Tapah, the dump that is, and I'm back there for the third time in less than a week. I must nearly be classed as a local. Me and Bella got back here and I'm pretty sure we went to Restaurant Haji. Again. It's not even good food, it's just opposite the bus station which is handy. One quirk of the place is the local dude who had deformed (or is malformed, or differently formed or some other politically correct platitude) hands and feet and was a bit special (scew political correctness...!) came over to me every time I was in there and incessantly asked 'where you from?' until I acknowledged him. 'Romania' is my response in this situation, just to confuse people because they've never heard of it. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you have to make your own fun!
The bus back to Cameron Highlands was hell. Or at least as warm and uncomfortable as. Me and Bella waited a good half hour on the bus and it was roasting, air con not on but the engine wasn't running so I was looking forward to a nice blast of cold air when we got going. Not so. No air con. Anyone who has been on a non-air-con bus in Asia will appreciate how uncomfortable the following two and half hours of my life were, it wasn't even a nice bus with lots of room, it was a local bus. Grrrrrrrr!!!!!
I slept as best I could and listened to music, the usual 'pass the time on the bus' stuff one does when trying to pass the time on the bus. I think I've gotten too complacent about being in beautiful places, I remember my first journey up to the Highlands as a simple tourist and I was blown away by the tea plantations, the jungle, the lush greeness of it all and this time it was like 'oh, more jungle'...
I appeared in the office to some shock from Karen the boss and Deera who weren't expecting me back until the next day. I booked my ticket to Penang for the 27th and headed up to the lodge, my second home now, and checked into a dorm bed. I joked with Jue the receptionist that I should get a discount on the bed and a quick phone call to the boss and I was staying for free! There was, however, a catch... Bibi the morning receptionist had been off sick for the last two days and since Bella was with me there was no one available to do her shift and Jue had done two days 6.30am 'til 10pm. She's pregnant and very hard to say no to so I somehow agreed to work the following night.
Then I walked to Brinchang. Voluntarily. Strange, I know but I felt like a good walk in the mild climate and after four and half months I still hadn't been to the night market in the next town so me and Bella went for a 5km mooch, arriving in town before cars we had seen stuck in the traffic on the road! The night market was nothing to write home about, so I won't say anything about it. Whilst here I texted my friend who I hadn't seen for a couple of weeks (see my previous blogs...) and he was in Tapah where I had been literally hours before, frustrated much! He said he would text me if he got back at reasonable time. Interesting things happening whilst in Brinchang!
We hitched a lift in the back of a pick up back to Tanah Rata and I went and did what I do best, hung out on the sofas at the lodge. Spoke to my mum, Vix my best mate from back home called me to say I should be there getting drunk with her and Mama Jan, I caught up on emails and shiz and at 11pm I got a text off my friend which I was not expecting at all. Went round to his, watched a film I didn't understand and he couldn't be bothered explaining, and we had a really good chat and he learnt not to incur the wrath of a scouse bird! Eleven times I punched him before one of us stopped counting! Was really good to see him before I left, hanging out, having a joke and laugh, debating the merits or lack thereof of Michael Jackson (he loves, I hate, I get hit with a pillow...).
All in all I had probably one of the best Christmases ever, because it wasn't very Christmassy, I was warm, I didn't hear any irritating Christmas songs, no Coca Cola advert, only one bout of over feeding which I compensated for by not being able to eat for the next 24 hours, spent good quality time with some of my favourite people not just in Malaysia but in my life in general, and left my life in the Highlands on the best terms I can think of. And so the story of a Week in the Kampungs comes to an end... Normal service of a couple of blogs a months will resume. Hope you like the new layout btw...
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Monday, 26 December 2011
A Week in the Kampungs Part III: Temoh
To pick up where I left you, with bated breath and a sense of anticipation no doubt, I was sat in my new local Restaurant Haji reading Catch 22. A great book by the way, really funny and I love a good war book. I digress... Bella missed the 8am bus from the Highlands so got the 11am and arrived about half one to see my table scattered with chai glasses and the remains of a roti. I needed to get on the internet and email a couple of people since it was Christmas Eve and all and I wouldn't have internet access again until at least Boxing Day.
Quick trip to an internet cafe, we bumped into Bella's sister. The whole familial way of referring to people is very confusing in Malaysia. People refer to each other as brothers or sisters when there is no blood, cousins, aunts and uncles can be anyone and in my job an uncle and nephew referred to each other as father and son which was well confusing at first when I hadn't got to grips with it. In the villages it was harder again, I would be introduced to another aunt or cousin and try to establish the acutal link and the girls wouldn't really know but they would know there was some blood relation somewhere or other.
We went back to the bus station and caught the Tapah-Kampar bus, there was a mad ass traffic jam and I thought there had been an accident or something (seen a couple of bad ones here including my first sight of a dead body...) but no, it was just really badly sequenced traffic lights at one of the junctions. We got off the bus at Temoh which is just off the main Tapah Road and about five minutes walk, a hell of a lot less scary than Deera's village location!
Temoh is a lot different to Batu Sembilhan. There are only eight concrete houses so far but the government is building more, and most of the houses are concrete or brick based with wood and corrugated iron starting about a foot off the floor. They are much smaller houses and can have three generations living in them, that's why the government are building them more. They're not good quality buildings, just poured concrete and Bella's grandmother's house which she has been in less than a year already has some pretty big cracks, but she is lucky to have one of the new houses. I was amazed at the TV aerial mast which was a massive bamboo cane stuck in the ground with the aerial bodged on to it somehow, very old vs. new!
As we walked through the village we amassed a gang of about 10 kids following us to the house, I was the first white person there for a very long time and a lot of the kids had only ever seen white people on TV. After having food put in front of me almost immediately me and Bella went for a walk around the village and went to her uncle's house. Whilst here a two year old baby was plonked on my lap so his father could get a picture of his son with a white girl, rather surreal considering I'm terrible with children and the kid was proper freaked out by me!
On the way back to Bella's grandmother's house we went past a playing field of sorts and saw a load of local lads playing a game called sepak takraw. It's basically an elaborate game of keepy-uppy, with two teams and volleyball net played with a hollow wooden ball thing. This amused me for a good while, good looking, toned Orang Asli boys messing about in the late afternoon sun, t'was very Top Gun! The fun was spoilt by a local piss head hassling me and Bella's logical way to get him to leave me alone was to tell him I had a husband and kids in the Highlands, personally I would have told him 'fuck right off mate, you're fat, have no teeth, less hair and your boxies that I can see poking out of your pants look like they ain't been washed in a month, why in the world would I be interested in that?!'. Unfortunately my Malay isn't that good and my Orang Asli non existent so I kept a stoney silence whilst Bella invented a life for me. Next we mooched to the local waterfall with her neice Theresa who was well cute, apparently it used to be a beautiful site and then loads of Malays started going there for picnics and it got ruined and for a reason Bella doesn't know the little lake there was drained and people stopped going. Such a shame it's been ruined because people from the village have been going there for generations and kids like Theresa will never know how beautiful it was.
When we got back to the house a duck had been barbecued for me and I was made up! I explained to Bella that duck is a bit special back home, pretty expensive so a bit of a treat, so for a whole duck (in pieces obvs...) to be put in front of me and to be told to eat as much as I wanted was challenge accepted! I didn't eat it all but I made a pretty good effort and it was amazing, so juicy and amazing flavours going on. Me likey. After we had eaten it was time to go to church, kind of. I checked about a million times that no one would think me cheeky or disrespectful for attending the service but not praying or joining in and I was assured everyone would be fine with it. Being a commited atheist I could never bring myself to appear to worship but at the same time I really wanted to see how they worshipped, having attended Church of England primary and secondary schools and being forced to go to church three times a year against my wishes I know what a Christmas celebration should look like back home.
This one really surprised me. There was no priest, the service was kind of ran by Bella's auntie but everyone kind of chipped in with their ideas on what to do or sing next. There were 14 adults and 2 kids there plus me and the local drunk who was making a holy show of himself (excuse the pun) but he just got ignored. It was really nice how the service went, there were a couple of songs to start with, one of the local lads on his guitar, and then everyone there took it in turns to stand at the front and read form their own bibles the Christmas story in Malay and then explain to everyone their understanding of it. I was surprised that I understood where in the story they were, the rythm of the bible is very much the same and Bella said it's written in very dense language like the King James Bible is and that's why they were all explaining it to one another. A few more songs in Orang Asli, the Lord's prayer (again I recognised the rythm) and the service was over. I felt so privileged to have been there, it was a very community based service expressing their own thoughts and beliefs and not at all like the preachy services back home. Normally I will challenge anyone in a debate about God when they are openly expressing their faith but I felt touched that these people cared enough to worship. Oh and the language barrier would have been a particular challenge, I wonder how you say 'do you believe your God is omnipitent?' in Malay?!
Back at the house we sat on the floor, and I was getting quizzed - where are you from? What job do you do there? Are you married? Why not? Can I see a picture of your house? Poor Bella was having to translate for us back and forth but I suppose it's good for her language skills. Beds were set up and I was rather happy as I was pooped, me and Bella were sleeping on mats on the floor under a mossie net that was bright pink and I felt like I was sleeping in a castle! The fun and novelty of this was short lived when her uncle came back to the house drunk and started to have a domestic with her aunt, a window got smashed, things got rather heated so Bella got us to move into the bedroom where her other aunt was sleeping with her two sons. Bella said she was pretty scared and didn't want to stay another night which had been the plan so I told her we could go and stay in Tapah or Ipoh the next night if she wanted.
Woken the next morning by the standard assortment of animals already encountered at the last village, I had duck and rice shoved into my hand almost immediately and was expected to eat up. Another wander around the village and me and Bella had decided to get the bus to Tapah and if it was available to get on a bus back to the Highlands so we didn't have to pay for a hotel room unnecessarily. The ability to get about on Christmas Day astounded me, home grinds to a halt for at least two days but this was like any other day in Malaysia, which I really like because I hate Christmas. Dinner was at 11.30am and there was about 12 people sat on the floor surrounding a massive spread of all sorts of food, everyone said grace first which was a nice touch and we dug in, duck in about four different styles, ditto the chicken, rice, noodles, prawn cracker things, loads of vegetables, rice cooked in bamboo, something brown also cooked in bamboo which Bella couldn't quite translate for me, it was a feast indeed. When we had finished a load more food appeared as all the guests left and I was scared I would be expected to eat more but it was for the next lot of people who would inevitably be arriving.
After dinner we went to get the bus to Tapah and I shook Bella's grandmother's hand. I had to bend a considerable way down to do this, no joke this woman was up to my hip. I know Asians in general are shorter but this was just scary! I asked Bella why she was so much taller and she said it's likely because she went to school in Penang and had better food and stuff. So this visit was sadly cut short but I still feel I got a nice feel for the place. The lads here were cheekier, they were asking Bella to teach them English so they could chat to me and they were sat outside the house showing off with their guitars. The village was smaller with more of a community feel, I hope this doesn't change when more new houses are built and there is a little bit more physical distance between houses, the wooden houses have maybe two feet between them, the new ones about six or seven feet which does feel like it makes a difference. More good food, more good people, more kids catching their first glimple of a Westerner, and another amazing experience with one of my best mates...
Quick trip to an internet cafe, we bumped into Bella's sister. The whole familial way of referring to people is very confusing in Malaysia. People refer to each other as brothers or sisters when there is no blood, cousins, aunts and uncles can be anyone and in my job an uncle and nephew referred to each other as father and son which was well confusing at first when I hadn't got to grips with it. In the villages it was harder again, I would be introduced to another aunt or cousin and try to establish the acutal link and the girls wouldn't really know but they would know there was some blood relation somewhere or other.
We went back to the bus station and caught the Tapah-Kampar bus, there was a mad ass traffic jam and I thought there had been an accident or something (seen a couple of bad ones here including my first sight of a dead body...) but no, it was just really badly sequenced traffic lights at one of the junctions. We got off the bus at Temoh which is just off the main Tapah Road and about five minutes walk, a hell of a lot less scary than Deera's village location!
Temoh is a lot different to Batu Sembilhan. There are only eight concrete houses so far but the government is building more, and most of the houses are concrete or brick based with wood and corrugated iron starting about a foot off the floor. They are much smaller houses and can have three generations living in them, that's why the government are building them more. They're not good quality buildings, just poured concrete and Bella's grandmother's house which she has been in less than a year already has some pretty big cracks, but she is lucky to have one of the new houses. I was amazed at the TV aerial mast which was a massive bamboo cane stuck in the ground with the aerial bodged on to it somehow, very old vs. new!
As we walked through the village we amassed a gang of about 10 kids following us to the house, I was the first white person there for a very long time and a lot of the kids had only ever seen white people on TV. After having food put in front of me almost immediately me and Bella went for a walk around the village and went to her uncle's house. Whilst here a two year old baby was plonked on my lap so his father could get a picture of his son with a white girl, rather surreal considering I'm terrible with children and the kid was proper freaked out by me!
On the way back to Bella's grandmother's house we went past a playing field of sorts and saw a load of local lads playing a game called sepak takraw. It's basically an elaborate game of keepy-uppy, with two teams and volleyball net played with a hollow wooden ball thing. This amused me for a good while, good looking, toned Orang Asli boys messing about in the late afternoon sun, t'was very Top Gun! The fun was spoilt by a local piss head hassling me and Bella's logical way to get him to leave me alone was to tell him I had a husband and kids in the Highlands, personally I would have told him 'fuck right off mate, you're fat, have no teeth, less hair and your boxies that I can see poking out of your pants look like they ain't been washed in a month, why in the world would I be interested in that?!'. Unfortunately my Malay isn't that good and my Orang Asli non existent so I kept a stoney silence whilst Bella invented a life for me. Next we mooched to the local waterfall with her neice Theresa who was well cute, apparently it used to be a beautiful site and then loads of Malays started going there for picnics and it got ruined and for a reason Bella doesn't know the little lake there was drained and people stopped going. Such a shame it's been ruined because people from the village have been going there for generations and kids like Theresa will never know how beautiful it was.
When we got back to the house a duck had been barbecued for me and I was made up! I explained to Bella that duck is a bit special back home, pretty expensive so a bit of a treat, so for a whole duck (in pieces obvs...) to be put in front of me and to be told to eat as much as I wanted was challenge accepted! I didn't eat it all but I made a pretty good effort and it was amazing, so juicy and amazing flavours going on. Me likey. After we had eaten it was time to go to church, kind of. I checked about a million times that no one would think me cheeky or disrespectful for attending the service but not praying or joining in and I was assured everyone would be fine with it. Being a commited atheist I could never bring myself to appear to worship but at the same time I really wanted to see how they worshipped, having attended Church of England primary and secondary schools and being forced to go to church three times a year against my wishes I know what a Christmas celebration should look like back home.
This one really surprised me. There was no priest, the service was kind of ran by Bella's auntie but everyone kind of chipped in with their ideas on what to do or sing next. There were 14 adults and 2 kids there plus me and the local drunk who was making a holy show of himself (excuse the pun) but he just got ignored. It was really nice how the service went, there were a couple of songs to start with, one of the local lads on his guitar, and then everyone there took it in turns to stand at the front and read form their own bibles the Christmas story in Malay and then explain to everyone their understanding of it. I was surprised that I understood where in the story they were, the rythm of the bible is very much the same and Bella said it's written in very dense language like the King James Bible is and that's why they were all explaining it to one another. A few more songs in Orang Asli, the Lord's prayer (again I recognised the rythm) and the service was over. I felt so privileged to have been there, it was a very community based service expressing their own thoughts and beliefs and not at all like the preachy services back home. Normally I will challenge anyone in a debate about God when they are openly expressing their faith but I felt touched that these people cared enough to worship. Oh and the language barrier would have been a particular challenge, I wonder how you say 'do you believe your God is omnipitent?' in Malay?!
