What's Malaysia?... can eat?
Before I start, here's today's weather..
At 0925hrs, it was 27... at 1305hrs, it was 31.
i took this photo today
Back to the story ....
PLEASE READ TILL THE END !! ... even if it takes 10days to complete... especially Malaysians!!
Malaysia is 13years away from achieving 'Vision 2020'... At this point... this day, how much does a typical Japanese know about my country...?
Malaysia has close economic ties with Japan.
Malaysia was once ruled by Japanese.
Malaysia imports cars from Japan.
Malaysia looked up to Japan in the Look East Policy.
Malaysian lalas are Harajuku-hips-wannabes.
and ... 2007 is Malaysia-Japan Friendship Year.
yes... I love my Rojakland... and even before I came here, I NEVER thought of, to even surrender my citizenship. I just wanna work abroad and get permit for temporary recidency, thats all... till today, its the same... Unless something happens... then things will change ... its not up to me to decide ...
this is a recall... a story ... about what has happened over the past 6 months ...
mixed emotions will arise as you read on... you can laugh at my jokes (if any), you can laugh at Malaysia, you can laugh at how little Japanese know about Malaysia, you can hate them or hate Malaysia, ...
its up to you
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*It will be in Manglish, just to make the translated conversations sound better for Malaysians*
the tragic story begins...
Situation 1 : I entered the tennis court.
Female captain : eh? Who did you borrow that from?
Kok hong : er... I brought it from Malaysia.
Female capt and another member: EHH??! They sell rackets there???
Situation 2 : At a restaurant having a meal with some seniors.
Kok hong takes his hand phone out to read his mail.
Senior : you bought that phone here huh...
Kok hong : ya, cos malaysian handphones cant be used here...
Senior : EHH?? They have handphones there???....
Situation 3 : Everywhere...
Friend : eh Malaysia is like... the island, near the Indonesia... what name ah?,.. bali...
Kok hong : ha?... nola... it's the peninsular attached to Thailand...
Friend : oh... that side ah... the skinny long long one...
Kok hong : ya... the one that stretches out
Friend : oh...
Kok Hong : *is he sure?*
-----
Friend : eh... Malaysia... a lot of lions right?
Kok hong : huh? Nola... where got lions...
Friend : eh? Neh...that half fish...
Kok Hong : merlion is it?
Friend : yayayaya.....merlion...
-----
Friend : which part of Malaysia are you from?
Kok hong : oh... Kuala Lumpur , um.. the capital
Friend : ooh... I see...
Another friend : hmm.. what is the capital of Malaysia?
-----
Senior : I wanna ask you, why is your name Wan Kok Hong and has Chinese characters?
Kok hong : cos I'm Malaysian Chinese
Senior : oh that means you're from China la...
Kok hong : nooo... I'm from Malaysia
Senior : then how come you can speak Chinese?
Kok Hong : (explains education system in Malaysia)
Senior : ooh
Kok Hong : my grandparents are from China
Senior : That means you're still Chinese ß Chinese in Japanese vocabulary means... a person from mainland China
Kok Hong : nola, I'm a Malaysian, born in Malaysia
Senior : that means your nationality is Malaysian is it?
Kok Hong : yes... Malaysian Chinese...
Senior : ooh... okok
Kok Hong : *wonders if he still thinks I'm from China*
Situation 3 : Karaoke
Friend : so what are you gonna sing?
Kok hong : er... see what they have then I choose ...
*a girl begins to feel curious, from her look, I know what she wanna ask and she did...
Friend : you have karaoke in malaysia?
Girl : yaya... I was bout to ask the same question
Kok hong : yes we do... we even have Japanese songs...
Group : EHHH?!!! Really??? What songs??
Kok hong : utada hikaru, ayumi....and sorts...
Girl and guy : whoa.... Unbelievable...
Point : 'unbelievable' there refers to the fact that Msia has karaoke? .. or msian karaokes have J-Pop?
Situation 4 : Somewhere
Friend : in Malaysia, is it like, when the bus is full, you all ride on the roof??
Kok hong : nolaa... no such thing!!
Situation 5 : Somewhere
Friend : eh you all use Yen in Malaysia is it?
