Posted by David, studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton
‘I’ve got your mail!' My college mate from Hong Kong said to me while handing me a violet shaded envelope stamped with a Malaysian mark. I immediately recognised the penmanship, by the written address. With a nod of gratitude, I took it and went straight to class. Seeing that I had 5 minutes prior to starting the class, I wanted to peep what was inside. Despite my agitation in viewing the content, I tried my best to open it without damaging the letter cover. I discreetly peeked inside and saw, ‘Happy Birthday, from Mum & Daddy, your brothers’ just as my teacher asked whether it was my birthday. Biting my lips to hold back my emotions, I told her that it was an early wish and that my birthday was a fortnight later. Classes went on for the day.
I came back to my room and inspected the greeting card closely, reading every single word in the card. It was rather simple, I must say. They wrote nothing, except that it was from them. Other birthday texts were printed alongside with the design. Devoid of actual words from my family, the card spoke a million sentences to me. I just held this little gift, beaming with a recharge of strength and motivation.
It is indeed something extremely courageous to do: to study in a foreign country all by yourself. A whole new experience, I must say. At times, I do feel lonely, especially when I come back to my quiet room. (Don’t get me wrong, I still do LOVE my room!). I used to anticipate coming back from high school, returning to my vibrant home where my brothers would frequently tease and tempt me to play with them instead of doing work and my mum, shouting our names to get us down for dinner. I also missed waiting for my dad to come home, picking up his office bag while he asked about my day in school. Not to forget, my maid, who has been with me since birth, exuberantly offering me desserts which she never hesitated in making. Of course, I was overcome with acute nostalgia in so many other aspects:
My Country (obviously)
Malaysia, my home country, a banana-shaped protrusion of the Asian region, directly under Thailand. Well, that is just Peninsular Malaysia. The other half of Malaysia is right beside the first half, comprising Sabah and Sarawak. In general, my country is best known for the multicultural diversity and the Petronas Twin Towers, one of the tallest buildings in the world. Besides that, who would not know that the Formula 1 racing championships take place in our very own Sepang Circuit. Holidays, Festivals and Multiple Languages
Due to our rich cultural background, Malaysians are easily bilingual, having to speak at least the national language, which is Malay, and English. If we are not of the predominant race, we would be able to converse in an extra language (of our native tongue). Evidently, multicultural diversity also means more holidays! Due to countless cultural festivals, Malaysians are able to enjoy holidays from time to time. Contrasting with the limited but lengthy holiday periods in the UK, the holidays in Malaysia are quite brief, notwithstanding the higher frequency. Food
The aspect I find most wistful is the spicy Malaysian food! You have no idea how much I crave for cuisines like nasi lemak, char kuay teow, jawa mee, roti canai, rendang, tandoori etc. The list will never really stop. I should have eaten more back home. My tongue desperately needs some stimulation from the Malaysian spices. It has been hibernating for too long.
But, THANKFULLY, there are Oriental restaurants around Brighton which do serve some of these dishes. They obviously could not match the orthodox taste produced in Malaysia, but they really are quite sufficient in appeasing my palate. Moreover, some of the waiters are Malaysians, which is nice to know. It makes me feel homely every time I visit these restaurants.
Weather?
No, I do not miss Malaysia’s weather at all. At least not yet. Maybe I did, during the frigid winter. But, I am LOVING spring. Sun and wind: altogether, it is the perfect weather combination. I am really getting used to Britain’s weather compared to my hot and humid country. If I were to go back there now, I could potentially melt from excessive perspiration. Funny thing though, it is usually pleasant to enter a mall back in Malaysia because they are usually air-conditioned, therefore colder than the outside. It is directly the opposite here in the UK. I would rather stay outside of the mall. Should I need to go shopping, I would have just sported a sweatshirt with bermudas. Friends
The people who had gone through childhood and adolescence with me, shared great memories and dilemma with me, and most importantly, become such a vital part of my life. They are the toughest for me to leave, besides my family. Nevertheless, it is pleasant that I am creating new bonds here, most of which have become quite dear to me too. Thanks to the wonders of Twitter, Facebook and Skype, I was able to keep in touch with my friends, albeit not as often. They may be physically absent, but just hearing their voices or browsing through their pictures is adequate to keep me going.
At last,
I am finally growing up. That is the conclusion which I have come up with, after much pondering about this occasional surge of emotions. It is the harsh reality. There will be times when we would need to part from our loved ones, and mine is this very moment, right now. I know that I have parted from my family and friends for good reasons and I have to make it worthwhile. And the only way to make it worthy is to excel in all that I have committed myself into, more importantly to do my best. To get accepted into prestigious universities. To obtain top honours in my degree. To make them feel proud of me instead of being let down.
Looking at the bright side, it is definitely a new beginning. And I can foresee a good one, right here in Bellerbys. Glad to have started my British experience in this college.
Thank you for reading!
Signing off!
Find out more about studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton.
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