Back at the house we sat on the floor, and I was getting quizzed - where are you from? What job do you do there? Are you married? Why not? Can I see a picture of your house? Poor Bella was having to translate for us back and forth but I suppose it's good for her language skills. Beds were set up and I was rather happy as I was pooped, me and Bella were sleeping on mats on the floor under a mossie net that was bright pink and I felt like I was sleeping in a castle! The fun and novelty of this was short lived when her uncle came back to the house drunk and started to have a domestic with her aunt, a window got smashed, things got rather heated so Bella got us to move into the bedroom where her other aunt was sleeping with her two sons. Bella said she was pretty scared and didn't want to stay another night which had been the plan so I told her we could go and stay in Tapah or Ipoh the next night if she wanted.
Woken the next morning by the standard assortment of animals already encountered at the last village, I had duck and rice shoved into my hand almost immediately and was expected to eat up. Another wander around the village and me and Bella had decided to get the bus to Tapah and if it was available to get on a bus back to the Highlands so we didn't have to pay for a hotel room unnecessarily. The ability to get about on Christmas Day astounded me, home grinds to a halt for at least two days but this was like any other day in Malaysia, which I really like because I hate Christmas. Dinner was at 11.30am and there was about 12 people sat on the floor surrounding a massive spread of all sorts of food, everyone said grace first which was a nice touch and we dug in, duck in about four different styles, ditto the chicken, rice, noodles, prawn cracker things, loads of vegetables, rice cooked in bamboo, something brown also cooked in bamboo which Bella couldn't quite translate for me, it was a feast indeed. When we had finished a load more food appeared as all the guests left and I was scared I would be expected to eat more but it was for the next lot of people who would inevitably be arriving.
After dinner we went to get the bus to Tapah and I shook Bella's grandmother's hand. I had to bend a considerable way down to do this, no joke this woman was up to my hip. I know Asians in general are shorter but this was just scary! I asked Bella why she was so much taller and she said it's likely because she went to school in Penang and had better food and stuff. So this visit was sadly cut short but I still feel I got a nice feel for the place. The lads here were cheekier, they were asking Bella to teach them English so they could chat to me and they were sat outside the house showing off with their guitars. The village was smaller with more of a community feel, I hope this doesn't change when more new houses are built and there is a little bit more physical distance between houses, the wooden houses have maybe two feet between them, the new ones about six or seven feet which does feel like it makes a difference. More good food, more good people, more kids catching their first glimple of a Westerner, and another amazing experience with one of my best mates...
Sunday, 25 December 2011
A Week in the Kampungs Part II: 26 Hours in Tapah
Tapah is a small place. Very small. Not as small as Tanah Rata which is basically a one street town, but not far off with probably three or four main roads. Spending just a bit more than a day here without going stir crazy, and coping completely on my own for the first time since Hat Yai in October, was going to be a challenge.
Deera's godmother gave us a lift into town from the village so no bus conductors quizzing me on the British public transport network, and we got there about half 10. I went to the hotel I had scouted out the day I was passing through town. 30 ringgit (about 6 quid) for a private double room was well sweet, with the promise of free wifi in the room as well. I turned up at half 10 and the room wasn't ready so I went for a chai with Deera to pass the time. This was the second time in the same place, Restaurant Haji, and I sat at the same table and ordered a slight varient on my previous food with and egg roti. Exciting.
I put Deera on the bus about midday and went back to the hotel for some hardcore alone time. Don't get me wrong I love people, when they're interesting and don't resort to backpacker banter (I need to blog about this pet hate soon...), but getting proper alone time is pretty much impossible when you've been living in a dorm for four months. So I settled into my room, western toilet, my own plug socket, two pillows and everything, and couldn't get on the wifi! Because alone time equals naked time to me I couldn't be bothered getting dressed to moan about the wifi so I just watched Firefly on my computer between far too frequent dozing.
I did get dressed to go and buy phone credit and some water, not used to being in a very warm climate I'd forgotten to remind myslef to drink lots of water and was feeling dehydrated. I was the only white person in town, wandering around at eight at night, pretty much everything closed. The joys of small, non touristy towns! Phone credit bought it was back to bed for more alone time, I was texting a friend who was very confused as to why I was in such an arsehole of a town which amused me. That's how fun Tapah is, texting my friends in the Highlands is probably the highlight of my time there.
The next day, after leaving a suitable mess in the room, I checked out and went back to Restaurant Haji, same table, supping a chai, reading Catch 22 waiting for Bella to come down from the Highlands and continue my adventure with me...
Deera's godmother gave us a lift into town from the village so no bus conductors quizzing me on the British public transport network, and we got there about half 10. I went to the hotel I had scouted out the day I was passing through town. 30 ringgit (about 6 quid) for a private double room was well sweet, with the promise of free wifi in the room as well. I turned up at half 10 and the room wasn't ready so I went for a chai with Deera to pass the time. This was the second time in the same place, Restaurant Haji, and I sat at the same table and ordered a slight varient on my previous food with and egg roti. Exciting.
I put Deera on the bus about midday and went back to the hotel for some hardcore alone time. Don't get me wrong I love people, when they're interesting and don't resort to backpacker banter (I need to blog about this pet hate soon...), but getting proper alone time is pretty much impossible when you've been living in a dorm for four months. So I settled into my room, western toilet, my own plug socket, two pillows and everything, and couldn't get on the wifi! Because alone time equals naked time to me I couldn't be bothered getting dressed to moan about the wifi so I just watched Firefly on my computer between far too frequent dozing.
I did get dressed to go and buy phone credit and some water, not used to being in a very warm climate I'd forgotten to remind myslef to drink lots of water and was feeling dehydrated. I was the only white person in town, wandering around at eight at night, pretty much everything closed. The joys of small, non touristy towns! Phone credit bought it was back to bed for more alone time, I was texting a friend who was very confused as to why I was in such an arsehole of a town which amused me. That's how fun Tapah is, texting my friends in the Highlands is probably the highlight of my time there.
The next day, after leaving a suitable mess in the room, I checked out and went back to Restaurant Haji, same table, supping a chai, reading Catch 22 waiting for Bella to come down from the Highlands and continue my adventure with me...
A Week in the Kampungs Part I: Batu Sembilhan
It all started a couple of months ago when Bella, who I work with invited me to her village for Christmas... I was planning on diving somewhere amazing like Sipidan to make everyone at home insanely jealous but I couldn't pass up this opportunity. As it got closer to Christmas and time for me to plan my steps after the Cameron Highlands Deera asked me if I would like to go to her village and I couldn't say no to her either! So I formulated a plan, three nights in Deera's village, a night in Tapah, meet Bella there and go to her village for two nights to celebrate Christmas.
I woke up at the ungodly hour of 7am on Dec 20th, got the last of my stuff together and went down to the hotel where Deera works to get the bus. We went to the bus station and ended up waiting a good hour for the bus, this is Asia after all! I slept most of the bus journey down the mountain, waking up just in time to get off the bus, otherwise I would have ended up in KL... We got some food, onion roti for me, and then got the bus from Tapah to Kampar. Quick shop around Kampar, including a cake for Deera's family then we got the bus from Kampar to Chenderiang. The conductor on the bus started quizzing me about how the buses work in England, do we still have conductors? What do the tickets look like? How much does it cost? How modern are the buses? Considering the tickets on this wooden floored bus were distributed from a wooden rack the questions were rather pertinent!
When the bus dumped us at the last stop, pretty far from anywhere I got slightly freaked out and panicked, but not as freaked out and panicky as when Deera's brothers turned up with two motorbikes to take us the rest of the way to Batu Sembilhan, the kampung. I was slightly concerned with a heavy bag on my back, another one across my body, a bottle of water in one hand and my hoody in the other but I made it alive and was so happy to get to the village. It's a pretty modern village in alot of ways, the vast majority of the houses are concrete, some with wooden extensions, electricity, running water pumped from the local river, a shop in someone's wooden extension, roads...
However, there aren't many Westerners who come to the village and I was a bit of an attraction. Loads of kids were walking past the house peeking through the windows, one of Deera's cousins was really freaked out by me and started crying when I went into her Auntie's house and her youngest brother followed us everywhere! I was really made up that I was the first Westerner a lot of the younger kids had ever seen, what an introduction to white people...
They are always cooking in the houses, definitely one thing I noticed. I had to check with Deera every time I was offered food if it would be rude to say no, and every time it would be so I had two meals within four hours of being there. Normally I struggle to eat two meals in a day so I was so stuffed. The food is amazing, basic rice and fried chicken but the flavours are amazing, really well spiced and the meat is so juicy. The second meal I had they had barbecued a chicken for me and although I had some misgivings as to whether it would be cooked I figured they had been cooking that way for so many generations they were unlikely to kill me with food poisoning. Deera's mother was always smiling, I couldn't really talk to her because my Malay isn't very useful outside of being able to insult people and express some emotions, but a smile really does say a thousand words. I asked Deera and apparently it was a privilege for them to have me staying. I went to bed for a nap at about 7pm and only woke up at 8 the next morning!
The hustle and bustle of the house woke me early, along with the cacaphony of chickens, geese, ducks and other assorted animals! Food was already cooked by the time I was awake and it was predictably delicious. We watched a film with the family, more aunts and cousins turned up to see the Western girl in the house, more kids peering through the windows and running away giggling when I smiled to them, and then Deera wanted to go and see her godmother.
Her godmother's house is amazing, it's in the style of a Balinese longhouse, set in 18 acres of jungle including a stream that runs right through the land and it's so peaceful. I could see Deera was instantly at ease when we got there and she seemed relaxed and happy. Su Win taught Deera how to speak English and I made a point to tell her how proud she should be, Deera speaks better English than I do! We hung around the house, played with the dogs and just chilled. Food here was also immense. When her Uncle Phillip arrived there ensued a discussion of politics, religion, the Malaysian legal system (he's a lawyer) and the work they do with the Ornag Aslis in the village. Phillip and Su Win help them with their English and even sponsor some of them to go to university. They are also building a football field and playground for the kids and want to get them playing in a league. They are amazing people and seem to want to really help those who are happy to take it and see the opportunity they are getting. That night I went back to Deera's home feeling really happy that she had such amazing people to support her as she was growing up and somewhere to find some peace.
Day three and we were picked up by Su Win and taken to Tesco in Kampar. I felt so Western in there and spent a good ten minutes contemplating buying the most expensive block of cheese they had. Any backpackers reading this should appreciate how terrible the plastic cheese is here, but I came to the conclusion that even the most expensive cheese in a provincial Tesco in Malaysia would not compete with even the most mediocre cheese I would get back home. Off to the local school next where one of Deera's friends was getting their exam results. She did really well getting B's and C's and she was really happy. I spent the afternoon falling alseep in front of the TV watching Wipeout with Deera, humour that translates to any culture! Another interesting conversation with Phillip and Su Win, along with Johnnie Walker Double Black Label and 1904 Gold Medal Winning Jack Daniels, and it was time to sleep in this jungle mansion. Just a word about the shower. Amaze. You have a view of beautiful and dense jungle as you take a shower, I was gobsmacked.
Last day, Su Win took us to Tapah so Deera could get the bus back to the Highlands and I could get checked into a hotel. I had a brilliant time with Deera and her family and I like that for some kids I'm their first taste of what a Westerner looks like. The food was brilliant, everyone was so hospitable and I couldn't have been made to feel more welcome. I've been invited back to the village for a wedding which I think would be immense so I may try and get back there at the end of March. My advice to anyone - if you get chance to spend time in a real Orang Asli village in Malaysia grab it with both hands because it is a fantastic experience. These people don't have much but they're happy, they have a great sense of community and family and get on with life no matter what is thrown at them...
I woke up at the ungodly hour of 7am on Dec 20th, got the last of my stuff together and went down to the hotel where Deera works to get the bus. We went to the bus station and ended up waiting a good hour for the bus, this is Asia after all! I slept most of the bus journey down the mountain, waking up just in time to get off the bus, otherwise I would have ended up in KL... We got some food, onion roti for me, and then got the bus from Tapah to Kampar. Quick shop around Kampar, including a cake for Deera's family then we got the bus from Kampar to Chenderiang. The conductor on the bus started quizzing me about how the buses work in England, do we still have conductors? What do the tickets look like? How much does it cost? How modern are the buses? Considering the tickets on this wooden floored bus were distributed from a wooden rack the questions were rather pertinent!
When the bus dumped us at the last stop, pretty far from anywhere I got slightly freaked out and panicked, but not as freaked out and panicky as when Deera's brothers turned up with two motorbikes to take us the rest of the way to Batu Sembilhan, the kampung. I was slightly concerned with a heavy bag on my back, another one across my body, a bottle of water in one hand and my hoody in the other but I made it alive and was so happy to get to the village. It's a pretty modern village in alot of ways, the vast majority of the houses are concrete, some with wooden extensions, electricity, running water pumped from the local river, a shop in someone's wooden extension, roads...
However, there aren't many Westerners who come to the village and I was a bit of an attraction. Loads of kids were walking past the house peeking through the windows, one of Deera's cousins was really freaked out by me and started crying when I went into her Auntie's house and her youngest brother followed us everywhere! I was really made up that I was the first Westerner a lot of the younger kids had ever seen, what an introduction to white people...
They are always cooking in the houses, definitely one thing I noticed. I had to check with Deera every time I was offered food if it would be rude to say no, and every time it would be so I had two meals within four hours of being there. Normally I struggle to eat two meals in a day so I was so stuffed. The food is amazing, basic rice and fried chicken but the flavours are amazing, really well spiced and the meat is so juicy. The second meal I had they had barbecued a chicken for me and although I had some misgivings as to whether it would be cooked I figured they had been cooking that way for so many generations they were unlikely to kill me with food poisoning. Deera's mother was always smiling, I couldn't really talk to her because my Malay isn't very useful outside of being able to insult people and express some emotions, but a smile really does say a thousand words. I asked Deera and apparently it was a privilege for them to have me staying. I went to bed for a nap at about 7pm and only woke up at 8 the next morning!
The hustle and bustle of the house woke me early, along with the cacaphony of chickens, geese, ducks and other assorted animals! Food was already cooked by the time I was awake and it was predictably delicious. We watched a film with the family, more aunts and cousins turned up to see the Western girl in the house, more kids peering through the windows and running away giggling when I smiled to them, and then Deera wanted to go and see her godmother.
Her godmother's house is amazing, it's in the style of a Balinese longhouse, set in 18 acres of jungle including a stream that runs right through the land and it's so peaceful. I could see Deera was instantly at ease when we got there and she seemed relaxed and happy. Su Win taught Deera how to speak English and I made a point to tell her how proud she should be, Deera speaks better English than I do! We hung around the house, played with the dogs and just chilled. Food here was also immense. When her Uncle Phillip arrived there ensued a discussion of politics, religion, the Malaysian legal system (he's a lawyer) and the work they do with the Ornag Aslis in the village. Phillip and Su Win help them with their English and even sponsor some of them to go to university. They are also building a football field and playground for the kids and want to get them playing in a league. They are amazing people and seem to want to really help those who are happy to take it and see the opportunity they are getting. That night I went back to Deera's home feeling really happy that she had such amazing people to support her as she was growing up and somewhere to find some peace.
