Name: George Bohlender
Home Country: Canada
Job/Industry: Managing Director of Dragonfire Corporate Solutions
Marital status: Married
What brought you to Malaysia?
I met this wonderful Malaysian woman on Facebook in October 2008 and ended up marrying her during my first trip to Malaysia to see her in July 2009. I emigrated from Canada with four suitcases and a one-way plane ticket in January 2010.
What were your impressions of Malaysia before you came?
Before I came here I thought Malaysia would be like a typical “Third World” country: dirt roads, donkey carts in the streets, poverty, etc. Then I landed at KLIA, drove down a modern six-lane highway into the city beside Mercs and Beemers, saw the Twin Towers, gleaming buildings and packed shopping malls and quickly realised this is no Third World country!
How easily did you adapt to living in a new country?
Some things are actually easier to do here in Malaysia than back in Canada, such as visiting a medical clinic. And shopping: it took me a while to get used to the idea that the malls here stay open beyond 6pm on Sunday nights!
What do you like about living here?
The country has a fantastic quality of life, warm and hospitable people, and a low cost of living. Another plus is being able to get into a car, driving for a couple of hours, and watching the sun shimmering on the South China Sea. And I like that it’s much easier to practice my religion (Islam) here than back in Canada.
What do you wish you could change about the country?
I wish we could outlaw traffic jams and idiot inconsiderate drivers/parkers. I wish people would respect washrooms and keep them CLEAN and DRY. And I wish I didn’t have to wait so long (five years) to apply for my PR (Permanent Resident) status.
What do you like to do at the weekend?
Getting in the car with my wife, picking a direction (usually the East Coast), and just driving without any plans. Or taking shorter day trips to Port Dickson, Melaka, or…? Cuci mata at the malls followed by makan and kopi/dessert at one of our favourite restaurants.
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