I’m Back!

Hey guys! How’ve you been?

So my long absence has been for good, trust me. A couple of days ago I returned from over 2 weeks of traveling Thailand. I got to see Bangkok for the 3rd time, before heading on over to the lovely, infinity beach-infested Hua Hin. It was a pretty crazy trip, which meant that I wasn’t able to get a whole lot of writing done. But I did take lots of videos and photos for me to look back on, and also share with you guys!

So while I’m writing my new article for Friday, I hope I can offer this little video as a peace-keeper!

Until then,

James

Travel Plans: Thailand

Hey Guys! Right now it is the night before I take a train to Bangkok. Its a 20-hour train ride of fun (No Wifi, no outlets, and no. good. food.). But we make up for it with home made sandwiches, cards, and a good book or two.

While I’m on my 2 week trip of Thai-craziness (My type of craziness, mind you) I’ll be writing blog posts whenever I can and uploading them straight away. But I was also thinking of uploading day-by-day vlogs starting this week, from the train ride there to the train ride back. I made a new Youtube Channel, and as soon as I start uploading I’ll link it to my main page.  We’ll be going to more places than just Bangkok, and I’ll tell you their names as soon as I figure out how spell them.

But besides that, follow my Instagram page for new photos ——-:>

See my most Recent Post: Fried Rice and Refugees

My previous Bangkok Post: A Regular Trip

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Asia, Europe, and North America – Travel Plans November, 2015 – April, 2016.

So after a couple of months of indecision, we finally have permanent travel plans thought out from now until next summer. A lot of things are happening this year alone, with a trip to Bangkok and a few other Thai cities planned from the 24th of November till the 2nd week of December. Then February of next year I head to the capital of Malaysia for a 3 day Forensics Tournament where I get to compete in Solo Acting and Impromptu against over a dozen of the top international schools in South East Asia. Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand. I got to watch it last year, and seeing some amazing performances has really motivated me to practice hard this year. But then not even 2 weeks after that on March 1st, my parents and I leave Malaysia with our bags packed. Saying goodbye to our home for the past year and a half, we split ways with my Dad heading down to Guatemala to fix up our previous home of 9 years, our catamaran Melekai, who took quite a beating on our 2 months sailing aventure last year. While he works on Melekai, my Mum and I go the other way and fly into Berlin, Germany. After a couple of days, we meet up with a friend and visit my sister who studies in Prague, Czech Republic for a week. Then we see another friend in Austria, make a pit stop in France, and go back to visit my sister for another week or so before heading to London in the UK. After a couple of days there, we head to Rhode Island, U.S with a few day pit-stop in the capital of Iceland.

My Dad and I eating in Bangkok in March, 2015

Hiking a mountain in Austria in 2013.

A cathedral in Florence, Italy. 2013

After visiting family for a couple of days, we reunite with my dad in a tiny town in the neighboring state of Massachusetts (Which I’ll need to learn how to spell some day – thank goodness for autocorrect). Gilbertville is about an hour away from Boston, and is where my Dad grew up. While we will most likely get there towards the end of April, we get to spend the summer fixing up a 3 story house that my dad grew up in, and was left to my Dad and his family when my Grandfather passed away. The last time I was there, was well over 3 or maybe even 4 years ago.

Welcome to Massachusetts! Rivers like this will make tubing and kayaking a fun sport to do during Spring and Summer. ` 2012

Below you can see the tiny town I’m moving to. A library, a restaurant or two, and a couple of government buildings. The nearest Walmart is 20 minutes away. `2012

Off my Aunt’s farm, I took one of my favorite photos in `2012

Along the lake. `2012

Now that school year I will spend in a local High School (The only school in the area). My 3 years of Homeschooling will end, and I’ll be thrust into the American School system for the very first time since I was 6 years old. Very scary. Though unlike when I took my 7th and 8th grade in the Local Mexican School, I’m studying in my native language. Always a plus, right?

Off the coast of Mexico in Summer of 2014. After 2 of our dhingys sunk, that little raft with the hole in it ended up being our wobbly transport boat (We fixed the hole up in Belize).

