Malay weddings and fascinating food!
I had distinct pleasure of attending a traditional Malay wedding on Saturday. Well, not totally traditional as it was at the Putra World Trade Center and not in a kampung (traditional Malay village). It was about 500 people and lots of glitz and glamour. See pics to be posted later.
The traditional Malay weddings last about a week with different events including separate events for the family of the bride and the groom. The traditional dress is really lovely and in this case the colours were pink, white, and red. The groom was also wearing pink. Both bride and groom wear white for the marriage vows and then have other costumes for additional celebration events.
I wore a traditional baju kurung. The array of colours of the guests was awesome! Many women were also wearing the kebaya, which is another traditional form of dress associated with all of Malaysia but especially Melaka and Panang.
Got a new camera and it is great! Based on some research I did and the helpful advice of a photographer friend in UK (thanks LR), I opted for the DMC TZ5 or TZ15 (as it is known in Asia). It is a Panasonic with a Leica lens and is known for the best zoom in the compact camera arena. I thought about going for the DSLR but decided they are too heavy and complicated. I just wanted something simple that would take better pics than my other compact.
Yesterday I ventured to the Pasar Bukit Bintang also known as the Imbi Wet Market. I can't say I have ever seen anything quite like this and I have seen LOTS of interesting markets in my travels. It is a HUGE maze of stalls with piles of meats, vegetables and fruit. Tons of fresh fish, chicken, pork, and all the "parts" including gigantic piles of chicken feet. OK, seeing the live chickens right next to the cut up ones is part of eating meat, right? If you are going to eat it, you should know where it comes from and be willing to see it in all stages. I was really too overwhelmed to take pictures but will definitely do so the next time I go.
The market is a never ending maze of tight tables and once I had filled my trusty trolley (brought along from the UK), I headed back home to get all my goods put away. Among my purchases, a kilo of prawns for 18 RM (that's 3 pounds or 6 USD). Not only were these prawns superbly fresh, they had also been cleaned but left with the heads attached. Perfect! I made a big pot of shrimp broth from the heads and some left over veggies in my fridge. I also bought something that looked like clams but after cooking for some time, I could not get the shells to open. I am not sure if I did something wrong or what...anyway, I made some seafood broth from them so it's all good. Bought a bunch of interesting greens, chilis, and some a few other staples. Can you believe it? I'm cooking again and really enjoying it.
I was asked if I have had any food I didn't like. Well, I am getting braver all the time but there are a few things that are pretty scary. One day in the food court area of the building where our office is, I was walking around with SR to see what she was going to eat. At one of the stalls there was a curry with black chunks in it. SR was explaining all the other curries to me and told me that one was cow lungs...no thanks. I am not into organ meats, must be the nurse thing. If you know what some organs do, why would ever want to eat them?
Another untoward food event happened on Saturday while out and about in the little India market. I saw the little balls on a stick and I was expecting the banana fritters but it turned out to be some kind of chicken ball and tasted like lunch meat to me. I gave it to a little dog hanging out by a temple on the back streets of Little India. He seemed to appreciate it. Luckily this was balanced by finding a new delicious treat. After ditching the chicken balls I went to another very crowded stand and asked if the balls were banana and she said, "no, coconut"...and so I got 5 of them for 3 RM. Turns out they were these lucious little balls like donuts with a pile of spicy coconut inside. Delicious!!!
Big work week ahead with lots of activities related to a sales opportunity in Singapore, some consulting activities in KL, and ending the week with a team building event over the weekend in Melaka.
Cheers!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Monkeys, monks, massages and mayhem
Monkeys, monks, massages and mayhem!!!
Seemed like the right name for the blog this week. What a ride!!!
It all started with my idea to rent a car to drive to Johor Bahru for work last week. I knew it would be a quite a long drive but figured I could capitalise on the opportunity and have a car for some weekend exploring.
The nearly four hour drive to JB was actually very easy. The freeways in MY are excellent and they should be as there as lots of tolls along the way. Not too far out of KL there are lots of winding hills and soon you are among a mixture of rainforest and palm plantations.
