Malaysia: The Cultural Crossroads

"Terima kasih, sayang," she sang with a contagious smile spread across her face, her warm spirit only adding to the atmosphere of a delicious Malaysian meal served by her and fellow family members at Asam Pedas Rachun in Melaka.

With a combination of broken English and fluent Bahasa, we gathered that she was simply saying, "Thank you, beautiful."

This was our warm welcome into the country of Malaysia - a country I would soon observe to be rich with cultural diversity, history and sunshine. But most importantly, Malaysia was a country of food, so be sure to travel hungry.

Home to five different ethnic groups giving way to four predominant languages as well as strong Islamic, Buddhist and Christian influences, Malaysia and its food culture only benefits from that.

"Because of our diversity, we may not always get along," some Malaysians say. "But our food, our love for making it and eating it, brings us together."

Halfway through my year here in China, I had the opportunity to travel to Malaysia for two reasons: 1) As a mid-year retreat with Mennonite Partners in China and 2) Both of my roommates this past semester happened to be from Malaysia. So, Malaysia it was!

And with delicious foods such as Malaysian chicken and rice, noodle laksa, Indian curry and naan, Chinese dim sum and so much more, I was instantly drawn into this new country.

Each meal provided a view into a new culture, and I just had to hop over to the next street for a change in cuisine.

As I laced up my running shoes and went out for a jog the first morning, I soon stumbled upon the Chinese sector of Melaka, filled with signs written in characters and architecture resembling that of ancient China. While I couldn't understand the Bahasa language written on many signs, the Chinese written below became key to understanding the 华侨 (Overseas Chinese) culture.

That evening, we found our way to the night market- one can be found on almost every street- for our choice of anything fried, grilled or still swimming. Yum!

While I mentioned the advantage of being able to speak Chinese in Malaysia, it also became quite a confusing game. Malaysia caught me off guard: When should I speak Chinese? When should I speak English?

The two weeks in Malaysia became an experiment: guessing when and where to speak what language, learning that most people could speak two to three national languages and, often times, just giving up and laughing together.

And so, on many occasions, I experienced Malaysian friendliness, whether walking through Islamic mosques, bartering in Chinese old towns or making naan for my dinner at the best Indian restaurant in Melaka.

This was Malaysia, the cultural crossroads.

Curious how my roommates felt about living and growing up in Malaysia, their ancestors having migrated from China to Malaysia not long ago, I asked for their perspective. But before I could even finish the question, they had both answered, "Yes, we love it. We love living in Malaysia."

I am fascinated by their story, one that mirrors more than 20% of the population in Malaysia: 华桥 coming from China, speaking Chinese as their first language, often times struggling to speak the national language of Bahasa, but yet feeling very much at home.

In making this observation, I thought of the ways in which the diversity of Malaysia resonated with something I had experienced while growing up in the United States. But at the same time, the cultural crossroad of Malaysia was completely different. I was in awe of the diverse community coexisting together. Menus for McDonalds labelled food as halal for those of Islamic faith, road signs were written in English, Bahasa (Malay) and sometimes Arabic. Muslim women drove taxis, though they drove on the left side of the road due to British influence during the Spice Trade.

And the culture history just keeps going...

While my knowledge on this country and its history is still so very limited, I am certainly inspired and curious. Curious to what using Malaysia as an example for peaceful coexistence and acceptance of cultural diversity could mean for us in the United States.

For now, I am just thankful there are places such as Malaysia. Especially when one evening meal can take me around the world.