Dear friends and family,
Please help me by filling in this questionnaire for my coming term paper. Would appreciate it if you could past it to me ASAP (preferably by 16th Feb coz paper is due on 20th Feb). Sorry for giving it such a late notice, I'm a last-minute person. Each of you was selected to represent a certain country that you're familiar with (France, Japan, United States or Australia). Kindly reply your answer (together with a picture of yours if you can) relating to that country to my email crazeyblue at hotmail dot com. Finally, I'd like to thank you all for helping me with this.

Basic info

Name: Mr. F
Age: 23
Origin: KUALA LUMPUR
Race: MALAY
Job Title: STUDENT
Duration of stay (in overseas/Malaysia): AUGUST 1999 UNTIL PRESENT
Status: SINGLE
Hobbies & Interests: TRAVELLING, MARTIAL ARTS/SELF DEFENSE
Representing country: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Questions:
1. Where have you been overseas (for M'sians)? /
Where are you from (for non-M'sians)? USA, UK
2. Why do you go there / leave your country to come here? STUDY & VACATION
3. What was your first thought of that place? FULL OF SURPRISES
4. Did you experience any culture-shock? YES
5. What was it? (ref. Q4) LANGUAGE DIFFERENCE, DIFFERENT SET OF VALUES, UNFAMILIAR FACES
6. Share an experience that you'll never be able to forget.
IT HAPPENED IN WINTER OF 1999. I TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON DC TO ATTEND A RELIGIOUS PROGRAM IN LEESBURGH, VIRGINIA WITH ONLY 6 DOLLARS & ZERO MONEY IN MY BANK ACCOUNT. I GOT STRANDED IN GREYHOUND BUS STATION IN WASHINGTON DC BECAUSE MY FRIEND WASN'T AT HOME TO PICK ME UP THERE. A FEW OF MUSLIM SUDANESE GAVE ME A RIDE TO THE MOSQUE/ISLAMIC CENTER IN DC. THEN ONE OF MUSLIM BROTHERS THERE HELPED ME BY GIVING ME USD 300 IN CASH AND PUT ME IN THE HOTEL. HE ADVISED ME NEXT TIME TO COME WITH ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER OF THE FRIEND WHO LIVES IN WASHINGTON DC. HE NEVER ASKED ME TO RETURN HIS MONEY AND HE DIDN'T GIVE ME HIS NAME, CONTACT NUMBER, EMAIL ADDRESS BECAUSE HE BELIEVED (IN HIS OWN WORDS)," GOD SENT YOU TO ME SO THAT I CAN HELP YOU AND NOTHING MORE I CAN ASK FROM HIM". I REMEMBER THIS BECAUSE HE TAUGHT ME THAT NEVER HESITATE TO HELP PEOPLE ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE IN NEED OF HELP.
7. Give your opinions on your chosen country’s state of technology and education system.
MY UNIVERSITY'S FACULTY MEMBERS ARE USUALLY INVOLVED IN NATIONAL-BASED RESEARCH, ESPECIALLY IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. THEREFORE THE TECHNOLOGY PROVIDED IN THE SCHOOL IS REALLY A STATE OF THE ART AND THE MOST UPDATED ONES. THE EDUCATION SYSTEM ALTHOUGH EMPHASIZED ON DIVERSITY, SERIOUSLY ADDRESSES THE NEED OF EDUCATION. IT GIVES AN EASY AND UNDERSTANDABLE OUTLINE OF EDUCATION PROCESS TO STUDENTS AND OUTSIDERS.
8. How's the cost of living there?
VARIES FROM STATE TO STATE. PENNSYLVANIA HAS FAIRLY HIGH COST OF LIVING.
9. How's the working system there?
US IS CURRENTLY HAVING A SLOWDOWN IN ECONOMY DUE TO ITS HIGH DEFICIT THIS YEAR. THE MERITOCRACY-BASED WORKING SYSTEM HERE FAVORS THE CITIZENS RATHER THAN GIVING CHANCES TO OUTSIDERS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT IS BEGINNING TO SHRINK AND THE RATE OF EMPLOYMENT IS STARTING TO RISE. VERY FEW OPENINGS AND YET LOWER WAGES.
