Malaysian Musings

Happy December!

Malaysia

Malaysia -

Before the start of the trip, I was not sure what to expect, though my limited readings (mostly from the news media) led me to believe I would encounter a fairly sterile Islamic society with smatterings of ethnic Chinese and Indian culture intermixed. On the whole, I think that is what I found. In many ways, it was an incredibly welcome change. Our paranoia that everybody was out to scam us quickly subsided. People throughout the country seemed warm, friendly, and willing to help. And the majority spoke stellar English.

We started our trip on the island of Penang (which means Betel Nut in Malay and is the origin to the well-known Penang curry). We did not actually mean to stay in Penang at all - we had every intention of arriving and taking a ferry the same day to the Langkawi Islands. Unfortunately, the two daily ferries depart within 15 minutes of one another beginning at 8:15 am. The capital of Penang - Georgetown - is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, though I am not entirely sure why and have not yet been compelled to research the topic. It seems that everywhere we went on this trip, including in Bangkok, we happened unintentionally to wander into the Little India and Chinatown segments of each locale. Penang was no different. The island is (I am referencing a cab driver here) majority Chinese, with a minority Malay and Indian culture. The Indians, like in all of Malaysia, are primarily Tamilians, some with roots generations old on the Malaysian peninsula. Dosas, sambar, chutneys, etc. were flowing from every corner of the city. Penang was sort of a microcosm of Southeast Asia on a single island - night bazaars, beaches, ethnic foods (we had great Lebanese food here one night next to the beach), natural beauty (there is a small national park that we did not make it to).

Onward the next morning to Langkawi by ferry. This group of islands is fairly remarkable, though much to my chagrin, also quite tourist-filled as well. The main strip on the main island is where we stayed and is sort of the life of the island. Walking up and down the road, you might mistake the place for some small European getaway.

The natural beauty of the islands, however, was breathtaking. We took a boat to several of the smaller islands, replete with clear water beaches, wildlife-filled forests and coasts, zip-lining, scenic lakes, and the wonders of uninhabited places. Sadly, the combination of intermittent rain and aquacentric activities prevented great picture taking.

Kuala Lumpur was a great shopping destination, with a tourist-dominated night life. One night we went to one "Bollywood Club", which was actually just 6-8 girls dancing on a stage to Hindi songs (some karaoke, some played by a dj) while overweight, middle-aged Indian men (dyslipidemics, no doubt) swooned over and threw money at the girls. Petronas Towers was worth seeing because they are incredibly tall and shiny. Kobe got swindled by a Malaysian who sold him a ChiNokia (Chinese Nokia) phone outside of the towers - but he says he is happy with the phone and, to be fair, he did not pay much for it.

Easily, the single greatest part of KL was the food! Typically in the US (and India and the rest of the world), one does not associate good foods with shopping malls. But in Malaysia, we quickly realized (with the help of the Le Meridien concierge who assumed we were guests because we happened to be in the lobby) that some of the best food in the city can be found in the malls. I found two great fake meat restaurants in KL that served off-the-chain food - both located inside shopping malls. For those who have been to Cafe Sunflower in Atlanta or Red Bamboo in New York, think better tasting food for a fraction of the price!

Back in Chennai now, working like an Indian until next week, when I reunite with the family for wedding festivities in Jaipur.