Wanderings

So Much Pride

laurentravels08 — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:42:00 GMT

Below is the The Straits Times article covering the Tan family reunion in Singapore. My mother and her sisters are mentioned:

Tan Tock Seng's kin here for reunion

July 25, 2008

150 members of the clan are meeting to mark 210th birth anniversary of philanthropist

By Serene Luo

SOMEWHERE in London, you might encounter a strapping police sergeant with ginger hair and clear blue eyes - nothing unusual, till you ask for his name. Mr Lawrence Tan Xu Wen, 39, never fails to raise eyebrows when he says it. He would have you know that his ancestor was philanthropist Tan Tock Seng, 'a famous founder of Singapore, my dad told me'.
Mr Tan, a sixth-generation descendant, is among 150 members of the Tan clan who have gathered in Singapore to mark the 210th year of Tan Tock Seng's birth.

Yesterday, 30 of them presented a copy of the Tan family tree to the Peranakan Museum in Armenian Street. The document - with 1,368 names running in a scroll almost 19m long - is the result of research into the family's genealogy done mainly by Mr Lawrence Tan and Mr Roney Tan, a Singaporean.

Of the family members gathering here, more than 30 are from overseas. Many have non-Peranakan and even Caucasian spouses and now live in England, Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and the United States.

Mr Lawrence Tan's Caucasian looks come from his father and grandfather's marriages to Caucasian women. His 76-year-old retiree father Gerald Tan, who married an Englishwoman, is himself the result of the union between his Straits-born Peranakan father and a Scotswoman. He had fled Singapore by boat as a boy in 1942, just as the Japanese landed in Singapore.

Mr Lawrence Tan said: 'When you're a boy, the name 'Tan Tock Seng' doesn't mean anything to you. He's just some old man. But as you get older, family becomes most important.'

Mr Gerald Tan passed down this love of family to Lawrence, who became fascinated by his family's genealogy when, 15 years ago, an aunt gave him a weathered photocopied sheet listing 30 family members.

Mr Lawrence Tan now spends his spare time hunting down more members of the clan to add to the family tree. Six years ago in Singapore, he met Mr Roney Tan, a fifth-generation descendant, who helped him fill in several blanks.

Along with the family tree, the clan also lent the Peranakan Museum a rare painting of Tan Tock Seng and a photograph of one of his great-grandsons, Boo Liat.

Tan Tock Seng, a Malacca-born businessman best known for donating $5,000 in 1844 to start the hospital that today bears his name, gave money to bury the destitute as well. He also gave money to start the Thian Hock Keng Temple in Telok Ayer. He fathered three boys and four girls and was 52 when he died in 1850.

Mr Roney Tan, who organised the reunion, said the family is still looking for more members of the clan. He estimates that 80 per cent of them live in Singapore, another 15 per cent in Malacca and 5 per cent elsewhere.

The family gathering, the second after the first one three years ago, opened last Saturday with a dinner, followed by a trip to Malacca this week by some of them.

The merrymaking continued last night at the Penny Black pub in Boat Quay - formerly a shophouse owned by a son of Tan Tock Seng. The family will attend the Founder's Day celebrations at Tan Tock Seng Hospital today.

Clan member Evelyn Ang-Trottier, a 63-year-old college professor who now lives in Seattle, said she felt 'so much pride'.

'I feel closer to my family now. And I have a lot of relatives I didn't know about before.'

If you are a descendant of Tan Tock Seng and wish to be added to the family tree, e-mail info@family-tan.com

Shark's Fin for Dinner

laurentravels08 — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:27:00 GMT

I enjoy trying new things but have always been hesitant when it comes to eating certain animals. Still, I decided to try shark's fin soup during this trip, and although I wasn't crazy about it, I am happy that I gave it a shot. Shark's fin is basically long, thin, almost transparent noodle-like cartilage. It's very slimy but tastes, um, okay.

