Water

“I want water.” I answered when I was in Steve’s family’s house and they asked what I wanted to drink. They turned on the water pipe in the kitchen and filled a glass of water for me. The first time, I felt surprised and not sure whether to drink it or not. Here, the water supply should be okay to drink, as they drink water from the pipe. And all the water pipes have cold and hot water, and few people put a water filter on it.

When I was growing up in Malaysia, almost every family had a water filter or boiled water before drinking. Sometimes, the water from the pipes is yellowish in color, like dirt, at my Penang house. So, one of the first things I did when I came here was to find a pot to boil water… At that time, I didn’t know people here commonly drink water filled from the pipe. Since it was a habit, I drink boiled water, thinking that it might be safer after the germs are killed while boiling. So I still boil my water everyday.

Steve still has his refrigerated water, even in winter!