Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia: River Rock Climbing

February 1, 2011

Oh, the kids were so happy to climb the rocks in this river! And, what a clear, crisp beautiful river it was surrounded by jungle, up in the hilly mountainous area, miles from the beach. Kuala Terengganu is about 95% Muslim Malaysian, while the rest of Malaysia is 55%. Every Friday is a big mosque prayer day, with most of the locals having the day off. On Fridays, this river is PACKED with fully clothed women in headscarves and clothed men. This was not a Friday, and we had the entire river to ourselves. What peace.

The kids acted like a team, helping each other over the rocks. Ken was up ahead scouting to make sure it was safe (after Griffin's near-death rapids event, we've gained some healthy precautionary tactics for the children in the jungle now). I pulled up the back, helping Boom over the slippery rocks, dodging any green slippery mildewy rock spots. We went down the middle of the river which was safe, shallow, with no rapids. Click HERE for a video. The kids had such a sense of accomplishment and pride by the end! And, more importantly, they were pooped for the long ride home.

Bram, on the other hand, just starts talking a LOT when he gets tired. In fact, he started nearly talking in tongues. Just created this language that sounded suspiciously like a mockery of Malay. He was deliriously happy sitting in the cool river, talking nonstop, with me and Kenny snuggling in the cold water for a moment, watching the weather change in front of us in seconds -- downpour for 10 seconds, bright sun for 10, cloudy and windy for 5. We were already wet, so we said for Mother Nature to bring on the downpour!

I, on the other hand, was wiped out after the climb and not talking, just spacing out. I started meandering down the river looking for tumble rocks - soft rocks well worn by the river current and rocky bed. All of a sudden I found myself pulled into the current of the part of the river we'd specifically NOT allowed the children to go because it was so strong and turned into rocky rapids. I freaked out because I couldn't get out of the current and screamed for Ken, who, once again, jumped back into the river to the rescue. I got pulled into the start of the rapids and somehow stopped myself on a big rock. I pushed against the current, waiting for Ken, seeing all the rapids and rocks that I would have hit (not deathly blows but they sure would have hurt) up ahead of me. Ken somehow climbed to me without getting sucked in and we struggled to find a way to get me back out without getting sucked into the rapids. Finally, we got out, with both of us breathing fast, hearts pounding, a ripped toenail, but okay.

Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia: Roti Canai on the way to the Beach Village with Becca and Hunter

January 31, 2011:
We are visiting the beach on the east coast of Malaysia with Meg, the Fulbright Student studying the most endangered turtles in the world. Meg is standing up here, speaking in Malay for us, since most people here don't speak English. Our driver, fluent in English, is on the right.

Roti Canai making behind posing cousins.

Roti Canai is fried bread with goodies inside, like eggs, sugar, onions.

The dough.
Click HERE to see how Roti is made.

The cook was from Indonesia -- cheap worker.

So many YUMMY, spicy sauces to dip it in. Only Griffin will dip.

But, the girls are happy to dip their roti in sugar!

Kuala Lumpur: Becca, Hunter, and Blood Circulation Soup at the Wet Market

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Blood Circulation Soup

Year of the rabbit and Boom's welcome flowers for Hunter

Bec on our nite out in front of my local Buddhist temple

Upscale megamall Chinese New Year decorations for Year of the Rabbit

Chinese dumpling restaurant - one of our favorites

A rare child-free moment for two old friends and moms who collectively parent 6 children,
not including their husbands

January 30, 2011

Becca and Hunter don't cease to amaze with their teflon adjustment to living on the other side of the world. Bec slept more on the KL time schedule than I did. Then she and Hunter joined me and Boom for an early morning trip to Imbi Wet Market -- our local Chinese-Malaysian market with chicken, fish, veges, and hawker food stalls on its last day before it shut down for the Chinese New Year.

I immediately took Hunter to see the stall manning 20 miniature woks constantly being whirred to distribute the crepe batter evenly around the wok perimeter, whipping out 15 crepes for us in minutes. I came prepared with nutella and an IKEA knife to keep Boom and Hunter busy for the more important activity of me and Becca eating my favorite soup in Asia - blood circulation soup. Alright, no Asians call it that, but you may remember my first trip to Imbi market and the Asian couple who told me to try this soup since it's used to help women who've recently birthed babies recover and regain their blood circulation. I nodded patronizingly then proceeded to sweat profusely, like my blood flowed rapidly, when I ate the soup. Ken almost fainted after eating the soup later, maybe more dizzy from the freshly killed chicken smells than the soup. But, I was so dizzy a couple months later while eating it that I had to put my head between my legs. I had to have Becca eat it. She loved it, not eating the chicken necks but enjoying the rich ginger-laden flavor, eggs, noodles, and liver flavoring. She's intrepid, is all I can say.

And, I showed her where they killed chickens in front of your eyes, serving you their breasts soon after. Hunter, while brave until then, couldn't cope with the smell. Then we collected our veges, fruit, and Chinese New Year decorations while the rain started to pour.

We returned home to mellow and decorate, before tomorrow's day of travel to the Malaysian east coast, with beach, river, and possible monsoon remnants.

Ken put all 4 kids to bed while Bec and I walked through the Kuala Lumpur City Centre park in the light rain, almost having the park to ourselves, with me showing off my local Buddhist temple where we are regulars, with me praying/meditating there a few times a week. And, she saw the upscale materialist side of KL, to contrast with the wet market stalls, in the Pavilion posh mall where I took her to our favorite dumpling place where we drank beer and ate TRUFFLE dumplings. YES!!!

