Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 12:42 AM
Subject: Asia 2007 - Day 5
Culture shock!
It’s the little differences in cultures, as well as the small absurdities I encounter that really make these trips fun, or at least thought provoking. A couple of good ones from Day 5:
In Malaysia, it is acceptable for two men to hold hands while they are walking. This is a show of friendship and I have seen it quite a few times during my short stay. It is not common to see a man and a woman holding hands, regardless of their marital status – public shows of affection between sexes is considered improper. Regarding the former example, homosexuality is forbidden by law
While visiting the men’s room in the shopping mall attached to the hotel, I found that there were two elderly Indian women cleaning the restroom while it was occupied by several men. The women are cleaning fixtures and mopping the floor right next to men using the urinals. Everybody just went about their business, as did I.
I have seen a couple of women wearing the full burkas. It is 0ver 90 degrees and more humid than anyplace on earth and these women are wearing black tents from head to toe. That has got to be uncomfortable
Today was another working day. We started meetings at 8:00 AM and quit around 4:30. Nothing much worth discussing here. My presentation is tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM, I have two hours slated and I think I will use it all. We had dinner at a Thai restaurant which, no real surprise, was nothing like Thai restaurants in the US. The food was much lighter, fewer rich sauces, and spicier. I was served some very spicy soup and those at my table, mostly Malaysians, were watching me to see if I would react to the heat. I did not, and I think I disappointed them. I spent quite a long time discussing politics with an Indian Malaysian who is very well educated. He studies petroleum engineering in Scotland. The Malaysians include three primary ethnic groups; the native Malays, and Chinese and Tamil Indians who were mostly brought in by the British in colonial times to work in the tin mines. As a result, Malaysia have a mix of religions. The Malays, who are the majority and control the government, are mostly Muslim. In fact, according to their constitution, you cannot call yourself Malay unless you are a Muslim. The Indians are mostly Hindu, and the Chinese are a mix of Buddhist, and Christian. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by law, but it seems in practice this is not clearly enforced. I read a news paper story earlier about a woman who was being deported because she converted from Islam to Christianity.
After dinner, it was back to the Joint again for more beer and music. My wife will no doubt remember the time when we lived in Nashville and we were hanging out at Tootsies Orchid Lounge (best honky tonk in the world) when the band played “Rocky Top” and everyone in the place went nuts, dancing and singing at the top of their lungs (it is the Tennessee national anthem). In Malaysia, they react the same when “Country Roads” is played. Nobody could explain to me why, they just love that song in particular.
I left the group early as I have to speak in the morning, and on the way back to the hotel I saw a tail moving in the bushes by the sidewalk. I assumed it was a cat, but when I got closer it turned out to be a small monkey.
Oh, by the way, my other suitcase finally arrived. I changed clothes just for the fun of it. Nothing was missing or damaged, except the bottle of wine I brought for Larry, my coworker in China, which had been gift wrapped but now had the wrapping removed. I suspect the customs must have inspected it.
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