a malaysian abroad

Hi there!

Welcome to my new digs!  While my main blog has become a mixed bag of goodies, here I’d like to focus more on observing, comparing and ultimately celebrating the differences and similarities that exist between Malaysia, Switzerland, and the USA.  You know, like the tagline you see up there.

Why just these three countries?, you ask.

Well, I am a Malaysian/Swiss mutt currently living in Chicago…

• I was born and bred in Kuala Lumpur, and have lived, schooled and worked in Malaysia for over 27 years.  I spent my primary and secondary school life in St Mary’s School, and will always look back at my school days with great fondness - I have friendships formed from that time that are still going strong today.  I also spent 9 years working in a Malaysian Fortune Global 500 company - an excellent learning and growing experience I continue to utilise today.
• I have spent a total of about 9 years, and counting, in the USA: 5 as an undergraduate student back in the mid-90’s where I graduated with honors in Chemistry, and the rest since end-2004 as Kosh’s girlfriend then fiancée then wife.
• And while I have not really lived or worked in Switzerland, I visited with my relatives for an average of a month a year, for almost every year, up until I was 18 years old.  I even went to high school in La Neuveville for two months at the end of the year, twice!, when I was 16 and 17 years old.  I also anticipate to be visiting a bit more often now that I have a niece there…

Okayyy,,, so why this “observe, compare and celebrate” thing? you may then ask.

To paraphrase the above bullet points, I grew up in a multi-religious multi-cultural Asian country, spent my vacations in an essentially all-white Protestant European country, and spent the most influential part of my life in the anything goes United States.  I was lucky - my mind was expanded by default from very young.

I am also a naive idealist.

It distresses me that politics are being used to divide instead of uniting people.  It distresses me to observe racism rearing its ugly head, but it distresses me even more when it is practiced covertly, silently, insidiously.  It distresses me that we all can’t seem to just get along.

I have always thought that while it’s always good to strive for common ground, I look forward to the differences even more.  After all, if we were all the same, the world would be one boring place!!

As such, consider this blog as my small part in helping bridge some gaps in the world.

So, what sort of topics can I expect from you?

Frankly, the possibilities are endless.  For example, all three are perceived to be democratic, but one is actually a federal constitutional republic, another is a parliamentary democracy, and the third is a direct democracy.  Do you know which country belongs to which system?  And do you know the differences between them? I look forward to exploring this, and so many more, with you.

But that’s for another day.  Time to bring this post to a close.

One last thing, though… this post’s challenge: can you name the movie I’m quoting in the title? Drop me a line in the comments, k?

Cheers,
*lynne*

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