Category Archives: Kuala Lumpur

Day 211 in Beijing: The Sultan’s Palace.

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A guard and Jill and me.

A guard protecting the Sultan from Jill and me.

Jill and I decided to do the Hop On Hop Off tour in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Overall, it was a great trip and we saw a lot of different monuments and important places in Kuala Lumpur.  I would recommend it for anyone that is new to the city and wants to get a good lay of the land and have an basic understanding of the culture in KL.

One of the stops was at The Sultan’s Palace.

We were lucky enough to see the changing of the guards when we arrived.  They only change every 1.5 hours so it is hard to schedule your tour to arrive at the right time since it only takes about 5 minutes for the guards to change and it is basically the luck of the draw if you get there on time.

We just took a chance and got very lucky.  The guards were also nice enough to let us take pictures with them and were very gracious.

Again, that is something we’ve found to be fairly common with the people in Malaysia.  They go out of their way to take us to places, show us sites and make sure we don’t get lost or confused.  We’ve been warned where to go and where not to go and what is a safe place and what is not.

Coming from America, the “unsafe” places actually feel very safe and the crime is much less than what I’m used to living in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Maybe, because Malaysia is such a gentle and kind nation, their idea of crime is much worse than America’s idea of crime.  I also find this with China where people think an area is very unsafe but when we go there, we are amazed at how safe it is because we come from America where there are a lot of places that are not as safe for many different reasons that I won’t go into here.

Suffice to say, we have yet to feel unsafe either in Malaysia or China and it is a wonderful feeling to know that the chances of being mugged or attacked are almost nothing compared to back home in the USA.

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Day 209 in Beijing: I Scream. You Scream. We ALL Scream for Ice Cream!

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I love the different colors of hijabs and ice cream.

I love the different colors of hijabs and ice cream.

Kuala Lumpur is hot and humid.

Even during Christmas.

Even during the winter.

I have to say I love it.

I’ll take hot and humid over cold and windy any day.

So, in the middle of winter here, people eat a lot of ice cream.

Jill and I were visiting the Muzium Negara (National Museum) and we saw these women all getting some ice cream and laughing, smiling and having a wonderful time.

I snapped a picture, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, but it didn’t work out.

The woman in the back noticed me and threw up the universal “peace sign.”  It was very cute.

By the way, there is a choice to have ice cream in a cone or in bread.  The girls all suggested I have mine in the bread.  I tried it and the ice cream vendor gave me green tea bread.  As you can see, the bread is actually green.  It was slightly flavored and quite yummy. Definitely worth a try if you ever come to Malaysia.

I then asked them if I could take a picture of all of them and they laughed and agreed.

In China, people often ask to take pictures with us when we are out and about traveling.

We find it rather hilarious and absurd because we would never think of going up to someone, in America, and saying, “Hi, we don’t know you but can we take a picture with you?”  We always agree and do our best to promote cross cultural relationships that will help people see us as fun loving and generous with our time.  It may not seem like much to take a picture with someone but during the holidays we are sometime asked 10-15 times a day and it can actually get a bit tiring because when you take one picture, people will line up and wait for their turn.  You end up having to run away from the crowds which is pretty comical in a way.

However, we find ourselves taking pictures of people here in Malaysia and they don’t seem to mind.  They seem to have the same sense of humor about being photographed here as we do in China.

And, with that, I wish you a Happy New Year’s Eve and lots of love, joy and ice cream in the New Year!

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Day 208 in Beijing: The Petronas Twin Towers.

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We have towers growing out of our heads!

We have towers growing out of our heads!

Petronas is the national oil and gas company in Malaysia.

Most people don’t know this but they do know that they have two huge towers in Malaysia.

These are the Petronas Twin Towers and they are impressive.

They were the tallest buildings in the world until 2004 and continue to be the tallest twin buildings in the world.

Jill and I visited them a few days ago and they left an impression on us of the upcoming changes and economic powerhouse that Malaysia plans to be in the near future.

Their economy is booming and the cost of land is rising.

