The Civility of Malaysia

After being in India for what seems like an eternity I’ve come to a place where I feel so uncivilized (it was definitely an eternity in travel time; long enough to rip apart my old persona and build a new one). I can’t believe how civilized Malaysia is. In retrospect I couldn’t possibly stay another second in India and remain mentally in tact; I hated the person I was becoming, I hated the way I reacted to everything and I especially hated the day to day struggle to make things happen. Upon arriving in Kuala Lumpur and it’s easy way of being I feel as though I could stay in Asia forever. I will admit, however: the easiness of Malaysia and how quickly / efficiently things happen does make me feel a bit unsettled. I got used to living in a constant state of “whatever!”

In celebration of Malaysia’s easiness, I plan to spend the day and evening walking around the market areas in Chinatown eating. Upon arrival I was dangerously skinny; the direct result of being sick for so long and going without food because I either couldn’t find any or ordering food was a colossal challenge. It is so different here that part of my daily ritual is to walk about and just eat. In the morning the first stop is the bakery; then I wander through Chinatown with its delicious smells — it smells of soups, seafood, roasting meat and food that I now love so much. I eat as much as I can before walking to ease the pressure on my belly. After Chinatown the next stop of the day is the shopping district where I can find unique foods, ice creams and snacks. Here I eat food and absorb the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur.

After all is said, I’m ashamed to admit that after being in India for so long I’ve developed idiosyncrasies that I need to shake. I’ve forgotten how to use utensils, toilet paper and now do a few things in public that I’m sure Malaysians frown upon: like spitting and blowing my nose (my handy dandy hanky gets a disapproving frown or two from onlookers). Using a fork for the first time in a long while was rough and entertaining I’m sure.

One thing that I found thought provoking happened today while shopping. I bought a tank top and parading around with my shoulders exposed was hard. I’m still trying to get used to exposing my shoulders without having to worry about the consequences: being harassed, grabbed or yelled at. It was surprisingly hard to get past this and I only spend a few months in India. I can’t imagine spending years or your whole life there and then go to a place where it’s commonplace for people to show skin.

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