Malaysia in love with Big Apple?

by K.P Waran (NST) 

New York is like a stage with all types of characters coming out of every nook and corner, making you feel like a budding thespian lost among the Marlon Brandos, Eddie Murphys, John Leguizamos, Hillary Duffs, Queen Latifahs and Eva Mendes.

It is called the “Big Apple”, thanks to jazz musicians of the 1930s and 1940s who put the phrase into general circulation. When they said they had a gig in the Big Apple they meant they had an engagement to play in the most coveted venue of all – Manhattan.

So, it was quite strange to walk into a music hall in Manhattan and find the singer crooning to the audience was from Malaysia. Shayna Zaid, who at the age of 16 was the host of TV3’s Speak Up in 1999, had arrived in the United States and enrolled in the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Her passion for music made her record her first English album Beyond Borders, which had a hint of Malaysia – using some Malaysian traditional instruments.

She was recently in Malaysia to promote her second album, Half the World Away, which contained English and Malay numbers and had three nominations for the Era Awards.

Like everyone else, she fell in love with New York and despite the stiff competition in the music industry is steadfastly trying to break into the “big time”.

“This is a tough city. For every one person who gets a break, there are thousands who do not. But I believe in myself and I remember my roots. If my career here keeps going in the right direction, then I have hope it will blossom into something fantastic.

“Until then, I will keep on trying,” said the petite young lady whose agent has been pushing for gigs at music halls, lounges and entertainment outlets.

She is involved in a major project, details of which she said was too premature to reveal, and if it takes off she would be glad to go on stage and scream “Malaysia Boleh”.

Michael Bong, 51, of Kuala Lumpur, was supplying rubber to a major tyre manufacturer when he got into difficulties after the contract was terminated in 1988. Not knowing what to do, he packed his bags and travelled to New York on the recommendation of a friend with US$200 in his pocket.

He was having lunch at a Japanese restaurant when he became mesmerised by the skills of the Japanese chef who was preparing the sushi and sashimi.

He pestered the chef to recruit him as a helper and soon learnt the trade and was promoted to chef. After three years, he saved enough money to open a Thai restaurant in the Upper Westside area.

After several glossy food magazines had written about his food, his business took off with many stars and celebrities queuing up to lap up his tom yam kung and other delectable dishes.

In 2000, he returned to the raw fish trade, opening Mizu Sushi, which has also become the talk of the town for its fine Japanese cuisine. In January, he is venturing into Laut, a US$1 million (RM3.4 million) restaurant, which would cater for those with a taste of Malaysian and fusion food.

“It is lot of hard work. You have to be in control of the business and put in 16 to 18 hours, failing which you lose your customers. New Yorkers love food but insist on quality, cleanliness and prompt service. Those who fail in any of these departments will end up closing their business.

“I still return to Malaysia where I have some investments but for many of us, New York is the epicentre of the world,” he said.

Danny Lye is from Taiping where his father owned a bicycle shop. He came to New York 20 years ago after working in Singapore and Brunei.

“My first impression was that the weather was wonderful and the city was vibrant. I worked for Chinese and Japanese restaurants and that’s where I realised the potential for introducing software systems for Chinese restaurants to store and retrieve data of customers to whom they deliver food,” he said as he walked along the streets of Flushing in the suburbs. Many restaurant owners came out to greet him.

He said since then he has expanded his business into remote accessing, biometrics, camera linked to point of sale systems and is working with a Taiwanese manufacturer to distribute computer hardware and software.

He also has a partnership offering limousine services and is part owner of a restaurant called Sentosa. At 59, Lye’s motto is to laugh and be happy every day. At a karaoke lounge, he mesmerised the customers with his ballroom dancing skills.

“I leave my troubles at the door. After all, this is New York, a hard town to survive in, but when you achieve the goals in your life, you can glide through the dance floor without a worry,” he said philosophically.

Nalla Singham, from Seremban, worked in Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Canada before deciding to visit New York after seeing a postcard of the “Big Apple”. A believer in numerology, he felt that his arrival date of 8.8.88 was auspicious and would bring him luck.

He worked in a restaurant run by a Russian but it closed down. He took up a job as a typist with a lawyer’s firm where he had gone to get details to obtain a green card (for permanent residence). In the meantime, he continued his passion of taking photographs.

After meeting some Guyanese Indians, he became a regular photographer at the community’s weddings and other functions. After working as a bookkeeper and night manager of a hotel, he joined a newspaper run by Guyanese Indians.

Seeing the advertising potential in community-based newspapers, he established the Caribbean New Yorker in 1998. He is its editor and publisher. This has become the mainstay of his business. He uses the newspaper to highlight community issues and travel articles, including those on Malaysia.

The success stories of these Malaysians have a common theme – they are all fond of Malaysia and return home often to visit relatives, friends and to check out the changing face of the country.

They had struggled in a foreign land to advance their careers and businesses and now are enjoying the fruits of their endeavours. It is fortunate that they chose New York because it grows on you. Often, for those who are determined, committed and willing to walk the extra mile, success is sweet.

For me, another visit to New York and more fond memories to return home with – that will keep me going at least until the next visit