They are going to have high speed rail from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru, which leads to Singapore in the next few years.

They are planning to have a free trade zone with Indonesia, Singapore and Johor Bahru so that there can be more trade and people can move across borders more easily.  To give you an idea of the border issues, every time we went from Johor Bahru, which is about a 3 minute bridge ride, to Singapore, we had to have our passports stamped on each side.  This means 4 stops at customs per day for people commuting from one side to the other.  Great if you want to load up your passport and look like a world traveler, terrible if you want to get to work on time.

There are also major theme parks, gorgeous jungle retreats and amazing beaches all over this island.

Of course, this is not all good as a rising tide does not lift all boats.  There are people here that are getting left behind.  Hopefully it won’t be overwhelming and things will work out for the best.

I haven’t even mentioned the different cultures and customs which draws us to this country.  That is one of the reasons we’ve been here twice in 3 months.

The other reason is the people.  The Malaysian people are some of the kindest people we have ever met.

There are only two other people that I’ve met that seem to be as kind and one is a cultural reason and the other is for a reason that horrific.

The first are the Balinese people.  They are just friendly, humorous and kind.  I stayed there when I returned from Japan, and teaching English with the JET program, in 1997.  I felt these were the kindest people on the Earth.  They just might be.

The second were the Japanese people of Hiroshima.  I visited there when I was living in Japan and was amazed at the kindness and humility of the people who lived there.  I believe they saw the worst humanity can do and decided that they never want to have that kind of hate, and destruction, in their lives again.

I feel that The Petronas Twin Towers show the strength, power and drive of the Malaysian people and their determination to move their country towards a changing future.  I hope that the people continue to be who they are, even when economic tides change, and their incredible culture continues to thrive through it all.

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Day 207 in Beijing: I’m a Little Weird.

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One of the Petronas Twin Towers stands behind a row of houses that are falling apart.

One of the Petronas Twin Towers stands behind a row of houses that are falling apart.

Okay, if you’ve been reading my blog, you already know that.

However, this specific weirdness is in regards to architecture.

I love modern architecture, when done well, and in the right arena.

The De Young Museum, in San Francisco, is amazing.

The Petronas Twin Towers are amazing.

The Eiffel Tower is amazing.

However, these are pretty obvious to most people and I don’t think I’m going out on a limb stating that these buildings are amazing.

What I do find amazing, and this is where you might find me weird, is I like the destruction of architecture.

I love when Nature has its way and takes its toll on what we humans think will be indestructible.

I don’t mean that I enjoy when people die from structures collapsing, but I love collapsing structures.

There is a singular beauty in that, as Yeats wrote in The Second Coming, “Things Fall Apart;  The Centre Cannot Hold.”

When that centre can not hold, it brings with it the beauty of destruction, confusion and rebirth.

Without one, there can not be the other.

As I travel around Kuala Lumpur, there are many buildings that are fantastic and new, and many others that are dying and waiting to be reborn into something entirely different.

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Day 206 in Beijing: Just Another Day At The Job.

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He doesn't seem to be working very hard.

He doesn’t seem to be working very hard.

So, this guy has possibly the most boring job in the world.

All day long, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, he stands there, waving his flag up and down.

Also, for someone that is out in the hot sun all day long, and trust me, it is sunny and hot here in Kuala Lumpur, he doesn’t seem to have much of a tan.

He also seems to have a set smile that makes him look sort of like a silly mannequin.

Man, this guy is lazy!

Man, this guy is lazy!

Oh wait, that is because he is a mannequin.

Yep, they seemed to have figured out that the job of a construction site flag waver is about as difficult as sleeping here in Malaysia.

So, what do they do?

They have a mannequin do it and set it up so his arm raises and lowers slowly by a small motor.

Pretty simple and pretty ingenious.

I think it is something that could easily be used in the USA and maybe those guys sitting around doing nothing but waving flags could do something more constructive like…constructing something!

Day 205 in Beijing: Human Feet. It’s What’s For Dinner.

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DINNERTIME!!!!

DINNERTIME!!!!

