So I was all excited about my weekend and it was for nothing. I mean we were out and about but nothing special. Friday night I decided to something special for my husband since he finally bought our tv for the living room and Astro ( the one and only television provider in all of Malaysia...talk about a monopoly!) came out to the house and hooked up our service. By the way, the reason it took so long for us to get a television for our living room is because Jim is in charge of the LG warehouse and they promised him a discount by buying direct from them, so it took about 2 months for them to provide a list of models we could choose from and then Jim had to comparison shop in the mall for the best deal. Once he paid them, they delivered the tv right to him and he brought it home in the back of his HOOPTie ( that's what I'm calling it now since it's been in the shop more times than I've been to the doctor. ) While the installers were in the house I had them move our other tv from the guest bedroom to our master bedroom ( don't worry if we get a good deal on an extra tv we still have the wiring in that room so our guests can watch tv.) but when I asked them to do the extra work, the installation fee damn near tripled! It was a flat rate for the extra decoder box and then to move the box we already had that cost twice as much and then for some reason because the tv downstairs is larger, it needed a lightning bolt protection something or other which was about the same price as moving our original satellite box. Of course since the installer was an independent contractor he wanted cash but I wasn't expecting all of the additional costs so while they were doing there work I ran up to mall to use the ATM just to find that both machines ( only 2 in the entire mall ) were out of order so I had to forge my husband's signature on a check. Hopefully it will not bounce considering the episode of the stolen check from our wallet. So anyway, that was the long version, the short version is I made Jim lasagna and brownies for his reward and later on Friday night I came up to George's to visit with Sim. Exciting...huh?
So Saturday came and instead of waiting until Sunday, Jim went up to City Golf for a couple of hours. I was planning on meeting him up there but after I did some laundry and cooked my new favorite ramen noodle dish I was full and sleepy so I took a nap. When I woke up, for no reason at all I was irritated, I don't know if it's because when I walked around the house I could tell what room Jim had been in, or the construction noises that are continuous around our house or if Oso's barking at all the noise was bothering me, but needless to say I wasn't in the greatest of moods and Jim knew right away to tread carefully around me. He suggested we go to Outback for dinner down in the Village since we haven't been there yet. Their menu is slightly different than the restaurants in the States, like instead of real bacon they serve beef bacon which totally changes the flavor of the food. And as usual when we ordered soup and salad to start with, they brought everything out at the same time. The odd thing was while we were eating dinner we could hear like a flock of birds above us and all of a sudden one fell from the trees smack into the pavement. At first I didn't pay it any attention until I noticed that it didn't get up and fly away. It's back was turned to me and for a moment it looked like it was headless but Jim pointed out that it probably broke its neck when it fell and that's why its head was at an awkward position. Since it fell on the pathway leading up the entrance of Bangsar Village mall a security guard came over with a piece of plastic and picked it up and threw it into some bushes. I felt so bad for the bird and even after we finished dinner, went to Dinty's and shot some pool, checked out a gym ( which we joined, for some reason Jim has put on 7 lbs since we moved into our house, I think it's from eating curry for lunch.) the bird was still on the sidewalk fluttering about trying to fly away while a kitten was stalking nearby. So sad, if I had the heart I would have put it out of it's misery.
So now it's Sunday and we awoke to a very gloomy, overcast day. It's been raining off and on all day. We did manage to make it to Mid-Valley mall ( the location of my robbery) because I needed a vacumn cleaner. I've decided that my house is too big to try and sweep everyday considering that Oso sheds and it's a pain in the butt to try to get it all up. Jim also decided that I need wireless headphones for the tv downstairs. Because our house is made up mostly of concrete, marble and tile floors, there is an echo through the house and when I came home from George's the other night he could hear the Asian Food Channel upstairs as though he was watching it in our bedroom. The cool thing about the mall is the parking garages, they have car washes in the parking garage so while you shop your car is getting cleaned and afterwards they will park it for you...pretty cool, why hasn't anyone in the States thought of this? I also bought a new Ipod since I can't find my other one, which makes me angry because Jim gave it to me for a birthday present and had it engraved. Hopefully I will be able to transfer my music library into the new device. Jim also got his hair cut and the place we went to was definitely a first for us. It advertised a haircut for 13 Ringitt in 13 minutes. When you walked in there was a machine that you fed your money into, much like a change machine, once you did that you received a ticket and you sat on a sensored bench. Depending on the number of people waiting for a haircut, there was a traffic light that signaled the wait time. If the light was green, it meant that your wait time was nothing. If the light was yellow, you'll have to wait 5-10 min. If the light was red, your wait time was 15 min. or more. If you didn't purchase a ticket you couldn't sit on the bench because then you would throw off the wait time which was displayed in the window of the salon for other customers to see passing by. They even advertised an air wash shampoo system which was basically them applying a vacumn cleaner to your head to get rid of all the cut hairs. Great idea for a salon especially for customers like Jim who just want to get their hair cut, no conversation, no shampoo ( he doesn't appreciate the neck massages like I do ) and get the heck out of there. I wish I would have brought my camera, I'm sure he'll go back next time he needs a haircut.
