Epistle of the stars!

Asian enough?

Lil old me is finally home in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia...after a 5 hour flight delay..another 2 hour flight delay and constant stupidity of not activating the international roaming in my phone.

The first sign of home was when I touched down in Brunei....lugging my large laptop around to the next check-in counter. My eyes spy the show on the television hanging above. I continued on... laughing and giggling to myself, to the amusement of most of the passengers around. What I saw was...a typical malay soap drama, something I have not seen in a whole year. Hearing the malay words thrown during an over dramatic love fighting scene between the first and second wife never cease to amuse me!!! I was finally home *sigh*

After much problem of trying to communicate with my family back home that my flight has been delayed...(did I forget to mention...I did not activate my international roaming?? IDIOT!!)..I spotted a internet cafe qouting only AUD$3 for half an hour. My mind rejoiced at how cheap it was considering it was late night services at a airport. My eyes scanned the other prices as my heart sank....it was RM8 for half an hour. I was so used to not converting stuff anymore that I did not realise how expensive it was...naughty me...!!!

Oh well desperate times called for desperate measures. True enough...my internet addict brother was online and I told him my flight details. Yet, somehow when I arrived in KK, they were still late to pick me up. I was contemplating what horrendous deeds I could do in exchange for a free phone call to my family. Blow job? Exposed boob? Dirty dancing?

Gladly, half an hour later I see my scrawny brother and surprisingly hot little sister walking down the plank towards me. I was overjoyed...finally able to go home!

While Perth was 40 degrees and Malaysia only 32 degrees. Yet, I had to shower 3-4 times a day...the humidity keeps me sweating like a pig...ARGH! My body clock is so in tune to Perth that by 9am I am awake walking about an empty house of snoring siblings.But best of all...going on an outing with my family...I realise...I don't fit in anymore. Everything is the same as I left it, but I don't fit into that scene anymore....why?

In Perth...I was too Asian but here in Malaysia...I am not Asian enough. What is one to do then? Has the exposure towards different cultures knock you into a different category of person?

As I walk out into the streets of my neighborhood looking at the dogs caged up all day, I feel anger welling up in this cruelty. My parents don't cage my dogs up but they are still confined to their own space in the backyard. Have my mentality turned too Western that I believe dogs should be treated like your own baby? I don't blame my parents...they treat my doggies well.....I treat them better.

Where do I go from here....a mixed breed of culture that is unable to be classified...hated by one, misunderstood by the other? Do I select family first and put myself second as most Asians would do...or do I select what is best for oneself first then the obligation to family comes in second as many of my Aussie friends have impressed upon me?

posted by Orion @ 5:22 PM