Wednesday, July 26, 2006

roti nan, mopeds, and crazy foreign drivers...

we've been here for just under 5 weeks and seems like we'll have another three until we can move into our new house. so, we're just going to prepare for the start of school and try to stay out of trouble in the meantime. living in a hotel is fun, but can get a little monotonous at times. thankfully i've finally discovered the cure for hum-drum, endless days:
driving.
...yep, just the thing to get that heart pounding and remind me of my own mortality. you may even call me a thrill seeker 'cause it seems that every time i get behind the wheel i cheat disaster. like sunday night after leaving ash in the hospital, for instance. i pulled out in front of an apparently invisible malaysian on a moped. his 'motosikal' was ok, and he was unhurt despite the torn khaki's and cracked car bumper. i knew i was going to be thrown into malaysian prison, and ashley and brooke would have to fend for themselves at the hospital until greg got back from thailand on thursday. so i did the logical thing and offered the guy 50 ringgitt for new pants and waited for the authorities.

a funny thing that happens when you drive on the left side of the road is that you just can't remember which is your left and right- right is easy with traffic and left is against traffic. NOT. my friend jason mass sings himself a little song when he gets in the 'reversed' car- maybe i'll actually write one to put in my icom portfolio if i ever see my piano again.

ash and broo have become great navigators, too; they know the directions just as well as i do and always seem to get me out of trouble. yesterday was no exception. we've all learned that just because you see the building doesn't mean you can actually get there, but we were trying to go somewhere we've been before and knew it was theoretically possible. once you get to wherever you want to go, a miracle of the Lord is the only way to find a space since the roads are packed with cars and very narrow. so, as i was petitioning, i followed a motorcycle down a street that looked like an entrance to the center- completely lined with cars promisingly parked in both directions.
somehow i was faintly aware of a gradual narrowing of the road, but pressed on confident that i would find that perfect space right near the restaurant. you can imagine my surprise when i found myself at the abrupt end of a single-car width lane bordered by a high curb and a sidewalk crowded with mopeds and motorcycles (!). ok, no problem, i thought, i'll just back up, turn around, and drive out the way i came. much to the amusement of the locals shouting things that may just have been 'have a great day, lah!', it took the girls and me about 15 minutes and a valiant attempt at a 27-point turn to straighten the car out, look over my left shoulder and back out of the 200m lane, receiving encouragement from the gathering in front of the store where the locals were probably praying the loud, hysterical, 'rich' american and her cute daughters would trash their bikes.

lunch was worth it, though- sooo tasty! ash even ate my tandoori chicken along with her fair share of roti nan biasa, which is a delicious giant flat bread with fantastic sauces for dipping. i am also developing empathy for all those 'crazy foreigners' i used to see and laugh at back home. they must just be adrenaline junkies, like me. =]

chryl left the ground at 17:34 4 comments

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Some Quick Pics


Hey guys, look who we saw this week! Alfredo is having a grand time at the house of our pet consultant. He has several other pooches to push around and cats to bully; you know how he's got to keep his tough guy image. Unfortunately, we will need some counseling to counteract the undesirable effects of his untimely discovery that
he is indeed
a dog.
Here is Brooke at our first-ever American Night celebration feast. We are very adventurous when it comes to dining, but there just comes a time when you miss the golden-fried comforts of home.
Ash and Greg at the feast. Pizza, hamburgers, margaritas... American food is the best!!!!

chryl left the ground at 20:22 5 comments

Monday, July 17, 2006


I actually drove the other day with the girls, and with the exception of a little wrong turn, we arrived at the intended location. The girls and I are trying our best to fend off listlessness, as there are not many things to do besides shop and we've been sightseeing for more than three weeks now. The irony is that we have nothing but time now, but as soon as the furniture comes and it is time to unpack, they will be entering school.

