Top 10 things Malaysia has Given Me

September 16th is Malaysia Day and is not to be confused with Merdeka Day (Aug 31st). Merdeka Day celebrates Malaya's independence from British rule in 1957. Malaysia Day acknowledges the merging of Sarawak and Sabah with Malaya, becoming Malaysia.

People here may go on holidays either in or out of the country, particularly if it coincides with a school holiday week. Or, people flock to the nearest shopping mall to spend the day, and money, on discounts!

Today I decided to spend some time thinking what Malaysia has given me and why I'm so thankful to be living here. So here is my 

Top 10 things Malaysia has Given Me:

1. A beautiful wife and family

Horne family photo in Kuantan, May 2014

First and foremost, the reason why this Englishman is here in Malaysia today, is my beautiful wife. After meeting my Malaysian beauty on the island of Borneo, we soon engaged and married a year later. In addition to being the woman I love, she is a great help to my cause as a local Malaysian.

2. 4 sisters-in-law

My wife with her 4 sisters at home in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Get that! Not only has Malaysia given me a gorgeous wife, but the family extends to four fantastic sisters-in-law (though I hate the 'in-law' part. I refer to them as simply 'sisters'). How lucky can one guy be?

3. A family company

Our company logo

Malaysia has given us our own family company. We registered Horne Learning Services through Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM, or Malaysia Companies Commission), and in no time we had our own business. We are able to work from home, giving us the pleasure of being with and raising our children simultaneously. Our website can be found at HLS English Classes Kuantan

4. Long-term visa with permission to work

The Kuantan, Pahang Immigration has over the years relaxed its policies and has allowed me to receive a 4-year visa with permission to work. This is a huge blessing for me which I am ever grateful for. Long gone are the days where I had to go to Singapore every 3 months to get a new stamp in my passport. I am now working towards receiving PR (Permanent Residency) in Malaysia.

5. A love of hotels

Meeting the Chief Minister of Pahang at Vistana Hotel Kuantan in February 2014

Through my blog and living in Kuantan, I have developed quite a love of hotels, which has seen us stay inside most of the notable hotels in Kuantan, and some of the smaller ones. We have often stayed there for free in exchange for positive blog reviews, while also taking the opportunity of combining our English classes with the hotel industry. We have gained many new friends in hotels in Kuantan and KL which has enhanced our lives dramatically.

6. An appreciation of health

In my hospital bed with dehydration and food poisoning at HTAA Kuantan

Malaysia has given me a more vivid awareness and appreciation of my health. Coming down with food poisoning has taught me to be extra careful what I eat and making sure it's clean and safe before consumption. Severe dehydration has alerted me to the need for drinking PLENTY of water and electrolytes, and also taking rehydration salts from time to time. 

I have also started regular workouts at the local gym, to increase my health, strength and blood circulation. It feels fabulous to work out and eat right!

Looking and feeling better at the gym

Living in this hot and humid climate has created a much greater importance to looking after my health. Coupled with my long-overdue dentist appointments to correct a number of problems at extremely low prices, Malaysia has definitely brought about an improved sense of good health.

7. A new outlook on life

with friends in Ipoh, Malaysia, May 2004

Malaysia has reinvigorated me. It has given me a whole new outlook on life. It is a combination of living a different culture, adapting to a new climate, appreciating the appearance of the sun every single day, interacting with really friendly people, serving others and experiencing new opportunities. Thank you for these wonderful things, Malaysia!

8. Nasi Lemak et al.

A gorgeous helping of nasi lemak

Mmmm, nasi lemak. The greatest food ever! And nasi kukus. And roti jala. And mango sticky rice. And a whole list of other brilliant foods. Malaysia boleh!

9. Beautiful beaches

Teluk Chempedak beach, Kuantan

Malaysia has given me a beautiful beach just 15 minutes drive down the road. Teluk Chempedak beach is the most popular place in Kuantan. I love going there and walking across the bridge through monkey territory to the next beach. What a luxury this is!

10. Astro

Astro is the Malaysian equivalent of Sky TV in England. Man, I get to watch more EPL football in Malaysia than I ever did in England. There are 14 channels dedicated to sports, with additional channels on top of that for special sporting events (ie. FIFA World Cup, Olympics etc). Malaysia has spoilt me!

Restaurant Dish Washer

This lady is a dish washer for this Chinese restaurant in Bukit Sekilau, Kuantan. Every day she sits on her small stall and washes dish after dish. She appears to be very happy. Do we sometimes get irritated when doing the same old things day after day, or do we appreciate the fact that we CAN do them?

