LiftOff: Monica Tran’s Malaysia FAQ
Monica Tran answers our questions about her LiftOff experience and gives a full run-down of what it’s been like to adapt and adjust to work and life in Kuala Lumpur. LiftOff is Orion’s employee mobility program that places Orionites in both domestic and international markets to develop new skills and build professional relationships.
How’s it going?
Really well! The transition has been much easier than I anticipated, both professionally and personally. I’m learning so much and really enjoy the people I work with. And, Kuala Lumpur is a great city.
Is there a language barrier?
Not at all. Malaysians conduct business in English. So, their contracts and emails and meetings are in English and communication issues have been very minimal. I’m still trying to learn the local language for life outside of work and to understand the jokes and puns with my coworkers. However, it is quite normal to sit with strangers at a shared food hawker table and have a lively discussion, on politics, family life, history, and the latest Netflix shows!
Where do you live?
My boyfriend and I live in a neighborhood called Brickfields, which is Kuala Lumpur’s Little India. We chose this place because it has a direct walkway to the LRT (Lightrail Transit) and is a great central location to travel to other places and neighborhoods in Kuala Lumpur.
How’s the commute to work?
Super easy! I’m 5 LRT stops from the Mediabrands’ office. The LRT is very clean, efficient, non-crowded and easy to ride. Door to door is about 30 minutes.
What’s the food like?
Incredible. If you Google “Malaysia,” the first few things you will read about is the food. Malaysia is made up of Malay, Chinese and Indian populations, cultures and traditions so the food is an amazing representation of, and fusion, of all three groups. I found a 2016 Time Out edition that listed the “Top 100 things to eat in Malaysia” and I don’t think I’ve made it through half the list. You have everything from hearty, spicy noodle soups and Chinese glazed pork, to naan and curries and chicken tandoori galore, to something simple yet delicious like white rice and spicy sambal, hardboiled egg and dried anchovies wrapped in a banana leaf called Nasi Lemak. If you want to try Malaysian food in New York, ask Shaun Lim, or head to Nyonya on Grand Street!
What is the office layout? How many people are in the Mediabrands office?
There are 400 people in the Mediabrands office across three floors with Reprise as the biggest agency here with 100+ people. I sit on the Initiative floor with 7 other people from MAGNA. I will be sharing office space with MAGNA and Cadreon. In a few weeks, we will probably make up 20-25 people.
What is some advice you’ve received during your new assignment that has been helpful so far?
Stop saying “In New York/States/U.S./back home” because things are going to be different in your local market. You need to keep an open mind to fully understand the situation without categorizing or simplifying it to something else with which you’re familiar. Thanks Miles McDermott for this!
“Work Hard, Be Nice” – This is universal and more important than ever.
What are some things you miss from the U.S.?
A fresh quinoa salad bowl, a Chipotle burrito, some of my fall/winter clothing that I left behind because I thought it would be too miserably hot. But in fact, the office is so miserably cold that a few sweaters (maybe even some beanies) would have been very welcome … my mom, but thank goodness for technology to allow for easy and constant video chatting!
What has been your biggest challenge so far, personally and at work?
Personally, my biggest challenge has been getting around! Kuala Lumpur is not a pedestrian friendly city. If you knew me from New York, you know I would happily walk from the office all the way to Chinatown. For fun. Here, something that is 10 minutes away according to Google Maps will most likely lead me alongside a highway with no sidewalks, a barrier and I somehow have to cross the street. I’m slowly adjusting to living in a “suburb” city and acting accordingly. Luckily, there is Grab (they bought Uber earlier this year) which is very convenient and affordable, as long as it’s not rush hour! (I made the mistake of taking a Grab after work once to a shopping center that is typically 10 minutes away. The infamous “jam” is very real – the ride took almost an hour and a half!)
My biggest challenge at work has been figuring it out. Yes, that is very vague, but that’s that best way to describe my first two months in the Malaysian market.
This is an entirely new market with new processes and systems, people, clients, personalities and dynamics; the similar denominator is providing client and media partner value through Orion. Figuring out all of these details, although a bit challenging at first, will help inform how I can provide client and media partner value through Orion in Malaysia, moving forward.
