I was planning to describe my cultural ventures every single day on this blog, but obviously with the lack of internet and motivation, this didn't happen. However, things don't always go as planned, such as this trip to Malaysia for instance.
I thought that the trip to Malaysia would solely be for the visit to a refugee camp my mother stayed in when she was younger, however it turned out to be much more than a spiritual trip.
Malaysia brought to my attention so mant important things that I would have never realised before; things about religion, about culture and most important of all, about the fragile nature of life.
Malaysia is predominately a Muslim nation where approximately three quarters of the population follow Islam.
This means that during the day, they should pray 5 times and during the month of Ramadan, they must fast during the day and eat only duing the late hours of night. They should also abstain from sex during those 30 days.
It is also frowned upon to kiss or hug in public and to point your index finger at anything.
Although Malaysia is a open state where different religions may be practiced, it should not interfere with the main religion of the nation. There are many states within Malaysia that are extremely conservative when it comes to Islam; one of these states being Terrenganu. Apart from the beautifully diverse and western city of Kuala Lumpur, I spent most of my time in Terrenganu as this was the first stop in my mum's efforts to retrace her past as a refugee fleeing from the communist rule in Vietnam in 1975.
There are many misinterpretations of the Muslim religion, mainly from the media. We are told of the constant terror attacks in Muslim nations, and the dreadful attack on the twin towers in the USA solidified the stance that Muslims were no friend to the States. However, we forget that as with all religions, there are extremists, and there are just people who want to follow what they believe in peacefully. The extremists only account for a small percentage of that religion and this is the case with Islam.
As I distinctively remember, the Crusades were a devout Roman Catholic group who wished to restore what they believed to be the "best" religion to Jerusalem from the Muslims, who had also occupied that area at the time. They did this by also killing many innocent people, just to get their message across.
The terrorists attacks by Muslim groups are of the same intention; they want to get their message across by raising fear and violence but they do not realise that fear and violence only strengthens hatred and vengeance.
It's a cycle of inhumanity that will eventually lead to the destruction of love and acceptance.
It's a strange feeling when you meet a woman who is completely covered from head to toe by a black cloth; her piercing eyes don't tell you anything at all. They don't seem fearful, content or inquisitive; it's that sort of mysteriousness of the Islamic religion that makes one believe that the extremists on the television are the same as the gentle people roaming the streets of Terrenganu.
I am completely honest when I say that I have not met one inhospitable Muslim in Malaysia. As long as you respect their culture and religion, they will treat you as you want to be treated, if not more.
Speaking of hospitality and slowly digressing into another topic, Malaysian cuisine is something that I can't get my head around. As Malaysia's inhabitants are a mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian, their food is completely varied. One day, you will be in a hotel being served a Malaysian satay with Peanut sauce and the next you are in a town full of Chinese restaurants with Fried Quail with Pepper and Garlic or standing next to a curry stall where a nice helping of rice is always available. I am very intrigued by Malaysian food but it is a shame that I couldn't fully experience the whole culture the trip to Malaysia was centred on an island called "Pulau Bidong"
I thought that the trip to Malaysia would solely be for the visit to a refugee camp my mother stayed in when she was younger, however it turned out to be much more than a spiritual trip.
Malaysia brought to my attention so mant important things that I would have never realised before; things about religion, about culture and most important of all, about the fragile nature of life.
Malaysia is predominately a Muslim nation where approximately three quarters of the population follow Islam.
This means that during the day, they should pray 5 times and during the month of Ramadan, they must fast during the day and eat only duing the late hours of night. They should also abstain from sex during those 30 days.
It is also frowned upon to kiss or hug in public and to point your index finger at anything.
Although Malaysia is a open state where different religions may be practiced, it should not interfere with the main religion of the nation. There are many states within Malaysia that are extremely conservative when it comes to Islam; one of these states being Terrenganu. Apart from the beautifully diverse and western city of Kuala Lumpur, I spent most of my time in Terrenganu as this was the first stop in my mum's efforts to retrace her past as a refugee fleeing from the communist rule in Vietnam in 1975.
There are many misinterpretations of the Muslim religion, mainly from the media. We are told of the constant terror attacks in Muslim nations, and the dreadful attack on the twin towers in the USA solidified the stance that Muslims were no friend to the States. However, we forget that as with all religions, there are extremists, and there are just people who want to follow what they believe in peacefully. The extremists only account for a small percentage of that religion and this is the case with Islam.
As I distinctively remember, the Crusades were a devout Roman Catholic group who wished to restore what they believed to be the "best" religion to Jerusalem from the Muslims, who had also occupied that area at the time. They did this by also killing many innocent people, just to get their message across.
The terrorists attacks by Muslim groups are of the same intention; they want to get their message across by raising fear and violence but they do not realise that fear and violence only strengthens hatred and vengeance.
It's a cycle of inhumanity that will eventually lead to the destruction of love and acceptance.
It's a strange feeling when you meet a woman who is completely covered from head to toe by a black cloth; her piercing eyes don't tell you anything at all. They don't seem fearful, content or inquisitive; it's that sort of mysteriousness of the Islamic religion that makes one believe that the extremists on the television are the same as the gentle people roaming the streets of Terrenganu.
I am completely honest when I say that I have not met one inhospitable Muslim in Malaysia. As long as you respect their culture and religion, they will treat you as you want to be treated, if not more.
Speaking of hospitality and slowly digressing into another topic, Malaysian cuisine is something that I can't get my head around. As Malaysia's inhabitants are a mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian, their food is completely varied. One day, you will be in a hotel being served a Malaysian satay with Peanut sauce and the next you are in a town full of Chinese restaurants with Fried Quail with Pepper and Garlic or standing next to a curry stall where a nice helping of rice is always available. I am very intrigued by Malaysian food but it is a shame that I couldn't fully experience the whole culture the trip to Malaysia was centred on an island called "Pulau Bidong"
Pulau Bidong was an island that was utilised by the Malaysian government as a refugee camp for thousands of Vietnamese people during the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. The end of the war between the communist North with the the American supported South saw the emergence of what we now call "boat people" converge on a small island near the coast of Terengannu Malaysia. At the risk of dying out at sea, or staying back in their homeland fearing for their safety, thousands of educated vietnamese people and children escaped their homeland to seek freedom and safety in other nations. One of these people was my mother; a medical undegraduate student at the time, she left her mother, father and five brothers and sisters behind to seek a better future so that she may one day return to Vietnam to support her family. She escaped with my father, who was a young navigator in the navy with an ironic seasickness. Both people did not know if they could ever return back to their families, but they risked their entire life and future so that they could create a better future for their family. My mother's story was extremely touching to me:
Her decision to leave her village was not easy at all; she was the oldest in her family of 6 children. Whilst she was at the port preparing to flee, her entire family came from the village to plead and beg for her not to go. Her mother called her a bad child and her brothers and sisters held on to her leg so that she may not leave.
It was because of her decision on the fateful day that my whole family, including my grandma are safe in Australia today.
My mother and father were on Pulau Bidong for 8 months during which my mother stayed in the forest whilst my father helped the first fleet of refugees on the island build shelters, temples and churches so that the island could feel like a home away from home. A further 40,000 people lived on that island after my mother and father left.
I was so glad to be on that island; to experience the landscape that was my mum and dad's home for 8 months.
I will post some pictures of the island and my other ventures in Malaysia.
Happy reading.
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