Islam is the official religion in Malaysia and one expects not to be able to buy pork and alcohol as freely as in the West. Supermarkets such as Tesco’s try to avoid potential clashes between religion and profit in a variety of ways. You have to give them credit for trying, but their efforts are spasmodic and sometimes seem illogical.

To buy pork you have to go through sliding doors into a separate part of Tesco’s. The selection is pretty good – everything from pâté to bratwurst to salami. Usually there is a sign asking customers to pay for the products in the adjacent wine section, which is also a separate part but minus the sliding doors. Here, only cash is accepted.

Two days ago I’d chosen ham and salami, but there was no-one in either section to pay and the wine till had a message telling customers to find another lane. I must admit, I was a little surprised but tootled off to queue up as normal. All of the three cashiers on duty were Moslems, so I expected they would call over a non Moslem to handle the pork, as has happened in the past. However, my cashier that day gave a horrified look at  my poor pork, squawked and made it very clear she wanted nothing to do with it. I explained there was no-one on duty anywhere else to pay and that customers were being directed to the tills. She called a supervisor over, who also refused to handle it, so I asked if they would be happy for me to hold it up so they could scan it. No, this was not on. I put the pork products amongst the last of my shopping items, so they would have more time to sort out the situation whilst we got on with scanning the rest. I noticed that the poor cashier would not touch anything that had been around the pork products either: she put a plastic bag on one hand to pick up the carrots, tinned tomatoes and spring onions too. Eventually they allowed me to handle the ‘unclean’ items, they were scanned and I paid.

During the whole transaction, both the cashier and I remained polite, friendly and considerate of each other’s feelings and beliefs. I thanked her profusely for her help at the end and said I was sorry if she had been upset; she gave me a beaming smile and we parted amicably. If i hadn’t been in such a hurry to pick up my husband from work, I would have spoken to the Customer’s Services guys and asked them to ensure they have all parts of their store properly staffed. It’s patently unfair on cashiers and customers to be put in these situations, and I can easily imagine difficulties arising. Tesco – please take note!

In addition, why is there a separate section for spirits and wine, whereas Guinness, lager and beer are available in the aisles? I have tried to find out – any suggestions welcome!

Massive, horrendous crash witnessed yesterday on the east bound section of the Pasir Gudang (Highway 17) between the Tebrau City interchange and that for Bandar Seri Alam. The Pasir Gudang is a dual carriageway with speed limits ranging from 60 -80 km/hr. Its surface is generally fine, the road signs are good and, as many Malaysians seem to be perfectly reasonable drivers, you rarely see accidents. Yesterday, however, it seemed as if a large lorry had rolled onto its side, taking with it several cars and blocking all one side of the carriageway. The first we knew was the beige ambulance hurtling from Seri Alam; then the lorry, surrounded by emergency services; and finally the stationary traffic, stretching away into the distance, as far as the eye could see. My daughter commented that at least there are plenty of hospitals locally …

The rainy season continues to bemuse us: one minute the sun is hot enough to send us all scurrying for cover and the a/c; twenty minutes later we watch a torrential downpour … and then the sun is out again. The benefits are obvious: we enjoy lush, green vegetation all around us, fresher air and a feeling of clean living. 

I was blown away by the choice of products in the Aeon supermarket at Tebrau City. I managed to get some Thai Prawn paste, which has eluded me since I arrived, tamarind paste and thick natural yoghurt. The fruit and veg were amazing, both in terms of variety and freshness and the sushi …. well, about a quarter of the price in UK shops and scrumptious. My daughter was particularly keen on the California roll;  the octopus one was my favourite to date. The wasabi seemed stronger too.

My dependent’s Malaysian Visa came through yesterday. It strictly prohibits me from working, but is valid for the full two years of my husband’s contract here and has been organised by his school. I have not had to spend days queueing in a hot, smelly office, full of irate people, with disgusting toilets and no access to drinking water. I have not had to be interviewed by someone whose default position is that I must be there to cheat, lie, scheme or in some way involve myself in dodgy activities. No-one here has had to bribe officials to get the paperwork done …. no, I’m not in India any more!