An exchange student's experience
Helo kepada semua,
As many of you might know by now, my name is Anirudh, and I am an exchange student from Houston, Texas, U.S.A. I have been in Malaysia for just about 3 months, but my experiences have been a lifetime’s worth of memories! I would like to share some of my favorite moments and experiences from these past few months and give you a little bit of insight into my view of Malaysia!
First of all, I want to explain why I’m here. My program, called YES Abroad, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and sends high school students from the U.S. to countries with significant Muslim populations. I have come to Malaysia to learn about Malaysian culture and to give local Malaysians insight into the U.S. and American culture. So far, I’ve learned much about Malaysia and its religions, languages, and traditions, and I’ve been able to spread knowledge of life in America and typical parts of American culture.
I arrived in KL on July 18, and I came to Ipoh on July 21. Starting school and my experience here seemed to be a daunting task at first, but I’ve learned so much and had so much fun during my time here. Over the last few months, I have integrated into my host family, school, and environment. It’s been an amazing experience, so much so that I remember my arrival as if it were yesterday, not 3 months ago.
So far in Malaysia, I have had the pleasure of doing so many amazing activities, attending so many memorable events, and meeting many great people. I visited Buddhist and Hindu temples, celebrated Merdeka and Hari Malaysia, met the Menteri Besar and Raja Muda of Perak, visited the U.S. Embassy in KL, went snorkeling in Pangkor, ate mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and much more. All of these experiences have given me memories that I will cherish all my life.
One specific activity I took part in was celebrating the week of Hari Raya with a Muslim family. During the last few days of Ramadan, I fasted with the family, watched Malay soap operas,
As many of you might know by now, my name is Anirudh, and I am an exchange student from Houston, Texas, U.S.A. I have been in Malaysia for just about 3 months, but my experiences have been a lifetime’s worth of memories! I would like to share some of my favorite moments and experiences from these past few months and give you a little bit of insight into my view of Malaysia!
First of all, I want to explain why I’m here. My program, called YES Abroad, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and sends high school students from the U.S. to countries with significant Muslim populations. I have come to Malaysia to learn about Malaysian culture and to give local Malaysians insight into the U.S. and American culture. So far, I’ve learned much about Malaysia and its religions, languages, and traditions, and I’ve been able to spread knowledge of life in America and typical parts of American culture.
I arrived in KL on July 18, and I came to Ipoh on July 21. Starting school and my experience here seemed to be a daunting task at first, but I’ve learned so much and had so much fun during my time here. Over the last few months, I have integrated into my host family, school, and environment. It’s been an amazing experience, so much so that I remember my arrival as if it were yesterday, not 3 months ago.
So far in Malaysia, I have had the pleasure of doing so many amazing activities, attending so many memorable events, and meeting many great people. I visited Buddhist and Hindu temples, celebrated Merdeka and Hari Malaysia, met the Menteri Besar and Raja Muda of Perak, visited the U.S. Embassy in KL, went snorkeling in Pangkor, ate mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and much more. All of these experiences have given me memories that I will cherish all my life.
One specific activity I took part in was celebrating the week of Hari Raya with a Muslim family. During the last few days of Ramadan, I fasted with the family, watched Malay soap operas,