Tahiruddin Mian

“When I was offered a teaching job at Curtin Malaysia about six years ago, I was quite skeptical about living in a small city and really did not know what to expect of Miri. Moving to a new place to work is always overwhelming, but coming here was tougher as I had spent about 20 years in the extremely vibrant cities of Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur. However, living in Miri has given me some of my happiest days working in Malaysia, and thus has been instrumental in changing my ideas about life.

“What surprised me the most is the quality of life; the real time you are able to spend with family and friends, not rushing, but really enjoying the moment. Here, you have a sense of community. People wave while driving as a friendly gesture, while in a big metropolis, it can be cold and uninviting.

“People in Miri have an air of simplicity, innocence and camaraderie. Their greatest asset is their willingness to accept and respect people with different beliefs and lifestyles. These qualities are not just confined to the locals but is also evident among our Curtin staff and students, creating an extremely pleasant working environment. Everywhere I go, I have a friend.” –Tahiruddin Mian, Lecturer, Department of Culture and Language Studies, Faculty of Humanities