Learning Malay

Malay is not something that is strange to me.

I was brought up in a Malay environment, staying in a 90% Malay populated kampung. I hung out mostly with my Malay frens, lepaking at their house, playing with their family members, frens and neighbours. So i knew a lot about their daily customs, games, thoughts and beliefs.

I was educated in Malay schools, both primary and secondary ~ which explains why i only know how to read limited Mandarin words. (There is actually a story behind the reason why my mom enrolled me in a Malay school, tell u guys some other time in another post).

There were only 3 Chinese girls (including me) and a Chinese guy in my class during primary. That guy was very naughty back then, so i didnt like to play with him. He had his own group of frens, while i had mine. We never cross each other's path, unless we really REALLY have to...

Nah, we were never enemies. We just dont like to mix with each other :P

And I could still remember my best fren, a Malay girl named Irna Maya. We were very close, going almost everywhere together. She is a very smart student so we always tried to challenge each other in every way. They say healthy competitions lead to improvements..

We volunteered for chances -
to read an article during English lesson.
to help the teacher write the exercise on the blackboard.
to clean the written backboard with a duster.
etc..etc..

Can u just believe how kiddo we were, merely just wanted to be the outstanding one in school. Small kids.. but those were the good times..

But there is one special experience that i could never forget for the rest of my life. Everytime i think of it, it brings a wide grin on my face.

Me and my Chinese frens speak Malay to each other too, either in school or even on the phone. The only time i speak Cantonese (except at home), is when i called them and their parents picked up the phone. I asked for their daughter in pure Cantonese dialect, but after that we switched back to the old national language again. Weird huh??!

As such, it is a very common thing for me to always been mistaken as a Malay girl. I was very dark last time (cos everyday have to assemble under the hot sun) and speaks fluent Bahasa Melayu. They were confused and i was being asked numerous time "Ah Moi, awak ni orang Melayu ke orang Cina?". O_o

OK, enuff of the old stories for now.

So yesterday, i wore a long Batik skirt to work. A colleague send me a message after lunch.

"asalam mualaikum"
"walaikum muasalam" *people greet u, u must greet back*
"Hari ne, ah moi manyak special dengan baju malayu"
"sudah pakai beberapa kali lar, kau tak pernah tengok ke?"
"Bukan kebiasaan bagi orang biasa seperti saya melihat gadis berbaju melayu di pejabat ini"
"kalau macam tu, biasakan diri sekarang. bukannya istimewa sangat"
"hari hari istimewa, kan bagus"
"haha.. hari ini jadi orang melayu.."
"hari bila jadi orang india? i bawa camera" *all of a sudden, he tried to berpantun*
"erm.. sudah pernah jadi orang india. semasa service banquet di Putrajaya.. " *i promptly replied his pantun*
"bila jadi orang zaman batu.... pakai baju berbulu...." *aik*
"baju berbulu, bukan untuk orang yang sudah maju" *hahaha*

It is definitely fun working in this kind of environment, with hilarious colleagues around. ^_^