I'm about to head home to the U.S. and am sad to be leaving. This has been an amazing trip in so many ways and I don't want it to end. But I am looking forward to being home, where I can relax and not rush about so much. However, I admit that I'm really really going to miss having someone else cook my meals and make my bed for me.

Thank you to everyone who read my travel blog! I hope you enjoyed the stories and photos and maybe learned a thing or two. It has been a terribly long stretch of traveling for me, both domestically and overseas (20 airplanes, 5 buses, 4 boats and 2 trains in the last 4 months), and although I'm going to collapse from exhaustion and sleep for 24 hours as soon as I get home, it has been a very memorable journey. I'm already looking forward to my next travel adventure.

Now, sleep...

To Friendship

laurentravels08 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:18:00 GMT

The highlight of my travels has been meeting people from different places and of different backgrounds. I knew I would see my overseas relatives and get to know them a bit better, but I wasn't expecting to form so many new friendships. The people I have met during this trip are all interesting and inspiring in some way. It has been wonderful to hear their stories and laugh with them about life and our shared and/or divergent experiences.

There are a tons of food courts in Singapore, which are places people can congregate and find all varieties of prepared cuisine at reasonable prices. Unlike most food courts in the U.S., you can actually get some quality fare at the ones in Singapore. I was eating lunch at a Thai cafe in a shopping center food court when I met a nice Japanese woman. We were sitting next to each other at the counter and had ordered the same mango salad. She said how happy she was to hear an American accent, having lived in New York and studied at Columbia. She's from Tokyo but currently resides in Singapore because her husband, who works for the UN, had been sent there temporarily. We chatted about lifestyle differences between the U.S., Singapore, Vietnam and Japan. At the end of lunch she gave me her card and said I have a place to stay next time I'm in Tokyo. Not bad.

When traveling by air I'm usually content to just put on my headphones and sleep the time away. But on one flight I sat next to a friendly Aussie photographer on his way to a three month stint in northern Thailand. We talked about the tallest mountains in the world, about being adventurous and trying out new cuisines, and about how hard it is to learn most Asian languages. He has friends in a dozen countries and one of his dreams is to sail around the world. He used to have a yacht but says it wasn't comfortable enough to live on for long periods of time. One summer he did take it from Brisbane to Cairns for scuba diving, then on to the Solomon Islands. The entire trip took him through multiple storms over a four month period. He says he was floored to find that the return flight to Brisbane was only about an hour and a half long. Our ability to travel huge distances quickly is deceiving, and it cheats our magnificent oceans, he says.

When I was around 12 years old I started writing to my Chinese third cousin in Malaysia. She's a couple years younger than me and our mothers (who are second cousins) thought we might like to be pen pals. Of course I was happy to write to someone about myself, and she was keen to polish up on her English skills. We exchanged many letters and a few photos over the years, but fell out of touch once we both moved on to university. I was able to find her on-line a few years ago and we reconnected. I told her I was coming to Malaysia this summer, so we arranged to meet up for dinner. We finally met face to face after all these years! She studied in England and now works in Malaysian public policy. It was great to see her and find out that we get along as well in person as we did on paper. I'm hoping that she'll make a trip to the west coast of the U.S. someday.

Last night I was treated to dinner by an Indian couple who are close to welcoming their first grandchild into the family. A Hindu ceremony had been held at their house the evening before, in order to celebrate the mother's (their daughter-in-law's) seventh month of pregnancy. Apparently it's a day set aside with the sole purpose of making the soon-to-be mother as happy as possible; she can ask for and will receive anything she desires. Platters of food are offered, and all female friends and family members present her with a glass bangle (symbolizing good wishes), which they each put onto her wrist. By the end of the ceremony her arms are covered in bangles! Our friends proudly shared photos of their children with us, including pictures of their eldest son's engagement ceremony, the wedding dinner and the elaborate wedding ceremony. For dinner last night, we were served chicken curry and fish curry. Delicious! The family ate with their hands--but don't forget, the custom is to use only the fingertips on your right hand when eating.

