Discover Malaysia through an innovative homestay initiative and you'll find yourself adopted by a whole new family
"Makan … ayam … tandas". After four days in Peninsular Malaysia, I'm confident that these three words - they mean eat, chicken and s**t - will get me through most emergencies. But then Somsak, my travel mate, decides he wants to cook Thai food for our foster family. My limited vocabulary is obviously not enough to ask the family for the ingredients that we need but Somsak is undeterred. An inveterate traveller, he has a better idea.
If you can't speak, you'd better be a good actor.
The 50something guy squats down on the ground, flaps his arms up and down like a bird and then jumps around squawking like an old and rather desperate rooster.
"Cockadoodledo. Cockadoodledo. Ayam. Egg," he cackles.
Salamah Osman, our foster mother, looks worried. Maybe she's afraid that this strange Thai is about to launch an attack on her chickens. A few seconds later, she figures it out and laughs out loud.
"Telur?" she asks.
"Yes, telur. We need telur, lah!" replies a delighted Somsak.
From steamed vegetables to knockyoursocksoff chilli paste and spicy fried chicken with lemongrass, we are able to bring some Thai dishes to her table. Somsak wants to cook his signature tom yum goong but after conferring, we decide we'd have problems acting out the prawn, cuttlefish and kaffir lime.
Salamah Osman is one of hundreds Malaysia heads of families who've joined IMTGT's tourism project. IMTGT refers to the IndonesiaMalaysiaThailand Growth Triangle, an organisation that aims to promote tourism across the three countries. For a homestay, IMTGT arranges the meeting between the visitors and the host families.
It's a straightforward arrangement. The foster family provides the bed and the food and shows you around the villages. In return, you give them a fixed sum of money. While this may sound like an allinclusive holiday package, it's actually very different from the deals offered by other travel agents.
"With a homestay, you experience the real Malaysia," says Azura Zainal, one of the organisers. "You'll sleep in their bed, eat homecooked food and play traditional games."
The first stop for Somsak and I, together with 30 more participants from Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, is in Kampung Raga in the northern province of Kedah. There, snug in a cocoon of Muslim hospitality, I sleep in the family home surrounded by rustic countryside and drink sweet tea for breakfast.
"Malaysia is a mixed bag of different races - Malays, Chinese, Indian and Javanese. They were brought here by the British," says Azura Zainal, who has of both Chinese and Malay blood.
In colonial times, the British brought the Chinese to Malaysia to work in the tin mines. Then, they shipped in Indians to work on the rubber plantations. With the Peninsula becoming more populated, the British looked across the Strait of Malacca to resolve the food situation, bringing in Javanese to plant and harvest the rice paddies.
Travel in the countryside today and you'll find a melting pot of these cultures.
We are greeted on our arrival at the small community hall in Kampung Raga by long tables groaning under plates of deep-fried mackerel, stir-fried vegetable, chicken curry and barbecue. This self-serve buffet lunch has been provided by our foster families and it looks and smells delicious.
"Excuse me," I say, approaching an elderly man. "Where can I find a spoon?"
The old man, dressed in a sarong and songkok cap, disappears for a minute before coming back with a worried look on his face. There's no spoon in his hand and I immediately realise I've made a terrible mistake. In most part of the Malaysia Peninsula, people still eat with their hands.
From Kedah we travel southwards along the coast, stopping over at Sungai Sedim for a Tree Top Walk. On day four, we arrived in the southern province of Negeri Sembilan, where Somsak and I dance for eggs at Salamah Osman's house.
Negeri Sembilan is home to the Minangkabau, an ethnic group native to West Sumatra. These folks are fond of travel, and in the past would leave their homes in search for adventure and fortune.
"The Minangkabau are a noble tribe," says Azura Zainal. "They came here around the 15th Century, and lived in traditional Rumah Gadang houses with dramatic curved roofs and upswept gables."
The Minangkabau people are traditionally matrilineal and today the women still rule the house. The land, house and all property are inherited through daughters or female lineage.
My foster mother, Salamah, has a small house perched on the knoll, overlooking the main road. The family keeps chickens in a pen tucked away in the backyard. Food is quickly prepared in the kitchen. The day's menu features chicken rendang (sweet curry), eggplant curry and peanuts, and every dish is sweet in comparison to Thai food. When the family samples Somsak's offerings of spicy stirfried chicken and namprik kapi (chilli paste), they find it so hot that tears start running down their faces.
During our two days in Negeri Sembilan, we split our time between the foster family and the community hall, and also visit the local waterfall and Stana Seri Menanti, the royal residence. The traditional sports are introduced and we are soon competing in greasy pole climbing, tugsofwar and coconut grating.
The homestay is a great way of experiencing the country and people, as it takes you not just into their homes and their kitchens but also into their hearts. Born and bred a Buddhist, I've always wondered what it would be like waking up in the bosom of a Muslim family.
At Salamah's house, we are usually woken up by the morning prayer. Papa Udyang, our foster father, rises around 5am, takes a shower and places the mat on the floor. Then he looks towards Mecca and prays for half an hour. Afterwards, a cup of sweet, hot tea is served along with banana cake. Everyone drinks together and passes on the news of the day, while waiting for breakfast.
"It's so great to meet new people and share Malaysia," says Salamah, showing us a notebook with compliments from her guests from Korea, Japan and Europe.
After two nights with the family, Salamah says she already feels we're her real sons.
If you go …
For information and reservations, visit www.IMTGTTourism.com.