After that we came home, went to George's because I thought Sim was working but she wasn't ( She called in on a family emergency which was taking her mom to see Beauty and the Beast on ice.), Jim went home early and I talked to some of my family because I've been out of touch for a while because of my internet connections. So I am attempting to write as frequently as I was before but don't get your hopes up, I've just been inspired lately and I hate to disappoint.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Friday June 27, 2008
I welcome the upcoming weekend, this past week just seemed to fly by and I didn't even do anything special. Jim did his thing: wake up at 5:30, get dressed, get online for a little bit and then leave for work around 7 am. Go to work, sit in meetings, meet with clients, wonder how DHL has stayed in business so long. Drive home, sit in traffic, curse out some motorbikes ( I found out this is the proper term for scooters, they don't like it when you call them scooters ), get home, eat dinner, watch a lil tv, walk the dog and then read a book until he falls asleep. Me, a couple of times this week I strayed away from Oprah and Ellen. I think the urge to get out and do things is taking hold.
Sim came and picked me up one day because I mentioned to her that we were looking for a brother for Oso and her friend Pri, her mother had rescued 2 puppies and was looking for homes for them. The house was absolutely gorgeous!! It was situated at the top of a hill but the front was covered with tall palm trees and other tropical flowers. Once you got past the gate and walked past the carport there was a 2 story house that looked like something out of a travel guide. It was Balinese style so lots of dark wood and a pool that ran the entire length of the house, big exposed walls from the living room and dining room so you could just jump right in the pool from the living room. It was awesome! The dogs were cute, but I couldn't take them because they were both girls and Pri's mom did not want to separate them so I'd have to take both, plus I wasn't sure about how big they would get. We had a tough enough time finding a house that would allow Oso, imagine if we move somewhere else and we had 3 dogs. So I'm still on the search for one, boy, toy-sized dog that Oso can manipulate. Sim was disappointed that we didn't take them because she was excited about dog sitting when we go out of town.
Speaking of going out of town, Jim just asked me this week if I wanted to go to Hong Kong with him on a business trip next month- like I'd say no! So I have that to look forward to plus I'm still planning our trip to Penang and Langkawi for August. I've been straying a little bit from Oprah because most of the shows I've already seen, so I've been watching the Asian Food Channel. Similar to Food Network but with shows I've not heard of. My doctor tells me that I have to cut back on eating meat because my protein levels are elevated and I'm like "Do you know who I live with? Me put a plate of pasta and veggies in front of Jim? That ain't gonna happen!! So I've been watching this show called the Veggie Table which is produced here and it is hilarious!! Not only do I get to learn new vegetarian dishes that I can cook for myself for lunch, but I get a good laugh out of it because of the 2 hosts. One is the host and one is the chef and they couldn't be more different. Basically the host stands there and talks nonsense about cooking and stirs something every once in a while, while the chef who is Indian tells you how to cook the dish. Most of the time she skips how to do something because of the time limits but I have found the recipes easy enough that I can handle. I have also been experimenting with my favorite ramen noodles. Most hawker stalls here either sell rice or noodles so I've been paying attention to what they serve it with. I usually cook the noodles and drain them, then in a skillet I saute whatever vegetables I have on hand, maybe some leftover chicken or tuna, scramble an egg, then I throw in the noodles with the flavor packet, some other spices and sprinkle either some green or fried onions on top YUMMM!! When I come home I will gladly make it for anyone.
Once again this weekend we were invited to Harald's and Susan's for pizza and beer and once again they have cancelled. Not sure why this time, I know before it was because they were arguing which seems to happen often. It could be that Susan also works full time and just doesn't feel like entertaining anyone on the weekends. It's ok with us, sometimes I'm the same way, I just don't want to be bothered by anybody. I did go shopping in the Village this week, I had some other things to do too. 3 people have sent me packages and I only received 1 from Jayson in Chicago. The other 2 were sent even before he mailed his so I had to go down to the post office to register a complaint. The reponse I got was the mailman came by the house to ask me some questions and I have to admit that I wasn't all that nice. I wanted him to know that I meant business, it's not cheap to send anything here, ask my brother Chris who has vowed to only send me stuff that he can order online with free shipping. Anyone have the email address for the makers of Kool-Aid?
As you can see I have posted some new photos. I still haven't figured out why my camera won't download to my computer anymore but I bought a memory card reader so that seems to be working for now. I'll also see if I can send out the movie of our neighborhood fumigation which just recently happened again, of course I had clothes out on the clothesline drying so I had to wash them all again. There is a break in my case of the stolen wallet, someone last week tried to cash the check I had in my purse from our Malaysian bank account for 5000 Ringitt ($1587 U.S.) so the bank called Jim to verify that it was legit. Now I'm waiting for the bank to send us a photocopy of the check so I can forward it on to the Inspector whom I haven't heard from since I filed my report. I just want my driver's license back!!
Enjoy your weekend and I'll try to post again soon. See ya!!
Sim came and picked me up one day because I mentioned to her that we were looking for a brother for Oso and her friend Pri, her mother had rescued 2 puppies and was looking for homes for them. The house was absolutely gorgeous!! It was situated at the top of a hill but the front was covered with tall palm trees and other tropical flowers. Once you got past the gate and walked past the carport there was a 2 story house that looked like something out of a travel guide. It was Balinese style so lots of dark wood and a pool that ran the entire length of the house, big exposed walls from the living room and dining room so you could just jump right in the pool from the living room. It was awesome! The dogs were cute, but I couldn't take them because they were both girls and Pri's mom did not want to separate them so I'd have to take both, plus I wasn't sure about how big they would get. We had a tough enough time finding a house that would allow Oso, imagine if we move somewhere else and we had 3 dogs. So I'm still on the search for one, boy, toy-sized dog that Oso can manipulate. Sim was disappointed that we didn't take them because she was excited about dog sitting when we go out of town.
