2 August, 2009
3:05 a.m.
After a month of family and friends in the U.S., we returned to our home in Vietnam. The flights were smooth and easy, with a free upgrade to Economy Plus (traveling on your birthday isn't all bad). I tried taking a homeopathic medicine for jetlag, Jetzone, and it seemed to help. I have more energy, am not tired or foggy during the day, and feel like my body is getting back onto a schedule, of some sort. But then again, the weather here is mild and cooler than what I remember it being in the past, and I've been waking up at 2 in the morning..hmm
Coming home to our apartment in the tropics after being away for a month was interesting. I half expected critters to have moved in, ransacked the food in the cabinets, and generally left a BIG mess. Fortunately we only had wee ants and mold/mildew, and some scat that could be mouse or gecko.
Saturday, our first day back, we went out for a late breakfast. We had our hearts set on the baguette and egg sandwiches that Ms. Hieu makes at her cart near the tennis club. When we arrived, much to our sadness, she told us that the bread was "het", or gone. Bummer. (We ended up getting up early enough to enjoy them on Sunday morning!) On our way back to the house, one of my regular moto drivers, Mr. Hong, came by. Before we left I told him we would be gone for a month or so..I wonder if he drove by every day to see if we'd returned? I wonder if he tried calling my cell to see if I was going in to school? Hmm. What happens when you are not there, I wonder?
School won't start for another 1 1/2 weeks, but the teachers are back, sort of. The new staff had to report on Sunday afternoon for the beginning of orientation. The returning teachers will not be at school until Wednesday. I am very excited and very nervous about the upcoming year. I feel like I have so much to do to get ready! I'll just need to breathe and remind myself that I'll do my best, and if it doesn't get done, then it doesn't get done!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
New Apartment
25 May, 2009
When I returned from MuiNe, I spent my very first night in my new apartment! It is a wonderfully comfortable place with 2 bedrooms, a large kitchen, washing machine, 2 bathrooms, and a veranda. My landlord, Mr. Dan, is fantastic! Right now he is staying downstairs, which makes both Jonathan and me feel safer. I am on the 3rd floor in a 4-story home. All the apartments are identical, with some slight variations in decor.
Well, safer..that's kind of funny. I rarely, if EVER, feel unsafe in Vietnam. My most anxious moments are in traffic. People talk about being robbed and the like, but I feel pretty safe here. I guess we just like that Mr. Dan is so attentive and helpful. He helped us order bottled water, and helped to show me the nearest market, and is very responsive if there is ever a problem or concern.
This is the front of the house. Number 60, street number 3.
This is the living room. The veranda overlooks the street and Singapore International School right across the street. In the mornings, older folks play badminton. In the evenings, young men play football (soccer).
The breakfast bar. It is actually the first thing you see when you walk in the door!
The superfantastic kitchen! Look at the microwave way down on the ground! Kind of a funny place to put it, considering that almost all microwaves in the US are above the stove or sitting on countertops.
The guest bathroom..and George the Giraffe from DaLat. Expect to see more of him soon!
The guest bedroom.
The hallway from the kitchen to the master bedroom. The guest bath and bedroom are on the left.
The master bedroom. I just added a couple of small bookshelves to the room, not in the picture..
The master bathroom. The bidet is so bizarre...and brand new...and just at the right level to be a foot bath!
The veranda. The orange tree was put there by Mr. Dan.
When I returned from MuiNe, I spent my very first night in my new apartment! It is a wonderfully comfortable place with 2 bedrooms, a large kitchen, washing machine, 2 bathrooms, and a veranda. My landlord, Mr. Dan, is fantastic! Right now he is staying downstairs, which makes both Jonathan and me feel safer. I am on the 3rd floor in a 4-story home. All the apartments are identical, with some slight variations in decor.
Well, safer..that's kind of funny. I rarely, if EVER, feel unsafe in Vietnam. My most anxious moments are in traffic. People talk about being robbed and the like, but I feel pretty safe here. I guess we just like that Mr. Dan is so attentive and helpful. He helped us order bottled water, and helped to show me the nearest market, and is very responsive if there is ever a problem or concern.
This is the front of the house. Number 60, street number 3.