Getting to the hospital on Thursday was not quite as easy as it was the week before when I took a taxi (teksi in Bahasa). Luckily I didn't go too far out of the way before realising something was not right. I took a very interesting detour through suburbia in MY. I finally made it to my destination and had a good day although left a bit later than I had planned.
I had a reservation in Melaka at a little boutique hotel I read about in one of my books. So hear I am imagining Melaka as some sleepy little port town. Well...not so much. Due to my leaving JB a bit late it was quite dark when I reached Melaka. It is quite a big town and all streets are one way. I saw a whole area of British looking pubs, another area I read about but I was not in a mood for a pub and just wanted to find my hotel. A very nice concierge at the Holiday Inn was kind enough to let me follow him to my hotel in Jonker Walk area. This is the VERY old part of Melaka and is full of history.
When I went outside in the morning, I almost felt like I was in China. Lots and lots of Chinese culture and history in this area. I spent hours looking through the shops including lots of antique shops with amazing old furniture, dishes, chandeliers, and about everything else you can imagine.
Lunch at a typical rice ball shop included delicious sliced BBQ'd pork with glutinous rice balls, broth, and a pile of green sauteed veggies. A small bowl of chilies and garlic is served on the side. YUM!!! Cheapest beer I've had in MY so far. After lunch I went to the history museum and art museum. This area of the world has tons of history with the Dutch, Portuguese, British, and Chinese all playing a role and wanting control of the Straits of Malacca (named by the Portuguese...I think).
It was VERY hot and the history museum was huge and not air conditioned so I decided to head back towards my hotel. I found a lovely little pub on the river and decided to sit outside and have a beer. While sitting there enjoying my beer, I thought I was looking at scene that I could have seen in many places...but wait...not quite. Here comes a river cruise boat and it is filled with monks...all in their bright orange robes. One of the monks waves and give me a big smile. A few minutes later a see a large brown thing in the river. I thought perhaps it was trash but on closer observation, it is a HUGE lizard of some sort. It was easily 3 or 4 feet long and he was just cruising around checking things out. OK, I am DEFINITELY in a different part of the world.
Saturday morning I set off for Port Dickson, a beach town about an hour and a half from KL. I decided to take the back way...yes, I know what some of you are thinking...I survived with only a few more grey hairs. Some of the little roads I was on were just as you would imagine. Nothing for miles but forest and twisty, turning craziness. Every once in awhile I would take another little side road find a gorgeous bungalow tucked away in the forest. At times I know I was quite close to the ocean as well. It was somewhere around this time that I realised the air conditioner had stopped working and it was VERY hot. So there I was rambling along the countryside with the windows all the wayt down and suddenly I see something moving on the side of road. Monkeys!!! Not just one, a whole dang family and they wanted to cross the road and the Mom was literally screaming at me. It was as if she just dropped out of the trees right along the road in front of me. I stopped and watched while Mom and four baby monkeys crossed the road. OMG!!! How cool is that?
Decided to spend Sunday and Monday in the highlands. I didn't have the energy for lots more driving so ended up in the Genting Highlands which are only about an hour from KL. The hotel was a bit odd as it was a French themed thing that seemed was in need of updates. The amazing thing was there is this Japanese themed botanical garden and spa that are absolutely lovely. I booked this special internet deal to get a suite, dinner, breakfast, and massage package for about 150 GBP ($300). The area is up in the rainforest and the cool air felt great. My massage package started with a lovely foot bath and scrub, followed by onsen shower, and finally a wonderful massage. One of the best massages I have ever had and my skin was so smooth from the onsen shower. My adorable therapist starting crying when I gave her a tip. Just check out the pics...
I also stumbled upon a lovely little village full of yummy Chinese restaurants where I had some great Kway teow which is rice noodles which in this case were stir fried with veggies, pork, and prawns, then mixed in with eggs and broth. Kind of like a big yummy bowl of soupy pad thai...YUM!! Again, served with bowls of chilies and garlic on the side. A huge bowl kway teow, a side of green veggies, and some iced jasmine tea set me back 8 ringgit.