Speaking of going out of town, Jim just asked me this week if I wanted to go to Hong Kong with him on a business trip next month- like I'd say no! So I have that to look forward to plus I'm still planning our trip to Penang and Langkawi for August. I've been straying a little bit from Oprah because most of the shows I've already seen, so I've been watching the Asian Food Channel. Similar to Food Network but with shows I've not heard of. My doctor tells me that I have to cut back on eating meat because my protein levels are elevated and I'm like "Do you know who I live with? Me put a plate of pasta and veggies in front of Jim? That ain't gonna happen!! So I've been watching this show called the Veggie Table which is produced here and it is hilarious!! Not only do I get to learn new vegetarian dishes that I can cook for myself for lunch, but I get a good laugh out of it because of the 2 hosts. One is the host and one is the chef and they couldn't be more different. Basically the host stands there and talks nonsense about cooking and stirs something every once in a while, while the chef who is Indian tells you how to cook the dish. Most of the time she skips how to do something because of the time limits but I have found the recipes easy enough that I can handle. I have also been experimenting with my favorite ramen noodles. Most hawker stalls here either sell rice or noodles so I've been paying attention to what they serve it with. I usually cook the noodles and drain them, then in a skillet I saute whatever vegetables I have on hand, maybe some leftover chicken or tuna, scramble an egg, then I throw in the noodles with the flavor packet, some other spices and sprinkle either some green or fried onions on top YUMMM!! When I come home I will gladly make it for anyone.
Once again this weekend we were invited to Harald's and Susan's for pizza and beer and once again they have cancelled. Not sure why this time, I know before it was because they were arguing which seems to happen often. It could be that Susan also works full time and just doesn't feel like entertaining anyone on the weekends. It's ok with us, sometimes I'm the same way, I just don't want to be bothered by anybody. I did go shopping in the Village this week, I had some other things to do too. 3 people have sent me packages and I only received 1 from Jayson in Chicago. The other 2 were sent even before he mailed his so I had to go down to the post office to register a complaint. The reponse I got was the mailman came by the house to ask me some questions and I have to admit that I wasn't all that nice. I wanted him to know that I meant business, it's not cheap to send anything here, ask my brother Chris who has vowed to only send me stuff that he can order online with free shipping. Anyone have the email address for the makers of Kool-Aid?
As you can see I have posted some new photos. I still haven't figured out why my camera won't download to my computer anymore but I bought a memory card reader so that seems to be working for now. I'll also see if I can send out the movie of our neighborhood fumigation which just recently happened again, of course I had clothes out on the clothesline drying so I had to wash them all again. There is a break in my case of the stolen wallet, someone last week tried to cash the check I had in my purse from our Malaysian bank account for 5000 Ringitt ($1587 U.S.) so the bank called Jim to verify that it was legit. Now I'm waiting for the bank to send us a photocopy of the check so I can forward it on to the Inspector whom I haven't heard from since I filed my report. I just want my driver's license back!!
Enjoy your weekend and I'll try to post again soon. See ya!!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Tuesday June 24, 2008
12 days have past since my last post, you can really tell that we're getting used to our routine at this point. The only exciting thing that has happened is our car has broken down a couple of times. I'm still watching Oprah and Ellen most days and catching up on Desperate Housewives as I get to watch all of the old seasons. The first time the car broke down Jim was coming home from work and was around the corner from the house when the brakes completely went out. He had to use the emergency brake in order to stop. Somehow he managed to park the car in our driveway. His boss Harald knew someone who worked on Jeeps so Jim called him and I must say that the service was excellent. Benson ( the mechanic ) sent out 2 guys to our house and when they figured out that they couldn't drive the car to the shop they called for a tow truck. The car was gone for the weekend but when they were finished they delivered it back to us. They had to replace all of the brakes, fix a window that wouldn't roll up or down and the radio antennae that wouldn't go up. The price wasn't bad either, about $600 U.S. for everything including the tow. Can't beat that in the States!!
The second time the car broke down was a different scenario. We decided to go up to a place called Genting Highlands which to me I thought was a Malaysian version of Vegas. It's located up at the top of the rainforest about 45 minutes outside of Kuala Lumpur. As usual me and Jim jumped at the chance to try and drive there even though we weren't sure how to get there. Luckily we only had to make one U-turn and enjoyed driving through different towns. The bad luck started when we got there. There are 2 options to get to the top: you can either drive all the way up or you can park at the bottom and take a 20 minute cable car ride to the top. We decided to ride the cable car. We pulled into the parking garage and started looking for a space, as Jim was going up another floor he couldn't quite make the turn so he backed up a bit but when he put the car in drive once again it wouldn't go into gear. The car is still running but we can't move and we're blocking the entrance to the upper floors so a line started to form behind us of other people trying to park. Jim tried to push but that didn't work. One guy parked his car and came over to try and help us and before we knew it we had a clan of security guards, police officers and other citizens gathered to try and help. Somehow they all managed to push the car out of the way of the entrance so other people could go by and a rep from Genting called a mechanic. The mechanic showed up and discovered that a cable had snapped that connected the gear box to the transmission, he thought he could fix it but didn't bring any tools with him. He told us to go ahead up to the resort, have a good time and he would call us when it was finished.
