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  • Essay / Why expats from post-Soviet countries have problems in Malaysia

    Malaysia is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and in order to make its economy more flourishing, this country is on the verge to use several approaches to attract students and specialists from around the world. The number of people from the former USSR countries (excluding Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania) is increasing accordingly, due to the growing interest in Malaysia. But as Aesop said, every truth has two sides; it's better to watch both, before committing to one or the other ("The Mule", Fables, 6th century BC), not all expats have a wonderful life in Malaysia due to problems adaptation (will be listed below). As a result, some of these people are expected to either return home or emigrate to other countries. Say No to Plagiarism Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay, for example. As a student of a Malaysian university and a citizen of a post-Soviet country, Uzbekistan, I have noticed three main reasons why people in my area have several obstacles to fully realizing in Malaysia: the climate, food and language. Asia and Eastern Europe usually notice Malaysia's climate upon arrival. Almost all post-Soviet countries have a moderately dry climate, so a mild and humid climate can be completely uncomfortable for people who have never been to tropical countries. The symptoms of people from my area who have just arrived in Malaysia are dizziness, weakness and problems with the respiratory system. For example, when I arrived in Malaysia, I experienced problems with my blood pressure and difficulty breathing. It usually takes between 3 and a week to recover, but people who are immunocompromised may suffer consequences. Additionally, Malaysia only has summer compared to the region where 4 seasons (winter, spring, summer and autumn) exist. This can be problematic due to the dehydration process. Because hot weather makes people sweat, people drink too much water and lose minerals and salts from their bodies. Anyone who sweats (a lot) must compensate for the loss of mineral salts in the body, otherwise this will lead to serious health complications. Malaysia's climate is closely linked to the diet of its citizens. Since in hot weather the chances of infection are higher, spicy food is extremely popular among locals, and is not preferable for people in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States or post-Soviet countries), as our cuisine generally does not appreciate spices as much as Malaysians do. Furthermore, a very small number of Russian restaurants operate in Malaysia and the majority of them are located in Kuala Lumpur. Thus, some gastronomic health problems can be observed in this people due to rapid change in diet. For example, here I had a digestion problem after tasting extremely spicy dishes. Seasonal products from the post-Soviet region are mostly unavailable or expensive in Malaysia since this country mainly imports products common to my region (e.g. vegetables, some fruits like an apple or a carrot). Thus, without having an appropriate amount of money for meals, it is usually difficult for expatriates in the post-Soviet region to maintain their previous diet. Therefore, the majority of them prefer to return to their own country or choose another country of potential migration where the preparation and composition of food is similar to theirs.