(B2) What is Malaysia?

When someone ask me, WHAT DOES IT MEANS TO BE A MALAYSIAN? Let we first discuss about the things in Malaysia. Basically, Malaysia have more than 5 different races, the three main races in Malaysia is Chinese, Malay and India. It also some minorities races like Iban, Kadazan, Baba Nyonya, Orang Asli and other. Normally, a Malaysian can handle more than two languages. Malaysian foods are well-known internationally because you can find different races food in Malaysia. Do you ever think travel to Malaysia? I will tell you it’s a good choice. Malaysia have many beautiful places like island that still maintain original faces or you can experience Malaysian urban lifestyle in every city or town in Malaysia. By this, you can experiences different culture and lifestyle of different in Malaysia. Everyone have their own culture here, practices different religion but they still can live together in a country. 

There is actually no definite to describe what does it means to be a Malaysian. In my opinion, being Malaysian not only something on the surface – such as officially as the permanent resident or holding Malaysian passport. To me, it is a bundle of many things just like what I mention about, Malaysia is a “blended” country. All the things have been blend together such as- culture, traditional, behavior and else. There has no right or wrong to define about good or bad about Malaysia but if we only had one aspect of things to define what being Malaysian is. It would be a very bland topic to discuss what being a national of this country would be about because Malaysia just has our own stereotype for other country. 

Let introduce something about Malaysia.

Food

So, let introduce some food that Malaysian normally eat as their breakfast.

 This is Indian Food called Roti Canai. You can find it at any food stall called "Mamak". You almost can find it every way in Malaysia especially roadside. Roti canai is the traditional food of Indian, it traditionally eat with curry. However in Malaysia, you can find it over 20 favorite such as- Roti Cheese, Roti telur(egg), roti planta(butter), roti boom(butter with sugar) and other.

This food very famous in Malaysia, it call nasi lemak. It come with cucumber, egg, peanut, ikan billis, sambal chili and some even have curry potato or cracker. This is a Malay food and you can find it anyway in Malaysia even Chinese food stall. What special about rice and some normal dish? Let me tell you. The rice that use in Nasi lemak are sepically cook with Santan(coconut milk) and some different spice, sometime you will even find the rice in yellow colour because of the use of spice while cooking. Another point of nasi lemak is the sambal chili that come with the rice. Different place will have different kind of sambal chili, you can find out it's totally ddiferent taste even in same town.

This is chicken rice, it come with chicken, cucumber and a special chilli. This is a Chinese food that bring by chinese from a place call Hainan. It also a famous food in Malaysia and almost every Malaysian know it. You can have it with roasted chicken or steamed chicken. The way of eat it, is with the chili and you will found the chili bring out all the taste of the chicken and rice.

Festive

Here to introduce the biggest festive of every race.

Hari Deepavali is the big day for Hindu and celebrate by Hindu Indian. They will clean, renovate and decorate their house before Deepavali. On the day on Deepavali they will dress up in new clothes and light up diyas (lamps and candles) inside and outside their house to show their respect to Lakshmi(the goddess of wealth and prosperity). After pray, firework follow, then everyone in the family will exchange their gifts.

Hari Raya is the new year of every Malay. In the morning of the day of Hari Raya, children will apologies to father and mother about things that they do in this year. This is also a time to family member that work at outside come back home and reunion with family member. Children also will receive a gifts from mother and father,

Chinese New Year are celebrate by every Chinese in the world. A day before new year, all the family member will decorate the house together with red colour item and clean up the home properly for welcome the guest to visit in period of new year. The day before new year, everyone one in the family with go back home for reunion dinner no wonder where they are.