The mayhem stems from some of crazy driving experiences throughout the weekend. No air conditioning, trying to read a map and drive, wrong exits, going around in circles, and few other things. None the worse for wear, I have learned lots and had a fantastic time doing it. As I sit here looking up at the KL Tower with the glow of the full moon just beside it, I know I am very lucky indeed.
Happy Wesak Day!
Pics for the week:
http://picasaweb.google.com/hellokittyinlondon/GentingHighlands_MY08
http://picasaweb.google.com/hellokittyinlondon/MY_Melaka
Seemed like the right name for the blog this week. What a ride!!!
It all started with my idea to rent a car to drive to Johor Bahru for work last week. I knew it would be a quite a long drive but figured I could capitalise on the opportunity and have a car for some weekend exploring.
The nearly four hour drive to JB was actually very easy. The freeways in MY are excellent and they should be as there as lots of tolls along the way. Not too far out of KL there are lots of winding hills and soon you are among a mixture of rainforest and palm plantations.
Getting to the hospital on Thursday was not quite as easy as it was the week before when I took a taxi (teksi in Bahasa). Luckily I didn't go too far out of the way before realising something was not right. I took a very interesting detour through suburbia in MY. I finally made it to my destination and had a good day although left a bit later than I had planned.
I had a reservation in Melaka at a little boutique hotel I read about in one of my books. So hear I am imagining Melaka as some sleepy little port town. Well...not so much. Due to my leaving JB a bit late it was quite dark when I reached Melaka. It is quite a big town and all streets are one way. I saw a whole area of British looking pubs, another area I read about but I was not in a mood for a pub and just wanted to find my hotel. A very nice concierge at the Holiday Inn was kind enough to let me follow him to my hotel in Jonker Walk area. This is the VERY old part of Melaka and is full of history.
When I went outside in the morning, I almost felt like I was in China. Lots and lots of Chinese culture and history in this area. I spent hours looking through the shops including lots of antique shops with amazing old furniture, dishes, chandeliers, and about everything else you can imagine.
Lunch at a typical rice ball shop included delicious sliced BBQ'd pork with glutinous rice balls, broth, and a pile of green sauteed veggies. A small bowl of chilies and garlic is served on the side. YUM!!! Cheapest beer I've had in MY so far. After lunch I went to the history museum and art museum. This area of the world has tons of history with the Dutch, Portuguese, British, and Chinese all playing a role and wanting control of the Straits of Malacca (named by the Portuguese...I think).
It was VERY hot and the history museum was huge and not air conditioned so I decided to head back towards my hotel. I found a lovely little pub on the river and decided to sit outside and have a beer. While sitting there enjoying my beer, I thought I was looking at scene that I could have seen in many places...but wait...not quite. Here comes a river cruise boat and it is filled with monks...all in their bright orange robes. One of the monks waves and give me a big smile. A few minutes later a see a large brown thing in the river. I thought perhaps it was trash but on closer observation, it is a HUGE lizard of some sort. It was easily 3 or 4 feet long and he was just cruising around checking things out. OK, I am DEFINITELY in a different part of the world.
Saturday morning I set off for Port Dickson, a beach town about an hour and a half from KL. I decided to take the back way...yes, I know what some of you are thinking...I survived with only a few more grey hairs. Some of the little roads I was on were just as you would imagine. Nothing for miles but forest and twisty, turning craziness. Every once in awhile I would take another little side road find a gorgeous bungalow tucked away in the forest. At times I know I was quite close to the ocean as well. It was somewhere around this time that I realised the air conditioner had stopped working and it was VERY hot. So there I was rambling along the countryside with the windows all the wayt down and suddenly I see something moving on the side of road. Monkeys!!! Not just one, a whole dang family and they wanted to cross the road and the Mom was literally screaming at me. It was as if she just dropped out of the trees right along the road in front of me. I stopped and watched while Mom and four baby monkeys crossed the road. OMG!!! How cool is that?
