My AFS Yearbook article

Wow, 2 months and I’ll be home, a scary but exciting thought. I have very mixed emotions when I think about my stay here. It was an interesting year, filled with some very different experiences and some amazing people I hope not to forget for the years to come.

Well, being an ambassador of Australia was easy, a country I am a bit too proud of. I was always willing to talk about Australia this year, even Tasmania a place I used to think was a hole, sounds great when I talk about it. I also know where all the good Australian food can be found in Malaysia.

I didn’t believe I had culture shock, probably because I didn’t know how to recognize it. But I did have culture shock. Everything from the amount of rubbish in Malaysia, how devoted people are to their religions, how fascinated some Asians are by white people, how evil Malaysians think drugs are, the paranoia Malaysians have regarding safety, the respect adults receive from adolescents, the unusual exam-orientated school system, how Malaysian government spends it’s money and some parts of Islam.

For such a tiny country Malaysia has quite a lot to offer. A huge array of food, some beautiful islands, great shopping and culture, lot of it!

Malaysia has made an impact on my life, in what I have learnt, the friends I have made and the experiences I had. The people I met through AFS are some damn cool people; I really hope to see them again. Staying in Malaysia has been an eye-opener; it made me see how different life is for people around the world. I have begun to think more about the future, what I want to do and what things I value in life. I think in the way the world is heading it’s important for Westerners to visit Islamic countries to understand it better. My difficult parts of my exchange would be my 3-4 months of homesickness/depression, when I wanted to go home more than anything and now, because it’s never going to be the same again. Redang Island would top the list for most memorable place I saw. Chinese New Year, the crazy times with the NH05/06 batch and my birthday are times I hope not to forget. My extended thanks go to AFS, my host family, my STE families and host family in Banting.

Hugs go to the NH05/06, SH06, NH06/07 batches, returnees-Farah, Jacqueline, Lip Hung, Arthur and Kar mun. To Minea, Liam, Bilal, Ann-Marie and Paarma, I don’t know where I’d be without you guys. Many thanks to my scholarship sponsor, SDA Tasmania, my wonderful parents and friends in Australia.