Picnic at the Waterfall

If I haven’t already said it before, it is the people that really make up the country. Ever since the moment I stepped into this country, I have felt ever so welcomed. Starting from Kuala Lumpur Airport till now. 5 days in and I am loving every moment of being in this country.

I have picked up a few Malay words, most notoriously, “Nasi Lemak” which literally means “Rice Fat”. A real traditional dish of Malaysia where the rice is cooked in coconut cream and with a chilli sauce, with anchovies wrapped in banana leaf. It is so delicious; I have been warned to be careful to not over indulge in them.

I was taken by surprise at the waterfall experience. Malaysia is so beautiful, so I should stop harping on it and show you some pictures.

AIESEC and this internship is by far the best decision of my life. There has not been a dull moment yet and it will only be more exciting as the days go on by. The only thing that worries me is my 6 weeks will be over in a flash and I’ll be home in Sydney before I can blink.

At first, my concern was being bitten by a leech or encountering any strange bugs at the waterfall and the 30 minute hike. Ironically, I got bitten at the communal showers. It is how they say it feels; nothing. You do not feel a thing and before you know it, you’re bleeding everywhere and the leech is super fat. I still get a tingling sensation in my feet when I think about it.

I also met Guido, another intern working on another project. It was so amusing to watch him get into the Malaysian culture and food and in a way, I understood all too well; the spicy foods, the humid weather and the strange and surreal experience of eating with our hands.

Despite having a fantastic time here, I have been involved with some academic discussions about the schooling systems and I have noticed that there are sometimes very few differences and then obvious observations.

University structure is very similar to the one that we have in Australia. One thing that did strike me is that the government owns some of the universities. In Australia, universities are their own separate entities, like companies.

I also stumbled across the topic of stereotypes, racism and sexuality. My fellow AIESECers say that Malaysia is conservative and sometimes racist. I don’t think Australia is that far away and for a “developed” nation, we are rather racist, which makes me very ashamed to say that I am Australian.

Stereotype is not the way to perceive a whole group of people and ultimately, it comes down to the person. One bad experience from a person of a particular group should not validate you to make derogatory remarks to the whole population.

What makes me more ashamed to say to my AIESECers that I am Australian is the racism targeted at particularly non-white groups. I remember I spoke to Awatif about her visit in Melbourne and she made a remark that she felt uncomfortable wearing her headscarf at a conference. There shouldn't be any reason this cutie should feel uncomfortable about wearing her headscarf! It would be the equivalent of being nervous of me wearing my underwear.

The US 9-11 attack has changed Australian culture and perception since then; there has been so much hype and sensitivity towards the Muslim community. I think it is unfair to target a group based on a religion. It irritates me back at home when they target this community and paint them as the derelicts of society. In fact, in 5 days I have really begun to appreciate the Muslim faith. I think the headscarves are fashionable and I would like to be taught how to wear one. 

And that concludes another day in Malaysia!

Signing off: Lily Cheng xoxox