German in awe of Malaysia’s beautiful beaches and old towns

Satisfied expat: Koerner simply loves the wide variety of food available in Malaysia.

When Eckart Koerner was told he would be seconded to Asia, he thought it would be to Japan, as his wife is Japanese, but his boss had other ideas. The German is now happily settled in Malaysia where he has spent the last six years. Recently, he cleared out his cabin in Germany, as he has no plans to move back any time soon.

“Even if I do leave Malaysia, it would most probably be for another Asian country. My family and I are very comfortable here and I have just extended my term. “When my wife and I moved here, we had no idea what it was going to be like, but everything has been going well for us.

“We had no problems adapting to life in Malaysia. Since English is a common language, it has been a big advantage for us. For example, it is not too difficult to deal with the government sector. “In our six years living here, our perception of Malaysians in general is that they are friendly and helpful. We have a number of Malaysian friends and do not feel isolated.

“As we like to attend live music performances and the community of professional musicians is rather small, we became acquainted with a number of them. This is probably another thing that makes integration here not too difficult,” he said.

In the beginning, however, Koerner needed time to adjust to Malaysian drivers’ poor road ethics and driving on the ‘wrong’ side. “Some Malaysians may be inconsiderate drivers, but they are definitely not overly aggressive.

“Driving on the left side of the road took some time to get used to. In addition, the traffic here is also not as bad as Bangkok. You can get from one end of the city to the other in about 30 minutes. Hence, it is rather easy for us to meet up with friends and colleagues from different parts of the city or even the suburbs,” he said.

One of the things he loves about Malaysia is the food. “The food here is fantastic. Malaysia’s multi ethnic people is reflected in the cuisine, making us spoilt for choice. Here it is possible to enjoy great Chinese, Indian and Malay food.

“Prices are reasonable and the quality is good, sometimes even excellent, depending on the location. For example, some of my favourites are the seafood in the east coast and bah kut teh in Klang. “It is no wonder many do not hesitate to drive long distances for good food. Even during lunch, the roads are usually crammed as people like to go to different places rather than eat at their in-house cafeterias.

“I have also noticed that the produce has become more internationalised since I first arrived here. Now, you can even find white asparagus in the supermarket, which is cultivated in countries such as France and Germany.

“My wife is happy that Japanese and Korean restaurants are very easy to find and as for myself, there are a number of German restaurants that cater to the sausage and beer lovers like me,” he said.

Koerner said there were also a lot of interesting activities to do in Malaysia. His wife has found part-time voluntary work as a tour guide for Japanese tourists at the National Museum to keep her occupied when she is not with their four-year old son, Pased.

“If I have time off work, I’d either be playing with my son or reading a non-fiction book that is relevant to my work. If I have more time and the right company, I like to venture into the mountains.

“One of my favourite hiking spots is Cameron Highlands. The view of the tea plantation valleys after a strenuous journey up is totally rewarding. The cool temperature never fails to make my stay pleasant. “I also like hiking up Gunung Bunga Buah in Genting Highlands. I would love to conquer Gunung Kinabalu (which she has attempted to climb) and Gunung Tahan one day.

“Malaysia also has beautiful beaches such as Langkawi, Tioman, Cherating and Redang. There are also old towns like Malacca and George Town where I like to bring my visitors to for a short trip when they come over,” he said, adding that it was also fun to stroll through shopping centres such as Mid Valley Megamall and Pavilion.

He said there were no malls of such dimensions in Germany; so much so that German visitors to Kuala Lumpur found themselves overwhelmed by the city’s huge malls.

Koerner said Malaysia needed to improve its public transportation system and road planning. “Living in Kuala Lumpur has been great but it appears to me that the transportation system has not been planned out well. For example, there are train routes that pass certain key areas but unfortunately, do not stop, requiring you to switch trains at interchanges.

“Nevertheless, I am enjoying my stay here. I do make it a point to go back and visit my family in Germany every year, and we also go to Japan at least once in two years,” he added.

-thestar online.

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