People

Malay boys from Kampung Bagan Belat

Malaysia is a mix of several ethnicities, the main three being Malay, Chinese and Indian.

The US is famed as a "melting pot" where races from all over the world are melted into one nationality, American. Malaysia is a melting pot of sorts but large lumps remain in the pot.

For example, I have no idea what my country of origin is, intermarriage and time having lost that information. Here in Malaysia, some Chinese families have been living here for 10-15 generations and yet still have strong ties to their ancestory.

This means that each culture strives to retain it's distinctiveness. This leads to interesting holidays and cultural events. Currently, the Lantern Festival is going on in the Chinese culture while the Malay Muslims keep the fast of Ramadan. Then, just before Ramadan ends the Hindu Indians will celebrate Deepavali, the festival of light.

This rich tapestry of cultures and ethnicities makes Malaysia very colourful and intruiging place to live.