So we boarded a gondola for the 20 minute ride up through the rainforest. This part was fun and terrifying all at the same time. We kept playing out a disastrous scenario of the cable car falling and how we would be screwed. You couldn't even see the ground that's how high up we were. We got to the top and started exploring. The property is made up of 3 hotels and each one offering different attractions all connected by escalators and tunnels. We walked around and found a buffet to eat at for lunch which was disappointing. No Vegas-like buffet here. It was mostly Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisine; no prime rib, ham, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, taco bar, mostly rice and noodles and a lot of spicy food. We decided to go into the casino after that but was denied access because Jim was wearing shorts and I was wearing a tank top so we had to go shopping. Fortunately we were able to find clothes that fit us in a store called S&M ( no, there were no whips or chains for sale ). We got into the Monte Carlo casino and after a few minutes we realized that it was the quietest casino we've ever been in. They had slot machines but the sound was turned off, the place was packed with people but no one was talking, no one was yelling because they had won or lost, just quiet like a library. Other than slots and roulette we didn't recognize or know how to play the other games offered. There was baccarat, pontoon, min, caribbean stud poker, casino war and pai gow. So another disappointment for us because I know Jim was looking forward to playing blackjack or texas hold 'em.
We left the casino and found the World Hotel which offers an indoor and outdoor theme park. Again, compared to Vegas it looked like Blackberry Farm. The outdoor park had roller coasters and a water park but the water park was drained so no swimming, the rides were ok but nothing spectacular, mostly kiddy rides. The indoor park was everything America. There was a Statue of Liberty, an Oscar statue, Hollywood memorabilia and rides, mostly kiddy. One thing I thought was cool was they had a place called SnowWorld and for $18 RM you could go into an arena that had snow and was cold inside. Considering many people here have never seen snow it was a big attraction. We didn't go inside ( for what? I've experienced being cold one too many times in my life ) but they had an observation window and you could see all the kids running around trying to build snowmen. I say trying because the texture of the snow was so artificial there was no way they could succeed. Me and Jim shot target practice with mock AK-47's that was about the most fun I had in the theme park. We tried to go into the casino of the World hotel but was denied access again because we had the bag we got from shopping for clothes to get into the last casino. We tried to rent a locker to put it in but they were all full and by this time we were so disappointed with our day trip we were just ready to leave. But we couldn't because the mechanic hadn't called us yet!
We found a sports bar and had some cocktails while we watched soccer and finally the mechanic called to tell us that he couldn't find the part he needed until Monday and wanted to know if we could get a hotel room. We thought about it but everything was booked because the Osmonds ( yes, Donnie and Marie ) were performing that night. I told Jim to ask if they could tow us back home and the mechanic said yes. So we took the cable car back down and he picked us up and took us back to his shop where our car was being loaded onto the tow truck. As we started out back down the mountain I'm thinking we're not going to get home for 2 hours because the driver never put the truck past 2nd gear. I decided to go to sleep. When I woke up we were close to home and I was glad!! He must have taken a different way than we did going up because it only took him 45 minutes to get back to Bangsar. Again, very good service from the time we broke down til the time we got home. How many parking garages do you know of that would arrange for a mechanic to come out and offer to fix your car in the States? So Benson and his guys came out yesterday and picked up the car and had it back to us last night before dinner time.
As far as Genting Highlands is concerned, I'll probably never go back up unless there is a group in town that we want to see in concert or we learn how to play pai gow ( quietly ), or if anyone comes to visit because everyone should ride in the cable car.
The second time the car broke down was a different scenario. We decided to go up to a place called Genting Highlands which to me I thought was a Malaysian version of Vegas. It's located up at the top of the rainforest about 45 minutes outside of Kuala Lumpur. As usual me and Jim jumped at the chance to try and drive there even though we weren't sure how to get there. Luckily we only had to make one U-turn and enjoyed driving through different towns. The bad luck started when we got there. There are 2 options to get to the top: you can either drive all the way up or you can park at the bottom and take a 20 minute cable car ride to the top. We decided to ride the cable car. We pulled into the parking garage and started looking for a space, as Jim was going up another floor he couldn't quite make the turn so he backed up a bit but when he put the car in drive once again it wouldn't go into gear. The car is still running but we can't move and we're blocking the entrance to the upper floors so a line started to form behind us of other people trying to park. Jim tried to push but that didn't work. One guy parked his car and came over to try and help us and before we knew it we had a clan of security guards, police officers and other citizens gathered to try and help. Somehow they all managed to push the car out of the way of the entrance so other people could go by and a rep from Genting called a mechanic. The mechanic showed up and discovered that a cable had snapped that connected the gear box to the transmission, he thought he could fix it but didn't bring any tools with him. He told us to go ahead up to the resort, have a good time and he would call us when it was finished.
So we boarded a gondola for the 20 minute ride up through the rainforest. This part was fun and terrifying all at the same time. We kept playing out a disastrous scenario of the cable car falling and how we would be screwed. You couldn't even see the ground that's how high up we were. We got to the top and started exploring. The property is made up of 3 hotels and each one offering different attractions all connected by escalators and tunnels. We walked around and found a buffet to eat at for lunch which was disappointing. No Vegas-like buffet here. It was mostly Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisine; no prime rib, ham, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, taco bar, mostly rice and noodles and a lot of spicy food. We decided to go into the casino after that but was denied access because Jim was wearing shorts and I was wearing a tank top so we had to go shopping. Fortunately we were able to find clothes that fit us in a store called S&M ( no, there were no whips or chains for sale ). We got into the Monte Carlo casino and after a few minutes we realized that it was the quietest casino we've ever been in. They had slot machines but the sound was turned off, the place was packed with people but no one was talking, no one was yelling because they had won or lost, just quiet like a library. Other than slots and roulette we didn't recognize or know how to play the other games offered. There was baccarat, pontoon, min, caribbean stud poker, casino war and pai gow. So another disappointment for us because I know Jim was looking forward to playing blackjack or texas hold 'em.