Decided to spend Sunday and Monday in the highlands. I didn't have the energy for lots more driving so ended up in the Genting Highlands which are only about an hour from KL. The hotel was a bit odd as it was a French themed thing that seemed was in need of updates. The amazing thing was there is this Japanese themed botanical garden and spa that are absolutely lovely. I booked this special internet deal to get a suite, dinner, breakfast, and massage package for about 150 GBP ($300). The area is up in the rainforest and the cool air felt great. My massage package started with a lovely foot bath and scrub, followed by onsen shower, and finally a wonderful massage. One of the best massages I have ever had and my skin was so smooth from the onsen shower. My adorable therapist starting crying when I gave her a tip. Just check out the pics...
I also stumbled upon a lovely little village full of yummy Chinese restaurants where I had some great Kway teow which is rice noodles which in this case were stir fried with veggies, pork, and prawns, then mixed in with eggs and broth. Kind of like a big yummy bowl of soupy pad thai...YUM!! Again, served with bowls of chilies and garlic on the side. A huge bowl kway teow, a side of green veggies, and some iced jasmine tea set me back 8 ringgit.
The mayhem stems from some of crazy driving experiences throughout the weekend. No air conditioning, trying to read a map and drive, wrong exits, going around in circles, and few other things. None the worse for wear, I have learned lots and had a fantastic time doing it. As I sit here looking up at the KL Tower with the glow of the full moon just beside it, I know I am very lucky indeed.
Happy Wesak Day!
Pics for the week:
http://picasaweb.google.com/hellokittyinlondon/GentingHighlands_MY08
http://picasaweb.google.com/hellokittyinlondon/MY_Melaka
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
HKKL#4
HKKL#4
So much better to write in the morning. My mind works much better in the morning. I have quite a nice home yoga practice in the morning now as I have not had the time to check out studios yet. Normally when I get up I hear the call to prayer at the mosque...5:30 a.m. It is a lovely time of day.
Last week I went to Johor Bahru, the southernmost city in Malaysia and right across the bridge from Singapore. I had the pleasure of escorting a UK doctor with me who was visiting KL for a conference. We went to visit a hospital which is nearly paperless and is very impressive for all of the work they have done to get their EMR is place. I am loving my job here so far and keep seeing additional opportunity everywhere I look.
OK, enough about work...more about food. Saturday I spent all day walking around Little India smack in the middle of the Saturday market. Oh my goodness, the food!!! The fried bananas that come in all these different forms are delicious. Each stand has subtle little differences. My favourites are the ones that balls and made with cornmeal. The thing is, I can't figure out how to tell the difference and I had one at work one day made with wheat and it was not a good thing. It's a bit like egg noodles and rice noodles. I think I need to start learning some Bahasa, that would be a good thing.
My new routine is get up and swim in my glorious pool on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It is so nice. I am trying to figure out a routine for weekday mornings but haven't gotten the swimming as part of the morning routine during the week. I think once I get everything settled, I will be able to figure out going to a yoga studio class as well more swimming time. Right now, it seems as if I am still running around every evening with trying to get something else for my apartment or eating...again.
Sunday I went to Chinatown. I suppose it is not too dissimilar to other Chinatown's in many big cities around the world. This one has a quite a history as well and of course, is full of great food everywhere you look. I started off with some dim sum (bbq'd pork buns and red bean pancakes) followed by some fried rice noodles with BBQ pork, cucumbers, and other interesting green veggies. They have this celery called Chinese celery that looks like cilantro but tastes like celery. It is really yummy and a nice relief to some of the very spicy chilis used in some of the Chinese sauces.
I ended up spending quite a lot of time in a big book store that had some Chinese books translated to English where you see the characters alongside the English. Learning Chinese characters must be SOOO difficult. Bahasa Malaysia is in Roman letters and I am actually learning a few words by looking at signs and such.
I have now figured out several different ways to walk to work and our client site in KL. Every day I end going a different way and see some other interesting sites. I am fascinated by the mix of extreme luxury and poverty, sometimes on the same block.
BTW...try to watch "Twin Towers of the East"....it is all about the building of the Twin Towers and is an excellent programme.
Cheers!
