Should I Travel Solo?

Hello guys!

It's been a while since I last wrote on this blog and this is due to university's commitments.

Some were shocked after learned that I went alone to Lithuania and Latvia, two Baltic EU states, alone, without any travel partner, as some don't even know where these two countries are. I completely understood that. While most of the people prefer travelling in a group (and sometimes me too), I believe that you should travel alone at least once or twice.

I'll explain my points based on my previous experiences:

1. Creating new friends and acquaintances

It's strange, but I heard this phrase a lot from my friends of European origin. But here's the point: if you travel alone, chances are that you will stay in a hostel to reduce costs. You may even consider using Couchsurfing as a hospitality exchange platform to build new friendships. Such platforms are chances for you to meet new people. Who would even know that in Vilnius I met three awesome roommates; a Georgian solo adventurer who started travelling to the EU after visa restrictions were lifted, a researcher from Poland who spent 12 hours in a Vilnian library for each day of stay and an Australian who is waiting for his visa to meet his Russian wife in Moscow! 

There's one similarity between us: all of us were solo travellers too!

2. Language immersion

I've written about my experiences speaking Russian in Latvia here, even though at that time I was in my fifth month of learning it. Well, any languages will do. Imagine anyone who's learning my native language comes to Malaysia and stay with a local family; trying to speak in our native language. They will surely help him, and I see this case is stronger in countries where English is either not really popular or is taught but rarely spoken on the streets.

3. Getting out of the comfort zone

When you travel as a group, the group leader will delegate tasks to each of the trip members. Let's say you will be travelling to Amsterdam and Bruges in a group of 4. Each will organise transportation, food, accommodation and arrange the tentative respectively. If you're travelling alone, you need to learn them all. This will give a valuable experience to be utilised when planning for your next travel; either in a group or solo.

TL;DR
I can't deny the fact that solo travel can be quite risky sometimes. However, if you read the stories of successful people; they have one thing in common: They take risks. When they failed, they learned so that the mistake will not be repeated again. So keep calm, explore the world and meet new people along the way!

See you soon and safe travels!

Wan
30 Mar 2018
London, GB

The Underrated Baltics: An Introductory Guide to Malaysians

"Wan, where are you going this winter?"

"I will be travelling alone to Lithuania and Latvia!"

"Where are they?"

"Are they in the EU?"

Now, the most basic answer I'll give to them is:

"Do you know where Finland and Poland are? Well, basically there are three states in between, (and of course the Russian's Kaliningrad). The three states, from north to south are Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, also known as the Baltic states because they border the Baltic Sea."

Source: Google Maps

As this topic is quite long, I will explain one by one in a question-answer format. My answer will be mainly on Lithuania and Latvia because I've never been to Estonia before.

1. Do Malaysians need a visa to the Baltics?

No. The three Baltic states are in the Schengen area, just like the Netherlands, Germany and Czech Republic. Just book a ticket and you're good to go!

2. Do people speak English here?

In Kaunas, Vilnius and Riga, a lot of people know English, especially the youngsters and those working in the tourism industry. On the other hand, if you know Russian, that would be a great advantage!

I personally spoke Russian in Lithuania after I asked "Вы по-русски говорите?" (Do you speak Russian?) and in Latvia with almost everyone, so I'm not really sure whether this really helps or not.

3. I'm a Muslim. Is Halal food available in these countries?

For Lithuania: http://en.islamasvisiems.lt/halal-meat-lithuania/

For Latvia: https://www.halaltrip.com/other/blog/a-guide-to-finding-halal-food-in-latvia/

There used to be an Uzbek restaurant in Vilnius but it's apparently closed at the moment.

4. Places to go?
There were several places of interest in the cities I visited: Kaunas and Vilnius (Lithuania), as well as Daugavpils in Riga (Latvia). The most touristic city of them is, of course, Riga.

