My culture shock with Malaysians...."Why they ask me this all the time...!?" 

By the way....where are you staying? Please let us know

1. They're asking about the area you are staying at. Not the exact location of of your residence. Once they know that, they may say "Wa.. so far ah?". Or "Got a lot of good food there..." 2. How long are you staying? Then they can tell you about food to eat or places to go, depending with the time your have

When they ask "where are you staying ? " , they didnt mean your exact address . They just want to know your general area and then find the topic regarding those place to start the conversation . Nothing malicious about it.

Sometime we just try to create a topic to break the ice. Jimmy, imagine this : A:Where do you stay? B:I stay near Bukit Jalil A:oh, there is a famous Shin Zushi there, have you tried before? B:oh ya, that is a good restaurant Something like this, I hope you understand and no one expect you to give the details address of your home😅

In our culture when we asked "where do you stay", the person is trying to find a common topic about an area, to start a conversation. May be they stay in the same area, or know the area well, or they have relatives staying in the same area. Then the conversation will focus on the area, restaurants in the area, interesting hotspot in the area, or even a public personality in the area. So, this is common in our culture and nothing to interfere with one personal/private life.

Even for locals, if they met other unfamiliar locals, the greetings would usually is “mai dari mana?” (Where are you from?) and after getting the answer, the next question will be “nak ke mana?” (Where are you heading to?). See… It doesn’t mean that we want to follow you to go places 😂 don’t stress stress Jimmy! That’s the way we give greetings as Malaysians 🤣🤭

So true...the Japanese are very serious and can be very strict sometimes. But Malaysians are much more laid back. And when people (on the street) asked you (famous RU-vidr) "where do you stay?" they mean in general, which area, Petaling Jaya, Puchong, Shah Alam?...and so on as to start the conversation. They don't really want to know the exact address. I think, the longer you stay in Malaysia, the more you will know how people interact in different cultures....enjoy the diversity...😉👍🏾

Your analysis of Malaysians is very thorough, accurate and positive. Very good. All my best friends when I was a teenager were Malaysians. In my working life, I met a handful of Malaysians who are still my good friends. Malaysians are known to be "relaxed and easy-going". So, for serious people who try to read too much into every behaviourial action, it might be a bit pointless. In Hawaii, there is a saying that every tourist will learn upon stepping down from the plane. It's the phrase, "Hang loose." This phrase truly applies to Malaysians. If you want to have friends who are non-judgmental, helpful, reliable, non-calculative, non-criticising and sincere, then they are very valuable. And my favourite place to travel to for short holidays is KL - because you know that's the best place to destress. You just know that there are no mad people around on the streets. If you learn more about "kampong spirit", you will probably understand their behaviour better.

Ichang's impression of "jepun. Ohhhh jepunnn" was spot on

I LOVE this kind of sociocultural differences pov content!!! I'm always looking for this kind of input, perspectives to know the similarity and differences! Please please have more sharing on this kind of stuff. When you share your curiosity, actually you're sharing the perspectives and knowledge to viewers about such sociocultural differences. Kudos to both of you!

I met them in a SS2 PJ restaurant once in the night and I asked them the same question of where they were staying as my intention was to give them a ride home.(I thought maybe can save them some grab fees if they didn’t have a ride) Thinking about it now, Jimmy must have thought I was so nosy to ask where they stayed hahaha.

If they ask "where are you staying?", You can give answer like the general area you live in. Example, i live in Ipoh. Ipoh is big so i narrow it down to Tambun. It doesn't have to be specific till you give them your home address. Unless you want to invite them. It's how we Malaysian start/extend the conversation. Asking about the weather is also another example. It's a typical elders style who want to start conversation with youngsters. So don't worry about it. 😊

Hahaha it is so funny to hear your observations of Malaysian culture. Thank you for helping us see ourselves from your eyes, Jimmy & IChang :) I think you really help us appreciate our own country and learn to be better people :)

Usually we ask we you are from or stay because we want to find similarity with new people.and then we can expand the conversation if there is similarity or maybe we know something about the mention place.