This was one of the last time I saw dolphins since I came to Malaysia. The next time was in Belize, as I was walking across the sandy sea floor as I set anchors, when a pack of them shot by me playfully. `2014

Taking school photos in 8th grade, I took this on the balcony of a suite in one of the nicest condos in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. behind me you can see the mainland, Cancun, as it slopes down. `2013

And that is honestly everything. My dad will be travelling the states for his music more, and my mum will get to go travel for work. Somewhere inside I really hope I’ll be able to travel, but with small holidays and strict rules from School, it’s not very likely. But luckily for me this will be one of the most dramatic changes of scenery in my life. Large mountains, endless forest, lots of rushing rivers and lakes. And 4 seasons. A bit different from Malaysia and Mexico :).

Until next time guys!

Tunnels in Vietnam <—- Latest Post

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Tunnels of Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Part 3/3.

We woke up early, were guided into a van, driven to the river, and suddenly we were were at a Marina, and not sleeping anymore.

Read Part 1 and 2.

The we boarded the boat, and 2 hours later we had cruzed up to a floating wooden restaurant. Now we waited, browsing the most Communist gift shop I had ever seen, as our guide bought us our tickets.

Unlike other forms of government, Communism has no shame about its self-promo. Besides the flags that hang along every street corner, in the shop I look at shirts, mugs, and even little collectible pens adorning the yellow/red colors of their flag. I can’t help thinking, as I inspect the notepads with saluting soldiers with the Communist Sign blazing from their shoulders, that you know a form of government is dying when they’re trying this hard to popularize themselves. Especially in a tourist-trap of a place a historical site can be.

All jokes aside though, this is exactly how Communism works. The patriotism artificially ingrained into Vietnamese with the subliminaly placed positive reinforcements of their government. It makes so that everyone thinks that they’re happy about their government. That isn’t to say that everyone believes in it, and alot of people I met who lived there (Local and Expat) aren’t offended by what the Government does to “influence” them, but still considered it a functioning and good government. Even if they as a citizen don’t have much of a say in anything.

After visiting 3 of the 5 Communist countries left in the world, I’ve learnt that it isn’t the big, horrible menace the Western World would have you to believe it is.

But somehow we’re talking about politics now (Not going to be the last, sorry) and I’m not talking about Tunnels yet.

Once our guide had returned, we left the gift shop and went down a giant tunnel that was actually the entrance to the site, by purpose or mistake, and when we resurfaced on the other side we were farther into the jungle following dusty orange paths past the bamboo trees and other tourists exploring the site. Our guide, a nice man in his early thirties who cracked marriage jokes and spoke in a strong Australian accent that caught all three of us off guard, led us into a small hut with a floor dug about a dozen feet into the ground. Hard wooden benches lined up infront of a tv screen, and small tables beside it held little artistic landscapes that mimicked the area around us.

We watched an old advert created during the Vietnamese War meant to raise morale for those struggling on the ground as the United States bombed them. Afterwards we were led down a small path, briefly passing a large hole in the ground that was made remarkably precise into a rectangular death-trap. Spikes a foot long line the bottom, and as I leaned against the wooden railing that surrounded it to look in, a wooden flap meant to disguise it closes and the spikes are hidden beneath an innocent, stable looking slab of wood. This was one of the many traps that scattered the jungle, waiting for reckless human prey to fall into them. The next trap we passed clamped onto your leg, and the more you moved the more it dug in. Another looked like a medieval bucket, rusted and hiding in a hole but with a painful twist of spikes lying horizontal about 3/4’s into it, so that once a foot entered it there was no way of getting out with it still attached.

This may seem gruesome, but trust me. The list goes on. And they just kept getting worse. There was one which would swing down a blade, cutting off a particular body part from the male soldiers which, well. Is pretty important to most guys.

BUT MOVING ON.

The first tunnel I entered was so small I couldn’t fit. There was just a hole in the ground, which I stood in with the ground up to my chest. By my knees was a hole that lead about a couple of yards from me to another entrance with stairs, but it was impossible for me to bend down to enter. There was a small lid to it aswell, which when covered by leaves camouflaged it perfectly.