This is the living room. The veranda overlooks the street and Singapore International School right across the street. In the mornings, older folks play badminton. In the evenings, young men play football (soccer).
The breakfast bar. It is actually the first thing you see when you walk in the door!
The superfantastic kitchen! Look at the microwave way down on the ground! Kind of a funny place to put it, considering that almost all microwaves in the US are above the stove or sitting on countertops.
The guest bathroom..and George the Giraffe from DaLat. Expect to see more of him soon!
The guest bedroom.
The hallway from the kitchen to the master bedroom. The guest bath and bedroom are on the left.
The master bedroom. I just added a couple of small bookshelves to the room, not in the picture..
The master bathroom. The bidet is so bizarre...and brand new...and just at the right level to be a foot bath!
The veranda. The orange tree was put there by Mr. Dan.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Can-do Attitude
May 9, 2009
One of the reasons why I love Vietnam is because everyone has a can-do attitude...except when they don't. I know that doesn't seem to make much sense, so I'll explain. I would have to say that most people make magic happen. If you want something done, people respond with an enthusiastic "OK! OK!" It could be the most bizarre request imaginable and they will help you get it done. Like:
"Hey! We're stuck in a traffic jam! Can you bring us a beverage?"
"Sure! What do you want?"
I have to run 3 errands. Can you take me here, wait 5 minutes, take me there, wait another minute, then drop me off here?"
"Yeah."
"Do you know where a market is?"
"Um, yes. But it is too difficult to explain. I will take you there, and then drop you off wherever you need to go."
"Really? That is too much. I cannot ask you to do that."
"No problem. I have free time now."
When people are not like that, it is the polar opposite...
"Um, I..am..looking for Ms. Mai...I rent the apartment there (pointing downstairs)..and I want..to give..her.. money.."
"No." (with the ubiquitous hand-wave that means "no" or "not possible" or "I don't understand")
Relationships
Another thing I love, and find very interesting, are relationships. Not like couple-relationships, but business ones. I realize that I am not a business, but I do help provide an income for motorbike drivers. Right now I am living in District one and commuting every morning to school...in District 7. This takes about 30 minutes (even though it's only about 3 miles as the crow flies).
I have a couple of motorbike drivers that I use regularly: Mr. Cai and Mr. Hiep. Mr. Cai has taken me to the nearby market, which is near the gym. He also took me to run my errands (mentioned above). Mr. Hiep has been my commuting buddy. One day I asked Mr. Cai if he could meet me the next day to take me to school for an afternoon meeting. He said that I should ask Mr. Hiep, since he was the one that always takes me. Typically, when a relationship hasn't been established, motorbike drivers will do whatever possible to get your business.
Bargaining
Bargaining is still one of my favorite things, and I have enjoyed it even more as I learn more of the language. I was looking at belts today. Here's how our conversation went:
"How much for this one?"
"200,000"
"Really?! That's too much! How about this one?"
"Same price."
"And this one?"
"That's 150,000."
"So expensive! Hmm. How much for these 2?"
"For those 2? 250,000."
"Would you take 200,000?"
"I can't. 250,00."
"Are you sure you can't take 200,000?"
"No. 250,000 is a good price. You are my friend. You speak Vietnamese."
"No special price for your friend?" (wink. nudge)
"OK. 200,000."
It's always so playful and fun. I probably pay too much for stuff and don't bargain hard enough, but it's all good fun, and I don't want to insult anyone by offering too little.
Market Day
The 5th grade students with whom I work just had their market day, the culmination of an Economics unit. It was so funny watching the kids decide whether to go shopping or to stay and man their "shop". It was also really funny to see how the kids marketed things. Some kids gave away free candy with the purchase of their items. Others made colorful signs or pamphlets to tell people about how cool their items were. And still others yelled. I was standing in one classroom when the first "shopper" came it. All the students began to yell the child's name. "Hey BOB!! Come over HERE! You want to buy this!" When a shopper went near one "shop" all the nearby "shop owners" would yell and try to encourage the shopper to buy from them as well. Frequently, kids would bargain on their prices. I did see some kids lowering their prices as a strategy to sell more- like a sale, but more often than not bargaining was the strategy they used to get someone to buy their item.
