Questions...

As I read the blogs of friends around the world, there seem to be a lot of quarter-century crises out there. Everyone has similar questions. What next? What is important to me? What role do parents and partners play in my decisions? Where do I belong? What can I contribute? What do I want? For me too, these questions cross my mind daily. There's one question that I always come back to, that it all seems to boil down to: "What will make me happy?"

I don't have many of the answers right now, and I'm not sure exactly where to find them. But at least I'm asking them, right? If I keep my eyes open, keep reflecting on what I'm experiencing, keep seeking new opportunities to learn more, and surround myself with people who can challenge me and with whom I can share my thoughts, then at least I'm making progress in the right direction. I can appreciate the journey, even if I'm not sure where the destination is.

I know we're lucky to have so many choices. From this point onwards, I can choose to do whatever I wish in life. I have everything in my favour. The world is my oyster - but it turns out that I don't know so much about seafood...

June next year I'll be 25. My traineeship is due to finish in August, so there's some big decisions to make by my quarter-century celebration.

Last day of Ramadan

Today is the last day of Ramadan, the fasting month. What will change?

No more "Pasar Ramadan" (Ramadan market) to pass through and pick up some great, cheap food on my way home from work
Lunch in the office will be back to our "shifts", and I can eat with some of the Malay guys and gals again! :)
The 'food court' will be crowded again and most of the stalls will be open
The post office will be open until 10pm again, instead of closing at 5pm
I can openly snack in the office... hmm... sounds dangerous!
I can offer tea and coffee around in the office
There will be more people in the office in the evening, as people aren't so tired
The monthly 'Breakfast Talk' event that our company runs will have breakfast provided during the talk again, not just afterwards in a separate room

For more info on Ramadan and the festival to celebrate it's end (Bayram/Hari Raya) check out this Nomadlife Ramadan blog

Happy Deepavali!

Yes Saturday was the Indian festival Deepavali, the Festival of Lights. It represents the triumph of good over evil, and Brickfields (which is apparently more Indian than Little India!) is definitely full of lights! There's been markets along the streets for weeks now, and a big Deepavali market at Sentral Station where you can buy Indian clothing, crafts, jewellery & sweets, plus all of the usual clothing, bags and shoes you find at any market. On Friday night everyone was letting off firecrackers, as people have been for weeks now (I've almost stopped jumping!) - Brickfields is the next suburb, this is close enough for me - and the fireworks at midnight were awesome.

Shamraj was spending Saturday with his in-laws because he got married earlier in the year, and the custom is that a guy must spend the first Deepavali after he is married at his in-laws place. He invited me to join him, so I went to Klang (around 45 mins by train from KL) to see how Indian families celebrate. His brother Vic studied in Adelaide and had a couple of friends visiting, so the day was quite, well, Adelaidian - small world! The family had an "Open-House", which is also how the Malays celebrate Hari Raya. All day people were coming to the house, being offered food and drink, chatting, watching T.V. It's all pretty relaxed. In the arvo we went to the neighbours place for more of the same. The little girls next door had tiny firecrackers that you throw onto the ground and they go "BANG!". I got in touch with my inner child and took a few lessons from them - I got the hang of it eventually! Actually, for me, Deepavali felt a bit like Christmas. People had been to the temple in the morning for prayers, there's kids running around pretty hyper cos they were too excited to sleep the night before, everyone is in their best clothes, houses are full of Deepavali cards, the shops are full of decorations, there's lots of food and drink, families and friends get together... it felt very familiar somehow :) It was nice to spend time with an Indian family too. Everyone at work except for the CEO is ethnic Chinese or Malay, and my only other family experience so far was when I went to stay with Farah & her grandpa - Chinese. So it was good to experience life with this part of Malaysian society.

To all those out there who celebrate it, Happy Deepavali! :)

Expat?

I feel like an 'expat' because:

• People often call me 'madam'
• I live in Bangsar
• The local supermarket is posh, and like a global village - so many languages and faces
• Taxi drivers try to rip me off if I get in at busy places
• I live in an apartment complex with security and a pool (it's a KL thing, but for me it feels 'expat')

I'm sure I'm not an 'expat' because:

• I definitely don't have a salary like 'them'!
• I don't go to watch rugby or cricket or horse racing
• I eat at Mamak places and hawker stalls
• I don't have a cleaning lady

8 Weeks

I've moved! Was too lazy to pack, so since I'm in the same apartment complex, I just chucked some stuff in my case, loaded the rest into a couple of plastic bags, and pulled my clothes out of the wardrobe still on the hangers! Florine (Canada) moved into my old room the same day, and bravely helped me to carry down all of my stuff - thanks babe! :) I now live with Hannu (Finland) and Julie (France), and my main discovery since moving has involved:

the washing machine

• It's so so cool to have a washing machine at home - finally! I never really appreciated it so much :)
• Ours plays about 20 seconds of music when it finishes - much nicer than the standard beeps I'm used too!
• It only does cold washes. Fabien informed me that local machines generally don't have hot water, people think it shrinks your clothes etc. For now, the kettle and I are best buddies :)

Ramadan

I fasted on Monday, although I didn't get up to eat before sunrise, I cheated and had breaky (and plenty of it, trust me!) at around 8am. I managed to not eat or drink anything until the fast ended at around 7:10pm. Not eating wasn't a problem really since I ate so much breakfast, although I couldn't really concentrate much during the afternoon and I got really grumpy! The hardest part was not drinking - I was thirsty literally all day. It can't be healthy... BUT I'm glad that I gave it a shot. Norila assures me that the first couple of days of fasting are tough and you don't feel well in the afternoon, but that you get used to it and kind of adapt. She recommended I try a few more days. I declined :p Once was more than enough!!

