We arrived in Hanoi last night; a four-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur. Our in-flight meal was the delicious nasi lemak rice dish and our in-flight entertainment was the little girl sitting in front of us who spent most of flight engaging us in peek-a-boo. Our hotel sent a taxi to pick us up and we […]
Living Overseas
Your 213-Word Mini Malaysian Culture Lesson
As in Japan, Malaysian moviegoers must choose their seats before committing to buying their tickets. The cashier shows you a seating grid and you choose. Unlike Japan, a movie ticket costs just 9 ringgit; about 3 US dollars. Because Sean has never heard of it, I am able to convince him to watch He’s Just […]
Do Not Disturb – Out for Vacation
A strange thing has happened to Sean and I since we’ve been on vacation. When someone speaks English to us, we answer back cheerfully. If we don’t know how to eat roti canal properly, we’re not embarrassed. If someone rushes to show us how to use an English language ticket machine, we’re grateful. All of […]
The Good Pain?
They say human beings – especially women – have short memories when it comes to pain. We remember that there was pain, that it existed and was terrible, but we tend to forget exactly what it felt like. We make approximate guesses when describing it to our friends: “Imagine sitting on a knife!” But it […]
Coconut Grove
So we’re in Malaysia. We’re in Penang now and were in Kuala Lumpur a couple of days ago. Trees are everywhere, with huge, dark, broad leaves. Sometimes, fruits dangle off of the leaves and elsewhere, on menus, on streetcarts, they are heaped in giant mounds of affordable goodness. Affordable: that’s the kicker. I’ve eaten more […]
Read My Terse, Angry Lips
What I want to know is why my Behasa Melaya language phrasebook includes the phrases for “thank you,” “goodnight,” and “how much is the room per night?” but DOESN’T include what I can tell you is the much, much more useful phrase for: “Please stop hovering over me as I try to read the menu. […]
Turban Makeover
We’re examining the official currency of Malaysia and notice that the same man’s picture is on all of the bills. We’ve learned by now that his name is Tuanku Abdul Rahman. We figure he must be very important to be featured on all the paper currency. Sean is disappointed because he had hoped to work a […]
Keluar Bahaya Bilik?
The official language of Malaysia is Bahasa Melaya. Bahasa Melaya is written in the Roman alphabet, unlike other Asian countries’ languages which are written in scripts that are beautiful but undecipherable to tourists. By the time we arrive at the guest house, my Bahasa Melaya vocabulary has grown to a modest but exciting 5 words: […]
Underdressing, Overdressing
We’re maybe half an hour from touching down at Kuala Lumpur International Airport when, while washing my hands in the airplane bathroom, I realize that I’m inappropriately dressed for my first foray into the Muslim world. I look in the mirror and there they are; my bare shoulders and arms, gleaming white under the florescent […]