One of the things that i look forward to each time i travel is the opportunity to speak to the local cabbies. I think someone famous once said, "if you want to get to know the locals, talk to its cabbies." How true.
So, after landing at the fantastic new airport in Kota Bharu, the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, i eagerly hopped into the nearest cab and started chatting away. I asked questions about the weather, about the local economy, about what has changed since the last time i was in Kota Bharu (about 6 years ago). In return, i answered his questions about KL and how things were going there. We even had a few minutes to debate about the state of Malaysian politics.
As the drive ended at my hotel, he commented: "Tengok muka, macam Cina, tapi berbahasa macam orang Melayu. Kalau dengar suara je, mesti ingat Melayu betul." (Your face is like a Chinese, but you speak like a Malay. If i could only hear your voice, i would have thought that you were a Malay).
I laughed and told him that i was a Malay by birth, its just that i look Chinese. He laughed in embarassment, i smiled. Man, i can't remember the last time i felt so good.
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