So much better to write in the morning. My mind works much better in the morning. I have quite a nice home yoga practice in the morning now as I have not had the time to check out studios yet. Normally when I get up I hear the call to prayer at the mosque...5:30 a.m. It is a lovely time of day.
Last week I went to Johor Bahru, the southernmost city in Malaysia and right across the bridge from Singapore. I had the pleasure of escorting a UK doctor with me who was visiting KL for a conference. We went to visit a hospital which is nearly paperless and is very impressive for all of the work they have done to get their EMR is place. I am loving my job here so far and keep seeing additional opportunity everywhere I look.
OK, enough about work...more about food. Saturday I spent all day walking around Little India smack in the middle of the Saturday market. Oh my goodness, the food!!! The fried bananas that come in all these different forms are delicious. Each stand has subtle little differences. My favourites are the ones that balls and made with cornmeal. The thing is, I can't figure out how to tell the difference and I had one at work one day made with wheat and it was not a good thing. It's a bit like egg noodles and rice noodles. I think I need to start learning some Bahasa, that would be a good thing.
My new routine is get up and swim in my glorious pool on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It is so nice. I am trying to figure out a routine for weekday mornings but haven't gotten the swimming as part of the morning routine during the week. I think once I get everything settled, I will be able to figure out going to a yoga studio class as well more swimming time. Right now, it seems as if I am still running around every evening with trying to get something else for my apartment or eating...again.
Sunday I went to Chinatown. I suppose it is not too dissimilar to other Chinatown's in many big cities around the world. This one has a quite a history as well and of course, is full of great food everywhere you look. I started off with some dim sum (bbq'd pork buns and red bean pancakes) followed by some fried rice noodles with BBQ pork, cucumbers, and other interesting green veggies. They have this celery called Chinese celery that looks like cilantro but tastes like celery. It is really yummy and a nice relief to some of the very spicy chilis used in some of the Chinese sauces.
I ended up spending quite a lot of time in a big book store that had some Chinese books translated to English where you see the characters alongside the English. Learning Chinese characters must be SOOO difficult. Bahasa Malaysia is in Roman letters and I am actually learning a few words by looking at signs and such.
I have now figured out several different ways to walk to work and our client site in KL. Every day I end going a different way and see some other interesting sites. I am fascinated by the mix of extreme luxury and poverty, sometimes on the same block.
BTW...try to watch "Twin Towers of the East"....it is all about the building of the Twin Towers and is an excellent programme.
Cheers!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
HKKL#3
HKKL#3
Moved into the apartment on Monday, 21APR...WOO HOO....I am a KL resident now. I have a few things to work on, but mostly, it is OFF THE HOOK baby!
It was funny when I arrived home today from Singapore, I really felt as if I was home. I think I have already mellowed to the culture change. That means I was on the LRT with my nice Italian tank (bought at the sample sale in London) and I didn't care that I looked so western...cause hey...I am. That doesn't mean I can't be totally respectful to all things Malay but I now know it is OK to be me. The smiles I received from the people on the train as well as the security guards at my building while rocking out to Little Feat (more on that in a minute) on my iPod made me know for sure I was home. Home is where you are going at the end of most days, isn't it? It sure is for me.
Little Feat...all this talk about the great bands you loved in high school (secondary school - thx BR) has made me realise that some of you who might read this were born after Lowell George passed. I had the distinct privilege of seeing Little Feat with Lowell George 2 weeks after I graduated from high school and it was one of best concerts ever. I went high school and university with mostly Led Zep, Bruce Springsteen, and Grateful Dead fans. I was never in that space in high school and liked lots of different music and Little Feat is just one of the many bands that made a difference to me and I still love hearing their music.
Back to life in KL. I am sitting at my work desk looking at the KL Tower and yes, I know everyone wants to see pictures and you will, all in good time. I did manage to get the shot above this morning. That is the view from my desk...KL Tower. It is a GORGEOUS morning with blue sky and just a few scattered clouds. I do think the "drier" season is here as it has only been raining for about 30 minutes and much more blue sky.
