Let me introduce you to my friend Joy. Most of you have heard many stories about her, but I promised that I wouldn't take any photos of her until she took her law exam. After her exam, she went home for a couple weeks and then met me in Langkawi for a (well deserved) weekend at the Beach, then we came back to KL together very very late Sunday night. She started an apprenticeship (called an "attachment" here-- she will be unpaid for 3 weeks then be paid) at one of the 3 largest law firms in Malaysia while she waits for the scores of her qualification exam (only 10% pass). 

I'm really lucky to have met Joy. We're very different people, with different ideas about life, work, family, relationships, but we're incredibly accepting of each others' views, and have the utmost respect for each other. Joy is one of the only people who will speak openly with me about Malaysian politics, and has taught me A LOT about Malaysia. When I have trouble with work she explains the cultural intricacies to me. She's like my Malaysia reference book, but a lot more fun to hang out with. Likewise, I have taught her that westerners actually DO care about their families, that there are people who are trying to challenge the system that privileges us, and that the white people who come to Malaysia as tourists are not good indicators of western anglophone culture. On top of that, she's easily one of the funniest and funnest people I've met, and her name is actually really appropriate. We met when she was watching Americas Next Top Model on my floor and i was like "OMFG IS THIS ANTM?!" The rest is history. 

Langkawi was amazing. I take back every bad thing I've ever said about the beach. The sand was incredibly soft, the waves were warm and emerald colored. There was a lot of garbage (well, I mean, it's malaysia...) and no one stole our stuff when we went swimming. 

On Saturday, we went "island hopping" where we pay a really small amount of money to hire a boat to take us around to an island with a really beautiful beach with white sand that was right on a coral reef. We saw Parrot fish! (Every time Joy saw a fish she FREAKED OUT and got so excited! Then I got excited then she got more excited, and on and on...)  Then we got to see eagle feeding. Langkawi is known for its Eagles, but they're small, about the size of seagulls. I was a little disappointed, but they were pretty anyhow. Then we were taken to the "Lake of the Pregnant Maiden," which is a freshwater lake that was sooo nice after the salty morning. We got a "catfish massage" and had to battle with monkeys. So epoch! Then we went back to our motel and slept for several hours. The rest was a lot of eating, sleeping, relaxing, watching tv, and drinking pina coladas at a beach bar. 

One of the things I love about Joy is that I'm able to talk to her about religion and spirituality without being judged at all. At work, people are constantly trying to make sure that I am christian by inviting me to church, telling me to drop by "just to see what it's like." I don't have the heart to tell them that I have no interest in the church, and that if God truly is who they say he is, he'll like me plenty if I keep living the way I have been even if I don't attend to worship. I'm not sure if there is a God, but I'm pretty sure I don't agree with who they think he (she) is. 

Joy is a converted Christian. She knows her bible. She carries it everywhere and goes to Bible study on Monday. But she never once has tried to pressure me into anything, has never brought it up, never guilted me, never tried to save my soul. On Sunday, we had a really interesting conversation about the relationship between the Christian God and other gods. Joy believes in spiritual warfare, and says that she's felt the presence of gods, demons, and spirits when she has been trying to convert. Her family prays to buddhist and hindu gods and spirits, so she says she has a lot of trouble cleansing her room when she goes home, and has experienced "the devil sitting on her chest" (waking up and not being able to move, feeling a weight on your chest and a presence in the room) after trying to cleanse the room. I mean, I do not presume to know how the world works, how time works, how gods work, how death works. I've had some pretty unexplainable things happen to myself. So I'm pretty open to these conversations, and it was SUPER INTERESTING to hear her stories, and I'm really grateful that she shares these things with me. If it is one thing I DO believe in, it's the importance of spirituality itself. 

Joy says she'll really miss me when I go. There are many things I'll miss about Malaysia, which I guess I'll explain in my next assignement, and it feels really good to know that there are parts of Malaysia that will miss me back.  

Oh, on a last note, she also brings me to all the delicious food. I don't know if i've mentioned this, but all the best places to eat according to locals are like some dodgy stand with tarps and umbrellas in a back alley, so it's basically impossible to know how to find good food that won't make you sick unless you know people. Joy is my people.  

 :)