W/ Corey and Erin in Batu Ferrenghi, Malaysia
Batu Ferrenghi, Malaysia
National Mosque, Malaysia
Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
National Mosque, Malaysia
Penang, Malaysia
Talent Show, MV Explorer
Sunday October 26th 2008 Day 61 Departing Penang, Malaysia
It’s taken me a few years but I’m starting to warm up to the Postal Service (band). I’m listening to them right now, and I like it. I guess I’ve generally warmed up to electronica.
Today we leave Penang for Vietnam. I had a great time here in Malaysia. The first day I went on a field trip to see the different ethnic communities in Malaysia, the Malay (mostly muslim), Chinese (Buddhist), and Indians (Hindu). The first night I decided to take a 5 hour bus ride to Kuala Lumpur. Ran into a bunch of other SAS kids, but I split off when we got there. It’s a little more commercial than Penang, it has the famous Petronas towers, really tall twin towers, taller than the Empire state Building I’m pretty sure. Ate a late Indian dinner, bought a calling card and got everyone’s answering machines. Found a decent hotel the first night, went to a mostly vacant, but extravagant open air club/bar, went back, watched part of a movie, and slept early.
Day 2
Took a taxi to KLCC, which is the commercial area where the towers are. Walked around a mall, went to the tourist center to get a map and some guidance, got some delicious morsels from a chocolate store and headed to the monorail. Took the monorail (very nice, wish we had one in L.A.) to an area with a really old Mosque (built 1909), took a nap in the mosque, everyone was sleeping on the marble floor, open air. Walked across town, towards some other attractions. Long walk, ended up at the world’s largest open air aviary. Flamingos, Parrots, Peacocks, Emus. Fruit loops toucans. Ran into a Dutch girl I saw the night before checking into the hotel (Hetti?). Didn’t remember her, but she was nice. Met a girl from Australia, she was buying a scroll with her name painted on it by this Chinese woman. I bought one too, as a gift for someone at home. I am mosquito food. It’s hot and humid, raining occasionally. Keep walking, get to the National Mosque. Huge, beautiful, not in an ornate way, minimalist I guess. lots of unadorned columns. Overhear a Muslim person explaining his faith to some Christian Americans, talking about how they don’t have Idols (“we don’t know what God looks like”), don’t ask for a lot of money (“beware of religions that ask for money, god doesn’t ask for money”), don’t have furniture (“can fit more people in the mosque”), don’t have priests(I forget what the rationale was). Not quite as entertaining to hear about as the Hindus in India, who told lots of stories about their numerous gods, fables kind of.
Walked around, ended up in a huge market, food, clothes, everything. It was like a nice street mall with a row of booths obscuring all of the storefronts. Bought some shoes. Had some Chinese food and people watched, bought a bracelet from a monk.
Ran into a Jessica and Jackie at a hostel, surfed the internet for a while, called Corey and Erin (cousins who work in Singapore), went to a Reggae Bar, watched some Soccer, caught the midnight bus back from Puduraya station to Penang.
Day 3
Got back to Penang at 5 am, sat in a hostel surfing the net until 7 (tenders don’t go back to the ship until 7 am). We need to take tenders to the ship because it is anchored, not at a pier like in all of the previous ports. Missed the 7am tender. Walked around, came across a group of older Chinese folks in a park doing some kind of tai chi morning exercise. Joined in. Had a nice conversation with one of the ladies, then went back to the ship.
Took a nap, went back to shore, took a bus around the coast. A couple friends (Mallory, Tori, already forgot the 3rd girl’s name) hop on the bus, we go to U.S. pizza for lunch. Not bad. Continue to Gurney plaza, where I’m meeting Erin and Corey at their hotel later. Shop a while. Go to the hotel. G Hotel, pretty swank, postmodern feel with a lot of changing color glass and weird furniture. Sit at the bar and write postcards, talk with a Texan who works with semiconductor packaging. He’s worried about Korea more than China. Korea is really good at reverse engineering products and making them better. Said his business has lost 15% lately.
