An Expatriate's Diary A monthly column from a Malaysian expatriate in San Francisco

It is really hot tonight. Even with the air-conditioning blasting away. The heat waves devastated the Southland of the US last month and now it is here, in California. The heat and humidity bring me back to my trip to Malaysia.......................

Dear Diary,

Let's see… Where did I stop the last time.....Ahhh........I was talking about the trip from Penang to Kuala Lumpur.......

That was my first time on the Malaysian North-South highway and I must confess that I am impressed. I mean there are many highways in the US but to see one in my home country confirms her progress and development. We stopped by the city of Ipoh for her famous "Dim-Sum" on our way to Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. It was around 6:00 in the morning and I swear the waitresses gave us "mean eyes" as we entered the restaurant. I guess one is not suppose to show up so early in the morning. Come to think of that, "Dim-Sum" restaurants in the US (well, in and around the Los Angeles areas anyway) usually start their services around 10:00 AM or later, but I remember having morning tea and "Dim-Sum" with dad at 5:00 AM back in the good old days (way back when) … Times have changed, so have the traditions.

Driving into Kuala Lumpur was a challenge! I have heard from my brother that traffic jam is a norm but it still took me by surprise. The crawling got so severe that we decided to get out of the car (leave my brother behind), walked five city blocks to check in at the hotel where we have made reservation. We waited for my brother, the chauffeur, in our rooms. He came in 30 minutes after we have checked in and unpacked, fuming and ready to kill! My brother is really a great guy. He could be rough at times but he takes good care of the family and he is a friend you can definitely depend on through thick and thin.

The first thing we did after taking a short nap was to visit the tallest building in the world. I stood in front of the twin towers of Petronas and I am at a loss for words. They are gorgeous!!!! What an achievement!!!! I have heard about it - The newest and tallest building on earth; I have seen pictures of it; And I have been asked by many about it as soon as they found out I am from Malaysia. However, to see it in real life is, well, she took my breath away!!! It is not so much as the height of the towers but the architecture, the artistic decoration and what it represents. They definitely symbolise the Malaysia I knew and the glorious future ahead (Yes, I do believe the economic crisis will be behind the region soon, I hope). I kept thinking if times allowed, I would love to get to the top of the building and see the world from there.

From the look of it, one cannot tell the region or Malaysia, to be specific, is in recession or economic malaise. Downtown Kuala Lumpur is still fill with the hustling and bustling, business persons in executive attires, taxi cabs honking unnecessarily, pedestrians hurriedly crossed roadways as if all have important events and meetings to attend to, noise and air pollutants and all. Talking to friends and family members though painted the picture in a different light. For instance, one of my cousin, a sales manager with a heavy machinery business for over 5 years, is worrying about losing his job. The company has a large amount of outstanding account receivable and it's resorting to cutting payroll in order to stay afloat. He recently bought a new house and a baby is on its way. I can definitely sympathise with him. I guess this is where my "Eastern value system and Western business philosophy" come to a head-on collision.

I believe in order for any nation to grow and emerge as a global market player, she must embrace the free market system, the supply and demand cycle, the survival of the fittest and so on and so forth. That was the reason I believed whatever George Soros did or didn't do (according to the individual, the time and the setting) has no true bearing on the current economic situation in Asia. He may have triggered the downfall of the weak financial systems but then that is how free market functions. Somebody else would have done the same thing, so why not George?

Well, having said that, I look at the situation my cousin is in. It makes me wonder if this is what free market is all about. Destroying family and livelihood of the general population so that a small minority of the super rich can get richer? (Now, I disagree with the notion of "why do the rich need more money?" because that is in direct conflict with my "Be all that you can be" motto. I think that is the US Navy's motto too!) I guess it boils down to - It is a free market if you are profiting from it and nobody (that you care) gets hurt; Otherwise, the greedy capitalists are to blamed! Sound simple, doesn't it? Sometimes it is just that simple. Take the riot in Indonesia, for example. One can analyse it from the political, social, human, racial, historical, and other standpoints; he point is the social unrest would not have taken place, at that particular time and moment, if the economic situation has not deteriorated. Period! It is that simple!

Well, before I completely got out of the subject, let's go back to my Kuala Lumpur visit. The city has changed a lot, for better and for worse. While it is great to see the modernisation and improvements in facilities and services but the environment and the society as a whole have suffered. The normal heat and humidity of the tropical climate forged a trinity with pollutants. Air pollution, water, soil, you name it. I am sure the government is doing something to counter these side effects of industrialisation, but is it enough and is it too late? I also noticed that people in general are not as friendly and helpful - your typical "Big City" mentality. Again, my Western training reminds me of "free market" = "free evolution" but my Eastern value says "If this is what free market is about then let's not have anything to do with it". What a mess I am?

The best part of my visit to Kuala Lumpur, of course, was the gathering with my friends and colleagues at Orient Pacific Century!! Our editor, Barbara Eu was busy preparing her impending wedding and we can feel the "energy" blocks away from her. Barbara is great and she is going to make a good partner for her husband.

Oops, the phone is ringing.... I shall be back very soon.... till the next time, sweet dreams my dear diary...................

A humid August........... in San Francisco....................

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