10. Describe some celebrations and festivities.
THE MOST CELEBRATED FESTIVALS IS THE 4TH OF JULY, THE INDEPENDENCE OF USA. MOST OF THE RELIGIOUS FESTIVITIES ARE NOT DECLARED AS PUBLIC HOLIDAYS ALTHOUGH PEOPLE OF RESPECTIVE RELIGION MAY OBSERVE THEM AND GET HOLIDAY FROM THE EMPLOYERS.
11. What have you got to say about the government?
CURRENTLY MANY MUSLIMS IN THIS COUNTRY FEELS THAT THEY ARE BEING MARGINALIZED ESPECIALLY AFTER THE 9/11 INCIDENT (NEW LAWS ARE TARGETED TO MUSLIM). THE GOVERNMENT IS ALSO TRYING TO GET SUPPORT OF HISPANIC POPULATION WHICH CURRENTLY IS THE SECOND LARGEST GROUP IN THIS COUNTRY. ITS FOREIGN POLICY IS CLEARLY PRACTICING DOUBLE STANDARD IN CERTAIN ISSUES, ESPECIALLY IN FIGHTING TERRORISM (IRAQ, NORTH KOREA).
12. Can you name a few differences that are obvious between your chosen country and Malaysia?
a. COURTESY - AMERICANS PRACTISE MORE COURTESY IN THEIR DAILY LIFE COMPARE TO MALAYSIAN.
b. CUSTOMER SERVICE - US HAS THE BEST THAT I KNOW OF COMPARE TO MALAYSIA.
c. TOURIST SPOTS - MALAYSIA CERTAINLY HAS AWESOME TOURIST SPOTS COMPARE TO US
13. Can you name some similarities that are obvious between your chosen country and Malaysia?
A. PEOPLE IN NYC AND PEOPLE IN KL - THEY'RE JUST THE SAME.
14. Describe the feeling of traveling/going abroad.
ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT IS AROUND ME.
15. Was there any discrimination? Racial issues?
I PERSONALLY NEVER BEEN CONFRONTED WITH THIS ISSUE ALTHOUGH I DISCUSS IT REGULARLY WITH COLLEAGUES AND IN OPEN FORUMS. OVER THE PAST 4 YEARS I’VE BEEN HERE, SO FAR THERE WERE ONLY 2 MAJOR DISCRIMINATION/RACIAL ISSUE EVER BEEN BROUGHT UP. AGAIN, THE DISCRIMINATION/RACIAL ISSUE IS USUALLY NARROWED TO WHITE/BLACK ISSUE, RATHER THAN ENCOMPASSING THE MORE GLOBAL DEFINITION OF DISCRIMINATION (RELIGION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION ETC).
16. What's interesting to do in your chosen country?
TRAVELING, NATURE'S WONDER (YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AND NIAGARA FALL)
17. Describe your chosen country in 5 words.
THIS PLACE IS AWESOME!
18. Some dos and don'ts.
A. DO NOT GET INTIMIDATED IF MUSLIM BROTHERS, ESPECIALLY THE MIDDLE EASTERNS SAY THAT THE WAY YOU PERFORM SOLAT IS WRONG BECAUSE THEY MAY PRACTISE DIFFERENT SCHOOL OF THOUGHT THAN YOU.
B. DO SMILE A LOT, PEOPLE HERE ARE FRIENDLIER THAN MALAYSIANS IN KUALA LUMPUR.
C. DON'T TRY TO PULL ANY STUPID THINGS WHEN YOU ARE IN AIRPORT, OR ELSE YOU MAY BE CAUGHT BY SECURITY PERSONNEL SUSPECTED AS TERRORIST OR AL QAEDA SLEEPING CELL. HE HE HE..
D. DON'T HESITATE TO ASK THE THING THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW. IT HELPS A LOT.
19. Suggest 3 places of interest from your chosen country (preferably with an Internet link).
I. NIAGARA FALLS.
II. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.
III. NEW YORK CITY, NY.
20. Any additional comments are welcome.
WHEN YOU GO OUT FROM YOUR COMFORTABLE ZONE, DO NOT GO AGAINST THE FLOW. TAKE WHAT IS GOOD FOR YOU AND LEAVE WHATEVER IS NEGATIVE. OPEN TO DIFFERENT OPINIONS (RELIGION, SOCIAL ISSUES, POLITICS, SCIENCE, ETHICS ETC) AND VALUES BUT STAY TO YOUR OWN SET OF VALUES. YOU MIGHT GET INTIMIDATED BY BEING EXPOSED TO IT BUT IT WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO APPRECIATE THINGS YOU HAVE NOW.

Thanks for taking your time to help me.

Nor Azlina Halim