Photo by melissakartini
I was talking to my friend recently about the things I miss the most about Malaysia and surprisingly… I couldn’t come up with a lot. Sure, there is the obvious. Family and friends, and my two smelly cats, who are more trouble than they are worth. But the other stuff…? I’m not knocking on Malaysia, because I do love it, but I can’t think of anything that makes me feel terribly homesick for it. There’re things that I miss, but things that make me homesick? None.
Really, I honestly thought that the warmth of Malaysians would make it to the list, but it didn’t. I guess it’s because I’ve gotten used to being on my own and minding my own business here. It certainly doesn’t help that I’ve always had a quiet, private personality in the first place.
But I’m here to talk about the things I do miss, not the ones that I don’t. This list is by no means extensive, but it does contain the things that I sometimes wish exist in Japan as well. It is during such moments that I would recall Malaysia with fondness, wondering when on Earth would I be able to enjoy them again.
The food
But not necessarily in the way you think. I mostly miss Malaysian food in the sense that I don’t really have to worry or second guess about what I eat. Halal food is in abundance, so I can do my grocery shopping stress-free, enter just about any restaurant I want, and if I can’t even be bothered to leave the house–order in!
This is in stark contrast to Japan, where the main halal option is Indian food (I love Indian food, don’t get me wrong, but I love me some variety) which isn’t exactly plentiful, and I mostly end up having to prepare my own meals. It is a great experience, I can’t deny that. I’m glad that being in such an environment has forced me to upgrade my cooking skills and learn to make new dishes. Still, there are many days where I wish I could step back, and enjoy restaurants or takeout more freely.
If only…
Ease of worship
Photo by melissakartini
I often have to plan my outings very carefully, as places to pray are very hard to come by in Japan. I either have to find a place that has a prayer room close-by or go home before the next prayer. More often than not, I opt for the latter. Then, there is the issue that this isn’t exactly a common practice in Japan, which makes it hard to find time to pray at times. For example, pre-Covid-19, I had to find pockets of time to quickly pray. Break times were only 5 minutes, with only one 10-minute break. Depending on the teachers I had, I may or may not be able to get a prayer in. Luckily, most of them were very kind; only one made a NnnNNnNNN-it-would-be-better-if-you-didn’t face.
Contrast this to Malaysia, where just about every mall that you go to has a surau, and you can usually pray without issue at school or work.
I’m not boasting or anything (I have nothing to boast about). This is just a major convenience that Malaysia has that Japan doesn’t. I have no doubt that people of other religions share the same sentiment as well. This situation is understandable, though, because the major religions in Japan are Shintoism and Buddhism–the rest are pretty much non-existent.
Our healthcare
I’ve mentioned this a few times in past posts, but in different contexts. I enjoy Malaysian healthcare. I love the doctors and the convenience it presents. Don’t get me wrong, it is by no means perfect, but it is quite decent.
For one thing, I do not have to research the type of doctor that I need extensively, meaning, I generally do not have to self-diagnose before visiting a doctor. Seeing a doctor is as simple as walking into a clinic, sans appointment even. Malaysian doctors generally take great care to carefully examine their patients, and would then explain the latter’s condition in great detail i.e. why and how it happened. Then, they would tell you how to take care of yourself such as if there is any need for temporary diet changes, and how to prevent it from recurring in the future. Finally, medicine would be provided at the clinic itself, so there is no need to search for a pharmacy to obtain the medicine you need, permission slip from the doctor in hand.
Malaysians who are used to such a system would think that all of these things are a given anywhere. Allow me to clarify this for you: they are not.
Lack of natural disasters
Photo by melissakartini
Can you really blame me on this one? I’ve never really had to undergo emergency earthquake drills till I arrived here last year. And I’ve especially never had to sleep with an emergency backpack by my bed. It is not my idea of a fun time, but I knew that even before I applied for my school here.
Still, that doesn’t stop the feeling of dread that comes in every time an earthquake shakes my apartment. Or even worse, whenever the alarm that is so often associated with larger earthquakes suddenly blares from my phone. So let me tell you this: visiting and travelling around Japan? Fun. Living here as a student? Excellent. Experiencing this? Not so fun. I know that people here are used to it, but it gets a hard pass from me.
No, thank you.
That was fast. Just four points. I suppose this is good in a way; it’s better to adapt than to make myself miserable everyday. That said, I can’t wait to go back home!
Looking forward to my return to Malaysia.