Day three and we were picked up by Su Win and taken to Tesco in Kampar. I felt so Western in there and spent a good ten minutes contemplating buying the most expensive block of cheese they had. Any backpackers reading this should appreciate how terrible the plastic cheese is here, but I came to the conclusion that even the most expensive cheese in a provincial Tesco in Malaysia would not compete with even the most mediocre cheese I would get back home. Off to the local school next where one of Deera's friends was getting their exam results. She did really well getting B's and C's and she was really happy. I spent the afternoon falling alseep in front of the TV watching Wipeout with Deera, humour that translates to any culture! Another interesting conversation with Phillip and Su Win, along with Johnnie Walker Double Black Label and 1904 Gold Medal Winning Jack Daniels, and it was time to sleep in this jungle mansion. Just a word about the shower. Amaze. You have a view of beautiful and dense jungle as you take a shower, I was gobsmacked.
Last day, Su Win took us to Tapah so Deera could get the bus back to the Highlands and I could get checked into a hotel. I had a brilliant time with Deera and her family and I like that for some kids I'm their first taste of what a Westerner looks like. The food was brilliant, everyone was so hospitable and I couldn't have been made to feel more welcome. I've been invited back to the village for a wedding which I think would be immense so I may try and get back there at the end of March. My advice to anyone - if you get chance to spend time in a real Orang Asli village in Malaysia grab it with both hands because it is a fantastic experience. These people don't have much but they're happy, they have a great sense of community and family and get on with life no matter what is thrown at them...
Monday, 12 December 2011
Time to Say Goodbye
Well not quite yet, but in 7 days time I will be leaving Tanah Rata and a whole little life I've got going for myself. I'm going to miss this place, chai in the Highlander at 2am, smuggling various local spirits (mainly Stanley, the bastard!) into the Jungle Bar, random conversations hanging out on the sofas, the very occassional journey into the actual jungle...
This place is always going to hold some very special memories for me. It's here I met Bel, Winter and Liam, they have turned into great mates and my life plan has changed dramatically because of these three people. Australia was never part of my plan until Bel and Winter came into my life and now it feels like one of the most exciting things about this journey. I say journey in the normal sense of the word, in that I am travelling and journeying to places, not the emotional bull crap that journey now defines.
Bella and Deera are a whole other kettle of fish. They're like sisters and best mates and I am so determined to keep them in my life. I've never felt this protective over people, which is strange because they're so independent and in most ways have their head screwed on more than me! It's so sweet that they come to me with problems, tell me all the gossip, even if it is rather delayed, and I don't think I've been hugged as much in my whole adult life as I have by these guys here...
There is one more person here who has changed me, we don't see each other often, haven't been able to see each other for a couple of weeks. But he is an amazing person and like everyone else I'm glad I've had him in my life here even if it took me a while to notice just how special he is.
I'm terrible at goodbyes, it's kind of my own fault for getting so attached to people here. Even Jue the Muslim girl I work with who came across as really mean when I first started working with her has turned out to be really sweet. She said she is going to miss me when I leave and wants me to come back, I kind of really want to because she's pregnant and her baby is going to be bloody gorgeous! I don't know if coming back would be too hard, I'm trying not to plan too much so it could happen but it's pretty unlikely...
This place is always going to hold some very special memories for me. It's here I met Bel, Winter and Liam, they have turned into great mates and my life plan has changed dramatically because of these three people. Australia was never part of my plan until Bel and Winter came into my life and now it feels like one of the most exciting things about this journey. I say journey in the normal sense of the word, in that I am travelling and journeying to places, not the emotional bull crap that journey now defines.
Bella and Deera are a whole other kettle of fish. They're like sisters and best mates and I am so determined to keep them in my life. I've never felt this protective over people, which is strange because they're so independent and in most ways have their head screwed on more than me! It's so sweet that they come to me with problems, tell me all the gossip, even if it is rather delayed, and I don't think I've been hugged as much in my whole adult life as I have by these guys here...
There is one more person here who has changed me, we don't see each other often, haven't been able to see each other for a couple of weeks. But he is an amazing person and like everyone else I'm glad I've had him in my life here even if it took me a while to notice just how special he is.
I'm terrible at goodbyes, it's kind of my own fault for getting so attached to people here. Even Jue the Muslim girl I work with who came across as really mean when I first started working with her has turned out to be really sweet. She said she is going to miss me when I leave and wants me to come back, I kind of really want to because she's pregnant and her baby is going to be bloody gorgeous! I don't know if coming back would be too hard, I'm trying not to plan too much so it could happen but it's pretty unlikely...
Thursday, 1 December 2011
December, The Month of Movement
So December has happened, wow weeee..... I have plans for this month, like serious plans which will see me doing actual stuff! Outside of Tanah Rata as well, which will be a novelty.
The month has started on a bit of a downer, someone who I've gotten really close to here has had to do something which means I won't be able to see them before I leave town. Shit man... It's kind of taken the shine of my anticipation for the coming few weeks but I've got to get on with things, I can't hold it against him in any way. Also, Liam got sacked about a week or so ago. It was just after my last blog but I was all about writing about the Rafflesia and being proud of myself to mention it. We were smoking Gudang Garams, some under the counter Indonesian clove cigarettes and a guest thought we were smoking weed (chance would be a fine thing) and told on Liam. He also got some very bad reviews on TripAdviser which are actually quite funny if you know the boy and how anti social he can be.
My last 17 days in town will hopefully be spent persuing someone who I've kind of ignored of late, and hanging round with Bella and Deera. Backpackers are still annoying me and I've decided I'm not going to bother with them unless they bother with me and are genuinely interesting people. Case in point, Kaarina came through a few days ago and was a bundle of fun and we got on really well and the conversation flowed without the need to resort to Backpacker Banter, she was good people. After the next 17 days (really should tell the boss I'm leaving...) I'm going to Deera's village for three days where I'm going to go actual blow pipe hunting in the jungle, play about in a waterfall, go fishing in a stream with my hands and go fruit picking in the jungle. Excited much! After there I'm going to spend the night in Tapah, the first town out of the highlands on the way to KL, and then go to Bella's village for Christmas. Those who know me will be aware that I hate Xmas and tend to spend the day in bed not being in any way festive, but to get the chance to spend it with one of the sweetest people I've ever met, in an Orang Asli village that is Christian was too good to pass up. After all of this I think I'm going to spend NYE in KL.
The prospect of leaving town has gotten a little bit easier with me not being able to see my friend, and knowing that I will get some hardcore time in with Bella and Deera before I leave. I'm ready to move on, this town has served it's purpose. When Winter did me a tarot reading focussing on my fears she said I had to get out on the road again and do some hardcore travelling and confront my fear of the unknown and to get out of my comfort zone. I think I'm in the right head space to do this and going to two aborigine villages should be a great start to this.
Oh, I've also finally gotten round to dying my hair. My theory was that I wouldn't need to dye it again and I would let the sun work it's magic on it. This worked fine until I got to the Cameron Highlands where it rains every day and when it is sunny I seem to be stuck in work. Fingers crossed I won't need to dye it again because my next few stops are Cambodia, Indonesia and East Timor which should provide me with a healthy dose of sun kissed locks and allow me to get my tan going again. Putting on sun stuff every day might get annoying again though...
The month has started on a bit of a downer, someone who I've gotten really close to here has had to do something which means I won't be able to see them before I leave town. Shit man... It's kind of taken the shine of my anticipation for the coming few weeks but I've got to get on with things, I can't hold it against him in any way. Also, Liam got sacked about a week or so ago. It was just after my last blog but I was all about writing about the Rafflesia and being proud of myself to mention it. We were smoking Gudang Garams, some under the counter Indonesian clove cigarettes and a guest thought we were smoking weed (chance would be a fine thing) and told on Liam. He also got some very bad reviews on TripAdviser which are actually quite funny if you know the boy and how anti social he can be.
My last 17 days in town will hopefully be spent persuing someone who I've kind of ignored of late, and hanging round with Bella and Deera. Backpackers are still annoying me and I've decided I'm not going to bother with them unless they bother with me and are genuinely interesting people. Case in point, Kaarina came through a few days ago and was a bundle of fun and we got on really well and the conversation flowed without the need to resort to Backpacker Banter, she was good people. After the next 17 days (really should tell the boss I'm leaving...) I'm going to Deera's village for three days where I'm going to go actual blow pipe hunting in the jungle, play about in a waterfall, go fishing in a stream with my hands and go fruit picking in the jungle. Excited much! After there I'm going to spend the night in Tapah, the first town out of the highlands on the way to KL, and then go to Bella's village for Christmas. Those who know me will be aware that I hate Xmas and tend to spend the day in bed not being in any way festive, but to get the chance to spend it with one of the sweetest people I've ever met, in an Orang Asli village that is Christian was too good to pass up. After all of this I think I'm going to spend NYE in KL.
The prospect of leaving town has gotten a little bit easier with me not being able to see my friend, and knowing that I will get some hardcore time in with Bella and Deera before I leave. I'm ready to move on, this town has served it's purpose. When Winter did me a tarot reading focussing on my fears she said I had to get out on the road again and do some hardcore travelling and confront my fear of the unknown and to get out of my comfort zone. I think I'm in the right head space to do this and going to two aborigine villages should be a great start to this.
Oh, I've also finally gotten round to dying my hair. My theory was that I wouldn't need to dye it again and I would let the sun work it's magic on it. This worked fine until I got to the Cameron Highlands where it rains every day and when it is sunny I seem to be stuck in work. Fingers crossed I won't need to dye it again because my next few stops are Cambodia, Indonesia and East Timor which should provide me with a healthy dose of sun kissed locks and allow me to get my tan going again. Putting on sun stuff every day might get annoying again though...
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
When in Rome...
Well I've never been to Rome so I'm not quite sure what the Romans do... But it seems most people who come to Tanah Rata want to go into the jungle. I tried this once with Fabio and Bel, had a panic attack, twisted me knee and got out after about forty five minutes! The jungle scares me, snakes, spiders, slippy floors and stuff. But in the Cameron Highlands they have the Rafflesia, the worlds largest flower and although I'm not in to nature and all that type of thing I kind of thought I should go see it.
I'd told one of the guides who I'm friends with and who finds the flower, on numerous occasions, that if he found me a flower that was half an hour in and out of the jungle then I would go. Not possible... Then I got the chance to go for free without risking getting into trouble, and my boss and some of the dudes I work with were taking the piss saying I would never bother to go, wouldn't be able to do the trek and shiz and me being me I had to prove them wrong!
So about a month ago (scary to think it was that long ago!) I got on the tour for free with the company I work for and nearly died. Literally. Fell down eight times, nearly spiked myself on a bit of root type thing sticking out of the ground and split my pants from crotch to knee. As they say in Bahasa Malay, SEKSY! But I did it, and came out alive after nearly having a panic attack or two and Marvin threatening to leave me in the jungle whilst everyone else went to the flower and they would come back to me...
I was ridiculously proud of this achievement, I can walk around cities for hours but to do three hours in the jungle, I impressed myself if no one else! And then a few days ago there was a twin flower, I think it's two flowers out of one bud but I'm not sure and might get told off if I state this as fact. So I demanded my boss send me on the trek again, perfect timing because I've been moved on to working evenings.
An hours drive, 30 minutes off roading including my driver Harry getting stuck and Marvin having to take over for a bit I was off into the jungle again! I did one really spectacular fall where I slid a good couple of metres back down the hill I was stumbling up and ended up with mud all over me before I even crossed the first bamboo bridge. We stopped at a waterfall which I couldn't be bothered going to see and had a pack of cigarettes viciously and maliciously stolen of me by a friend who also thought the amount of mud I was covered in was in some way amusing...
Reached the flower and it's pretty fucking nuts. There is different information about the flower, is it a fungus, well no because it's got male and females and stuff but all I know is it's big and weird looking and it won't get you high if you eat it. The rarity of there being twin flowers is somewhat disputed but it was rare enough to get me off my arse and back into my idea of hell!
How impressed do I look?! And muddy. Impressed and muddy kind of sums it up. On the way back to the 4x4s I was left at the front to 'lead' the group, I say lead, I mean get really scared I would get us all lost and fall over some more. Marvin came up to the front when were out of the jungle and found some horrible bug thing and tried to throw it at me so I hit him with the big stick you can see me wielding in the photo. he deserved it.
Pants still in tact this time we went to an Orang Asli village and I could even be bothered (read : was a bit less screwed this time) to have a go of the blow pipe. I've been practicing with the mini one I got last time by pinging cigarettes to Liam in his hammock and launching darts at bits of cardboard pretending it's some of the unsavoury characters I've met here. I didn't hit the target in the village, I wasn't really expecting to but the dart made it as far as the tree at least! Then we left, I had to get back to work and was only a couple of hours late, last time I had to use a day off I was in that much of a mess I couldn't work any more.
More jungle time, wasn't expecting that now were you...
I'd told one of the guides who I'm friends with and who finds the flower, on numerous occasions, that if he found me a flower that was half an hour in and out of the jungle then I would go. Not possible... Then I got the chance to go for free without risking getting into trouble, and my boss and some of the dudes I work with were taking the piss saying I would never bother to go, wouldn't be able to do the trek and shiz and me being me I had to prove them wrong!
So about a month ago (scary to think it was that long ago!) I got on the tour for free with the company I work for and nearly died. Literally. Fell down eight times, nearly spiked myself on a bit of root type thing sticking out of the ground and split my pants from crotch to knee. As they say in Bahasa Malay, SEKSY! But I did it, and came out alive after nearly having a panic attack or two and Marvin threatening to leave me in the jungle whilst everyone else went to the flower and they would come back to me...
I was ridiculously proud of this achievement, I can walk around cities for hours but to do three hours in the jungle, I impressed myself if no one else! And then a few days ago there was a twin flower, I think it's two flowers out of one bud but I'm not sure and might get told off if I state this as fact. So I demanded my boss send me on the trek again, perfect timing because I've been moved on to working evenings.
An hours drive, 30 minutes off roading including my driver Harry getting stuck and Marvin having to take over for a bit I was off into the jungle again! I did one really spectacular fall where I slid a good couple of metres back down the hill I was stumbling up and ended up with mud all over me before I even crossed the first bamboo bridge. We stopped at a waterfall which I couldn't be bothered going to see and had a pack of cigarettes viciously and maliciously stolen of me by a friend who also thought the amount of mud I was covered in was in some way amusing...
Reached the flower and it's pretty fucking nuts. There is different information about the flower, is it a fungus, well no because it's got male and females and stuff but all I know is it's big and weird looking and it won't get you high if you eat it. The rarity of there being twin flowers is somewhat disputed but it was rare enough to get me off my arse and back into my idea of hell!
