My first impression of Kuala Lumpur (KL) is that I feel fit in immediately. Only after one night did I discover the reason – it is because the population here is so diverse that nobody would even give me a second look despite that fact that I dress and look very different from the local women. It seems as if I can be whatever and still easily accepted by the Malay.
Coming to KL for a four day MBTI certification program, it has been an exceptional experience for me to sit among the classmates including Thai women, Muslim Malay women, Muslim Malay men, and Chinese Singaporean women. The learning I got from our Indian look, British named, Malay born, and Singapore resident facilitator is equal to that from my classmates. We discussed, laughed, asked questions, argued, agreed, and teased each other continuously. I have never experienced such level of comfort in a new group that quickly before, including in Vietnam, my motherland.
In our group, people speak English with various accents, yet nobody doubts each other’s intellectual ability. The women in traditional Malay dress and turban are as outspoken are the men, if not more. I feel empowered just by looking at them and hearing them express their ideas and opinion in such confidence. When the exam time comes, it was fun to see everyone giggled and whispered as if we were in high school time again.
Four days have come to an end, and I feel as if I am leaving my comrades behind. I truly believe that these classmates would go back to their organizations and make their working environment a better place regardless the fact that it is a huge hierarchical corporate, the Ministry of Education, or a nonprofit organization.
Vietnamese proverb has a saying, which I would translate into English as ‘One day of travel teaches one a bucket of wisdom.’ For the last four days, my eyes and ears opened all they could to absorb information from this vigorous environment. I think I have fallen in love with KL, especially with the women in KL. However, one female classmate told me, ‘Phoenix – you seem like you can easily fall in love everywhere!’ Maybe that is true, maybe I easily fall in love with places that have such diverse, high tolerant, peaceful, and friendly people like KL.
Good-bye Kuala Lumpur, and I will surely come back.
October 1, 2009
Saigon, Vietnam
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