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An Interview with an Expat from UK

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Kim Kennedy

Name: Kim Kennedy
Home Country: United Kingdom
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Yoga and meditation teacher, macrobiotic cooking/lifestyle health educator

What brought you to Malaysia?
I decided I needed to change my life so past several years have been visiting different countries/communities to feel what is right for me. I had a business for 26 years selling vintage secondhand clothing in London markets while training as a yoga/meditation teacher in the UK and Europe. It seemed right for a change, and becoming a teacher facilitated this huge change. I would never have done it otherwise.

What do you like and dislike about living here?
I love the people, the hospitality and the warmth shown by Malaysians. It makes expats feel more welcome. Apart from that, since I eat organically, I like that there are many options for me to choose from. It is easier to find places to eat. The hot climate is also a cause for joy compared to the damp, cold, and dreary London weather… especially during the winter. Like most people, I dislike the traffic jam that makes travelling by car tiresome. I don’t like the huge motorways that sweep round and through the city and that you can’t cross them much of the time

Name three typical weekend activities that you enjoy.
On weekends I’m looking a property much of the time at present, sometimes I go out and eat at one of my favourite healthy macrobiotic/organic restaurants and occasionally I take a stroll in shopping malls doing window shopping.

What is your favourite holiday destination in Malaysia or in the region? Why?
There are many nice places in Malaysia but I haven’t had the opportunity to go on a proper holiday as yet because I am focused on finding a house that can double up as a place for me to live in and also as a place for me to teach yoga and cooking.

Do you own property here? If so, where? If not, why?
I am hoping to buy a house but people keep trying to persuading me to buy a condo or apartment. You get much more for your money here; the houses are huge with 4 bedrooms on average for the price of a 1/2 bedroom flat in London.

What do you miss most about your home country?
I miss my friends and British humour the most. Malaysians don’t really get our humour unless they’ve lived or been educated in London for several years.

How long do you plan to stay in Malaysia? Where would you like to go next, and why?
I am in the midst of exploring the MM2H plan and with so much to look forward to, I plan to make Malaysia my base and travel to other countries to teach. I would like to visit Singapore and Japan where I have friends.

Is Malaysia a good place in which to work and do business? Why?
I think it’s a good a place as any… easier to set up as you don’t need so much finance here as in the UK. The energy here is refreshing, exciting, and people seem open to new ideas, although they are still often focused on what I feel are not the important things.

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