Walking home in the light rain, watching the clouds pass low around the lit Petronas towers was downright magical. Talking to an old friend with much-missed sardonic humor and deep knowing each other was transcendent.

Alice's 7th Birthday Party: Princesses, Nail/Makeup Salon, and the Pool

Pinata!

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Getting Pinata candy

January 29, 2011

Alice's birthday party ended with me explaining to her that she will never again have a warm-weather, swimming pool party outdoors on her birthday in January again in her life. She countered that maybe there will be a warm January day in New York when we could have a pool party at Nanny and Papa's house. I didn't add that she will probably never again want a princess party, because it'll seem too "babyish" by next year. Today was the last of the princess parties, in our home.

And, what a princess party it was. Alice envisioned this party 6 months ago when she first set foot next to our apartment pool, before we even signed the lease. Pool and Princess. We had a Nail/Makeup Salon set up with our two babysitters manning it. And, everyone got their own hula hoop and jump rope, which are all the rage at 1st grade recess at Alice's school. Alice is obsessed with jumping rope, the same way she was with the jungle gym in NYC.

The princesses arrived, with an awkward start. All of them seemed nervous, probably after the hype of getting gussied up in their royal finery. But, soon, they got giggly and excited about their nail polish, facial jewelery, tattoos, and sparkly eye shadow. They jumped rope. (Click HERE) They jumped into the pool. You might ask, as we logical adults did beforehand, if they would swim after all that makeup artistry was applied to their faces. They didn't think twice about jumping in. Then, they just ran back to the salon and got makeup again, happy as wet princesses. After that, they got overexcited because they got to apply makeup to Kenny, gigging hysterically at all the cross-dressing implications, not realizing that they gave him more of a makeup job that looked like measles rather than Paris Hilton.

Birthdays here aren't so different here than in the US. The girls ate pizza. They hit a pinata that was unbreakable, only finally beaten to a pulp by Ken (Our Venezuelan friend made the pinata and cupcakes for us, coaching us on the pinata hitting throughout). Click HERE and HERE for the two pinata videos. And, blowing out a candle that looked like fireworks (Click HERE to see). And, the after-party was almost more fun than the party, with lots of water-balloon making and throwing --with near-hysterical letting loose of all that pent-up party energy.

Alice ended it saying it was her only and last birthday in Malaysia.

KL Airporrt: Becca and Hunter Arrive!!!!!

Chinese-Malaysian "Lion Men" come to perform the lion dance for Chinese New Year here.

HOORAY!!!!!

Hunter's first ride on the KL subway.

Bec, Hunter, and the Petronas Towers

January 29, 2011

While I waited for Bec and Hunter to arrive at the airport, a big crew of "lion men" arrived, ready to help all the Chinese-Malaysians in this country celebrate the big Chinese New Year this week. Click HERE to see video.

Can you believe Becca and Hunter flew all the way here to visit, even when they only had a week free to travel? They are amazing. There is some sort of Becca and Jay travel gene that allows them to travel seamlessly, with elegant strength, staring jet lag down. Becca and Hunter arrived looking nearly downright refreshed. Hunter was awake at the equivalent of 6am her time after a 24 hour flight! She was the lucky recipient of the travel gene.

Click HERE to see video of their arrival. I know I'm blogging-addicted when I interrupt my emotional run to greet them with videotaping them for the blog! But, I just knew their sisters and mom/dad would love to see their arrival!

After a pretty smooth connection in Hong Kong -- they held their plane in Hong Kong for them since 10 of their fellow passengers would have also missed their flight if their connection left on time -- they arrived and just walked a few feet to get on a speedy train with me connecting to the subway system that connects to our home. NYC-JFK lame transit system, take that!

Hunter immediately had women giving up their seats for her on the subway and touching her hair, nearly gushing over her, waving to her as she got off at our stop. Sometimes I forget that we live at the Petronas Towers stop and it was fun to have Becca and Hunter immediately see the towers when they set foot in Kuala Lumpur. The towers lit at night are magical, with their byzantine design highlighted.

Bec immediately recognized and remembered the smell and feel of the air as Southeast Asia - muggy, thicker, a bit smoky, a bit polluted, and spicy.

We are so thrilled to have them here!!! Griffin couldn't go to sleep and woke for them immediately. We stayed up talking and skyped my parents and Jay, talking until Bec slammed into the jet lag wall.

Expect daily blogs on their visit, unless we can't when we go to the more isolated beach area on the east coast on Monday thru Thursday.

Dim Sum in Kuala Lumpur (KL): With Faculty Friends

Hera and Bawany

"Porridge" with Cod Fish, delish!!

January 14, 2011

I went out for Dim Sum lunch with me couple faculty friend buddies. What a treat! Last time it was chicken feet they made me try, you may remember. This time I enjoyed watching the banter in Cantonese between my Chinese-origin, Canadian-raised friend, named Hera, with the Cantonese-speaking waiters. She seems to argue and lightly bark at them and they respond with equal enthusiasm. And, I benefit with the awesome spread that magically appears, as a result. And, our conversation only deepened with time to what it's like to be wives and "scholars" at the same time. I really like having Hera and Bawany as friends to pop in on a few doors down from my office at HELP University.