When I first arrived in my program’s first host country of Malaysia, I was immediately struck by the heat and humidity that far exceeded any I had ever encountered in the United States. In fact, it was so humid that in the last few minutes of my flight to Kuala Lumpur, the windows fogged up so suddenly that I initially thought the air was incredibly cloudy or filled with smog. Once entering the airport and talking with locals, my fears of having difficulty interacting while studying abroad nearly vanished. Everyone I met was quite friendly and polite.
On the way to the hotel with a few other students in the same program, I really started grasping the fact that I was now halfway across the globe. From the architecture to the cars and greenery, everything was slightly different from what I am used to observing in Alabama. Signs on the street were an interesting mix of both English and Malay, enabling me to understand some of the messages.
So far, my favorite thing about my first host country has been the food. Every meal I’ve had thus far has been consistently delicious and at an extremely low price, considering the currency difference. The Malaysian food I have had have been extremely similar to other cuisines like Indian food I have had before. For example, the strong preference for curried dishes with rice mirror those in the region of South Asia. I also find that the dishes are primarily made with no pork or lard due to the fact the country is an Islamic nation. This has been extremely convenient for me because I am Muslim. Growing up in America, I have always been wary of food ordered at restaurants, constantly having to check with the restaurant staff about the ingredients in the meals I order, but in Malaysia, many restaurants actually advertise the lack of pork or pork-based products in their dishes which eased the process of ordering. I am excited to continue exploring Southeast Asia through Cambodia and Laos now!
