I have gotten to explore a bit around Malaysia.
JB again visiting my friend Zu. Having some great conversations about life and business ideas.
Kuantan-there's a nice little beach a bus ride away from the city center. There's a great Makmut restaurant that has food for all Malay-Chinese, Malay and Indian. My favorite is the Tandori Chicken and Garlic Naan bread.
Then there's the waffles with Kaya, coconut butter spread. Delicious!
I am sweating all the time since humidity is so high and temperatures also.
I went up to Terranganu. I met a local man with 5 daughters and one son. The kids were playing in the ocean. In this region, it is quite strict Muslim and the girls are swimming in the sea with long sleeve t-shirts and head covering-hijab.
I met a really interesting guy from Jordan there and we ended up talking a lot about Islam and Christianity and the roots of Islam. He has read a lot and studied and has been very frustrated with some of the accepted things of his religion and is seeking a way of peace and love.
Also saw some friends on the road again in several cities in Malaysia.
I went up to the jungle, Taman Negara and did several walks in the rain forest, canopy walk and swim. I met a girl from Argentina and it was nice to speak Spanish again too.
While we were there a Malay girl, 19, was out with a group and then in the cave for an overnight trip and suddenly fell over and died. The guide had to run more than an hour to get help as cell phones don't work here. The whole group was evacuated just in case. They are thinking perhaps dehydration, but it's unclear why she died. It was sobering for locals and tourists that someone died where we were all walking. One guide told us that he thinks once a year around Sept that a person disappears in the jungle. I looked it up and there are people who are still missing and apparently got separated from their group and were never heard from again I did hear that if one gets lost in the jungle, to find one of the big trees with huge roots out of the ground and get a stick and beat on that and people will come and find you to help you get out.
I went to KL and got to see some more parts of the city. I met up with a guy I had met 9 months ago in Laos. My friend Abed took us to little India where we ate rice on a banana leaf. They serve different kinds of vegetarian things and you eat it with your hands. Was super amazing food.
I went to Malaka a super cute little city. I met some great people there Erin, who we spent the day touring around, walking up the river in the middle of the city and taking pictures at sign that said, picture point, and having a laugh at all the crazy t-shirts in English that make no sense. "Better alone" "Insert quote here" "
also met a guy Sammy who I ended up bumping into in the coast later too. We got some great sunset shots.and did a bike cruise around part of the city with a bunch of people staying at the hostel. It was quite fun.
I headed to Cherating where I had spent 5 days earlier. During the first trip I stayed at some cute cabins Matahari. and met a German lady Heidi. She has been coming to Malaysia for more than 30 years, first as a teacher in KL. It was great fun as she showed me around the little village,and introduced me to some locals also. I got some great pics of horned toucans that are black and white.
On my 2nd trip, I also stayed at Mataharis. I am still there now. : ) I have been having a great time relaxing, swimming, writing, and getting organized. I have decided to get a laptop and then finish my psychology book on touch: Skin Hunger. Im nearly done.
I have also learned that sometimes people are polite but that doesn't mean that they feel the same level of friendship with you as you feel with them. Maybe as my friend Sammy said, they have trained to act polite but have no character. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt but sometimes it seems things cannot be salvaged.
some strange occurrences in Malaysia right now. There is a laundry mat in JB where the guy decided to only cater to Muslim clients. Apparently their dirty laundry is different than non-Muslim dirt. The King denounced this action and said that Malay people live in harmony with their differences of culture and religion.
Now a shop has opened with a sign Malay only, with products for health care from Japan. There is a sign in the window in Chinese directing them to another branch of this health system. The owner say it is not discrimination but that there are no Chinese speaking staff. This has been denounced also.
It is interesting how the differences are starting to be a cause for division in a society that has been somewhat harmonious. There are some quota systems that heavily favor Muslim in government jobs and contracts of 70% so for non-Muslim this is sometimes difficult.
I have gotten to be here with the village for the preparation and cooking of Ashura. They make a porridge that feeds the whole village a sweet treat. The village is about 500 people. The women start the day before peeling garlic, chopping onions, sweet potatoes, lemongrass and cooking chicken. There is coconut that is shredded with a machine similar to a blender on it's side, where you hold half a coconut and then it grinds the coconut meat. The next day there are 6 huge woks over wood fires. Then the men of the village takes turns stirring the Ashura for 4-6 hours. The mixture has sweet potato, garlic, onion, lemongrass, sugar, lots of it, salt, cinnamon, water, cloves and is cooked until caramelizes and turns deep brown. then it is scooped out into the containers that everyone has brought to take it home. It is eaten with shredded toasted coconut on top, either warm or cold or frozen. Since then people in the village wave at me and say hello.
There is a Thai lady who has lived in Cherating and had a restaurant for 28 years. I have gotten to spend some time visiting her and another lady from Hawaii, who converted to Islam and married a Malay and has lived here for 20 years. Her family has a little shop and tourist bus passes.
Monsoon season has started and the weather is changing. It is still hot 30 C or 86 F. and about 80-90 % humidity. It's fun meeting guest coming and going from the cabins also.
I'm learning a few words in Malay and enjoying the delicious Malay food. Banana fritters with cheddar cheese and blueberry is my current favorite. There's a great green curry chicken dish at the Thai place.
My 90 day visa is coming to a close so I will be rotating somewhere, not sure where.
This month Marlon Jake turns 30 years old! I can't believe that so much time has passed. I hope that someday soon we will meet and be able to forge a good relationship.
hugs and love to all
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