Teluk Chempedak beach - Making the Most of the Path

We are all walking our own path in life. Sometimes I think that if we focus too much on the destination, we may miss the sights along the way.

(Teluk Chempedak beach, Kuantan)

Why do I love Malaysia so much?

I have been living in Malaysia for 8 years now and I have enjoyed every moment of it. Truth be told, there have been some worrying and difficult moments, but as I mentioned in a previous post, I am "living the dream" here in Kuantan, Malaysia.

I have a friend from England who lives in Johor Bharu (JB) and he too keeps a blog. I'd like you to meet him today. 

His name is John and in a recent posting, he pretty much explained to a tee how we both feel about Malaysia and why we Englishmen indeed love Malaysia so much!

I couldn't have explained it better myself, so please hop over to John's blog right here to find out what I mean.

Malaysia Boleh!

Living the Dream

During a recent conversation on facebook, an old school friend suggested I was "living the dream".

Living the dream in Kuantan didn't begin with a lap of luxury or a turn of luck. I can tell you it all started in a strange and unknown town, amongst complete strangers, with no job and very little money.

It took a lot of belief and very hard work to reach the stage where I'm now "living the dream". At times, Kuantan seemed a difficult and impossible place to live, let alone realise dreams. We had problems regarding finances, employment and my immigration status, continually having to leave the country and go through Singapore to get a fresh stamp in my passport. I have numerous stories on this topic, and although I have almost filled two entire passports, it was by no means easy, and quite terrifying at times.

But six years on and we have created our own dream and are really living it right now!

Let me share a few points as to how I am "living the dream".

Firstly, employment. In England, I used to have some agency work as a picker in a warehouse. It was tough work, heavy lifting and carrying 8 hours (or more) per day. I enjoyed it and gave it my all, but I knew it was temporary in nature. I don't know if I could work in that way on a long-term basis.

I always loved English and teaching English, but opportunities for that in England were limited. I didn't fancy teaching a class of 30-40 children at a secondary school, and I didn't have any experience or qualification to do that anyway.

Malaysia has been a much more fertile ground for teaching English. I'm living the dream by teaching English from home, choosing what hours I want to work and accepting as many students as I can fit in my classes. We have registered our own company, Horne Learning Services in a few simple steps. My wife wrote me an offer letter and along with an application letter from me, I received the necessary permission to work freely in Malaysia for Horne Learning Services.

I decided to walk in to the Vistana Hotel one day to advertise myself as an English teacher. Now I'm working in partnership with the hotel and teach a class of staff every Wednesday.

Being our own boss is a luxury I'm so glad we've achieved. Working from home enables me to spend all day long with my family, being with my wife and children, as well as doing my life's work, which I love! If we want a holiday, we have a holiday. We work for no-one, which means our income is as much as we want it to be.

This leads to the second point - freedom. Being entrepreneurs brings increased responsibility to make things work, but greater freedom too. Working hours are dramatically less, whilst still earning a good income. We are free to take holidays, re-arrange classes any time the need arises, and spend all our time with our children to raise them just the way I dreamed of doing.

Our recent holiday in Kuching. We stayed for a night at Damai Beach Resort for my sister-in-law's engagement ceremony, and enjoyed the lovely scenery as shown in this photo.

Not having to "go" to work means we can spend plenty of time with our children. Such a joy!

The third way I'm living the dream - every day feels like a holiday! Kuantan has turned out to be a beautiful place with gorgeous hot weather every day and lovely, attractive places to go and see. The beach is a 15-minute drive from home, a living dream I would never have imagined to have.

Being from the all-too-gloomy England with its infamous rain and wind, living in Kuantan, Malaysia, really is living the dream. Waking up to bright, warm sunshine is such a blessing and motivation. I just couldn't ask for more.

And it's not just the marvellous weather, but the Malaysian lifestyle in itself. Life is so different here compared to in England. Things are much more relaxed in Malaysia, everything is generously priced, even the TV channels and packages are far more extensive. I see more sports for a better price than I could ever have dreamed of in England.

One can cycle down to the beach or a park and saunter the time away. With the vast majority of my English classes at 8-10pm, I'm pretty much free for the entire day. What a lifestyle!

Finally, I think there's something about making it in a foreign country, including overcoming obstacles and finding success amongst a people who originally are wary of your foreign status. Being able to overcome that barrier and work together with locals is "living the dream". Perhaps my friends, Robert in Kuantan, and Linda in Italy, will agree.

Living the dream is living a lifestyle that you choose, not one that is thrust upon you. I'm extremely fortunate that I've been able to create my dream and live it.

