Top 5 Experiences in Malaysia I Will Never Forget

By Bethany Looi

My mom was born in Malaysia and if it weren't for that, honestly, I wouldn't have known Malaysia was a country.

The majority of my relatives currently live in Malaysia so it was only natural that we would have to visit them at some point.

The first time I went at age 12, was the first time I had visited the "non touristy" parts of a country. In France we saw the Eiffel tower, in England -Buckingham Palace, Italy – Colosseum, to name a few. For a total of 3 months of my life (2 when I was 12, another month at age 15), we visited my grandparents in a small town called Melaka. There, both times, I experienced these top 5 experiences in Malaysia that I will never forget.

1. Bathrooms- "You're kidding" was my first thought when I found the bathroom in the house. The bathroom was the first difference I noticed between how I live in U.S. and how people in Malaysia live. I actually dreaded going to that room. The toilet was pretty much a hole- toilet without a seat. And to take showers, there was no tub or shower, just a shower head, where water came out. In other words, after taking a shower and during the rest of the day, the entire bathroom- floor, sink, “toilet”, mirror- would be wet.

2. Strange noises- A few times a day, we would hear these noises of a man singing in a different language so clearly, like the neighbor was turning on their stereo really loud. The strangest part was when these eerie noises would wake us up at the crack of dawn, while we were in our deepest sleep. My brother and I learned that because Malaysia is a Muslim country, they are allowed to play recordings of the prayer.

3. Durian and the "fruit lady"- Durian is a fruit native to Malaysia and Thailand. The odor is so strange that it was hard to bring myself to eat it. (to me, it tasted sort of like chicken…) Even Andrew Zimmern from Bizarre Foods could not bring himself to eat it when he can eat other strange parts of animals. Both times we visited, my mom’s aunt brought us tons of fruit, including durian.  So my brother and I nicknamed her "fruit lady". My favorite fruit she brought is called rambutan. After I ate as much to be satisfied, the “fruit lady” would ask me to eat more… and more… and more… until I was stuffed… she is a very generous woman!

4. Food and Street markets- My uncle, who is also a very generous person, took our group (some of my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and my parents) out to eat several times. Not only that, after we were extremely full, our group would go for "supper". We went to McDonald's several times (I ate the most McDonald's in Malaysia) and to the famous Jonker Street in Melaka. Here, my uncle bought squid on a stick for us to try. The tentacles and everything were still on it. It's almost as if the cook took it out of the ocean, stuck it on a stick and grilled it. Apparently it was expensive... More food experiences included having shrimp with the head still intact, eating frog in an outdoor restaurant and having a roasted suckling pig brought out with the head in an expensive restaurant.

 

  5. Petronas towers- These towers are the icon of Malaysia. They are in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. This city is modern and almost the complete opposite of the small town where my grandparents lived. There are toilets with seats, many tourists, and gigantic malls!  The malls are one of the best I'd ever been to. I would forget we were in foreign country. There are designer's flatship stores along with local brands. For example, the mall under the Petronas, Suria KLCC, holds the only Jimmy Choo store in Malaysia. I had to visit this store, especially since Jimmy Choo is originally from Malaysia. Here is a picture I took in front of Jimmy Choo...I didn't buy anything.

What did I learn from all these experiences?

1. We don't need too many things to be happy.

In Melaka, people lived simply. Everyone hung their clothes outside, no need for a dryer, and houses were small and simple.

2. Try eating everything, you might find your new favorite food.

In the Malaysian culture, when relatives or friends came to visit from far, they would bring their guests to, usually, an expensive restaurant. It is considered an honor for them to buy the dinner. So when we went out to eat, they would urge us to eat a lot! (even the things that looked different than what we’d find in the US). In a way, we felt obligated to eat everything we were given, but my brother and I ended up liking a lot of the food.

3. Generosity and hospitality.

I learned that in the Malaysian culture, they are taught to give whatever it takes to make their guests feel welcomed. This is done especially through the sharing of food.

4. Learn to accept other's culture- none are better than the other.

When traveling, I have observed many differences in the way I live in the US compared to others. That is the fun part about traveling. It may seem “strange” or “weird”, but in the end, none are better than the other.

Thanks for dropping by. We appreciate your comment and love to hear from you. Please comment below.

 

Bethany Looi is a 16 year old high school student. Bethany enjoys playing golf, traveling and learning new languages. She is currently pursuing advanced level Spanish with a private tutor and a desire to be a top teen journalist and reporter. Currently she works as a VA to several clients and is growing this business on the side. She has been to 14 countries and her favorite things to do in each country are shopping, eating and sightseeing. You are welcome to visit her blog and get her free report on 'Common Errors Bloggers Make that Ruin their Results!' Follow her on twitter @BethanyLooi

Photo credit: Bethany

Photo 1: McDonald's Malaysia's Spicy Fried Chicken (ayam goreng)

Photo 2: Durian

Photo 3: Roasted Suckling Pig (expensive delicacy)

Photo 4: Street corner fruit stall in Melaka

Photo 4: Petronas Tower, Kuala Lumpur

Photo 5: Jimmy Choo's store, KLCC