I have always understood that two of the most universal things in the world are genuine kindness and a good sense of humor, and the people I've met on this trip have proven that to be true. There are many more stories I could write about here, but I'll spare you this time!

Lesson Number Five: Always Be Ready to Bargain

laurentravels08 — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 13:17:00 GMT

Two things I love about Kuala Lumpur are the outdoor food stalls and the open-air markets. The hawker stalls have some of the cheapest and most authentic Malay, Chinese and Mamak (Indian Muslim) food in the city. It's a good idea to ask the locals first in order to find the best version of the dish you're looking for. You have to be ready to rough it a little while sitting on plastic stools by the side of the road, but it's an experience not to be missed. Also, remember to bring cash and your own napkins.

The markets are another interesting adventure for visitors. You can find many treasures there: all kinds of souvenirs, toys, shoes, hats, t-shirts, watches, sunglasses, bags and purses (most are knock-offs), as well as a variety of food items. I tested out my bargaining skills on Petaling Street the other night. Here's a sampling of what went down at one of the tiny stalls:

Me: How much is this batik skirt?

Vendor: 40 Ringgit (about $12 USD).

Me: Hmm... I can give you 20.

Vendor: (Looks at his wife/business partner) Nah, 35.

Me: (Shaking head, turning to walk away) Too high, too high.

Vendor: OK, OK, 30 then.

Me: (Pretending to be confident) 25 is the most I'm willing to pay.

Vendor: Alright (puts skirt into bag, while his wife/business partner glares at him from the back of the stall).

Me: Terima kasih (Thank you)!

I pay and walk away feeling good about myself, but I don't know if I'm getting a good deal, or if they hiked up the prices to begin with because I'm a foreigner, but at least I made the effort. Because I don't speak much Malay and no Chinese, I feel a bit handicapped when it comes to bargaining. But since I'm not 100% caucasian I think it confuses them a little. Malaysian currency isn't nearly as big as Singapore's or Australia's though, so I can buy more here and not feel the pinch as much.

I have felt pretty safe in Malaysia (with a good measure of care and caution), but even so, the best piece of advice is to always hold onto your belongings and never let them out of your sight! Otherwise, you may end up "spending" a lot more than you bargained for.

The Largest Island

laurentravels08 — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:30:00 GMT

I accomplished a lot during my two weeks in Australia. I flew JetStar (the Qantas budget airline) six times and I visited six Aussie cities/coastal areas: Sydney, Melbourne, Geelong, Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. It was a wacky whirlwind of family and friends' homes, hotels, cars, boats, trains and planes. I'm surprised that I'm even awake after the last flight, which was very long, over an hour delayed and included some of the worst turbulence I've ever experienced (the bumpy, stomach-churning ride lasted at least three hours). But no worries, I do feel that it was worth all the hassle and headache.

Besides the fact that Australia is expensive ($11 for a sandwich??), and the AU dollar is now nearly 1 to 1 with the US dollar, I found many things to like about the big island "down under". Aussies tend to travel overseas more than Americans do, and most are very open to other people and cultures, without pretense. The country has immigrants from all over, which is best reflected by the diversity of the urban areas. I also appreciate Australians' strong sense of obligation in the preservation of their natural environment and the wildlife that live there. And well they should. Aussie customs are tight, disallowing most animal and plant products. Anything unidentifiable gets quarantined immediately, on the traveler's own dime, of course. It may seem excessive, but this type of caution prevents disease and other contaminants from entering and infesting the country.

In Melbourne I enjoyed the hip/edgy architecture and public art the most. The tiny lanes of shops and cafes were also great. The weather reminded me of Seattle (sun, clouds, rain, cold, sun, clouds, rain, cold...), but it doesn't seem to discourage anyone from sitting at outdoor cafes, chatting over cappuccino. I did a lot of window-shopping and visited the National Gallery of Victoria for the art deco exhibit. There are free hop-on-hop-off buses and trams that go all around the city center, which I wish every city had. I would love to visit Melbourne again during the summer months and really soak in everything the city has to offer.

