What is your Nationality my long lost friend?

Last night i chatted with a friend of mine who left Brunei and immigrated to Australia in the year of 2004.
Why do i call my friend as a long lost friend?
It is because ever since my friend left Brunei,we never have the chance to contact each other.

Thanks to FACEBOOK we found each other and exchanged emails.

How i know this friend? Since 2001...

We studied in the same high school, St.george's School.
We went to the same church, church beside our school.
We was in same class.
We gossiped about girls and boys.
We talked about studies.
We prayed in the church together when we were having exams

Until 2004...

My friend immigrated to Australia with the family.
All our friends went to airport and farewell my friend.
We promised to keep contact with each other but we didnt.
So we lost contact and...
I forgot my friend..

Four years later, 21.10.2008...

We chatted with each other through MSN.
Everything seems not right, we didnt know how to start a conversation.
I know that every thing have changed and we cannot get back to what we used to be.
I was surprise to know that my friend had become the citizen of Australia and had given up the citizen of Malaysia.
From what i know, Malaysia citizenship is difficult to apply and the passport of Malaysia is costly. Many people try to steal, rob and even make a fake one to get it...and my friend gave up on it.
My friend told me that my friend want to get USA citizenship in the future as it will be good for my friend's career and USA accept dual citizenship.

I feel sad...

I think it is good that people have ambition, they want to go to a bigger places and from there, they can get better future.

Like what my dad always tell me, my life is not just within Brunei and Malaysia. I should look further..it is possible that i even work in places like Egypt or even Korea. Is the matter of i dare to dream or not.

But..no matter where i go, i will remember my own country..Malaysia.
A country of mine yet i am not familiar with.
A 24/7 summer country that i love and hate.
A country that i am now staying in.
A country that I will never give up on my own nationality.

My friend used to write his nationality as Malaysian.
So now will be Australian and in the future will be American/Australian?

So when the child ask " What is my nationality?"
So my friend will answer " You suppose to be Malaysian but we gave up on that so we are either Australian or American"

It might be offensive if my friend see this, and i do not know the reason why my friend has given up the nationality.

But this is just my thought.

For people like me, who grew up in Brunei will not know much about Malaysia.
What is happening to Malaysia will not be our problem and we are no concern about it.
We only go back once in a year.
We will not think that Malaysia will be a place for our future.
That might be the reason why we do not care so much about our nationality.

But....

Once you stay in Malaysia, no matter which state..
You will notice that it is not as bad as u think..
You will notice that Malaysia can be a place for your future..
You will notice that Malaysia is the place that you are looking for..

So..When people ask me "Tisha, What is your nationality?"

And my answer will be..

" I am Malaysian and I am proud of it!"







All the best to my friend~~~!