I have to say that I am absolutely LOVING being back in the classroom. The transition from public to private school presents interesting challenges and ways of thinking..it's new and eye-opening, and a part of my learning process.
One of the reasons why I love Vietnam is because everyone has a can-do attitude...except when they don't. I know that doesn't seem to make much sense, so I'll explain. I would have to say that most people make magic happen. If you want something done, people respond with an enthusiastic "OK! OK!" It could be the most bizarre request imaginable and they will help you get it done. Like:
"Hey! We're stuck in a traffic jam! Can you bring us a beverage?"
"Sure! What do you want?"
I have to run 3 errands. Can you take me here, wait 5 minutes, take me there, wait another minute, then drop me off here?"
"Yeah."
"Do you know where a market is?"
"Um, yes. But it is too difficult to explain. I will take you there, and then drop you off wherever you need to go."
"Really? That is too much. I cannot ask you to do that."
"No problem. I have free time now."
When people are not like that, it is the polar opposite...
"Um, I..am..looking for Ms. Mai...I rent the apartment there (pointing downstairs)..and I want..to give..her.. money.."
"No." (with the ubiquitous hand-wave that means "no" or "not possible" or "I don't understand")
Relationships
Another thing I love, and find very interesting, are relationships. Not like couple-relationships, but business ones. I realize that I am not a business, but I do help provide an income for motorbike drivers. Right now I am living in District one and commuting every morning to school...in District 7. This takes about 30 minutes (even though it's only about 3 miles as the crow flies).
I have a couple of motorbike drivers that I use regularly: Mr. Cai and Mr. Hiep. Mr. Cai has taken me to the nearby market, which is near the gym. He also took me to run my errands (mentioned above). Mr. Hiep has been my commuting buddy. One day I asked Mr. Cai if he could meet me the next day to take me to school for an afternoon meeting. He said that I should ask Mr. Hiep, since he was the one that always takes me. Typically, when a relationship hasn't been established, motorbike drivers will do whatever possible to get your business.
Bargaining
Bargaining is still one of my favorite things, and I have enjoyed it even more as I learn more of the language. I was looking at belts today. Here's how our conversation went:
"How much for this one?"
"200,000"
"Really?! That's too much! How about this one?"
"Same price."
"And this one?"
"That's 150,000."
"So expensive! Hmm. How much for these 2?"
"For those 2? 250,000."
"Would you take 200,000?"
"I can't. 250,00."
"Are you sure you can't take 200,000?"
"No. 250,000 is a good price. You are my friend. You speak Vietnamese."
"No special price for your friend?" (wink. nudge)
"OK. 200,000."
It's always so playful and fun. I probably pay too much for stuff and don't bargain hard enough, but it's all good fun, and I don't want to insult anyone by offering too little.
Market Day
The 5th grade students with whom I work just had their market day, the culmination of an Economics unit. It was so funny watching the kids decide whether to go shopping or to stay and man their "shop". It was also really funny to see how the kids marketed things. Some kids gave away free candy with the purchase of their items. Others made colorful signs or pamphlets to tell people about how cool their items were. And still others yelled. I was standing in one classroom when the first "shopper" came it. All the students began to yell the child's name. "Hey BOB!! Come over HERE! You want to buy this!" When a shopper went near one "shop" all the nearby "shop owners" would yell and try to encourage the shopper to buy from them as well. Frequently, kids would bargain on their prices. I did see some kids lowering their prices as a strategy to sell more- like a sale, but more often than not bargaining was the strategy they used to get someone to buy their item.
I have to say that I am absolutely LOVING being back in the classroom. The transition from public to private school presents interesting challenges and ways of thinking..it's new and eye-opening, and a part of my learning process.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Living in The City
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Happy Tax Day! That's only so funny right now, since we have just filed-one of the most complicated years ever...after putting my parents through a ton of FUN!!!! Thanks, Mom and Dad! You are truly the BEST!!)
I am sitting in the "living room" of the house that I am subleasing from a friend in the area of Ho Chi Minh City known as "Little Tokyo" watching one of my favorite shows on TV...Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations..He's in Japan for this episode. Phew! Commercial break, now I can type!
