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Made in Malaysia: Stories of Hometown Heroes and Hidden Gems
When Alexandra Wong left her corporate job to pursue her dream of being a writer, she didn't expect to open a treasure chest of experiences.
Culture shock and curtains of mosquitoes give way to familial warmth at an Iban longhouse. A French former nuclear scientist who embraced Malaysia as his second home makes a weekend in Gua Musang even more memorable. Pointers on how to be a serious and caring teacher emerge from one of her school's naughtiest girls. And stirring displays of chivalry help Alexandra see titled and supposedly aloof public figures in a different light.
From the generosity of food vendors and selflessness of bus and taxi drivers to innumerable life lessons learnt from friends both old and new, she knew from the very start she was chasing something far more precious than her dream.
A compilation of her popular Navel Gazer columns in The Star and other stories, Made in Malaysia is about one woman's journey of discovery across.
Culture shock and curtains of mosquitoes give way to familial warmth at an Iban longhouse. A French former nuclear scientist who embraced Malaysia as his second home makes a weekend in Gua Musang even more memorable. Pointers on how to be a serious and caring teacher emerge from one of her school's naughtiest girls. And stirring displays of chivalry help Alexandra see titled and supposedly aloof public figures in a different light.
From the generosity of food vendors and selflessness of bus and taxi drivers to innumerable life lessons learnt from friends both old and new, she knew from the very start she was chasing something far more precious than her dream.
A compilation of her popular Navel Gazer columns in The Star and other stories, Made in Malaysia is about one woman's journey of discovery across.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2014
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 21, 2018
Simple and heartwarming..
August 25, 2018
The stories reminded me of why I do what I do because truly there are unsung heroes everywhere in our daily lives. If only we pause to look and listen to their stories, they always do wonders to the soul.
P/s: Alexandra writes poetically while I write matter-of-factly. But I love that she is highlighting the hidden gems in Malaysia. Keep up the great writing, friend. Their stories need to be heard. So let's keep giving them voices.
P/s: Alexandra writes poetically while I write matter-of-factly. But I love that she is highlighting the hidden gems in Malaysia. Keep up the great writing, friend. Their stories need to be heard. So let's keep giving them voices.
July 26, 2019
I really like this book. An easy read, and for those who have the time, can even complete this book within a day. Many instances, I could easily form a mental picture because these are stories of Malaysians, hence the sense of familiarity. Highly recommended for my fellow Malaysians, and for those who actually dig short stories, this one’s a good choice.
June 1, 2023
I picked this book up hoping more for stories of random people around Malaysia but this was more a collection of articles/blog posts from the author's POV about her adventures and the people she meets on the way. Still readable and I did finish, but perhaps the title is slightly misleading.
July 20, 2019
Fav story is the taxi driver & the umbrella... and like how the malays always said “kalau rezeki tak kemana”
July 6, 2020
Easy read, heartwarming. Brings a smile to me.
Proud to be Malaysian
Proud to be Malaysian
January 25, 2016
This may not be my usual cup of coffee as I am normally one to plunge into the sea of fiction but Made In Malaysia opened my eyes through a different gate.
As a Malaysian, I consider myself as a tourist who's only been here for a couple of days only after I've read this. The stories and the encounters Alexandra made throughout her journey should be replaced as the headlines of the local newspapers instead of the usual showing-Malaysia-off-to-the-world-in-a-bad-reputation news.
It was really easy for me to relate because I can easily picture the images as I may already have a foundation on what's there in our country. But at the same time, the selflessness and the true hearts of Malaysians served as a very big impact to my personal thinking of Malaysia. It's true when Alexandra mentioned that from young, we were all taught to avoid strangers or pinpoint different races because they have a reputation of bringing trouble. But it really is time we step out of that confined circle of thought and meet new people in new places.
The writing was engaging and it really helped that there's pictures. Reading Made In Malaysia is like getting thrown back with nostalgia. Who am I kidding? I feel a connection to the stories even if they happened before I was born! Everything was very nicely presented and was very organized. You'll feel yourself getting more and more attached to the book the further you get.
I strongly suggest Malaysians to pick up this book! Open up your eyes to what Malaysia has to offer and write it out on the World Map for everyone to see. And let the world continue to wonder over the stories Alexandra will bring us.
As a Malaysian, I consider myself as a tourist who's only been here for a couple of days only after I've read this. The stories and the encounters Alexandra made throughout her journey should be replaced as the headlines of the local newspapers instead of the usual showing-Malaysia-off-to-the-world-in-a-bad-reputation news.
It was really easy for me to relate because I can easily picture the images as I may already have a foundation on what's there in our country. But at the same time, the selflessness and the true hearts of Malaysians served as a very big impact to my personal thinking of Malaysia. It's true when Alexandra mentioned that from young, we were all taught to avoid strangers or pinpoint different races because they have a reputation of bringing trouble. But it really is time we step out of that confined circle of thought and meet new people in new places.
The writing was engaging and it really helped that there's pictures. Reading Made In Malaysia is like getting thrown back with nostalgia. Who am I kidding? I feel a connection to the stories even if they happened before I was born! Everything was very nicely presented and was very organized. You'll feel yourself getting more and more attached to the book the further you get.
I strongly suggest Malaysians to pick up this book! Open up your eyes to what Malaysia has to offer and write it out on the World Map for everyone to see. And let the world continue to wonder over the stories Alexandra will bring us.
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May 22, 2017I love this collection of short stories portraying vivid descriptions of Malaysian's life!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews