Friendly Malaysia

I've not been in Malaysia long but my first impressions of the people are great. Ready to speak in a mix of basic Malay words and broken English, everyone here speaks my home language fantastically, which is great, and helps earn me major brownie points when I do attempt a bit of Malaysian anyway. On top of that, everyone just seems really nice.

In my first hour out I met a guy in the street who started convosation as I walked past. With it being late and on a quiet road in a big new place I was naturally suspicious as he rattled off questions like he'd rehearsed them, as I tried to make a polite exit. Seeing I wanted to get away, he said he could see I was an independant person and wished me all the best. I said thank you and began to turn. He then said 'What do you do at home?' making convosation again. I said I was a student (nobody wants to waste their time mugging a student, they're always skint). Apparently he was a lecturer of art so asked what I studied. I didn't want to make common ground so decided to stay away from courses of a creative nature, which was hard, but I stuttered a bit and then said physiotherapy. He again acknowledged I was keen to walk on and bid me farewell once more as I turned to go. But, then again struck up convostation 'When's your birthday?'. 'Err...I don't know...December' I'm really distracted and looking for the danger, is he keeping me occupied for someone to run past and take my camera? Will he take it? Or is he just really nice? He then rattles off a load of stuff and I think he's manner is why I was cautious. He spoke like Derren Brown, saying line after line, jumping from topic to topic in a very calm and collected way. Having a bad initial gut instinct, I've been taught to listen to that and assume somethings no right, so got convinced he was trying to hypnotise me! He went on...'My birthday is on the 5th, the same as the King's, yours is the 14th, see how that works, 1 and 4 equals 5, the numbers always work in patterns, just now I've been watching that fountain over there, it's beautiful isn't it, can you see it there, actually I've just done a lecture in the Hilton, I say Hilton of course, it's not called that anymore, and you study physiotherapy, how does that work, I met a swedish girl earler who does the same....' It was late, 10 or11pm maybe, and for someone just walking past, to me it was weird, especially as he knew I didn't want to stop. He had such a definite, educated and rehearsed manner about him that I was beginning to think he'd have me willingly handing over my stuff and not realising it til an hour or so later. As odd as it was, I reckon maybe he was just super nice, and I just really tired and nervous, although he honestly shouldn't be stopping girls in the street for small talk at that time!

Apart from that, everyone has been really friendly and helpful (apparently too helpful here, they'll tell you what you want to hear so as not to disappoint, so be careful when asking about busses for example. They might say one is going where you want to go, it may well not be). In the hotel at breakfast the head guy singled me out. 'How is everything?' I agreed it was good. 'And the food?' I told him it was very nice. Then went on with 'And how about my staff, are they ok? And your room? Is the standard ok?' He's listing everything about the hotel, the services, facilities, housekeeping etc. I'm just saying 'Yeah, yeah, all is very good thank you...Yeah that's good too...Yep and that...Everything is fine' Apparently if there's anything I need, I'm to let him know. I watched him for a bit as he wandered the rest of restaurant but he didn't approach anyone else for an impromptu survey...I think he liked my accent, it seems to be the cause of most unwanted conversations!

Seriously though the people are really nice. Nobody hassles you and everyone smiles and says hello. A friend of a friend even very kindly came to to take me out at short notice and picked my up from my hotel. She took me to a really nice bar too. One 34 floors up complete with open air areas, swimming pool and fantastic views of the Patronas towers. But with my time in KL done, I've headed over to Sabah, Malaysian Borneo and wonder whether there'll be the same atmosphere here too, it feels like a different country altogether.