The life of gay people in Malaysia, the female perspective
–I recently did an interview with a gay Malay Muslim male about his experience of life for gay people in Muslim Malaysia, and I wanted to share a woman’s experience as well. “Miss PLU” graciously accepted to be interviewed. I’m in my 30s and a female. The sexual orientation would be a lesbian or what the local gay community calls a “PLU” which stands for “People Like Us.” I am a Malay and a Muslim. Not active but still believe...
Could I live in Australia or New Zealand?
As we slowly make our way around the world (only one continent unvisited!), we’re paying attention to the places we might want to stay longer and possibly use as a long-term base. We’ll still travel, but at some point I’m sure we’re going to want a place that feels a bit more like “home” where we can both make friends and be part of a local community. We absolutely loved Australia, and we’re enjoying New Zealand so far. But I have to...
The culture shock of living in Australia
I experienced a bit of culture shock when we went to Spain after over a year in Latin America, but living in Australia has really been an adjustment. One that wasn’t completely anticipated either. I knew it would be a bit complicated going from 6 months in southeast Asia to a very developed and very modern Australia, but the biggest thing I had prepared for was sticker shock. I could easily get a whole meal and a beer for what a...
Thoughts of an American in Vietnam on Liberation Day
I was a bit afraid to come to Vietnam. No, I wasn’t worried about being an American in Vietnam. It just seemed like there were plenty of horror stories occasionally mixed in with the “It’s an interesting place” vague ones. Okay, yes I was a little concerned about how I would be received. Not like I expected to be attacked or anything. It’s just. . . Complicated. Even though I was very young during the Vietnam War, it was still...
A hotel owner’s life in Hanoi
We had been in this small hotel for a couple of days. I enjoy this area because it’s full of daily life in Hanoi, even if that means it’s also really noisy. We came downstairs for breakfast and were greeted by the owner as usual, but this time I noticed his eyes appeared bloodshot. His movements lacked their usual energy, and the smile that was almost always on his face was noticeably absent. As we began eating, I asked if...
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