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Hello, Ciao,안녕하세요, Hallo, Hola, Selamat tengahari! My name is Rachael and I am a travel enthusiast. Ever since I can remember, my parents have taken my brother, sister and I on good ol' American road trips. It's safe to say that was where my interest in new places, people and experiences was ignited. As my parents always encouraged my siblings and I to explore and ask questions, I developed a sincere curiosity for new adventures. In addition to seeing much of the United States with my favorite travel companions (my family), I had the opportunity to spend a semester in Rome, Italy, as well as a semester in Seoul, South Korea during my college career. Now, I am honored to be taking part in a Fulbright ETA Scholarship to Malaysia for a year! My family's favorite motto is "Life is all about the journey, not the destination." I invite you to join along in my journey of cultural exchange and mutual understanding in Malaysia! After all, the more, the merrier.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Step 4: Learning to Equalize


One of our many school assemblies!
Photo: Courtesy of SMK Permaisuri Nur Zahirah

Recently, I was introduced to the technique of equalizing while taking an open water dive course in the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia. The deeper a diver goes, the more water pressure and ear pressure become unbalanced, causing deep discomfort. To avoid this pain, divers must slowly descend and gently breathe out while pinching their nose. A slow and steady introduction to the deep, unfamiliar waters makes for an enjoyable underwater adventure.




Driving my pink motor scooter through vast rice paddies in my rural, Islamic village, while wearing a bright, floral baju kurung, is not a life I could have ever fully prepared for.

My American wardrobe has been replaced with a collection of twenty-plus traditional, conservative baju kurung (explained in the previous post)

Eating lunch with fellow teachers.
Photo: Courtesy of SMK Permaisuri Nur Zahirah

Going to buy groceries no longer consists of quick trips to Target in a Volvo with a stop at Starbucks along the way. Now, I strategically decide what I need based on what can fit into a backpack for the return trip from Supermas. Supermas is about a fifth of the size of Jewel Osco and is the only supermarket in town, but it gets the job done. In fact, I always save some room for M&Ms, which it conveniently sells! 

Example of what one would see at a Pasar Malam in
Malaysia! 
A daily occurrence.
Cows are constantly socializing in frontof our house...
My weekly dates with friends have been replaced with trips to the local Pasar Malam, the night markets selling fruits, vegetables, live chickens and food. Being a regular at the market has been a fabulous way to meet locals while sampling Malaysian food. Although, I have not been brave enough to buy a live chicken yet, with many villages in a twenty- minute radius, there is a night market within reach every night.









Moreover, my favorite spin classes have been replaced with P90x videos, as well as scenic bikes rides and jogs through my village where cows, roosters and chickens roam freely and palm trees provide light shade.

Moving here requires a new kind of rhythm, and it’s amazing to experience the reality when something once so unusual becomes now seemingly normal.

 My slow and steady introduction is allowing me to equalize to an existence quite different than my own, but a life that is temporarily mine.




A group of Christina and I's students. They came over one evening
to play badminton and we showed them how to make root beer floats!

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