Salamat Hari Merdeka!
Happy Malaysian Independence Day!
Hello and welcome back to my blog! I am currently sitting in a cafe writing this blog on Malaysia’s independence day. This year marks 69 years since the country proclaimed independence from the British. Later, on September 16th we will celebrate Malaysia day which celebrates the incorporation and federation of all of Malaysia’s states including Sabah and Sarawak. If you think that independence day in Malaysia would be similar to Canada, as I did, you would be wrong. Instead of being patriotic for just one day, August turns into Merdeka month! Malaysia’s flag hangs outside every business and along every road and people camp out the night before to catch the Merdeka day parade. All of these celebrations have made me reflect on my experience with Malaysia and how I feel that it is becoming more and more a new home for me.
Home has always been a difficult concept for me to pin down. On one hand it is simply the place where I live, but really it enraptures so much more than that. As a kid I moved across Canada from Ontario to BC. Is my home in Canada Ontario or British Colombia? Now being here I feel like this is my home. But I’m not staying here forever so is it really my home? The answer I’ve been discovering is that my home is all of them.
In some ways I feel like I’ve been taught a lot about the meaning of home during my time here from the kids at the school (no surprise there as they seem to teach me a lot). As discussed in my previous blog many of the families that we work with are in a constant state of waiting to be resettled into another country. Many of them have been here for a long time meaning that some of the kids were born here. When the little kids in grade 1 tell me where they’re from they say Malaysia. They still know their family is from Afghanistan or Sudan or Pakistan etc. but they were born here and that means something too. Unfortunately, this does not mean anything to the Malaysian government. Malaysia does not have birthright citizenship so even though these kids are born here they do not get the benefits of being a citizen. Nevertheless, Malaysia is their home, just as their families’ country is, and the country where they eventually settle will be a new home.
Thinking about this has made me realize to a greater degree that home is not just the house you live in, it’s not just the country or city you live in, but it’s something much greater and more complex. And isn’t that beautiful? There’s no guarantee that any of us will have the same home forever but we carry our histories and experiences with us as we go through life. And perhaps part of why KL has begun to feel like home is because, over the last few months, it has stopped being somewhere I’m simply experiencing and become somewhere I’m actually living.
It’s hard to believe I’m already over halfway done with this internship and I could probably go on for hours about everything I’ve done and learned so far! There’s hardly a day here where I’m not doing something interesting and it’s been nice to be keeping busy. Over the last month we’ve had 5 other interns come and visit us and it’s been so fun to play tour guide around the city. I also had the chance to go to Bangkok which was really cool to see the differences from one big city to another. I’ve also discovered more of KL’s nature side over the last couple months. Originally coming to a big city I was a bit concerned that I would feel very alienated from the forested landscape that I’m so used to in Victoria. However, KL has surprised me in that it feels like a city in the jungle, not separate from it. Trees line the streets and the area we’re in is on the outskirts of the city so it’s not uncommon to see monkeys around our apartment. I’ve also had the privilege of exploring some of KL’s beautiful outdoors areas recently. At the beginning of July, I visited the Batu Caves, a Hindu temple built 272 steps up into limestone caves. I was also able to go to the Zoo Negara (National Zoo) and see Malaysian endangered species like the Malayan Tapir (so cute by the way) and Tiger. There are also some lovely lakes near our house that feel like you’re outside the busyness of the city when you’re at them.
As for work, I really feel like I’ve found my groove. In June I started a girls group for girls grade 5 and up. This has been so lovely to get to know the girls at the school better and create a space for them where they can just have fun. So far we’ve done a dance party, bracelet making, art, and played werewolf which is their new favourite game (they seem to take great joy in accusing each other of being the werewolf). On any given week there are around 20-30 girls there and they all seem to have a great time. I‘ve also started a crochet club for students in grade 5 and up. I love crocheting and so many of the kids seemed interested in learning. I was a bit concerned at first because crochet is somewhat hard to teach to a large group of people but working together the whole group of around 30 students have been able to figure it out. Some of them have even started trying out new stitches and making projects. The process has been so cool to see because not only is it a success for me to be able to teach them all but they can all feel proud of themselves as they’re figuring it out and helping each other. Another big project that I’ve been working on is a Cultural festival for the whole school. We plan to have students from all the countries represented present projects, food, dress, and performances around their cultures. This is a big project but it’s coming along smoothly and I can’t wait to see the finished project at the end of September.
Ultimately, work has been busy but not in a bad way. I’m grateful for all the work I get to do and it’s so meaningful to be able to see the results. Everyday at MSRI holds something new and on any given day I can be substituting for a class, writing and researching grants, planning the cultural fair, hosting my clubs, helping with class prep, tutoring the younger students, and anything else that is needed around the office. It feels so meaningful to be working in tandem with such an amazing group of not just students but also teachers and office staff.
As I begin these last two months it is bittersweet. On one hand I miss Canada and my friends and family but on the other the thought of getting ready to leave this home is impossible to even think about. That brings me back to my thoughts on home. It’s interesting because I know that this will end. I know that come time for November I will leave KL and I don’t know when I’ll be back. But there’s no way that I can truly leave this place behind. The relationships I’m building and the experiences I’m having won’t just go away and they will continue to stay with me. KL is my home, just as Victoria is my home and Ontario before that. And what a beautiful web of belonging that is.
Thanks for reading my blog and I’ll catch you on the next one!
Maddie
