Today is the day I have been waiting for since I knew I would be coming to Malaysia; I got to move in with my host family! Before they came to UPSI to pick us up though, we had breakfast at 8am, and then had to finish packing. At 10am there was a short but official ceremony welcoming our host families to the school and thanking them for choosing to host an American student. During one of the speeches made this morning, Sri asked our host families to forgive us if we did something inappropriate, rude, or against their culture. She said, “Please forgive them in advance if they do something offensive.” I thought was funny but such a true statement and I thank her for making it. From my family, Yong (the mother), Mohd (the father) Aiman (13), Ainol (8), and Airel (15 months) came to greet me.
Once the ceremony was over the students and their families had a coffee break. Around 11:30am I actually got to leave the UPSI campus with my family and go to their home just in the outskirts of Tanjung Malim. It only took about 5 minutes to drive from the campus to their home but we had to stop at the bus station to pick up the eldest Sarah since she had just come home from her university. Katie and Meredith also came with my family for the afternoon, since their host families were away for the day. When we got to their house (beautiful!) all of the family greeted me and the other girls; we were served food again! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised but I really can’t get over how many times a day the Malaysians eat. I spent about an hour in their sitting room just talking, asking about their family, and their daily life. The anxiousness that I had felt earlier dissipated and I really felt at ease, at home. We ate a lunch of clams (that I helped prepare!), fish, and rice with soup. Undoubtedly it was fantastic. I also spent a lot of time playing games with Ainol. He kept asking, “Want to play?” He pulled out some Pokemon cards and a Malaysian form of Monopoly. Like any 8-year-old he made up the rules as he went and I played along. It makes me happy to have young ones around again!
Katie and Meredith left around 5:30pm with their host families. Sarah and Aira (the nickname for younger Sarah) wanted to take me to see the night market in town so I took a quick shower to cool off and then we left. Side note: Most Malaysian families don’t have hot water, they think it is unnecessary due to the heat; I actually enjoy the cool showers because they cool me off and wake me up. Even though it was pouring in the evening, I really enjoyed seeing all the hustle and bustle of the downtown area. There were people everywhere, buying almost anything you can think of. There were street vendors with clothing, make-up, shoes, watches, videos, and an endless amount of things. There also was an area set up specifically for food. In this part of the market there was everything from rice with chicken to pizza to different flavored drinks. And of course we went into a few of the shops filled with shoes and clothing. How can I resist?
Just a little after 7pm we headed back to the house. Apparently it is normal for the kids to have to be home around 7pm. After 7pm is meant for dinner and family time. I’m not sure how I would have responded to this as an American teenager but I like the idea of it now. We had dinner just around 8pm, fish caught by Aidil, leftover soup from lunch, and a cabbage soup/salad. After dinner everyone sat down in the living room to watch TV and play with the baby. It was nice to see the whole family spending time together on a Saturday night. What a rarity compared to home. I went to bed around 11:45pm but it was nice to know that I would be able to sleep in the next morning! I better soak it up while I can because from here on out it’s early mornings and late evenings of homework. The life of a teacher I suppose…
Sarah (20 years old, attends a music university) (kak or kakak)
Aidil (18 years old) (Abang)
Sarah (16 years old) (Aira or kak dik)
Aiman (13 years old, attends a boarding school 1 in Ipoh) (Dik Man)
Ainol (8 years old) (Dik Nol)
Airel (15 months old) (Adik or dik Ayil)
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