So, living in the city is really zany fun! I have been studying Vietnamese 3 evenings a week and really enjoy it! My teacher is really helpful when it comes to everything, but I love the way she corrects my pronunciation, because I NEED the work! I am in class with 3 other people, who are all from Korea! It's so much fun!
At the moment, I am not very busy with organized stuff, and it's hard for me to deal with that! I am trying to just be (ohm)...Anthony is back on, wandering the streets of Osaka eating wonderful street food, and it makes me think about all the street food in Asia..In China the fast food served on the street, xiao chu, was OUT OF THIS WORLD! Here, in Vietnam, the food on the street is also wonderful. I can't wait to go out for banh xeo again! Last night as I left the gym, I walked by the Ben Thanh Market. This is one of the most famous markets in Ho Chi Minh City. When cruise ships come to port they bus guests to the market. During the day the colonial style building is filled with stalls selling everything from lovely hand-made pottery and lacquer to raw meat and fresh vegetables.
...So what IS the thing with Karaoke, anyway?!
Happy Tax Day! That's only so funny right now, since we have just filed-one of the most complicated years ever...after putting my parents through a ton of FUN!!!! Thanks, Mom and Dad! You are truly the BEST!!)
I am sitting in the "living room" of the house that I am subleasing from a friend in the area of Ho Chi Minh City known as "Little Tokyo" watching one of my favorite shows on TV...Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations..He's in Japan for this episode. Phew! Commercial break, now I can type!
So, living in the city is really zany fun! I have been studying Vietnamese 3 evenings a week and really enjoy it! My teacher is really helpful when it comes to everything, but I love the way she corrects my pronunciation, because I NEED the work! I am in class with 3 other people, who are all from Korea! It's so much fun!
At the moment, I am not very busy with organized stuff, and it's hard for me to deal with that! I am trying to just be (ohm)...Anthony is back on, wandering the streets of Osaka eating wonderful street food, and it makes me think about all the street food in Asia..In China the fast food served on the street, xiao chu, was OUT OF THIS WORLD! Here, in Vietnam, the food on the street is also wonderful. I can't wait to go out for banh xeo again! Last night as I left the gym, I walked by the Ben Thanh Market. This is one of the most famous markets in Ho Chi Minh City. When cruise ships come to port they bus guests to the market. During the day the colonial style building is filled with stalls selling everything from lovely hand-made pottery and lacquer to raw meat and fresh vegetables.
...So what IS the thing with Karaoke, anyway?!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Some Beach Photos
Even in Vietnam, or maybe especially in Vietnam, kids love to get their picture taken! This little guy was with his family where we had coffee.
Vietnamese iced coffee, or "ca phe sua da" is served this way. The grounds are placed in the metal press, and then hot water is added. The coffee slowly drips down to the cup below. The white goo at the bottom of the cup is sweetened condensed milk. Once the coffee has dripped, you stir it up together. If you want it iced, you then pour it over ice! Yum! Very sweet and intense.
A wee little crab made this design! It must have spent hours making little sand balls and then moving them around to make this. The rocky beach where people were fishing was covered with these designs.
This fisherman is watching the water, looking for fish. In his right hand he holds a rock, and in his left, a net. He will through the rock at the school of fish to scare them into his net. 
A starfish we saw on the beach.
Vung Tau
March 27, 2009
Today Sherri and I took a trip to Vung Tau, a small community and local beach resort. This is a popular beach destination for many Vietnamese tourists, and some foreign tourists, too. The draw is not only that it is a lovely beach, but that it is so close to Ho Chi Minh City..only 1 1/2 hours by hydrofoil!
We left at 8 a.m. and arrived by 9:30. We had some coffee at a little restaurant across the street from the ferry station, and then walked the 2 km to Back Beach. On our way we walked along the rocky Front Beach, where many people were fishing. We saw wee crabs pushing their balls of sand, a starfish, and even some goats in the park! Before arriving in VT, I had been warned about: a) the crowds, b) the trash, and c) the vendors who come up to you every 5 minutes and sell you all sorts of things from food to little plastic necklaces and guns. To my surprise, it was beautiful! Peaceful, quiet, empty, and hardly any vendors..