We left the casino and found the World Hotel which offers an indoor and outdoor theme park. Again, compared to Vegas it looked like Blackberry Farm. The outdoor park had roller coasters and a water park but the water park was drained so no swimming, the rides were ok but nothing spectacular, mostly kiddy rides. The indoor park was everything America. There was a Statue of Liberty, an Oscar statue, Hollywood memorabilia and rides, mostly kiddy. One thing I thought was cool was they had a place called SnowWorld and for $18 RM you could go into an arena that had snow and was cold inside. Considering many people here have never seen snow it was a big attraction. We didn't go inside ( for what? I've experienced being cold one too many times in my life ) but they had an observation window and you could see all the kids running around trying to build snowmen. I say trying because the texture of the snow was so artificial there was no way they could succeed. Me and Jim shot target practice with mock AK-47's that was about the most fun I had in the theme park. We tried to go into the casino of the World hotel but was denied access again because we had the bag we got from shopping for clothes to get into the last casino. We tried to rent a locker to put it in but they were all full and by this time we were so disappointed with our day trip we were just ready to leave. But we couldn't because the mechanic hadn't called us yet!
We found a sports bar and had some cocktails while we watched soccer and finally the mechanic called to tell us that he couldn't find the part he needed until Monday and wanted to know if we could get a hotel room. We thought about it but everything was booked because the Osmonds ( yes, Donnie and Marie ) were performing that night. I told Jim to ask if they could tow us back home and the mechanic said yes. So we took the cable car back down and he picked us up and took us back to his shop where our car was being loaded onto the tow truck. As we started out back down the mountain I'm thinking we're not going to get home for 2 hours because the driver never put the truck past 2nd gear. I decided to go to sleep. When I woke up we were close to home and I was glad!! He must have taken a different way than we did going up because it only took him 45 minutes to get back to Bangsar. Again, very good service from the time we broke down til the time we got home. How many parking garages do you know of that would arrange for a mechanic to come out and offer to fix your car in the States? So Benson and his guys came out yesterday and picked up the car and had it back to us last night before dinner time.
As far as Genting Highlands is concerned, I'll probably never go back up unless there is a group in town that we want to see in concert or we learn how to play pai gow ( quietly ), or if anyone comes to visit because everyone should ride in the cable car.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Thursday June 12, 2008
So I find myself slowly getting out of my slump and have done a couple of things this week other than housework. Of course I'm still an internet junkie but I've actually gotten off the block. I am happy to see that Obama has won the nomination for Democratic candidate however since the announcement my inbox has been flooded with a lot of negative material directed at him. Things such as his Muslim background and lack of military experience while at the same time I've been receiving positive messages regarding McCain whom I haven't heard anything about until now. The great thing about America is the freedom of speech and the right to vote. Sure there will be different opinions regarding both candidates but the bottom line is that the people have voted for who they want to see run for the White House, both seem to be qualified politicians, they are afterall already serving the public as Senators. The thing I want to address is Obama's Muslim background. Socially in America the people see Muslims as a negative issue. I can say that after living in a Muslim society for the past 3 or so months everyone really needs to do their research regarding Islam. I think our media focuses mainly on the radical Muslims and never addresses the religion as a whole so people, turn on History channel, read a book, google search, whatever, just make sure that you're not judging a person by how they were raised. I came from a diverse background and I don't think I'm a bad person for it, I think I'm a better person because of it. It's easy to be fearful or opposed to something when you don't have all the facts, instead of being ignorant, educate yourselves to a different perspective.
So over the weekend Jim and I went to our friend Sim's birthday party. She turned 21 ( I know, I can't remember myself at that age ). Of course we got lost trying to find her house so her Mom had to come find us so we could follow her back. There were a few people there with a DJ, food and of course cocktails. I was really impressed with the house because when we first got there, we parked in the back entrance next to a house and when I looked to my right I thought the building next to us was a school but it was Sim's house. It was huge with a very nice pool and spa out back. So we ate, drank, swam, danced and met some new people. The party ended about 9 pm but Sim wasn't done celebrating her birthday so we all got changed and went to a bar called Finnegan's. I've mentioned this place before, there are several locations and last week when I went to the party at George's I got to meet a few of the managers. So we went to one that I've never been to before in Sri Hartamas and it didn't feel like a new place because when we got there I recognized quite a few people. Sim drank a couple of Flamin Lamborghini's which is similar to Flaming Dr. Peppers but they stack about 6 glasses on top of each other with liquor in the bottom one, then they take cognac and ignite it then pour it over all of the glasses so it looks like a tower of fire, then you drink the shot out of a straw at the bottom. I've been in the bar business a long time and I'm still impressed by it. I'll try to demonstrate it when I come home. So we had a good time but the next day I wasn't feeling so great and I came to realize that when we were swimming at Sim's house, my insulin pump became disconnected so I wasn't getting my medicine like I'm supposed to. I rested a couple of days and soon everything was back to normal.
