Student Exchange: Amazing Malaysia

By Jenna Zampa

Going on exchange while you're a student is an awesome way to see the world, allowing you to live in a totally different country and experience its culture in a way you would never be able to otherwise. Last year, 17-year-old Kathryn McHugh travelled all the way from Tasmania to Malaysia on a 12-month student exchange. She told GF all about her trip to this tropical land of yummy food.

GF: What was the craziest thing that happened to you while on exchange?
Kathryn: Probably how much attention I got at school and in small cities and towns. Most people at my school hadn't seen a white person in the flesh, so it was quite new to them having a white, blonde and green-eyed girl at their school.

What is one of your favourite memories from your trip?
Chinese New Year was a great start to my exchange - my host family did lots of things together and we received red envelopes with money inside. There were several dinners - one was ten courses! It felt like a long Christmas. I think I put on five kilograms in Chinese New Year!

How was life different in Malaysia?
At first it was difficult to understand the culture. The school system was quite hard to adapt to, because of the language and differences in social structure. A huge part of the culture is respect for your elders, [including] teachers and the government.
Religion is huge in Malaysia, of course Islam is [the official religion] but Buddhism, Christianity and Hindu religions are accepted. There are many mosques, Chinese temples and churches, and because of the many religions Malaysia has the most public holidays in the world!
The one thing all races have in common is food. All Malaysians like to eat anywhere, anytime. Any big event or festival will involve an array of Malay, Chinese and Indian food.

What surprised you the most about Malaysia?
How easily you can get sick of the hot weather, how exhausted I felt at school, how cheap the food is... and how much I missed everything in Australia. School was from 7.15 am to 2.15 pm with one break. It' was so humid, and most of the lessons were in Malay so I felt instantly sleepy!

How did this experience change you?
From my exchange I have become more independent, more tolerant of other races and religions, more confident and more interested in the world. I've definitely learnt some things I could never have learnt in a classroom. I have learnt to appreciate my family, friends and everything about Australia.

For more info on student exchange, check out www.afs.org.au.

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