Children in America and Malaysia

It is interesting to know that adults are the spectators watching the children in American society. I do agree that children usually imitate and learn from watching adults interact in Malaysia and not so often the one who being observed like American adults do. From observing children in American family at home, I found that they are more independent and mature than Malaysian children. They have clearer thoughts and better understanding that allows their parents to persuade them from doing unwanted action with reasons; while Malaysian parents always use threatening or corporal punishment when educating children. On a playground, American children can play freely with other children and their parents will be either playing with them or sitting at the side. Malaysian children spend less time playing in a playground and the parents restrict their playing time. Parents are often chatting with other parents in the playground and choose not to play with their kids. However, they pay careful attention to their children and sometimes being overprotective.

American family and Malaysian family

A typical family in both the United States and Malaysia has similar family structure, with parents especially a father as the breadwinner and mother as a housewife. However, women are also seen to participate more in the labor force nowadays in both countries, and results in a family with both parents holding jobs. Another similarity is the parents are less likely to live with their grandparents or siblings.

American families differ from Malaysian families in a few ways. For example, I do not see that children in Malaysia have too much freedom compare with the American children. In other words, Malaysian parents are stricter to their children. Most of them plan their children’s schedule to take tuition or extracurricular classes such as music and dance lessons. Americans are free to choose what they want to do during their leisure time and their parents will mostly be supportive to their choices. As a result, we are more submissive and dependent to our parents. I am also impressed by how the interactions between American families differ from ours. Most of us do not have close relationship with grandparents like Americans do. We are more respectful and fearful of our grandparents, while Americans treat their grandparents as friends that they can talk to and share their thoughts.

In terms of intimate relationships within the family, I would say that both countries have stable families but different in some aspects. For instance divorce is uncommon in my country, while I do think that it is common in America, this implies that Malaysian families are more stable. On the other hand, a divorced couple in Malaysia is unlikely to be nice to each other. They will compete for children’s custody and wealth of the family that always ends badly. However in America, they occasionally bring their children to the other divorced partner’s home to stay over for the weekend. This shows the stability of the parents-children relationship in American families after they divorce.

Voting in US

                This is only my third month in US and I am glad that I have already witnessed the voting process in US. The election that held last Tuesday, 2 November is to vote for new senates and House of Representatives.

                The voting process in US is similar to the voting process in my country, Malaysia. I have not voted before but I heard about the voting process from my parents. Any Malaysian citizens above 21 years old must register before he or she could vote in elections. After identity verification at a voting centre that assigned according to area, each voter receives two paper ballots, one for the parliamentary seat of the constituency and another for the state assembly seat. However in US, the voters only receive one large piece of paper to vote. When the voters are done, they drop the ballots in the separate ballot boxes that count the votes, while in US there is only one ballot box.  Basically, both voting process are similar and simple.  

                I am glad to be an election observer that makes me feel like I have participated in this huge event of Americans. I am also looking forward to witness the presidential election in 2012.