I went about my normal routine after that and on Wednesday I decided to go shopping. Sim is about the same size as me so I had asked her where she shops so I could get some new clothes. I went to Mid-Valley Mall and was enjoying myself and found some cute things. I decided to go into a department store called Jusco and check out their women's department. I looked through the racks and of course everything was a size 2 or 4 and then I looked across the aisle and saw a sign that said Plus Size so I figured if my size wasn't in the regular women's section I must be plus size by Malaysian standards. I was right. Very depressing when you first think about it but if I need clothes this is what I have to do, I can't even get one leg into a size 4! So I'm all by myself looking through the racks finding quite a few things that I actually liked and then- it was like an elevator opened a group of women were all around me. One minute I'm by myself, the next I'm not. I really don't like being crowded so I tried to walk away to a different section but of course there were so many women around me it was difficult. At first I just thought it was the usual circumstances where people don't want to get out of your way and it wasn't until later that I realized what was really going on. I kept on shopping and when I was ready to check out, a sales girl took my items to ring them up. I looked down at my purse and it was unzipped. I knew that at the last store I zipped it up after putting my wallet in it so I thought it was odd that it was open. I went to grab my wallet just to find that it was gone! Of course I panicked and then retraced my steps but I already knew that it was stolen. Everything was in it including cash to get a taxi home so I had to call Jim to pick me up.
While I waited for Jim to come I went to the service counter and logged a report and then went to the branch police station to do the same. The officer filled out a form and even had me type in my contact information and what I thought happened. Those bells and whistles that were going off in my head when all those women were around me were trying to warn me and instead I took it as claustrophobia. After I filed the report the officer told me that I had to go down to headquarters to speak to an Inspector and have him take a statement from me too. So Jim picked me up and we went there. Now most people who know me know that I'm no stranger to police stations but this was definitely a first for me. It looked like a RV park, a huge parking lot with several police cars parked everywhere and then a few buildings. We stopped at the gate and asked where to go and the officer pointed us toward a building that looked like a run down Super 8 motel painted blue and white. He told us to go to the 1st floor and what room number to go into. Outside was a mountain of computers and monitors, not sure if they were confiscated or what I just know that there was a lot of them. We got to the "room" and inside there was a small waiting area and an office area that was separated by plexiglass like a currency exchange. The furniture was all beat up and torn ( me and Jim joked that it was confiscated from a drug dealer and the reason there were holes in it was because the cops had to tear it up to look for drugs ), a tv, stereo and speakers, I honestly thought I was in the Twilight Zone or candid camera. We were told that the Inspector was not in but we should wait. So we did and Jim started to make the phone calls to report my credit cards stolen. We waited a long time and my patience was growing thin because there were several people in the office area who looked like they were playing video games and I started to wonder if there was only one Inspector in the Investigations Division. Finally he showed up and took us up to another "room" on the 3rd floor of the hotel where he basically asked me the same questions that the first officer at the mall asked me. I told him that I did not expect to get my wallet back and he answered it was a 50/50 chance which at first I thought was good odds but then I realized he meant either I will or I won't. He promised to look at the security cameras at the mall and he would get back to me.
By that time it was past 8 pm and we were hungry and I was irritated and angry. I cancelled my lunch date with my friend Janet for today because I didn't feel like my mood would be good plus the business of cancelling the cards and trying to figure out how I'm going to replace my driver's license and social security card. My dad told me a long time ago when I used to venture out in Atlanta by myself to never look up because people would pick your pockets, now I'm adding if you're crowded by people to speak up loudly and say "get away from me" because theives don't want attention drawn to them.
So pretty exciting week so far, Jim's boss has invited us over for pizza and beer this weekend so I can give them all the juicy details of my stupidity. Talk to all soon.
So over the weekend Jim and I went to our friend Sim's birthday party. She turned 21 ( I know, I can't remember myself at that age ). Of course we got lost trying to find her house so her Mom had to come find us so we could follow her back. There were a few people there with a DJ, food and of course cocktails. I was really impressed with the house because when we first got there, we parked in the back entrance next to a house and when I looked to my right I thought the building next to us was a school but it was Sim's house. It was huge with a very nice pool and spa out back. So we ate, drank, swam, danced and met some new people. The party ended about 9 pm but Sim wasn't done celebrating her birthday so we all got changed and went to a bar called Finnegan's. I've mentioned this place before, there are several locations and last week when I went to the party at George's I got to meet a few of the managers. So we went to one that I've never been to before in Sri Hartamas and it didn't feel like a new place because when we got there I recognized quite a few people. Sim drank a couple of Flamin Lamborghini's which is similar to Flaming Dr. Peppers but they stack about 6 glasses on top of each other with liquor in the bottom one, then they take cognac and ignite it then pour it over all of the glasses so it looks like a tower of fire, then you drink the shot out of a straw at the bottom. I've been in the bar business a long time and I'm still impressed by it. I'll try to demonstrate it when I come home. So we had a good time but the next day I wasn't feeling so great and I came to realize that when we were swimming at Sim's house, my insulin pump became disconnected so I wasn't getting my medicine like I'm supposed to. I rested a couple of days and soon everything was back to normal.