Pants still in tact this time we went to an Orang Asli village and I could even be bothered (read : was a bit less screwed this time) to have a go of the blow pipe. I've been practicing with the mini one I got last time by pinging cigarettes to Liam in his hammock and launching darts at bits of cardboard pretending it's some of the unsavoury characters I've met here. I didn't hit the target in the village, I wasn't really expecting to but the dart made it as far as the tree at least! Then we left, I had to get back to work and was only a couple of hours late, last time I had to use a day off I was in that much of a mess I couldn't work any more.
More jungle time, wasn't expecting that now were you...
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Neeerrraaaahhhhhhhhh
That title reflects the noise Malay people seem to make when confused, which I am right now so it seems appropriate.It's been ages since I've updated this, hopefully there is no one reading this as their only contact with me or worry may be setting in!
A hell of a lot has happened since last time I blogged, mainly all linked to WINTER RETURNING! It was immense when she turned up, she had been emailing me for a while planning to come back and keep it a secret from Liam. She turned up and I smuggled her down one of the passages to the bathrooms and sneaked her on to the sofa whilst Liam was in reception. The look on his face was brilliant, shock, confusion, more shock, bafflement... This was all placated by a litre of Jack Daniels that Winter had bought in duty free on her way here!
Hallowe'en happened, we got steaming drunk and were shouting at backpackers to get in their costumes, put a load of death metal on in the bar, Winter did some tarot reading, 'yeah she's gay and doesn't know it yet...' and I ended up passing out on a table in the Highlander and having my phone confiscated by Liam. I have very little recollection of this night because once again Morgan Stanley was out to play but there are some immense pictures on Facebook if you're privileged enough to be my friend.
Had an interesting experience in a Malaysian hospital. Winter turned up with jungle rot courtesy of an incident on the Thai-Cambodia border (this is the interesting way to say she got some cuts and waded through shit and flood water for a month) and they didn't improve after a week so we went to hospital and it was pretty darn goose. She got IV antibiotics and had a load of shit scraped out of her foot which knocked me slightly sick. RM15 for a load of stuff and drugs, Malay healthcare is pretty awesome.
A few days ago Dizzie and Bex turned up and they were the first cool people to get here since Jess left. They had a chilled out attitude and poi! Dizzie had some wicks for his fire twirling on chains and only a few days earlier Winter had started teaching Liam how to twirl a staff. Spare wicks attached to a staff, petrol bought and we had a pretty cool couple of days playing with fire. It did make me question who would ever consider us responsible adults, especially when Liam had a go with the chains and cracked himself in the nuts and was rolling around in a pile of sand for a good while!
Er, I'm sure a lot more has happened... My Malay is coming on well, a few people in town have said I look like I've lost weight, local business rivalries are still getting in the way of certain things I wish I could be doing, I went for a play in a derelict building site and was inspired to take pictures for the first time in a long time, Winter has put my dermal anchor back in, I have an infection in three of my ear piercings after I stitched them.
Well I'm going to try and keep this updated more, Winter leaves soon so I may be less distracted!
A hell of a lot has happened since last time I blogged, mainly all linked to WINTER RETURNING! It was immense when she turned up, she had been emailing me for a while planning to come back and keep it a secret from Liam. She turned up and I smuggled her down one of the passages to the bathrooms and sneaked her on to the sofa whilst Liam was in reception. The look on his face was brilliant, shock, confusion, more shock, bafflement... This was all placated by a litre of Jack Daniels that Winter had bought in duty free on her way here!
Hallowe'en happened, we got steaming drunk and were shouting at backpackers to get in their costumes, put a load of death metal on in the bar, Winter did some tarot reading, 'yeah she's gay and doesn't know it yet...' and I ended up passing out on a table in the Highlander and having my phone confiscated by Liam. I have very little recollection of this night because once again Morgan Stanley was out to play but there are some immense pictures on Facebook if you're privileged enough to be my friend.
Had an interesting experience in a Malaysian hospital. Winter turned up with jungle rot courtesy of an incident on the Thai-Cambodia border (this is the interesting way to say she got some cuts and waded through shit and flood water for a month) and they didn't improve after a week so we went to hospital and it was pretty darn goose. She got IV antibiotics and had a load of shit scraped out of her foot which knocked me slightly sick. RM15 for a load of stuff and drugs, Malay healthcare is pretty awesome.
A few days ago Dizzie and Bex turned up and they were the first cool people to get here since Jess left. They had a chilled out attitude and poi! Dizzie had some wicks for his fire twirling on chains and only a few days earlier Winter had started teaching Liam how to twirl a staff. Spare wicks attached to a staff, petrol bought and we had a pretty cool couple of days playing with fire. It did make me question who would ever consider us responsible adults, especially when Liam had a go with the chains and cracked himself in the nuts and was rolling around in a pile of sand for a good while!
Er, I'm sure a lot more has happened... My Malay is coming on well, a few people in town have said I look like I've lost weight, local business rivalries are still getting in the way of certain things I wish I could be doing, I went for a play in a derelict building site and was inspired to take pictures for the first time in a long time, Winter has put my dermal anchor back in, I have an infection in three of my ear piercings after I stitched them.
Well I'm going to try and keep this updated more, Winter leaves soon so I may be less distracted!
Friday, 28 October 2011
The Best Deepavali I've Ever Had!
Spot the irony in the title! I've never actually celebrated Deepavali, or Diwali, before but being in a country with a large Hindu Indian population it was hard not to get into the spirit. The only downside is that pretty much every Indian owned business was closed, more on this later...
The evening before I went round to a friend's who I hadn't seen in a while and was watching some crazy Bollywood film. Seriously, unintentionally funny and trying to get him to explain what was going on was a challenge! His English is perfect so it wasn't a language barrier that meant I didn't have a notion what was going on. The flat is in the middle of town and at midnight I felt like I was in a warzone.... Deepavali is the festival of lights and Asians are obsessed with fireworks so things went crazy! It was nice to watch, after I cracked my head against the wall jumping out of my skin.
Next morning I went to work as normal, Liam came to meet me for brunchner and we realised this was the day that our favourite restaurant was going to be closed. We went to the Malay food court and it was awful. We also tried a couple of more restaurants, all awful in comparison to Kumar's.
In the evening I went to a drum circle with Jess (new friend) and some other guys from the Lodge and it was well cool. A few weeks ago there was some other drumming going on in town but it was on the car park on the main road so people weren't really dancing but this one was off the main road so a bit more lively. Had a good boogy, the beats were amazing and a local drumming group went and got their stuff and a megaphone. Lots of locals about as well as tourists and it felt really authentic and how I should be spending Deepavali.
Later that night we decided it would be fun to get drunk, Stanley (the evil bastard) came back into my life and I was wasted! I became an obnoxious little shit and started lecturing Liam and another American about butchering my language and chatted pure bull to Jess about go knows what, Stanley stole my memory again!
Deepavali 2011 - good times!
The evening before I went round to a friend's who I hadn't seen in a while and was watching some crazy Bollywood film. Seriously, unintentionally funny and trying to get him to explain what was going on was a challenge! His English is perfect so it wasn't a language barrier that meant I didn't have a notion what was going on. The flat is in the middle of town and at midnight I felt like I was in a warzone.... Deepavali is the festival of lights and Asians are obsessed with fireworks so things went crazy! It was nice to watch, after I cracked my head against the wall jumping out of my skin.
Next morning I went to work as normal, Liam came to meet me for brunchner and we realised this was the day that our favourite restaurant was going to be closed. We went to the Malay food court and it was awful. We also tried a couple of more restaurants, all awful in comparison to Kumar's.
In the evening I went to a drum circle with Jess (new friend) and some other guys from the Lodge and it was well cool. A few weeks ago there was some other drumming going on in town but it was on the car park on the main road so people weren't really dancing but this one was off the main road so a bit more lively. Had a good boogy, the beats were amazing and a local drumming group went and got their stuff and a megaphone. Lots of locals about as well as tourists and it felt really authentic and how I should be spending Deepavali.
Later that night we decided it would be fun to get drunk, Stanley (the evil bastard) came back into my life and I was wasted! I became an obnoxious little shit and started lecturing Liam and another American about butchering my language and chatted pure bull to Jess about go knows what, Stanley stole my memory again!
Deepavali 2011 - good times!
Thursday, 20 October 2011
The United Nations of Teethbrushing
There are lots of people you meet when travelling. Some flit in and out quickly and you don't even know their name, others hang about for a few more days and they're pretty cool, others hang about for a couple of weeks and you add them on Facebook, then there are the ones you spend a lot of time with and become good friends with them hopefully beyond your travels, and then you have the ones who you just can't seem to get rid of and keep coming back like a bad smell (or hangover), Stanley Morgan falls into this catagory!!
A couple of days ago me and Liam decided to get drunk and therefore, logically, purchased some alcohol. Something, I cannot justify or define what, made me pick up a bottle of Stanley. It didn't get drunk that night due to lack of anyone vaguely interesting so we saved it and it got cracked open last night. I was happy I found a scouser in town so I decided to show Liam what a drunken Scouse bird looks like.
Due to the ridiculous corkage charge the hostel I live in imposes we had to be chavvy kids and mix the rum in bottles of Pepsi when the boss wasn't looking! Liam started whilst working and I was in my usual corner on the sofas, it was decided being drunk in a hammock wasn't the best idea so Liam joined me, Jonny the Scouser, Radka and two Germans (wish I could remember their names!) on the sofas. I tried to introduce everyone to Over the Hill, a one man drinking game that is best played in the company, mainly to stop one feeling like a sad alkie, but no one was up for me making them drink copious amounts.
Things got moved into the bar when we started making a bit too much noise and I assume there was some sort of interesting conversation, but alas Stanley has stolen this memory from me... We went to bed about midnight ish and when I went to the toilet the four people we were drinking with were all brushing their teeth, Liam joined in whilst I wet myself giggling at this and then five more people came in to do theirs! We counted at least five, maybe six nationalities all doing their teeth at the same time, until the boss decided we were making too much noise and came and shouted at us to shut up.
There wasn't any crazy madness but it was a fun night, this morning was rather horrific rolling into work 8am...
A couple of days ago me and Liam decided to get drunk and therefore, logically, purchased some alcohol. Something, I cannot justify or define what, made me pick up a bottle of Stanley. It didn't get drunk that night due to lack of anyone vaguely interesting so we saved it and it got cracked open last night. I was happy I found a scouser in town so I decided to show Liam what a drunken Scouse bird looks like.
Due to the ridiculous corkage charge the hostel I live in imposes we had to be chavvy kids and mix the rum in bottles of Pepsi when the boss wasn't looking! Liam started whilst working and I was in my usual corner on the sofas, it was decided being drunk in a hammock wasn't the best idea so Liam joined me, Jonny the Scouser, Radka and two Germans (wish I could remember their names!) on the sofas. I tried to introduce everyone to Over the Hill, a one man drinking game that is best played in the company, mainly to stop one feeling like a sad alkie, but no one was up for me making them drink copious amounts.
Things got moved into the bar when we started making a bit too much noise and I assume there was some sort of interesting conversation, but alas Stanley has stolen this memory from me... We went to bed about midnight ish and when I went to the toilet the four people we were drinking with were all brushing their teeth, Liam joined in whilst I wet myself giggling at this and then five more people came in to do theirs! We counted at least five, maybe six nationalities all doing their teeth at the same time, until the boss decided we were making too much noise and came and shouted at us to shut up.
There wasn't any crazy madness but it was a fun night, this morning was rather horrific rolling into work 8am...
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Blue Moov Private Tour
Last night I went for dinner with Liam and some random man who me, Bel and Fabio had a really random conversation with in which Bel stole his identity and car and we showed some pictures of some rather graphic suspensions, invited us out for the morning. Well, you know what they say about getting into cars with strangers, DO IT!
He picked us up at 9am on the dot, a rather early start for me but I was not missing out on this! First we had to go to Brinchang so he could go to the bank, he told us about all the hotels in the area including the one he works for as a driver and we were then off on our very own magical mystery tour... Next stop Ringlet and to a Chinese restaurant for breakfast. We got some rather strange looks, being Western and all. Ringlet is a local town, not a tourist town and they obviously weren't used to tourists popping in for noodles and chai. We sat in a little room with one table under the stairs, it looked like the ideal place to plan a revolution, shame it was far too early for talk of world domination... I offered to buy Kumaran's breakfast, realised I had no money on me so food was on Liam!
Next we went to a flower factory, it's not a tourist attraction at all and the locals working there were rather bemused as we walked through being told about how the flowers would be sent to KL to be flown out to Japan! Next we went over the road to a vegetable farm, again some strange looks from the locals followed us. We saw cauliflowers, beetroot, onions, tomatoes, chillies, lots of stuff really. One worker asked where we were from, to Liverpool I got 'Oh very nice place', to America Liam got 'Oh, right'. Back to the car and to a place where they were packing up cucumbers and eggplants to be sent to Singapore, we walked away with two free cucumbers which neither of us each but it was rather sweet all the same...
Now I would just like to reiterate the point, we were driving round with some local in his clapped out 20 year old Proton that Liam had to pull the window up on the assist the electric element of the situation and all these places are owned or staffed by Kumaran's friends and aren't tourist attractions... So next it was over to a plant nursery where Liam took some pretty pictures for me and we got yet more confused looks, we had to make sure we said thanks to the owner at this place and then we went to a chrysanthemum farm owned by another friend, it was pretty but the owner's house was well interesting, really rather sauve and some nice cars in the drive, shame he's not single!
After this we went to a shop where our 'guide' bought a ma-hoo-sive bag of rice and then back to his to see his small runner bean farm. We walked up the hill and sat in his living room having a smoke and watching some amazingly shit Hindi TV, Kumaran speaks Tamil so even he didn't have a notion what we were watching but it involved some angry dude taking off his top and throwing knives a lot and some terrible acting straight from the Joey Tribianni School of Facial Expressions! We went over the road to see his friends and he introduced us as his old friends, which is cute but scary in a small way and one of the Chinese blokes chased me bck to the car to ask about my lotus fower tattoo, not sure if he was happy or offended but I jumped in the car sharpish.
Last stop was Cameron Bharat Tea Estate which was just beautiful, I've only been to Boh Sungai Palas before so it was good to spend some time at another one. All in all a great morning, the cucumbers were given to a work mate BiBi and I'm still smiling at how amazing it was! Great fun and so bloody random that he actually came to get us! Tip to all travellers, don't underestimate the fun you can have with a local, some farms and a clapped out car!
He picked us up at 9am on the dot, a rather early start for me but I was not missing out on this! First we had to go to Brinchang so he could go to the bank, he told us about all the hotels in the area including the one he works for as a driver and we were then off on our very own magical mystery tour... Next stop Ringlet and to a Chinese restaurant for breakfast. We got some rather strange looks, being Western and all. Ringlet is a local town, not a tourist town and they obviously weren't used to tourists popping in for noodles and chai. We sat in a little room with one table under the stairs, it looked like the ideal place to plan a revolution, shame it was far too early for talk of world domination... I offered to buy Kumaran's breakfast, realised I had no money on me so food was on Liam!
Next we went to a flower factory, it's not a tourist attraction at all and the locals working there were rather bemused as we walked through being told about how the flowers would be sent to KL to be flown out to Japan! Next we went over the road to a vegetable farm, again some strange looks from the locals followed us. We saw cauliflowers, beetroot, onions, tomatoes, chillies, lots of stuff really. One worker asked where we were from, to Liverpool I got 'Oh very nice place', to America Liam got 'Oh, right'. Back to the car and to a place where they were packing up cucumbers and eggplants to be sent to Singapore, we walked away with two free cucumbers which neither of us each but it was rather sweet all the same...
