Name: Paul Tyminski
Home country: U.K.
Industry: Aviation
Marital status: Divorced with four daughters.
Other countries you have lived in: Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, El Salvador

What brought you to Malaysia and how long have you been here?
Permanent home here since May 2006 but first arrived, as a schoolboy, in April 1962. Was always keen to live in Asia. Toyed with the idea of Indonesia, Hong Kong and Vietnam. Would choose Thailand as the next best destination now.

What do you like and dislike most about living in Malaysia?
Insanity on the roads and the poor state of repair of most by-ways.

Name three typical weekend activities that you enjoy.
Golf, wining and dining and travel.

What is your favourite holiday destination in Malaysia or in the region? Why?
Bangkok for a change of pace and some variety.

Describe a memorable eating experience you have had here?
Jalan Alor in KL, the Hawkers Market in Penang and the Roast Duck in Bangsar Village 1.

Do you own property here? If so, where? If not, why?
Yes in Kenny Hills.

What do you miss most about your home country?
Nothing except my daughters.

What advice would you give to a newly-arrived expat?
Keep an open mind and just jump right in.

Is Malaysia a good country to raise children? Why?
Wide choice of schooling, good healthcare, no shortage of affordable home-help and a splendid climate.

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Name: Grant Corban
Home country: New Zealand
Designation/Industry/Company: Owner of two successful Sdn. Bhd.
companies. One focused on photography (www.grantcorban.com) and the other on web solutions (www.gdha.co)
Marital status/Number of children: Happily married with 3 kids
Other countries you have lived in: Hong Kong and New Zealand are the big ones. I spent working holidays in Niue, the Cook Islands, Indonesia, South Korea, India, Spain and Greece. Every country was unique and beautiful.

What brought you to Malaysia and how long have you been here?
A beautiful young 5’2” sweetheart I met while I was living in Hong Kong. I arrived nearly 20 years ago and received my PR 3 years ago. Coupled with my 6 years in Hong Kong I have lived longer in Asia than in New Zealand!

What do like most about living here?
I like the friendly people, great food, ease of doing business, and respect for other races and religions. Where else do you get so many holidays!

Name three typical weekend activities that you enjoy.
If I am not shooting pictures of beautiful people somewhere in the world, it is family-centric. Eating a meal, watching a movie, playing a board game, or just chatting. If it’s not with the family something is missing.

Do you own property here?
Yes. Our house in Petaling Jaya, and some tracts of land in Shah Alam and Rawang.

What advice would you give to a newly-arrived expat?
Get out and meet people. Malaysians are friendly and helpful and you will enjoy getting to know the ins and outs of the culture and Malaysian humour.

How long do you plan to stay here?
I have no plans to leave. I like it here and my social network is rich and entertaining. Rebuilding anything as deep and rich elsewhere would take years. We do plan on travelling but Malaysia will always be our home.

Is this a good country to raise children?
Yes because of the closeness of the extended family and respect for older people, and no because for many Malaysian professionals affordable quality education for their children has become a growing concern.

Is Malaysia a good place in which to work and do business? Why?
Malaysia is a good place to do business as English is still widely used as the lingua franca. Make sure you have a good company secretary to walk you through the ropes of setting up a company to avoid complications later. There are a lot of opportunities for an entrepreneur.

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Name: Ladislava Dundekova
Home country: Slovakia

What brought you to Malaysia and how long have you been here?
It was work – boring! I got transferred (voluntarily) to Malaysia from Prague in April 2010.

What were you impressions of Malaysia before you came?
How have they changed if indeed they have?
I knew virtually nothing about Malaysia which is quite unbelievable now because I’ve been to places that many Malaysians never visited or even heard of. Back then I knew this: Kuala Lumpur, PETRONAS Towers, Malaysian tiger and Malaysia Truly Asia.

If you had to pick a sound, a smell, a taste or a touch to describe Malaysia, what would it be?
Sound – either prayers (I live just above the mosque… but who doesn’t?) or manglish conversation – still can’t decide if I love it or hate it but it is definitely contagious, or birds chirping in Bangsar. For smell, of course, all kinds and type of makan; it attacks you on the streets and there is no escape.

What are the 3 things you like most about living in Malaysia?
Possibility to travel easily and frequently around the region; many public holidays – love that especially and the pool in my condo and the fact that you can enjoy it 365 days a year.

What are the 3 things you dislike most about living in Malaysia?
Traffic jams; the fact that you can’t go to the movies until the last moment unless you want to queue up and end up with a bad or no seat.

Name 3 places you would take an overseas visitor.
Chinatown and Central Market; Batu Caves on Thaipusam; Pavilion shopping mall.

Name 3 typical weekend activities that you enjoy
Travelling around; shopping and movies; going to the gym (this is plan for 2012!).

What’s your favorite restaurant and bar in Malaysia?
Sushi ZanMai.

Are most of your friends Malaysians or expats?
Expats.

What do you miss most about your home country?
Wide selection of delicious and cheap cheeses and yoghurts!

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Name: Jaap Snoeck Henkemans
Home Country: Holland
Marital Status: Married with 3 children (all living in Holland)
Designation: CEO of Kewlox Cabinets Asia (www.kewloxcabinets.com)
Other countries where I lived: India, France

What brought you to Malaysia and how long have you been here?
A long cherished desire to emigrate to this wonderful country and build a life here with my wife. We wanted to wait until our kids had flown out of the nest, but they took so long that we ended up pushing them out. They flew! We finally emigrated in July 2011.

What do you like and dislike most about living in Malaysia?
I like much more than there’s space here, but to name a few: the people, the trees and flowers, the food, the business climate, the weather. Only one dislike I can come up with: the driving style of cars and scooters: suicidal. Life here is much too good to die prematurely in a silly accident.

Describe a memorable eating experience you have had here.
Just last week my wife and I had the honor to be invited at an intimate family gathering of the famous and lovely Shirley Zecha, who had prepared a superb Indonesian-Dutch dinner that would sustain a small village for at least three weeks. We had such a wonderful time!

What advice would you give to a newly-arrived expat?
Dive in, nose first, just swim or tread water and enjoy, try the food from every cuisine, go to Jalan Alor, pick the joint where you don’t see any tourists, meet as many locals as you can, don’t go for a drive on Friday afternoons, visit the KL Bird Park, the Orchid Garden and the Butterfly Farm, never try to get a cab at Bukit Bintang, avoid Petaling Street. If all else fails: call me and I’ll show you how it’s done.

What is your favorite area for your shopping sprees?
Bangsar in general, Sungai Wang Plaza and Publika@Solaris Dutamas. The latter because it’s so unlike your regular shopping-mall and a challenge to the mind to find your way around.

Is Malaysia a good place in which to work and do business?
For me it most certainly is! My company is Southeast Asia’s sole importer and distributor of a unique brand of high quality colorful storage furniture from Europe, and fortunately there’s really a great demand for it here. It’s hard work right now, but I’m not complaining! What’s more: all my local Malaysian business partners are very helpful and forthcoming.

Name three typical weekend activities that you enjoy.
Weekends? Apakah ini?

Source: The Expat February 2012 Issue

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This article has been edited for ExpatGoMalaysia.com