Hahahahahhaha this time topic was hilarious 🤣🤣🤣 and everything that iChang answered to Jimmy, as a Malaysian, I would like to confirm that they were all correct! 🤣🤣🤣 and well done iChang for understanding our culture deeply 👏👏👏

we usually ask where others staying just because we want to get to know each other better, not because we want to disturb other privacy, we ask because , if we know where other people live, then we can maybe see each other more often in the future, maybe we can help eachother in the future if we have problem, it's just common for us😂 , we do ask that question among us even if it's stranger, we don't want to come to your house😂😂 we just want to "develop" "create" a bond, a sign of a friend, maybe we can hang out in the future , so that's why we ask where other lives

Now I understand why things always didn't work out with my Japanese friends. I can speak some Japanese, and I have a few Japanese friends. I tried to get closer to them, but it never worked out. Lol. Now I know why. So, I'm kind of giving up on being close to any Japanese because of the cultural differences, and I'm tired of being pushed away because of this kind of misunderstanding when I was nothing but sincere. But I still enjoy some chitchat with Japanese, but that's it. I won't go any further, not anymore.

This conversation is so funny. As a Malaysian who has lived overseas for many years, I often get comments from foreigners such as " why are you so warm and friendly?" or "why do you smile all the time?"... I think this is just very Malaysian. We don't see the need to frown all the time, or to be cold to ppl we don't know. I wonder if it has got to do with the tropical weather we have 😂, but yes, we are warm to others and foreigners may find us a bit too warm (or intrusive), but we are so harmless.

for me personally, i would ask “where are you staying” not because i want to poke my nose into your private residence but merely to get information that may be beneficial to you. if, for example, i am very familiar with the area you’re staying in, i may be able to suggest to you nice places to eat there or nearby. or i may know someone staying there who may know more about the place and may be of some help to you if you ever needed help. we malaysians love to be helpful especially to people who are not familiar with our country, culture and especially our culinary delights. don’t over-think it! 😉

I genuinely think this is one of your best videos. It takes time and a certain EQ to be able to produce something like this - well done! Your observations and interpretations were correct. I’m Malaysian living in Europe and I see these differences too - like the Japanese we talk about the weather and never anything close to personal. Also not asking things like how much rent you’re paying, etc. But I must say Malaysians are just very open and trusting people and they expect others to have a similar worldview. Also we’re so proud of our cuisine we make every opportunity to tell others, especially if they’re new to the area. Anyways thanks for making me laugh this Friday evening. Had quite a week so your video was just what I needed to end the week!

Asking some personal questions may not as personal per se, is to understand profile of you and show our hospitality of malaysians warmth. Giving you unsolicited friendly support sometimes is just the way we may feel helpful to foreigners. Also it creates a bridge of small talk making you immerse into malaysian culture

We actually ask those common question "where you stay?" among locals as well. Its a means of conversation. For example I always asked my customers where they are staying because if they live far away, i got concern about how they travel to my shop especially during rainy season or very hot season. Sometimes i'm concerned about the traffic they need to go thru to get to my shop. Thats it. No ill intention. Hehe

My two cents of view... i strongly believe that Jimmy is well aware of these kind of ice-breaking questions, malaysian-way of discourse etc... with I-chang by his side. So, this content is purely a guide to other visitors who are facing similar curiosity. And also, another type of content in this channel, besides restaurant/place visit and food review. Such an insightful approach. Kudos again!

As a Muslim, there is a hadith: “None of you will have faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” Sayangilah saudaramu sebagaimana kamu menyayangi dirimu sendiri. All of us are brothers🥰

In chinese culture, eating and not starving is very important. Asking "have you eaten?" is similar to "How are you?"... it is more of a respectful greeting than an actual question. As for "Where you stay?", lots of relevant answers from other comments. It is both a greeting and a conversation starter. So the typical response maybe "KL" or "Penang", that will lead to more convo.