To name a few:
Kaunas: Kaunas Castle, Old Town, Kaunas City Museum, Ninth Fort
Vilnius: Gediminas' Castle, Old Town, Gates of Dawn, Palace of the Grand Dukes, Vilnius University Central Campus, Vilnius Town Hall
Daugavpils: Daugavpils Fortress, Daugava River
Riga: Art Museum, Latvian University, Origo and Stockmann shopping complexes, Central Railway Station, Railway Bridge, Monument of Freedom

5. What is your best experience/encounter with the locals?
Once in Daugavpils coach station, I was waiting for the bus to Riga when an elderly woman asked me in Russian for some money for her tea and breakfast at a cafe nearby. She seemed legitimate, so I decided to give her some spare change. When she asked me, "Where are you from?", I replied that I'm from Malaysia.
"It's too far, isn't it?" she said.
"Yes, but I'm currently studying in London."
"I understood. Are you going to Riga?"
"Yes, after 30 minutes!"
"Okay, thank you again!"

Then she went to the cafe together with her husband.

Another experience in Riga was with the hostel's receptionist. He is in his 50's, speaks adequate English and his native language is Russian. I tried to speak Russian with him, as that was my original aim of this trip.

To the point which he said:
"Your Russian is quite good since you have started learned it 5 months ago! I mean, I can understand what you're saying. Is your teacher (an ethnic) Russian?"
"No. She's Mongolian (referring to my Russian teacher in the university)."
"Firstly, send her my regards. Secondly, your teacher must have done a really good job!"

In light of this, I would like to thank my teacher for her efforts in teaching us Russian despite our different levels. Some of us are talented, some need some time to understand the language.

Photo Gallery

Town Hall, Vilnius, Lithuania

Vilnius Railway Station, Lithuania

Plavinas, Latvia (on my way from Daugavpils to Riga)

Railway Bridge, Riga, Latvia

Riga's night view

The Monument of Freedom, Riga

Antara Kunci kira-kira dan Aksara

Assalamualaikum.

Setelah para penulis yang terlibat dalam sayembara penulisan UK-Eire diberi lampu hijau oleh MALECS untuk menerbitkan karya masing-masing, maka sukacitanya aku menerbitkan karya ini dan untuk makluman, saya telah memenangi hadiah sagu hati untuk pertandingan tersebut!

Jalur Gemilang di puncak Rosa Khutor, Sochi, Rusia - Oktober 2017

Kisahnya bermula apabila...



Makluman tambahan: Kisah ini ditulis sebulan sebelum aku bertolak ke Sochi, Rusia bagi program WFYS 2017.

Terima kasih dan selamat membaca!

Wan Amirul
05.12.2017
London, GB

Как изучаете языки?

Внимание: это мое первое письмо на русском языке!

Как вы знаете, малайский мой родной язык. А я также знаю английский (C1) и арабский (B2). Я начал изучать русский с июля 2017 года. 

У моих друзей такие вопросы: 

«Ван, как изучаете языки? Для меня, это очень трудно!»

«Я хочу учить английский, чтобы когда приеду в Лочдоне, буду поговорить с лондонцами без проблема!»

Как учу языки?

1. По-моему, практиковать - это самое главное, даже если знаете только 100 слов. Можете начать с удобними вопросами, например по-английски: «Hello friends! My name is Wan. I am 21 years old. I am from Malaysia and studying in London. I love reading books.». Может быть, что у вас есть друзья, которые знают английский)).

2. Мне нравится посмотреть на видео на Ютубе; будь то на малайском, английском, арабском или на русском. Посмотрю на себе 5-6 раз за одно видео. Кстати, самый интересный русский мультик для меня - «Маша и Медведь»! Мне кажется, что у вас есть английский фильм, который он вам нравится?

3. Когда-нибудь, путешествю во страну, где на этом языке говорят. Например, в Испанию, если изучаю испанский.

Спасибо и до свидания!

Wan Amirul

City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

Tengkolok di Siberia (Pemilihan bahasa Rusia sebagai bahasa keempat)

Bismillah. Penulisan pendek sahaja kali ni.

“Wan, kau belajar bahasa Rusia sebab nak kahwin dengan orang Rusia kah?”

“Bahasa Rusia susah dan mencabar!”

“Nanti waktu Piala Dunia 2018 kau temankan kami boleh? Kerja kau ‘goreng’ je orang Moscow dan Saint Petersburg bila kami nak beli barang.”

“Kenapa bahasa Rusia? Kenapa tak pilih bahasa Perancis, Sepanyol atau Mandarin?”