In Sydney I liked Darling Harbor and again, the architecture. I had a fun time at the Taronga Zoo, which is a short ferry ride from Circular Quay in Sydney Harbor. I had never seen Aussie animals up close before. I won't lie, koalas are perhaps the cutest animals on the planet. They eat primarily eucalyptus leaves, which provide very little energy, so they're pretty slow-moving. Kangaroos also lay around most of the time, basking in the sunshine and giving zoo visitors the squinty eye. The joey I saw jumping in and out of his mother's pouch was priceless.

Both Melbourne and Sydney are pedestrian-friendly, which is so nice for visitors. Sidewalks, paths, parks, and good signage are plentiful. It was easy to get around the cities and not get too lost. Public transportation is also good, although I chose to hoof it most of the time. There's no better way to get to know a city. I didn't make it to the Outback this time around, but that's okay because I prefer my walkabouts to involve interesting art and outdoor cafes along the way...

I Could Live Here

laurentravels08 — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 20:15:00 GMT

The Sunshine Coast is beautiful, under-populated, and warm! It's the middle of winter here but I spent the day in my swimmers at the Mooloolaba Beach. It does get pretty chilly at night, but the days are absolutely gorgeous. The trees and other vegetation are so exotic; I love seeing eucalyptus, sugarcane, palms and bamboo all over the place, like in a jungle (well, it is sub-tropical). The area is developed, of course, but it's fairly rural between beach towns.

The east coast of Queensland is a popular holiday and retirement destination for Australians. I can see why. I was in Brisbane and the Gold Coast a few days ago, which are more "built up" than the Sunshine Coast. Still, each area has it's own character. The waves were swell at Surfers Paradise, which is a top tourist destination. Many people in the Gold Coast own boats and live on little canals with docks in their backyards. Brisbane is a river city set a bit inland. I honestly found it a little boring; it seems like the ugly step-child as far as Aussie cities go (sorry, Brisbanites).

The Sunshine Coast is clearly my favorite; it's kind of like the Southern California of Australia. Yesterday we went to the Eumundi Market, which is held on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. It was a lot of fun and I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting the region. I found heaps of locally-made handicrafts that you won't find anywhere else (at least not at these prices). I bought some aboriginal artwork and unique freshwater pearls. Then I enjoyed barramundi and chips for lunch. Yum!

Our hosts on the Sunshine Coast have a Cockatoo with an Aussie accent. When we arrived she bid us "G'day mate!". She's a quick study and delivers all kinds of Aussie slang. I'm told that wild kangaroos often visit the yard to feed on grass, but I haven't been lucky enough to spot them yet. Our friends named one of them Norm, after a fat, lazy guy from some Australian commercial. Apparently Norm comes over and just lays around on their lawn for hours. There's also a resident Kookaburra named Jack, who laughs it up whenever he visits.

Lesson Number Four: Aussie Rules

laurentravels08 — Tue, 5 Aug 2008 16:35:00 GMT

I had an idea that Aussies are generally pretty laid-back and easy-going, but I didn't realize just how much so. The Aussies I have met so far are very casual in their language, mannerisms, fashion, etc. (but still very professional, as my Auntie insists!).

I was a little surprised by the greeting my mom and I received from a waitress. We had just walked into the restaurant and she came up and asked us, "are you girls being looked after?". Another time, when I was shopping, a young mate behind the register asked me if I was "onto that dress?" Both times I hesitated a bit because the inquiries seemed so informal... maybe I'm just too stodgy?

Instead of saying "how are you?" Aussies like to say "how ya going?", and instead of "good-bye" they say "see ya later" or "see ya", even if you don't know them and have no plans to see them again. So friendly! I've heard "I reckon" more than a few times, and of course there's the ubiquitous "no worries".

