Joule

Gue bukan etnis Jawa, tapi let's be real... Jawa itu berkali-kali lipat lebih attractive, sexy, and glowing daripada Melayu Malaysia yang close-minded dan terbelakang 💀

This past weekend was my second time in Malaysia, and again I came away feeling impressed with how the Malaysian Chinese uphold and guard their culture with pride. It is a week away from Chinese New Year. Red and gold Chinese decorations and upbeat Chinese music abound in Kuala Lumpur, not just in Chinatown but all over malls and Chinese restaurants as well. The female staff in my favorite durian shop all wear red qipao uniforms. Billboard and radio ads further contribute to the festive feeling of CNY. Contrast this to Taiwan. It seems to be going through another normal week. The result of de-sinicization here is stark. Many Taiwanese locals I personally know, they’d happily attend k-pop & Coldplay shows, glaze F1 drivers, or make a gajillion trips to Japan each year, but celebrating their own culture feels like pulling teeth. I respect the Malaysian Chinese folks. They’re not even a majority in KL (40%) or Malaysia (22%), and the vast majority (>90%) immigrated to the country over 100 years ago. They don’t worship Anglos like Hong Kongers or Singaporeans even though all of them were subjected to British colonization. They don’t surrender their root culture nor behave obsequiously to please foreign masters like many Chinese do in America and Europe (or even the ones that live in the Sinosphere). Every Chinese person can learn a lot from them.

COLD SHOULDER: Thousands rally in Greenland’s capital city, chanting “Greenland is not for sale,” after President Trump doubles down on the U.S.’ initiative to acquire the country. The protest is reportedly the biggest demonstration in the nation’s history.