The Reality of Perception
Friday, February 9th, 2007CURRENT LOCATION: Melaka, Malaysia
I had this whole post thought up about how I was just about over Melaka and ready to move on to a new city and quite possibly even a new country. However, just when I thought I could write this place off as nothing but mall after mall, it came to surprise me.
I stepped out of the neighborhood I was currently in and literally had to walk through another mall to get to where I was going. While inside that mall I decided to do a bit of shopping. I picked up some new sneakers and 2 new t-shirts. Looking sharp I hit the road. I headed for the town center which for some reason eluded me the first day. It is quite a walk and taxis aren’t abundant.
I entered Jonker Walk which is Melaka’s China Town. Malaysia is a melting pot and that would come very clear over dinner. Picture this. I am eating at a restaurant in the middle of China Town in Malaysia. I ordered a Dutch beer (heineken) and sweet and sour chicken and did a little bit of people watching. Suddenly I hear the unmistakable and melodic sound of the Islamic call to prayer and just at that moment 2 Indian men ride by on their bicycles. To top it off one of the shop owners across the street was a white man. That is Malaysia. A mixture of Indian, Chinese, Malay and Islamic and Western influences. If it first Malaysia comes off as ordinary just look a little harder.
I can say with confidence that Malaysia has been the easiest country by far to travel in. This includes the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. I am probably one of only a handful of people who felt that traveling in the UK was overwhelming. Not because it was actually hard but because I percieved it to be easy before arriving and didn’t expect the simple cultural and language differences. So, my first day in London was filled with confusion and terror as I realized just because they speak English too doesn’t mean it will be a breeze. However, arriving in Malaysia my perception was that it will be difficult and the reality is that I have come across more people that speak a dialect of English that I actually understand than in any other country. Try asking for directions in Prague or ask where the post office is in Mexico. At least this is how the experience has been for me.
Joey