Tuesday, August 31

Happy National Day, Malaysia!



As fellow Malaysian bloggers are wishing Malaysia a Happy 53rd birthday, I am here too to contribute to the country where I was born.

Foongpc wrote about the 10 reasons why he love Malaysia, and I thought I will do something similar, though I'm not exactly sure if I can name 10, since most of my life is spent here in Singapore.

But here goes.

(1) Malaysia played a deep part in my childhood, as I will often spend school holidays in my cousin's place in Johor. It's something I look forward to, going to pasar malams, ordering food from the mian4 bao1 che1 (bread van) etc...

(2) Malaysia is a place that keeps my ego and competitive nature in check. Seeing the warmth and generosity of fellow Malaysians really makes my day. You do not need to live in a real kampung to have the kampung spirit. When it rains, we used to shout "Raining lor, bring in your clothes", translated from Mandarin. My mum still do that in Singapore, but neighbours will probably think she's crazy.

(3) The recent bus ride from City Square in JB had me waited 45 minutes on the bus before it finally moves off. Reason being that the bus driver collected part of his revenue from the fares, so it will make sense to wait as long as possible at the busiest stop. But still, inefficiency gives me the chance to slow down my steps, and look at the people walking to and fro from inside the bus. In Singapore, I'm always moving too fast to be smelling flowers.



(4) Genting is a place I visit a few times a year, not just for the casino, but also for the cool weather. And I'm still amazed how the Genting founder turned a barren mountain into a world class resort. Makes me proud everytime I see an angmoh tourist there enjoying themselves.

(5) Lovely beaches and island resorts. I went to Desaru beach when I was young, and the sand was so soft that I thought I was in quicksand. Scary for a little kid like me then! Malaysia boast some really lovely beaches, at least by Asian standards.

(6) Food. Be it Gurney Drive in Penang, Jalan Alor in KL or other inaccessible restaurants along deserted roadsides, I love the taste of our food. Seeing all those food entries from Witchy blog really emphasized the gourmet that runs in every Malaysian's blood.



(7) Air Asia. Homegrown company kicks the butt out of other Asian budget air carriers. But their uniform needs improvement, I like JetStar Asia's uniform better. *blush*

I can't think of anymore at the moment (not that there isn't anymore), and I don't wanna plagurise Foongpc's entry. He put up some other great points, go read yourself lah. =p

Malaysia, Truly Asia.
Woot!

13 comments:

7-8 said...

No wat... in Singapore I remember last time ppl were also shouting "Lok hou liow! Guei ting moong!" (should be close enough to Hokkien for you to decipher).

Anonymous said...

Great list! :)

There are many more reasons to be proud of Malaysia. Happy Merdeka! :)

Cherish Tulips said...

Hello!
You forgot about the beautiful islands and rainforest in Sabah!!(my hometown)

wenn said...

i love malaysian food!

Lily Riani said...

food food food.... and island & historical values that we dont know how to take care....(sigh)... i agree on AA uniform... Jetstar much btr.

the girl in stiletto said...

lol.

i can only come up with one thing...

food.

TG said...

I love many things about Malaysia, really. I love that country and for me as a foreigner it was really a unique experience to live there for few months. The biggest asset of Malaysia are its people and of course the yummy food. The scenery is beautiful, the culture is rich. But the latest developments worry me, in all honesty. The politics are getting worse by the year, the relation between the ethnic groups are strained. There is so much room for improvement in Malaysia. Hope people reflect upon that, too, not just focus on the good points :)

khengsiong said...

The drivers and conductors of 'mini buses' in KL also earned commission from the fares, so they behaved the same way. But mini buses have been phased out.

While I am happy that I could fly to many destinations in SE Asia with Air Asia, I still hope that there would be more competition.

Stefanie said...

Hello Malaysian! Happy National Day, although you're only few hundred miles far away from Malaysia.

Yes, I agree! Love the beautiful beaches (as what you said, the standard), Love the weather in Genting (and maybe the angmohs, LOL), Love the affordable flight (cheap,just pay a little more compare to a bus ticket) , Love the mouthwatering food (which everyone will die for), Love KLCC (just 15mins away from my house)!

iamthewitch said...

Thanks for the link! ;) And I'm like you too.. amazed at what Dr Lim has done to the mountains! Definitely the one and only in Malaysia. The beach at Desaru is really that nice? Haven't been there before!

Reanaclaire said...

Happy Merdeka to us!! Malaysia is a nice place to live in if only.. there is peace and harmony among all races..and less crimes... agree?

HappySurfer said...

Cool of you to put in your vote for Malaysia, Shingo. True, there are many good things about Malaysia, at the same time plenty of improvements to be made to make it an even better place for all.

Twilight Man said...

Our lovely country is ruled by not so lovely govt.

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