Uwah iChang can explain everything to Jimmy 😊 Just my observation, Japanese appreciation to weather or generally nature is not just in greetings, but also songs, movies and poems. We Malaysian don’t pay much attention to weather because its almost the same everyday 😂

We value our visitors and we like to share our culture

Yeah we Malaysians like casual talk a lot, we call it "borak kosong". It's usually our way to find common ground so we can connect with people better. The people that likes to lepak mamak or any food stall are all doing borak kosong, usually it leads to nowhere but a few times it will trigger a memory or remind you of something that you can share and have a laugh together haha. It's like having a conversational hotpot that anyone and everyone can add to and share the moment together and create new memories with one another.

If we Malaysians had a more "mind your own business" attitude, we wouldn't be so open and welcoming to you, a stranger. Maybe our charm is really our openly inquisitive character. We are able to talk to strangers like friends and ask questions like "Where do you stay?" Hahahahah :)

In the last few videos there are a lot of clues as to why iChang and Jimmy are burnt out. What started out as a fun long-distance fling with lively exciting Malaysia changed when they moved to a long term live-in situation. What was previously warmth is now intrusiveness and lack of respect for personal boundaries. What was previously "Dragonball" level cuisine at every corner, is now oily, overly sweet food that made them sick and sluggish. What was previously charming authenticity is now a shallow obsession with celebrities, professionals and people of status, as well as somewhat facetious recommendations and connections. It's like finding out that the partner you once thought was deep is just full of mindless chatter with no actual substance. It's ok, it's just a natural progression of falling in and out of love with a place and it's people. Maybe they need to take a break and experience other places and people in the world so that they either realize that Malaysia was their true love after all, or that it was just a passing infatuation.

Enjoying a lot in understanding iChang's way of thinking. She's got a brain and a big heart combined in her responses to her man's worries. Much respect. On that Qs about "where you stay?" or "Where you're going?", yes, the guy is welcoming you both casually, and only expects a general reply so that he could offer the common expressions of the place. And yes, 100% is nothing personal!

Jimmy and Ichang should receive honorary doctorate in cultural anthropology. they definitely learnt a lot about malaysia and malaysian.

If you think Malaysians only asked foreigners.. You are wrong. We shared with each other the best food places to go. So, no worries about letting us know where you live.. Only a general area will do. Also probably, they know someone from that area too. That's typical Malaysians. FYI, I live overseas and when we, Malaysian get together will reminisce the best eating places in Malaysia while eating food. Food is on our mind. 😅

When we ask where you are staying? Don't need to tell your exact address but maybe general area. For example you answer Sec 6 Subang Jaya or Wangsa Maju.. Or what ever..or you can always lie.. 😂😂 Malaysian will ask sudah makan ? Sudah minum ? but other culture won't ask this kind of question.. We r just want to be friendly and helpful.. I'm sorry if you re offended.. 🤦🤦

Honestly, as malaysian , i never know asking this type of questions is consider rude. No wonder my japanese colleague feels a lil uncomfortable when we asked this type of questions and yes he keeps talking bout wheather. And when he said "nice wheather today?" And usually the conversation will dies off, theres nothing to talk more. Lol.

You guys dont have to tell the exact location, just the general area 😅 Usually if they are familiar with that area they will proceed to tell you about the interesting things they know about it. Its more about finding topics to continue the conversation than knowing exactly where you live..

In Malaysia, when they ask you "Where are you staying?", it is just a show of concern. Not that they want to know exactly your house address. Because they know you are moving around the country. It is appropriate to answer like eg. "here in Selangor or Penang or an area where you stay". If you don't answer, it is rude. Actually, the better question should be, "Where do you live at the moment, seeing you guys are everywhere in the country" Most of the time they just want to start a conversation. If you reply to an area far, then they will say, Wow, very far ah..with a smile. We Malaysians are one big family.