The next tunnel we passed I just peered in, because it was nothing I could fit into. It’s amazing to think that these tunnels could go on for over a hundred feet, with air holes that were disguised as ANT HILLS. And if that wasn’t enough, these tunnels which mandatorily you had to crawl in, were people’s homes for weeks at a time. Until, of course, something happened which made them need to abandon them. Bombs, Agent Orange, or lack of resources. You name it.

Finally we reached a tunnel to enter, which we had someone to guideus and candles along the way to illuminate it. It was an actual work out though, as you can rather crawl on your knees or shift sideways like a crab. I’m not the claustrophobic type, but after about 30 feet in even I was beginning to feel a bit uneasy. Just thinking about people hiding in this underground prison for days as bombs ruptured unseeingly above them. It gives me goosebumps even now.

As we walked with our guide through the last part of our tour, he started telling us about the thousands of unexploded bombs in the Vietnamese jungle that still exist, and over 1 and a half million mines. The main culprit behind this infestation, the U.S.A, who before contributed millions of dollars every day to bomb Vietnam, now offers 4,000 dollars a day to help get rid of our own weapons. This gets rid of a very, very small percent of bombs every year. But our guide is very insistent in clearing our minds of any thoughts that the Vietnamese are angry towards the U.S for leaving them to fight on their own. They just want peace, with nothing tainting their relationship with the Western World.

We finished up the tour with lunch on the floating restaurant, and enjoyed the boat ride back down the river. We spent our last evening in Ho Chi Minh City relaxing before a plane ride the next day to the lovely beaches and rice fields of Danang. I was definitely not prepared for the night time there, but I guess you’ll just have to read my next post to find out why.

(did it work are you hooked yet)

Until next time guys!

Through Singapore (1/2)

I’ve been to Thailand and Indonesia. I’ve living in Malaysia. Believe me when I write that in the South East Asia I’ve explored, Singapore is what you find in the back of a magical wardrobe beside Narnia. Sleek silver brilliance striked with elegance and class, the most expensive country in the world was a shock to my system after 8 months of living in cabins in the jungle, trekking through dusty crowded cities, and crossing bridges into developing islands. All these massive buildings that cast their long shade down entire roads, all the international people, and all the cameras. The country where chewing gum in public is illegal was where I stayed for almost a week, and where I saw the lifestyle of the wealthiest class that exists mesh with those who sell Wanton Mee out of carts and hang their laundry off bamboo sticks. Singapore is a pretty cool place though, and I’m going to tell you all about it.

I arrived with my parents after an overnight bus ride from Malaysia, where getting into the country was easy (Though a few Arabian men were held back, most likely Singapore being cautious about Murrs). Hotel was an easy walk away from the bus station, and by the time we were checked in we were back out again. The main downtown area of Singapore is small, so walking we found an MRT Station and bought Easy-Pass cards. This turned out to be one of the best things we would’ve done, as the MRT was crazy-easy to use and got us everywhere we wanted to go for our complete stay for about 14 Singaporean Dollars each. We walked around downtown a bit once we were in the center of it all, and as luck would have it a free walking tour was starting and my Mom was more than excited to join it. Somehow we had missed the fact that the annual Olympic-Tier sports tournament was happening in Singapore for that week, and 2 free walking tours covering Little India and China Town were cancelled. But as luck would have it we were able to join the last Walking tour of the week through the business Centre and beyond. So not even 6 hours off the bus we were walking around Singapore with 3 college girls explaining this building and that fountain and this hotel. While I do enjoy these types of things, it was a major walk-athon after a short, abrupt night’s sleep. 2 and a half hours later I was more than happy to go eat do I could sit down.