At the risk of repeating what may have been written in my family's blogs, we had an interesting weekend. I really try not to repeat, which is the cause of my irregular postings, but you've got to hear about this amazing wedding we attended on Saturday!
We attended a Malay wedding this weekend at the home of one of our new neighbors. What an event! They blocked the street off and covered its entire length with canopies and an endless stretch of banquet tables. The food was traditional Indian/Malay food, which is eaten with the fingers, not forks, and had a healthy kick to it. The colors and smells and sounds were fantastic, complete with traditional 'kampung,' or drummers that were unbelievably loud for their number. Everything happens outside here, even weddings, and although we were hot (about 90*F), there were happy people everywhere and more food than you could shake a stick at! There was a shuttle service set up and traffic 'polis' around the neighborhood to alleviate the traffic of an estimated 1000 guests, guys on walkie talkies wearing the coolest outfits ever, and about 20 greeters helping the parents host the wedding on the block. As a bonus, we met all our neighbors at once, among whom is a dog-loving ISKL teacher, Karen. It is possible the girls will have her as a teacher sometime during high school. Pretty amazing.

A funny thing here is the common greeting given by Malaysians; just like we say, 'hi, how are you,' they say 'hello, have you eaten?' We were encouraged to eat so many times my Grandmother would have shed a tear! Oh, and the wedding party (all Malay wedding parties) wear purple. Guests do not; it is the only way to tell who is who. We were four of five caucasians there and although we stick out, we're all getting used to being objects of interest amongst the natives. I guess I understand because I still remind myself not to stare when I see nothing but a pair of eyes behind the traditional black Arabic robe or the brightly colored headscarves and full-length dress of the Muslim women. I think I am just more subtle in my people watching! For some great pictures, see Greg's blog dated July 15.
Again, it is deceptive to think that because the locals are friendly and speak English that they live in the 'same world' as we do. I guess we will notice the sublties by and by, but it takes much thought to communicate in ways that steer clear of religious or political differences. Today I made a comment about beef to a Hindu (oops)- he didn't take offense, but I felt like an insensitive cad. The learning curve is still steep.
For now, we will pay attention to the experience of being a minority, foreigners, guests in someone else's country, and remember our manners. Beginning Bahasa Malayu lessons will be very helpful in basic communication, but even learning some basic cultural things will help. For instance, anyone older than you is pleased to be called 'Aunty' or 'Uncle,' as it is a polite term of respect and more personal than a first name or Mr. such-n-such. Also, the handshake is a bit weak here because it is really a 'salaam,' or a gentle brush of the hand and then a reference to one's heart to show sincerity. Understanding food is also a way to gain a little respect, especially when we shun the western fork and knife in favor of the local manner. Eating with our hands is pretty messy at first, but seems to show that we are open to the culture and respect it.
I find myself even more proud of my American-European heritage. Flipping through the channels the other day, I was surprised to find myself listening to a symphony and being glad it was a composer I recognised, reminded of how beautiful and rich our roots are as Americans. I am appreciating things more and more about home, but for now will be a good houseguest in Asia. As long as we can have an occasional 'American Night,' I think we'll be fine.


chryl left the ground at 23:41 2 comments

Monday, July 10, 2006

I Need A Wira!

Here in 'MY,' the Wira is a popular car named 'hero' in the native Bahasa Malaysia...and I need both the car and the superman version right away. Greg accelerates at work, we girlies are just marking time, waiting for our furniture to arrive, seeing the sights, being tourists, and we've just about had it. Brooke has aptly named the condition "culture anxiety;" longing for some familiarity- our doggie, a logically organized grocery store, a nice meatball and a plate of pasta, cooked to my specs. Um, none of that? How about food I can PRONOUNCE?!


Things take so much more time and energy here; conversation, traffic, grocery shopping, understanding customs so as not to offend. Something that we are not used to yet is the curiosity of the locals- it is common for anyone to ask you how old you are. Another thing is the unflinching racial divisions: it is normal for someone to use your race in descriptions, like, "she is an Indian lady," or, "those shrewd Chinese women run the shop," and one of my favorites, "only Indonesians do that." These descriptors make us squirm from the politically correct environment of the US, where we would shy away from using race to describe someone because we separate performance from ethnicity or skin tone. Oh, and there is a 'Non-Malaysian' tax on everything from phone service to automobiles. Our cell phone deposit is about $360 for each phone because we are not Malaysian natives; many of the fees are attributed to Malaysia's goal to become a first-world nation by 2020. Ok, fine.


