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Host rating
80 %
Last replied
30 Oct 2024
Reply rate
55.6 %
Usually responds within 4 days
Feedback
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Description
Hi, I am Fifi and I live in a small town nearby Ipoh surrounded by fruit trees. Few year ago, I got really ill and my asthma got worse so I decided to start living a healthier lifestyle. I started planting a garden full of herbs/veggies. However, due to the amount of works I needed to maintain this garden (it's quite a large area), it has been nearly impossible to do it alone therefore I decided that I will need workawayers help.
I had also been planning a lot of other projects listed in my profile so I will be very grateful if anyone could help me with it.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
-TBH, my family is used to having my foreign friends staying at with us. They love to share their knowledge of Malay culture and treat everyone like a family. By the end of your stay, we hope you will be more familiar with Malay culture. You can also take this opportunity to tell us about your country and its culture.
-If you love gardening and prefer organic fruits/veggies, we can share knowledge and try to live a healthy lifestyle together. There is a kitchen garden so we can cook together. If you are able to bring and share some seeds to plant for the garden, we are very happy to receive it.
-Personally, I love learning languages. Right now, I'm learning Mandarin (self-study) and revising Korean/Japanese (studied them back in university days) so if I could get any extra help for these languages, that would be awesome! And of course, I can help with Malay language if you're up for it~ ;)
Help
1. The garden have been messy eversince I have been busy at my cafe for few months. I would really appreciate any help for the gardening part for now, especially if you have experience or is really interested in gardening. This is the main focus for now actually.
2. We have a traditional Malay house (refer to main picture) in need of repairing and decoration. We plan to open an event space for cultural exchange between the locals and workawayers. We plan to open it by year end of 2024.
There are MORE projects!! :)
If you do not have any skills we needed (as mentioned above), you still can message us and maybe we can try to find something else for you to do =)
The help we needed vary from time to time, we will let you know when u arrived at our place.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Malay: Fluent
Korean: Intermediate
Japanese: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
I am learning Japanese, Korean, Thai, Chinese so if you only can stay to teach languages, I wouldn't really mind
Accommodation
[UPDATED 2023]
PLEASE READ EVERYTHING CAREFULLY!
-We provide a private room (+mattress and bedding for 2person) in a shared house. You will share a bathroom and kitchen with the others living in that house.
-ONLY lunch is provided and you will not be eating the same meal everyday as we want you to learn some Malay traditional dishes. We have opened a breakfast/lunch cafe recently, so most of the time your meal will be at the cafe.
In case you have any food allergies or need to cook yourself, let us know preferably BEFORE arrival. If you're a vegan or vegetarian, please let me know in advance too. However, please note that in case you want to cook for yourself using your own ingredients, you have to MAKE SURE it is Halal because we are a Malay Muslim family. (No pork, no alcohol etc). There is a shared fridge at the kitchen garden for everyone to use, however, as mentioned, alcohol and non-halal foodstuff are stricly NOT ALLOWED both inside the fridge and also at the kitchen.
-If you need to buy something, there is a 7-Eleven and other grocery stores nearby (5 minutes walk). A 24-hours laundry service shop is also available plus various chinese/malay/indian restaurants within walking distance. On every Friday's night, there is a night market right outside the 7-Eleven shoplot. There is a shopping mall (Econsave) which is just about 3 minutes walk from the house too.
-PLEASE please make sure you bring/wear decent/properly covered clothes while staying here because this area is still a village and most people here are Muslims!!!
- We have many cats and 2 dogs at the garden; during daytime the dog will not be around but at night they roams free (if u have allergy towards animals, it might be a little difficult)
- PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEEEEE bring earplugs if you are very sensitive towards sounds at nights. There are many chickens here too. Also, birds and all nature sounds one can expect from a large garden.
- Weatherwise, it is hot and humid daytime meanwhile nighttime u can expect cooler weather. We will let you know the current weather for the time u are expected to come.
- If there are anything you aren't sure about, please ask us beforehand.
What else ...
-We can explore Ipoh together if I have free time. Please take note though that lately I have been VERY busy so it depends on the timing of your stay if I could accompany you around.
My younger brother is especially good with nature hunting (he has his own team exploring Perak state; hills, mountains, cave, waterfalls etc). He is also interested in learning about outdoor/environmental related stuff so it will be nice if you can share your experiences/knowledge and maybe learn from each other.
-If you like river/waterfall, there is 2 nearby our place (bout 10min car drive). (picnic n family-friendly, not for rafting)
-The main bus terminal of Ipoh (Amanjaya) is 8km away. You can use bus (every one hour) and Grab to get around. Ipoh is famous for its cave temples, white coffee, oldtown and local foods. ;)
-In case you want to buy things that aren't available at the nearby shops, there is a shopping mall about 3 minute walk from our place. There are other malls like AEON which is 10 min by car.
-You can reach Penang and KL by bus/train in few hours and spend your day off there too. Cameron Highlands is another popular tourist spot nearby.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
4 hours, 5 days
Feedback (38)
Thank you for letting me stay with you, even though you were going through a difficult time with your dad being hospitalized. I’m glad I could help you a little during this time. I admire how you stay strong together as a family, pouring your heart and soul into the café and the garden. I really appreciated your gratitude for… read more
the house very simple which it remind me the lifestyle of my country before 2003. i like it and
I gave her house a deep Iraqi cleaning... i washed the wall the fan the door.. ... etc
it is first time i enjoyed with cleaning .
Fifi is a nice person… read more
she has many plan that I really wish can be seen completed.
