A foreigner, Mr. Sam Edward just shifted from Goldsmiths.Company,London,England to Tenaga Nasional Company in Kajang,Kuala Lumpur.
He has taken up a summer job here in Malaysia. He meets one of his colleagues named Mila Farah Binti Khalid and being asked about Lifestyle of Malaysia.
Sam
: Hello, good morning. I am Sam from London,England. I am on a summer job in
this company for 3 months.
Mila
: Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Mila from Muar, Johor Bahru. I am
working here for past 8 years. Please be seated.
Sam
: Oh, thank you. Nice to meet you too. Are you free now? Can you spend time
with me for a while?
Mila
: Yes, sure. What you want to ask about?
Sam
: I have some questions on lifestyle of Malaysia.
Mila
: Oh, ok! Yes, please proceed.
Sam
: Can you tell me about the multi racial and multicultural population in Malaysia?
Mila
: Malaysia has a multi racial and multicultural population. Though there are
many ethic groups in Malaysia, most of the population is classified into 3 major ethnic grouping: Malays, Chinese and Indians. The Malays make up about 57% of the
population and the largest minority group is the Chinese (25%), followed by Indians (7%). Other ethnic communities include the Thai, Burmese, Sikh, Eurasian and others.
Sam
: What are the main languages in Malaysia?
Mila
: The Malay language or Bahasa Malaysia is the national language. English is
the second language and is taught in schools.Other Languages spoken are Chinese, Tamil, Thai and others.
Sam
: Malaysian festivals are generally celebrated nationwide. As I know, nearly all
religious festivals are celebrated according to the lunar calendar, so the dates
get changed every year. Can you tell me the major festivals commemorated in
Malaysia?
Mila
: Anyone visiting Malaysia for the first time would not cease to be amazed by
the number of festivals and events that happening the whole year around.
Being a multi-cultural society, Malaysia is a land of many colorful festivals and
celebrations. There are Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, Thaipusam,
Deepavali, Harvest Festival, Christmas, Wesak Day, Thaponggol, Hungry
Ghost Festival, Lantern and Moon Cake Festival.
Sam
: Can I know what is meant by an open house?
Mila
: "Open House" is a big part of the Malaysian culture where Malaysians
celebrate religious or cultural events together with invited guests of different races and cultures. These events include Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Christmas, and of course Eidul-Fitri. The concept of Open House captures the essence of the Malaysian way of life - respecting and working together in harmony in building a better nation.
Sam
: Recently, I collected some informations on lifestyle of Malaysia. I was
attracted by an article on Malaysia traditional clothes. The birth of Malaysia in
1963 continues to add more of the amazing collection of traditional clothes.
Can you tell me more on Malaysia traditional clothes?
Mila
: Sure dear. This richness and diversity of Malaysia traditional clothes can be
seen throughout the length and breadth of Peninsular Malaysia. The
Malaysian traditional clothes become a kaleidoscope of colors. It is a visual
delight to one and all. The various races will show off their traditional dresses
during important occasions like festivals, wedding. There are Baju Kurung and
Baju Melayu for Malays, Cheongsam and Samfoo for Chinese, Sari and
Vaishti for Indians and so on.
Sam
: Then,can you tell me some of the traditional dances in Malaysia?
Mila : There are a lot of traditional dances in Malaysia. For example, Joget, MakYong, Chinese Dragon Dance, Bharata Natyam and so on.
Sam : Can you tell me more on Joget Dance and some examples of traditional musical instruments in Malaysia?
Mila : Joget is the most popular traditional dance in Malaysia. It is normally performed at cultural festivals, weddings, and other social functions. The joget involves two people with quick steps following the tempo of the music.Besides that,there are a lot of traditional musical instruments in Malaysia.For example, Gendang, Pipa, Zhongzhu, Veena, Tabla and so on.
Sam
: Nice to hear that . Apart from that,Malaysian food is the best in Asia. It has
the most variety and the best quality,explore the Malay, Chinese or Indian cuisine. My favourite Malaysia traditional food is nasi lemak, banana leaf rice and Bat Kut Teh. What is your favourite Malaysia traditional food?
Mila
: I like to eat Char Kway Teow with prawns, chickens and bean sprouts.
Besides that, I also like to eat Malaysian Indian Curries. They use a lot of spices,
coconut milk, and curry leaves. Some of the most popular curries include Fish
Head Curry, Mutton Curry and Squid Curry.
Sam
: One of the pleasures of visiting villagers in the rural areas of Malaysia is to
watch the playing of the traditional games. It is even better to participate in
one of the games. I have been played congkak and gasing (Giant Top
Spinning). As I know, there are many more games that are also played by
Malaysians. For example, Wau, playing of rebana ubi, sepak bulu ayam,
galah panjang and so on. Am I right, Miss Mila?
Mila
: Wow! You already have a lot of general knowledges on Malaysia traditional
games. You are really have interests on lifestyle of Malaysia. Anyway, is
there any other questions from you dear?
Sam
: Yes, I do. Lastly, can you tell me about martial arts in Malaysia?
Mila
: There are a lot of martial arts in Malaysia. For example, Silat, Wushu,
Kung Fu, Silambam, Karate and so on.
Sam
: Can you tell me more about Chinese martial art that is Kung Fu? : Kung Fu is greatly related to the Chinese native religion Taoism. It
Mila
emphasizes the strengthening of bones and muscles and internal cultivation, and encourages the use of softness to conquer the unyielding. It doesnt
advocate attack but at the same time it is hard to defeat.
Sam
: I think that is enough for now. Thank you for spending your golden time with
me and for giving me a lot of informations on lifestyle of Malaysia.
Mila
: You are most welcome. I am really proud of you because you are showing
so much interests on lifestyle of Malaysia. I hope you will enjoy being here
in Malaysia for this 3 months.
Sam
: Thank you so much, Miss.Mila. Take care, bye.
Mila
: Goodbye.