Now I would just like to reiterate the point, we were driving round with some local in his clapped out 20 year old Proton that Liam had to pull the window up on the assist the electric element of the situation and all these places are owned or staffed by Kumaran's friends and aren't tourist attractions... So next it was over to a plant nursery where Liam took some pretty pictures for me and we got yet more confused looks, we had to make sure we said thanks to the owner at this place and then we went to a chrysanthemum farm owned by another friend, it was pretty but the owner's house was well interesting, really rather sauve and some nice cars in the drive, shame he's not single!
After this we went to a shop where our 'guide' bought a ma-hoo-sive bag of rice and then back to his to see his small runner bean farm. We walked up the hill and sat in his living room having a smoke and watching some amazingly shit Hindi TV, Kumaran speaks Tamil so even he didn't have a notion what we were watching but it involved some angry dude taking off his top and throwing knives a lot and some terrible acting straight from the Joey Tribianni School of Facial Expressions! We went over the road to see his friends and he introduced us as his old friends, which is cute but scary in a small way and one of the Chinese blokes chased me bck to the car to ask about my lotus fower tattoo, not sure if he was happy or offended but I jumped in the car sharpish.
Last stop was Cameron Bharat Tea Estate which was just beautiful, I've only been to Boh Sungai Palas before so it was good to spend some time at another one. All in all a great morning, the cucumbers were given to a work mate BiBi and I'm still smiling at how amazing it was! Great fun and so bloody random that he actually came to get us! Tip to all travellers, don't underestimate the fun you can have with a local, some farms and a clapped out car!
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Times They Are A-Changing
Bel is gone. Beaver is here. He has a new name. I work new hours. I have a new phone number. There is a new local working here. All shall be blogged about, exclusively. Here.
First, no Bel! It was so lonely the couple of day when I was the only Westerner here. Don't get me wrong, Bella and Deera are amazing (I know I keep saying it but it's true) but sometimes I just need a Western perspective on stuff and that easy conversation with a native English speaker where the words can tumble out without thinking. I spent a whole night on the sofas at Daniel's Lodge being antisocial on the internet and another hanging out with a really great local lad I've met who is so sound. It was weird going to get food without her, not smelling the dodgy under the counter cigarettes she smokes... Might even go and buy some so I can remember her! Sounds like she's dead but I'll be seeing her soon when I get my arse to Australia.
So Bel's replacement arrived three days ago I think. He was here a few weeks ago, got threatened with Malaysian prison and walked through the bonfire whilst steaming drunk. Bel and Winter bumped into him in KL, he's been travellng around Vietnam with Winter for a few weeks and has come back to work. He isn't too keen on any of his names, Beaver has vaginal connotations, William is too formal and Drake is a rapper. So my brainwave was Liam, it's sticking and it works so I'm happy and hopefully so is he! We've spent the last few days intensely talking and getting to know each other and I think it's going to work, definitely a different dynamic to me and Bel but who likes the same type of people all the time!?
I got asked the other day to start working in the mornings, 8-4, which is kind of scary considering I've trained my body clock to go to bed between 1-3am depending on whether there is trip to the Highlander involved! There was another consideration that I'd rather not blog but my tracks may be harder to cover in certain circumstances. It's a whole other story which is best reserved for emails and Facebook inboxes. Another strand to that story has encouraged me to change my Malaysian phone number which has removed some bad stuff from my life. Good move.
Finally, one of the guys I met on my birthday and was at the party in the jungle with, Marvin, has started working at the same place as me. Two new members of staff in a week, I'm beginning to feel like and old timer and I've only been here a little less than two months!!
So news all updated, other changes that need some work on before they go public but I definitely feel like I have a purpose here now...
First, no Bel! It was so lonely the couple of day when I was the only Westerner here. Don't get me wrong, Bella and Deera are amazing (I know I keep saying it but it's true) but sometimes I just need a Western perspective on stuff and that easy conversation with a native English speaker where the words can tumble out without thinking. I spent a whole night on the sofas at Daniel's Lodge being antisocial on the internet and another hanging out with a really great local lad I've met who is so sound. It was weird going to get food without her, not smelling the dodgy under the counter cigarettes she smokes... Might even go and buy some so I can remember her! Sounds like she's dead but I'll be seeing her soon when I get my arse to Australia.
So Bel's replacement arrived three days ago I think. He was here a few weeks ago, got threatened with Malaysian prison and walked through the bonfire whilst steaming drunk. Bel and Winter bumped into him in KL, he's been travellng around Vietnam with Winter for a few weeks and has come back to work. He isn't too keen on any of his names, Beaver has vaginal connotations, William is too formal and Drake is a rapper. So my brainwave was Liam, it's sticking and it works so I'm happy and hopefully so is he! We've spent the last few days intensely talking and getting to know each other and I think it's going to work, definitely a different dynamic to me and Bel but who likes the same type of people all the time!?
I got asked the other day to start working in the mornings, 8-4, which is kind of scary considering I've trained my body clock to go to bed between 1-3am depending on whether there is trip to the Highlander involved! There was another consideration that I'd rather not blog but my tracks may be harder to cover in certain circumstances. It's a whole other story which is best reserved for emails and Facebook inboxes. Another strand to that story has encouraged me to change my Malaysian phone number which has removed some bad stuff from my life. Good move.
Finally, one of the guys I met on my birthday and was at the party in the jungle with, Marvin, has started working at the same place as me. Two new members of staff in a week, I'm beginning to feel like and old timer and I've only been here a little less than two months!!
So news all updated, other changes that need some work on before they go public but I definitely feel like I have a purpose here now...
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Toilets and Tattoos
What's the deal with squat toilets? Seriously, not convenient at all! They're fine for men but for women they're the most ridiculous idea ever! I get why Asians can use them, the squat position is a lot more natural for them but it's just not part of my physical capabilities, I'm Western goddamit, I want a normal toilet! I've had to bite the bullet whilst in Penang on a little weekend away, my guesthouse has given me no option but the was a massive mental barrier to using it until my stomach was about the burst!
Toilet rant over... I've got a new tattoo and will attempt to load a picture on here which will be a novel experience for me. When I went diving in the Perhentians I fell in love with Panda Clownfish, they're well cute and have a really miserably cute mouth and they're so playful, even more than False Clownfish otherwise known as Nemos. I have a mission to get a tattoo in every country I go to (I failed at this in Holland because they tried to charge me 100 quid for Spongebob when it should have been no more than thirty and I got it for twenty in Thailand, and Germany because of the lack of open tattooists!) and I try to get something that relates to the place I am. So I have Polish writing, Spanish writing, Thai writing and a lotus flower from Cambodia. Because diving has been such a massive experience for me whilst in Malaysia I decided to get the Panda Clownfish as a memory of the amazing time I had.
The writing says 'INDAH' which is Malay for 'wonderful', and also Indonesian for 'pretty' so it works in two countries but I'll still be getting some ink in Indonesia as well. It was a pain in the arse to find a tatooist here, being a Muslim country it's not relly part of the cultural tradition in the same way as Thailand, Cambodia etc. I'm well impressed, didn't think it would be as good as it is!
Think I'm going to head back to the Highlands a day early, was meant to go home Tuesday morning and pretty much go straight to work but I'm thinking I'll be shattered and having an afternoon to chill out and watch Bel, Bella and Deera working would be fun! See what happens...
Toilet rant over... I've got a new tattoo and will attempt to load a picture on here which will be a novel experience for me. When I went diving in the Perhentians I fell in love with Panda Clownfish, they're well cute and have a really miserably cute mouth and they're so playful, even more than False Clownfish otherwise known as Nemos. I have a mission to get a tattoo in every country I go to (I failed at this in Holland because they tried to charge me 100 quid for Spongebob when it should have been no more than thirty and I got it for twenty in Thailand, and Germany because of the lack of open tattooists!) and I try to get something that relates to the place I am. So I have Polish writing, Spanish writing, Thai writing and a lotus flower from Cambodia. Because diving has been such a massive experience for me whilst in Malaysia I decided to get the Panda Clownfish as a memory of the amazing time I had.
 |
| New Tattoo |
Think I'm going to head back to the Highlands a day early, was meant to go home Tuesday morning and pretty much go straight to work but I'm thinking I'll be shattered and having an afternoon to chill out and watch Bel, Bella and Deera working would be fun! See what happens...
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
People of Malaysia...
This isn't going to be some massive diatribe of the social interations and observations of the people who live in Malaysia, just some thought on the amazing people I've met so far because I have nothing approprite to blog about...
So first my work mates, I'll start with Bel. She's a hippy from Aus and we've been through everything together here. We arrived on the same day and have spent every day together since, she's amazing! She has been my moral compass when I've had some baaaadddd ideas, been a wing girl extraordinaire when needed, even though this has caused some interesting repercussions, and been someone I can talk to when things have fucked up. It's been amazing to share this time with her and I'm genuinely gutted she's leaving soon, plus I'll have no one to look after my dreads when she's gone.
Bella and Deera, two beautiful, funny, sweet, kind and adorable Orang Asli girls I work with. They're so loving, they fussed me so much the other day when I was suffering with my cold and they have a great sense of fun which is really necessary in a town this quiet. I wish I could put them in my pocket and take them everywhere! Deera is so comforting when you tell her something you've done that is maybe a bit out the ordinary and her response is 'it's normal!' and Bella is so cute when I swear in Malay and she gets all shy and giggly. I'm not leaving yet but I'm not looking forward to the day I have leave these two bundles of fun... Bella has invited me to her village for Christmas, now even though I don't do Christmas I feel so privileged to be invited I'll definitely be there.
The first couple of weeks here we met some characters and had some adventure of discovery in the Highlands! Marcus was great, he had met Bel a few months earlier in Bangkook and was in the bed opposite her when we both arrived! He definitely raised the tone of conversation to a level not achieved since, quantum physics, politics and he was also the only other person to share his worst story to everyone one night in the Highlander. Jack and Tom came next, great guys as well who stuck around for about a week. They were just sund lads, long term travellers who wanted a break and the Cameron Highlands is great for that, Jack also defiled the Jungle Bar in a rather excellent style which hasn't yet been lived up to.. 'fuck the pain away!'
Winter was next and she deserves a whole paragraph to herself... She turned up and was being all lonely and stuff until Bel started to speak t her and she was such a laugh! She did my dreads for me (along with Bel) and for this I am eternally grateful and it's pretty much her fault my plan now includes a year in Australia. She was so cool and taught me quite a bit about gypsy culture which is very close to my heart. The tarot reading she did for me really got under my skin and I'm now really looking forward to the next few years on the journey she described to me. I really miss her and can't wait to catch up with her and her mad friends she told me about.
Next up are Cali and Fabio. Two very different people who arrived around the same time. Cali is such a good guy, he's got facial tattoos, implants in places you wouldn't want to think about and on his head, some amazing dreads and has lead such an interesting life, I could have talked to him for weeks. He;s one of the first people I've met who really gets the moral dilemma of going to Burma and we had a really good talk about it in which we came to no conclusion! His way of life is etreme to a lot of people but I really got his reasoning behind it. Would love to bump into him again on my travels. Fabio is also a great guy, Italian with nearly perfect English! He's been here nearly two weeks and he's a cigarette thief!!!! He's been great to hang out with and man that dude can eat! He's leaving soon to go to Perhentians with Bel and going to miss him teaching me useless Italian...
I'm sure I've missed some people but these are the guys who have really made an impression on me whilst I've been in the Cameron Highlands. I'm looking forward to 'The Next Generation' when Bel leaves and I have to find my way in this town by myself with Bella and Deera to tell me it's normal!
So first my work mates, I'll start with Bel. She's a hippy from Aus and we've been through everything together here. We arrived on the same day and have spent every day together since, she's amazing! She has been my moral compass when I've had some baaaadddd ideas, been a wing girl extraordinaire when needed, even though this has caused some interesting repercussions, and been someone I can talk to when things have fucked up. It's been amazing to share this time with her and I'm genuinely gutted she's leaving soon, plus I'll have no one to look after my dreads when she's gone.
Bella and Deera, two beautiful, funny, sweet, kind and adorable Orang Asli girls I work with. They're so loving, they fussed me so much the other day when I was suffering with my cold and they have a great sense of fun which is really necessary in a town this quiet. I wish I could put them in my pocket and take them everywhere! Deera is so comforting when you tell her something you've done that is maybe a bit out the ordinary and her response is 'it's normal!' and Bella is so cute when I swear in Malay and she gets all shy and giggly. I'm not leaving yet but I'm not looking forward to the day I have leave these two bundles of fun... Bella has invited me to her village for Christmas, now even though I don't do Christmas I feel so privileged to be invited I'll definitely be there.
The first couple of weeks here we met some characters and had some adventure of discovery in the Highlands! Marcus was great, he had met Bel a few months earlier in Bangkook and was in the bed opposite her when we both arrived! He definitely raised the tone of conversation to a level not achieved since, quantum physics, politics and he was also the only other person to share his worst story to everyone one night in the Highlander. Jack and Tom came next, great guys as well who stuck around for about a week. They were just sund lads, long term travellers who wanted a break and the Cameron Highlands is great for that, Jack also defiled the Jungle Bar in a rather excellent style which hasn't yet been lived up to.. 'fuck the pain away!'
Winter was next and she deserves a whole paragraph to herself... She turned up and was being all lonely and stuff until Bel started to speak t her and she was such a laugh! She did my dreads for me (along with Bel) and for this I am eternally grateful and it's pretty much her fault my plan now includes a year in Australia. She was so cool and taught me quite a bit about gypsy culture which is very close to my heart. The tarot reading she did for me really got under my skin and I'm now really looking forward to the next few years on the journey she described to me. I really miss her and can't wait to catch up with her and her mad friends she told me about.
Next up are Cali and Fabio. Two very different people who arrived around the same time. Cali is such a good guy, he's got facial tattoos, implants in places you wouldn't want to think about and on his head, some amazing dreads and has lead such an interesting life, I could have talked to him for weeks. He;s one of the first people I've met who really gets the moral dilemma of going to Burma and we had a really good talk about it in which we came to no conclusion! His way of life is etreme to a lot of people but I really got his reasoning behind it. Would love to bump into him again on my travels. Fabio is also a great guy, Italian with nearly perfect English! He's been here nearly two weeks and he's a cigarette thief!!!! He's been great to hang out with and man that dude can eat! He's leaving soon to go to Perhentians with Bel and going to miss him teaching me useless Italian...
I'm sure I've missed some people but these are the guys who have really made an impression on me whilst I've been in the Cameron Highlands. I'm looking forward to 'The Next Generation' when Bel leaves and I have to find my way in this town by myself with Bella and Deera to tell me it's normal!
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
The Lurgy
The worst feat that can befall a traveller has ocurred... Not a motorbike crash, an STD, deportation, getting burnt to buggery jumping on a kerosene soaked flaming skipping rope.... Far worse than any of these, I have got a cold!
I blame Bella, the gorgeous girl I work with. I have good reason, I'm not just peeved she looks amazing everyday when I struggle to open my eyes wide enough to look alive. She had a pain in the roof of her mouth yesterday, then I got a pain and hers went away. This pain was the start of my cold therefore she gave me her pain and hence this cold, there is not other reason for this.
