'Have you taken your breakfast yet?'

It never ceases to amaze me how Malaysians are totally intrigued by whether I have had my breakfast/lunch or dinner depending on what time of day it is. I am asked this question on a daily basis by taxi drivers, my hair dresser, receptionists everywhere and even at the laundromat. At first I thought the reason for this was because they had food on their mind 24/7 - just look around, people are eating all the time here. Have you ever seen a Nando's anywhere in the world with a waiting list at 11am? Anyways, it turns out that this is the number one social greeting here, without it you will face a very awkward silence. This is why I am still asked this even during Ramadan, when I am supposed to be fasting. One would think my veil would give me away but surprisingly (or not) it doesn't. Only in Malaysia Lah :)

I'm Essmat and I moved to Kuala Lumpur on February 15th, 2007 with my husband. I find it to be a very fascinating place and the mix of cultures keeps me entertained most of the time. Living in Kuala Lumpur is quite different than living in any other part of the world. Even though it is quite cosmopolitan with a million nationalities and the hustle & bustle of a major city, I feel like I am living in a cocoon sheltered from the real world. If you never leave then you might actually forget that there is life elsewhere. This explains why 9 out of 10 times when I am asked where do I come from, Egypt doesn't ring a bell. Occasionally though I get aaaaaah Egypt!! UAE right?? Trying to explain is sometimes futile so I recently stopped and just smile back politely.

As Sarah mentioned, time passes quietly here and as an expat wife with Google being your best buddy it can make you insane. Or maybe thats just me since the voices in my head were never this loud back in Egypt - lol. I think thats why God intervened and sent me Sarah, a great friend who shares a lot of my freaky thoughts as well as past and current life phases. Maybe I'm not that insane afterall! :)