It has been few years since we left home. As usual thoughts keep flooding about the early days, when we landed in Kuching, Borneo - East Malaysia. Like typical new commers, the striking difference was the slang and the cost of living.
Slang
At home, when we accept to do something, we generally say ok/yes/will do. Here they say "can"! So at first I was taken aback and was not sure how to react:)
Cost of living
When we went for shopping the first thing we used to do was convert the prices to home currency and keep wondering why is it so expensive. When I was slowly recovering from this syndrome, our friends/colleagues who were from our country started commenting that we do not know the value of money, whenever we bought some thing like even 1 kg of tomato!
Making Friends
After a year we moved to Kuala Lumpur (KL), East Malaysia. By then we dint know anyone in KL and initially we stayed at the uni campus guest house. It was term break and so no transport was available to go out. Then through the cleaner lady, we got introduced to a cabbie, who took us out for buying food. He had promised to come back in a couple of days and help us in finding an accomadation. It so happened that on the third day the cabbie couldn't come, out of no choice we walked all the way to the faculty, which was few Kms away in hope of finding someone who could guide us. Unfortunaltely, we couldn't get any directions and with heavy heart we started to walk back.
Even after all these years I consider it as a gift to us, yes on that day a van crossed us and in minutes it stopped. Then a man walked towards us with a friendly smile and told that just few minutes ago he had heard about us through a lab technician. He offered to send us back or to any place we wanted to go. At first we hesitated and then we agreed to go with him, provided he accepts to have lunch with us. He too agreed and thatz how we got to know him. He helped us to find house and then in buying car, basically get settled. All, at no monitory benefit!
Until now I wonder, if I could be so helpful to a total stranger, but in my own way I try to help expat friends who come here, as a good will to the GOOD friend who helped us:)
Slang
At home, when we accept to do something, we generally say ok/yes/will do. Here they say "can"! So at first I was taken aback and was not sure how to react:)
Cost of living
When we went for shopping the first thing we used to do was convert the prices to home currency and keep wondering why is it so expensive. When I was slowly recovering from this syndrome, our friends/colleagues who were from our country started commenting that we do not know the value of money, whenever we bought some thing like even 1 kg of tomato!
Making Friends
After a year we moved to Kuala Lumpur (KL), East Malaysia. By then we dint know anyone in KL and initially we stayed at the uni campus guest house. It was term break and so no transport was available to go out. Then through the cleaner lady, we got introduced to a cabbie, who took us out for buying food. He had promised to come back in a couple of days and help us in finding an accomadation. It so happened that on the third day the cabbie couldn't come, out of no choice we walked all the way to the faculty, which was few Kms away in hope of finding someone who could guide us. Unfortunaltely, we couldn't get any directions and with heavy heart we started to walk back.
Even after all these years I consider it as a gift to us, yes on that day a van crossed us and in minutes it stopped. Then a man walked towards us with a friendly smile and told that just few minutes ago he had heard about us through a lab technician. He offered to send us back or to any place we wanted to go. At first we hesitated and then we agreed to go with him, provided he accepts to have lunch with us. He too agreed and thatz how we got to know him. He helped us to find house and then in buying car, basically get settled. All, at no monitory benefit!
Until now I wonder, if I could be so helpful to a total stranger, but in my own way I try to help expat friends who come here, as a good will to the GOOD friend who helped us:)
4 comments:
hey pretty, nice to see your non-technical post. how's life after reno's leaving? enough members to make fun (only u and MG)?
hope to read more stories here.
after Reno, no tea breaks! Well MG n I have our gal chit chat time when we climb 20 flight of stairs in the evenings:)
Even with me there, we still had "gal chit chat time" in pantry. (Ashame to called that way but it literally fit the defination). Except i dun do stairs. :P
reno, never know u actually feel shame!
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