There are makeshift shacks along the beach that might be used as houses, or for storage of chairs and other things people rent to visitors. In front of the shacks are lines of lounge chairs and umbrellas. You can rent a chair for 15,000 Vietnamese Dong (VND, less than $1 US) and an umbrella for 20,000 VND; $1= about 17,000 VND). You can buy drinks, so we had some soda, and when you get hungry you can buy food..A woman walked by selling noodles. We both decided that we were hungry and wanted some, but when we tried to flag her down to get some, she didn't see us. We got some spring rolls from the next woman who walked by.
We sat on the beach relaxing, then did some swimming and exploring. We saw some little squid and some shells. When we decided to work our way back to our 5 p.m. ferry, we walked up the beach a bit further and watched some fishermen pulling in their net. We also so a BUNCH of jellyfish washed up onshore.
We decided to take motorbikes back to the ferry, but we both had wrap-around sarongs on...so we chose to ride on the bikes SIDE-SADDLE. Vietnamese women are skilled at this! They perch on the back of the motorbike and sit so gracefully in their beautiful skirts and high-heels. I was not very good at it-I was off-balance the whole way back (up-hill and around on curvy roads...fortunately there was hardly any traffic!). When we arrived, the drivers were guffawing..I can only guess that this is what they were saying:
How's your drive?
Not good, foreign lady can't ride side-saddle!
Yeah! Mine either! She kept squirming..I thought she was gonna throw us to the ground!
Oh, yeah!
She was so bad she had to hang on..wrapped her arms 'round my waist..I'm still trying to get a full breath of air!
Hehe.
Today Sherri and I took a trip to Vung Tau, a small community and local beach resort. This is a popular beach destination for many Vietnamese tourists, and some foreign tourists, too. The draw is not only that it is a lovely beach, but that it is so close to Ho Chi Minh City..only 1 1/2 hours by hydrofoil!
We left at 8 a.m. and arrived by 9:30. We had some coffee at a little restaurant across the street from the ferry station, and then walked the 2 km to Back Beach. On our way we walked along the rocky Front Beach, where many people were fishing. We saw wee crabs pushing their balls of sand, a starfish, and even some goats in the park! Before arriving in VT, I had been warned about: a) the crowds, b) the trash, and c) the vendors who come up to you every 5 minutes and sell you all sorts of things from food to little plastic necklaces and guns. To my surprise, it was beautiful! Peaceful, quiet, empty, and hardly any vendors..
There are makeshift shacks along the beach that might be used as houses, or for storage of chairs and other things people rent to visitors. In front of the shacks are lines of lounge chairs and umbrellas. You can rent a chair for 15,000 Vietnamese Dong (VND, less than $1 US) and an umbrella for 20,000 VND; $1= about 17,000 VND). You can buy drinks, so we had some soda, and when you get hungry you can buy food..A woman walked by selling noodles. We both decided that we were hungry and wanted some, but when we tried to flag her down to get some, she didn't see us. We got some spring rolls from the next woman who walked by.
We sat on the beach relaxing, then did some swimming and exploring. We saw some little squid and some shells. When we decided to work our way back to our 5 p.m. ferry, we walked up the beach a bit further and watched some fishermen pulling in their net. We also so a BUNCH of jellyfish washed up onshore.
We decided to take motorbikes back to the ferry, but we both had wrap-around sarongs on...so we chose to ride on the bikes SIDE-SADDLE. Vietnamese women are skilled at this! They perch on the back of the motorbike and sit so gracefully in their beautiful skirts and high-heels. I was not very good at it-I was off-balance the whole way back (up-hill and around on curvy roads...fortunately there was hardly any traffic!). When we arrived, the drivers were guffawing..I can only guess that this is what they were saying:
How's your drive?
Not good, foreign lady can't ride side-saddle!
Yeah! Mine either! She kept squirming..I thought she was gonna throw us to the ground!
Oh, yeah!
She was so bad she had to hang on..wrapped her arms 'round my waist..I'm still trying to get a full breath of air!