You too can do it if you put your mind to it!

An Expat Life - or not?

Good day everyone and welcome to my post for today.

I received an email from a gentleman who runs an expat site named Internations who invited me to join the site and connect with other expats around Malaysia and the world. He had come across my blog and apparently loves it. So I signed up and filled in a questionnaire. There were 9 questions and I must admit that I really enjoyed answering the questions.

It reminded me of the very first time I ventured to the shores of Malaysia and Singapore back in 2002, how I settled down, overcame culture shock and eventually lived here like it had always been my home.

This is a picture of me and a friend taken in June 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, shortly before embarking on a 2-year volunteer placement in Malaysia and Singapore. I was a fresh 19 years old, travelling without my family for the first time, going to a strange tropical country I had never heard of before.

In Klang, Malaysia with a very good friend I met there

Celebrating my birthday with local friends in Klang, Malaysia, October 2002.

On a packed bus full of local Sarawakians heading to the beach, Kuching, Malaysia, probably around February 2004.

At a local Malaysian's farm, Kuching, Malaysia, around February 2004.

Fully settled into life in Malaysia, at a food stall in Ipoh, Malaysia, around May 2004, a month before my 2-year volunteer service came to an end.

I thought I would share with you the questionnaire I filled out today, which brought back so many great memories from the last decade of my life, seeing this young English boy mature and grow into a man in South-East Asia.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Who you are, where you come from, when you moved to Malaysia, etc.

My name is Duncan Horne and I’m from Leicester, England. I first moved to Malaysia in June 2002 as a volunteer worker. That lasted for 2 years upon which I returned home to England. In May 2006 I moved back to Malaysia again, this time as a result of marrying a local Malaysian.

When and why did you decide to start blogging about your experiences?

I began a blog in 2009 originally to be the topic of Roger Federer – how quickly things change! My blog changed into a blog about Kuantan, my new hometown, and has found much success and a wide following as a result.

Do you have any favorite blog entries of yours (please insert URL as well)?

I have a number of favourite entries, particularly those about our stays at hotels and visiting tourist attractions here in Kuantan.

Our stay at Swiss garden Resort & Spa:

http://duncaninkuantan.blogspot.com/2010/05/swiss-garden-resort-and-spa.html

Our tour of The Zenith Hotel and interview with the GM:

http://duncaninkuantan.blogspot.com/2010/12/tour-and-interview-with-zenith-hotel.html

Our stay at Vistana Hotel:

http://duncaninkuantan.blogspot.com/2011/10/our-stay-at-vistana-hotel-kuantan.html

The fascinating Lao Zi dragon temple near Kuantan:

http://duncaninkuantan.blogspot.com/2010/06/lao-zi-temple-dragon-temple.html

I really love this post documenting the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall in Kuantan:

http://duncaninkuantan.blogspot.com/2011/10/ten-thousand-buddhas-hall-wan-fo-tien.html

Always enjoy visiting this lovely scenic park in Kuantan:

http://duncaninkuantan.blogspot.com/2011/02/taman-gelora.html

Had an intriguing visit to Sungai Lembing:

http://duncaninkuantan.blogspot.com/2009/08/sungai-lembing.html

Exploring the hidden charm of Kuantan old town:

http://duncaninkuantan.blogspot.com/2011/07/kuantan-old-town.html

Hindu temple in Kuantan:

http://duncaninkuantan.blogspot.com/2010/10/sri-sithi-vinayagar-temple-kuantan.html

All of the blog posts on this page:

http://duncaninkuantan.blogspot.com/p/malaysia-singapore.html

Tell us about the ways your new life in Malaysia differs from that back home. Did you have trouble getting used to the new circumstances? Did you experience culture shock?

When I first moved to Malaysia back in 2002 I did have a bit of culture shock which lasted for a month or two. I found myself thinking about home and missing friends and family quite often. However, once I got to know the local people and settled into my work, things became a whole lot easier. The hot and humid weather was a big thing, as well as the wide array of Asian food on offer. I soon got used to dirty and smelly public toilets too. Anyway, I took the good with the bad and just really started enjoying living the Asian life. Life is much more laid back here in Malaysia, easy to get on with people and make good new friends, which was quite the opposite in England. The drinking culture of England brought a lot of pressure as I’m not a drinker, and that aspect is so much more comfortable and tolerable in Malaysia. Every day feels like a holiday here, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world.

Do you think you were fully prepared for what awaited you in Malaysia? If you could, would you change some decisions/preparations you made?

