Culture Shock

I am a man from a small town in Kelantan, never ashamed to admit that I have experienced culture shock. It all started when I went on to study at the University in Kuala Lumpur. 

The Metropolitan capital that has it all, may never have been pictured by a man like me.

I stayed in Kelantan majority made up of Malay, way of life or culture just like me. Therefore, when entering the University, it creates a slightly awkward atmosphere to myself because there are various cultures and ways of life among the students that I have never met.

Kelantan is one of the states administered by Parti Islam Malaysia (PAS) since the 1990s. The way of administration is according to the way of Islamic administration. 

Therefore, all entertainment activities, especially for the young, are strictly prohibited by the Kelantan state administration.

Is the way young people dress in Kelantan, very different from the way young people dress in Kuala Lumpur ?. In my personal opinion, it is the same for the Malay women. 

Likes to wear tight clothes to show the shape of the body. The only difference is wearing a hijab for young women in Kelantan.

When I first set foot in a shopping mall near the University. I was very surprised by the dress of the visitors at that time. Most of them wore shorts and t-shirts without sleeves. 

The majority of them were dressed in such a race other than the Malays. I try to imagine if my villagers dress like that. How will the response be given by the community.

It's a lie if I say I don't like what I see. As a normal man and from a village in Kelantan. The mind that has been the narrowest is now wide open. 

Wearing simple and exposed clothes is common in Kuala Lumpur. Malay women over the years, I just know they are going to wear the veil. Now the other way around.

The usual entertainment I find in Kelantan, such as museums, shopping malls or eating at fast food restaurants. 

When I was in Kuala Lumpur, the entertainment atmosphere was 360 degrees different, when there was a cinema, there was a karaoke center, video game center, nightclub or massage parlor for men who thirst for love.

Over time I began to get used to the atmosphere that was initially foreign to me. The first week I was at the University was the familiarization week.

 I still follow bedtime when I'm at home. Therefore, when the time shows 10 pm, it is a bit late for me, while for the people of Kuala Lumpur, it is still not too late. So I became a nuisance because I wanted to sleep early.

In Kelantan, the shop is open only until 12.00 midnight, it is very different in Kuala Lumpur. When the operating hours of one shop are closed, other shops are just about to start operating, it keeps KL residents active.

Ustaz said, who we are friends with will determine who we are next. To avoid it I continue to be in shock after shock of a new culture. 

I became friends with students from the Academic of Islamic Studies. Do not continue to be in ignorance if there is an opportunity to change for the better right in front of your eyes.

When it comes to the question of this culture shock. The role of the friend is very important as it ensures that the friend does not continue to make mistakes due to negative influences. 

When being in an area that offers whatever lust desires, surely it is not leading us in a better direction but the other way around.

Throughout the University, many of the female students experienced culture shock. The change is starting to be obvious in terms of the increasingly sexy dress and grooming. Some even started learning to enter the nightclubs that exist in Kuala Lumpur.

I once came across some female students who wore rather sexy clothes. Based on their mutual conversations, their destination by dressing like that is a nightclub. 

Honestly at first I was a bit weird hearing the word clubbing, when asking those who studied longer in Kuala Lumpur. I just understood the meaning of the word.

When I was on job training in Penang. I had the opportunity to gain new experiences when exploring the world of dark alleys or prostitution.

 What is surprising is that prostitutes found a Malay girl, young. With a payment as low as RM50, willing to serve the lust of any man.

Is there no other way to make a living ?. I strongly believe that the prostitute used to be a good child, maybe the family does not know her condition at this time. Is SHE a victim of culture shock ?. 

If true, something very sad because other than that, I know that there are those among young Malay women who are willing to work as a social escort as payment is given very high.

I once saw a woman who might be paid to be a boyfriend with the intention of influencing the man to get a project reward or money.

Although I am still vulnerable to culture short, easily tempted, but Allah SWT knows everything. In fact, there are still many temptations waiting to sweep away humans.

The fact that temptation is able to exist in a form we did not expect, imagine there is a woman in a robe defeated by lust. 

It all starts with a culture shock, if we choose the wrong direction or friends, especially when in a big city like Kuala Lumpur. We certainly continue to drift in the excitement of culture shock.