Excuse Me, Sir?

"Excuse me!" A woman in her 40s shouted after an elderly gentleman about to return his shopping trolly after putting his groceries in his car boot.

"Excuse me!" She tried again, louder, and the man turned around.

"Would you like me to return the trolly for you?" she offered.

"Why yes," the old man replied, delighted that he didn't have to walk all the way back to the other end of the car park.

I see scenes like this all the time here. It's amazing how strangers will step out and offer their help to you. My family and I've enjoyed this previlige too from time to time. And they are especially nice to women with kids and the elderly.

They hold doors for you; they give way to you; they immediately pick up things that you or your kids drop; they tell you where an available parking bay is; etc. The bus drivers here are excellent. They listen to you patiently as you ask them about directions or places you want to go. I boarded enough buses in KL to know that bus drivers there don't give two hoots about their passengers.

All this talk about Malaysians being friendly, helpful, caring and hospitable is just what it is - talk, no action. Oh sure, they exercise all that when approached by Western foreigners but somehow don't think about extending the same treatment to their fellow countrymen.

The situation is the other way round here. Melbournians (I haven't been to other cities so I'm not quite sure how the folks there behave) are generally helpful and friendly to others - regardless of their origins, backgrounds and colours.

Public servants here smile at you and listen to you tentatively. Back where I came from, all you see are surly faces, old stares and appalling standard of work at government departments.

So it's not surprising I don't miss home all that much, except for my parents and my sisters.