Swiss Couple Choose Langkawi To Live In Happiness

By Hazlinda Hamzah LANGKAWI (Kedah, Malaysia), May 30 (Bernama) -- Swiss couple Mark and Nathalie Frommelt have chosen to reside in Langkawi and continue with their business. "We chose Langkawi because we wanted to stay on a legendary island. In fact, we like it here. We run our business from here. And we are happy," says Nathalie. The couple, who are in their early thirties, are currently renting a two-bedroom Malay house standing on stilts that overlooks a paddy field near Bayas, about 10 minutes from the main town of Kuah. The couple have been living on the island for the last 11 months; for the last four months, they have lived in this well-maintained traditional house called "Jasmine Villa." RUNNING THEIR BUSINESS The Frommelts have continued with their gift and souvenir business that they started back home by registering a company here – Tranky Trunk Sdn Bhd. "Our company Tranky Trunk Sdn Bhd has clients in Europe. Our clients seek our services to source gifts as rewards for their long loyal clientele list in Europe. These gifts are given away for free to encourage their subscribers to continue their subscription and increase support as well as trust," explains Mark. The couple frequently travel to many other Asian countries to look for the items requested by their clients, and Malaysia's strategic location facilitates their travels in the region. They procure most of the items from China, Vietnam and Indonesia. "It is so pleasant to work from Malaysia, even though our time zones are different. We start work in the afternoon and have the mornings to ourselves. We do our private chores in the morning and start work just after lunch. We can even attend our Malay language class before starting work," Nathalie adds with a smile. Tranky Trunk operates till 2 am on weekdays, and this work schedule allows the enterprising couple to enjoying the sandy shores of Langkawi on the weekends, basking together freely under the sun. Both have adjusted well, not only to the time differences but also to the food. FOOD Both Nathalie and Mark have learned to enjoy the local food sold at the small roadside shops or nearby stalls. Nathalie enjoys spicy food, and so does Mark. In fact, they look forward to moving into a more permanent place on the island, which is synonymous with the legend of Mahsuri. "In Langkawi, we choose to savour the local delicacies, but we prefer soupy choices. My favourite is the spicy Tom Yam soup and the freshly served dishes from the eatery across the street not far from here," Nathalie shares, pointing to the road in front of Jasmine Villa, which leads to Kuah. "Mark is originally from Zurich, so he speaks more German, while I come from the more French-speaking district of Geneva," remarks the petite Nathalie, as the health-conscious Mark looks on. INITIAL HICCUPS The couple did face some hiccups initially, including the amount of paperwork involved in opening a bank account, and they describe the entire process as 'tiresome.' "We have learned to endure it, but we will certainly appreciate it if the process becomes more foreigner-friendly. We also find the need to fulfil certain stringent pre-requisites to open a company account, but I am sure it is for some specific security reason," says Mark. However, Mark admits that the banking hours are convenient, although some transactions take more time to be completed. Their biggest concern is their inability to transact directly in US dollars or any other widely accepted international currency, which causes them double losses in the currency exchange transactions. "We use an IP or internet protocol network from Switzerland to make and receive phone calls, especially for our business. We only need to have access to the Internet. And it costs only RM60 or approximately USD20 to make 500 calls. That is extremely affordable," Mark explains, as Nathalie returns to their villa to answer a business call. Now that they are already into their fourth month of attending private classes in the local language, both Mark and Nathalie can understand and speak some Malay words. As we shake hands to bid each other farewell, both Mark and Nathalie confidently wish me "Salam perkenalan dan jumpa lagi" (Nice to know you, and till we meet again!) in Malay. -- BERNAMA