Malaysia
Dr Kingston has been visiting Malaysia to study bats for nearly 15 years. Aside from all the wonderful bats to work with, Malaysia is a very exciting and culturally diverse country with great food!
Malaysia is culturally and developmentally very diverse. Approximately 60% of the population are Malay (Muslim), 30% Chinese (Buddhist and Christian), and just under 10% Indian (predominantly Hindu), with a small number of Orang Asli — Indigenous People (Animist and Muslim). Though predominantly Muslim, Malaysia is a fascinating mix of religions and cultures. A single town will be dotted with mosques and Buddhist and Hindu temples, and shop signs are often written in three languages! The culinary offerings are equally diverse. Developmentally, the country ranges from the Che Wong indigenous people that live in the reserve as hunter-gatherers, to the settled agriculturalist Orang Asli, to “kampong” (village) Malays, to small-town Chinese and Indians, and finally to a highly sophisticated, multicultural urban population in Kuala Lumpur.
To learn more about Malaysia, take a look at the slideshow. It’s quite a bit different from Lubbock!