But touching on Singaporean History, the nation used to be apart of Malaysia but broke off for a couple of reasons. One being that the main leader Lee Kuan Yew wanted full control, and after centuries of British Rule he wanted to grow Singapore to be free of corruption. Having a thriving trade port, Singapore was able to finance itself and grow steadily. With a strong set of rules, Singapore never as much as stumbled. One particular bump that it had to get past though was the multiple ethnicities within its borders. 60% Buddhist and just under 20% Muslim, along with Hindus and Christians flourishing abundantly, religious discrimination was something that couldn’t exist for even a second if Singapore were to reach its full potential. So intense rules stating that not even a word of hate against any other religions were put in place, and massive fees were placed upon those who broke them. This greatly discouraged everyone else, and from it the country remained peaceful. Though those were not only the intense rules to exist. Jaywalking, chewing gum, and most recently publicly drinking alcohol after 10:30 at night are all prohibited with the threat of tall looming fines placed on all of them. And I’m only mentioning a few. It’s so common to have to pay a fine in Singapore that stalls are placed across the city for easy access to those who have to pay them.

But luckily I never broke the rules while there (Actually I should rephrase that: Never got caught. I may or may not have jaywalked there but I’m not tellin’ you nothin’.). After the walking tour my Mom and I met my Father at the Crazy Elephant in Clarkes Key, a main night-time area in Singapore. Situated alongside a river, the Key is crawling with tourists. My Dad being the musician he is was invited a week before to jam there, so as he played music I played pool and watched a light show coming off of Marina Bay Sands. You know, that hotel with a ship on the top of it.

57 stories? Yeah, I think so. 57.

Scenic place, but damn is it expensive.

It was a fun night, and believe me when I say that I crashed hard that night. In the morning, we were off to China Town, Orchard Road, and the top of Marina Bay Sands (The super cool hotel I told you about. Yes. To the very top.)

Singaporean Buisness Centre

Interviews and thoughts of growing up with travel

Hey guys, how are you?

Diving right in: I’ve been thinking about travel recently and its affects on me for the past 10 years. At 16 I’ve been to 20 different countries, and I haven’t lived in one place for longer than 5 years. Its been exciting, and always different. Recent events have made me re-evauluate my life, a life without travel.

What would that have been like?

I think I would be a very different person if I hadn’t always seen places and met people as a foreigner. Sometimes I forget that always being the new guy in a place isn’t supposed to be a yearly event. I’ve grown up looking at a side of life that allows failures, lives off passion, flourishes in the bad times, and will always appreicate the good times. And now I can’t imagine living in a different way.

So I guess a little self-exploratory is this weeks blog :). Who in your life inspires you the most, and what effect do you think you might have on people in your life? For me a professional donut tester is probably the most influential.

Frosted? Yes please.

My Mom was interviewed by An Epic Education talking about our whole life adventure from the start a decade ago. So if you would like to learn a bit more about me, from leaving normal life in the U.S to sailing in the carribean, from a different perspective you can listen to it here.

Thanks for reading guys! Until next time,

Sincerely, James

Check out my last post.

I wrote about homeschooling in Malaysia!

Want to learn more about me?

Singapore

Hey Guys! A week back I had the opportunity to visit the main city of Singapore for a few days. Not just an amazing city, but an amazing futuristic super cool city. We had a fun trip there from Malaysia, my family and I took a bus at 9 o’clock at night to Singapore. But this wasn’t just any bus, it was one of the COMFIEST buses I’ve ever been on. Not only with fully reclining seats, but tv screens and feet rests were all included. There’s also this weird rule all bus lines seem to share (From Malaysia to Mexico) where the buses need to be an Ice Box aswell. But luckily this particular line wasn’t in the human-popsicle business, and it was a super cozy ride straight from Penang to Singapore.

First Thoughts on Singapore: Very green, and very concrete.

Singapore is one of the richest countries in the world, and though its been dialed down some since its almost-facist ruling in the 20th century was a huge benefactor to the success it is today. Back in the day caning and other severe penalties were put upon those who even just spoke poorly about their nation. Intense rules were placed down, and even in the 21st century new rules such as no chewing gum and public drinking being banned after 10:30 at night have been constructed. It’s a pretty strict city. But what Singapore lacks in liberty, sure makes up for how clean, neat, and organized the city is. 

Luckily Singaporeans have much more freedom now than they had before, and from it they have one of the coolest cities on Earth. And that’s my impartial opinion.

