If you’re Malaysian then you’ve probably come across a video of a Malaysian husband teaching his American wife Bahasa Melayu. You’ve also most likely seen the TikTok video of an American wife doing daily chores that somehow annoys her Malaysian husband. Behind these videos are the Kumaar Family, a Malaysian-American family who’s sharing life through funny and entertaining videos. With over 264k subscribers on Youtube and 132.8k followers on TikTok, Kumaar Family is quickly becoming one of Malaysia’s most loved YouTubers. From daily vlogs to their famous food tasting videos, Kumaar Family sheds light on how different life can be living overseas. In this week’s Glitz Spotlight, we got the opportunity to sit down with Logesh and Rachel, the power couple behind Kumaar Family to talk about cultural differences and living abroad during a pandemic.
1. Hi Logesh and Rachel, can you introduce yourself to our readers?
Contents
- 1. Hi Logesh and Rachel, can you introduce yourself to our readers?
- 2. How did you two meet and what attracted you to each other?
- 3. What was the first cultural difference you struggled with and how is it different now?
- 4. Logesh, I heard that you’re from Klang. What’s the one thing you love (and miss) about Klang?
- 5. How has it been like living so far away from home during a pandemic?
- 6. What has the pandemic taught you and Rachel?
- 7. Rachel, what is it like being married to a Malaysian? What’s one thing you love most about it?
- 8. We have to ask, what is your favourite Malaysian dish and why?
- 9. Seeing that you’re both from different cultures, has it been a struggle raising two children?
- 10. What advice would you give to Malaysians overseas who cannot be home especially during a time like this?
Hello! We are Logesh and Rachel Kumaar. Logesh was born and raised in Malaysia and moved to California in 2011, and Rachel is from California. We have a YouTube channel called “Kumaar Family” where we like to show what it’s like to be a Malaysian married to an American living in America, and all the fun and struggles that come with it. We use our channel to hopefully bring joy and to inspire others!
2. How did you two meet and what attracted you to each other?
We met at a church potluck. Logesh was in line to get food, and Rachel came over and said hi. Logesh ignored her and went and got food! But thankfully he came back after he got his food and the two of us talked the rest of the evening. We truly enjoyed each other’s company, and still do to this day!
3. What was the first cultural difference you struggled with and how is it different now?
Probably the biggest difference was our view on food! As a Malaysian, food was incredibly important to Logesh. For Rachel as an American, food was not as high of a priority. On top of that, Rachel used to be a picky eater! But through the years Logesh has introduced Rachel to amazing food, and she is now not picky at all and has definitely become a foodie too!
4. Logesh, I heard that you’re from Klang. What’s the one thing you love (and miss) about Klang?
It’s hard to pick just one thing, so I’ll say family, community, and food! My parents and sister are still in Klang, so I miss them so much. I miss the community of people in Klang, anywhere in the world you meet someone else from Klang and you feel an instant connection! And of course, the food is absolutely incredible.
5. How has it been like living so far away from home during a pandemic?
It has been hard. Especially with our youngest son being born during this time, and him not being able to meet his grandparents until recently. It’s so hard to not be able to just hop on a plane and come back at any time.
6. What has the pandemic taught you and Rachel?
It has taught us the value of family. We have been able to use this time to invest in each other and our children. We can’t go out and do much, so we can really focus on our little family at home. It has also taught us to not take anything for granted!
@kumaarfamily If you don’t rinse it at least 3 times you’re in big trouble. #interracialcouple #asian #american #marriagehumor #familytiktok #kumaarfamily ♬ Too damn bad – Khleo Thomas
7. Rachel, what is it like being married to a Malaysian? What’s one thing you love most about it?
It’s like being married to your own personal chef and food critic! Jokes aside, Malaysians (specifically Logesh!) are some of the most generous and kind people I have ever met. I love that Logesh has opened my eyes to a beautiful new culture, and I am still learning more about Malaysian culture all the time. I think it’s important to be able to look outside your own comfort zone and upbringing.
8. We have to ask, what is your favourite Malaysian dish and why?
Logesh’s favorite dish is Nasi Lemak because it is delicious, versatile, and so unique to Malaysia! Rachel’s favorite dish is Rendang Ayam, because that was the very first Malaysian food she ever tried and fell instantly in love with it.
9. Seeing that you’re both from different cultures, has it been a struggle raising two children?
It has definitely had its challenges, but overall it has actually been a blessing. We’re able to look at both our cultures and pick out all the best parts of parenting and raise our children that way. Our household looks very different from Malaysian families, and very different from American families. We get to be our very own unique blend, and it’s been a fun discovery process along the way.
10. What advice would you give to Malaysians overseas who cannot be home especially during a time like this?
Hang in there! You’re not alone, we’re all going through this together. If possible, find other Malaysians around you to connect with to help ease the homesickness. Be patient, and hopefully, you can see your family back home soon!
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