Religion

For me, religion is something very personal. It's about my philosophy and the way that I choose to live my life. Any standards that I do or don't live up to are between me and the powers that be. But I get the impression that things are different here in Malaysia.

For one, being Malay (ethnicity, not nationality) means that you are a Muslim. There's no choice. Freedom of religion is otherwise alive and well, but not for this portion of society it seems.

Secondly, it seems that the degree to which you adhere to religious practices is not something that is strictly between you and God, but is just as much about what other people in society will think. During Ramadan you can sometimes see someone sneaking a cigarette during daylight hours, and I know of people who've been asked by Malay colleagues to bring them back food when they go out at lunchtime. What matters most is if people see you, not the principle of fasting. I know of one girl who is half Malay and is not a Muslim. She gets dirty looks from people when she eats in public during daylight hours in Ramadan. Why do they care? The sign in the liquor section at Carrefour says that alcohol won't be sold to Muslims and persons under 18 years of age. Surely Muslims can decide for themselves if they want to drink it or not, why should the supermarket regulate this for them? I really can't get my head around it, although I know that it's not limited to Islam or to Malaysia. I guess I've just grown up in a time and place where religion is a very personal choice.

Valet service

There's an unofficial (read 'illegal') valet service running after hours on the street where our office is. It's a trendy part of town with lots of restaurants and bars, and insufficient car-parking space (even if you double park, which of course, is usually acceptable). So there's these dudes... and they will put chairs or something in any parks that become free... and won't let you park there unless you pay them. It's also a security service. The thing is, even if there's no free parks, you can just leave your car with him, and he'll drive around and find a space for you. Kind of cool, huh?

7 weeks

The Halal Journal

I picked up a copy in a bookshop, and it seems like it is sold in Australia as well, but I guess I just have never noticed - probably because the only time I buy magazines is when I'm abroad! :) Anyway, I was intrigued to see what a magazine with such a title would contain, and thought maybe I'd learn a bit more about the concept of Halal.

Did I learn more? Yes for sure! Do I understand the concept of Halal now? Less than ever! :( I always thought that Halal was about how food was prepared, in particular, how animals were slaughtered and the meat prepared. But the journal talked about Halal cosmestics, and the emerging area of Halal Science. Since being here I've heard something about dogs as pets not being Halal, and drinks can be Halal or non-Halal. I'm now more confused than ever. As such, I intend to undertake some research into the topic! I think a couple of girls at work can help me, and maybe websites of some official Halal certification organisations. I'll let you know what I find out :) Meanwhile, I've learnt that Malaysia is aiming to become a hub for Halal services (?) and distribution of Halal products. And that Melbourne recently hosted the first Halal Convention (or something along those lines) in Australia.

Durian

I guess it's the SE Asian Vegemite. Foreigners have to try durian, and while some like it, lots won't. Mostly cos of the smell, apparantly. It's famous for stinking, and yes, I saw the signs in the hotel lobbies in Singapore saying "No Durian"! But I've had two durian experiences and I'm pleased to say that they were both very positive! Yeah it does smell pretty strongly, and the smell does linger on your breath and your hands for, but it's not really that bad. These weird looking fruits come in different varieties, and you can eat them before they're ripe (Thailand) right through to super ripe and soft. I like them soft :) It's not like any fruit I've ever had before. It's really creamy and really rich, and just sits in your stomach (not unlike beer!) so you can't really eat heaps of it. There's a good Durian place in PJ that Jenny always goes to, and the "Uncle" there always picks out good fruit for us and makes sure we enjoy it! I have some pictures somewhere of my first time eating durian, I'll try to upload them later! Random info imparted to me during durian discussions includes that several people die each year from falling durian hitting them on the head (they're hard and spikey), and that you shouldn't drink alcohol after eating durian - seriously.

I'm keen to try durian ice-cream and durian cake soon...

Australia presentation

The other week Jeff and I went to our local AIESEC meeting (UKM) to do a presentation about Australia. We started off with a fun quiz, had some facts on a PPT and then mentioned a couple of the big "issues" in Australia at the moment and things up for questions. Oh, and made everyone try Vegemite too, we even sang them the song! We didn't really have enough time to cover everything we wanted to, but people seemed interested and although most were fairly quiet during (stereotypical Asian uni students?) lots were keen to come up and speak with us afterwards! We want to do something similar at work after Ramadan is finished, so our workmates can learn a bit more about what kind of place we come from. I've promised Norila her very own vegemite and cheese sandwich! :)

6 weeks already!