What I wouldn't do for some fresh orange WITHOUT BITS damn you, some Orange Lucozade and a day off work. I could in theory take a day off from standing at the doorway to the travel agents I graft away in everyday, but then I would only be able to go to Penang for three days which isn't enough time to get a tattoo designed, dive, get the tattoo and get rid of the residual nitrogen out of my system before heading back to the Highlands.
As is evident, life is extremely diffcult here... The worries of when the get a tattoo and go scuba diving are weighing heavy on my mind, my brain hurts. Life is so hard I'm forgetting my words. I read a blog of a girl I met here and she was fuming that people she met travelling used the phrase 'same same' in a polite conversation. I'm nearing that point, the big fancy words I use to procrastinate (I'm impressing myself there!) are disappearing. Maybe this is because I only have a finite capacity for words and all the Malay swears and insults are taking the place of the show off English I used to use.
So I'm ill, I'm losing words and I want to go diving and get a tattoo. The stress is killing me.
I blame Bella, the gorgeous girl I work with. I have good reason, I'm not just peeved she looks amazing everyday when I struggle to open my eyes wide enough to look alive. She had a pain in the roof of her mouth yesterday, then I got a pain and hers went away. This pain was the start of my cold therefore she gave me her pain and hence this cold, there is not other reason for this.
What I wouldn't do for some fresh orange WITHOUT BITS damn you, some Orange Lucozade and a day off work. I could in theory take a day off from standing at the doorway to the travel agents I graft away in everyday, but then I would only be able to go to Penang for three days which isn't enough time to get a tattoo designed, dive, get the tattoo and get rid of the residual nitrogen out of my system before heading back to the Highlands.
As is evident, life is extremely diffcult here... The worries of when the get a tattoo and go scuba diving are weighing heavy on my mind, my brain hurts. Life is so hard I'm forgetting my words. I read a blog of a girl I met here and she was fuming that people she met travelling used the phrase 'same same' in a polite conversation. I'm nearing that point, the big fancy words I use to procrastinate (I'm impressing myself there!) are disappearing. Maybe this is because I only have a finite capacity for words and all the Malay swears and insults are taking the place of the show off English I used to use.
So I'm ill, I'm losing words and I want to go diving and get a tattoo. The stress is killing me.
Friday, 9 September 2011
Welcome to the Jungle, We've got fun and games...
I've been living in the rainforest now for 4 weeks today and I'm feeling rather settled. Feel like I've began to crack the locals, I think people are getting used to me being around and can see I'm not some backpacker just passing through.
One of the girls I've been working with, Carmen who is really sweet and a little ray of sunshine, has gone on holiday to China and it was her Mum's birthday on Thursday so we said we would go out with her. What was meant to be going for a meal turned into a party at Parit Falls with lots of vodka, Johnnie Walker, beer and brandy and lots of locals! Me, Bel and Fabio were the only Westerners there, the drivers for Hilltop went and got one of their trucks and we had some half decent dance tunes blasting out, partying in the Jungle!
At some point Bel and Fabio decided they wanted to go for a night time jungle trek and they took my phone for the light... When they came back and found me my phone was gone and the party pretty much over, after much drunken stumbling around for it we gave up and came home. Much of the night is a blur after drinking muchos dodgy local vodka, kind of wish there were more tales to tell to the public (those who get the gossip know the gossip!).
So the next day (yesterday) I was so stressed out about my phone, and also ridiculously hungover which isn't good when there are no bacon butties duvets or Lucozade in this country! Cana one of dude we were out with drove past the office at 6 and said my phone had been found in another fella's car, Jason, and he would bring it to me later. I nearly cried with joy! When my dear precious, life supporting BlackBerry made it back into my hands I was so happy my hangover disappeared for a good five minutes! Exciting times...
One of the girls I've been working with, Carmen who is really sweet and a little ray of sunshine, has gone on holiday to China and it was her Mum's birthday on Thursday so we said we would go out with her. What was meant to be going for a meal turned into a party at Parit Falls with lots of vodka, Johnnie Walker, beer and brandy and lots of locals! Me, Bel and Fabio were the only Westerners there, the drivers for Hilltop went and got one of their trucks and we had some half decent dance tunes blasting out, partying in the Jungle!
At some point Bel and Fabio decided they wanted to go for a night time jungle trek and they took my phone for the light... When they came back and found me my phone was gone and the party pretty much over, after much drunken stumbling around for it we gave up and came home. Much of the night is a blur after drinking muchos dodgy local vodka, kind of wish there were more tales to tell to the public (those who get the gossip know the gossip!).
So the next day (yesterday) I was so stressed out about my phone, and also ridiculously hungover which isn't good when there are no bacon butties duvets or Lucozade in this country! Cana one of dude we were out with drove past the office at 6 and said my phone had been found in another fella's car, Jason, and he would bring it to me later. I nearly cried with joy! When my dear precious, life supporting BlackBerry made it back into my hands I was so happy my hangover disappeared for a good five minutes! Exciting times...
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Dorm Rules - Don't be a Dick
I've been living in a dorm for three weeks now and man, some people piss me off!
First there is Robin, the Chinese Whisperer. He's Chinese, obvs, and speaks in his sleep some uncomprehensible jibberish. Everytime I try to record what he's saying he stops or my battery is dead which is rather annpying because I work with plenty of Chinese people who could translate it for me! He's gone back to Penang to see his family for a few days (he works at a travel agency in town) and I was rather exicted about a few nights of peaceful sleep, not so when I had an American lad talking what seemed to be German in his sleep the last two nights! These are the type of people who should get private rooms!!!
And some German girls (still getting pissed at young gap year and summer holiday German kids) brought their own mosquito nets and hung them from the ceiling! There are very few mossies here and no malaria or dengue, and just buy some bloody tiger balm if you get bitten! I had to go and get Winter, she of the dreads, to come and see this sight and we pissed ourselves laughing at the ridiculousness of it...
Other annoying dorm habits include - spreading your shit all over the floor so when it's dark others trip over it making the noise that you then tell them shush over
Packing at 7am because you're a lazy fucker who can't be bothered packing the night before. Some people wish to sleep in the morning, selfish bastards
Spraying half a can of deodorant when the dorm is full... Some people don't like aerosols, go the bathroom or wait until the dorm is empty
Talking, at anything more than a whisper when other people are sleeping. Have some respect, go to the lounge if you want to plan your evening piss up, some people need sleep!
Blanket robbing - completely unacceptable unless you are sure the bed will not be occupied that night, rob in the day time or better yet ask at reception, ditto for pillows
Flip flop robbing. So I've ranted about this before, but I'm pissed about it... I accidentally swapped my fake Havianas for some real ones in Kota Bharu, complete accident that I couldn't rectify because the dude left the next morning, but since I've been here my real one have once again been swapped for some dodgy, extremely worn fake ones. Oh and don't leave flip flops or any other type of footwear at the bottom of the stairs, this makes middle of the night dashes to the toilet at whole new experience.
Right, rant over, I promise that these rules will never be published in the dorm, no matter how pissed off I get!
First there is Robin, the Chinese Whisperer. He's Chinese, obvs, and speaks in his sleep some uncomprehensible jibberish. Everytime I try to record what he's saying he stops or my battery is dead which is rather annpying because I work with plenty of Chinese people who could translate it for me! He's gone back to Penang to see his family for a few days (he works at a travel agency in town) and I was rather exicted about a few nights of peaceful sleep, not so when I had an American lad talking what seemed to be German in his sleep the last two nights! These are the type of people who should get private rooms!!!
And some German girls (still getting pissed at young gap year and summer holiday German kids) brought their own mosquito nets and hung them from the ceiling! There are very few mossies here and no malaria or dengue, and just buy some bloody tiger balm if you get bitten! I had to go and get Winter, she of the dreads, to come and see this sight and we pissed ourselves laughing at the ridiculousness of it...
Other annoying dorm habits include - spreading your shit all over the floor so when it's dark others trip over it making the noise that you then tell them shush over
Packing at 7am because you're a lazy fucker who can't be bothered packing the night before. Some people wish to sleep in the morning, selfish bastards
Spraying half a can of deodorant when the dorm is full... Some people don't like aerosols, go the bathroom or wait until the dorm is empty
Talking, at anything more than a whisper when other people are sleeping. Have some respect, go to the lounge if you want to plan your evening piss up, some people need sleep!
Blanket robbing - completely unacceptable unless you are sure the bed will not be occupied that night, rob in the day time or better yet ask at reception, ditto for pillows
Flip flop robbing. So I've ranted about this before, but I'm pissed about it... I accidentally swapped my fake Havianas for some real ones in Kota Bharu, complete accident that I couldn't rectify because the dude left the next morning, but since I've been here my real one have once again been swapped for some dodgy, extremely worn fake ones. Oh and don't leave flip flops or any other type of footwear at the bottom of the stairs, this makes middle of the night dashes to the toilet at whole new experience.
Right, rant over, I promise that these rules will never be published in the dorm, no matter how pissed off I get!
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
The Dreads...
I've been working with an Aussie hippy called Bel for the last two and half weeks and she has some mad ass dreads going on, it reminded me of a time when I really wanted them and even asked my mum if I could get them. The answer was No. Now I'm a few thousand miles away there is no one to ask...
So a couple of days ago another Aussie a feral gypsy called Winter arrived and the dreads began... First she put her own back in and tidied up Bel's then a Canadian, Kyle, turned up and pretty much the first thing that was said to him was 'you would look good with dreads', five hours by the bonfire later and his were sorted and my envy set in.
Problem is I love my pretty blonde hair and I've bought my GHD's with me, don't want to have one hundred and twenty quid worth of uselessness in my bag. So I've gone for the left third of my hair dreaded, pretty blonde hair in tact, plenty to straighten when the mood takes me (once in 11 weeks so far) and I'VE GOT DREADLOCKS BABY!
Oh and I had a great time on my birthday, those who have been told the goss will ppreciate the fun I'm referring to. Lost my stomach lining on some dodgy 'local' vodka, which is rubbing alcohol with vodk flavouring, mmmmm.
So a couple of days ago another Aussie a feral gypsy called Winter arrived and the dreads began... First she put her own back in and tidied up Bel's then a Canadian, Kyle, turned up and pretty much the first thing that was said to him was 'you would look good with dreads', five hours by the bonfire later and his were sorted and my envy set in.
Problem is I love my pretty blonde hair and I've bought my GHD's with me, don't want to have one hundred and twenty quid worth of uselessness in my bag. So I've gone for the left third of my hair dreaded, pretty blonde hair in tact, plenty to straighten when the mood takes me (once in 11 weeks so far) and I'VE GOT DREADLOCKS BABY!
Oh and I had a great time on my birthday, those who have been told the goss will ppreciate the fun I'm referring to. Lost my stomach lining on some dodgy 'local' vodka, which is rubbing alcohol with vodk flavouring, mmmmm.
Friday, 26 August 2011
Local Piss Head Causes Lump on Head
When people ask me why I'm living in the Cameron Highlands my response is 'I'm from a small town back home so I'm used to places like this'. I didn't realise how much like the O Tanah Rata would turn out!
The hostel I'm working at has a bar attached (The Jungle Bar, check it out if you're in the area!) and it's pretty much the only place to drink that isn't a restaurant in town so a lot of locals go there as well as backpackers. The other night, Wednesday I think but I may be wrong, I was sat in said bar with Bel my hippie Aussie co worker and some travellers trying desperately to avoid the cliche of backpacker banter. There were a few locals in there, bit older than most, drinking a litre of Glenfiddich and they tried to join us around the bonfire but we were leaving, no biggie.
About half an hour or so later me and Bel are in The Highlander, a 24 Jam (Malay for hour, I'm learning!) Indian restaurant when one of the locals from the bar turns up. This man was built, really stocky chest and arms and nothing like your typical Malaysian, and he starts screeaming at one of the staff and throwing stuff off the shelves. He then picks up a plastic chair a few feet from me and launches it, ricocheting off the floor and onto my head before smashing all the plates and glass on the table.
If this wasn't scary enough (I hope my mum doesn't read this!) he keeps on with his shouting and aggression as we back up to the back corner of the restaurant and then points at me and really angrily shouts 'You, English', gives Bel the same look as if he was going to jump over the table and kick our heads in! I was so scared, we ended up asking some big German dudes we bumped into to walk us home. Anyone who knows me knows I have no fear of walking home late and in the dark no matter what state I'm in but because I didn't have a clue who he was or why he was so angry I was so paranoid.
So yeah, Tanah Rata and Ormskirk... Same, same but different! Time to get pissed in KL...
The hostel I'm working at has a bar attached (The Jungle Bar, check it out if you're in the area!) and it's pretty much the only place to drink that isn't a restaurant in town so a lot of locals go there as well as backpackers. The other night, Wednesday I think but I may be wrong, I was sat in said bar with Bel my hippie Aussie co worker and some travellers trying desperately to avoid the cliche of backpacker banter. There were a few locals in there, bit older than most, drinking a litre of Glenfiddich and they tried to join us around the bonfire but we were leaving, no biggie.
About half an hour or so later me and Bel are in The Highlander, a 24 Jam (Malay for hour, I'm learning!) Indian restaurant when one of the locals from the bar turns up. This man was built, really stocky chest and arms and nothing like your typical Malaysian, and he starts screeaming at one of the staff and throwing stuff off the shelves. He then picks up a plastic chair a few feet from me and launches it, ricocheting off the floor and onto my head before smashing all the plates and glass on the table.
If this wasn't scary enough (I hope my mum doesn't read this!) he keeps on with his shouting and aggression as we back up to the back corner of the restaurant and then points at me and really angrily shouts 'You, English', gives Bel the same look as if he was going to jump over the table and kick our heads in! I was so scared, we ended up asking some big German dudes we bumped into to walk us home. Anyone who knows me knows I have no fear of walking home late and in the dark no matter what state I'm in but because I didn't have a clue who he was or why he was so angry I was so paranoid.
So yeah, Tanah Rata and Ormskirk... Same, same but different! Time to get pissed in KL...
Sunday, 21 August 2011
'Where you stay?'... 'Hotel?'... 'Hotel-ah?'... 'Yes hotel-ah'
Ok so the title needs some explaining and although I'm giggling to myself over it it probably sounds a hell of a lot better speaking but this really makes me smile! Over here you have to get your pronuciation spot on for them to understand you and this usually means talking in a pretty generic Asian accent. When I was in KL (Kuala Lumpur for the uninitiated) I was looking for the Petronas Towers and said pet-ron-AS, getting a blank look in return a few times. After a little confusion is said pet-ron-AAHHH-s and straight away they understood me! Dom an Aussie I met was trying to get a taxi to Chinatown and the driver didn't undetstand him at all, his friend then said it relly quickly and with a it of anger in his voice and the driver was right on it! And in the hotel the other day a Japanese man came in and we need to know people's hotel when they book a tour, refer to the title for this conversation!
Another very Asian thing as most people know is karaoke so when in Rome... Two nights in one week we've been now, gathering a group of mainly native English speakers which is harder than it seems (see below if I remember to get into this) and going nuts and pissing off the locals! the first time we went a few people were leaving so we went to party and as soon as 10 Westerners arrived a load of local teenagers arrived! I can see it on Facebook now 'Westerners at karaoke, everyone to karaoke!', they didn't turn up last night but a local left shaking his head in digust as Bel my 'colleague' and Jack did Welcome to the Jungle! Apparently I rocked 'Without Me' by Eminem but I'm not so sure...