Meet Corey and Erin, check into the room, head to the hotel bar/lounge, also known as the G-Spot. Yup. Amazing Jazz singer, Catherine Skyes, performing with her band. Played a little stevie wonder, a little louis Armstrong, a little norah, it was great. Talked until the bar closed at 2.
Day 4
Wake up later than planned, walk around Georgetown looking for a place to eat, end up eating decent Chinese. Head to Batu Ferrenghi beach, beautiful spot, hang out, have some Tiger beer and fried bananas. Mango smoothies. I’m stuffed. Go to Penang hill, take a cable car up, see the whole city, even the ship in the harbor. Chinese folks ask to take a picture with Erin, like she’s a movie star. Tall American girls, one in a million. Probably less. Take the cable car back down, there is a girl next to me sobbing the whole time. Corey infers that her boyfriend jilted her at the top. Oh to be jilted on Penang Hill, how tragic. Head back to the hotel, download my album on iTunes for Corey, freshen up a little, head out to the Hawker market (new to me, Corey and Erin go to them in Singapore), which is basically an area full of street vendors selling food, with lots of picnic tables. The food is awesome. Laksa (Malaysian soup) stands smell terrible though, really gets to Erin. Best Chicken Satay I’ve ever had. Clay pot chicken rice. Fried egg/shrimp dish is great. Something that tastes like Pad Thai was awesome.
Go to another restaurant where people are singing karaoke. They are really serious about it, all dressed up, very focused. Sit down to have a few drinks. One thing we couldn’t figure out, there was a rack of fake flower bouquets to the side of the room, and someone would present them to certain karaoke singers, who would receive it nonchalantly, then hang it up on a hook on the stage after they were done. One guy was really into singing, jerking his head side to side and clenching his fists as he crooned. One girl sang a song with some English in it (“Oh my pretty pretty boy I love you”) and it was really catchy.
Headed back to the G-spot and listened to Catherine sing a few songs. Went back to the room, skyped Clara, who was setting up for homecoming - can’t believe Bernadette is in high school, and they’re both wearing zebra print dresses - then video-skyped the Bonaventuras – Sara was spazzing out, and saw baby Joseph for the first time. Audio didn’t work for a while, really funny to watch Matt trying to fix the computer in pantomime.
Day 5
Breakfast in the G café...head towards the Snake Temple, a Buddhist temple where they have sheltered snakes for a really long time, and they have a snake exhibit now that it’s a tourist attraction. Took us forever to get there, we have a rental car but our maps are very limited.
Finally get there, take a picture with a huge snake, watch a Chinese guy with a weird Chinese/Australian accent kiss a king cobra (“the most dangerous animal in the world is the ‘two legged snake’, not the king cobra”) Visit the temple area, head back to Georgetown, where the ship is. Had an AWESOME lunch, Chinese food with roast duck/chicken/pork, delicious rice. Best meal of the whole port stay I think. Walk around some of the textile markets. Back to the port, goodbye to Corey and Erin. I love them, it was immeasurably therapeutic and delightful to share the last two days with them. I can’t believe we were together all the way over here on the other side of the world. They are such wonderful people (and funny and hip too), I am so glad that I got to spend some time with them, doesn’t matter where we are, Malaysia, whatever, it’s always wonderful to spend time with family. Traveling with them is even cooler.
Wednesday October 29th Day 64 Enroute to Saigon/HCM City, Vietnam
We get to Vietnam tomorrow. I have a few relatives that I might meet up with, and I’ve also made friends with our interport Vietnamese student, Phuc. She said her friends would get a kick out of meeting me, not sure why, just that a Vietnamese (albeit American) kid is going around the world.
Played a little concert for one of the lifelong learner’s birthday yesterday, it was appreciated, I think. Last night was the crew talent show, that was fun, I was helping out with as stage crew, moving mics around and whatnot. Still haven’t finished Chesapeake (book I’ve been reading since summer), but about ¾ done. Finally wrote some postcards and sent them in Malaysia, some of them were from Namibia.
Can’t believe the election is so close. I’m getting very anxious.
I think I’m witnessing faculty flirting right now. Ouch…drink invitation rebuffed on account of pre-existing plans (game of bridge). Transition to eager discussion of travel plans. Off to lunch.
