Malaysian Interlude

I apologise for yet another long reprieve in the Nepal Diaries, and...perhaps all correspondence these past few weeks.  But thanks to the new service year, and a new packet of Vegemite I am officially back 'on the grid'.


There is a lot to be mentioned either side of our little Malaysian jaunt but I thought I would keep this post strictly 'Malaaaaaysian'.

Still zipping my luggage as the taxi arrived, we forgot to tell our landlady we would be 'going abroad' (incurring a 10 day private investigation we later found out) but made it to the airport without forgetting too much else.

For the first in my aerial history we were bumped up to business class (yesssss!!!!).  As we rocked up to the 'Shangri-La' (aka Business Class) the excitement dissipated and the reality that we were only flying Nepal Airlines hit as we were denied our Bloody Marys and TVs...'jindagi yestai ho'*

Did I mention our flight left at 11:30 pm?  So we arrived at KL half comatose and I spent the journey from the airport suspended somewhere between our friend's back-seat and Neverland.  A couple of hours later Alana and I regained consciousness and, following the lady in the know, (our Japanese host-mother), we set out to our destination...the hairdressers -> 'ananda lagyo' (I feel prettyhappy)!  Seriously, the head massage is one of life's most understated pleasures....(insert bliss here)

Once my locks were tressed we drove to our first Malay mall (they are a bit of a novelty in these parts).  We met up with our host father and sauntered around gazing in shop windows at the life I had forgotten about these passed 6 months - not to worry, a coffee soon lifted my spirits!  Then after some serious 'umming and aahhing', I interpreted Alana's cravings and the decision was finally made -> Chinese food... Shivers!  I forgot how good beef tastes!

Eager to shake the jet-lag induced red-eye before the 'adiiveshan' (DC) we started our eyelid examination early that night...

DC Day 1 -> I do not want to spoil the excitement of the program (indeed, even if I wanted to, I am not sure that would be kosher), so I will keep my observations atmosphere-centred - 'tik cha?' (ok?)

with some Tamil sisters and Juri (right)

The 'adiiveshan' was a perfect introduction to the cultural cross section which makes Malaysia Malaysia.  As we walked into the hall our eyes met with Tamils,  Chinese, Malays, ex-pats, Africans and our ever so beloved Nepalis!  Another beautiful example of the international brotherhood.

Everyone we met were super friendly and slightly shocked to hear we were visiting from Nepal...especially taken aback were the Nepalis themselves -> we don't look typically Nepali, although, I have had Indian actress before;)

faces of Nepal

There are about a million Nepalis working in Malaysia.  They are mostly men and generally come to Malaysia for a couple of hard, lonely years, working and sending money home, before returning back to Nepal.  Partly to do with their plight many are attracted to the kingdom message and make great efforts to study, attend meetings, sammelans and 'adiiveshans'.  Their smiles reminded Alana and I why we love Nepalis so much!

A bhai from our congregation had also come to help translate the program into Nepali.  The Nepalis were able to sit with the rest of the audience whilst listening to the translation on their radios (tres futuristic).  Those who had been studying longer would help the newly interested ones find the scriptures and help them to understand different points.  It was really something to witness.

That night we tried our first 'banana leaf curry'...

la!

DC Day 2 ->  Aside from the drama, the highlight of Day 2 was the baptism.  Out of the 1,718 people who were in attendance, 18 were baptised (2 of which were Nepali).  My only sorrow was that they played a favourite song of mine (No. 59 - not as yet available in Nepali), but due to a bad case of laryngitis (think Barry White meets Louis Armstrong) I could only manage the baritone sections - I scared myself a couple of times so considering the average female singer in Nepal sounds like a 10 year old boy, who knows what the Nepalis thought...

In the evening, owing to the Japanese' apparent love of Chinese food and dislike of laksa (Aussies excluded), we had our first taste of Malay-style Chinese, ban-ku-teh...

 'ban-ku-teh'

DC Day 3->  The last day at the 'adiiveshan' we bumped into a couple of familiar faces....Australians, what gypsies we are?!

Sharma->
couldn't miss this gal in a crowd

We even enjoyed the public talk in our mother tongue, Australian.  How's about those toes ay?  Was anyone else thinking China???

33 Nepalis attended on the Sunday and as per usual, warmed everyone with their comradery and pearly whites...

is this a pattern^?

After the 'adiivashan' we went back to Bro. Allen and Sis. Yinsin's (the spiritual 'amabuwa' [mum and dad] to many of the Nepalis in KL).  One of the group's long-standing bhais was returning to Nepal a couple of days later so we spent the evening between blindfolds (literally) and gripping life stories -  'dherai ramailo bayo' (very enjoyable)

We set out the following day for Malaysia Bethel in Malacca, about 2.5 hours from KL.  On route we stopped at the 'golden arches' and had our first McDonald's experience since Australia...It was Simon's first time, but perhaps not his last?  Nepal's latest PM is a Maoist so I guess it will depend on whether he too enjoys the odd, Capitalist, 'Big Mac'...

I promise I took more photos of Bethel than this but apart from the outdoor bathrooms, this painting is what I really remember.

Phillip and the 'eunuch' were a lot erhm

 stronger than I remembered them to be...

After Bethel we drove to Port Dickson just in time to watch the 'suryasta' (sunset) and Simon dip his feet in the 'samudra' (sea) for the first time...

The next day we attempted to do some street witnessing but got waylaid browsing the markets instead - how I came out empty handed, I still don't understand...so sorry kids, no postcards:(

Next up was 'the Lake Garden'...where I glimpsed for the first time the signature of KL's skyline, the Petronas Twin Towers^^ (or 'the twins', as I like to call them)...

'the twins' from a distance...

And we ended our day with a not-so-signature, but nonetheless amazingly mito sushi experience....

'soba'
(insert slurping noise here)

sushi oh-oh

The next day I went with my 'you deserve it Jo' mantra and treated myself to a massage...I can't remember much after that...

'the twins' in a puddle
-who says Sarah's the creative one in our family?

After a few days in the big smoke, we fixed our ocean nostalgia with an overnighter at Pelau Pangkor, an island about 3 hours north of KL...soooo good to be in the salt air and sea again...

Praise Jah

paparazza

And then back to the mainland...

Our last couple of days we spent exploring more of KL's idiosyncrasies, such as 'cendol' (below), and clandestine field service meetings.

Malay delicacy: coconut milk with green

 spaghetti-like jelly - I didn't get around to trying it...

'phalphul' (or as Makundra-ji*** would say = 'froots')

Before we finished explaining to the 'Shangri-La' protectorate that 'once you have been in first-class...'^^^, we found ourselves back in coach class surrounded by a sea of Nepali men returning to the motherland.  Thus ended our Malaysian Interlude...

But then the Symphony began to play...

Part 2 -> Enter the Himalaya

sweet home KTM

*  'jindagi yestai ho' - Nepali for:  'life is like this' (always stated in a somewhat resigned tone)
^  See previous post for more 'blindfold' moments
** Aussie for 'swimmers'
^^  For the trivial pursuit fans:  the tallest twin buildings in the world (NB accurate at the time of publication)
*** 'Mukundra-ji' -> coming soon
^^^ For the Seinfeld fans: