We arrived into the modern bustling city of Kuala Lumpur in a humid downpour around dusk. After checking out a few dark, musty hotels; my map was wet and my bag seemed to be growing heavier. On the verge of crankiness, I settled on the Backpackers Travellers Inn in the heart of Chinatown. I reluctantly checked into another crowded dorm room. As a Canadian traveler had informed me in the Cameron Highlands - "the cheaper the bed, the longer my trip" - so the $10 ringgits ($3 US) per night seemed quite affordable.
While I was searching frantically for dry clothes and a chocolate bar in my backpack, a fellow dormitory dweller asked if I was from the States. Busted! How had I given that one away so quickly?
When I told her yes, I was indeed from the States - she kindly told me she was also from Seattle. We eagerly exchanged stories of our similar experiences as "the only American" in Malaysia. Glannel's parents were Korean but she was born and raised in the States. While attending the University of Washington she had classes with a peer from my high school.
Glannel introduced me to a young Japanese man named Tani who was incredibly obsessed with Seattle. We seemed to hold some kind of celebrity status in his eyes. Tani anxiously took notes as we talked about Seattle - a place he could not wait to visit. His English was basic but he spoke with his hands in an overly excited manner about Seattle. Every time I walked past him, he would shout "Seattle!"
That afternoon I ventured to the US Embassy for a third attempt at adding pages to my passport. First off, the US Embassy is not on the street with the other foreign embassies. I walked for about two hours searching for the waving American flag before asking directions at the British Embassy. When I finally arrived at the US Embassy it was closed (of course) because it is only opened from 9-11am and it was about 1pm. Therefore, I was determined to return tomorrow before opening.
The next day at the US Embassy, I was the first American citizen to arrive amongst about fifty Malaysians seeking visas for America. The Malaysians had to wear red badges that said "Escort Required" and were asked a dozen personal questions in the waiting room about their families, financial situations, etc before they were awarded visas.
The other American at the US Embassy was a scruffy old sailor who had been sailing the globe with his wife for 18 years. He was applying for a new passport. I almost asked if he needed any crew... but thought otherwise when I learned his sailboat was only 30ft. The sailor told me that in his 18 years of travel he had only met a handful of Americans that had quit their job to travel.
After an hour and a half, I received my passport with additional pages - lettered instead of numbered this time. The clerk told me if I needed more pages added that it was a free service overseas but back in the good ol' USA I had to pay for them.
Good thing I forgot to get more pages before I left the States...
