Just some fun facts about Malaysia and Asia…
1. Showers here look a little different than they do in the U.S. This is actually true for all of Asia. Most bathrooms have a hose coming out of the wall with a shower head at the end. You always have to be careful where you set your toilet paper and your towel because they could get soaked during the bathing process!.JPG)
2. Speaking of showers – Children take them at school every day here. I have been working at a preschool, and every day before lunch we have shower time. Some kids actually get bathed twice a day! Asians greatly value cleanliness.
3. Asians also value white skin. Just as it is popular to go to the tanning bed in America, it is popular to use whitening creams and make up here. They take fair skin to a whole new level.
4. Street food can be found anywhere in Asia. This inexpensive food is quite tasty and varies from roasted vegetables to meat on a stick and fried desserts to smoothies. We have definitely taken advantage of all of these delicious and cheap meal options everywhere we have been.
5. Another common sight on the side of the road is open air markets. These places are a great spot to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, but I cannot seem to embrace the raw meat sections. I am always overwhelmed at the sight of it lying out on tables. Bleh.
6. Malaysia wins when it comes to roadways. The highway system here is comparable to that at home, and they have many more landscaped medians than America.
7. “Motos” (motorcycles) are the most common form of transportation for someone to own just as they are in Thailand and Cambodia. It is not uncommon to see a whole family on one including both parents and three or four children!
8. American pop music is something that is heard in every mall or restaurant in Asia. You can go just about anywhere and hear the sounds of Taylor Swift or Justin Beiber just as you would in the U.S.
9. Islam is the dominant religion in Malaysia. Over 60% of the population identify themselves as Muslim. A large amount of Hindus and Buddhists live here as well. You can see these three groups represented nearly everywhere.
10. Due to the large population of Muslims, pork is rare to find in Malaysia. Don’t be fooled by restaurants that advertise selling ham! It’s really chicken. They just want westerners to eat there.
11. Also due to the influence of Islam, the work week is Sunday-Thursday. Friday is the weekly Muslim holy day, so our weekends include Friday and Saturday. It’s taken our minds a little while to adjust to this one!
