Architect in Malaysia (for love ) . "There's so much work . And more Ferrari in Italy "Diego , 33 years old, he met Tiffany , Malay , in Milan. Now they live in Kuala Lumpur, where he became design director . " They never had foreigners before me, now they are looking for others." Building a family will be simpler, but it is easy to be laid off and it's all private healthChiara Daina | November 21, 2013Comments ( 499 )Architect in Malaysia (for love ) . "There's so much work . And more Ferrari in Italy "
More information on : Brains Escape in Malaysia , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Milan.
There once was a boy in Milan , 30, architect , that one day he meets a girl from Kuala Lumpur, 29 years old, graduated in tourism, came to Italy with the idea to stay there. He works in a small studio , where projects are scarce and colleagues reduce shifts and hours of work ( four days per head instead of five) . She attended a course organized by the Italian Region of Lombardy , but after nine months fails to renew the residence permit. Try to find a job, but nobody wants to take the trouble to put it in order. Might as well go home , she thinks. Meanwhile , he, on a whim , send resume to two studies of architects in the Malaysian capital . One of them gives him a question and answer interview via Skype . A month later , in May 2010 , the two embark at Malpensa direct to Kuala Lumpur and open a new chapter of their lives.
It is the story of Diego Delfino and Tiffany , his girlfriend . Seen from here , one believed to go to Malaysia to serve cocktails on the beach or grow palm oil life. But no, you can also become a professional five-star . If you are young does not count. As has happened to the protagonist of this adventure. In Kuala Lumpur , overnight, Diego became a design director . " All work pass from me, it is I who give the go ahead ," he says . Upon arriving , he dedicated himself to the interior, appointed him to a shoe store to a big chain . Now designing skyscrapers over 40 floors. Then carte blanche on everything. In Italy a goal like that, with a few years of career behind him , it would be unthinkable. The gain, € 1900 per month , it is very good if you think that taxes are the 15/20 percent , a studio in the city center costs 350 Euros per month and lunch is worth less than two Euros . Put away a bit ' of money, do not live for the day and think about having a family and a house for himself here are not forbidden dreams . " With me they did an experiment : they never had foreigners before me, now they are looking for others. A short time ago I did an interview on Skype with two Italian . "
The doors are open , then, and exploitation is just a bad memory . "There are no means contracts of employment or strange formulas of collaboration : either you take (permanent ) or you do not take - says Diego . I renew the contract every two years, that is based on the duration of the residence permit . " Less protection , though. " There is only one trade union and the employer can fire you with ease - continue Diego - . But it is not difficult to find a new place, offers abound . " Its leaders have only ten years older than him and twenty employees are all under 30. Diego , 33 years old, is the oldest : " The workload is so great : often follow more than one project at a time and in a day can entrust us with up to 250 villas , a building of 300 apartments , a shopping center and another building again. " Even the pace of work are swirling . " They build the speed of light . A high-rise offices and apartments of 30 or 40 floors is completed in a couple of years, including eight months of planning " swears .
In Malaysia , on the one hand survives Italy stereotypes : the average Italian is playing football and so many women . On the other hand , there is the virtuous : " We love the design, fashion ( the shops of the big brands are larger than those in via Montenapoleone ) , the bikes, the food . - Diego says - . There are a lot of Italian restaurants, always full even though the menu is more expensive : 20 € per person ( excluding wine ), compared with 5 of a Malaysian . However I have seen more Ferrari here and in Italy . " The importation of Made in Italy seems to work. "At the supermarket are so many Italian brands . Barilla Mulino and white , Cirio , Buitoni , San Pellegrino water . Even a bottle costs the same as three lunches Malays . " It's not all that glitters is gold , even in the Malay Peninsula . From health : exclusively private . "The study has made me a medical card facilitated several clinics ." One advantage : "The doctor here will sell you the medicines directly : in general for the most common drugs you pay the equivalent of one euro ."
What do you miss ? " Walking around the city , here 's capital is suitable for machine and not of a man , in many areas there are four-lane roads with no pavement and I live on the 41st floor ." He concludes: " Here everything is out of scale : the buildings , shopping centers such as cities, gigantic machines , packaging in large format , trees and lush vegetation. And the Malays do not go to the beach, have a phobia of the sun, you do not want to tan , tanned skin is not synonymous with beauty. So if you go to the beach , the beach is all to myself , wow . " The adventure of Diego goes on.