I think it’s impossible to be fully prepared for everything about a new life abroad. You can read endless books on a new country of residence, its food, people, economy and so on, but nothing beats experience! I think it’s important to go with a positive attitude and open mind, and realize that the way of life is not going to be like back home, then you will be able to settle a lot quicker and be more adaptable to change.

Every expat knows that expat life comes with some hilarious anecdotes and funny experiences. Care to share one with us?

My wife was taking driving lessons and one afternoon somebody from the driving school called. My wife was asleep so I took the call. Unfortunately the lady on the other end couldn’t speak English, so trying to be clever I attempted to tell her that my wife was sleeping. However, I didn’t realize that I was speaking in the Iban language, which my wife had been teaching me, and not Bahasa Melayu (the national language). So I was saying “Fidelia tinduk” (in Iban) getting myself confused with “tidur” (the word for sleep I should have been using!) So there was a lot of confusion before the call ended and I remember myself complaining, ”That woman can’t even talk her own language!” Not until I related the story to my wife did she inform me that it was I who was using the wrong language!

Which three tips would you like to give future expats before they embark on their new life in Malaysia?

1.      Approach the expat journey with an open mind

2.      Try to live the local way of life instead of your own ‘back home’ way of living

3.      Immerse yourself in the work you’re doing in Malaysia

How is the expat community in Malaysia? Did you have a hard time finding like-minded people or fellow expats?

I am a different type of expat to what is usually understood by the title “expat”. I didn’t move here together with my family like most expats do who move abroad for work purposes. My wife is actually a local Malaysian and I moved here to settle down with no money, no job, a complete fresh start in a town I had never knew existed. However, I am still living the expat life now, it’s just that I’ve gone through it in an entirely different set of circumstances. It was very tough at first but gradually I’ve settled down to normal life and have now met one or two fellow expats here too. It was pretty difficult locating other expats but I have made a friendship with one guy from the Netherlands, whom we see from time to time. However, it is with the local Malaysians whom I converse with the most. Sometimes I forget I was from England and really don’t think of myself as an expat. I thoroughly enjoy my life in Malaysia and I feel like I’ve never been anywhere else!

How would you summarize your expat life in Malaysia in a single, catchy sentence?

“Every day feels like a holiday!”

Hope you enjoyed that question and answer session with myself. I really sometimes wonder if I am an expat or not? I may have white skin but I certainly feel Malaysian. I feel at times as though I've been here all of my life. People ask me how long I'll stay here in Malaysia. My answer always is the same - 

"perhaps until the day I die."

Princess Diana and Priorities

"panacea" - a remedy for all kinds of diseases or troubles.




Princess Diana


Princess Diana has been sorely missed since her tragic (perhaps conspired) death. This video of Elton John performing "Candle in the Wind" at her funeral says it all:

I remember the morning she died so well. I was coming downstairs from my bedroom and my mum had the TV on in tears telling me that Princess Diana had died - just didn't seem real at the time. Even to my young mind, it made a distinct impression.

Priorities

When tragedies happen we begin to think more carefully about our priorities. About what's really most important in life. But we shouldn't wait for calamities, sorrow or afflictions to besiege us. We can prioritize our life today, right now.

Effective planning and setting goals are essential in confirming our priorities. When done consistently, it can become a healthy habit and even a productive panacea.

How would you list these in order of importance? Here's how I do it:

1. family

2. money

3. health

4. blog

5. holiday

Opinion

"obstreperous" - noisy; unruly




Opinion

Opinion counts.

The opinion of the people decides who will become the next President of the United States of America. The opinions of obstreperous others may destroy a candidate's credibility.

Conclusions are formed based on opinion polls.

Our opinions of other people determine the proximity of relationships.

Our opinions on particular topics may influence others one way or another.

However, the number one definition of 'opinion' in the Oxford Dictionary 2nd Edition states:

"an unproven belief or judgement; a view held as probable."

'Unproven' and 'probable' are two really ambiguous and negative words.

When getting my students writing essays, I always stress the point of making their essay personal by filling it with their own opinion. I don't want to read essays filled with common cliches, yet it appears only a clique actually possess opinions of their very own.

So, to have an opinion, or not to have?

We all see the world differently based on our upbringing, level of knowledge, and life experiences. Diverse opinions can stimulate deep thinking, consideration of other ideas, and help us to see from a different viewpoint. It can mould us into more empathic people.

A person without an opinion passes through life without contributing to the progression of society, much like a leaf flying unseen in the wind before settling in a gutter, crumpling and dying.