The food is so diverse and interesting, I just can't get over it. I had the nasi lemak from a stand on the street for breakfast before work on Friday. It was 1.20 MYR (about 20p or US 40 cents) and it was delicious. A big helping of coconut rice with peanuts, sambal, ikan bilik, egg, and cucumber...all served in a banana leaf and portable to carry to the office!
Singapore...I spent the weekend there (last weekend) and that was interesting. By comparison,
Singapore is expensive so I did not get a new camera or anything except some Chinese slippers to wear inside my apartment. Malays don't wear shoes in the house and it is a very good idea as most of my apartment has white marble floors. I do find walking around barefoot makes my feet very sore so have been improvising bit. I have a shoe closet at the entrance to my apartment. I haven't tried to get all my shoes in there yet, but they might actually fit.
Singapore is quite flashy in the main shopping area of Orchard Road but has many diverse areas as well. I was lucky enough to have a local co-worker give me a personal tour of the city, country, island...it is all three. The old town part is really lovely with tons of shuttered colourful buildings that seem as if they would be home in mainly tropical locales aroung the world. The port area is really impressive, the cranes and TONS and TONS of giant ships everywhere is surreal. KLF was testing my adventurous food habits and took me a noodle house for lunch where we had the chow fun (or one of the MANY other names it goes by in this part of the world) with beef. It was great and after my first few bites, I said....mmmmm, are those mushrooms in the broth? To which KLF responded sheepishly, no, they are "parts". YIKES!!! I think it is the nurse thing but I have never been able to handle eating organ meat. In this case it was probably stomach lining or intestine. The beef slices tasted fantastic and the broth was equally delicious so I just left the "parts" in the bowl. I think KLF found it quite amusing after I had been bragging about eating the cheeks in the fish head curry.
BTW...I've decided that all my mentions of people and employers will remain anonymous. Some of you will know who or what I am writing about.
So I am learning much more about my neighborhood by wandering around it is so fascinating. The other night I found a traditional southern Indian restaurant right near my apt. I had the most amazing idly which is SOOOO yummy. It is a steamed savory cake made from black lentils and rice. Delicious and wheat free!!! It looks a bit like a muffin and is white in colour. In this case, I had little ones that were recooked by pan frying and mixed with a lovely spicy dahl curry with piles of shallots and garlic. The shallots here are a bit larger and reddish and are frequently called onions. I also had an amazing green mint tea and a plate of snacks including yogurt/cheese, and two other vegetarian curries with plain idli.
Thursday was a holiday in Malaysia, the first of many I hear. This one was labour day. Many small shops were closed and all the big stores open. I was fascinated to see that all the security guards and sweepers are still working. Street sweepers are people here, not trucks. They are everywhere and most nice buildings also have someone constanting cleaning the floors in the entry. Even in my building, there is usually someone cleaning the floor in the lobby although the hallway on my floor could use a bit of mopping. Haven't gotten a maid yet, but I am now down to two boxes that are unpacked. I have also been to Ikea and about 5 trips to Mydin which is a big discount store that is in little India and is REALLY inexpensive.
Did I mention my pool? I get to call my pool because hardly anyone lives in my building yet (it is brand new) so I feel like it my pool. It is gorgeous and all tiled. There are also two gigantic jacuzzi tubs, a weight room, a studio (my personal yoga studio when I'm not using my office area), meeting rooms, kids area, sauna, and a squash court. OMG!!! I just found that yesterday.
The liquids, alcohol is very expensive here so is giving me the opportunity to learn about all the other delicious things to drinks. There are stalls in the streets with lime juice, sugar cane juice, and all kinds of other great fruit drinks. The rice jelly drink is very interesting with chunk of jelly in the bottom. It is very sweet but is a great balance if eating something very spicy. I had some mango juice yesterday that I was able to watch being made where a bunch of mango is mulled in the bottom of the glass, a bit of sugar syrup, a pile of ice, and water. YUM!!! The juice drinks are much thinner than I am used to and it is very refreshing. Now if I could just figure out how to tell them not to put any sugar in it...all things in good time.
TTFN!
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