I also have this feeling when people ask where I stay, but normally in a split second I would just tell them the area where I live. If it's still uncomfortable, you can say general names as well like 'PJ' or 'Puchong' or 'KL' also acceptable. I can see how it made Jimmy feel uncomfortable, I hope you guys will adapt with it soon :D

Jangan risau guys... Malaysian memang suka tanya soalan2 yg terang lagi bersuluh. Even in my family also like that. I tengok tv lagi tanya tengah buat apa😅 Soalan2 tu hanya untuk memulakan perbualan atau ice breaking around strangers. Since you guys are youtuber, so mereka decide untuk tegur dengan memulakan soalan2 macam tu😅 just take it lightly and give them the very simple answers you can without sounds rude😊

People like to ask stuff like that just to get the chat going on. If they find that your answer is a place or things that they know, so they will continue talk with you. 😊 I’m not that eagerly asking a lot of stuff since I like to stay quite most of the time, but people will ask me things that you say. Example Q:Where you staying? Me: Near Cyberjaya Q: ohh, my son stay around there too. You know ‘this place’? Me: yeah, near near. Q: going back home right away? Me: ya ya Q: ok have a safe journey Me: tq 😊 Me:😊 *end of Question* 😂

Yes you are very right. Malaysians love to share our recommendations and suggestions because we are very proud of our food, culture and heritage. When we ask you where you stay, we are already calculating how far is it for you to go try our favorite food, visit our favorite mall, go to our favorite waterfall, buy fruits/kuih from our favorite roadside stall. That is why we need you location haha because we don't want to make recommendations that are too far away from you. But rest assured, every Malaysian have some recommendations no matter where you are in Malaysia.

I'm glad to hear ichang understand more about our culture now.. Malaysians are friendly and helpful people.. We like to communicate to each other, till sometimes someone ask questions like, "buat apa tu??" and yet she saw what that person was doing.. For Eg.. Menyapu ke tu?? Of course lah, but still u want to ask😂 things like that u see.. The question was just to start a conversation or to be nice to others..

Malaysia is a country of warm hospitality. We share with people the best things in life. Food is so diverse, and people want you to enjoy the best food. That is why during Hari Raya, Chinese New Year and Deepavali, the house owners will offer you the best food they have when you visit them. This is hospitality. I am a Malaysian too. By the way, I live in Sarawak. People here are friendlier than people in West Malaysia. For example, my close friend knows that I can cook very well certain cultural dishes for Chinese New Year. He will ask me to cook more so that he can bring some home for his family members too. When you come to Sarawak during Gawai (The harvest festival of the natives here), they will also offer you the best food, and some more, they will also offer you their rice wine which they make for the festival. If you like their food, they will even give you some to bring home if they have extra. If you are staying alone and is not cooking for a festival, a close friend will invite you to eat with them to enjoy a happy family feast. If you go visiting a friend during Gawai Festival, the friend will not only offer you their food, his neighbour, who you don’t know, will also invite you in to offer you food and drink. Ha…… Very often, when I go visiting a friend during a festival, I will bring a few of my friends whom my friend does not know them, he will be very happy and he will offer all of us good food and drinks.

I believe the few questions in discussion here comes out often because we mostly know iChang and Jimmy as travelling youtubers. So the question "Where are you staying?" and "How long you stay?" or even "Where are you going?" is asked because everyone is interested to know where and what your next food adventure is, and hopefully they can also give you some recommendations. Sometimes us malaysian can be a little direct in our questions 😅. Dont be scared. Just disclose a general area like puchong or pj if your comfortable or you can even change the topic back to food if your not comfortable to talk about locations.

10:34 he is emphasizing on "very famous", not "very delicious", so he is not being irresponsible. he is just telling you a "fact".🤣 most malaysian like doing small talks, so dont take things too seriously. this is also the reason why we are able to talk to strangers or any person we just met. we are just small talking.. 😁

In my opinion, for us Malaysians who live in a multi-cultural society, we are proud to present our culture diversity to foreigner who comes to our country especially when it comes to 'food'! And also as a Malaysian Chinese, I agree that Ethic chinese tend to ask people 'Have you eaten already?' as the starting of the greet. As the saying goes '民以食为天', in English, it means 'To the people, food is the utmost importance'.

