SEALNet Project Malaysia ended on 6/8, and I left for Kuala Lumpur again on 6/9. I booked myself a cheap hostel room in order to save money, and to my delight, the hostel is located in Bukit Bintang--one of the must-go sites of KL. There is a amazing Chinese food street full of open-air restaurants and the typical bustling ambiance of an overseas Chinese community. At the same time, Bukit Bintang offers high-end shopping malls, Indian supermarkets, and the Arab Street. Lebanese and Syrian immigrants (illegal or not) roam the streets, reminding me its a Muslim country after all. I even bargained with an Indian shop keeper on the price of a Chelsea FC jersey (Frank Lampard, to be precise); it was tough...
One place you have to visit in Malaysia is Malacca, where you realize why they call Malaysia "truly Asia." I took a morning bus there and literally ran through the ancient city due to the lack of time. I visited the Dutch governor's house, the British graveyard, and the Portuguese ship. I ate Malay fried fish as well as the ever-famous chicken rice balls. I even bought gifts for my newly-wed friends in Texas and mailed them at the local post office. Malacca is like Los Angeles in its diversity, but with a much richer history and greater depth. In addition to missionaries and natives, Malacca had kings, merchants from all over the world, and a trading culture that flourished for ten centuries.
On 6/12, I left Malaysia. I flew from KL to Singapore then to Hong Kong. To many of you who don't know me all that well, Hong Kong is actually my favorite city. But this time I only stayed there for 30 minutes; I had a bigger destination: China mainland. I arrived in the southern city of Shenzhen.
Shenzhen embodies China's unprecedented growth in the past decades. In 1978, Shenzhen was a fishing village. Also in 1978, China came out of the Cultural Revolution and new leaders, under the leadership of vice chairman Deng Xiaoping--the so-called modern China's architect, had ambitious goals. They set Shenzhen apart as a Special Economic Zone. Its strategic location right next to Hong Kong made sure of its astronomical growth. In two decades, Shenzhen's population reached 5 million. Today it stands at 7 million, most of which are comprised of migrants from outside Guangdong/Canton province (where Shenzhen is). I came to the city expecting some Cantonese-learning opportunities, and, to my dismay, I found none.
China is my homeland. Last time I visited my homeland was this past winter, when I flew to Shanghai for a weekend from Hong Kong, where I was doing an MIT externship. Nevertheless, China never fails to surprise me. In other words, I receive a "cultural shock" every single time I visit the country. This time is no different.
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