Malaysia (Conclusion)

The Malaysian leg of the trip is almost over — and with it comes the halfway point of our yearlong travels. I want to tell you that our experiences were varied, but that might just be the biggest understatement of the whole journey. The ancient Thaipusam trances, the science-fiction towers of Kuala Lumpur, the bombastic New Year’s celebrations, the dignified clan houses, the forests full of monkeys, the lazy beaches, the solemn temples. A kaleidoscope of memories coloured by traditions, religions, and faces — usually bright and smiling. All from a country I knew nothing about three months ago.

Equally varied but even more memorable are the people. English is spoken by everyone, so local friends are not hard to find, and easy to keep. Among them: a Malay painter, a Chinese lawyer, an Indian bartender, a Nepalese chef, a Syrian sculptor, and many youthful game developers. All of them generous, welcoming, and usually laughing (maybe I’ll post about them like Fred does — it’s so hard to write about everything).

But where Thailand ended with smiling faces, the lack of any language barrier meant we saw the subtleties of life here. My biggest takeaway: the local drive for “international quality” — the pursuit of worldwide recognition. This constant push was evident from hoteliers to online marketers to guitarists. Everyone here dreams big. One humble piece of advice for Malaysians looking to strike big internationally: focus local. The months we’ve spent here have been incredible. The history and the culture are fascinating. Give the world Malaysian stories — let them see how unique you are.

And for those who aren’t from here, especially those of you who love to travel, but have yet to step on Malaysian soil — give this country a shot. It’s a unique flavour of Asia — with great flavours in its food too!

Thanks, Malaysia. I’ll remember you fondly.

I’ve built the game and iterated to a point I’m happy with the gameplay. Almost everything works, but all the assets are placeholder. We’re leaving for Japan for ten days on Friday, but after that, I’ll finalize the art style to mesh with the new mechanics and then create a demo. I know, it’s been a while, but I’ll have something new to show very soon.

Actually, “very soon” isn’t good enough: let me commit to something more concrete. You’ll see the game by the end of May — it should be showable by then. And, now I have a deadline. To continue my recent mentality: I will hit the deadline. I hope you’ll like what’s there!

Background photo by Amanda Gansfield