Malaysia turns 51.

Happy Independence Day Malaysia!

On my drive home from badminton with a friend today; he threw a joke at me about how I'm
"...not Malaysian enough"
I retaliated immediately! I'm Malaysian; I'm a pure bred Malaysian! ... I didn't understand exactly what he meant; was it so because I had left the country for a long time?..was it my accent?
... I had no clue.... but it did jog my mind a little more about what makes a "Malaysian".
....Those born in this country?
Those who's ancestry lines began on Malaysian soil? ...
What race is a Malaysian?....Chinese? Malay? Indian? Iban? Kadazan? Punjabi?.

Our unique mix of races; religions and cultures achieving independence together as a nation truly is a feat not easily achieved. Safe to say; we are one of the rare; if not the ONLY ones in the world with 3 races forming an alliance with communal parties to create the independent country we have today.
We are all Malaysian; so says our passports, but what about our hearts? our minds? What makes a Malaysian? *grin*
I made a list of the things I feel you must love to be Malaysian at heart. (in no order or importance)

1. Durians
2. Badminton (playing or watching)
3. Teh Ais
4. Maggi
5. Milo
6. Mixing words from different languages in your vocabulary
7. Roti Canai
8. Ramli Burger
9. Cincau
10. Sambal
11. Steadler pens and pencils
12. Buying new cellphones ...and making a fuss about getting a good 'number' combination.
13. Having 'auspicious' car plate numbers
14. People watching at the mamak
15. Watching soccer on a big projector screen at the hawker stalls.
16. Shopping for dinner at a pasar malam
17. Balik Kampung during the long holiday weekends! (to return home to the village.*giggle*)
18. Karaoke!
19. Bubur Ayam McD
20.Har mee. (prawn mee)
21. Ice Kacang22. Pisang Goreng
23. Satay24. Wan ton mee

... any more you would like to add to the list fellow Malaysians? I can't stop to wonder why more than 70% of my list involved some sort of Food! haha Yes; in my books, to be Malaysian; you must LOVE good food!

Realize how many new 'cultures' we have derived from living together in harmony? Notice how our language seem to mold itself into truly unique Malaysian terminology.
Us Chinese-Malaysians have evolved into a new breed of Chinese with our significantly different dialect and vocabulary. I'm sure the Indians have long left their ways in India behind to move one to assimilating themselves to our country's colourful cultures too.

I'm not sure if you've noticed; but we still are the only ones in the world who eat 'Asian' meals (especially rice) with a large plate; a fork and a spoon. We have the spoon on the right; fork on the left. Both are used to tear meats apart and the fork is used as a shovel to push rice into the spoon on the right; before it is conveniently fed into our mouths.
Ahh.... So much easier than trying to have a pair of chopsticks in a bowl full of rice!
I'm glad my parents were both Malaysian. * proud grin*