Does food play a prominent role in this blog post? I can’t help it – this is how food is in Malaysia! :) People always seem to be eating or thinking about eating!

Nutmeg Delights:
I bought them in Penang, I’ve never had nutmeg much except as a spice, like on top of vanilla custard, so I just had to try eating it in – well, pieces. Nutmeg delights come in three varieties not explained on the packet, but it turns out that none of them were very delightful. Never mind, now I know!

Brazilian restaurant:
Rafhael organised a group of us to go for dinner at a special type of restaurant, I forget what it’s called. There were several exciting things for me. Firstly, it was the first time I’d been given a knife to eat with since arriving here! Secondly, they had a salad bar. When Rafha mentioned it I had imagined a few pieces of cucumber (the token greens at most mamak eateries) BUT it really was a salad bar. Green salad, mango salad, coleslaw, tomatoes, heaps and heaps of stuff! Cold, wet, not fried, and without (well, for most of them anyway!) chili or curry – what more could I have asked for?! Thirdly, the meat (what we came for) was amazing. The waiters came around to each person and offered to cut a slice off for them. It was awesome. You didn’t even have to get up, the meat came to you, and there were so many varieties, and all of it was so so so tasty! I really don’t know how to describe the experience, except that we all left feeling deeply satisfied and a few kilos heavier! If I ever go to Brazil, that’s one type of restaurant I’ll definitely be looking out for! :)

Steve Irwin:
I knew that he was popular in the States, but seriously, as an Aussie abroad, I’ve heard so much about him ever since he died! People at work were talking about it the day it was in the news, some of the AIESEC trainees were talking about it, the customs guy in Singapore was telling me how sad he was as he processed my passport…

Buses:
I was thinking that the inter-city buses in Malaysia are a great way to travel. Why? The seats are really plush, and you get HEAPS of leg room, and can recline your chair. They’re pretty quiet and very clean, unlike the station where you get tickets from! And they stop every now and again at rest stops – way better than having gross toilets on board! I have, alas, been given cause to rethink my love affair with inter-city bus travel though. I had to pay heaps for my ticket back from Singapore, because at that time of day/evening (and such short notice!) I could only get a seat on a deluxe bus (that I could find no difference in except that the driver gave everyone a bottle of water!). This deluxe bus then proceeded to break down! My 5 hour trip turned into a 7.5 hour one, with much of it spent in a seat that wouldn’t recline – when a bus says they’ve got a spare seat for you, you don’t argue! I really should look into the train system here… :)

Ramadan:
So the fasting month is here. Muslims don’t eat between sunrise (around 5:30am and sunset (around 7:15pm). This doesn’t seem toooo tough to me actually, but the thing is, they don’t drink anything either, not even water! In a tropical place like Malaysia, this is no small feat. From around 6:30 you can see people sitting in food courts, with food and drink on the table in front of them, just waiting. It must be torture. I must admit it’s a strange sight to see. And when the moment comes, it’s broadcast on tv (if you’re indoors) or you can hear it coming from the mosque, and suddenly everyone tucks in! Fabien, Jeff and I said we’d fast for the first workday of Ramadan since we have so many Muslim colleagues, although I was sick so I didn’t. They ate before going to work (around 8am) and didn’t eat or drink all day. Rafha also fasted the other day, he got up early to eat before 5:30. I’m definitely going to give it a go, but I don’t know if I’ll get up early. I think without food or drink I’ll be pretty tired all arvo anyway, without being up at 5! We’ll see how adventurous I feel :)

So what is the impact on my life? Well, I’ve been cured of snacking in the office – it’s pretty mean to eat in front of people who are fasting, I feel bad enough drinking water, tea and coffee all day! I have to remember not to offer anyone tea! Lots of the restaurants are closed at lunchtime, especially in the food court where we usually eat, most of the stalls are run by Malay’s so only a few of them are open, and its pretty quiet.

Compared with Ramadan in Turkey? Well, the daylight hours in Turkey are a lot shorter at this time of the year than here in Malaysia, for a start! Secondly, although Turkey is 99% Muslim (as opposed to Malaysia, I guess it’s around 60% maybe?) people there are much less strict. Only about 1 in 10 girls my age wore a headscarfe I think, and only about half of all people seemed to fast during Ramadan. My impression here is that, if you are Muslim, you are fasting. And most, though not all, Muslim women wear headscarves.

Mid-Autumn festival:
The parade that we went to in Singapore was the highlight of the mid-Autumn festival for me, the only other way that I would know that it is on is the mooncakes! Shops everywhere have posters etc showing their cakes, and there’s ads on TV. Hagendaas is even selling ice cream mooncakes! When I was in Ipoh I bought some mooncakes: taro/yam, green tea with red bean, and chocolate chip. I’m pleased to say that, despite being disappointed with chocolate mooncakes in Beijing (well, they tasted nothing like chocolate!) the ones I tried this time certainly did not disappoint! All of them were delicious actually :)

Stay tuned for….
The Halal Journal
Durian
Australia presentation at our host LC