The buildings shoot up high, and as I stood in a park outside the MRT in the main business center, I felt like I’d been transported to the future. A giant tv plastered against the wall echos a commanding voice between the skyscrapers. Perfectly cut grass, immaculate shiny benches, a dozen cameras in one cor-. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Singapore has a hefty fine-for-everything motto, and constant surveillance is practically everywhere. 

But Singapore is also one of safest cities in the world, and I’ve heard stories of people leaving their wallets out in public overnight, and them still being there in the morning untouched. Maybe all the futuristic, super-cool looking buildings are watching over it for them.

Singapore is one of those cities I could completely live in full-time. The only drawback is the fact that its ridiculously expensive for Southeast Asia. All the meals are atleast 3-5 times more expensive than back home, and finding hotel rooms in town that were reasonable was even harder. Singapore is definently the type of place where a seemingly innocent 10 US dollar breakfast can turn into 60.

How about you? Have you been to Singapore and know a good place to stay or eat? Comment below for me!

Read “Home from Singapore” next!

Until next time,

Sincerely, James

In the Indonesian Jungle – Part 3 – Revenge of the Orangutan

At 7 in the morning rain on our tin roof had stopped and I was out of bed and getting dressed, ready for breakfest. Today was Trek day, and jeans and a long sleeve shirt were the ideal clothes to fight the bugs, though not the heat. We were heading out at 8, so we made sure to go get breakfast as soon as we could to beat our guide, and just when we finished, he popped up, his afro visible first as he climbed up the steps.

The guy that had brought us in from the bus terminal was guiding us, along with another worker from the hotel who couldn’t have been 4 or 5 years older than me. They would be bringing us through the jungle for the next 4 hours.

When we had eaten and were all ready to go, we followed our guide out of the hotel and between the stores, cabins, and restaraunts down the river. We ended coming up to one of those really dangerous, unsafe looking bridges that I mentioned, and without batting an eye we started to cross it one by one. Okay, in reality maybe they weren’t that unsafe. Though the one next to use consisted of single pieces of wood and no guard rails. But it didn’t help that it had rained the night before and the river had risen and was going very fast.

It was a beautiful day, just a bit overcast so that we wouldn’t be soaking with sweat a few minutes in, and when we got to the entrance  I realized I didn’t have to worry about the sun. Jungles pretty much cover you on their own.

The entrance to the jungle, which was a national park, was a simple arch way, and a few signs explaining what some different trees and plants are. But before we could even get to see that, another guide with a different group pointed out a Vine Snake in the trees next to use. Absolutely still and poised on a branch, in was probably about a foot and a half long on a vivid leaf green that made him blend in perfectly. Our guide explained what it was, and the only reason it stuck with me was because Vine Snakes generally pick a branch and stay there, for about 3 months. They don’t move for 3 months, besides for when an unluky critter climbs up the tree (not the monkey!) or a bird flies down onto the branch where the snake gets a meal.

When we finished taking photos, we finally went through the entrance, passed by a restaraunt-area  and by some houses until we got to the bottom of a hill, where we crossed a wimpy stream of water on a wobbly board and started to climb. Walking up a trail, we passed by Rubber Trees (A whole valley) which hold little halves of coconuts midway on them to collect the draining tree’s rubber. After spotting jumping Thomas Leaf Monkeys in the trees, we discovered coffee beans, and glowing blue spiders. We kept our eyes peeled for orangutans, but it wasn’t until an hour and a half in we spotted some.

They were in the trees, a Mother orangutan and her child, probably a couple hundred feet up. Too far up for our Iphone 3 to take photos, sp onstead we “Ooohed” and “Ahhed” from the ground, taking a step back every time the baby would try to throw something at us (luckily he didn’t have a very good aim) After a several minutes of that, we kept on walking. My dad had made a sling shot out of dried pieces of Rubber from the trees and with a perfect branch. As we walked he picked up different nuts and aimed a certain rocks, the more he shot the more flexible the slingshot became. We also had walking sticks and small crowns on made of leaves, so you might say we had become one with the jungle just waiting for the perfect vine to swing off of.

After a couple of more sightings of orangutans far up in the trees above us, we finally spotted orangutans close up.

