Why this Malaysian left

I read Dzof Azmi’s piece To go or not to go (Contradictheory, Sunday Star, Feb 3) and it resonated very deeply with me. I left Malaysia in 2008 to pursue a tertiary education and after graduating, decided to stay put where I was instead of returning. My pursuit of a research job led me from the sleepy little town of Peterborough, Ontario, to the vibrant (but alwaysrainy) city of Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada.

The question of whether the grass is actually greener on the other side depends very much on what you seek, what your comparison level is, and what you’ve previously experienced. Having lived in both Malaysia and Canada, I can say that both countries have their green pastures. However, just because the grass is green doesn’t mean you get to enjoy it.