We are received with traditional dances in the village Sungai Pasu, where we stay one night with a Malay family. The programme, termed Home-stay, has been revived by the new Minister of Tourism, who promotes it as a way to bring revenue straight to the villages. For the moment, mostly Malay villages are registered, but we suggest to the Minister present, who was with us for an hour, that to encourage her wish of returning visitors they would benefit from registering different ethnic groups. Our day is packed: after the reception ceremony, with dances and songs by children, we are move around to participate in local games such as congkak and gasing, then on to plant a tree and then to learn a dance.

Malaysia has a smart policy where each visitor in a community is required to plant a tree labelled with their name. We then sign the memory book for when we return we can inquire about the tree's fate and be able to trace it. Doing so, Malaysia hopes to counteract accusations of deforestation from green associations and create long-lasting links with tourists. In the evening, properly washed, rested, fed with local treats and dressed in traditional clothing, we are back only to discover with surprise that we are the main attraction. Raised up on stage, our colleagues, a married couple in real life, are getting married again but according to Malay tradition. The rest of us arrive one by one to offer them blessings, and receive a gift from them, such as a branch decorated with flowers and eggs, which is a symbol of prosperity. We are then all back on stage, this time to show the traditional dance we learned at midday. Luckily, only a fraction of the 800 inhabitants of the village are present.

After a ride in our host family's new car, we get back home; the parents chat unhurriedly with us, but as soon as we reach our rooms, they switch off and retire. It has been a long day. The water is cold, coming from a tank on the roof, and the mosquitoes are kept at bay with insecticide repellent leaving the silence of the night to close in.