I have also learned how to use a few common Australian terms, such as "massive" and "heaps", rather than "huge" and "tons". Aussies also like to shorten words, and they sometimes add "ie" to the end, such as with "ciggie" (cigarette), "mozzie" (mosquito), "cardie" (cardigan), "gummie" (chewing gum), "mushie" (mushroom) and "sunnies" (sunglasses). Other words are just plain different, such as "pokies" (slots), "tucker" (food) and "bathers" or "swimmers" (swim suit). If something is amazing but true, Aussies sometimes say it's "fair dinkum". I love the way people talk here! It is English, but it's Aussiefied.

The other thing I've (sort of) learned is how crazy Aussies are about football, their football, that is: Aussie rules "footy". My aunt is a season ticket holder for the Geelong Cats, who apparently are the best team in the league. Footy is played on a large oval field, it's appears complicated and hectic, very rough (no padding!), and so different from American football, yet it does overlap a bit with our football, rugby, and soccer. I had a blast at the game, and I cheered loud for the Cats, at least when I knew what was going on!

Gallery: Australia

laurentravels08 — Sat, 2 Aug 2008 16:44:00 GMT

Pie for Lunch

laurentravels08 — Fri, 1 Aug 2008 09:23:00 GMT

Unless you've done some traveling outside the U.S., you're not accustomed to finding a myriad of savory pies on every street corner. In Australia (as elsewhere), "pies" are not very sweet, they're usually filled with meat and gravy, and often enjoyed on the run, at sporting events, with a cold beer, for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. My mom adores savory pies, so of course we had them for lunch on our first day in Australia. These pies are piping hot, salty on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Sydney is great, but the airport was a nightmare. It's unorganized and their signage is terrible. Still, we somehow made our way to baggage claim and located a shuttle service to take us to the hotel. Sydney's just like any other busy, busting major city. Honestly, it could probably pass for being almost anywhere in the world, until someone opens his or her mouth. I'm trying to learn the Aussie accent but I'm not really succeeding.

So far, I have seen Darling Harbor, the Sydney Opera House, enjoyed a nice harbor cruise, and taken in the sights and sounds. Everything is expensive here (plus, the Aussie $ is about equal to the U.S. $ right now), but the shopping is plentiful. The weather has been mostly sunny and not that cold, even though it is the middle of winter here. I think getting used to the colder temps has actually been a lot easier than adjusting to the shorter days... it starts getting dark at 4pm! Now that's enough to make a person want to eat more pie. Cheers!

Reunited for the First Time

laurentravels08 — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:06:00 GMT

I have just returned from the big family reunion in Singapore. There were over 150 relatives in attendance, all descendants of the late Tan Tock Seng, my great great great great grandfather (I'm 7th generation). We met for a huge banquet dinner the first night, followed by a visit to the Peranakan Museum and other festivities. I had a wonderful time learning about our shared culture and heritage. I had the opportunity to meet and get to know many relatives from around the world: Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Great Britain, the U.S., etc. One of our members compiled an extensive family tree including over 1,300 relatives. When printed out, the paper stretches 62 feet around the room. I knew many things about my heritage, but I learned a lot more this past week!

A little background... Peranakan means "local born" in Malay, and identifies the Straits Chinese people. In the 16th century, merchants immigrated to the Malaysian peninsula in order to seek their fortunes. They often married local women, and their descendants became known as Peranakan. They maintained some ancient Chinese customs, but have also created their own culture and traditions based on what was practical within their local Malaysian environment, and under the influence of westerners from Portugal, the Netherlands, and England. Peranakans are known for their delicious spicy cuisine, elaborate dress, fancy dishware, unique customs, fluent spoken English, as well as a language which is like Malay but still very different. My mother's parents are from Singapore, where many Peranakans still reside. My mom, her parents and her elder sister fled the area following the Japanese occupation, settling in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Three more of her sisters were born in Malaysia.