I've only been in the Highlands a week and feels so much longer, I know my way around town, the good cheap places to eat, the 24hr restaurant that sells beer, where to get a motorbike, the usual tourist stuff, it is pretty small here so it's not too hard! And living in a dorm I've met loads of people, special mentions for Marcus who raised the bar of intellectual discussion which has monumentally slipped since he left, Gemma and Kevin some sound English people who fell out with Kelvin the bar man and Jack, the legend of the Jungle Bar.
Native English speakers are rather hard to come by, this plce is full of Germans! Now I like Germany, I've been there twice this year and met some great locals but OH MY GOD the oe here can't give it a rest! Questions, questions, questions! 'What percentage of the tour will be in the car', 'can I was my shoes in the washing machine', 'what temperature will the water be', 'where can I buy a phone cad from', 'will it fit in my phone', 'how much will it cost to call home'???????????? I don't fucking know leave me alone and go plan some more! I don't want to hate them I really don't but they make it so damn hard!
Anyways off for some Chicken Rice for breakfast or something else suitably Asian...
Another very Asian thing as most people know is karaoke so when in Rome... Two nights in one week we've been now, gathering a group of mainly native English speakers which is harder than it seems (see below if I remember to get into this) and going nuts and pissing off the locals! the first time we went a few people were leaving so we went to party and as soon as 10 Westerners arrived a load of local teenagers arrived! I can see it on Facebook now 'Westerners at karaoke, everyone to karaoke!', they didn't turn up last night but a local left shaking his head in digust as Bel my 'colleague' and Jack did Welcome to the Jungle! Apparently I rocked 'Without Me' by Eminem but I'm not so sure...
I've only been in the Highlands a week and feels so much longer, I know my way around town, the good cheap places to eat, the 24hr restaurant that sells beer, where to get a motorbike, the usual tourist stuff, it is pretty small here so it's not too hard! And living in a dorm I've met loads of people, special mentions for Marcus who raised the bar of intellectual discussion which has monumentally slipped since he left, Gemma and Kevin some sound English people who fell out with Kelvin the bar man and Jack, the legend of the Jungle Bar.
Native English speakers are rather hard to come by, this plce is full of Germans! Now I like Germany, I've been there twice this year and met some great locals but OH MY GOD the oe here can't give it a rest! Questions, questions, questions! 'What percentage of the tour will be in the car', 'can I was my shoes in the washing machine', 'what temperature will the water be', 'where can I buy a phone cad from', 'will it fit in my phone', 'how much will it cost to call home'???????????? I don't fucking know leave me alone and go plan some more! I don't want to hate them I really don't but they make it so damn hard!
Anyways off for some Chicken Rice for breakfast or something else suitably Asian...
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Back to Civilsation goes I...
So I am now a PADI qualified Open Water Diver! Thanks to the guys at Angel Divers on Coral bay Perhentian Islands! My instructor was so lovely, Anouk, and didn't get mad when I kept freaking out which was often.
After six days on an island where the only power is by generator, there are no cars, no cash machine and everything has to be brought over by boat, it's nice to be back on solid ground with no sand! The Perhentians are lovely though, the water is so clear and the fish are amazing, I saw a Nemo on my first proper dive (False Clown Fish) and loads of other really cool fish including this massive one which has another fish specifically to clean it's gills and get the waste food out! I was completely amazed and really looking forward to doing more diving and getting my PADI card.
So now I've accepted a job in Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands, which has a temperature roughly similar to home and some of the best tandoori chicken I have ever had (apart from maybe Penang). I'm going to be a receptionist at a really chilled out guest house which will be good for a few months, and they've agreed that I can have my birthday off, just need to decide where to go... Langkawi, KL, back to Perhentians, Tioman - Malaysia is my oyster!
After six days on an island where the only power is by generator, there are no cars, no cash machine and everything has to be brought over by boat, it's nice to be back on solid ground with no sand! The Perhentians are lovely though, the water is so clear and the fish are amazing, I saw a Nemo on my first proper dive (False Clown Fish) and loads of other really cool fish including this massive one which has another fish specifically to clean it's gills and get the waste food out! I was completely amazed and really looking forward to doing more diving and getting my PADI card.
So now I've accepted a job in Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands, which has a temperature roughly similar to home and some of the best tandoori chicken I have ever had (apart from maybe Penang). I'm going to be a receptionist at a really chilled out guest house which will be good for a few months, and they've agreed that I can have my birthday off, just need to decide where to go... Langkawi, KL, back to Perhentians, Tioman - Malaysia is my oyster!
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Cigarette at 6,666ft
Thought of this blog title up there, nothing interesting to do with the cigarette to report. Cameron Highlands in Malaysia at the moment, rather colonial as the name may suggest! Went jungle trekking through the Mossy Forrest today, shit myself. Well not literally but I looked like I had after I finished! Every seventh step on average I annouced my intention/belief that I would die up there and nearly slipped down a rather large hill whilst climbing up some tree roots. No more jungles for Jo!
I've realised I've not really gone in to too much detail about who I've met so far along the way, and I think people make your travels so here goes...
Eve obviously deserves a mention, she looked after me when I arrived rather unepectedly due to stupid Thai rules and what I thought would be a week considering my options turned into a month of chilling, good food, a few beers and a stalker.
This leads me to Gill, who I met on the minibus to the pier to go to Koh Tao, hence she's in my phone as Gill Koh Tao! She was a solo traveller like me and we got on really well, sharing a liking for taking the piss out of people who really deserve to have the piss taken! One girl we called Sleeping Beauty because she kept falling asleep at a dudstep club, I'm guilty of similar but twas funny... She also accompanied me to the Full Moon Party and had as many near heart attacks as me at the burning skipping rope. That is not a typo, people skip on a massive rope soaked in kerosene and set alight.
Tom and Fidelma - met them in Penang and kept bumping into them in KL. They saw me havin a beer on my own outside my hostel and invited me over to join them which was sound. These guys were great, shaving guns at customs, dodgy rum on the rooftop, tandoori at 3am, it was all good times.
Sammie and Ross I only met for one night in the rooftop bar in KL but they were well fun. Sammie and Lizzie (see below) had a thing for freestyle rap that made me feel like Cheddar Bod from 8 Mile. The type of people I could go on the lash with many a time...
Lizzie was a baaaaaaaadddddd influence, I've said it before and I'll say it again. Hadn't been that smashed on my travels until we got together! The sharing of messd up stories, the indecisiveness in the malls, the robbing of flip flops, pricking about in the Mosque... Good times with this girl.
There have been a few others I've met but these guys are the ones who stick in the memory at the moment. Thought I'd commit them to cyber space before the memories were lost.
I've realised I've not really gone in to too much detail about who I've met so far along the way, and I think people make your travels so here goes...
Eve obviously deserves a mention, she looked after me when I arrived rather unepectedly due to stupid Thai rules and what I thought would be a week considering my options turned into a month of chilling, good food, a few beers and a stalker.
This leads me to Gill, who I met on the minibus to the pier to go to Koh Tao, hence she's in my phone as Gill Koh Tao! She was a solo traveller like me and we got on really well, sharing a liking for taking the piss out of people who really deserve to have the piss taken! One girl we called Sleeping Beauty because she kept falling asleep at a dudstep club, I'm guilty of similar but twas funny... She also accompanied me to the Full Moon Party and had as many near heart attacks as me at the burning skipping rope. That is not a typo, people skip on a massive rope soaked in kerosene and set alight.
Tom and Fidelma - met them in Penang and kept bumping into them in KL. They saw me havin a beer on my own outside my hostel and invited me over to join them which was sound. These guys were great, shaving guns at customs, dodgy rum on the rooftop, tandoori at 3am, it was all good times.
Sammie and Ross I only met for one night in the rooftop bar in KL but they were well fun. Sammie and Lizzie (see below) had a thing for freestyle rap that made me feel like Cheddar Bod from 8 Mile. The type of people I could go on the lash with many a time...
Lizzie was a baaaaaaaadddddd influence, I've said it before and I'll say it again. Hadn't been that smashed on my travels until we got together! The sharing of messd up stories, the indecisiveness in the malls, the robbing of flip flops, pricking about in the Mosque... Good times with this girl.
There have been a few others I've met but these guys are the ones who stick in the memory at the moment. Thought I'd commit them to cyber space before the memories were lost.
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Musings on Kuala Lumpur
So I like KL! Had a great time and met some great people, some not so great. I met Lizzie when I moved into a dorm after my third night and I don't care what she says, she is a bad influence! We had two mamoth drinking sessions, one of which was my last night when I had to be up early for my minibus to the Cameron Highlands, not a good situation. She ended up robbing someone's flip flops after spending a good deal of time saying how much she hated flip flop robbers!
But the city... I spent eight days there so go to know it pretty well. The highlight had to be the rollercoaster in the Mall! It's not in the guide books but it's amazing! You would think it would be a big thing, right in the middle and well advertise, but noooooo, it's stuck in the corner with a load of other fairground rides, amazing! The national mosque was also an experience, being a mosque you obviously have to cover up so they give everyone a long purple clok with a hood, felt like I was going to a druid sect meeting or an orgy a la Eyes Wide Shut! Hilarious times! National Islamic Art Museum not so good, even the Muslims in there were bored!
I've noticed two strange things, one they like to build in twos. Most big tower blocks are in twos, not only Petronas Towers (which are pretty stunning) but The Hilton, Times Square Mall and a load of other buildings. I would love to understand why they do this but alas the reasoning eludes me. Also, they love westlife which is good for me!! Wondering around the mall with Lizzie waiting to watch Captain America (which I don't rate) and we went into three or four shops all playing different Westlife songs! Think I may have embarassed Lizzie walking round singing along! Then last night in the KK Mart, a cheaper 7Eleven, an Indian dude working there had Fool Again (first album, track 5) but in Indian. He seemed rather impressed I could sing along in English!
Enjoying Malaysia so far, detoxing in the Highlands for now and availding Stanley Morgan as if my life, and maybe eyesight, depends on it!
But the city... I spent eight days there so go to know it pretty well. The highlight had to be the rollercoaster in the Mall! It's not in the guide books but it's amazing! You would think it would be a big thing, right in the middle and well advertise, but noooooo, it's stuck in the corner with a load of other fairground rides, amazing! The national mosque was also an experience, being a mosque you obviously have to cover up so they give everyone a long purple clok with a hood, felt like I was going to a druid sect meeting or an orgy a la Eyes Wide Shut! Hilarious times! National Islamic Art Museum not so good, even the Muslims in there were bored!
I've noticed two strange things, one they like to build in twos. Most big tower blocks are in twos, not only Petronas Towers (which are pretty stunning) but The Hilton, Times Square Mall and a load of other buildings. I would love to understand why they do this but alas the reasoning eludes me. Also, they love westlife which is good for me!! Wondering around the mall with Lizzie waiting to watch Captain America (which I don't rate) and we went into three or four shops all playing different Westlife songs! Think I may have embarassed Lizzie walking round singing along! Then last night in the KK Mart, a cheaper 7Eleven, an Indian dude working there had Fool Again (first album, track 5) but in Indian. He seemed rather impressed I could sing along in English!
Enjoying Malaysia so far, detoxing in the Highlands for now and availding Stanley Morgan as if my life, and maybe eyesight, depends on it!
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
KL Killer Night
Last night I got completely smashed on some dodgy rum, Stanley Morgan which is a blatant rip off of Captain Morgans.
Met a cool Irish couple in Penang who I keep bumping into in Kuala Lumpur and met a mad girl in my dorm and we all congregated on the rooftop bar of the hostel and picked up a few other drinkers on the way. After going to the KK mart across the way to get coke and rum we ended up at the bar until we got kicked out at three, we then went and found a table on the street, bought more rum and kept drinking, we then got kicked off that table so found another one, more rum and I think we then headed home. After about an hour of watching the roof of the dorm spin Lizzie came over and said she wanted to smoke, I opened the window and the girl on the bunk above immediately slammed it shut. Not impressed methinks!
So we got up and went to the Chinese food court around the corner, got some dodgy juice and put yet more rum in that. A table of old Malay men looked over with a knowing glance! About seven, maybe eight am we rocked back up to the hostel and apparently made a hell of a lot of noise, pissed off everyone in the dorm and kind of slept for a bit.
Now in recovery mode, had a KFC and a load of water and getting back to normal, it's the first day I've had to write off to a hangover since I got here, I'm sure there will be many more!
I have been a tourist here though, went and had some fun in the National Mosque, they give you these purple cloak things to make sure you're all appropriately covered up and it feels like you're part of some cult. Everyone is walking round in these cloaks, hoods up and it looked like something from Eyes Wide Shut, an orgy may just have broken out at any time! oh and the Islamic Art Museum, pretty boring stuff, more artefacts than actual art, not impressed. Seen the Petronas Towers a few times, not made it there yet but apparently you have to pay nowadays so might skip it and go to KL Tower which has a higher viewing platform and not as hard to get in.
I'm here until I get some post which hope beyond all hope will be Friday then off to the Cameron Highlands where the weather is cooler and there are tea plantations and other things to see. For now I'm enjoying KL...
Met a cool Irish couple in Penang who I keep bumping into in Kuala Lumpur and met a mad girl in my dorm and we all congregated on the rooftop bar of the hostel and picked up a few other drinkers on the way. After going to the KK mart across the way to get coke and rum we ended up at the bar until we got kicked out at three, we then went and found a table on the street, bought more rum and kept drinking, we then got kicked off that table so found another one, more rum and I think we then headed home. After about an hour of watching the roof of the dorm spin Lizzie came over and said she wanted to smoke, I opened the window and the girl on the bunk above immediately slammed it shut. Not impressed methinks!
So we got up and went to the Chinese food court around the corner, got some dodgy juice and put yet more rum in that. A table of old Malay men looked over with a knowing glance! About seven, maybe eight am we rocked back up to the hostel and apparently made a hell of a lot of noise, pissed off everyone in the dorm and kind of slept for a bit.
Now in recovery mode, had a KFC and a load of water and getting back to normal, it's the first day I've had to write off to a hangover since I got here, I'm sure there will be many more!
I have been a tourist here though, went and had some fun in the National Mosque, they give you these purple cloak things to make sure you're all appropriately covered up and it feels like you're part of some cult. Everyone is walking round in these cloaks, hoods up and it looked like something from Eyes Wide Shut, an orgy may just have broken out at any time! oh and the Islamic Art Museum, pretty boring stuff, more artefacts than actual art, not impressed. Seen the Petronas Towers a few times, not made it there yet but apparently you have to pay nowadays so might skip it and go to KL Tower which has a higher viewing platform and not as hard to get in.
I'm here until I get some post which hope beyond all hope will be Friday then off to the Cameron Highlands where the weather is cooler and there are tea plantations and other things to see. For now I'm enjoying KL...
Friday, 22 July 2011
The Bun Gun
So I've been thinking and there is something else I learnt in Thailand, how to not use toilet paper!
The sewers over here can't handle toilet paper and if you think about it, it is a luxury item... 4 ply, double quilted, embossed and patterned - it is a bit crazy! So over here they use a spray gun thing to clean themselves, always with the left hand because you eat with your right hand and also shake with your right hand (this is difficult being left handed!)