I went about my normal routine after that and on Wednesday I decided to go shopping. Sim is about the same size as me so I had asked her where she shops so I could get some new clothes. I went to Mid-Valley Mall and was enjoying myself and found some cute things. I decided to go into a department store called Jusco and check out their women's department. I looked through the racks and of course everything was a size 2 or 4 and then I looked across the aisle and saw a sign that said Plus Size so I figured if my size wasn't in the regular women's section I must be plus size by Malaysian standards. I was right. Very depressing when you first think about it but if I need clothes this is what I have to do, I can't even get one leg into a size 4! So I'm all by myself looking through the racks finding quite a few things that I actually liked and then- it was like an elevator opened a group of women were all around me. One minute I'm by myself, the next I'm not. I really don't like being crowded so I tried to walk away to a different section but of course there were so many women around me it was difficult. At first I just thought it was the usual circumstances where people don't want to get out of your way and it wasn't until later that I realized what was really going on. I kept on shopping and when I was ready to check out, a sales girl took my items to ring them up. I looked down at my purse and it was unzipped. I knew that at the last store I zipped it up after putting my wallet in it so I thought it was odd that it was open. I went to grab my wallet just to find that it was gone! Of course I panicked and then retraced my steps but I already knew that it was stolen. Everything was in it including cash to get a taxi home so I had to call Jim to pick me up.
While I waited for Jim to come I went to the service counter and logged a report and then went to the branch police station to do the same. The officer filled out a form and even had me type in my contact information and what I thought happened. Those bells and whistles that were going off in my head when all those women were around me were trying to warn me and instead I took it as claustrophobia. After I filed the report the officer told me that I had to go down to headquarters to speak to an Inspector and have him take a statement from me too. So Jim picked me up and we went there. Now most people who know me know that I'm no stranger to police stations but this was definitely a first for me. It looked like a RV park, a huge parking lot with several police cars parked everywhere and then a few buildings. We stopped at the gate and asked where to go and the officer pointed us toward a building that looked like a run down Super 8 motel painted blue and white. He told us to go to the 1st floor and what room number to go into. Outside was a mountain of computers and monitors, not sure if they were confiscated or what I just know that there was a lot of them. We got to the "room" and inside there was a small waiting area and an office area that was separated by plexiglass like a currency exchange. The furniture was all beat up and torn ( me and Jim joked that it was confiscated from a drug dealer and the reason there were holes in it was because the cops had to tear it up to look for drugs ), a tv, stereo and speakers, I honestly thought I was in the Twilight Zone or candid camera. We were told that the Inspector was not in but we should wait. So we did and Jim started to make the phone calls to report my credit cards stolen. We waited a long time and my patience was growing thin because there were several people in the office area who looked like they were playing video games and I started to wonder if there was only one Inspector in the Investigations Division. Finally he showed up and took us up to another "room" on the 3rd floor of the hotel where he basically asked me the same questions that the first officer at the mall asked me. I told him that I did not expect to get my wallet back and he answered it was a 50/50 chance which at first I thought was good odds but then I realized he meant either I will or I won't. He promised to look at the security cameras at the mall and he would get back to me.
By that time it was past 8 pm and we were hungry and I was irritated and angry. I cancelled my lunch date with my friend Janet for today because I didn't feel like my mood would be good plus the business of cancelling the cards and trying to figure out how I'm going to replace my driver's license and social security card. My dad told me a long time ago when I used to venture out in Atlanta by myself to never look up because people would pick your pockets, now I'm adding if you're crowded by people to speak up loudly and say "get away from me" because theives don't want attention drawn to them.
So pretty exciting week so far, Jim's boss has invited us over for pizza and beer this weekend so I can give them all the juicy details of my stupidity. Talk to all soon.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Thursday June 5, 2008
I know Brigit! I have been totally slacking on my writing and I know how disappointing that is for you. I can't promise that will change anytime soon. I read a while ago that most expats start to get into a rut after about 3 months after moving and I think that I have reached that point. Now that the house is as complete as it's going to get I've found that my motivation to leave the house has but left me. Here's my routine: I usually get up around 10:30 am, go downstairs make a cup of instant coffee. I let Oso out and give him his morning treat. Usually I get online and check all of my emails and respond to them or of course forward them out to everyone I know. That usually takes me about 2 hours while I drink my coffee. By then I get hungry and I make myself some lunch and while I eat I watch Oprah and the Ellen Degeneres show. When that's over it's 3 pm and I usually do some laundry, housework, cut the grass and start making dinner. I never know what time Jim will get home but so far he has been good about letting me know if he's running late. Jim will get home and then we will eat dinner, walk Oso and watch tv for the rest of the night. He usually goes to lay down around 10 pm and I will stay up and read until I get tired. Sometimes I'll try to call people since it's daytime there. Most of the time I fall asleep around 3 am which is why I sleep until 10:30 am unless of course the construction that's going on in my neighborhood forces me to get up earlier. Right now I have a total of 3 houses around me doing some kind of renovation, combine that with the daily rain and Oso's barking at the thunder and it can be downright frustrating.