In Malaysia, the manifestation of the questions "Where do you stay?" or "Where are you from?" may have deeper roots to it. For a local Malaysian, especially the older generation, we would be probably get asked "Where is your Kampung?". For older generation Malaysians who's family can be extensively large (up to 15 siblings per family or >50 1st line extended family) and originated from a larger area within a state of Malaysia itself, this question generally leads to them, then being able to take the conversation further to ask if they know "such and such" person who may be a relative from that area. If the person asking the question is familiar with the area, the conversation can also take a turn by saying that they know of some really nice places to eat or visit. If not, they'll be able to ask for opinions of what nice places are there to eat or visit. So, generations later, the form of these personal questions may have change ever so slightly since family sizes have shrunk, the culture of asking these personal questions lived on. Typically, no one really intends to know exactly the address you live at, but as you said, it's the most easiest form of conversation starter here because it's typically questions we grew up with from a young age asked by friends and family during gatherings.

i think people try to find relatable and common topic to start a conversation. Most importantly, they want to find a topic that they think others can understand quickly

I’m a Malaysian adult. It took me half of my teenage years to understand that not all questions from the adult need to be answered 😂 I finally understand that the awkward conversation was only part of small talk in village/rural area especially. Some maybe don’t even have anything to talk about so they might come up with this kinda question. You can just simply answer ‘I live nearby this area’ then stop there. Then everybody can easily move on 😊

Let’s be fair Jimmy. You and iChang walking around with camera and looking genuinely interested in their foods and culture. Malaysians are very quick to make friends. If you showed interest in them, their cultures, language and their way of life they will reciprocate. They do this by asking questions which may seem personal and invasive to you. But that is the Malaysian way of breaking down formalities between people to people relationship. Westerners and Japanese who have strict formal culture may find Malaysians informalities and straightforwardness intimidating or perhaps even rude and irritating. Questions like, “where you live?”, “ How old are you?”, “How much you earn?”, “How much do you pay for the goods?” etc can be a culture shock for foreigners. Given time you will learn to live with these “shocks” and will have well prepared answers for them. Why don’t you give your camera and uTube a rest for a bit and just enjoy Malaysia without the camera. Read books, watch some Malaysian movies and listen to Malaysia music. Find some casual or part time jobs.

tbh I was also kinda shocked when I heard the pak cik asked "where are you staying" too😂 (because I'm taking Japanese class as sensei share to me some 'rules' of these) but as other had mentioned, the pak cik simply want to talk more and maybe he'll find some topic when you guys tell a bit about yourselves (where you live, where have you been, where are going to, what are you guys planning tomorrow, next week etc). Let say you guys told "oh we lived in Sungkai under Nomad programme', then the pak cik can continue the conversation either with Sungkai or Nomad programme topic. *tbh sometimes even when you guys tell exact address of home, they'll ask 'where are you staying' again next time when they met you guys. it's okay Jimmy, I understand (about 'they recommend the restaurant that they never dined in' too).

Hahahahaha, I think most of us have not really thought that other people may be taken aback by those questions. I think we have less of the "uchi/soto" culture here and not many questions are considered invasion of privacy. Sometimes I also get some very personal questions and comments like "Do you have children? Why don't you have more kids?" or "You must do/go to this place and eat this/that" etc. and I feel obligated to smile and nod and maybe lie in my answer. There is a saying here: "Go in one ear and come out the other", just smile and ignore these questions. If they press on, just give an ambiguous answer, such as "Oh we live around KL" or "We live on the other side of the city". Another way is to change the subject quickly and talk or ask about something else. If you want to hint that you don't want to answer, you can jokingly say "Haiya why are you so kay-poh (busybody)?" Please don't feel too bad, I think sometimes people are just curious where you live so that they can give some recommendations or ideas about your area.

I love how iChang are so knowledgeable about what Malaysian culture is. I can say everything iChang said are true! It might come from her impression of Malaysian people over the time of her meeting Malaysian people but everything was on-point. I can’t find anything to argue haha. Meanwhile i love how Jimmy saying about “everyone has different preferences” when you end up disappointed with what they suggest haha. Actually Jimmy is true. Is not like we Malaysian keep giving wrong information or suggestions, but it’s different people-different experience thing. Also if we try to look at it on the other view; its a way for us Malaysian to tell you about ourselves. So by you going to that place and try the food, you can understand them better. Its like when your friends suggesting you to watch certain movie because they love it, but you didn’t enjoy it because it’s not your favorite genre. But by knowing “your friends favorite movie” you can understand them more. It kinda work like that haha.