Jill and I tried being fish food again.

You may remember that we did the fish feet food dinner when we visited Shanghai a few months ago.

They were tiny little fish that, when they ate the dead skin off our feet, made us laugh because it tickled us so much.

These guys were more like big fish that were really looking to be fed.

They didn’t hurt but it wasn’t as ticklish.

It took about 15 minutes, and cost about 3 dollars US, and it was well worth it.

Not only do our feet feel so much better but the looks on the faces of the people walking by, and their questions, was worth way more than we paid.

People tend to be pretty freaked out by this and I can’t really blame them.

It is a pretty strange thing to do.

I know that in China one can actually wear a swimsuit and go into the water up to their necks and have the fish clean off the dead skin from everywhere that is not covered.

I’m not sure if I’m up to that experience yet, but trust me, if I do, you will hear about it here on my blog first!

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Day 204 in Beijing: Don’t Stand. Don’t Stand. Don’t Stand So Close To Me!

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All respect to The Police and that amazing song from so many years ago.

It takes on a new meaning when one rides the subways and trains in Kuala Lumpur.

At least, it sure did for Jill and me.

If you look at the pictures, you can see that there are certain waiting areas, and coaches, only for women.

Men are not allowed on them and are not allowed to stand in the same waiting area.

There is a simple reason for this: The Muslim religion, as practiced here, does not allow for women and men to touch if they aren’t married or in a relationship.

I’ve been in other countries where the Muslim religion is the major religion and yet I have not seen this before.

I actually found it quite wonderful and quite respectful.  Instead of having men only trains, where women are not allowed, they have women only trains where men are not allowed.

Jill didn’t ride the trains, as we were together and mixed couples are not allowed on these coaches either.  Instead, we took the mixed trains and didn’t have a problem.

There were also women in our trains, many wearing the Hijab, and some wearing the full Burka, but they didn’t seem to have a problem since men tended to make sure they had enough room to stand or sit where they needed to be.

I have noticed, when we ride in shared taxis, that men will sit next to Jill.  Jill often apologizes, as she knows the customs also, and the men usually answer with something like, “It is okay.  We are commuting and it is excused.”

I have not tried to sit by women, while in taxis, and I am not sure if it would be accepted or not.  I’m guessing it wouldn’t and I’d rather not try it as I want to be as respectful of their culture as possible.

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Day 203 in Beijing: The War on Christmas?

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If you watch certain American media outlets, or read newspapers by them, there seems to be a number of people worried about a hypothetical “War on Christmas” back home.

I’m utterly confused how one can have a war on a holiday that is made up but hat is just me.

Think about it: A dude that flies around in a sleigh with a bunch of reindeer and circumnavigates the entire Earth in less than 24 hours.  This includes people who don’t believe in Santa Claus, or have never herad of him, and he still gives them gifts.

That sounds like a pretty cool guy that no one would want to go to war with.  He also doesn’t sound like anyone that would go to war, either.

One of the issues that often comes up by people who believe that there is a “War on Christmas” is that other religions are trying to take away Christmas as a holiday and make it their own or destroy it.

The fact is I live in Beijing, China and am vacationing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, right now.

According to “The War on Christmas” folk, these nations should hate Santa Claus and everything that he represents.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

China is supposedly a Communist nation that doesn’t believe in religion.  This isn’t really true because of Buddhism but we will ignore that point for now.

China spends so much money and time on Christmas that it all people need to do is visit and they will lose all fears of a war breaking out anywhere.  The people here LOVE Christmas and everything about it.  It is probably more like Christmas here than it is back in the USA.  The Chinese have more fun and less anxiety about Christmas because they love buying things and giving gifts.

Maybe we all could learn how to respect the Christmas spirit and give a little more to the needy?

In Kuala Lumpur, as you can see by the pictures, there are Christmas trees everywhere. Remember, it is about 90 degrees with 90% humidity so it isn’t like Santa is going to be flying in and landing in the snow here anytime soon.

If anything, I’d worry he’d get heat stroke and die with his big heavy coat.

