As a part of the international hostel at UMT, I am part of a wonderful group of funny, caring, incredible people from around the world who have become my friend-family and have truly helped me find a sense of home in Malaysia. These girls are my sisters! We cook, bike, laugh, chat, dance and (try to) sing together. We are always there to support one another.
My other “family” lives at Chagar Hutang on Pulau Redang. During the summer we laughed, cooked and joked together. My friend-family taught me Bahasa Malaysia (bahasa: language), how to interact with sea turtles, how to cook and where to find the paths of the turtles down to the sea. We worked together at nest sites and chatted away homesickness. I love my friend-family!
To reach the turtle sanctuary, we would travel by boat, then by foot once we arrived. The sanctuary is situated in a cove and is bordered by 350 meters of beach. It has a small area comprised of a few open-air structures without WiFi and with sporadic (irregular) solar-powered electricity. Most of the daily and nightly activities occurred on the beach.
To escape the heat and take full advantage of any breeze that comes my way, I’ve taken to wearing shorts and T-shirts while at UMT and on the island. Other students and island visitors wear a variety of clothes. Some wear long pants and shirts despite the heat. People may choose to wear longer clothing for protection from the sun and/or to show commitment to their faith.