The thing is we Malaysian are very socially active community, and we come from multicultural society and those 'ice breaking' questions are coming from the many cultures around Malaysia. Each of the races had their 'traditional' greetings from their culture and eventually we Malaysian take it as a common questions to ask anybody. For example, Dah Makan? (Have you eaten?), Panaslah cuaca hari ini...(Today is so hot...), Tinggal dekat mana?(Where are you staying at?) and so on. When Malaysian ask you where you stay at, they just try want to relate the conversation around your area or where you're coming from, and if you want your privacy, just can simply answered it generally like "I stay at Kuala Lumpur..." . No need to give detail about where you really stay at, just mention about the state or the district and it's enough to start a conversations. We view privacy/personal matters differently than Japanese, because we're not the individualistic society.

Hi ichang, Jimmy - yeah without realising it is imposing on privacy, it is very natural for us to ask on the location of residence. As for me who stays in Klang valley which is mostly jam in whichever area we stay, it is good to know how people get about. And you would be shocked to know that it used to be a common question during job interviews then. Perhaps we are concerned if the person live too far, then they might have issues reporting to work promptly or they are not able to work overtime. Oh my, that is being Malaysian.

This is interesting. Usually i ask my foreig friends about their residence, so i can suggest some places to eat, hang out n buy food essentials. Didn't really thought of it as personal questions.

We usually ask where people stay because people from different parts of Malaysia act and do things differently, for example if you live in KL, we would think that you have a very fast paced lifestyle and always in a rush and you are a city mouse, if you say that you live in Sabah, then we think that you are more chill and more of country mouse. Similar to how the lifestyle in Tokyo and the lifestyle in the countryside of Japan is very different. There is no discrimination based on where you live, but it's more of a friendly act to get to know you and your lifestyle

It’s hilarious that iChang is like the psychiatrist talking to her patient, Jimmy. I love this interaction and analysis.

Basically.... we bluff a lot..😂 But at least the taxi driver are frank when he says, he had never been there. And also remember, famous just meant they heard a lot about it but perhaps there's boundaries where he can't go(non halal, too expensive and etc). But yeah, i do agree that sometimes people can be over friendly and normal people like me could evade it by giving poker face and short answer but you two are recognizable public figure so you have to maintain a certain politeness to them. I think what you need is a vacation, no work. Just go and enjoy yourself at a quite place.

1:30 imagine malaysian ppl start conversation with "its nice weather, isnt it?" While the day is 40C hot and suddenly monsoon come join then go as they like 😂

I find that as a Malaysian, "Where are you staying?" or "How long are you staying?" are usually asked so that we can give recommendation on which shops to eat and what to do especially if you are a foreigner. Cause all Malaysians have an opinion on where is the best food. You don't have to give the exact location just the general area, like "oh I stay in PJ"

Think of the questions Malaysians usually asked as they are warming up to you..don't feel awkward..Malaysians are generally friendly n welcoming until you deserved otherwise🙏🏼

Where you stay/live...the next thing you'll get the whole auto download map. Oh have you travel to this side of kampung. Where to eat, there's spa nearby, dont forget to check up this warung sells good laksa, oh night market every Wednesday avoid the road in the evening then. We will never go check your location up 😊

Me as 22 years old, top questions i get asked when meeting new people: 1.Nama apa? (What's your name) if it's long they asked what to call you with nickname 2. Asal mana? (Which state do u from?) Bcs peo0le hv stereotypes for each states lol and also to understand their dialects (like for me im from Kedah we have distinct dialect) 3. Duduk mana? (Where u live?) just tell general area hahah 4. Berapa adik beradik? (how many siblings do u have) i know it's the most useless question ever lol but sometimes people also asked further if you are first child/ only child/ last child lol 5. Study mana? Study course apa? (University major) 6. mak ayah kerja apa? To know their social status idk lol people are so nosy here hahah 7. Umur brpa? (If you're uncomfortable u can choose to not answer it or just say 20-ish) usually people in their 30s and above are sensitive with age lol

As Malaysian, we just like to ask any question just for the sake of making conversation only. We don't really seek for the answer. For example (in daily life); I am gardening and my neighbor passing by they will asked " Buat apa tu? (What are doing?). They saw what I'm doing but for the sake of conversation they still ask the question even though they know the answer.

