Of Adolescence & Adulthood June 2004 Click to view Table of Contents Click to view photo gallery Click to view cover story

Culture

A Malaysian in Lancaster  By idlan zakaria

An international perspective of life in Lancaster, UK.

I once had the chance to walk away from Lancaster. I was considering universities where I wanted to pursue my doctorate after completing my Masters; and the bright lights of London, Glasgow and err.. Coventry did tempt me for a while. But somehow I finally decided that I would rather stay in Lancaster. My critical side tells me that I’m too much of a scaredy cat to test new waters; my more sentimental side rationalises that perhaps this town has grown on me.

Coming back to the UK post-September 11 was a big step for me, being Muslim and adhering to a moderate Muslim dress code (I wear a scarf, or a hijaab, as it is known). I knew that the world had suddenly turned hostile towards Muslims in general, and despite never having seen a real bomb in my life, I expected animosity, and mentally prepared myself for it too.

Which was why, in retrospect, coming back to Lancaster was a smart choice after all. The quaintness of small town, semi-rural life coupled with a well-educated local community - since most of the people here are used to university students coming from all walks of life, with different creeds and colours ­ has given me a quiet sense of security. To say that I haven’t been subject to racial abuse would be lying ­ but on two of the occasions it happened in Preston, which doesn’t count; and the other time, which happened last week, was so random I wasn’t sure if it was even racial, or intended at me! I decided to move off campus last summer; and the neighbours, the locals and our landlord couldn’t be lovelier.

What is probably hardest for me is the social aspects of life. A lot of activities organised by the student clubs and societies are centred around alcohol, and given that I don’t drink and I don’t feel safe walking around with a lot of drunk people, it does restrict me somewhat. I am very much a sporty person and once tried out for a few clubs; but I would rarely turn up for the socials because they involved pub-crawls and the Carleton.

So I tend to chum up with friends from my own country or those who share a similar culture ­ in fact I often see international students keeping to their own ethnicities. Which is quite sad, considering that the average international student leaves home for three years but not many would have met a local student they consider a friend enough to keep in touch with after graduation. There are, obviously, other social activities not geared towards alcohol or clubbing ­ if one decides to look hard enough.

Another frequent issue is finances. Contrary to popular belief, not all international students have parents who own their respective countries, and then some. For Malaysians like myself, 98% of us at Lancaster are sponsored by our government or related agencies. While our fees are paid for, an undergraduate’s pocket money, on average, is only £395. Take away the amounts paid for accommodation ­ on average £200 a month ­ and we’re left with about £200 for food, bills and other expenses. Not much left for a night in town, I’m afraid. Add to that banks’ refusal to grant us overdrafts or credit cards in the first instance, and well.. times can be tight.

But that doesn’t mean life in Lancaster is all that bleak ­ weather aside, of course. While the town itself doesn’t offer much in terms of entertainment and my friend gripes about the fact that we still don’t have a decent coffee house (I think she wants a Starbucks), there are things to be thankful about. Two cinemas, a railway line that links us to London and Glasgow, major supermarkets in town, a lovely view, proximity to the breathtaking beauty that is the Lake District, even a seaside! Did I mention the spectacular scenery?

Yes, there will be things I miss about home and things that I wish were here, but all in all, Lancaster isn’t too bad a place to be coming to Uni. For starters, we were never a polytechnic, and the town does grow on you after a while.

If there is one thing I’d like to see more of in terms of international students at Lancaster ­ it is increased involvement with the Students’ Union. The number of international students at the university is slowly increasing ­ and yet, we are rather underrepresented. Not that there is a lack of opportunity, but more so too liberal a dose of apathy. We have as much rights as the average local student ­ why not make use of them?

First published in the 40th Anniversary Edition of SCAN, Lancaster University's Student Newspaper.