Malaysia, the Country Where You Can't Get Angry - By Ra Na CHOI

Written By: Ra Na CHOI

Category: Essay

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the essay "Malaysia, the Country Where You Can't Get Angry," Ra Na CHOI shares her transformative journey of adapting to life in Malaysia. Originally from Korea and having lived in various countries worldwide, her narrative highlights the unique cultural experiences that shape her current perspective. As a participant in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, her work captures the essence of cultural acclimation and patience.

About the Work

Ra Na CHOI's essay is a thoughtful exploration of cultural nuances encountered in Malaysia. Her vivid anecdotes reveal the challenges of adjusting to new customs and the unexpected kindness she experiences. Through personal stories, she reflects on moments of frustration turned into lessons of patience, illustrating the pervasive warmth and understanding inherent in Malaysian culture.

Malaysia, the country where you can't get angry

Original Submission by Ra Na CHOI

Malaysia, the Country Where You Can’t Get Angry

Essay by RANA CHOI, 2026 October

It has been five years since I moved to Malaysia.

I was born and raised in Korea, and after graduating from university, I lived in several places, including the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, China, Hong Kong, and Dubai, before eventually moving to Malaysia. I experienced culture shock in each of those places, and Malaysia was no exception.

Now that I’ve adjusted to many aspects of life here, one general impression still stands out to me: people are kind and easy-going. I tend to be a little impatient, and there are times when I suddenly lose my temper or let my frustration show on my face. But I’ve never seen Malaysians corner someone or pressure them in that way.

Therefore, I often feel ashamed after getting angry.

A few incidents come to mind, so I thought I’d write them down.

Uninformed Foreigner

My first story takes place at a hotel.

When I arrived in Malaysia with my two daughters, it was toward the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we had to quarantine in a hotel room for two weeks after entering the country. Unlike in the early days, when people were randomly assigned to hotels, we were lucky enough to be able to choose our quarantine hotel in advance and pay for it ourselves.

I looked at several options and thought that since we wouldn’t be allowed to go out anyway, I might as well choose a hotel with large windows and a nice view. That turned out to be a smart decision.

Although we couldn’t go outside, looking out at the green fields helped lift our spirits. I could sometimes hear dogs barking in the early morning, and when it rained, I felt as though the rain was refreshing my own heart as well.

At first, I was quite happy. I enjoyed staying in a hotel and having meals delivered three times a day without having to cook. We even had a afternoon tea set every afternoon!

But as the days passed, we felt less hungry as we were not moving our bodies enough spending time in a small room. I began to take the meals for granted and started getting critical on food.

The menu changed every day, but one day, we were served a whole lot of spicy dishes. There was something like curry. I thought it was a weird breakfast, thinking the breakfast should be mild and easy to digest. When I had to do the survey at the end of our two-week quarantine, I complained about the meal. Who serves spicy food first thing in the morning? I wrote.

Of course, the hotel responded with a very sincere apology.

However, after settling into life in Malaysia, I eventually learned that what I had complained about was actually roti canai, a common Malaysian breakfast food.

I was so embarrassed by my own ignorance. I had complained about the local food without even understanding the culture. Looking back, I felt grateful to the hotel staff for offering such a heartfelt apology to someone who had been so uninformed.

Unexpected Kindness at the Traffic Light

Not long ago, I found myself at a traffic light. At that particular intersection, vehicles turning left were allowed to do so without waiting for a green light.

But the truck in front of me just sat there, refusing to move.

I honked to let the driver know that he could turn, but he didn’t react. Perhaps he was looking at his mobile phone.

Then something unexpected happened. A motorcyclist who had stopped beside the truck to wait for his own right-turn signal, got off his motorcycle, walked over to the truck driver's window, and told him that he could go ahead and turn left.

I couldn’t believe what he was doing. He was so incredibly kind.

It had nothing to do with him, and he had no idea how long he would have to wait for his own signal. Yet he willingly went out of his way to help me.

I was deeply grateful. There was something beautiful about the way he stepped outside his own world and made the effort to help someone else.

Double Charge at a Petrol Station

Another episode happened at a petrol station near my home. A couple of weeks ago, I stopped at a petrol station to fill up my car. I paid by card at the pump and filled my tank. The total came to around RM156.

Strangely, there was no button on the pump to print a receipt. I spent quite some time looking for one, but eventually gave up and got back into my car, thinking, ‘What a strange machine’.

I had just started driving away when a petrol station attendant approached me with a serious expression on her face.

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

“You need to pay before you leave,” she said.

“But I already paid by card at the pump. Are you saying the payment didn’t go through?” I said.

She explained that the machine was broken and hadn’t processed the payment.

So, I followed her into the shop and paid again using the card terminal she presented to me. This time, just in case, I made sure to take the receipt.

The following evening, something unusual happened. I almost never check my card transactions, but for some reason, I opened my banking app and happened to look through my recent payments.

And there it was: the exact same amount had been charged twice the day before!

I was suddenly wide awake.

Wait a minute. What is this?

I tried to retrace my steps from the previous day. What had I done? I had spent most of the day working, briefly visited a clinic, and stopped at the petrol station on my way home. That was all I could remember.

So that was what had felt strange! I had indeed been charged twice!

Ready to Explode

I wanted to rush straight back to the station and demand an explanation, but it was already approaching ten o’clock at night. I decided to go the next morning instead.

Needless to say, I didn’t sleep well. I couldn’t stop thinking about the problem. If something had gone wrong, I wanted to get it sorted out as quickly as possible.

As soon as morning came, I got into my car and drove back to the petrol station.

I walked into the shop, trying my best to suppress the anger bubbling up inside me. I felt like a pufferfish ready to puff itself up and burst.

As it happened, the very same attendant who had taken my payment twice was standing at the counter.

I barely managed to keep my voice from rising as I began to explain.

“Last Friday, I filled up my car at pump number three over there and paid by card. You told me the payment hadn’t gone through, so I paid again here. But I ended up being charged twice!”

But the attendant looked at me apologetically, almost as if she had been expecting me to show up. She said, “Just a moment, please,” and went into the office.

From her expression, I got the impression that she already knew why I had come and what had gone wrong.

She spoke to someone in the office, then said something to a colleague at the counter. They checked the date and made a few inquiries before she went back inside.

When she returned, she was carrying a bundle of cash equal to the amount I had been charged twice. Stapled to it was a piece of paper with the date, time, and card number written on it.

The person from the office came out as well, checked my card number, and handed me the money.

Apparently, there had been a computer malfunction. They apologized for the inconvenience.

I suspect that several other customers had also been charged twice that day. It seemed they had already identified the affected transactions, recorded the payment times, and prepared the refunds in advance.

I had arrived at the petrol station brimming with anger, ready to demand an explanation. But there I was, walking out with my money, thanking them instead.

I felt embarrassed that I had come in so worked up, ready to explode.

Perhaps I should make it my personal motto to ‘stay calm, listen quietly, and exercise a little more patience’.

I’ve been struck out swinging three times in spectacular fashion.

In Malaysia, it seems, you just can’t get angry. *

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious event celebrating literary excellence across genres. It brings together diverse voices from around the world, fostering a community of writers who share their unique perspectives through poetry, essays, and creative writing.

We extend our sincere thanks to Ra Na CHOI for her insightful contribution to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her essay, "Malaysia, the Country Where You Can't Get Angry," offers a heartfelt glimpse into the enriching experience of embracing a new culture with openness and understanding.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.