Name: Michael Dunmore
Home Country: Canada
Job/Industry: Lawyer
Other countries you have lived in:Sweden, Australia, England, China,
Hong Kong, Singapore
What brought you to Malaysia?
I was offered a job here and thought it would be good experience; I arrived in January this year.
What do you like or dislike about the country?
I like it here, it’s a pretty delicious city, there are endless places to go out for dinner and I think culturally, it is quite a dynamic place to live. I think that people are quite friendly here as well; generally when I smile at a stranger, I’ll usually get a reciprocal smile, which is great and unusual in a bigger city. My biggest dislike is that it is just too hot for Canadians. I walk to work every day (to the disbelief of many locals) and by the time I get there, it looks like I came out of the shower. But because of the logistics of the public transport, it is actually faster for me to walk to work.
Name 3 typical weekend activities you enjoy most.
I’m big on lounging by the pool, scuba diving, and visiting other cities in the region.
What is your favourite holiday destination here? Why?
Langkawi would be my favourite, but this is the only place I have been to thus far. I am planning on doing more weekend trips so that could change soon.
Describe a memorable eating experience you have had here.
I enjoy a long dinner at Jalan Alor with nice food and good company followed by a night out. There have been quite a few of these experiences so far in the few months that I have been living in KL.
Do you own property here? If so, where?
No, I’m just a young guy, I don’t have that kind of money, yet!
What do you miss most about your home country?
I miss ice hockey and a cooler climate. Canadians are big on ice hockey and it’s virtually non-existent here.
What advice do you have for a newly arrived expat?
Bring lots of duty-free alcohol!
How long do you plan to stay in Malaysia? Where would you like to go next, and why?
I have a two-year contract here but it is really too far away to know what my plans will be after that.
Is Malaysia a good place in which to work and do business? Why?
I think that Malaysia is on the upswing, it is different than other Asian cities such as Hong Kong and most definitely different from Europe or North America. From this perspective, I think that it is a good cultural experience. Certain industries in particular are thriving in Malaysia, so I think that this would be industry specific. As for law, being a common law trained lawyer I feel like it is quite easy to make a transition to working in Malaysia, which makes Malaysia a more preferable place to work.
Source: The Expat Magazine May 2014
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