Malaysia, is Heaven!

(I got this picture from Louise Hay's website, thank you Louise!)


I have been to so many countries and seen that, done that kinda good life. Yet, whenever someone asked me what country I like most, my answer is always Malaysia. I like many of the cultures and living styles I observe when I am in a foreign land. In America, I like the freedom they have, the big servings of food, and the great opportunity for success for anyone who is willing to go the extra mile to get it. Also, it is genuinely profitable to work on your own copyright in everything you do in America and it can really go big, for example, writers and songwriters are so fortunate to get their rights intact for life.

In Europe, everything is so well organised, so well planned, most of the countries are having only very low population and people are free and having lots to eat. Weather is great and you can drink water straight from the tap. Everything so squeaky clean especially in countries like Austria and Switzerland. Generally, to stay there and work and meet friends is just kinda lifestyle you may wish happen there.

I like countries in Africa and the places in the Indian continent too. The diversity of cultures and people and religion, makes it more a melting pot of love, care and tolerance. I can just sit and eat out with their food and drink the water they drink too. As for me, I am safe just walking and mingling with the people and eating and drinking as they do.

Still, I like to be home in Malaysia.

Recently, I had a friend from Kashmir, but he does business in Puttaparthi, a place which is close to Bangalore in the state of Karnataka. He came over for a visit and he stayed a few days with some friends in Melaka. Just 3 days before he left, he stayed over at my place in Kuala Lumpur. He was in KLCC, twin tower, China Town and many more shopping malls in the city. I left him, as he would like, in Masjid India, a place where it is fondly known as Little India here. And he found so many stuff which has great pricing and so beautiful he had to buy more for his friends and relatives at home.

I brought him to some eatery and while we had our sumptuous spread of foods over the 3 days, he kept telling me that the food we pay here is so cheap. A bowl of noodles here with prawns, vegetables, fish cake and more condiment for only RM4 (USD1.20). He said that he would have paid over 200 rupees (RM17 = USD 5) in restaurants in India for the same food.

The difference I felt about prices for food as comparison in India and Malaysia is that when I am in India, I eat mostly capati, idli, tosai and rice with curd or little meat. I paid for very little to fill up my stomach because those foods are cheap. So, I did not really notice about paying a bomb for a bowl of noodle, for example. Although there are plenty of restaurants serving foods in that category, even if I have paid so much for lunch, I would not have felt the pinch anyway.

In KL, we are paying less than RM2 (USD0.70) for a litre of petrol, over in India, they are paying 54 rupees (RM4.80 = USD1.70). I think we still pay the lowest price of petrol here in the world. In London, when I was there early February this year 2008, I noticed the Londoners are paying almost 1 pound 20 (RM7 a litre!!!).

He was using cash to buy things, so I asked him why didn't he use his credit card? I told him here in Malaysia, we use credit card for almost all our purchases, including monthly payments for utility bills etc. He was shocked to find out that we are not charged additional for our use of the credit card facilities, I said yeah, it has never occurred to me that the banks will impose charges for cardmembers, for merchants, yes. He said that in India, credit card companies charged cardmembers for every transactions too on top of what they already paid as subscription. And knowing now that we can even settle our bills through credit cards, he was appalled.

Well well, our facilities here are just so great, rethink our feedback to our country, from ungratefulness to gratifying thoughts, aren't we blessed in Malaysia?

Thanks to our country's (Malaysia) administration.