-Where were you born?

In Germany

-In which country and city are you living now?

In Petaling Jaya, next to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I live here together with my husband.

-How long have you been living there?

More than 2 years now

-What is your age?

48

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Malaysia?

3 years ago we decided to move to Malaysia. We did a lot of research before and visited some other countries too. But after comparing pro and contra we chose Malaysia.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a work permit?

We are here under the MM2H program, with a 10-year visa.  We had a very good agent, so it was very easy for us.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

We still have a private German medical insurance, but it was not easy to find one which covers you overseas for a long period.

-How do you make your living in Malaysia? Do you have any type of income generated?

My husband works as a consultant in the Asia region and he made contacts before we moved here.

-Do you speak the local language and do you think it's important to speak the local language?

I have to admit, we know only a little Bahasa Melayu, but English is widely spoken and that makes it very easy for foreigners.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes? Describe your favorite recreational activities there or those that are available.

I think everybody gets homesick in a new country, after a while, mostly between the first 3 and 9 months, some more, some less. It hit me after 6 months, when the first excitement was gone and normal life took place. But when you accept that as a normal, common thing that happens to everybody and is part of the process, you get over it. Best advice: treat yourself very well, go to restaurants, shopping, pet your animals, walk through nature and you get over it soon.

Other activities: many parks and museums, amusement parks, beaches, golf, many great shopping malls...

-Do you have other plans for the future?

We want to visit Borneo, many people told us that it is very different from the western part of Malaysia.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

We lived in a condo in Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur before, but we found out that living in an apartment, within a suburb with so many expats, is not our style. We moved to PJ and rented a terraced house, corner lot there. Now we live amongst the locals, have a nice garden, kois and  cats and like to sit on our terrace and enjoy life. Prices for a condo in Mont Kiara are around 3000 to 4000 RM for 3 bedrooms. Prices for terraced houses, or semi-D in other expat areas of KL are between 5000 and 15000 RM. In PJ you can get nices houses in gated areas between 2000 and 4000 RM.

-What is the cost of living in Malaysia?

The cost of living here is extremely low. If you take a look at the Big Mac Index it really shows how low. But in Malaysia you get a very good infrastructure too and that's a good and rare combination!

-What do you think about the locals? 

The locals, doesn´t matter if they are Malay Malaysians, Chinese Malaysians or Indian Malaysians, are all very nice, friendly, helpful, and you get local friends easily.  As a  foreigner, especially when you are from a western country, you are very welcome.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Malaysia?

 There are a lots of positives and only a few negatives. The positive ones first:

One of the best infrastructures in SE Asia, very low cost of living, English is widely spoken, warm weather all year round and lots of sunshine, stable and democratic country, nice and friendly people, many private schools and kindergartens, foreigners are allowed to buy property and at least Malaysia is a secure and peaceful country.

The negatives are: air pollution in KL, cars are expensive.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Malaysia?

More about living in any new country, don't compare it with your home country. Enjoy the difference and welcome new experiences, than you will have a happy life!

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Malaysia?

I run a German/English-language website about living in Malaysia, with many tips for expats and tourists:

http://sites.google.com/site/malaysiaauswandern

I also run a German blog: http://auswandernmalaysia.blogspot.com