Today I woke up at about 11:00 to attend my regular meeting. We were in celebration mode because one of our members had found a job. After the regular meeting, I did some works and then decided to go to lunch with Sufi!

From our fateful encounter at the hostel until now

It was at a hostel that I met Sufi. As I wrote in my previous article, I didn’t have much money before coming to Malaysia, so I decided to stay at the cheapest hostel in KL, Malaysia. The hostel I chose was 6 euro per night. I was really surprised at how cheap it was, which is unthinkable in Japan. But I decided to stay there and made a reservation. Maybe some invisible force was at work.

As I expected, there were cockroaches in the hostel and it was not clean at all. And because it was a cheap hostel, many of the guests there were dirtier (sorry for the rudeness) than in a normal hostel. Then I met Sufi. He told me that the reason he was staying at the hostel was because he wanted to become a hostel owner and was now thinking about that project, so he wanted to hear what things were important to people who actually choose hostels. What a surprise. So the very first thing I talked to him about was his advice, “Three days in Jakarta is enough”. Then, as each day passed, I had a chance to talk with him and he told me many things about his trip. Thanks to these wonderful encounters, I got to know him. So I shortened the dates of the hostel I had booked and booked two airline tickets and three accommodations. I was so surprised that such a thing could happen.

It was one discovery. The more expensive a hotel is, the more “comfort” you can get, but the harder it is to make “encounters with people”. However, the cheaper the place you stay, the less “comfort” you get, but the easier it is to make “encounters” with people. In the end, that’s the way it is. So, there is always a “good side” and a “bad side” to everything. That’s what I thought. And now I am 23 years old. In other words, it’s time for adventure. That’s why I should prioritize “meeting people” over “comfort,” and I want to do so. So, staying in a cheap hotel was a good decision.

Sufi and I decided to go out for Malaysian food in the Malay area

When I told him I wanted to try Malaysian food, he immediately pointed me to his favorite Malay restaurant! So we decided to meet there. His English has so many contractions that I often get confused lol. He was supposed to meet me near from his hostel and we were supposed to go together since my hostel and his hostel are very close to each other, but I mistakenly went ahead of him.

Adventure to the Malay District Restaurant District

I walk around listening to music on my SHURE AONIC5, which I always carry with me. I love such time. I love to just walk around without worrying about anything. I love such a leisurely trip. While walking like that, I arrived at the Malay district. Most of the people are Malaysian, and there are many Malay restaurants. I decided to wait for Sufi there. Surprisingly, the prices were not that high and everything was affordable. There were many restaurants, including Nasi Lemak, which is a traditional dish. Everything looked delicious.

I was really happy to meet Sufi. Normally, you don’t “meet” in a hostel in Japan, because “everything is convenient”.

Malay restaurant

Let’s think about communication. It starts with “inconvenience”. Again, my conversation with Sufi started when I asked him, “What is Indonesia like?” So, the thing that makes all communication is “inconvenience”. There are many “inconveniences” in that hostel, too. I don’t know how to use the washing machine, there are cockroaches and they are disgusting, the bathroom is infested with bow flies, what floor is the swimming pool on, etc. But everything in Japan is beautiful and clean, and everything is in order, so there is no such thing as making friends in a hostel. That is why I waited for Sufi, with feeling such a strange sensation.

Met with Sufi to go to his favorite restaurant

Sufi finally arrived! He was wearing a hat and glasses, so I didn’t recognize him at first, but he waved to me and I recognized him immediately! I was apparently at the wrong restaurant, so I asked him to show me to his favorite restaurant. As we walked, we talked a lot about what the restaurant is like and about our adventures. I really like him because he was always so energetic and cheerful.

Eating local Malaysian food with Malaysian friends at a Malaysian restaurant in the Malay district in Malaysia

We arrived at the restaurant! It was almost like a food stall there. Today is the birthday of the current king, so it is a holiday, and apparently a lot of people is going home or something. So there were not many people there today. He took me to the restaurant and I ordered chicken and rice. It was really interesting. The chicken was in large quantities and looked spicy. Sufi helped me and poured the rice and chicken, then told me to add a salad or something if I wanted it, so I decided to dress it with lettuce and cucumbers.

The food you ordered

With Sufi

Then we took our seats and the waitress asked, “What would you like to drink?” I wondered what they had and immediately Sufi ordered me a “Mango Lassi”. I love this kind of casualness. And of course, mango lassi is my favorite, so I was really happy. And what a great price, 180 yen, too cheap.

