A lot of people here live in high-rises, and many buildings are shaped so that you can see the ocean from nearly any apartment.  Most apartment buildings have a common outdoor area with a pool or tennis court, and a lot of the apartments here have balconies.  I never had a balcony before moving to Malaysia, but now I have four of them!  It’s by far my favorite part of my apartment. 

Each balcony has a slightly different view: high-rises, hills, jungle, and ocean.  This view is my favorite, especially when the clouds cover the top of the hills.

Clothes dryers aren’t common here, so many people hang their clothes out to dry on their balconies.  I’m afraid of my clothes flying away or getting wet (it rains nearly every day), so I usually use my balconies just for enjoyment.  I love sitting outside and drinking some bubble tea as I read, write, or simply enjoy my view.

Here’s my view at night.  Everything is lit up, and occasionally I can see fireworks in the distance--or across the street at one o’clock in the morning--especially during Chinese New Year.  Malaysia is very culturally diverse, so people celebrate a lot of different holidays here.

The downside of living in the tropics is that it gets really hot during the day, so I try to go out walking or running early in the morning or in the evening.  Since I’m relatively new to Malaysia (I’ve only been here about a year), I try to be pretty intentional about exploring new parts of my town.  Last week, I went out for bubble tea, wandered down an unfamiliar street, and stumbled upon a beach.  It blows my mind that I live in a place where I can accidentally find myself in the ocean!

I grew up seeing deer and squirrels in my backyard, but here in Malaysia I mostly see monkeys, chickens, and the occasional goat wandering the streets.  While I enjoy watching monkeys run on top of fences or play in the trees, I’ve learned to admire them from a safe distance after an angry monkey chased me through a nearby park (though that’s a story for another day). 

I teach at an international school here.  Different divisions of the school are in different buildings, so students and faculty alike are able to enjoy fresh air between classes.  Even the hallways are outdoor breezeways.  When we’re not doing distance learning, staff and students eat lunch all over campus. 

As an added bonus, my school is right along the beach.  I’m treated to this gorgeous ocean view every time I walk to and from the cafeteria.

Food is one of my favorite parts of traveling and living abroad, and Malaysia is well known for its open-air hawker stalls and night markets.You can find a wide variety of food: everything from pizza to tempura to satay (grilled meat on a stick).My personal favorites are dumplings and bubble tea, and I always get some curry puffs to save for breakfast the next morning.I’ve gotten so many curry puffs that the man selling them grabs a couple as soon as he sees me walk in his direction.

I hear stories from my co-workers about what Malaysia was like pre-pandemic, but I can hardly imagine this place filled with tourists and large celebrations when we’ve spent the past year going in and out of lockdown.  I don’t know what Malaysia will look like in a post-pandemic world, but I’m so grateful that I get to watch this place come back to life as I get to know it more and more.. 

And any day that I get to watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean is a good day.