David Patenaude

“Coming from the US, I’ve always had a soft side for Asia and its cultures. My academic background is in Southeast Asian studies and even before I came to Malaysia, I taught for a number of years in several countries in this region. I initially came to this region to learn Bahasa Indonesia, and after I finished the program, I decided to stay, eventually met someone, started a family, and here I am teaching multinational students at Curtin Malaysia!

“What brought me to this amazing country was because it is a neighbouring country to Indonesia where my wife’s from, but strange as it might sound, it was also because of the local language. Bahasa Malaysia is so similar to Bahasa Indonesia that I feel very comfortable living here as I’m able to communicate with the locals, which is really interesting.

“Nevertheless, it’s a constant learning experience living and working here. Every day, I’m learning and realising new and different practises and customs that don’t exist in the West. I also enjoy visiting the traditional wet markets here. I find it so interesting to be in a space filled with so much culture and tradition, to be able to communicate and see the locals work their magic. It really makes me feel like I’m part of Miri.” –David Patenaude, Lecturer, Culture and Language Department, Faculty of Humanities