From Kuala Lumpur to Helsinki: this is my story!

Moi Kaikille! I am Azra from Malaysia, and this is my story. I was born in Malaysia in an intercultural family. My father was born in Malaysia to a family originating from India and my mother was a Malay with mixed parentage of Indian and Indonesian.  I grew up with intercultural dynamics within my family among the three major race groups in Malaysia (Malay, Chinese and Indian). I was well aware of the mixed culture we adopted as part of our family lifestyle. We would dress in Malay traditional clothes and watch and listen to Indian movies and songs, while enjoying sumptuous Chinese food for dinner. 
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My understanding and realization of culture, identity and relationships were enhanced further in my adulthood.  Prior to Finland, I had lived in Australia, Vietnam and Ukraine for work reasons and have met many intercultural families among friends and colleagues. I loved making friends with people from all over the world within my work circle, learning usually something new about their culture, heritage and traditions. 
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I visited Finland for the first time in 2014 during the summer and then again in 2018. I was captivated by the beautiful nature and the flexibility of the lifestyle in Finland. I travelled to Rovaniemi and even met with Joulupukki in his hometown. I remember I told Joulupukki what I wished for Christmas, “something special from Finland”.  Little did I know, I would meet a really special man from Finland after that.  

​I met my husband while he was working in Malaysia. My immediate attraction to him was our easy-going communication. Even though we were from very different backgrounds growing up and with very different cultures, we realized we had so many things in common in terms of how we envision happiness and how we would like to plan our future.
 
We got married in the middle of the pandemic in 2020. When we got married, both of us decided to wear the Malay traditional attire for our wedding ceremony. While we lived in Malaysia, I gave my husband the best experience of the local food and culture.  We both love beach holidays, so we travelled to various destinations to enjoy the beautiful beaches there.

Then, we relocated to Helsinki due to my husband’s work. It was a great transition for me to resign from my job and relocate here to Finland. However, I came with an open mind and a big heart. The two winters that I have experienced here have been difficult at times but my husband’s support meant so much to me. I have learned that at the end of cold and dark winters there is always a Juhannus to look forward to.  

​My integration is going well. My husband has two adult daughters and I have one. The three of them get on well whenever they meet. Our family managed a harmonious relationship because we do our best to understand each other's differences, and we highly consider each other's happiness and choice.

In my opinion, the foundation of our relationship had two main ingredients; great understanding and consideration for each other. We always try our best to have transparent communications where we discuss our feelings, intentions, needs and plans for the future together.

Since I came to Finland, I have begun to expand my cooking skills and shared with my husband more of my Malaysian culture through food and culinary. My husband too has been very kind in assisting me to integrate into Finnish society. He has also expanded his cooking skills and prepared so many lovely Finnish dishes for me to enjoy. He made me understand the sauna culture, and I finally found the benefits of the sauna. I am currently learning the Finnish language in my efforts to integrate further. 

In my opinion, the foundation of our relationship had two main ingredients; great understanding and consideration for each other. We always try our best to have transparent communications where we discuss our feelings, intentions, needs and plans for the future together. 

Looks like everything is going in the right direction. And I do believe in the magic of Joulupukki. He has given me the best possible present I asked for!  

Azra Asangany