Everything is interesting and accurate. I love your relax discussion. ☺️❤️ This discussion will bring you closer to understanding the culture and why people behave the way they did...

I have a Japanese colleague and this is how I understand how details Japanese are. I sometimes slip through not-so-important things just to not make her overthinks and get worried. Much love ❤❤❤

After you’ve shared about being burnt out, I would not be surprised if people will come to you to offer unsolicited advice and words of comfort. You might feel it’s intrusive but they come from a place of concern.

Common on guys! You choose to become RU-vid celebrity and that simply means you have put yourself out on social media and you are going to attract interest. We Malaysian are friendly and like to strike conversation. That’s all! Don’t overthink it folks and spoil your time here. It’s only been 5 months you will start loving us. 😀

Sometimes as a neighbour we also makes small chat by asking "What are you doing?", while aware that neighbour just hanging their clothes or watering the plants or just come back from the morning market. 😂 it is like a conversation to make sure we care about our neighbour.. sometimes we also just nodding our head if our sight met or simply raised our hand as a sign of acknowledgement of our neighbour.. 😂😂

As a Malaysian, this is the most accurate description of Malaysians ! They are too relaxed and they often don't think twice about what they say or do!! And also their version of english is so different from the rest of the world! Their odd social questions like "where you stay" actually means "which area is your hotel" so they can gage how far you have to travel to get to places of interests, or what you have seen so far......rather than them just asking "where have you been so far ?" i also get this "where you stay" question in Malay, Chinese, English, India...as long as they are Malaysian you're gonna get that question. it's almost like this is their way to express they are interested in you, without saying they are actually interested in you........... They will literally ask you ANY questions personal or not just to show that they are interested...but they dont want to actually directly say they are interested. it often comes off as rude , invasive, blunt or brash....esp with foreigners who are brought up with more polite society where personal questions are frowned upon.....but to Malaysians it's not deemed as a personal question at all. to them its just another regular conversation on a Tuesday! I've gotten "are you going to get married", "what are you studying", "what do you do for a living", "where are you going today" from all sorts of random Malaysian strangers. Malaysians just LOVE making conversation for the sake of it. They have good intentions but are REALLY BAD at communicating them. its kind of funny and frustrating at the same time.

come to Indonesia here more variety of food in each area and more authentic. you won't be bored because from end to end there is special food.

There are pros & cons that Malaysian could pick up on this topic. Simple question is being asked to express the gratitude. But, if the question asked was too sensitive to answer and exaggerate, it might turn out hurt the feeling of the person that being asked. Then, that is busybody or Malaysian call it as “Makcik Bawang”.

Malaysian also like to ask obvious things like if you're washing your car, they'll asked "You washing car, ehh?". It's basically Malaysian polite way of an icebreaker, a quaint conversation starter to be exact.

jimmy, you make my day!! it's a common question actually. just reply him in general, you stay at ampang/cheras/shah alam..that's it. do not too detail. then he might reply you "oh you come all the way just to eat this?". it is just a normal conversation with locals.

Normally the recommendation for restaurants is because it is where the locals love to go and hang out, and it is part of the Grab driver's job to be as accommodative as possible to their passengers. Suggestions can be via word of mouth or from fellow passengers too to the drivers. It also showed how knowledgeable the driver is and how helpful he is. You can refer to the grab driver's satisfaction survey, if you're satisfied with the driver attitude or cleanliness or anything that is related to his job or his attitude towards his passengers.

It's normal questions here 😂. Dosent meant to know your actual address. Sometimes when they know you maybe stay same place with them they will be more friendly. They may also invite you to come to their house if they know you stay very near. That is how friendly Malaysian can be.