National Mosque, Malaysia
Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
National Mosque, Malaysia
Penang, Malaysia
Talent Show, MV Explorer
Sunday October 26th 2008 Day 61 Departing Penang, Malaysia
It’s taken me a few years but I’m starting to warm up to the Postal Service (band). I’m listening to them right now, and I like it. I guess I’ve generally warmed up to electronica.
Today we leave Penang for Vietnam. I had a great time here in Malaysia. The first day I went on a field trip to see the different ethnic communities in Malaysia, the Malay (mostly muslim), Chinese (Buddhist), and Indians (Hindu). The first night I decided to take a 5 hour bus ride to Kuala Lumpur. Ran into a bunch of other SAS kids, but I split off when we got there. It’s a little more commercial than Penang, it has the famous Petronas towers, really tall twin towers, taller than the Empire state Building I’m pretty sure. Ate a late Indian dinner, bought a calling card and got everyone’s answering machines. Found a decent hotel the first night, went to a mostly vacant, but extravagant open air club/bar, went back, watched part of a movie, and slept early.
Day 2
Took a taxi to KLCC, which is the commercial area where the towers are. Walked around a mall, went to the tourist center to get a map and some guidance, got some delicious morsels from a chocolate store and headed to the monorail. Took the monorail (very nice, wish we had one in L.A.) to an area with a really old Mosque (built 1909), took a nap in the mosque, everyone was sleeping on the marble floor, open air. Walked across town, towards some other attractions. Long walk, ended up at the world’s largest open air aviary. Flamingos, Parrots, Peacocks, Emus. Fruit loops toucans. Ran into a Dutch girl I saw the night before checking into the hotel (Hetti?). Didn’t remember her, but she was nice. Met a girl from Australia, she was buying a scroll with her name painted on it by this Chinese woman. I bought one too, as a gift for someone at home. I am mosquito food. It’s hot and humid, raining occasionally. Keep walking, get to the National Mosque. Huge, beautiful, not in an ornate way, minimalist I guess. lots of unadorned columns. Overhear a Muslim person explaining his faith to some Christian Americans, talking about how they don’t have Idols (“we don’t know what God looks like”), don’t ask for a lot of money (“beware of religions that ask for money, god doesn’t ask for money”), don’t have furniture (“can fit more people in the mosque”), don’t have priests(I forget what the rationale was). Not quite as entertaining to hear about as the Hindus in India, who told lots of stories about their numerous gods, fables kind of.
Walked around, ended up in a huge market, food, clothes, everything. It was like a nice street mall with a row of booths obscuring all of the storefronts. Bought some shoes. Had some Chinese food and people watched, bought a bracelet from a monk.
Ran into a Jessica and Jackie at a hostel, surfed the internet for a while, called Corey and Erin (cousins who work in Singapore), went to a Reggae Bar, watched some Soccer, caught the midnight bus back from Puduraya station to Penang.
Day 3
Got back to Penang at 5 am, sat in a hostel surfing the net until 7 (tenders don’t go back to the ship until 7 am). We need to take tenders to the ship because it is anchored, not at a pier like in all of the previous ports. Missed the 7am tender. Walked around, came across a group of older Chinese folks in a park doing some kind of tai chi morning exercise. Joined in. Had a nice conversation with one of the ladies, then went back to the ship.
Took a nap, went back to shore, took a bus around the coast. A couple friends (Mallory, Tori, already forgot the 3rd girl’s name) hop on the bus, we go to U.S. pizza for lunch. Not bad. Continue to Gurney plaza, where I’m meeting Erin and Corey at their hotel later. Shop a while. Go to the hotel. G Hotel, pretty swank, postmodern feel with a lot of changing color glass and weird furniture. Sit at the bar and write postcards, talk with a Texan who works with semiconductor packaging. He’s worried about Korea more than China. Korea is really good at reverse engineering products and making them better. Said his business has lost 15% lately.
Meet Corey and Erin, check into the room, head to the hotel bar/lounge, also known as the G-Spot. Yup. Amazing Jazz singer, Catherine Skyes, performing with her band. Played a little stevie wonder, a little louis Armstrong, a little norah, it was great. Talked until the bar closed at 2.