Singapore was a great city to visit. It is nice and clean, but not spotless as I had imagined, and it's what some people like to call extremely civilized. Most things are very expensive, but you know what you're paying for and this wealthy city-nation rarely disappoints. Besides the reunion events, I also visited Merlion Park in Singapore Harbor, the famous Raffles Hotel (http://www.travelandleisure.com/hotels/raffles-hotel-singapore-singapore-asia), Chinatown, Little India and the National Theater. I think I enjoyed Chinatown the most, for it's food, shopping and ambiance. It was raining that day, so we had to duck in and out of the vendor stalls, but it was still a really good time and I found lots of great treasures. I also enjoyed seeing the Emerald Hill house where my Grandmother, a Tan lady and our connection to the larger family, grew up. Trendy bars and restaurants now occupy the mouth of Emerald Hill, but fortunately, the row house facades have been historically preserved.

Our Tan family reunion was covered by multiple news publications, including the Straits Times. I would post the article here, which contained a photo of my mother and three of her sisters, but they require an on-line subscription... so, I will have to share it at a later time (see last journal entry). Also, for anyone who's interested in learning more about the Peranakans, there's a nice article about them and their Singapore roots in the July 2008 issue of Travel+Leisure.

My cousin just sent me this news link... yours truly in photo 1 of 2 and in the short video clip!:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/362535/1/.html

Gallery: Singapore

laurentravels08 — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:15:00 GMT

Lesson Number Three: Put Down the Gum

laurentravels08 — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:17:00 GMT

Tomorrow I'm taking an overnight train to Singapore. I have been advised that customs will not allow me to bring any chewing gum or pork to the tiny island nation. The gum isn't a huge loss, but I'm disappointed that I have to leave all my pork behind.

The train will take about eleven long, bumpy hours, but at least it offers luxury private cabins with bunk beds and toilet, plus a food car, whereas the bus does not. A week later I'll be returning to KL on an Aeroline bus, and I anticipate being very dehydrated for that trip.

All this travel is well worth the effort, as I'll get to attend a family reunion dinner with 200 relatives on my grandmother's side. This banquet in Singapore is being held in honor of our ancestor Tan Tock Seng's 210th birthday. Obviously, he will not be in attendance.

Tan Tock Seng was a businessman and philanthropist. A well-known Singapore hospital is named after him. Check it out:

http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_118_2005-01-22.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan_Tock_Seng_Hospital

I'm looking forward to the family reunion dinner, and to visiting the hospital. Meeting the Tan clan will be an interesting experience, to say the least. I have heard stories about my grandmother's old house, and I may even have a chance to see it inside and out. No doubt it has changed a lot over the years.

I'm also excited to spend a few days in Singapore. The food and shopping are supposed to be just as amazing, or better, than in Malaysia. Singapore is a very clean, and extremely strict, country. I will try to be on my best behavior.

Similar, yet Different

laurentravels08 — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:08:00 GMT

There are many languages spoken in Malaysia, the result of a storied history. All the locals speak English, as well as Malay, and sometimes a Chinese dialect. Much of the written English is spelled slightly different than I am accustomed to. A few notable examples:

Taxi = Teksi

Restaurant = Restoran

Museum = Muzium

Commuter = Komuter

Boutique = Butik

Tea = Teh

Ice = Ais

Hockey = Hoki

Counter = Kaunter

Lobby = Lobi

Insurance = Insurans

Express = Ekspres

Lucky for me, these words are mostly pronounced the same. I'm still working on my accent though... speech is often followed by sounds such as "ahh" and "lah", which punctuate and enhance intended meaning. It's difficult to explain, but interesting to listen to. If I happen to talk like this the next time you see me, please be kind, ahh?

Lesson Number Two: Lanes Optional

laurentravels08 — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:32:00 GMT

Driving in Malaysia is an interesting study in survival. Everyone speeds, everyone tailgates. Three centimeters constitutes sufficient clearance for merging and cutting off fellow drivers. Lanes on the highway are merely a suggestion, in case one cares to use them.

It's amazing though, how the flow of traffic is still very fluid (whether too fast or too slow). Local drivers apparently know exactly what they're doing, which is why I have decided to abstain from driving in this country. Staying on the left-hand side of the road is difficult enough, not to mention the stress caused by near collisions and over eager Protons sucking at my bumper.