The reason many M'sian asked these questions means they are generally more helpful & humble people so foreigners should be more grateful & not felt offended by such questions. Normally they started with the weather then progressing further with the above questions

Ya, when we sometimes ask “where you stay” , doesn’t mean we want to know the exact address. Just answer the district or area will do. Nowadays Malaysians also don’t give address to anyone, unless the person is very close to us.

And actually especially in KL. A lot of people are moving to KL from other states. And naturally.. people care about each other by asking where you stay. So.. can give you tips or two about the area. Almost 80% of people in KL are coming from other states..

Those questions may not necessarily mean anything rather to keep the conversation going. However, let say if they ask you where are you staying and then your address is not that far from their home, they might want to invite you to hang out somewhere nearby whenever the time suit both. As for where are you going, if your destination is the same direction as theirs, they might offer you a lift. It is not to invade your privacy but rather to seek common ground on which they can offer you assistance or simply hanging out to have an evening chat.

When other people ask you "where are you staying?" They just want to know which area you are staying. And the next thing they gonna tell you after they know which area you are staying, it's the nice food around the area~ Or anything interesting about the area~ That's Malaysians 😊

I like the way both of you discuss matters. When you guys find problem, you solve them together harmony. Brilliant wifey iChang, funny and husbandly Jimmy

Aha..u r coming closer to discover d truly malaysian culture n bhaviour...😄😁😆

haha, you guys overthink what we Malaysian ask or said, just take it easy, keep smiling and you're good to go. Now we as Malaysian see you two doing Q&A and we also feel culture shock because we won't do it this way. It's just felt so weird doing that as a couple.

This type of talk also is a good content not necessary on food only. Anyway its good to know that iChang had a good grasp of Malaysian hospitality which maybe awkward to Jimmy and most foreigners. Enjoy your stay and trip around Malaysia.

When I was still a kid, when balik kampung, then there were kenduri and all orang kampung came to kenduri, I was always being asked, "Who's your daddy? Who's is your mummy? It's good because if anything wrong happened then we all know on how to forward that information. We knew our surroundings. However, today's not the same anymore.

Haha.. I can vouch for the "where are you from?" conversation. I'm currently surrounded by hundreds of Malaysians that I have never met and I asked where do you stay/ from? It's a conversation starter..to find common ground to start a conversation. And by end of it all, I have forgotten where all of them are from. 😂

ichang have become veteran tourist....... now they making a documentary about culture shock!

Selalunya kalau nak mulakan conversation, malaysian biasanya akan tanya gini contoh: dari mana acik? / asal mana bang? / lama dah ke duduk sini. Lepastu baru cerita topik yang relate dengan kawasan yang ditanya tu. Macam toic starter la

Good to see and hear insight in u tube from both of you in regards to relevant discussion and comment each time on various topic ( other than food!) which have provide better perspective for my understanding of fellow Malysian whom I didn' t know before!

I know it is a bit rude to ask these questions. But Malaysians meant no harm, it is their way of saying are you alright Are you comfortable? Since you have just moved here, they are still concerned about you. Don't worry too much, about it. It has only been 5 months, not 5 years. Calm down. I know other cultures do not ask such personal questions, usually, it does not mean a thing, just concern about your welfare since you are in a foreign land. There are a lot of things that need to be learned about the Malaysian's heart and their thoughts. Just stay cool and well.

Malaysian conversation starter, it is to find similarities. We want to find what we have in common so that we can get along better.

We ask where you stay by meaning the general area.. not for address 😂 It's also a conversation starter for some. No ill intentions 😄

You are absolutely right about the favourite food being just a preference, and that there are inconsistency in food every time you visit. It is just common.

This video makes me laugh several times, so funny. Different countries have different cultures 😅😊😂

So….Where do you stay?🏠

I have been with both of you from the beginning..and will be with you till the end.😚😚😚

I love this kind of contents. Informative and educational. ❤

Some people ask where you stay or where you going, because that's how they connect on how we could meet here. Contoh, saya jumpa kamu di pasar malam, jadi saya akan fikir, "eh, kamu duduk area rumah saya ke?" "I am living near this person? That's amazing!" Macam itu saja. Just to find the same ground to establish the conversation.