Kok hong : nola... we have our own currency... called ringgit
Situation 6 : I walked away
Friends : wan-kun!! What are you doing???
Kok hong : taking pictures
Friend approaches me...
Friend : hey everyone!!!... he has a digital camera!!
Friends : huh? Wahhh....
Kok hong is done and walks back into the group
Friend : where did you buy this?
Kok hong : it's my brother's camera. He bought it like 4 years ago.
Friends : *whispers around* .... whoaa....4 years ago got sell camera...
Situation 7 : Part time teacher
Kid : How is Malaysia like?
Msian friend : oh, its no difference from Miyazaki.
Another kid : does malaysia have cars?
Friend : sureee.... We do have cars!
Situation 8 : A cultural program; I introduced Malaysia to local high school students
Kok Hong : ok, before i start, those who have not heard about Malaysia, raise your hands
Students : ...
Kok Hong : ok fine, who knows where Malaysia is?
Students : ...
Kok Hong : ok nvm, you all will know from now on...
I took this photo
---- Group two ----
Kok Hong : Who knows about Malaysia?
* 3 students raised their hands without any confidence in their looks*
Kok Hong : so what is your image?
Student # 1 : hot place?
Student #2 : uh ......
Student #3 : Above Singapore < i assume he's been ONLY to Singapore during his trip to SEA
Kok Hong : ok...
-----
I was quite offended when one asked this at the end of the presentation.
Man : So, how safe is Malaysia? Safer than Japan?
Kok Hong : uh... risky for girls to walk out at night?
Man : oh, so if i just put a bag on the table, someone else will take it away right?
Kok Hong : yes...
Point : yes, it is true... but c'mon... is he trying to degrade me and my country in front of 70 over students and teachers, who are ALL hearing about Malaysia for the first time?! ... its a horrible first impression...
-----
Situation 9 : Somewhere and happened numerous of times.
Kok Hong : I'm from Msia...
Friend : wow! ... i see... *diverts conversation*
--- days later ---
Friend : Hey, Malaysia is like ...bla bla bla bla
Point : So, can I conclude that he didnt know what a Malaysia is? ... then went home to check in the internet? ... then come back to me and talked about it? .... hmmm????
Situation 10 : Everywhere, most of the time.
Point : nobody, not a single person in Japan whom I've come across, knows about Petronas Towers, unless they've been there.
In fact, they know Merlion...
In conclusion, is this how Asia look like to them?
I think its sad... seriously... it is....
indeed tragical...
*unless stated, photos all stolen from Flickr and Google.com*
geez. that's really sad. if i were you, i'd have lost my patience by now. heck, some still think that we live in trees!
That's pathetic... funny the way you describe how they still think Malaysia is a huge forest and uncivilized people live in tress but still pathetic LOL
when some ppl ask me where i come from and i tell them malaysia..they ask, "oh is that in singapore?"
i am suddenly quite proud of malaysia's education system (but this will probably last for 1 second only) cos at least we have more general knowledge..
oh one more thing! when i was in japan staying with my host family, they asked me if malaysia has snow. when i told them no..they were so shocked!
sad indeed. issit the same elsewhere i wonder..
at last! but why it took you soooo long before you finally post up those conversations?
it is a sad, tragic, or whatever you may call it. the map in your conclusion just says everything.
anyway, a well written post =)
jas... i lost my patience after that exchange party with high school students... especially that stupid teacher who asked that Q. thats why i released tension here..lol...
tany ... thanks..and ... my friend's colleague from japan asked.. you all live in trees? OMG!!
audrey... spore is mainly the big issue... so lets sink that country!! ...lol...and i really find msian syllabus very good and the fact we're exposed to media a lot... unlike here...
mich... an australian guy wrote; find any man in NY city to pinpoint msia on a map, nobody can...
calvin... i know there'll be same happenings in the exchange party so i save it up... and thanks!
i never knew Japanese were so ignorant.. haha.. at least some of my classmates know what Malaysia is.. and where..
but surprisingly they have very little knowledge of the economic ties between m'sia and japan and the Look East Policy..
jon... your classmates... means you're in ?
aww.. know how u feel.. guau los here dun really know bout msia too. infact they're quite shocked i speak perfect english to them :S
zhiyi..from now on, i just malas wanna explain to them