Beyond Borders

Travelling is not unique of a dream for everyone. We all have the 'how I wish' feeling that we could travel someday - in a foreign land perhaps. Even the most introvert person have it. People travel for different reasons. Some have official business, to visit someone, but it is the leisure, the urge of discovering something, the scent of the ground, the taste of the world, the opportunity that is always referred to as priceless - that's travelling. The first time I stepped in a foreign land, how I wish it was for leisure. I went to Perlis, Malaysia, an out of nowhere, northernmost part, full of corn fields and rubber trees, borders Thailand state if Malaysia, to study for a month. But it was still the best one month of my life so far.

For someone living in a country full of islands, and not even having a bordering country to be a friendly neighbor with, plus not economically stable really, it's rare for a 'regular' Filipino travel abroad to take selfies with the Petronas Twin Tower or see the sunrise in Angkor Wat. Well, unless your rich. That's why I went to Malaysia to study. Because my University paid for it. Right now, looking into it, Perlis is nothing compared to the other countries I've been. It's literally nothing. No heritage sites or jaw-dropping scenery, I mean, it's Malaysia at it's - let's say, simplest. But it definitely can separate itself from other Malaysian states. The people for example. Most of Perlis are Muslims. But here, you'll see the more conservative ones. Every single Muslim I know wears hijab (a head scarf worn by most Muslim women as part of their religion). Compare it to Kuala Lumpur or Penang other states, it's pretty conservative. They use their hands when eating, even in KFC or McDonalds. Transportation is pretty hard to come by since there's only few taxis and buses have specific routes. Woodball is a famous sports there. It's like cricket but the field is bigger. Food, I actually like their food. Because it next to Thailand, you'll have a mix of cultures there and also food. There's Thai, Indian Chinese, and of course, Malay. What's nice about their food is it's a mix of cultures put into one plate.

Looking back, Perlis has something. It's my very first travel and one can never forget their firsts'. It's not really a must visit place, but one thing's for sure, Perlis will alwys be a part of me no matter what.