In addition, there are a ton of motorcycles here, which tend to cut in and out of traffic as if they're merely part of a video game. They also go the wrong way on one-way streets whenever they can get away with it. I even saw a family of four perched on a motorbike yesterday. Looks like loads of fun, but I think I'll pass on that one. I prefer to let my taxi driver play the odds.

Lesson Number One: Food is the Only Thing

laurentravels08 — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:25:00 GMT

The Malaysian culture revolves around food. I thought I understood this, but I was wrong. It is the single most important, and talked about, topic. My mother and her sisters can literally discuss the qualities and merits of certain cuts of meat for over an hour. I sat and listened to them talk about how to buy pork, how to prepare it, how to cook it, how to season it, how long to do this and that, and at what temperature, how other people prepare and cook it, how to eat it, how to enjoy it, blah blah blah...

You get the idea. Every conversation is bound to turn towards food at some point. If they aren't eating, they're planning the next meal, as well as the one after that. It's amazing the Malay people aren't all 400 pounds! But I realize that eating represents community, shared enjoyment and a love for what it reflects in one's culture. Mealtime is a joyous occasion not to be missed. As one Malay friend quipped, "Most people eat to live; we live to eat."

Another thing I have learned is that people eat dinner very late here. There is often tea or early dinner (with a variety of cakes and snacks) in the afternoon, followed by a later supper. I think we ate around 11:30pm last night. I was more tired than hungry, but I did what I had to do. I guess the moral of the story is that you need to pace yourself. Enjoy your favorite dishes but be sure it's in moderation, because you know there will be a lot more food coming.

You must excuse me, I have to go now, it's time to eat...

Granny and Offspring

laurentravels08 — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:06:00 GMT

My grandmother Doris likes to say "alamak!" (silent "k"), which is about equivalent to "oh dear!" or the less formal "WTF" in English. I learned the alamak exclamation from my parents when I was young. Mom and Dad would often pepper their speech with Malay phrases, especially when they didn't want my brother and me to understand what they were saying. It was very annoying. But we were quick learners.

The other night our group of seven took two teksis (taxis) from our hotel in KL to nearby Subang Jaya, where my aunt and her family live. My grandmother (I call her Granny) lives with them. We visited, exchanged gifts, took photos, and caught up on things. When my uncle returned home from a badminton match around 9pm we all piled into two cars and went to a restaurant for a late dinner. There was a lot of seafood: crab, prawns, oysters, squid... I'm not a big shellfish fan, but I made a point to try a bit of everything. Aren't you proud of me?

After dinner we returned to my relatives' home and had a couple drinks. We chatted and laughed and laughed. They're all so funny my side still hurts. Most of all, it was a treat to see and get to know each other again. The last time I saw Granny was about 15 years ago, so this visit is long overdue. Of course, it's not easy considering we live on the opposite side of the globe from each other. Now I'm here doing my best to appreciate every single moment in this country. It's a blessing to have this luxury of time, for once. When I finally have to go back to work, the first word out of my mouth will certainly be "alamak!".

Curry for Breakfast

laurentravels08 — Mon, 7 Jul 2008 20:59:00 GMT

That's right, I had chicken curry and nasi lemak for breakfast this morning. I could eat spicy food for every meal, and it's actually possible here!

The flight from Seattle to KL via Taiwan was long and tiring (not to mention we lost a whole day traveling), but I'm glad to be here. So far I have enjoyed the hotel pool, the shopping, and of course, the food. It's very humid, but I'm adjusting!

I'm traveling with my mom and we're very happy to be visiting with family. I have an aunt, uncle and two cousins also here from Australia. Tonight I have another aunt arriving from England, with her family to follow. Tomorrow I'll get to see my local relatives, including my 90-year-old grandmother. She's one of the funniest people in the world.

Gallery: Malaysia

laurentravels08 — Mon, 7 Jul 2008 20:51:00 GMT