After four airplanes and 27 hours of flight time, I finally arrived in hot and humid Kuala Lumpur. Exhausted and dehydrated, I fought my way through the crowd at KLA and got in a taxi bound for the residence of Chong Sheau Ching, director and founder of eHomemakers. I looked forward to meeting this individual who had built an organization focused on women empowerment and working from home and I was excited for the opportunity to be a part of the cause that she championed.

As I looked out of the windows of the taxi during the one-hour journey to her house, I thought about how an organization like eHomemakers would be a natural fit in the US, though I was unsure of how an organization like this fit into the social context of Malaysia. I was looking forward to finding the answer to this question.

As the taxi driver neared her house, I was admiring the tropical landscape, and I was excited to be in warmer climates during the holidays as opposed to the freezing temperatures in DC. When I reached the threshold and knocked on the iron gate, I was greeted by a family member and welcomed into the house.

Christmas tree in the eHomemakers’ office

Per Asian household rules, I took off my shoes and left them at the door. I then met Ching Ching, the cheerful and smiling five-foot-tall woman who I had traveled several thousand miles to meet. She welcomed me into her house and showed me around. As I settled in, it started to rain outside; I had arrived during the middle of the rainy season.

After a refreshing shower and a nap, Ching Ching gave me the option to go to a friend’s house for a Christmas party and I accepted, eager to meet other Malaysians and see how Christmas traditions were celebrated in this Muslim country. When I arrived, I was surprised to see a large Christmas tree in the middle of the room with kids running around the house. It felt like I was back home in the US, except I didn’t know who anyone was.

Everyone was really nice to me and the food that was prepared was outstanding – a nice mix of curries, thai noodles, and turkey with all the trimmings. I was surprised and delighted at how nice everyone was to me, a total stranger to them, and how welcome this family made me feel – there was even a Christmas gift for me under the tree.

Though I proclaimed earlier that I was going to stay up to get myself on Malay time, I failed. I was found asleep on the floor of the kids’ playroom using a teddy bear as a pillow. I was invited to stay the night and before I knew it, I had passed out on one of the kids’ beds. Merry Christmas, everyone!