Cross-Cultural Conversations

Observations by a Malaysian studying in Australia

Show Me The Money (And the Funny)

I was channel-surfing as usual when I turned on to NTV 7's Show Me The Money. I've seen the promo for this new local comedy series starring Afdlin Shauki, and I wasn't very enthusiastic to watch it. After having to endure the overdone, please-laugh-at-us acting/scripting of the second season of Kopitiam (The first one, aired on the now defunct Metrovision a few years ago was exceptionally good), I've lost all hopes on Malaysian english sitcoms.

Furthermore, I've watched enough episodes of Bila Larut Malam, the late night show hosted by Afdlin on Astro Ria to safely assume he's not very amusing.

Surprisingly, I found Show Me The Money to be pretty funny. The acting is genuinely Malaysian, and this time it's not such a bad thing. And I had my biggest laugh during a scene with, of all people, Afdlin Shauki, involving what we thought he thought, and what he actually thought, about a cheque worth RM 5000.

I'm unsure if I found the comedy series funny because I was dead-tired from the gym session, or if it was actually amusing. That's more reason to watch it next week, Monday nights at 10.10 pm, just to make sure.

posted by: Tembaga2 at 16:21 | link | comments |

My Name Is Pueblo Guadalajara

After touching down at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Melbourne, I didn't immediately head towards the immigration counter as I accompanied my friend, who was on transit to Hong Kong, to look for the transit counter.

By the time I reached the immigration counter there were already 2 long queues, but thankfully they were the Foreign Passport Holders'. The Malaysian Passport Holder Counter had no queue at all, and I happily made me way towards it.

Suddenly the woman behind the Malaysian Passport Counter hand-signalled me to go to one of the 2 queues. I was puzzled, but I did as told. All sense of happiness drained from my body as I, already tired from the uneventful journey, queued in a long line, behind a family of 5 Pakistanis talking in what I assume is Pakistani.

"Is this how they treat a worn-out, hardworking Malaysian student from Geelong who is otherwise very eager to enjoy his holidays?". "What's the point of being Malaysian if you end up having to queue in the Foreign Passport Holders' Counter at a Malaysian airport anyway?". At that point I wish I was back in Australia, where the locals actually get to queue in the Local Passports Counter, although of course being a foreigner I'd have to queue in the Foreign Passports Line anyway.

The woman who motioned me to queue behind the Pakistani family was now having a conversation with an airport official, and both of them kept looking at me, my Malaysian passport in my left hand, laptop bag hung on my right shoulder, and my bagpack on my back. I realise that I'm considerably good looking , but I wish they would stop staring at me with such intensity as it was making me uncomfortable.

The airport official came up to me, and asked to see the bright red Malaysian passport I was holding in my hand. I gave it to him. "Oh, you're Malaysian after all" he said and motioned for me to proceed to the counter which I originally intended to go in the first place.

I handed my passport to the woman behind the counter. "Oh, you're Malaysian after all," she said. Not only do they both think I'm handsome, they both say exactly the same things. "What did you think I was?" I asked, trying to sound as polite as I could even though I was still sour from having to wait 10 minutes behind the queue when I could've not waited at all.

"I thought you were Mexican or something."

posted by: Tembaga2 at 16:08 | link | comments (1) |