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Interview with... Paulynn, Malaysia expert

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Malaysia interview

Name: Lim Pau-Lynn
Age: I am 19 going on big 2-0. Sheesh.
Occupation: Music and French student

Hi Paulynn! You’ve been doing a great job as a welcoming committee and tour guide for gapyear.com members visiting Malaysia. What do you think of the gappers you’ve met so far?
Hiya citizens of gapyear.com! Hmm, I'm not quite sure about me doing a great job, but you know what? I love meeting people from all walks of life and welcoming them into my side of world. If you’re a backpacker it’s nice to feel like you're welcomed and to have someone you know to show you around and take you to non-tourist places where not many backpackers have the chance to go! So far I've met Jones, his uni friend Martin, another member Ollie and Sonjaolivia. I think they're ace and really friendly, especially Jones and gang. They're the coolest and really a bunch of gentlemen! Will never forget those wicked times I've had with them!

You’ve been member of the month and are verging on the status of gapyear.com celebrity... How does that feel? Must be pretty odd...
Yeah I went bonkers when Nik sent me the email informing me that I was ‘nominated’! It's great fun and it has changed my life! ‘Celeb’? Nay I don’t think so but I've got hold of a few new friends from gapyear.com and we'll probably meet up next year!

What’s it like being a young person in Malaysia? What do young Malaysians get up to in their spare time?
Being a young Malaysian isn't something to brag about as we're living in a Muslim country which means we don’t get as many gigs as the Singaporeans. We do pretty much the same thing as kids in the UK, like watching movies, bowling, ice-skating, shopping, skating and chilling out at Starbucks. However, we do more karaoke-ing and barbie-ing than the Brits! The Chinese Malaysians are crazy over the karaoke, j-culture thing. The Malays are into their hip-hop and the Indians are pretty much in between I reckon!

Would you recommend that young Brits visit Malaysia on their gap years?
Yeah I'd definitely recommend them to visit Malaysia as there's lots to see especially in West Malaysia. I've never been to the Pinnacles, Mt Kinabalu and the orang-utan sanctuary and I can't wait to get myself there! We have some of the best rainforest in the world, beautiful beaches on the East Coast, delicious food, the Twin Towers, and most importantly, we have a diverse culture so you can expect to feel like you've been to China, Indonesia and India.

Click here >> for the orang-utan sanctuary

What are some of the most popular places for tourists to visit in Malaysia?
Definitely the Petronas Twin Towers, Chinatown for cheap bargains, KL Tower, Batu Caves, East Coast, Cameron Highlands, West Malaysia, Penang Island, Langkawi Island, etc...
Check out Malaysia's islands

Tell us about some nice places in Malaysia that most tourists don’t know about...
Well, probably Tioman Island and Redang Island. Everyone I know who's travelling in Malaysia only visited Perhentian Islands on the East Coast. Redang Island's really beautiful and a good place to snorkel and dive and the water's so gorgeous. My Irish friend Alma who travelled with us to Redang Island has been to both islands and she thought that Redang was so much nicer than Perhentians!

Tell us about your favourite city in Malaysia...
Definitely Kuala Lumpur because it’s so much more happening than other cities in Malaysia! But Penang's pretty cool too especially if you want to escape from the busy streets of KL.

...And your favourite place for seeing the Malaysian countryside and nature?
Probably Cameron Highlands because the climate's cooler than KL as it's a few thousand feet above sea level and to get there you need to use this really windy road driving through the forest and crossing over acres of tea plantations!

Where are the rubbish bits of Malaysia we shouldn’t visit? Come on, every country has some...
In Penang, never stay at any of the hostels in Love Lane because it's filled with brothels and dodgy people. You may be considered as a 'client' there and get yourself so much unwanted attention.

What kind of food do Malaysian people eat?
HOT, SPICY food! Well not all Malaysians but we eat everything from Japanese to French to local delights. My favourite local food is Nasi Lemak (Coconut-milk-flavoured rice with peanuts and chilli paste and anchovies) and Roti Canai (Indian food)... yummerish.

We note with interest that you’re studying French? Pourquoi? Is it a useful language in your part of the world?
Parceque... do you really want me to type it in French? Well, when I was younger my uncle who's a French Canadian taught me the numbers and basic questions and answers in French when he visited us. Someone also told me about the city of love, Paris, and that it's the most romantic city in the world. Apart from that, I'm a music student myself and would love to further my studies there. I think learning another foreign language puts you more in touch with their culture and history.

We’ve also noticed that you’re involved in some animal welfare work. Can you tell us a bit about that? What sort of things do you do?
I'm a volunteer of the local SPCA and because we are still in need of a PR, I help them out with emailing and faxing apart from my usual ‘job’, cleaning cages, changing newspaper, bathing the animals, taking them out for walks, washing the floors, getting rid of ticks, cleaning their wounds and making sure that there are still people who care for them. Seeing their silly drooling faces makes me feel grateful that I'm alive and stops me worrying about whether I’ll survive another day!

Need any gap year volunteers to help?
If you love animals and would like to be their PR, why not? Its hard work though!

Do you have any tips for people travelling in Malaysia?
Watch out for the motorcyclists! Snatch thieves are notorious: one woman is still in a coma and another one passed away after staying unconscious for two days. Malaysian men are known for ogling at women who wear ‘revealing’ clothes, so avoid this unless you want the annoying stares! Don’t be too gullible by putting your bags or wallet on the table whilst having meals. Put it on your lap or somewhere that isn't Paulynn rocks

convenient for thieves.

Can you tell us your favourite joke? Go on, finish the interview with a laugh!
Er... I'm always getting ripped off by the locals just because I'm half Portuguese Chinese? Sorry, I'm bad at telling jokes!

That may be true, but we still love you. Thanks Paulynn!
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