Same, Same, but Different

Look for joy in the Difference

"Same, Same, but different" is a common phrase originating from Thailand, but seems to be prevalent across Southeast Asia. Here's the Urban Dictionary explanation of it:

Used a lot in Thailand, especially in an attempts to sell something but can mean just about anything depending on what the user is trying to achieve.
Q "Is this a real rolex?" 
A " Yes Sir, same same but different"

It's to emphasize that though two things seem the same, they likely have differences. Conversely, it can be used to show that while two things appear very different, they may actually have a lot of similarities. 

A few weeks ago, we had our mid-year meeting with all of the ETAs here in Malaysia. What a wonderful opportunity to catch up with some beautiful souls that I haven't been able to see for six months. It was so inspiring to hear about people's individual experiences in their schools and how our experiences are truly "same, same, but different." 

It's no secret in Malaysia that there are dramatic differences of lifestyle between West (peninsular) Malaysia, and East (Borneo) Malaysia. Here's a quick, dirty, and over simplified crash course on the two parts of the country:

Here you can see both West Malaysia, located on the Malaya Peninsula & East Malaysia located on the Island of Borneo.

One of the major differences that has an affect on us as American's living in Malaysia is the significantly higher presence of christianity on Borneo. That's not to say that America is a Christian nation, but when Western-Christian missionaries began to spread through Borneo throughout the 20th century, so did their western (and slightly more liberal) ideals. 

While many of the ETA's in peninsular Malaysia are placed in schools  and communities that practice conservative views, many others are placed in areas with an extremely diverse population. For an American in their 20's, living in a community in which conservative social and religious rules abound can be an intensely trying and difficult experience. Of course, though we are all in the same country, everyone has a different experience and degrees of 'difficulty' with their community.

​Same, same, but different. 

However, an unfortunate reality of being temporary members of a country that is so culturally (and geographically) divided in half is a sort of "grass is always greener" mentality. 

At our mid-year meeting, I often found myself justifying my "easy" lifestyle from Borneo. 
"Everyone from Borneo got so tan. Must be nice to not have to wear sleeves all day."
"I bet it's so incredible to be in a Christian community. Do girls wear skirts in public?!" 
​"You guys have it good on Borneo. I haven't eaten pork in SO LONG." 
"My baju kurung is a heat box. I teach wrapped up in a Sauna." 

​I'll be first to admit that the culture in my state of Sarawak is certainly more aligned with what I'm comfortable with as a westerner. Also, I've never had to wear baju kurung (and I'm honestly very glad about that.) But I've held one in my hands once, and it was heavy. That's a lot of fabric to wear in this equatorial weather. Yooowwzzaaaa.

But to be made to feel as though any cultural misalignments I experience should somehow be dismissed because the happenstance of being placed in a slightly more liberal state was disheartening and discouraging as I, too, continue to pursue deep cultural exchange with my community. 

I've learned to be careful how you paint your own experience. Stay humble, grateful, and open-minded to new ideas. And never try to paint the experiences of others for them. Recognize what makes you and your experiences unique, and find joy in those moments.

Sarawak for Sarawakians!

... or at least a little infrastructure for them would be nice. 

Our unique and unfortunate battle here in Sarawak, that has trickled all the way down to my job as an English Teaching Assistant, is the supposed negligence of the federal government to building up the rural and underdeveloped towns and schools of Borneo.

"Sarawak for Sarawakians" is a popular expression around these parks. There are many Sarawakians that want the state to break from the Malaysian Union and fight for Merdeka! (independence.) The Borneo states of Sarawak and Sabah have a complicated history of bouncing between independence, British rule, and being a part of Malaysia - and I don't blame them for being fed up with it all. One primary concern of the "Sarawak for Sarawakians" is that there is an enormous amount of natural resources being pulled from this land for financial benefit to the government, and Sarawak is seeing little return on their sacrifice. At least, this is the way it is framed for me by some members of my community. 

Here's a an excerpt from this article in The Star Online about the lack of funding for infrastructure in Sarawak:

"Taking into account the state’s vast area as well as the development disparity between Sarawak and peninsular Malaysia and between the state’s urban-rural areas, the 2016 allocation under the national Budget for Sarawak is not sufficient. Tidak cukup.”

​

Here's some excerpts from this article that highlight how this lack of funding is causing "serious defects" in schools in Sarawak:

​"I am not surprised at the Auditor-General’s Report on the ‘serious defects’ in more than a quarter of the schools in Sarawak. In fact, nobody in Sarawak is surprised."

"This sorry state of affairs goes to show that the federal government does not really care about Sabah and Sarawak, except as a vote bank during the elections."

"Our pupils do not have proper facilities and conducive environments to study and learn."

For anyone that is involved in education, especially if you have experience in the arts, finding ways to work around funding cuts is nothing new. Same, same, but different.

In my short 5 months here, I've watched several teachers, including myself, slump over at the realization that after weeks or months of preparation, another competition or student club has been cancelled due to lack of funding.

But despite something that appears bleak and discouraging, the students here have hearts that would make you believe money doesn't exist. Sadly, I missed Hari Guru (Teacher's Day) at my school, but after working with our schools Choral Speaking team a little bit, and feeling discouraged at the news of the cancelled competition, I got a video of them performing for teachers day, and they were wonderful! And you'll never guess what their message was - - - "Money Slavery" - we're a slave to cash, and there's no reason for it! :) 

These maroon blazers are SO FLY and I want one SO MUCH. But I'm not a prefect (something like a hall monitor/class leader/student council), so I'm not allowed to have one. But look how sharply dressed! They're great.

I guess there's a lesson in all of this...

Diminishing other people's experiences will never strengthen your own.

​The only thing that will strengthen your own experience, is putting in personal effort and standing strong against external factors which may hold back.

This is not unique to cultural exchange.
Peninsular Malaysia to Borneo.
The fight for human rights in regards to race, religion, gender, or sexuality.
A struggle with family or in a relationship.

​Everyone has unique challenges, and we all deserve to feel validated in our individual fight and supported towards success. 

Same, Same, but Different.