Ayat-ayat di atas hanyalah beberapa persoalan dan respon yang sering aku terima apabila aku memutuskan untuk belajar bahasa Rusia pada awal tahun 2017 dahulu. Niat asal aku untuk belajar bahasa Rusia hanyalah untuk aku mencari sesuatu yang boleh dibuat secara produktif di London memandangkan aku menghadapi sedikit tekanan ketika musim sejuk dan faktor-faktor lain sepanjang November 2016 hingga Januari 2017. Tidak akan ku ceritakan secara terperinci kerana itu bukan tujuan penulisan ini dibuat.

Kembali kepada belajar bahasa, bukankah tidak lengkap pembelajaran sesuatu bahasa jika kita tidak kenal budayanya? Maka dari hari ke hari, aku cuba mempelajari budaya Rusia dan ini membawa kepada sebab pertama aku belajar bahasa Rusia iaitu:

• 1.       Persamaan budaya

Berbanding dengan masyarakat Eropah yang lain, masyarakat Rusia masih lagi mengekalkan hubungan kekeluargaan yang erat seperti masyarakat Melayu. Contohnya, peranan nenek dan datuk dalam sesuatu keluarga. Nasihat-nasihat yang diberi selalu dijadikan teladan untuk generasi seterusnya. Mereka juga membuka kasut sebelum masuk ke dalam rumah, seperti masyarakat Melayu. Walaupun

• 2.       Cabaran bahasa Rusia

Sebenarnya bahasa Arab jauh lebih sukar daripada bahasa Rusia. Bayangkan selepas 3 tahun belajar di SAS dulu baru dapat bercakap dengan fasih. Tapi tak dinafikan bahasa Rusia juga cukup mencabar sebab perlu belajar kaedah tatabahasa baru, bina semula kemahiran komunikasi dan lain-lain. Maka, seperti juga cabaran dalam belajar bahasa Rusia, begitu juga cabaran dalam kata kunci ketiga, iaitu:

• 3.       Jelajah rentas Siberia

Saya bukan kaki travel dalam erti kata bermusafir terlalu kerap, tapi sekali saya travel memang akan explore habis. Jelajah rentas Siberia merupakan jelajah yang sangat menarik – boleh mengambil masa 18 – 20 hari dari Moscow ke Vladivostok. Mana tahu bertemu jodoh dapat buat kawan baru, warga tempatan, dan lagi menarik sebab kita boleh bercakap dalam bahasanya bukan?

• 4.       Networking dalam kerja

Bab networking rasanya tak perlu tulis panjang lebar kot. Semua dah tahu dalam kerjaya nanti pasti kita perlukan network yang luas. Dan tak semua orang mampu bertutur dalam bahasa Inggeris.

Jika anda diberi pilihan untuk belajar bahasa baru, apakah bahasa tersebut dan mengapa?

Wan Amirul

17 Zulhijjah 1438 (08/09/2017)

Kulim, Kedah, MY

Why Learn Malay? (Mengapa Belajar Bahasa Melayu?)

(While I was writing this post, I was actually listening to non-native speakers delivering their public speech in Malay. Read more about the competition here)

As you guys may aware, my native language is Malay. Being a fan of languages, I researched on reasons I should learn other languages, of which I have summarised here.

Moving on to some reasons why you should learn Malay, so what defines the Malay language? 

It is an Austronesian language and it is spoken mainly in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Southern Thailand and Singapore. Different conventions exist in terms of defining Malay but I'd rather not elaborate in this article.

Reasons to learn Malay

1. Moving or travelling to Malay-speaking countries "Malayophones"
   
   
   Whether you'll be studying, working or even travelling to Malayophone countries, knowing some Malay is a bonus point. On a side note, immerse into more dimensions of Malaysia by staying in a homestay and mix with the locals!
   
   
   Don't forget to check out some cool Malaysian food as well :)
   
   

   

   Paddy fields, 1 mile away from my hometown
   near the AOR airport!

   

   Had my "cendol" - a dessert- 20 hours
   before my first flight to the UK

   
   

   

   Homemade "lemang" - glutinous rice cooked in bamboo sticks.
   Lovely, isn't it?

