I used to have a bunch of work friends from Malaysia and India but I've lost all of them post-Covid and moving on from my old workplaces. Little did I know many were just transactional relationships pandering for free favors.

I've since made a number of trips to KL and Kuching and have been wanting to settle back in Malaysia ever since.

It's just a much more friendly and less judgmental place than certain neighboring countries. That said, aside from business related and cultural gossip I never really made any friends yet at places I visit. My trips are just too short for meaningful engagement. Ditto being a mix of at least 3 different cultures and proficient in no one's mother tongue.