GlobalMaverick.org – Taking Asia Head On – Or Toe First

Many tourists travel to Asia to visit to see the beauty of the different countries and experience the varied cultures and distinct traditions. Aside from the landscape, nature, and tourist spots, travellers and tourists also get to have a taste of the local food. Asia has a lot to offer especially with some customs that others may find strange. Here are some of the unusual foods that one may find or encounter when going around this continent.

1. Lamb’s Brains. This delicacy is famous in India. It may sound disgusting but it does not look and taste horrendous as the name sounds. It actually is pretty mild and when cooked it looks white like a tofu. It is usually served with a curry and Indian roti which is considered a gourmet meal. You may have it served differently with egg, fried with tomatoes, masala, or just in plain dish.

2. Tuna Eyes. This is a popular delicacy in Japan. If you don’t mind looking at and eating another pair of eyes then tuna eyes would be a lovely feast to taste. Those who have tried this delicacy said it doesn’t taste sickening as it gives your taste bud a pretty good sensation with its jelly-like and fatty eyeballs. You can have it steamed, fried, or take it raw together with some soya or garlic sauce to add some spice to it.

3. Durians. This fruit smells so bad but tastes like heaven so they say. You can find this strange fruit in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore. The inside is sticky and yellowish with its bitter and sweet flavours. Bringing in this fruit in some countries have been banned due to its spiky, powerful, and smelly odor.

4. White Ant Eggs. This is a Thai gourmet and can easily be found in the street of Sukhumvit, Bangkok. There is a street of stalls that offer exotic delicacies that range from beetles, frogs, scorpions, and white ants. They are usually fried and some including the white ant eggs are cooked in a soup. It may be too much to take when you see it as it is but it definitely taste good. This delicacy can also be found in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Asia is rich in culture and tradition, which showcases a lot of events and festivals that are still being practiced even up to this day. Their different beliefs, religions, and past experiences have created and developed many festive events. These festivals are fun, colorful, and with historic, symbolic, or religious meanings. Let us take a look at the different and popularly celebrated festivals in Asia.

1. Monkey Buffet Festival. This festival is celebrated in the province of Thailand in Lopburi. The monkeys are symbolic to Thais and the festival is held for them annually around the month of November. It is usually held in the Pra Prang Sam Yot temple with tons of fruits offered just for the monkeys.

2. Konaki Sumo Festival. This festival is also referred to as Crying Sumo Festival. In this festival, babies are given to Sumo wrestler students. Their task is to look at the babies handed to them and the goal is to make them cry. It sounds a little cruel and weird but the main purpose behind this is to wish the babies good health. They believe that babies who cry their lungs out grow up to be the strong ones.

3. Holi Festival. This is a famous festival in India that is usually held in the spring. It is also called the Festival of Colors because of the colorful powdered and water being thrown during the celebration. They start the festival with a bonfire and it represents the Hindu religion’s story of good conquering evil, which is characterized with the burning of Holika.

4. Boryeong Mud Festival. This is celebrated in South Korea, which was just recently practiced (1998). Koreans are known to be very conscious about taking care of their skin and this is one festival where they promote the benefit of Boryeong. They believe that the muds found in Boryeong are rich in minerals that can be used for skin care.

It may be bizarre to other people but there are some habits that are just part of the custom of some Asian people. It may come as a shock mostly to the Western travellers but even Asian neighboring countries find some of the habits a little weird. Behind those majestic and stunning temples, serene beaches, cool waterfalls, and great scenic places are some of the outrageous or peculiar habits that tourists encounter. Listed down are some of the weird or bizarre Asian habits.
Slurping – In Japan, slurping noodles is a must. It is a little odd since Japanese are known to be very gentle and courteous which is clearly contradicted with the strange habit of slurping hard. For them, the harder or the louder the slurp is the better because it shows that you appreciate the soba noodles. Even the seemingly mild-mannered Japanese ladies will slurp hard and loud.

1. Long nails on last fingers. There is really nothing odd about growing long nails especially for women because this has been associated with beauty even in ancient times. However it is a little strange to see young lad or men growing nails on their pinkies. No, it is not a sign of wealth or beauty but more of as a tool used for picking their nose, teeth, or ears.

2. Spitting. When you land in China, spitting anywhere is a normal custom that you will see. Whether you are on the streets or indoors, you will find and observe this habit. Some people might be disgusted with what they will see but it is not unusual for Chinese people.
3. Removing shoes at home or temples. This is a very common habit in Asian countries. People remove their shoes when entering their houses to keep their floors clean. Removing shoes before entering temples is a sign of respect.

Malaysia is a country frequently visited by tourists and merchants. The country as it is, is not only being visited for its beautiful places but also for the opportunity of doing business there. Having numerous tourists in Malaysia means a big economic boost for them. Imagine how much money are coming in and being brought in by tourists alone.

Among the countries in Asia we could consider Malaysia as one of the countries to have a multi-sector sound economy. Malaysia’s economy has seen a great development in agriculture, mining and forestry. Having the Strait of Malacca as its border, Malaysia has become a trade hub for many years now for traders and merchants from China, India, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia’s very own traders.

Being one of the world’s largest producer, manufacturer and exporter of electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, palm oil, rubber, textiles, wood, wood products and chemicals, Malaysia has set a name in the economic world.

Another factor that has helped Malaysia be economically sound is the fact that they are the second largest producer of crude oil. We all know that crude oil is essential to many manufacturing businesses worldwide.

The Malaysian government has also given tax incentives to foreign investors and offered several free trade zones. These incentives and perks are being offered to attract more investors and it seemed they have made a point in doing so. It is like giving back a part of what Malaysia is getting from these foreign investors.

As a whole Malaysia has made good use of the natural resources they have. Being economically stable and sound means being able to maximize the resources and market them outside and coming up with programs that could attract investors. The government and people saw what is available and they made full use of these resources for the economic advancement of Malaysia. It pays to be innovative and industrious.