Name: Wayne Howes
Home Country: New Zealand
Designation: Academic Director, Morris Allen English.
Marital Status: Married, with three grown up sons.
Other Countries you have lived in: Singapore
What brought you to Malaysia and how long have you been here?
We arrived here in January 2011, having spent four years in Singapore. Once we had completed our second round of contracts in Singapore, we weren’t ready to go home. There was an opening in Malaysia so we thought, why not?
If you had to pick a sound, smell, taste or touch to describe Malaysia, what would it be?
Evening, just after the sun has set with a brilliant display of greying clouds and fiery reds across the hazy blue sky, accompanied by the haunting chant of the call to prayer from the local mosque that wafts up to my balcony.
Name three places you would take an overseas visitor.
Besides the obvious attractions in and around KL, first stop is one of the local markets, either early morning or the night market; I love the markets at SS2.Next stop is Lembah Kiara Recreational Park and Bukit Kiara, to enjoy a healthy dose of nature. For a relaxing night in the cooler air of a hill station, I would take them for a drive up to Fraser’s Hill.
How do you spend your weekends?
My weekends are on a Monday and Tuesday so mine are not ‘typical’ weekends. Relaxing near water is always great, around a pool or on one of the many great Malaysian beaches. I like getting out for a good ride on my mountain bike or taking the trusty camera for a walk to capture the beauty of living in Malaysia.
What’s your favourite restaurant and bar in Malaysia?
I am spoilt for choice – why would anyone restrict themselves to one favourite? Two favourite areas for finding the right restaurant and bar for me at the moment are Kota Damansara and Taman Tun.
Are most of your friends Malaysians or expats?
Both; I feel I have a healthy mix. I work crazy hours, which tends to be a little antisocial, so the friends I tend to make gravitate from the work place.
What were your impressions of Malaysia before you came?
My first visit to KL was six years ago and, although nothing happened that was really bad, I didn’t enjoy the unreliable taxis with no meters, cavernous smelly open drains, and vigorous stall holders in Chinatown who claimed to know what I needed; I felt that KL was not for me. When I had the offer to come up here to work, I wasn’t too sure how it would be. Eighteen months into my contract I have found that the real Malaysia is full of interesting vibrant people and places in which anyone can enjoy living life to the fullest.
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