Last week I was up at Georges with Jim and as we were leaving I noticed a lot of employees who were not working sitting around so of course I had to stop and say hello. I found out that they were all there because there was a party planned after the bar closed for the employees for Gawai. Here is another cultural lesson for you all. Gawai is a holiday that is primarily for the area of Serawak which is located on the eastern pennisula of Malaysia called Borneo. Basically it's a chilie harvest celebration that most of the people I asked about it compared it to Christmas. Even though Jim and I were leaving I invited myself to the party. I went home and walked Oso and came back up to Georges. When walked in there were still a few customers so I talked to my sister Stephanie until the party started. My friends Sim and Scott hung out for a bit and we ate. Scott is the head chef at Georges so he had cooked a spread of Malaysian food like nasi goreng (fried rice), beef rendang ( spicy, cinnamony beef cubes), nasi ayam ( chicken wings) and some vegetables. Everything was good and I found that I am getting used to the spicy stuff. Scott was little ticked off because some customers saw him put the food out and they thought it was for anyone so they started eating it. Shortly afterwards they had drawings for the employees to receive various gifts like DVD players, gift baskets, and gift certificates. I felt honored that they asked me to draw a few numbers considering I invited myself to the party, but everyone knows me so no one seemed to care. After that is when the party really started rocking. Apparently even though Muslims aren't supposed to drink alcohol, it is allowed for this holiday. Everyone was passing around shots and pints of beer, drinking scotch and whiskey and then the singing started. Mostly it was 2 guys who started and it was like they would sing a small song for each person at the table. I couldn't tell if the songs were funny or insulting or what because they were singing in Malay. I was finally bold enough to ask them to sing one for me and to have someone translate. They started singing "Amazing Grace" and everyone started laughing. They also sang "Sweet Chile O Mine" and "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi. That's pretty much how the rest of the night went. I was talking to the manager of Georges Kabil and few other managers from related restuarants in the corporation and the next thing I knew it was 7 am and the place was a mess. I went home and finally fell asleep. I had a really good time and Jim wasn't upset with me because he knows that I want to learn about all the local customs while we're here.
Right now my friend Sim has asked me to help her plan her birthday party this coming weekend. She is turning 21 and having a pool party. She has changed her mind so often about the food I don't know what we're eating. All I know for sure is I'm baking her a cake, there will be alcohol ( tons of alchol according to her, she is sitting next to me while I write this ) and lamb. The time of her party is odd, it's from noon to 6 pm. I told her there is no way she is going to get everyone to leave by then because they'll all be drunk. She plans on going out later on that night but right now I'm betting she won't be able to get off of her chaise lounge next to the pool. I'll have to fill everyone in later on about the party.
So now Brigit I've caught you and everyone else up on what I've been doing since March 23rd which was the date of my last entry. Hopefully I will get out of my rut soon and sign up for the classes I've been meaning to take like yoga, learning malay, and a cake decorating class. I think once I sign up for those then I will have more things to write about other than what I had for breakfast. Until next time...
Last week I was up at Georges with Jim and as we were leaving I noticed a lot of employees who were not working sitting around so of course I had to stop and say hello. I found out that they were all there because there was a party planned after the bar closed for the employees for Gawai. Here is another cultural lesson for you all. Gawai is a holiday that is primarily for the area of Serawak which is located on the eastern pennisula of Malaysia called Borneo. Basically it's a chilie harvest celebration that most of the people I asked about it compared it to Christmas. Even though Jim and I were leaving I invited myself to the party. I went home and walked Oso and came back up to Georges. When walked in there were still a few customers so I talked to my sister Stephanie until the party started. My friends Sim and Scott hung out for a bit and we ate. Scott is the head chef at Georges so he had cooked a spread of Malaysian food like nasi goreng (fried rice), beef rendang ( spicy, cinnamony beef cubes), nasi ayam ( chicken wings) and some vegetables. Everything was good and I found that I am getting used to the spicy stuff. Scott was little ticked off because some customers saw him put the food out and they thought it was for anyone so they started eating it. Shortly afterwards they had drawings for the employees to receive various gifts like DVD players, gift baskets, and gift certificates. I felt honored that they asked me to draw a few numbers considering I invited myself to the party, but everyone knows me so no one seemed to care. After that is when the party really started rocking. Apparently even though Muslims aren't supposed to drink alcohol, it is allowed for this holiday. Everyone was passing around shots and pints of beer, drinking scotch and whiskey and then the singing started. Mostly it was 2 guys who started and it was like they would sing a small song for each person at the table. I couldn't tell if the songs were funny or insulting or what because they were singing in Malay. I was finally bold enough to ask them to sing one for me and to have someone translate. They started singing "Amazing Grace" and everyone started laughing. They also sang "Sweet Chile O Mine" and "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi. That's pretty much how the rest of the night went. I was talking to the manager of Georges Kabil and few other managers from related restuarants in the corporation and the next thing I knew it was 7 am and the place was a mess. I went home and finally fell asleep. I had a really good time and Jim wasn't upset with me because he knows that I want to learn about all the local customs while we're here.
Right now my friend Sim has asked me to help her plan her birthday party this coming weekend. She is turning 21 and having a pool party. She has changed her mind so often about the food I don't know what we're eating. All I know for sure is I'm baking her a cake, there will be alcohol ( tons of alchol according to her, she is sitting next to me while I write this ) and lamb. The time of her party is odd, it's from noon to 6 pm. I told her there is no way she is going to get everyone to leave by then because they'll all be drunk. She plans on going out later on that night but right now I'm betting she won't be able to get off of her chaise lounge next to the pool. I'll have to fill everyone in later on about the party.
So now Brigit I've caught you and everyone else up on what I've been doing since March 23rd which was the date of my last entry. Hopefully I will get out of my rut soon and sign up for the classes I've been meaning to take like yoga, learning malay, and a cake decorating class. I think once I sign up for those then I will have more things to write about other than what I had for breakfast. Until next time...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