What a surprise, sea grapes are for sale!

Mango sticky rice is a whopping 120 yen!

Lots to discover today!

My goodness, there are no knives in Malaysia, despite the chicken dish! Besides, the way to eat it was different. When I tried to cut and eat the chicken, Sufi showed me how to eat it in Malaysia. What a surprise, they use a spoon to eat chicken and rice together! He did not use a fork. I am used to French and Italian food, so I inevitably have moments when I point the meat with a fork and bring it to my mouth. So it was really fun to taste such a cultural difference.

Then he told me about the traders. I was very curious. When did he start trading? How did he get started? I asked him about that.

The reason was that I saw a guy next to him at the service trading on his iPad when they prey in mosque and I thought it was cool. And he thought, “This is my ideal figure”. That’s when he started studying trading. He started trading right away, and because he did it without any knowledge, he experienced a big crash and made a huge mistake. So he learned a lot from that, and he learned the truth that trading is not about greed, but about waiting. I feel that is a really great discovery. I could learn, too, that the key to forex and other forms of trading is to wait.

He actually showed me the trading screen, and everything was so high level that I had no idea what he was doing. But it was really interesting. I had dabbled in it a bit when I was a freshman in college, and had made a huge mistake too. So I could understand a little bit by looking at the screen. But it looked really difficult because there was a lot of technical stuff. But Sufi was very dexterous in his analysis of BTC, USD, GBP, JPN, etc. He was very knowledgeable about the Japanese Yen, which was very surprising to me.

Then I asked him if he had read a book called “Physiology of money”. To my surprise, he had already read it. I couldn’t believe that he had read all of Robert Kiyosaki’s books too. I couldn’t believe it. I have only read “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” so I thought it was amazing. But I guess reading is normal for traders, right?

After we finished eating, I gave him my business card. With a message. After all, I am shy, so there are things I can’t say in words, but a message makes it easier to convey my thoughts to the other person. So I think that’s really wonderful.

He wants to open a hostel in his hometown area

We paid our bill and headed back to the hostel. We were not sure if it was going to rain or not, but his “sense” had detected it was going to rain. The sky was overcast and it looked like it might actually rain. So, if there was wind, it would be fine, but since there was no wind at all, it seemed to be an omen of rain. So we decided to take a break at a place near the hostel.

While we were walking, we talked about his project. He wants to open a hostel in his home town. It is a hostel where people can experience “culture” and “human nature,” unlike ordinary hostels. In other words, he wants to incorporate “inconveniences” that create communication in a beautiful and nice way. For example, the toilet seats are not warm. They make all the food from scratch. You can wear traditional clothes and dance with the locals, or join a group of locals and experience cooking together.

Is there such a wonderful hostel! I think yes. It’s his hostel. And what’s more, it’s going to open in August, and there are only two months left. I really think that’s great. I was so fascinated by his adventure story that I bought a ticket for Kota Kinabalu. He definitely has a charm that attracts people. When I go to Malaysia next time, I will definitely visit his hometown. That is what true travel is all about, and that is what being human is all about.

We had a short chat at a desk in a convenience store near his hostel. He wants to go to “Iraq” and “Afghanistan. I want to go there, too. But I am afraid to do so. But he told me.

“There is always something beyond what is considered “scary” or where people tell you not to go.”

I think that’s exactly right. There are new discoveries beyond what no one else does, and great treasures lie there. That is why I think it is important to do the exact opposite of what everyone else does. And only when you reach that point will you discover the “yourself which you have always wanted to find”. I really think so, too. That’s why I told him to invite me when he goes to Afghanistan.

I really think it is right. I have become a “freelancer” in exchange for the risk, and am now traveling the world, whereas 99% of students make the decision to “work for a company after graduation”. I am making discoveries every day that are 100,000,000 times bigger than 99% of students.

Then we introduced our hometowns to each other. I showed him my hometown and my house, and he showed me his hometown. It was very charming. There is a beautiful ocean nearby. I thought that kind of place is really nice. I definitely want to go there in the future. I thought so.

The message he wrote me. Very nice.

I asked him to write a message in my adventure notebook. The content was really too good to be true. It was like a kind of poem, and I was really moved by it. I really try to live like that. Thank you.

I learned many lessons from him today. Thank you so much! And we’ll see you in Kota Kinabalu! We shook hands and said bye bye.