Having lived in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, for so long, it's no wonder she feels more at home there than when she visits the UK, the land of her birth. Sharon describes how she came to move to Malaysia, her life with her family there, and how she has truly immersed herself in the local culture.	Sharon

-Where were you born?
Leicester, UK

-In which country and city are you living now?
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia (Petaling Jaya is part of the same urban conurbation as Kuala Lumpur, the capital and located in the Klang Valley.)

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I live with my husband. We don’t have children.

-How long have you been living in Malaysia?
23 years altogether

-What is your age?
51

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Malaysia?
I wanted to teach overseas, had already taught in Nigeria with Voluntary Service Overseas. I was offered a job in Malaysia with Centre for British Teachers which was recruiting for Malaysian schools.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
When I was teaching I had a work permit and it was obtained by my employer. Now that I’m married I have a social visit pass which I have to renew annually. I applied for Permanent Residence several years ago but nothing has happened about that yet, which I find upsetting.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
No, no problem at all.

-How do you make your living in Malaysia? Do you have any type of income generated?
I’ve had several jobs here. As I said above, for my first teaching job here I was recruited by a British organization in Britain. After I got married I found work with the British Council, and then was employed by a British college to work on a B.Ed. TESL programme which was twinned with a local institution. I have now set up a small company and teach creative writing on a freelance basis in partnership with the British Council. I also write writing reviews and literary articles for magazines and newspapers.

-Do you speak Malay and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
I taught myself to speak Malay when I first came here and am very glad I did because it makes me feel less of an outsider. (Although now, living in the Klang Valley, I find I don’t need it much as almost everyone speaks English.) I also had to learn about local customs because I was teaching and working with Malaysian colleagues. When I married a Malay it became even more important to understand the culture!

Culturally Malaysia is quite complex with a number of racial groups, so it isn’t just a matter of learning about one culture. (And even within the main racial groups there might be sub-groups so Malaysia is a fascinating melting pot.)

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
I have just one sister and her family living in Harrow Middlesex, and I do miss them. I try to get home whenever I can afford it – once a year or once every two years. My sister’s family has been out to Malaysia for holidays and they love the place very much.

But this is my home now and I even struggle with the tern “expat” because I feel that this is my home now!

Recreational activities – yes, this is a very good place to be whatever your interests. There is a world class symphony orchestra and good theatres. I organize literary activities e.g. readings and events for writers. I also love to get out of the city and go walking in the forests. Whatever your interest, you should be able to pursue it here.

My monthly event is called “Readings” where Malaysian writers come along to read their work.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
I have lots of plans. My dream is to set up a Writers’ Centre where local writers can find resources and support.

And I’d love to travel more, particularly in Australia and New Zealand.

My husband has a dream of setting up a resort on the East Coast!

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We built our own house about 9 years ago in a gated-community and paid less than RM1,000,000 (145,873.40 GBP)for the land and construction, but the house costs much more now. We have 4 four bedrooms and a large garden.

Before that, we lived in a terraced house (3 bedrooms) my husband had bought years before, in pleasant area of Kuala Lumpur. That would probably now be worth RM800,000 as property prices have risen a lot in the Klang Valley.

-What is the cost of living in Malaysia?
Across the board - a great deal less than in Britain. For example, it is possible to eat out very cheaply indeed. Even RM5 will buy you a bowl of delicious noodles and a drink at a hawker’s centre.

-What do you think about the Malaysians?
My friends are local, my husband is local. After a while you stop seeing racial differences and forget about “us and them.” I am now more local than many other Malaysians who are younger or who have lived abroad! Conversely, I feel a bit awkward when I go back to the UK.

Foreigners (at least western foreigners) are treated well, I would say, even with some measure of deference. Immigrants from other parts of the world (e.g., other Asian countries like Burma, Thailand or Indonesia or from Africa) might meet more prejudice due to associations with illegal immigration, imported labour, financial scams (Nigerians) and prostitution (Thai women).

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Malaysia?
Positive – people v. nice, love the climate, the food, rainforests, beautiful beaches … life’s pretty easy here.

Negative – not much – get angry with standards of driving

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Malaysia?
Be prepared to take part in things and don’t just stay in your expat cocoon. Joining clubs and societies is a quick way to make friends.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Malaysia?
I must plug my own site, bibliobibuli. It is a literary blog with a Malaysian focus and lots of international news about books and writers. I also would recommend Tropic Temper, written by an Australian expat, another long-termer like me, who is an environmentalist and successful fantasy writer.

Shaolin Tiger is a British expat who has one of the most popular blogs in the country.

Best-selling Malaysian author Lydia Teh chronicles life here very amusingly: Life's Like That.

Boolicious writes mouth-wateringly about Malaysian food and makes me so hungry I can’t even bear to look at her pictures! But the pursuit of good food is in a sense a cultural journey too: masak-masak.