Have you ever wondered what it's like to be living and working abroad in one of Southeast Asia's bustling cities? Enter Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is in fact, my eighth time back to this magnificent country, wherein the first time I've ever travelled here was back in 2016, volunteering at an intensive 6-week internship project at a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) situated in the rural outskirts of Penang, Malaysia. You can read more about my experience here.
Malaysia truly has a special place in my heart: the rich melting pot of culture, the friendliness and cleanliness of the city... and not to mention, the finger-licking feasts!
Everyday, my husband and I are truly grateful for this experience to be living abroad temporarily, milking in the unique culture and immersing ourselves in a rhythm so different to home, but it just fits so effortlessly.
So let's dive straight in to what it's like in a day of remote work in Kuala Lumpur:
Sunrise and shine: Starting the day
In my unique situation, my day usually begins with my alarm at 7AM (nothing special), I get up, take my hard Ortho-K lenses out from my eyeballs and continue to do my morning routine of getting ready. Log in to my work laptop and check emails and slack messages - eyeing out the top priorities for day and any meetings to attend to. This usually takes an hour or two.
Clarity hour: Morning swim
Depending on the day, I would normally head for a swim in the morning in our apartment on level 43 for an hour to reset and re-energise. This is one of the best forms of exercises I have fallen in love with recently, and the natural dopamine hit that I get after is second to none. The morning swim dictates my energy and calmness for the rest of the day to which makes a significant difference to my level of focus and performance during work.
Power jam: Coffee is the remedy
After the swim (or yoga session on other days), I head down to the retail stores on ground level to grab a coffee - usually an iced Spanish Latte and some brekkie. Absolutely delicious! Can never say no to coffee.
Focus mode: Getting work done
As per usual, will get back to work depending on my priorities for the day. At this point of writing this blog, Kuala Lumpur is 2 hours behind Sydney time - which is very manageable. So my days usually start with early morning Google meetings, followed by building campaigns, tweaking copy, and diving into performance data — the fun stuff!
Ding ding: It's lunch break
Before you know it, it's lunch time. The best thing about Asia is the convenience and the affordability. Normally we would Grab food on the app and also sometimes, if we're keen for a short walk - we'd head down to the food-court in our apartment. Food options are plentiful!
Arvo power jam: Wrapping up the day
Once the lunch hour ends, I dive right back to my desk - tying up loose ends, clearing out Slack messages, and sometimes squeezing in one last meeting before the sun starts to set outside my window.
And viola! Once the working day ends, the rest of the afternoon and evening are ours to explore — whether that means traversing through a local market, grabbing a street food dinner, or heading to the mall to do some shopping. It's the balanced blend of productivity and presence that makes working remotely here feel so rewarding.
Everyday, I'm thankful to be living this lifestyle - if you're curious to learn more about how I landed a remote working role, you can read my blog here.
Until next time, terima kasih for reading and letting me share a little slice of my remote work life with you. Have a great day ahead!
