From: azran@leland.Stanford.EDU (Azran Osman Rani)
Subject: Re: What do Malaysians Think About American Tourists?
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 02:50:04 GMT

In article <kduioqa00UzxQ1bnFK@andrew.cmu.edu> as5h+@andrew.cmu.edu (Azleena Salleh) writes:
>On 14-Apr-92 in What do Maylasians Think Ab..
>user Thomas Edward Schutz@lel writes:
>>To Maylasian and Indonesian folks:
>> 
>>How are Western (maybe American in particular) tourists
>>viewed by residents of your country?  Especially, what do
>>they think of "low" budget travelers who wander off the
>>usual tourist pathways?
>>
>
>oops, it's 'Malaysian', by the way...:)
> 
>>In most non-tourist locations in America, one virtually NEVER sees
>>foreign travelers (the only non-residents passing through a typical
>>town are either visiting relatives or on business, and the vast
>>majority of these are American).  But, I think that if a darker-skinned
>>and darker-haired person who spoke 10 words of English wandered
>>into some random American town and walked the streets, went to a
>>movie theater, ate in a restaurant, etc., he/she would be viewed
>>quite askance, perhaps with a bit of suspicion.  This person
>>would probably be treated politely, but not warmly - Americans would
>>probably not open up to this person.  This person would be a
>>very rare event for the town, indeed.
>> 
>>So is the inverse situation the same?  Would the same thing happen to a
>>lighter-skinned, lighter-haired person who enters a "normal, average"
>>community in Indonesia or Maylasia?
>> 
>
>The 'Mat Salleh' or 'orang putih' (local slang for 'Westerners') I know
>always enjoy the attention they get when they go to kampungs (villages).
> You would get A LOT of attention, especially in the rural areas, so be
>prepared if you're planning to go!  'Orang putih' are only seen on TV in
>soaps and movies, so it's usually quite fascinating for some locals
>(especially the elderly and the little children) to see blonde hair or
>white skin.  Generally, guests and foreigners  are always treated with
		^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>respect, so you can expect a lot of help and friendliness wherever you
^^^^^^^^

Except when these tourists do not show respect for local culture and the
local people. I'm talking about tourists who walk around Malaysia in
tank tops and shorts, and sometimes even without a shirt. Sure, its
hot and humid in Malaysia, but a lot of people are offended of you
you dress immodestly, by local standards. 



>go.  I think this applies to about everywhere in South-East Asia, as
>well as other Far Eastern countries.  
>
>An 'orang putih' friend of mine from the Netherlands once traveled
>around Malaysia with her fiance, and they had a ball of a time as they
>tried to do as many 'local' things as possible.  I asked whether she
>felt out of place wherever she went, especially being stared at in mini
>buses, etc. and she said that you just have to learn how to get used to
>it and ignore the stares.  Now and then, someone will try out their
>English on them and break the cultural barriers.  Now when I was showing
>a friend of mine (an American) around KL, it was I who got teased by
>strangers for being with an 'orang putih' guy, especially as we passed 
>the hawker stalls!
>        
>>---
>>Tom Schutz
>>dualist@leland.stanford.edu
>>(415)854-7196
>
>-azleena salleh
>carnegie mellon univ.
>pittsburgh, pa.


Azran Osman-Rani
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean