When I’m not working, I love to hang out with my friends, explore Malaysia, attend events hosted by the university, go to the movies (in 2016 a cinema opened in Kuala Terengganu for the first time in 20 years), shop at the night market and read.
Hello! I speak English, Spanish, (Hola: Hello) and sedikit (sedikit: a little) Bahasa Malaysia. Selamat datang – apa kabar? (Welcome, how are you?)
In America I have one lovely, fluffy cat named Houdini, but when I’m here, I’m surrounded by cats! Students at the hostel feed stray cats, and so the hostel has become a home for both students and cats. Cats can also be found in and around people’s homes throughout Malaysia. Although there are many cats, it is difficult to find dogs in Malaysia. While people love dogs, touching a dog is considered haram (haram: forbidden) by Allah in the Islamic faith, and so many people choose to love dogs from afar.
My friends and I traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia. While there we visited Angkor Wat, the seventh wonder of the world. Angkor Wat is a beautiful temple built from cool massive grey slabs of stone, and decorated with intricately carved images of deities (gods) and ornate (detailed) designs. Built in the 12th century by the order of King Suryavarman II to honor Vishnu, the Hindu god of preservation (maintaining something over the course of time), Angkor Wat is surrounded by many smaller temples.
