Different Malaysian Chinese communities obviously have different features. In Bukit Mertajam, Malaysian Chinese mainly use Hokkien and Malaysian, and I hardly met any Westerners there. People living in Tanjung can speak fluent English, and it’s easy to find Western faces. Today I moved back to Tanjung. I paid my homestay host directly without using Airbnb. On Airbnb, you have to pay extra fees like taxes and cleaning fees, which are usually up to 20 percent of your room fee. But Airbnb is a good tool to find a recommended accommodation. And once you have experienced one and like it, you can order a longer stay and request a cheaper price by directly talking to the host.

One night in Bukit Mertajam, I was walking back to my hotel. When I passed through someone’s yard, a cat ran quickly to me and happily touched my legs with its nose. The cat welcomed me as if I was its lover. And when I left, it followed me for a distance. I was touched by its enthusiasm. Thus I bought a pack of cat food the next day and wanted to feed it. But I forgot where I had seen it. I walked around the roads that I might have walked but I never found it again. I finally gave the food to another cat.