Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

Just wondering if Expat retirees and folk working in Malaysia stay within the Expat Community or do you have Malaysian friends as well?

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

That's a very good question. For me personally depends if you mean close friends. I've only been living here 9 months and all friends so far have been sourced by forum members of a mm2h retirees forum and then knock on effect of friends of friends. So that's been expats but all sorts. Most of my girlfriends (not all) are Malaysian born but not malaysian. I think majority of my friends so far are Aussie

Depends what u mean by friends also. in terms of casual friends, yes can include malaysians, and feel very comfortable with locals here

I think others that have been here longer than me have a mix of expat and local friends. Strider where are ya? What's your thoughts

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

Recall back in the early eighties a Penang friend mentioning how apart from the locals,Western neighbours kept themselves in those days,suspecting racism was an issue.
He thought them to be Aussies which in anycase were thick on the ground during those days,in large part owing to the RAAF base over in Butterworth.

Living in Malacca rarely saw Expats in my one and a half years with the occassional meeting with an American Aid Volunteer and the odd traveler(backpacker)
Very friendly local folk from across the racial divide in my experience. Always Malaysians,by far the easiest in South East Asia to have meaningful friendships with.

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

When in KL I live in an area of no other expats, so 90% of my time is with locals, although of those probably more Chinese than Indian and Malay. When in Marina Island (Pangkor) area the same. In Penang its early days yet and many are in fact expats.

Its not something I think much about and its more a case of do I like a person or not and feel happy and at ease in their company. I don't really care or think about their ethnic background.:D

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

Planning to move to Penang soon, very soon. Just spent a month there and the entire time was spent in the very pleasant company of Chinese locals and I'm talking in one way shape or form all day, every day every night too. In fact I only spoke to one Westerner/Expat in the entire month. Now have some very very close friends and a much larger social circle of acquaintances, all of whom are Chinese. So for me, it will be locals, almost exclusively :thumbsup: I have preferred to integrate wherever I've been and I very much enjoy the company of Chinese, always have.

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

Hehe. I agree and also enjoy Chinese friends, but have friends in all races. I went a bit overboard a great many years ago and married a Chinese...and annerversary in 3 days time...and will probably forget on the day....as usual:o

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

Yes I have friends from many countries, I just tend not to do the expat scenes that can be very prominent, esp in places like the Middle East, mainly because it can lead to you not getting 'in' to a place fully. I also happen to find Chinese people very welcoming, interesting and fun. Penang also just happened to bring with it a whole host of other 'factors' into the bargain ;)

PS: If you DO forget it would be a good idea to go on You Tube and try and identify the sound of a meat cleaver hurtling through the air :D

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

Been hearing that sound a great many years, but now my hearing is 3 parts gone so I'm starting to worry.

Mind I even forget my own birthday and many years ago my wife organised a surprise party. I came home from work and as our house (then in Damansara Heights) allowed me to go direct from carport to bedroom, I stripped down to briefs before going downstairs to a darkened living room. Not sure if it was I or the assembled guests (including visiting overseas boss) that was most surprised.:eek:

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

You may not enjoy the Makan Meetups then ;)

Hey Strider, next one is last week of June. If any other BE regulars are interested, let me know.

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

OK BB will do. When you have an exact date let me know.

Just met a lady who spend Christmas hols in Malaysia with MM2H in mind or Thailand. Suggested forums and hope she does. Has a 40ft yacht and half thinking of live aboard..not a bad idea at that.:thumbup:

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

Here's something I've been puzzling over. If someone is Malaysian born eg Penang Hokkien, and they then take on another nationality, say British. Do you refer to them as Expats or Locals?

I think of them as Expats :confused: Do you think I'm wrong there? Anyone? Not that it really matters as Friends are just Friends in my book. Just wondered what others thought.

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

Isn't that more a returnee? I would have thought that an expat would be someone in a land not their own?
For example,an English person going back after say twenty years in Australia,surely cannot be classed as an expat in England? Can they?

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

There is a difference. I have found in many countries that you tend to get expats who almost seem to seek to create mini-versions of their own country there by not mixing with locals, sticking to the same expat bars, don't eat the food, don't speak the language etc etc etc. Nothing wrong in that of course, if that's what floats your boat, just not my choice of how to live, and as it's my choice, I avoid it.

You may be right on the MM but there's a difference between popping to the odd get together once in a while and the type of lifestyle choice I was talking about. That said, with anything in life I tend to adopt a fairly simplistic screening process. Try anything once, if I don't enjoy it, that's the last time too :thumbsup: That's what happened to 'Toad in the Hole'!!

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

Since Malaysia does not allow dual citizenship, a Malaysian who has given up the MY citizenship and returns as a foreigner (not holding a MY passport any longer) that person is 'an expat' in my opinion :)

For countries that allow dual citizenship let say a Brit holding a British passport immigrates to Oz and later became a citizen of Oz, that person is not an expat of Oz nor UK, but a local of both countries ;):cool:

Re: Expats Do You Have Malaysian Friends
 

So in Troubadour's eyes, my current group of friends are mostly Returnees and some Expats. In Columbine's eyes, all my friends are Expats. But... it probably doesn't really matter, does it. Just as long as you all get on.

Atilla - oh I see where you're coming from now. Yes, there used to be these expat cliquey groups in Singapore and replicating mini-versions of own country. That's a good way of putting it :thumbup: Do we have those in Penang? I've not seen that kind of thing here (so far). Ah, well maybe you might enjoy the Makan nights then. We went to a local foodcourt, as I think you know, and all Expats I think (trying to remember) though in Troubadourish-speak, quite a high percentage of Returnees, heh heh.