Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, which is Malaysia's capital, was only a quick one-hour flight from Singapore (it actually took a longer time to travel from the airport to our hotel). KL is pretty similar to Singapore, or really any big city for that manner, so it was a pretty familiar (although fun) experience. 

Friday

Arriving on Friday evening, we visited the city's main attractions and enjoyed the vibrant nightlife.

Departing Singapore

Petronas Towers

Photocred to Jeong-Hwan 

The crew

Saturday

We visited Batu Caves, Central Market, Merdeka Square, and Bukit Bingtang. All were fun, but Batu Caves was the main highlight of the trip for me!

Batu Caves

This statue is HUGE (compare to the 272 steps on its right)

So many monkeys at Batu Caves

Many, many steps to get inside the caves

Inside the caves


Delicious Char Kuey Teow, a Malaysian dish

Historic Merdeka Square

Bukit Bintang, more or less the Times Square of Malaysia

On Sunday, I went to the hotel gym and pool in the morning, and then we all headed to the bus station to go to Melaka, which is said to be Malaysia's cultural capital.

Meleka

Melaka was a much more low-key and enriching experience for me as compared to KL. Melaka presented the opportunity for me to experience the "real Malaysia". Life here was much quieter, peaceful, and family-oriented than in KL. 

Sunday

We went on a brief cruise on the Melaka River, explored major sites from Melaka's colonial past, and visited Jonker Street at night.

The Melaka River Cruise

I feel like this kid was having a revelation

Beautiful artwork on the buildings alongside the Meleka river

Historic fort built by Portuguese colonialists  

More touristic colonialism 

Selfie at perhaps Melaka's most famous symbol

Inside the church

Jonker Walk, perhaps the coolest street I've walked through (also great street food)

Karaoke!

Quite the crowd to watch Karaoke

Monday

We relaxed in the hotel, revisited all the sites from the day before, and visited Kampung Morten, which is a quaint Malay village on the Melaka river.

Cross the bridge and you'll find yourself in Kampung Morten

Inside Kampung Morten

I'm not sure who this guy is, but his picture is EVERYWHERE in Meleka

It almost feels like I'm in Texas...

Reflections and Realizations

This is the point of the blog where I'll attempt to go beyond the surface level and try to make meaning of my experiences abroad. For some readers, this may be the point that I lose you. But for other readers -- that is, those that are interested in my experience abroad beyond a superficial level -- this may be the part of my blog that interests you most. Whether you fall in the former or the latter, no judgement is passed and I respect you equally nonetheless.

Reality Check + American Privilege

The moment has finally come where I am beginning to realize how long I will be away from the states. Having arrived to Singapore on January 6th, I have now been in Southeast Asia for 3 weeks, which is approaching the point where you stop viewing your time abroad as a vacation but rather as a new place you live in. While I am enjoying every lasting minute here and by no means would like to return prematurely, I would be lying if I said I am not missing American culture.

In my view, at least for me, you don't really understand or appreciate the value of your home country's culture until you're separated from it for a significant period of time. Having lived in the United States my whole life and having traveled very little internationally prior to studying abroad, I've never really been immersed in a culture different than mine for an extended period of time.

With that said, as an American, I have the privilege to see and experience shades of my culture no matter where I travel. Whether it's a McDonalds or Subway, or a Hollywood movie playing at the theatre, or simply having English written on signs everywhere I go, globalization has spread Western cultural institutions not only all throughout Singapore, but even in many places in Malaysia. Unfortunately, due to power dynamics, the reverse does not apply for these groups, and that, to me, is the essence of American privilege.

For example, assuming you are from the states, do you know of a place where you can eat Malaysian food, or watch a Malay movie, or see Malay written in a public setting? (If you know of a place where I can eat Malaysian food, please let me know -- it's delicious!) All I wish to express is that it is a tremendous privilege to be an American -- not only for the obvious economic, political, and social privileges, but also for the less appreciated privileges such as the one I just described above.