Hehe.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Kuala Lumpur
March 17, 2009
Jonathan and I just returned from a visit/conference in Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur, or KL, is the capital of Malaysia. It is a very sparkling, modern city famous for the Petronas Towers. During our time there we stayed in the KLCC, or KL City Center. It was pretty fascinating spending time in a city with ultra-modern shopping. As the plane landed, one of the first things I noticed, aside from all of the palm oil plantations, was that the traffic was on the left side of the road. Although I have flown through London, this was really the first time I had ever spent any time walking around with the traffic flow being opposite of what I am used to! How strange and fun! In Vietnam I am now used to negotiating the traffic: it is literally EVERYWHERE! I am in more danger of getting run over by a motorbike while walking ON the sidewalk than I am crossing the street. I am so comfortable with the traffic, I have taken to doing my runs along the roads! After my visit to Phnom Penh in February I really got into the obstacle course nature of running in traffic. It's actually kind of fun, unless you are looking for a situation where you want to really open it up and get into a groove...In KL, though, I had to constantly look to see where the cars were coming from. They were not on the sidewalk, but I am trained to look left, right, and left again..and I had to look RIGHT more often than not. (I just had to talk myself through that..because I couldn't actually remember what traffic in the US looks like! HaHa.)
Kuala Lumpur is absolutely fascinating for so many reasons. Maybe my intrigue is heightened because I have been in Vietnam for 7 months now and am very used to this situation and while the population is not homogenous, it is definitely not as diverse as the United States. After our time in China, one of the most amazing experiences was flying into LAX, the international airport in Los Angeles. Before this moment, I really didn't like LAX, but I gained a whole new appreciation for the airport, and for the US after this experience. As we walked through the concourse, I was amazed and intrigued by the diversity of people around me. In Mianyang, China everyone mostly looks the same: black hair, my height or shorter, slim. In LAX there were people of all shapes, sizes, and skin color. It was beautiful! I remember feeling very happy and proud as I noticed this. I am an American and we are a diverse population, a population of immigrants, of an attitude and dream not a "look".
KL had a similar diversity, but again, something I had never really witnessed. The population of KL is composed of 3 major groups of people: Chinese, Muslim, and Hindu. In the city there are neighborhoods where these three groups congregated and moved in together. One of the best things to do in KL is to walk through these neighborhoods. Chinatown, Little India, and Kampong Baru are interesting in their cultural influence and variation from one other. Outside of Chinatown I wandered around an old cemetery in search of a temple. I never found the temple but had a wonderful time looking out over the rolling hills of graves as the city rose up in the background. One day we visited Kampong Baru, where there is a strong Muslim influence. The market was fascinating as people yelled out the prices of fruits to passersby. Many women wore hijabs, or scarves, on their heads. In all honesty I had never been around so many Muslims. It was wonderful to see the women exercising in their hijabs, hearing the call to prayer, and seeing the beautiful mosques. I am curious to learn more about the Muslim culture from Muslims. All we hear about is what is told to us in our own culture of fear. I imagine that the message and concept of the muslim culture is very different from what we hear about in the news..In the same way that American culture is not really anything like what people see and hear about in soap operas like Dynasty or in the news. Little India was also fun: different smells, different things being sold, different clothing. How incredible that in some parts of the world groups cannot live together, but in Malaysia there is harmony.
Why is it that we hold so strongly to our beliefs that we become intolerant, to the point of violence, towards others who believe something different? Religion is a funny one. We do not really KNOW how our world was created or what happens when we die. We have been told something, read about it, various people have shared what they believe with others, but in reality no one knows for sure. We just have ideas. How can one idea be wrong? I guess if it is not based in any kind of scientific evidence then perhaps it could be considered "wrong". But then again, isn't that just my "idea" speaking? My understanding of the world and how it works is based on my 5 senses: what I can see, feel, taste, smell, and hear. People talk about ghosts, for example. For some, these are very real. Because I have never seen, smelled, tasted, heard, or felt a ghost, does that mean that it does not exist? Maybe I am such a product of my world that I have trained my body to NOT "see" something that someone else can..like a ghost. Other people could be very attuned to something that my body cannot fathom, cannot even register. What about light that I cannot see? or a sound that is outside the range of my ears? Dog whistles are a perfect example: I cannot hear it, so does that mean that it doesn't make a sound? Someone else, some THING else (like a dog) can hear it. Should I start fighting with someone who hears a whistle when I don't?
