My Malaysian Encounter

     The last thing I thought I would be doing in the Czech Republic was experiencing so many unique cultures and languages in one place. I pictured myself eating koláče while polka music played in the background but fortunately, that's not the case. In my dorm I am surrounded by people from all around the world and I never expected that in the Czech Republic I would be learning about Malaysian culture. When I went to Prague the other weekend I was with Azam, an extremely kind person (I'd probably be lost in Europe without him) from Malaysia.

Me and Azam in Prague

One of the first things I got to experience was the language. Malay seems like a pretty easy language to catch on to (wayyy easier than Czech) and Azam already taught me a few phrases to show off, but I still don't know enough to follow any conversation. I'm sure that I looked very bored for most of the weekend because I couldn't join in on the conversation but I actually really enjoyed it! I'm the nerdy person who likes to be in that kind of situation so I can listen for what I know and what I can learn. It wasn't so bad anyway because everyone I met that weekend was so friendly! I was kindly welcomed into the home of Cik Wan and even go to join in on a birthday party of one of the Malaysian students in Prague.
     The trip pushed me a little outside of my comfort zone, but in a good way. I was forced to join in on the karaoke session which is not something I would eagerly choose to do, especially with a group of strangers. I'm not always the biggest people-person but I am glad I joined them. It helped me to feel more comfortable =)

Singing Karaoke!

     The hardest part for me out of the whole trip? Eating. I am so terrible when it comes to food;  I don't like much besides meats, fruits, and bread. No vegetables OR seafood for me! Plus, the amount of food I eat is equivalent to about a four-year-old, so you can imagine how enthused I was to eat a brand new dish around my host. The night we were there for the party, Cik Wan prepared a popular Malaysian dish called "Nasi Kerabu". At first I was really nervous because the dish had veggies AND fish in it, in addition to rice, sauces, beef, and chicken, but I ended up liking it! Another interesting part of the meal was that it is customary to eat with your hands instead of using utensils. Of course, I managed to make a little mess and probably looked a little silly trying to do it the proper way. I was given the option to use silverware, but I wanted to participate in the custom no matter how different it was for me.

The meal set-up

     I really enjoyed my experience and I am glad that I didn't take the easy way out. I think it is great to learn about other people and cultures and try to see things from their point of view. The people I met were all so nice and even though I may have felt a little uneasy at times, it was definitely worth it!!