Ten Things I Miss About Malaysia

Home is where the heart is. As cliché as it may sound, that aphorism has more resonance now than I can ever before imagine. In my humble opinion, a person has - no matter how much he wants to deny it, to run away from it, or to repress it – to some degree or less, a deep-rooted attachment to his mother/homeland. It’s been a month and a half since we arrived in the Netherlands - the famously irrigated, verdant land below the sea level. Since it’s the fasting month of Ramadan coupled with the cold weather, my longing for Malaysia is more acute than usual. If only we can make the heater work and crank it to rainforest setting! Due to these circumstances, it’s quite appropriate for me at present to reveal the ten magnificent things that induce me to miss Malaysia:

1) Food – A variety under the sun, from the savoury, sumptuous ‘lauks’ to the mouth-watering sweet cakes and delectable glutinous desserts. The Dutch likes to eat a lot of herring apparently, and their diet consists mostly of cheese and bread as well as the occasional Indonesian fare available in the supermarkets and restaurants. Though I love fish, the raw consistency of herring is an acquired taste. In Malaysia, you can buy the food cheap off the streets in ‘’pasar malam’ (night market) or a nearby restaurant anytime of the day, without worrying you leave a hole in your pocket as a result. Last but not least, I miss the endless Ramadan bazaars during this month, with a whole gamut of food from different states in Malaysia to choose from. Although a greedy part of me usually ended buying more than we both can stomach.
2) Cheap stuff – Besides cheap food, everything else in comparison is cheap, from the toiletries, the clothes to the bicycles.
3) More brands to choose from – This is particularly true in supermarkets and grocery store. I find that in Holland, certain brands dominate the market at the expense of consumers’ purchasing power. Malaysia, located comfortably in South East Asia, is blessed with the availability of both Western and Eastern products on its shelves. With so many brands to select from, consumers are able to execute wise shopping decisions. Or the opposite is also true when buyers indulge in more splurges owing to the range of items on offer.
4) Weather – A no-brainer. No need to bundle up in the cold climate. This is quite exasperating when you have an uncooperative 7-month old baby.
5) Our car – Our personal parking bay right on the ground floor of our building in Malaysia makes it convenient to just drive out to get anything that we want, without ever having to think about bundling up, weather conditions (except for torrential rains with low visibility) or making super-efficient shopping lists. Oh well, at least here, we get some form of exercise via walking.
6) Malls – Especially the permanent non-smoking malls. Also, make that non-smoking areas in general. We have yet to find a great mall with all the trimmings here. We were in Mega Stores, The Hague mid of last week, all excited to see a BIG mall but our hopes were dashed when the place lacks any interesting or novelty shops and houses mostly interior design cum furniture stores that they might as well call it Mega FURNITURE Stores! We were however contented that Toy R Us took up a big space there. Also, we remain optimistic that Amsterdam’s latest offering Kalvertoren Shopping Centre will be a great relief, once we go and visit it.
7) Nurseries – Baby-soothing ones with a comfy nursing section are paramount in our daily existence and the provision of such amenities in Malaysia translates into a (reasonably) happy, fuss-free shopping experience.
8) Starbucks (and its much obliged Malaysian-based compadré San Francisco Café) – Need I say more? Robust, nutty coffee concoctions. Makes you want to go
Hmmm lovely, ala Nigella Lawson’s sultry accent (haha!).
9) Our house – Specifically our cozy tv-equipped bedroom where we often dwell, since the stork’s visit. The presence of our familiar things has a reassuring and cathartic effect on our piece of mind.
10) Our family – Awwww! Having loved ones around to visit and inconvenient is family tradition. Be it for the weekly potlucks, angpows (Raya money!) or a ready listening ear to vent out to.

Conversely and unfortunately, there are five things that I DO NOT miss about Malaysia. They are, in no particular order:
1) The Haze – A recurring problem of late.
2) Non-ecologically friendly – Lack of public awareness on recycling. I’m amazed that in the Netherlands people rarely use the plastic bags when buying their grocery or shopping since they will be charged Euro0.20 each for the bag! Rather, they bring their own bags or baskets.
3) Rude drivers/motorists – Quite notorious even to foreigners and expats on the roads.
4) Slow public/government service – Legendary in some quarters. In comparison, over here, if there is a long queue, the personnel will open new counters without hesitation.
5) Disjointed public transport system – The snail-pace progress to restructure the public transport system in KL has left many people cynical on its viable development. The lackadaisical attitude also discourages people to use such facilities until proper implementation is in place. With ruthless and addled ‘Metro’ bus drivers reigning supreme, riding the public bus is never an option unless your life depends on it!

The profundity into these comparisons is a personal exercise for my own gratification and remedy against homesick-ness. It is by no means, intended to injure the differing sensibility or sway the judgment of others. It’s based on my experience, my socio-cultural background and philosophy on life. And most of all, by apprising people of this list, I feel grounded and proud of my roots!