There were a group of people hanging around our red-haired furry friends, a mother and her 2 children. They were so close, hanging out in trees arms-distance away. Some people were grabbing their hands when they reached out, others were busy taking selfies (Hi, I’m James, and I take selfies when I travel and see mokeys)

We watched them jump, swing, and play. While I didn’t agree with the way people crowded them (A decent 10 to 14 people were there) or how they thought it was okay to touch them, but it was really sweet seeing the orangutans in their natural habitat.

Again, after a spree of photos, we were off, going up and down, grabbing onto roots and sometimes reaching points so steep you rather were climbing up or sliding down (usually on your bum)

We passed by a small waterfall at some point where we got to cool off, and after a couple of hours more we were on the last leg of the trip – River Rafting.

Now I mention earlier how the river was looking quite menacing that day, so one can only imagine how it looked a couple of feet away, as I sat in a tire tube barely fitting in it with my mum sharing it with me. But our fearless guides had long, strong sticks in the back and front (we were 4 tires connected front to back) and they heaved us off into the river wielding them around, slicing through the river water was they pushed us off of rocks.

The whole rafting-adventure lasted about 15 minutes, as we passed waterfalls, and really, really, really menacing rocks. But over all, the worst that happened was that we got soaked – which was also the best thing that could have happened.

So overall, our time spent in the Indonesian Jungle was spectacular. We ended up spending the rest of the day not really doing much (besides whining about how achy we were) and the following day we ended up doing a bat cave, which was an hour of sliding through dark caves with 2 flashlights that worked (in a group of 5) on slippery rocks, trying not to smoosh crickets or the cricket-look-alikes that were really spiders sometimes the size of half my hand. Besides a countless amount of bats, I got to see swallow-nests at the very back of the cave, wading through over-ankle deep water.

After a nail in the foot (trying-on shoes injury) and the revelation that we’d been living with a rat for the majority of our stay (cookies were our casualty), we headed out on our 5th day to do 3 and a half hour of riding in a van, quite comfier than our buses, and hopped on a plane back to Malaysia.

“YOU SHALL NOT PASS”
Oh, wait. What was that?
Damn!

No Photographers were harmed in the taking of this photo.

Rubber tree for Slingshots, Croxs, Cond- … Er, and other certain rubber products

Vine Ssssnake thinking of something. Three months with nothing to do. I wonder what it thinks of?

Thomas Leaf Monkey just chillin’

Sadly, I didn’t pass the exam into their clan. Something about lack of “orange” and “…Banana-Eating Apetite”

‘Art thou’ King of the Jungle

Taking a dip was the main thing on my mind

Something I didn’t know to expect in Penang, Malaysia

I’ve lived for the past 7 months in an amazing, quite large island called Penang, which is connected by bridge to mainland Malaysia.  Being a 16 year old American Homeschooler here, I tend to ride the bus alot. I don’t know if that actually has any connection to who I am, But I do. I ride the bus alot. And because of this I’ve seen a decent amount of things, which have in turn provoked me to write this article:

How Malaysians are so incredibly kind.

Penang, Malaysia is one of the most westernized and touristy places in Malaysia. Yet when I’m riding the bus in the afternoon, and three pale 20s-something girls in Bikinis barely covered up with thin shawls and shirts that were made for someone in 5th grade, get onboard headed to the beach, I cringe. I cringe because this is disrespectful to the people who are accommodating them in their country. In Malay Culture it just isn’t cool to walk around in your Bikini. Penang’s Government Board’s have just settled an issue last month on whether Bikinis should be allowed on Beaches, which Penang is very popular for having. They ended up being allowed, but the fact that there was an actually discussion and voting sequence shows that wearing something immodest, in the middle of the city and then onto a public bus for a hour-and-a-half drive up to the beach, isn’t cool. There isn’t any law against wearing bikinis here in Malaysia, but the majority of Malaysians who’ve grown up in a strong Islamic Household won’t approve, and I think if you’re going to visit somebody else’s home, their country, you should at least try to cater to some household rules.

