Truly glad to be home again

SOMEHOW there is an unspoken understanding among people of the world that America is a great country, a land of opportunity and the most powerful nation on Earth.

People from all around the world have this fascination with America, and somehow think if they make their pilgrimage to the promised land, all their dreams will come true. I have been a participant in this worldwide epidemic to migrate to this grandiose country as well, not by choice.

I left Kuala Lumpur when I was 17 to move to California with my family.

I have been through all the phases of being an immigrant in a new country.

Phase one which typically lasts for two years consists of the initial culture shock of adjusting to a new country.

Phase two is the acceptance phase where you start to build a life in the new country and get a little comfortable with its culture and environment.

The final stage of immigration involves creating a home away from home. I truly believe that although I hold a blue American passport that deep down, I am still truly a Malaysian and proud to be one.

Therefore after 13 years of being an American, I decided to uproot and reverse-immigrate back to my home country and face the challenges of being an expatriate in the country I was born in.

It took a lot of courage to make that decision but I was tired of dreaming about teh tarik and roti canai.

I also missed the colourful and interesting melting pot of culture and languages in Malaysia and being in a place where I can truly be myself. I was tired of pretending to be someone I am not, the American accent, the pretentious friendliness and fake concern that the Americans had for me.

This is my second month in KL and I am loving every minute of it. All the hardships and challenges can be fixed by a meal at a hawker stall for less than US$1.

I am getting used to driving on the “wrong side” (left) of the road; the unexpected potholes on the road is making me develop cat-like reflexes and the suicidal motorcyclists weaving in and out of my lanes make driving very much like an arcade game.

I am also conserving energy by not using the signals in my car as I am convinced other drivers can read my mind!

All in all, I am sincerely loving the chance to be a Malaysian again and am excited to be able to give back to the country that has given me so much.