I loved expending time talking to her father too.
It is a beautiful and respectful family.
Please don't hesitate to come along to her project.
it would be a wonderful experience
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(4.9)
Thank you for letting me stay with you, even though you were going through a difficult time with your dad being hospitalized. I’m glad I could help you a little during this time. I admire how you stay strong together as a family, pouring your heart and soul into the café and the garden. I really appreciated your gratitude for… read more
the house very simple which it remind me the lifestyle of my country before 2003. i like it and
I gave her house a deep Iraqi cleaning... i washed the wall the fan the door.. ... etc
it is first time i enjoyed with cleaning .
Fifi is a nice person… read more
she has many plan that I really wish can be seen completed.
I loved expending time talking to her father too.
It is a beautiful and respectful family.
Please don't hesitate to come along to her project.
it would be a wonderful experience
I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the wonderful hospitality you showed me during my visit. From the warm welcome at your restaurant to the comfort and care I felt in your home, every detail was simply perfect.
Staying at your home was just as delightful. You made me feel like part of the family, and I can’t… read more
Some days we were in the garden, moving plants, cutting trees and helping to clean the area. Loved that even… read more
On our day off she recommend us the best places to visit in Ipoh.
Fifi has a craft café and is working a lot. But still she… read more
I stayed with them during the final week of Ramadan and got to enjoy the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. The food that Fifi and Mom cooked was delicious.
The bulk of my work while here was to eradicate the aggressive infestation of Gac fruit (momordica… read more
I stayed at Fifi's place at the beginning of february 2024, for one week. it was really a nice experience, she and her family have a huuuge Garden, and the task depends about the need. it's not a hard work, me and other Volunteers usually start around 8am (after a great breakfast at Fifi's Café) until 12am,… read more
I was also very happy to learn more about their travels and lives, they were also very friendly to everyone at my place. With their personality, I am sure they will always be a great help anywhere they go. Please do… read more
I couldn't explain it well in words how wonderful it was to stay with them.
I liked helping at Fifi's place.
I enjoyed helping with gardening, cleaning and making Nasi Ayam. It was also nice that Fifi allowed me to help cooking for the cafe for the last few days. I could see what they're doing here… read more
The job depends on the needs they have, and the shift it's under your preference. I liked more to work during the morning and then have free time to explore, there's a nice… read more
Min is a great guy he helped me with everything
Big shout out to my boy Arif
TeriMa kaSih💓💓🙏
She is always smiling and always super friendly to everyone. She would definitely be a great help for any hosts who needs someone… read more
I helped with gardening and learnt about the lemongrass plant and blue flowers.
The work was never too hard, we could take breaks whenever we needed. We ate very delicious. I learned how to make blue tea. Unique experience in my life. There I met other volunteer with whom I spent a lot of… read more
When I arrived to Fifi's place, I was greeted by her father and brother, Uzeir. Fifi had gone to the market since I arrived much later than she expected me too. Her dad took me out for lunch and when we got back Fifi… read more
She was here for quite a while so she managed to experience fasting month (she even tried fasting for whole day! Amazing!) and also celebrated Eidulfitri. She cooked some italian desserts and also helped us to cook traditional malay foods. She was always ready to help and always smiling! There are always stories she can share with… read more
I helped in the garden, with cooking and for the preparation for the end of Ramadan. But the work was never really hard, we could always take a break when we needed it. We ate delicious food cooked from Fifi and Mama. I learnt how to do coconut milk, blue tee and… read more
He was truly helpful during his stay cos he helped alot for my garden. He even used his own garden tool😂 Always so polite and always ready to give some ideas for my garden and outdoor cafe's plants. He planted flowers infront of the cafe and it is growing nicely right now. Thank you so much!
Ipoh is a beautiful place with nice cave… read more
You learn a lot about Malaysian food and meet a lot of locals. I felt very comfy and good at this place. Nice experiences ! 🤩 Her Brother walked with us to a hidden waterfall on his free day (even… read more
The work was easy gardening and helping out in the Café (cleaning tables,...). I was allowed to harvest some tropical fruits and to help cooking traditional malay… read more
The hut you sleep in is very basic, and you won't get much sleep without a pair of earplugs as it is right beside the… read more
even though i didn’t have any gardening experience at all, fifi teached me lots of new things. some… read more
The work I was given was very flexible and free, allowing me to work on the project throughout my stay. The family even took care of me when I started feeling unwell, giving me foods and… read more
She was also super friendly and always smiling whenever she talked to my family. She helped built a flower garden and picnic area. We also managed to have a road trip together during off day.
With her around, I am… read more
We had a great time as well setting a garden plot and… read more
The precious thing as a workaway, is you asked for something at the beginning : explaining the general need and then you let… read more
If you… read more
It's not possible to mention ALL the great things about her so its better for the… read more
Anyway, jokes aside, theyre truly amazing people that not only was helpful around the garden but also always so polite with their manners. I still remember our cooking classes and u can be sure i will be making the perfect version of the magic noodles in the future for u guys!
I stayed the garden for one week. Fifi and her family are so kind, and they have a lot of experience living with foreign people.
This is my first workaway, but thanks to them, I was able to spend the time with peace of mind.
My main job was cleaning leaves and simple helping of… read more
Arigatou gozaimasu. We hope you can come back again… read more
We had a great time helping in the garden. Luckily we came during the rambutan season so we also had a chance to experience rambutan picking and selling.
Fifi is well prepared and knows what needs to be done so each day we had a different activity. The garden is full of… read more
