I felt like I belonged

by Nancy Kirolos (Netherlands)

I didn't expect to find Malaysia

Before this trip, I had never been to this part of the world before but I read a lot about the many cultures and religions in Asia. I was eager to visit a place vastly different to the country that I was born and raised in. The reason for this is that I have never felt comfortable in my own country. I am always the outsider, the foreigner, the tourist, and the one that doesn’t belong. The way I look differs from the most people where I was born and so I am treated differently. Often times I am treated as less than the others. Although my own country, The Netherlands, has a reputation for being tolerant, in reality it is not that tolerant and also not inclusive. My whole life I wanted to visit countries in Asia because there everybody has skin in some shade of yellow, beige or brown just I do throughout the year and has dark hair just like me. Although I didn’t speak any of the Asian languages and I only knew a little about Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism from literature and movies, I wondered what it would be like to walk around a place where I didn’t stood out so clearly. A place where I wouldn’t be the odd one out. Now I finally had the opportunity to visit Malaysia and I was excited! Since I would go alone, I prepared my trip by searching many websites for reviews and tips. I planned out everything and booked buses and hostels in advance. The first real experience of Malaysia was when I stepped out from the cool and fresh air of the airport into Kuala Lumpur and I was smacked in the face with the hot, humid, and thick air. The pungent aroma of Kuala Lumpur was peculiar and I couldn’t identify what it was as it was unlike anything I had smelled before. I wanted an exotic adventure and it had already started. A friendly taxi driver took me to my hostel and there I encountered the second part of my adventure. Many food stalls on the street selling their local cuisine specialties which I was eager to try after checking in. But then a huge cockroach that was just relaxing on the wall outside made me question my choice for this hostel. Luckily my room was clean, had a big fan and no bugs. While in Kuala Lumpur I visited the famous Batu Caves and I got to eat authentic South Indian food. After all these years of reading about dosa, idli and coconut chutney, I finally could taste them and I loved it. During my trip I also visited Melaka, the city where the history of Dutch colonialism was still visible. There I learned that Malaysians named the sour fruit, soursop, after the Dutch and call it ‘durian belanda’. Since I have experienced this sourness in my life too, I found it a fitting name. I then took a bus to Cameron Highlands to view the tea plantations and strawberry fields. The cool mountain air was a welcome refreshment. Lastly I went to Penang and experienced the Chinese roots of Malaysia. In Malaysia I truly experienced Asia in an array of different shades of skin colors, cuisines inspired by other Asian countries, streets with churches, Hindu and Buddhist temples, and mosques next to each other and everybody treated each other with respect despite their differences. Although each city I visited had its own distinct subculture, architecture, cuisines, and atmosphere, I felt comfortable and at home in all of them. I didn’t expect to find this feeling in Malaysia. I wouldn’t have guessed that I would feel at home in a country I had only been in for three weeks. A place where I didn’t speak the language and I didn’t have any family or friends. Yet it is true. I felt more at home in Malaysia than in any of the cities in my home country I have lived in. Nobody acted like I didn’t belong in Malaysia. I was accepted by the local community and I was included as one of them. Now I want to go back there.