But when I think of this incident and what comes after wards, I can’t help but think that there are so many friendly, nice, and utterly amazing people here in Penang. On the bus, when the 3 girls boarded, the bus driver didn’t mind speaking in broken English to tell them what it would cost to get to the beach. The girls didn’t know where the beaches were, but the driver waved his hand in a careless fashion and told them he would let them know where to get off. And when the 3 girls took up the complete priority seating aisle, nobody said anything. Actually, most people who stood holding onto the sides of the bus, old or young, were smiling and nodding at them.

And that’s when I realised, out of the whole busload of people, I was the most offended. Everyone on the bus saw these three girls as the typical tourists, a mixture of some cluelessness and naiveté. They knew these girls were among hundreds of other people visiting their city not realizing that they could be insulting with the way the could dress, or the fact that the didn’t study their culture or learn a little of their language beforehand.

And I mean, c’mon. Priority seating? Really?

But yet I don’t feel like Malaysians get enough compliments on how thoughtful they are. Bus drivers never hesitate to help me out when I don’t know where I’m headed. Restaurants here cater their menus in English for Tourists, and for the past 7 months I’ve been a regular in a Chinese and Thai Restaurant down my street and only with their knowledge of English I’m able to order every time I go. I’ve even been on the bus before when an elderly Chinese man gave up his seat for a Canadian Mother and her child in a stroller, and after, when the woman was getting off the bus, a group of Malaysian Construction Workers in their twenties, picked up her stroller for her and set it down on the ground, making sure the bus wouldn’t close its doors on her. There are so many amazing people here that have the most unique and caring perspective on us, absent-minded foreigners, that it makes me smile and really appreciate the place I live.

Malaysia vs. North America (United States and Canada)

So around this time, 7 months ago, I had just arrived in Penang, Malaysia. I didn’t know anyone here, and could barely order food from a restaurant. Now that I’ve had enough time to get used to it here, I’ve been keeping stock of a few differences between here, and I thought putting some of the few differences down now would be a good idea.

1. Holidays

Nowhere that I’ve been has been more multi-cultural than Malaysia. Boasting a strong Chinese and Indian community (Just take into account that over 40% of citizens are immigrants down the line due to importation of cheap workers from a recently as the 1950’s) Because of this, and adding on a very strong Christian community aswell, people are always celebrating something. Some examples would be Chinese New Year, a month-long event, Thai Pusam, and Indian celebration of a fallen hero. And in some cases, I don’t even know what’s being celebrated but see parades or extreme water wars happening Downtown (A Thai Holiday) and just know its some sort of Holiday.

Thai Pusam 2015

2. Bathrooms

I’m used to a choice of a Urinal or a toilet when I go to the bathroom. But here in Malaysia, there is also a 3rd option, which is the most common. A simple, cut out hole for you to squat over. Yet that’s not all, because there isn’t usually any Toilet Paper, even in regular toilets. Instead a hose is in the stalls, which you use to er, uhm. You get the idea.

3. Light Switches

One of the most minor differences on this list is this one – To turn off a light you flick the switch down, and to turn it off it goes up. Something so simple through me off funnily enough, and it took me months to know if my bathroom light was on or off by looking at the switch (Which is on the outside of the door)

4. Ease of Eating out

Fast food isn’t “Fast Food” unless it’s always a 5 minute walk away no matter where I am and served to me in under 5 minutes from me ordering. Penang, Malaysia isn’t one of the most popular destinations in all of Asia for nothing, and the little stalls that are everywhere could serve you Sushi, to lasagna, to Pad Thai, to Mie Goreng. Typically under 2 USD for a meal.

Mie Goreng

5. Multi-lingual people

So because 40% percent of Malaysians have come from different countries at some point or another, Penang is a place swirling with languages. On average, people know English, Malay, Hokkien ( A Chinese Dialect). But very diverse families end up provoking their kids to learn a 4th and 5th language aswell, rather an Indian Dialect or maybe Thai. I’ve never been to a place where so many different languages can be spoken in just one restaurant by locals.

These 5 are just a few of the differences that I’ve noticed. But how about you? Have you ever been a place and been completely thrown off by something as minor as flicking a switch the opposite direction?

Until Monday,

James