By Ridhwana and Ahmed
As a child growing up in the rainy Northwest of England, weekends were often dulled down by the gloomy weather. Bored, staring at the puddles forming through the window, I’d tease my mother: “Out of all the places in the world we could live, you chose England?”.“The place with the worst weather” we’d laugh. I guess that passion for finding somewhere with a much brighter weather forecast grew with me (as did my love for England, rain and all, I promise!)
Our most recent home has been in the much-loved, colourful city of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Whilst toying with the idea of this move, a dear friend convincingly reminded me that“EEEVERYBODY loves Malaysia, it’s the one place even all the scholars visit and love!” And she was right: Malaysia is one of the most popular holiday destinations for Muslims from all over the world, whether they are a group of friends, honeymooners, young families, retired couples or a group of world-renowned scholars; everyone leaves with glowing things to say.
After living in Saudi Arabia and exploring the Middle East for three years we were excited to travel around Asia, but a mere holiday wouldn’t suffice. Our thirst for the Far East and its rich culture was much greater than could be satisfied in a couple of weeks. So, true to us, we relocated! And what an absolute honour it is to be able to call Malaysia home.
Flights from Kuala Lumpur
to countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and other parts of Malaysia are frequent and inexpensive. We made the most of this and had a brilliant time traveling to these dream destinations, with the comfort of knowing that we had a home right in the centre of it all. Thank God for no jetlag!
“After living in Saudi Arabia and exploring the Middle East for three years we were excited to travel around Asia, but a mere holiday wouldn’t suffice. “
As experienced expats, the move wasn’t particularly
daunting. Malaysia is developed and well facilitated, making the transition smoother than anticipated. Having travelled straight from the Middle East, the heat wasn’t too unbearable; rather the greenery and shade was a huge improvement. Roads were organised, English was widely spoken, people were famously friendly and there seemed to be a good system in place.
It did take us a good three months, three different apartments, and countless agent meetings until we found ‘home’. After the stress and uncertainty that comes with house hunting in a foreign land, it’s fair to say that our Malaysian home was absolutely worth the wait. The 31st floor modern, furnished apartment showcased the most romantic view of KL city centre, whose skyscrapers twinkled proudly alongside ordinary Malaysian houses. It was one of the most inspiring views to wake up to in the morning, encouraging a productive day ahead. It reminded us daily that anything is possible.
There is so much we love about living in Malaysia and it would be impossible to do it justice in just one article, so we have narrowed it down to our favourite few!