Jonathan and I just returned from a visit/conference in Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur, or KL, is the capital of Malaysia. It is a very sparkling, modern city famous for the Petronas Towers. During our time there we stayed in the KLCC, or KL City Center. It was pretty fascinating spending time in a city with ultra-modern shopping. As the plane landed, one of the first things I noticed, aside from all of the palm oil plantations, was that the traffic was on the left side of the road. Although I have flown through London, this was really the first time I had ever spent any time walking around with the traffic flow being opposite of what I am used to! How strange and fun! In Vietnam I am now used to negotiating the traffic: it is literally EVERYWHERE! I am in more danger of getting run over by a motorbike while walking ON the sidewalk than I am crossing the street. I am so comfortable with the traffic, I have taken to doing my runs along the roads! After my visit to Phnom Penh in February I really got into the obstacle course nature of running in traffic. It's actually kind of fun, unless you are looking for a situation where you want to really open it up and get into a groove...In KL, though, I had to constantly look to see where the cars were coming from. They were not on the sidewalk, but I am trained to look left, right, and left again..and I had to look RIGHT more often than not. (I just had to talk myself through that..because I couldn't actually remember what traffic in the US looks like! HaHa.)
Kuala Lumpur is absolutely fascinating for so many reasons. Maybe my intrigue is heightened because I have been in Vietnam for 7 months now and am very used to this situation and while the population is not homogenous, it is definitely not as diverse as the United States. After our time in China, one of the most amazing experiences was flying into LAX, the international airport in Los Angeles. Before this moment, I really didn't like LAX, but I gained a whole new appreciation for the airport, and for the US after this experience. As we walked through the concourse, I was amazed and intrigued by the diversity of people around me. In Mianyang, China everyone mostly looks the same: black hair, my height or shorter, slim. In LAX there were people of all shapes, sizes, and skin color. It was beautiful! I remember feeling very happy and proud as I noticed this. I am an American and we are a diverse population, a population of immigrants, of an attitude and dream not a "look".
KL had a similar diversity, but again, something I had never really witnessed. The population of KL is composed of 3 major groups of people: Chinese, Muslim, and Hindu. In the city there are neighborhoods where these three groups congregated and moved in together. One of the best things to do in KL is to walk through these neighborhoods. Chinatown, Little India, and Kampong Baru are interesting in their cultural influence and variation from one other. Outside of Chinatown I wandered around an old cemetery in search of a temple. I never found the temple but had a wonderful time looking out over the rolling hills of graves as the city rose up in the background. One day we visited Kampong Baru, where there is a strong Muslim influence. The market was fascinating as people yelled out the prices of fruits to passersby. Many women wore hijabs, or scarves, on their heads. In all honesty I had never been around so many Muslims. It was wonderful to see the women exercising in their hijabs, hearing the call to prayer, and seeing the beautiful mosques. I am curious to learn more about the Muslim culture from Muslims. All we hear about is what is told to us in our own culture of fear. I imagine that the message and concept of the muslim culture is very different from what we hear about in the news..In the same way that American culture is not really anything like what people see and hear about in soap operas like Dynasty or in the news. Little India was also fun: different smells, different things being sold, different clothing. How incredible that in some parts of the world groups cannot live together, but in Malaysia there is harmony.
Why is it that we hold so strongly to our beliefs that we become intolerant, to the point of violence, towards others who believe something different? Religion is a funny one. We do not really KNOW how our world was created or what happens when we die. We have been told something, read about it, various people have shared what they believe with others, but in reality no one knows for sure. We just have ideas. How can one idea be wrong? I guess if it is not based in any kind of scientific evidence then perhaps it could be considered "wrong". But then again, isn't that just my "idea" speaking? My understanding of the world and how it works is based on my 5 senses: what I can see, feel, taste, smell, and hear. People talk about ghosts, for example. For some, these are very real. Because I have never seen, smelled, tasted, heard, or felt a ghost, does that mean that it does not exist? Maybe I am such a product of my world that I have trained my body to NOT "see" something that someone else can..like a ghost. Other people could be very attuned to something that my body cannot fathom, cannot even register. What about light that I cannot see? or a sound that is outside the range of my ears? Dog whistles are a perfect example: I cannot hear it, so does that mean that it doesn't make a sound? Someone else, some THING else (like a dog) can hear it. Should I start fighting with someone who hears a whistle when I don't?
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