Day 4
Wake up later than planned, walk around Georgetown looking for a place to eat, end up eating decent Chinese. Head to Batu Ferrenghi beach, beautiful spot, hang out, have some Tiger beer and fried bananas. Mango smoothies. I’m stuffed. Go to Penang hill, take a cable car up, see the whole city, even the ship in the harbor. Chinese folks ask to take a picture with Erin, like she’s a movie star. Tall American girls, one in a million. Probably less. Take the cable car back down, there is a girl next to me sobbing the whole time. Corey infers that her boyfriend jilted her at the top. Oh to be jilted on Penang Hill, how tragic. Head back to the hotel, download my album on iTunes for Corey, freshen up a little, head out to the Hawker market (new to me, Corey and Erin go to them in Singapore), which is basically an area full of street vendors selling food, with lots of picnic tables. The food is awesome. Laksa (Malaysian soup) stands smell terrible though, really gets to Erin. Best Chicken Satay I’ve ever had. Clay pot chicken rice. Fried egg/shrimp dish is great. Something that tastes like Pad Thai was awesome.
Go to another restaurant where people are singing karaoke. They are really serious about it, all dressed up, very focused. Sit down to have a few drinks. One thing we couldn’t figure out, there was a rack of fake flower bouquets to the side of the room, and someone would present them to certain karaoke singers, who would receive it nonchalantly, then hang it up on a hook on the stage after they were done. One guy was really into singing, jerking his head side to side and clenching his fists as he crooned. One girl sang a song with some English in it (“Oh my pretty pretty boy I love you”) and it was really catchy.
Headed back to the G-spot and listened to Catherine sing a few songs. Went back to the room, skyped Clara, who was setting up for homecoming - can’t believe Bernadette is in high school, and they’re both wearing zebra print dresses - then video-skyped the Bonaventuras – Sara was spazzing out, and saw baby Joseph for the first time. Audio didn’t work for a while, really funny to watch Matt trying to fix the computer in pantomime.
Day 5
Breakfast in the G café...head towards the Snake Temple, a Buddhist temple where they have sheltered snakes for a really long time, and they have a snake exhibit now that it’s a tourist attraction. Took us forever to get there, we have a rental car but our maps are very limited.
Finally get there, take a picture with a huge snake, watch a Chinese guy with a weird Chinese/Australian accent kiss a king cobra (“the most dangerous animal in the world is the ‘two legged snake’, not the king cobra”) Visit the temple area, head back to Georgetown, where the ship is. Had an AWESOME lunch, Chinese food with roast duck/chicken/pork, delicious rice. Best meal of the whole port stay I think. Walk around some of the textile markets. Back to the port, goodbye to Corey and Erin. I love them, it was immeasurably therapeutic and delightful to share the last two days with them. I can’t believe we were together all the way over here on the other side of the world. They are such wonderful people (and funny and hip too), I am so glad that I got to spend some time with them, doesn’t matter where we are, Malaysia, whatever, it’s always wonderful to spend time with family. Traveling with them is even cooler.
Wednesday October 29th Day 64 Enroute to Saigon/HCM City, Vietnam
We get to Vietnam tomorrow. I have a few relatives that I might meet up with, and I’ve also made friends with our interport Vietnamese student, Phuc. She said her friends would get a kick out of meeting me, not sure why, just that a Vietnamese (albeit American) kid is going around the world.
Played a little concert for one of the lifelong learner’s birthday yesterday, it was appreciated, I think. Last night was the crew talent show, that was fun, I was helping out with as stage crew, moving mics around and whatnot. Still haven’t finished Chesapeake (book I’ve been reading since summer), but about ¾ done. Finally wrote some postcards and sent them in Malaysia, some of them were from Namibia.
Can’t believe the election is so close. I’m getting very anxious.
I think I’m witnessing faculty flirting right now. Ouch…drink invitation rebuffed on account of pre-existing plans (game of bridge). Transition to eager discussion of travel plans. Off to lunch.
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