   
   
2. You've found (or looking for) your other half here
   
   
   Welcome to the club! (read: Malayophone family). With more people travelling and lower communication barriers thanks to the Internet, more people found their significant other at the other parts of the world, including Malaysia. Well, knowing your spouse's language and understanding his/her culture even more - it's just interesting, right?
   
3. Malaysian friends and connections
   
   
   Speaking of perspective, believe it or not, we Malaysians are impressed when we know that you can speak Malay. even a bit. And to me, it doesn't really matter whether you're speaking fluently or not because being fluent is a skill that needs practice through speaking, especially with the native speakers.
   
   
4. "I just enjoy learning languages!"
   
   
   Yes. And that's because languages connect people!

Bonus Tip:

Learn a Malay dialect. While it's more leaned towards spoken form than written, you can blend in more with the locals especially in some parts of Malaysia such as the states of Kelantan and Kedah. I'm sure Malaysians are well-acquainted with Mat Dan, who is originally from Bristol, England but currently residing in Malaysia and he speaks with a dialect spoken in Terengganu, a state on the east coast of Malay Peninsula.

Hit me up if you're planning to visit Malaysia soon! If you need to practise your Malay, or just want some tips on visiting Malaysia, contact me through italki and I'll be really happy to help you. (click here to sign up - no affiliation, just awesome)

See you later!

Wan

25 Ramadan 1438

Kulim, Malaysia

Transaksi Tanpa Tunai Rentas Sempadan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Penulisan ringkas ini ditujukan untuk pelajar Malaysia yang pulang bercuti dari pengajian di luar negara dan juga warga Malaysia yang melancong di luar negara.

Transaksi Tanpa Tunai Rentas Sempadan - merujuk kepada cara mendapatkan kadar tukaran mata wang yang baik bagi transaksi kewangan tanpa tunai "cashless" yang tidak melibatkan mata wang tempatan. Contohnya, membeli barangan di Lazada Malaysia (dalam Ringgit) menggunakan kad debit UK atau menambah nilai kad Oyster di London (dalam Pound British) menggunakan kad debit Maybank.

Tips cukup mudah, iaitu: Pilih MATA WANG NEGARA BERKENAAN ataupun "continue without conversion". Kadang-kadang akan ada pilihan untuk membolehkan transaksi dijalankan dalam mata wang pengeluar kad (contohnya: pilihan untuk dicaj dalam Ringgit di UK atau dalam Pound di Malaysia) - abaikan sahaja. Hal ini dinamakan penukaran mata wang dinamik (dynamic currency conversion) - kadar tukaran yang dinyatakan sebenarnya ialah sekitar 5% daripada google rate, sedangkan bagi transaksi tanpa penukaran "without conversion" ialah sebanyak 0.5%, dan jika ditambah dengan caj bank (seperti kebanyakan bank UK), pun sebenarnya 3% maksimum. Masih lagi menguntungkan.

Untuk pembacaan lebih lanjut tentang dynamic currency conversion, boleh baca di sini (dalam bahasa Inggeris).

Berikut contoh bagi memudahkan kefahaman:

Pengeluaran wang dalam RM menggunakan kad debit UK.
"Continue Without Conversion" - hanya £21.78 tidak termasuk caj bank.
Jika ditambah 3% caj pun masih lebih baik, £22.43.

Untuk PayPal, pilih "Your card issuer's rate",
anda akan dapat tukaran wang yang lebih baik.

Transaksi dalam tiga mata wang berbeza.
Mata wang asal kad ini ialah Pound Sterling.

Kesimpulannya, jika anda berada di mana-mana negara, sentiasa gunakan mata wang negara berkenaan sebaiknya. Jika di Amerika Syarikat, gunakan USD. Jika di Arab Saudi, gunakan Riyal Saudi. Dan seterusnya.

Sumber pembacaan:
1) Why It Pays To Settle Up in Local Currency when Holidaying Abroad? (thisismoney.co.uk)
2) Using Plastic Overseas? Always Pay in Euros (even when it says 0% commission) (moneysavingexpert.com)
3) Here's The Simple Rule You Need to Know When Using a Foreign ATM (TransferWise)

Wan Amirul Wan Shamsir
20 Ramadan 1438