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Christmas in a foreign land away from loved ones can be a melancholic affair.
Merlina Merlin, 35, is homesick for her family in the Philippines.
The factory operator said she had been spending Christmas every year Malaysia since she arrived to work as she could not afford to go home to the Philippines for the holidays.
“However, I am grateful that I am able to send money home to my family,” she said at the Church of Our Lady of Fatima in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur today.
She was among the Malaysians and foreigners living, working or visiting the country attending mass this morning.
Nigerian Volter Sindron, 29, said he missed his family at Christmas.
“I came to Malaysia in 2010 and have been back to Nigeria since,” he said.
A construction worker from India, Mathew Lurthanathan, 30, said he was excited to see how people in Malaysia celebrated Christmas.
In the city, many foreign workers were seen shopping, eating and generally enjoying the holiday.
Another Filipino worker, who wished to be known as Andrew, said he and all colleagues had been given the day off to celebrate Christmas.
“We are taking the opportunity to visit interesting places in Malaysia. We miss our family, but we still have to celebrate (Christmas), even if it is just with friends,” he said at Petaling Street. – Bernama, December 25, 2015.
Source: Malaysian Insider
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