But those words 'unproven' and 'probable' are still crashing around my mind. I wonder whether 'unproven beliefs' or 'probable views', as defined in the dictionary under "opinion", are worth the credit they request.

Are we really satisfied in listening to someone's opinion which may be an entirely inaccurate take on the truth?

What is the truth?

Is it possible to know the absolute truth of every pressing issue and scientific process in this world?

Life revolves around opinions. What an extremely fragile existence we occupy!

What is your opinion on 'opinion'?

A difficult Start

"Ataraxy" - a state of serene calmness.
(Each day I'll be presenting a word or two here, and attempting to use them in the post)

For my first post of the A-Z April blogging challenge, I didn't want to entitle it "A-Z blogging challenge" or anything else obvious. Too easy. I thought about 'April' and talking about springtime, but there are no distinct seasons in Kuantan apart from 'hot' and 'wet'.

I considered 'Autumn' since that is the season in Australia now, where my sister-in-law and former English student currently reside and study. But it still doesn't have much to do with me.

And so as I wondered how much more difficult it could get, it struck me - "A difficult start."

My wife and I endured a rather difficult start to our married life in Kuantan. We moved here in late May, 2006. My wife was mid-way through her studies and I was facing the bleak prospect of moving to a place I never knew existed, with no job, no channel of earning money. That was really scary.

I worried about a dwindling supply of money which we were living on as a wedding gift from my parents. (I'm beyond grateful for a magnificent set of parents whose monetary offering proved absolutely vital in the early months of our married life. Simply, we wouldn't have been able to survive without it.)

I also worried that I'd never find a job, or a working visa from a stubborn Malaysian immigration. I agonised over paying bills, rent, buying food, (later) a car, paying a taxi to send my wife 32km to university and back every day. I had no friends and no knowledge of the area. At times it felt daunting. Long-term survival did seem an impossibility.

Then our house got robbed. We lost a laptop, camera and cd player. They even took our pot of coins. My ataraxic hopes vanished. Now I trusted no-one. Every single person I saw was viewed as a suspect. It was a horrible state to be in.

A difficult start indeed. . . . .

. . . . . to be continued

What difficulties have you been faced with in life? How did you overcome them?

Appreciating the Journey

07:40

The familiar tune of my alarm sounded its soft beat as I took a break from composing this post to make some hot chocolate for Lauren. I had just got back home to find her wide awake watching cartoons on the TV.

It's been a long time. A very long time. My alarm was set for 07:40 but it turned out that I awoke at a considerably earlier 06:20. I smiled to myself as I stopped the alarm, reflecting on the past 80 minutes, which wasn't filled with sleep as planned. There are better things than sleep when it comes to the early hours of the morning.

06:20

Lauren's shufflings between her bed and ours awoke me at dawn. I peered out of the bedroom window to see the regular group of ladies doing their morning exercises in the dark to the enchanting rhythm being played out from a nearby cassette player. A look at the clock confirmed that it was somewhere after 6am.

Quickly deciding that it wasn't worth going back to sleep for a mere hour, I threw on a t-shirt and pair of shorts, grabbed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-F2 camera, and hastily made my way down the lighted stairs and out under the dark, somewhat chilly, night sky. One bright star still shed its light above the impending sunrise.

Yes, it was time for me to witness another sunrise. Click here for the last time I observed such a wonder

06:48

06:50

06:57

07:04

07:05

07:07

07:09

07:10

07:15

A fun picture with me in silhouette against the sunrise

07:17

The sun lights up everything...

...a parked car...

...and a row of shop-lots

07:18

07:21

Slowly, gradually, the dark of night became the light of day. It wasn't just the flip of a switch bringing immediate light, but instead was a series of remarkable scenes and colours, as degree by degree, imperceptibly as a whole, the dawning of a new day materialised.

And that's kind of how life goes. While there are occasionally a few dramatic shifts in our journey, the majority of time in our lives goes from one small step to the next, day by day, until imperceptibly, you are suddenly going to school for the first time, or working in your first job, married for over four years, living in a different country, parenting a child of your very own, becoming a grandparent.

Most people's reaction is "Where has the time gone?" They find it hard to accept the change because they never realised the joys of the process. Like the sunrise. We normally arise sometime between 7-8am, completely missing the magnificent process of the sunrise. It was a privilege and a joy to observe the grand procession of the sun's entrance this morning.

Coming to appreciate nature is also a gradual process. It develops until you reach the point where you don't just enjoy the sunrise because somebody else does, but because you savour it of your own volition.

And that's the key. The sunrise is a public event but carries with it extremely personal convictions.