Walk into any shopping mall during lunchbreak on Fridays and you’re bound to see hordes and hordes of womenfolk shopping, window-shopping, eating.
This is because on Fridays, everyone gets a two-hour lunchbreak, in order to give the men enough time to go for Friday prayers at the mosques. [NB: Majority of Malaysians are Muslims.] But since women are not obliged to go to the mosque (i.e. they can do their prayers in private), therefore, the women do what women do best — shop!
Lunchbreak in Malaysia is generally from 1 pm to 2 pm (1300 hrs to 1400 hrs) or 12.30 to 1.30. On Fridays, however, it’s usually from 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm (1230 hrs to 1430 hrs).
So if you’re in Malaysia and you have something to settle on Fridays, better keep the long lunch hour in mind, especially if you’re dealing with a government office. There’s just no way of getting around it.
Note: I realise that this photo of Pavilion mall is an old one (notice the Christmas decorations — this was obviously taken last December) but then I thought to myself — why use other people’s photos if I have one of my own? :)
Gorgeous shot, trees and tinsel or not. Curios, though: how does the Christmas thing work if most people are Muslim? Is it celebrated as a secular holiday (all Santa and no Jesus) or do only the Christians celebrate or is it something totally different?
That’s a nice photo. Wow, I should mention this Friday peculiarity to the people here. Regarding my own lunch hour, I think I’m forgetting to observe its length. I normally take lunch in my cube (with a packed lunch or delivered one) while multi-tasking (read: bloghopping). =)
Oh no, memory gap! I just shockingly remembered that our weekends are Fridays and Saturdays. I’m still not used to it. Hence, I think of Thursday as a Friday. =)
Jessi: We have all sorts of holidays in Malaysia and the malls get dressed up accordingly everytime — Christmas, Chinese New Year, Deepavali (Hindu ‘Festival of Lights’), Hari Raya (Muslim celebration of end of fasting month), Malaysian National Day, etc.
For Christmas, official holiday is only 1 day but Christians often file for leave. There are Masses in several churches all over KL. For the non-Christians, it’s a good time to buy turkey and all its trimmings. Some companies hold Christmas parties.
When it’s (Muslim) fasting month, on the other hand, there are many ‘buka puasa’ (breaking the fast) buffets in hotels and restaurants and even non-Muslims take part in it. And everyone — Muslims and non-Muslims alike — looks forward to the Ramadhan bazaars, where lots of yummy food are sold.
During Chinese New Year, non-Chinese join Chinese friends for yee sang lunches (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusheng). It’s a very nice, multi-cultural atmosphere that most Malaysians have taken for granted.
People hold ‘open house’ gatherings for Chinese New Year, Hari Raya or Deepavali and they are all, literally, open for everyone.
WitsAndNuts: Ya, that’s one thing I always have to remind myself whenever I need to contact business associates in Dubai — they’re off on Fridays! So how do you go to Mass on Sundays?
Mimi – Thank you so much for the explanation! Fascinating!!