Job Discussion Forums

[Henry_Cowell]

[gugelhupf]

[ghost]

[xsbir]

[quote="ghost"]

[sidjameson]

When I was there, way back when, I used to know some foreigners who would say, "but I'm a bule" with such an indignent and imperialistic tone that you really did think that they expected to be treated like some modern day kipling figure.
Of course they tried to hide the fact that they were a painter and decorator back home.

[ghost]

[Henry_Cowell]

Henry_Cowell has lived in both Indonesia and Malaysia. It is Henry_Cowell's impression that Malaysians look to and admire Indonesia for its popular culture (musical styles, films, dance) because things are much freer and more creative there. Henry knows many Malaysians who also pepper their language with Indonesian words and expressions.

Indonesians, in one's experience, see Malaysia as merely a place to go to make money and send it home. The conservatism and religious fundamentalism in Malaysia make Indonesians a bit nervous, in Henry_Cowell's (and one's) experience.

[gugelhupf]

Gugelhupf thinks that ghost has got it wrong about Malaysia. The majority (by a slight margin) of the population are malays, and of these not many are bilingual or even competent in a second language. Blame that on the ex-prime minister who all but destroyed bilingual education. Malaysian chinese usually speak hokiens rather than mandarin.

Gugelhupf still likes Malaysia as a place for R&R, and gugelhupf will spend the Xmas holiday there.

Ghost may be pleased to learn that in Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia (Bahasa just means 'language') using the 3rd person as ghost does is not uncommon.

[sidjameson]

I would just like to point out that Sidjameson thinks that actually many of the Chinese Malaysians that Sidjameson met weren't comfortable using Malay at all. I believe that Sidjameson opines that the Chinese considered Malay as very much the least important of the three languages. Even when their pronunciation of English made it very difficult for Sidjameson to understand I am of the opinion that Sidjameson found it very difficult indeed to get them to switch to Malay even though he could communicate in that language.

[Henry_Cowell]

Mr Cowell thinks that sidjameson is correct about the attitude of many Chinese Malaysians toward Bahasa Melayu. Only the most educated of the Chinese are comfortable (and happy) using Bahasa Melayu, but they would still rather use English -- even with other Malaysians and especially with bumiputera (Malays).

One knows this from one's experience and from one's friends and colleagues.

[laughing_magpie06]

I was in Malaysia a few years ago and found it to be far more developed than Indonesia with Kuala Lumpur very much an international city. Also Penang was similar to Bali only cleaner and quieter with less poverty.
The Malays are very similar to Indonesians however they are more religious if anything. Women tend to mostly wear jilbabs and Islamic law has become more extreme in recent times. English is spoken but it has lessened in the past 20 years or so due to Mahatirs pro Malay policies.
The Chinese and Indian populations, which make up around 40% together are the bilingual people and tend to carry their economy, making up most of the business sector.

[xsbir]

[happy_me]

True, Indonesians do move as sloths do, but none the less, we thinks they is fluid. Another thing we have come to note, there seems to be a growing dislike of bule, mainly do to the way some seem to think they can buy anything, or anyone they like, this seem to be most prevalent in places where bule gather, i.e. big cities, oil & mining towns.

Can you say"bad rep"....very good, you can have two cookies now.

[Henry_Cowell]

Bade bule rep on Bali beaches: gado_gado

[ghost]