Anyway, churches are different here, too. The names are mixed-up sounding and cross descriptors we would usually understand in the states, like the 'Lutheran Redemption Center,' or 'International Church'... so one that sounds charismatic is actually just an enthusiastic evangelistic church. We've visited two so far, and boy do we miss our wonderful church in Houston, CFCC. Sigh.


I'll go out on a limb here and say that there is a reason we are here; not just Greg's job, but a reason why I call a Muslim country home for now, a reason why we will cross paths with Hindu and Buddhist people every day, a reason for radically different experiences in daily life and schedules. I just hope I catch it; I need the faith to trust God's got good stuff in store. Yes, this is a great opportunity to explore, to see a different part of the world, but there has to be more to it than that. I yearn for my faith to grow and and my perspectives change so maybe I can make a difference- in my family, my circle of influence. Anywhere.
There are times when my faith is so fainthearted, when I lack vision for my relationship with God and rely too much on others for my identity as a Christian. Maybe being aware of that will help keep me from falling for that line? Or maybe, in removing me from all that is familiar and comfy, God's plan is to remind me (again) that I really have no control over any of that except to make way for Him: to trust God, remain in Him, and hang on for the ride as He provides the rain or sunshine or wind or clouds or whatever. The John 15:5 tutorial. Again. Yay.

When we find a church, I hope we'll feel a little more grounded, but for now, it feels like aimless wandering. Remind me of this in about a month, when our shipment arrives and we're longing for these lazy days of summer.
For now, the girls and I continue to meander and cheer Greg on in his new position, loaded with responsibility and not a little stress. He's our hero!
PS~ Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you... Dad! Come see us soon!

chryl left the ground at 14:07 4 comments

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Selamat Datang

'good morning' from the crew here in kl. looks like ashley's fever has subsided for the time being- i was a bit worried due to the fact that greg was in singapore for the day and we haven't begun to look for a doctor or hospital or clinic... a bit eye-opening, again, to the fact that we are not in kansas anymore! this will be the first thing on monday's to-do list for sure!


another item in the 'taken for granted' list: street signs. yep. we were silly enough to think that a road map, cell phones, and daylight were sufficient help in our journey to the mall. (you already know what's next...) you guessed it. the rush hour traffic, mopeds, and complete lack of visible and legible street signs brought us 90 minutes later the local 'megamall'. it's big even by asian standards and full of unfamiliar shops and restaurants waiting to be explored. after some delicious guiness and irish grub our spirits were improved greatly, which came in handy for the ride home (begun in the wrong direction, also 90 minutes). eventually that ride will take 20. :-)


besides ashley's hopefully short illness, we're all well and in great shape. brooke had an entire day with some future ISKL schoolmates at the kl city center mall and chinatown, complete with malaysian burgers. the apartments have a nice workout room and buffet breakfast every morning. the petronas towers and the giant mall is walking distance, which is great since we'll be in temporary housing for another month. we all still like the city vibe; everything is near and if it's not, a short cab ride is inexpensive enough.


the weather is more temperate than houston summertime, but will be this way all year; about 88-98 degrees F. don't even start that whole celsius-kilometer-metric-is-easy discussion with me!!! AND, fellow-food-label-readers- all the nutrition info on the food, if it happens to be in english, is not incalories but kilojules. yikes!


all in all it is quite invigorating to be here, starting afresh, thinking on our feet, ready to be flexible at any moment. we've only been here a week and we've all gained a more healthy respect for what we now understand to be Chinese Food. we had no idea. fear factor must surely have been thought up here at one of the local food hawker stalls...we're well and needing to be connected more than ever, so i hope you'll keep in touch!

chryl left the ground at 13:13 3 comments