Listen up, folks:  The Commies in China, and the Muslims in Malaysia, love Christmas and Santa Claus.  So, if you believe in Santa, and Christmas, relax a little bit and feel safe that nobody here wants a war.  Let alone, a War on Christmas.

I think that all people want is a little peace, love and holiday cheer.

Isn’t that what the Christmas spirit is supposed to be about anyway?

If you agree that it is, please donate to a charity or help people in need.

I have a friend that would be such a person.

Her name is Mary Resenbeck and she is stuck in an isolation ward in a hospital in San Diego.  She has diverticulitis and is having a very difficult time.

She has developed C-Diff because of the antibiotics and can not even hold, or breastfeed, her newborn 3 month old baby, Gracie.

She and her husband, Doug, have 5 children and neither of them can work at this point since Doug is taking care of the children himself.  Gracie is staying with family members since she is so young.

They have insurance but it will not cover everything they need, let alone the basic necessities that they have during this time and the months to come.

Mary may be in the hospital for months to come, as she heals, and then needs surgery to fix the ruptures in her colon and reattach it.  This is no small problem and not a quick fix.

This is the reality of life.  People need help and, if we have the means, we can choose to help them.

I donated this morning and hope you will also.

Please follow this link and help her out.  It explains her whole story and is touching and powerful that what I posted here.

Please make it a Merry Christmas for Mary, Doug and the rest of her family.

http://www.gofundme.com/5vpj88

 

Day 202 in Beijing: Take a Shower!

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The showerhead and water heater for the shower.

The showerhead and water heater for the shower.

This may not be a little weird but I love checking out different showers around the world.

The showers in Malaysia are quite similar to the showers in Bali.

I visited Bali about 17 years ago when I was returning from living in Japan.

I lived in Sendai, Japan for 1 year as I was a JET program teacher.

It was a teaching program that both the United States and Japanese governments combined on to help students, and teachers, in Japan learn English and entertain the students.

It also included teachers from pretty much every English speaking nation so it was quite enjoyable and a great way to make friends.

The actual water heater with power and dial for temperature.

The actual water heater with power and dial for temperature.

The showers in Japan, by the way, were also similar to the ones in Bali, and now, here in Malaysia.

They are set up to basically be heated by a small water heater that is turned on before you use the shower.  This allows energy to be conserved and for the water to get nice and hot only when you need it.  They also have a dial or push button to turn the temperature up and down so you can adjust them as you need a change in heat.

I’ve found them quite useful and I’ve yet to have a cold shower with them.

By the way, not just the shower, but our whole apartment in Beijing is set to use an on-demand water heater and it is fantastic.  They are also very inexpensive to buy here in China and cost about 1/5 the price of on-demand water heaters in America.  I really don’t have any idea why they cost so much in America and hopefully the prices will decrease as they become more accepted.

Day 201 in Beijing: Otak-Otak It Is!

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I guess, when you get down to it, meat is meat.

I guess, when you get down to it, meat is meat.

Jill and I were walking down the street here in Kuala Lumpur and checking out the food stalls.

There is a lot of street food and we feel much more secure eating it here than in China.

Maybe we shouldn’t judge but it is hard not to when you hear the horror stories of the re-used oil back in China and how many people have gotten sick after trying street food there.

I’m adventurous but there are certain things I just won’t do.

We actually ended up not eating here because we saw an Malaysian restaurant across the street that looked like it would be worth trying and it was.

That being said, we really are interested in trying out some of the burgers that this little street food merchant has for sale.

I’ve always like deer and ostrich but I’m not sure about camel.

I’m not sure why camel sounds strange to me since meat is meat but it seems weird.

Just my Western sensibilities and dogma getting in the way of my taste buds.

I also need to ask why the hot dog is king and the hamburger is only a queen.  I’m almost afraid to know the answer.

By the way, we were a little concerned as to what Otak-Otak was since there is no animal we know of named Otak-Otak.

It actually sounds quite delicious and probably is something we will try in the near future since I’m a huge fan of fish patties combined with spices.  Yummy!