.'
'Really?'
'...'

     I also kept hearing about how Malaysia wants to become like the West. Emulates the West. To this I have one thing to say: WHY?!? Seriously, WHY? For whatever reason, there is this un-realistic stereotype about Western, particularly American society. I don't get it. Yes, we have done some things right, but in case you haven't noticed (or choose to ignore) we have done A LOT of wrong. Some things (see photo) are irreversible. We have dug ourselves a large hole. Currently, we are clawing at these walls of damp soil to simply get a leg up to get out.

This is one of countless 2-mile-long coal trains that pass by me every day

     I saw building after building go up with no regards to what existed there before. The whole situation is  sad, unsustainable, and - to put it bluntly - thoughtless. I have often heard the excuse, 'well the west did it this way, so it's your fault.' No, that is simply an immature response to pass off guilt to another party. Two wrongs don't make a right. I find it hard to believe that the US is forcing Malaysia to build in this manner (Indonesia, well that's another story). First of all, the US has (finally) begun to realize the value in what is already there and the absolute importance of changing the design paradigm to one that focuses on a more sustainable approach. Second of all, name one large (in population) US city that doesn't have a vibrant and thriving historic district. We saw the value in a pre-existing, sound structural system with open floor plates and adapted.

   So I say this to you Malaysia. Be your own country, your own people, and your own culture. If you truly believe in becoming a nation the world can follow, do not ruin this one shot you have by trudging down the same path we did on steroids. It won't get you anywhere. Instead take this opportunity to slow down and think. Be a global leader in a sustainable manner, this will attract attention. Yes, I realize money, in the end, is what talks. However, you will spend much more fixing your mistakes than you will if you do it right the first time. Learn from the west's failures. Don't buy into 'the faster the better' argument, it's simply not true. Just because China built a huge damn in record time isn't going to rid them of the extreme environmental problems that they now face with flooding and destruction of precious farm land. Good things come to those who wait...and think.

-M

 

PS...on a personal note: Back to normal face, hair, and nose (although it's still a bit sore).