The first night in Koh Samui I had to bite the bullet because Eve didn't have bog roll (she prefers the gun and doesn't buy it now). It was scary and there is always the possibility of getting yourself soaked but I did it and I'm soooo proud! But now I'm in Malaysia and they don't have to sprayer, or even a hose in my hostel in KL! another challenge to overcome...
The sewers over here can't handle toilet paper and if you think about it, it is a luxury item... 4 ply, double quilted, embossed and patterned - it is a bit crazy! So over here they use a spray gun thing to clean themselves, always with the left hand because you eat with your right hand and also shake with your right hand (this is difficult being left handed!)
The first night in Koh Samui I had to bite the bullet because Eve didn't have bog roll (she prefers the gun and doesn't buy it now). It was scary and there is always the possibility of getting yourself soaked but I did it and I'm soooo proud! But now I'm in Malaysia and they don't have to sprayer, or even a hose in my hostel in KL! another challenge to overcome...
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Things I Learnt In Thailand
So I've now moved on from Thailand and after a full thirty days in the country I would like to share what little I have learnt from the experience
1. They love to give you stickers. Stickers to get on boats, to get on buses, to go on trips, and they are very elaborate. I must have counted at least eight different colours on one trip going through two islands. Yes, stickers are very Thai.
2. In the words of my Canadian companion of a few days - Thailand - safety, not our concern. You get on a boat nd sit on a deck with your feet hanging off the side, they throw bags a good couple of feet from boat to water, the fact they have motorbike taxis, the police will charge you 300 baht (about 6 quid) for not wearing your helmet but don't make you actually put one on, pavements barely exist so walking on the road is a fun experience. So be safe if you dare because no one else is.
3. Don't sit down at the Full Moon Party. Sand mites. Eaten alive. Nuff said.
4. Thai hospitals are like hotels! You get a balcony, TV and DVD player, extra beds if necessary... Cheap holiday would be to get admitted to hospital and let the insurance company pay for your stay! And most of them on Samui are in Chaweng the party town so not a bad place to stay.
5. Air con makes my feet swell. I want to sleep with two pillows, not one propping up my feet. Stupid air con.
6. The people are great. Everyone smiles and I lost count of the amout of times I got offered a lift walking into town, and got smiles off people thinking I was crazy for wanting to walk! And lady boys are great too, one let me grope her (?) boobs, very firm they were too.
7. The police are corrupt as hell. One bloke got stabbed twenty eight times and then dumped in a lake. Thai police verdict was drowning. Says it all really.
8. I didn't spend enough time learning stuff. I promise to do better in Malaysia!
1. They love to give you stickers. Stickers to get on boats, to get on buses, to go on trips, and they are very elaborate. I must have counted at least eight different colours on one trip going through two islands. Yes, stickers are very Thai.
2. In the words of my Canadian companion of a few days - Thailand - safety, not our concern. You get on a boat nd sit on a deck with your feet hanging off the side, they throw bags a good couple of feet from boat to water, the fact they have motorbike taxis, the police will charge you 300 baht (about 6 quid) for not wearing your helmet but don't make you actually put one on, pavements barely exist so walking on the road is a fun experience. So be safe if you dare because no one else is.
3. Don't sit down at the Full Moon Party. Sand mites. Eaten alive. Nuff said.
4. Thai hospitals are like hotels! You get a balcony, TV and DVD player, extra beds if necessary... Cheap holiday would be to get admitted to hospital and let the insurance company pay for your stay! And most of them on Samui are in Chaweng the party town so not a bad place to stay.
5. Air con makes my feet swell. I want to sleep with two pillows, not one propping up my feet. Stupid air con.
6. The people are great. Everyone smiles and I lost count of the amout of times I got offered a lift walking into town, and got smiles off people thinking I was crazy for wanting to walk! And lady boys are great too, one let me grope her (?) boobs, very firm they were too.
7. The police are corrupt as hell. One bloke got stabbed twenty eight times and then dumped in a lake. Thai police verdict was drowning. Says it all really.
8. I didn't spend enough time learning stuff. I promise to do better in Malaysia!
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Stalker Alert!
I have a stalker. Like a proper weird person following me!!!
The other night, I think Saturday, eve and I went to Lamai Walking Street (basically a night market on the streets) and ended up getting into a conversation with a Bangladeshi tailor. He was nice enough but I usually just say hi and walk past, they are always trying to find a way to sell you a suit, 'hello, how are you', 'where are you from', 'what job do you do', 'ah you need a suit for that'... And so the patter goes.
He was asking the usual and seemed ok but it was harder than normal to bring the conversation to an end. Didn't think anything of it...
Monday night I'd had stayed in town to go online and eve went home because she'd been in work and wanted a shower. I got a motorbike taxi home (I think they're amazing!) and he dropped me at the end of the path to the bungalow, i walk up the stair and spark a cig after saying hi to Eve. within a minute or two this tailor turns up on his bike, i didn't recognise him and shout for eve in case it was the landlord or something. She knew it was this fella straight away so I talked politely for a couple of minutes when he parked up his bike and came up the stairs to the balcony without being invited and tried to walk in the house but Eve subtly stood up and in the door way to stop him.
So he asks what I'm doing, how long I'm here for, had to lie through my teeth about seeing friends, going to bed early etc. Took five times at least of me saying I'm going to bed to get rid of him!
it's so freaky that he went to the effort to follow me home, he must have seen me go past on the motorbike and jumped on his straight away, he doesn't live near at all! So we've told the neighbours to keep a look out including a Thai girl who can phone the police if necessary. The joys of travelling alone! Don't know what I would have done if I were staying on my own!
The other night, I think Saturday, eve and I went to Lamai Walking Street (basically a night market on the streets) and ended up getting into a conversation with a Bangladeshi tailor. He was nice enough but I usually just say hi and walk past, they are always trying to find a way to sell you a suit, 'hello, how are you', 'where are you from', 'what job do you do', 'ah you need a suit for that'... And so the patter goes.
He was asking the usual and seemed ok but it was harder than normal to bring the conversation to an end. Didn't think anything of it...
Monday night I'd had stayed in town to go online and eve went home because she'd been in work and wanted a shower. I got a motorbike taxi home (I think they're amazing!) and he dropped me at the end of the path to the bungalow, i walk up the stair and spark a cig after saying hi to Eve. within a minute or two this tailor turns up on his bike, i didn't recognise him and shout for eve in case it was the landlord or something. She knew it was this fella straight away so I talked politely for a couple of minutes when he parked up his bike and came up the stairs to the balcony without being invited and tried to walk in the house but Eve subtly stood up and in the door way to stop him.
So he asks what I'm doing, how long I'm here for, had to lie through my teeth about seeing friends, going to bed early etc. Took five times at least of me saying I'm going to bed to get rid of him!
it's so freaky that he went to the effort to follow me home, he must have seen me go past on the motorbike and jumped on his straight away, he doesn't live near at all! So we've told the neighbours to keep a look out including a Thai girl who can phone the police if necessary. The joys of travelling alone! Don't know what I would have done if I were staying on my own!
Monday, 4 July 2011
Lazy Days Indeed
I have literally been doing nothing... and I'm not complaining!!!
All the bars were closed from Friday night all the way to midnight Saturday due to elections. Although there was some confusion about when they were reopening... 6pm, 10pm, midnight, no one was quite sure! That's Thailand for you. I do find it mildly amusing that they don't want Thais drunk when they vote and closing bars seems the best way to prevent this, Thai logic again!
It was strange not seeing any polling stations, in England on polling day you can't seem to go more than a few streets without seeing them! Well Thaksin's sister won, and I'm all for successful female politicians but she could cause some serious problems if she absolves her brother and lets him back in the country.
That is about as interesting as things get, some information garnered from the BBC news and bumming about at various bars and pools. This really is the life, travelling is going to be such a chore after this!
All the bars were closed from Friday night all the way to midnight Saturday due to elections. Although there was some confusion about when they were reopening... 6pm, 10pm, midnight, no one was quite sure! That's Thailand for you. I do find it mildly amusing that they don't want Thais drunk when they vote and closing bars seems the best way to prevent this, Thai logic again!
It was strange not seeing any polling stations, in England on polling day you can't seem to go more than a few streets without seeing them! Well Thaksin's sister won, and I'm all for successful female politicians but she could cause some serious problems if she absolves her brother and lets him back in the country.
That is about as interesting as things get, some information garnered from the BBC news and bumming about at various bars and pools. This really is the life, travelling is going to be such a chore after this!
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Scoring a girl, Samui style
So I landed on Koh Samui a couple of days ago and I've done nothing.
This is amazing.
Well I got drunk on my first night with my mate's mum in lieu of rent (sofa surfing at the moment!), and it was soooo funny. Being Thailand, there are a lot of dirty men, some old not so old, and they come here for one thing. Girls, and ladyboys but in Lamai it's mainly girls.
The Rules - You go to a bar and buy a drink, a scantily clad girl or three will descend on you and they want you to buy them drinks. The girls earn commission on this and also want to get into a drunken stupor so they don't have to think about sitting on the old/wrinkly/dirty cock of yours. You pick the girl you want and take her home, for this you pay the bar between 300-500 baht which is 6-10 quid. The necessary happens and you pay the girl a further 1000 baht (20 quid). She will then variously fall in love with you, get pregnant with 'your' baby, want you to buy her more than drinks, email you when you're home asking for 300,000 baht because her mum is sick, 300,000 because her mum is dead, 100,000 for her to fly to see you, demand you come back because she loves you and can't be without you...
This is pretty common knowledge yet the men fall for it time after time, some of the girls will have four or five phones to keep their 'boyfriends' on the go and seperate. It's an easy way to make money for them, and it's a wonder they have any relatives left with the amount of them the men pay hospital bills for!
The girls are lovely though, they love women going to the bars because nothing is expected of them, they enjoy practicing their English (they have classes!) and can have a dance without thinking what they will have to do later. I feel sorry for them in a way but for an uneducated woman there aren't many options for them and they can make good money if they get someone hooked on them.
So if you want to score in Samui that's how it's done.
This is amazing.
Well I got drunk on my first night with my mate's mum in lieu of rent (sofa surfing at the moment!), and it was soooo funny. Being Thailand, there are a lot of dirty men, some old not so old, and they come here for one thing. Girls, and ladyboys but in Lamai it's mainly girls.
The Rules - You go to a bar and buy a drink, a scantily clad girl or three will descend on you and they want you to buy them drinks. The girls earn commission on this and also want to get into a drunken stupor so they don't have to think about sitting on the old/wrinkly/dirty cock of yours. You pick the girl you want and take her home, for this you pay the bar between 300-500 baht which is 6-10 quid. The necessary happens and you pay the girl a further 1000 baht (20 quid). She will then variously fall in love with you, get pregnant with 'your' baby, want you to buy her more than drinks, email you when you're home asking for 300,000 baht because her mum is sick, 300,000 because her mum is dead, 100,000 for her to fly to see you, demand you come back because she loves you and can't be without you...
This is pretty common knowledge yet the men fall for it time after time, some of the girls will have four or five phones to keep their 'boyfriends' on the go and seperate. It's an easy way to make money for them, and it's a wonder they have any relatives left with the amount of them the men pay hospital bills for!
The girls are lovely though, they love women going to the bars because nothing is expected of them, they enjoy practicing their English (they have classes!) and can have a dance without thinking what they will have to do later. I feel sorry for them in a way but for an uneducated woman there aren't many options for them and they can make good money if they get someone hooked on them.
So if you want to score in Samui that's how it's done.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
"We No Check ID Card"
I've kind of done everything there is to do Bangkok on previous trips so I've just been soaking up the atmosphere and getting rained on. I've been noticing some amazing marketing techniques so I would like to share some with you...
'We No Check ID Card' is the tagline for the bar across from my hotel. Does anyone check ID cards here? Is anyone fussed what age people get smashed off their faces on cheap whiskey buckets. Methinks no...
'Thai food make your health better' - A cookery course behind my hotel. I really want to goin and for quantative, substantive evidence of this claim! I know its good for you but makes you better?
'Sex Tattoo' - Is this supposed to be 'sexy tattoo' or doe you get a jump and some ink at the same time? I was going to go in and find out but knowing me I would have come out with a new tattoo, irregardless of typo or promise.
'Pacicures' are on offer on the rook of the hotel, I'm genuinely intrigued, but not enough to ask for one and find out.
"cheap cheap', not the sound of the birds, although they do get annoying early evening. No this is all you will get from tuk tuk drivers, along with 'where you go', 'you very beautiful' (I've slept in air con and haven't washed since yesterday, really that desperate for a fare?!), and after a certain time at night the go from 'cheap cheap' to 'ping pong'. You only need to experience a ping pong show once in life, thankfully I already have and the enchewing rip off so I just laugh at this, some poor kids do go, poor them.
So these are some of my observances of Khao San Road, I leave in the morning to bum about in Koh Samui because I have nothing else to do, in a very positive way!
'We No Check ID Card' is the tagline for the bar across from my hotel. Does anyone check ID cards here? Is anyone fussed what age people get smashed off their faces on cheap whiskey buckets. Methinks no...
'Thai food make your health better' - A cookery course behind my hotel. I really want to goin and for quantative, substantive evidence of this claim! I know its good for you but makes you better?
'Sex Tattoo' - Is this supposed to be 'sexy tattoo' or doe you get a jump and some ink at the same time? I was going to go in and find out but knowing me I would have come out with a new tattoo, irregardless of typo or promise.
'Pacicures' are on offer on the rook of the hotel, I'm genuinely intrigued, but not enough to ask for one and find out.
"cheap cheap', not the sound of the birds, although they do get annoying early evening. No this is all you will get from tuk tuk drivers, along with 'where you go', 'you very beautiful' (I've slept in air con and haven't washed since yesterday, really that desperate for a fare?!), and after a certain time at night the go from 'cheap cheap' to 'ping pong'. You only need to experience a ping pong show once in life, thankfully I already have and the enchewing rip off so I just laugh at this, some poor kids do go, poor them.
So these are some of my observances of Khao San Road, I leave in the morning to bum about in Koh Samui because I have nothing else to do, in a very positive way!
Monday, 20 June 2011
And so it begins....
So I've landed in Bangkok at the start of my trip to Cambodia, or JoBodia as certain friends have decided to call it due to the amount of time I spend talking about it! I hate airports, officially. Who has six smoking rooms, the four 'nearest' (not as far at the opposite end as the last two) were all closed and I'm sure this is just to piss people off and watch them get stressed!! Bloody Dubai Airport.
I get to the hotel I booked, swimming pool closed and have to go across the road to the sister hostel, er yer what? Well I've slept since I got here so it hasn't really affected me so can't complain.
Just off for my first wonder down to Khao San Road, where travellers congregate along with people from all walks of Thai life trying to scam/rob/chat/rip you off. The street food is amazing, lets just hope I don't get stalked this time!!!
I get to the hotel I booked, swimming pool closed and have to go across the road to the sister hostel, er yer what? Well I've slept since I got here so it hasn't really affected me so can't complain.
Just off for my first wonder down to Khao San Road, where travellers congregate along with people from all walks of Thai life trying to scam/rob/chat/rip you off. The street food is amazing, lets just hope I don't get stalked this time!!!
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