The One With The First Week Back In KL

Today marks one week since I've arrived in Kuala Lumpur for my holidays. After being out of this country for over 2 years and 4 months (last I was here was back in April 2007), I noticed a few things.

In no particular order:

Drivers

Malaysian drivers are still "signal-turning-challenged" . . . meaning, that their hands are handicapped, and that they lack the proper appendages to flick that stick to indicate their turn - left or right. They STILL tailgate, despite knowing that the driver in the middle lane is driving at the appropriate speed and if that tailgater WANTS to go all F1 on a 80km/h road, they can do so on the right side of the road.

Women

Despite wearing tudungs / hijjabs and having a "holier than thou" attitude towards other non-tudung wearing Muslim women, these females of the species are far from being lady-like. Again, it's not to all, but a broad generalization. They push and shove in crowded areas. They like to shout what they demand from others. And they are not apologetic about showing all that. And all the while, they say bad things of other Muslim women who wear shorts or dont cover their heads as they do.

Oh, and the women nowadays seem to be vicious when they see a potential male that they like . . . tudungs or no tudungs. Malaysian women have come a long way since their "innocent anak dara kampung" (virgin country maiden) ways. They scare me.

Road Signs

I would have imagined that by now, the geniuses behind road planning would have figured out that placing road signs BEHIND trees on the sides of the roads are NOT beneficial to the drivers. Also, placing road signs to indicate the destinations at crossroads AFTER the crossroads will cause people to be CONFUSED!

Manglish

I should consider it fortunate that Malaysians can comprehend and converse moderatly well in the English language. But, I constantly find myself smiling upon hearing the many colourful ways the Manglish language is used in this country. Try sitting and just listening to how people talk . . . It'll brighten up your day.

Being a Foreigner In Your Own Country

So, last week I had to do some business stuff out of the way. Met several people to get things done and whenever first introductions were made, they would automatically speak English to me. And as such, I would reply back to them in English - in my accent(s) that come and go. Then, when they'd ask for my passport as a proof of identification, I'd give them my Malaysian Identity Card, and they'd be left dumbstruck. One, the picture in my ID resembles a younger Kim Jong-il (minus the glasses). And two, when I asked why they assumed I was a foreigner, they said it was on account of my accent and that I dont look like a Malaysian. The latter part intriqued me. And majority of them that I asked back, said it was because I dont have the normal "body and face" of a Malaysian. Yes, I'm just as confused.

Fat Malaysians and Malaysian Food

I suppose, it was the fact that MANY Malaysians remain to be out of shape plays a part in these people labeling me as "a foreigner". I can't help it if I choose to want to want to keep healthy. One MAJOR flaw in Malaysia being such a haven for food and all things food oriented is that the people tend to eat so much and lack in health wellness. The other day, I ordered a salad and mineral water and the waiter had to double check bacause, according to him, people dont order "water" anymore. It's always soft drinks or some sort of fruit juice.

Aside from that, I also noticed that my body can no longer . . . stomach . . . spicy Malaysian foods. Which irritates me, because I love spicy foods. So, now I end up eating so much spicy foods and then having to "visit the loo" on account of the purging. Eat and eat and purge and purge. On a plus side, I have lost weight. YAY!

Oh, and sorry to my friends, but yes . . . the older you got, the fatter you have become. Seems like I am growing on the opposite spectrum of the rainbow. When we were younger, I was the fat one, but as we aged, seems like they grew fatter, instead. So, please don't hate me for that or give me a weird look if the sleeves of my shirt happen to bulge more. I choose to live a healthy lifestyle. You can too.