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Let me show you Malaysia, through the eyes of an outsider who loves it, questions it, and believes deeply in what it could become.
I’m Alexis, writer, interviewer, observer, and occasionally, an unapologetically brazen critic with asense of humour.
I arrived in Malaysia quite by accident.
Penang first.
Now Kuala Lumpur.
And somewhere between the past and the future, I began to see a country at a crossroads, fullof creativity, ingenuity, resilience… and also, far too many things holding it back.
This platform is not just about me.
It is about:
● people reimagining what Malaysia can be
● innovators working despite the system
● communities shaping new ways of living
● hospitality, culture, and belonging
● the stories that rarely get told, but should
I arrived in Malaysia quite by accident.
Penang first.
Now Kuala Lumpur.
And somewhere between the past and the future, I began to see a country at a crossroads, fullof creativity, ingenuity, resilience… and also, far too many things holding it back.
This platform is not just about me.
It is about:
● people reimagining what Malaysia can be
● innovators working despite the system
● communities shaping new ways of living
● hospitality, culture, and belonging
● the stories that rarely get told, but should
Sometimes it takes an outsider to see things clearly.
I write from that vantage point, with curiosity, affection, honesty, and occasionally a raised eyebrow.
If you’re willing to explore Malaysia not as a postcard, but as a living, flawed, extraordinary work-in-progress…
Then come in.
This is where the conversation begins.
I write from that vantage point, with curiosity, affection, honesty, and occasionally a raised eyebrow.
If you’re willing to explore Malaysia not as a postcard, but as a living, flawed, extraordinary work-in-progress…
Then come in.
This is where the conversation begins.
What You’ll Find Here
These aren’t travel diaries or tourist snapshots. They are reflections, interviews, and cultural observations, told with humour, honesty, and occasionally disbelief.
Funny
Moments of irony, absurdity, human quirk, and the strange beauty of everyday Malaysia, seen through an outsider’s lens.
Serious
Essays on identity, belonging, community, policy, culture, and the systems that shape how people live here.
Spiritual & Honest
Faith, values, resilience, and the complicated journey of becoming, in a world that doesn’talways make space for difference.
The Journey
(And Why I Speak As An outsider)
This isn’t just where I’ve lived.
These are the places that shaped how I see belonging, faith, community, and why I now write from the vantage point of an outsider who is both inside and outside at the same time.
These are the places that shaped how I see belonging, faith, community, and why I now write from the vantage point of an outsider who is both inside and outside at the same time.
Regina, Saskatchewan
Where I learned resilience, independence, and the lifelong habit of asking questions people would rather avoid.
London, England
Writing, art, rebellion, and the realization that storytelling is a way of telling the truth when polite society prefers silence.
San Francisco, USA
Faith began to take root. A country that spoke loudly about inclusion, yet somehow made it very clear that I no longer quite be longed.
Some ugly Americans did not embrace me.
That, too, shaped me.
Some ugly Americans did not embrace me.
That, too, shaped me.
Abu Dhabi
I tried to build a new life there, but a retirement visa required surrendering control of my own funds.
My money remained safely with MCERA, and I moved on.
Another door closed. Another lesson learned.
My money remained safely with MCERA, and I moved on.
Another door closed. Another lesson learned.
Reversion to Islam (October 20, 2020)
Quiet. Grounded. Deeply personal.
Not a performance of faith, but a private alignment of conviction and truth.
Not a performance of faith, but a private alignment of conviction and truth.
Edmonton
A place that was home… and somehow not.
There was a Muslim community, but it was insular, family-bound, male-oriented.
No real friendships. No sense of be longing.
That is when I understood, fully:
I was Muslim, but still an outsider.
There was a Muslim community, but it was insular, family-bound, male-oriented.
No real friendships. No sense of be longing.
That is when I understood, fully:
I was Muslim, but still an outsider.
Penang, Malaysia
And then, quite by accident, Malaysia.
Penang first.
Where observation turned into clarity, where questions became conversation, and where I began to see both the beauty and constraints of a country still learning what it could be.
Penang first.
Where observation turned into clarity, where questions became conversation, and where I began to see both the beauty and constraints of a country still learning what it could be.
Kuala Lumpur (Now)
A city of possibility, contradiction, courage, and constraint.
From here, I write, as an outsider who sees both the flaws and the hope.
Because sometimes it takes distance to see clearly.
From here, I write, as an outsider who sees both the flaws and the hope.
Because sometimes it takes distance to see clearly.
Regina, Saskatchewan
Where I learned resilience, independence, and the lifelong habit of asking questions people would rather avoid.
London, England
Writing, art, rebellion, and the realization that storytelling is a way of telling the truth when polite society prefers silence.
San Francisco, USA
Faith began to take root. A country that spoke loudly about inclusion, yet somehow made it very clear that I no longer quite be longed. Some ugly Americans did not embrace me. That, too, shaped me.
Abu Dhabi
I tried to build a new life there, but a retirement visa required surrendering control of my own funds. My money remained safely with MCERA, and I moved on. Another door closed. Another lesson learned.
Reversion to Islam (October 20, 2020)
Quiet. Grounded. Deeply personal. Not a performance of faith, but a private alignment of conviction and truth.
Edmonton
A place that was home… and somehow not. There was a Muslim community, but it was insular, family-bound, male-oriented. No real friendships. No sense of be longing. That is when I understood, fully: I was Muslim, but still an outsider
Penang, Malaysia
And then, quite by accident, Malaysia. Penang first. Where observation turned into clarity, where questions became conversation, and where I began to see both the beauty and constraints of a country still learning what it could be.
Kuala Lumpur (Now)
A city of possibility, contradiction, courage, and constraint. From here, I write, as an outsider who sees both the flaws and the hope. Because sometimes it takes distance to see clearly.
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This is not a tourism brochure.
It is not nostalgia.
It is not blind praise.
It is a conversation about a country in transition, its creativity, its contradictions, its people, and its possibilities.
Told honestly. Thoughtfully. Sometimes critically. Always with hope.
If you’re curious, reflective, or simply ready to see Malaysia through a different lens, you’re in the right place.
Stay with me. The story is unfolding.
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