Philippine delegates at the Philippine Embassy

At last, on September 13, I found myself for the first time (another one in a string of firsts for me just this month) aboard a plane bound for Kuala Lumpur and can hardly contain my excitement for an adventure at Asia’s Garden City of Lights!

I must have fallen asleep in the four hours we were in the air that when my seatmate-turned-best-buddy Luisa, nudged me awake, I found myself a little disoriented with my new environment. As the seconds passed, my eyes got wider in wonder of how different this country really was.

We were welcomed by the Malaysian Youth Council at the airport. Rahim, our assigned coordinator for the duration of the program, became an instant hit with the group what with his fascination in learning the Filipino language and his no-hands driving when engrossed in explaining Malaysian culture and words to us. We didn’t even notice the one hour we traveled from Penang to Kuala Lumpur.

Before we proceeded to Wira Hotel, Tajudin, or Din, as he insisted we call him, the Assistant Secretary General of the Malaysian Youth Council, invited us for dinner, meal which became our first official encounter with Malaysian cuisine. At a local restaurant, Din introduced us to Nasi Goreng. A little lost, I was expecting another friend by the name of Nasi Goreng to join us, only to be served after a few minutes steaming fried rice with beef or chicken at the sides and lots of sili, which in their local dialect is after all the Nasi Goreng! (Oh well, so much for the Bahasa words I memorized before I went to Malaysia.)

After the sumptuous meal, we went to our hotel where Miss Rea assigned us room buddies for the entire program. And never running out of luck, I got Luisa from De La Salle University as roommate, who became my Korean-Telenovela-katsismisan (chatmate) until the wee hours of the morning.

Okay, hold your horses; this is not a franchise of the famous The Embassy at the Fort, but the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia where we had a lecture on the comparative analysis of Malaysia’s educational system with the Philippines and how cultural education in Malaysia helped immensely in youth empowerment.

The Chargès d’ affaires welcomed us to the embassy which used to be the residence of Malaysia’s first Prime Minister. He gave a talk on how culture plays a significant role in creating a learned and dynamic pool of young leaders. He further commended the Youth without Borders Program for creating opportunities for young leaders to explore worlds and borders beyond the Philippines, which experience, according to him, will make the Filipino youth global citizens of a global world.

After his talk, we were given a brief history of Malaysia and a comparative study of the educational system of Malaysia and the Philippines by Consuls Louis and Amonoy, respectively. Towards lunch time, we were invited for tea, which gave us the opportunity to interact with the officers and staff of the embassy. After the photo ops, we had to say goodbye and proceed to our next destination - Petaling Street!

At Jalan Petaling (which was like our Chinatown), we again had a food trip, especially since Kuya Erick brought us to a local restaurant serving buffet. Around us were exotic foods, which made us sample a little of everything until our plates couldn’t hold the mountainous assortment up anymore.

With heavy stomachs, the shopaholics in us lured us to stores lined up in the area. Braving the scorching heat of the sun, we raided every shop and stopped only, albeit unwillingly, when it was time to go back to our hotel and prepare for the cultural show and dinner prepared by the Malaysian Youth Council.

As the designated time for Rahim to take us for the cultural dinner came, we were all dressed up smartly for an interaction with the officers of the Malaysian Youth Council. We were then taken to the Saloma Theater Restaurant, where we were greeted by a musical ensemble. The restaurant was first-class, with dignitaries and government officials dining and a large stage set up in the midst of the tables for the night’s cultural performance.

Throughout the delectable dinner, we were entertained by cultural dances and music, which depicted Malaysian history and tradition. The dancers wore colorful and hand-woven songket, which complimented their grace and exquisite choreography. The best part was when "Bunny" (one of the delegates) and yours truly were invited to dance on stage their version of the Tinikling! We complied with their invitation and with grace and perfection (ehem!) entertained the guests with our version of the dance.

The partying mood must have caught up with the group that the next thing we knew, we were on our way to invade Planet Hollywood. Over a bottle of vodka and together with our friends from the Malaysian Youth Council, we partied the whole night and ended at two in the morning. This by far was my most memorable gimmick moment while in Malaysia.

Despite lack of sleep from the previous night’s party, all of us were already set by the time Rahim came to pick us up for the day’s cultural tour. He took us first to the Muzium Negara (National Museum) which was actually a compound filled with buildings, each showing off a rich collection of Malaysia’s history, tradition and heritage. We then proceeded to Putrjaya, which is Kuala Lumpur’s administrative capital. The place was a showcase in itself from the King’s Istana (palace) to the Prime Minister’s palacious office to the grand Islam mosque to rows of majestic buildings, which served as their offices. As if the wonder we had so far been shown wasn’t enough, we were then taken to the world’s fourth tallest tower – the KL Communication Tower – where we stayed at the 58th floor to drink in Kuala Lumpur’s beauty.

After the sightseeing, Kuya Erick announced yet another destination that definitely made our day – shopping districts! Thus, armed with our Ringgit and a calculator to boot, we first ransacked Jalan Mashid India (Little India) for gifts, souvenirs and local fabrics. We then transferred to Central Market for more shopping, but this time, of handicrafts and native bags. This, by the way, was where I bought my favorite bag. To end the perfect day, we went to The Mall for our equally divine dinner. Over red ears and in between laughter, we wolfed down the spicy food at Nando’s.

Our wake up call for the day came in the voice of Ate Rea, reminding us to be ready by 11:30 for our trip back to Manila. Most of my co-delegates went "last-minute" shopping but me and my buddy stayed at the hotel because the previous night, we stayed up late exploring the street food and the night life of Malaysia for the last time.

On our way to the airport, everyone was quiet, probably conserving energy for another four hours of non-stop exchange of experiences while on the plane. While waiting for our flight back to Manila, we got around talking about the opportunity this program opened for all of us – new culture, new friends and a new outlook for the fate of our country.

For me, this opportunity was one of the greatest. I would never forget all the jokes cracked by Kuya Erik. I won’t forget the kakulitan and the childish acts of co-delegates Via Marie and LK. I will always remember that time when EJ and I danced our hearts out to the beat of Gwen Stefani’s music and She-she for her out-of-this world trivia. I will definitely cherish the care Ate Rea showed us and her efforts in making us feel that we belong to the group. For their crazy antics and favorite expression (Aja!), I will definitely miss Bunny and Eunice. And of course, for being my room mate, constant shopping buddy and all-night ka-chikahan, I will treasure the friendship I had with Luisa. If not for her, my experience of Malaysia would not be the same. Finally, this goes to our very good driver Rahim, whom we idolize for his acrobatic no-hands driving skills, Terima Kasih!