First impressions

Well, I am finally over my jet lag. Yesterday was the first day since we've been in Malaysia that I made it past 4:00 PM (Malaysia time) without feeling like I needed to either throw up or fall asleep. Then I actually slept 5 hours in row last night. I have two more nights before I head home to do it in reverse.

So, things look a bit brighter today in spite of the haze which hangs over Kuala Lumpur from the burning rainforests in Indonesia.

This morning we left our hotel room, executing, as usual, the traveler's macarena - touching evey pocket top and bottom, right and left, front and back, to make sure the necessary documents, keys and wallets are in their appointed places. After a while it takes on a little rhythm of its own though it's still not foolproof and you have to make yur own music.

KL is about as different from New Hampshire as it could be. Densely populated, tropical, urban, ethnically diverse and chock full of shopping malls! The only thing people here like to do more than shop is eat. By their own confession, Malaysians live to eat. One older gentleman cheerfully told us, "That's all we do. That's all we talk about!" Hardly anyone here is obese, but they put away enormous amounts of food - round the clock, I'm told! So while there is no real weather to make small talk about, there's always food - Balinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Korean, North Indian, South Indian, Malaysian and more. Two nights ago we had dinner in a tiny open air Italian restaurant, with a real Italian chef!

We're starting to pick up on some of the local idioms; an overpass is a "flyover," food ordered to go is "take away," and a parking garage is a "car park." We're also getting used to the local fashions - full length black burkhas don't startle me any longer, even when they are worn in the wave pool of the resort! Burkhas aren't all that common, but nearly half the women here wear head scarves covering their hair and necks.

There are desperately poor people in Malaysia, some living in virtual servitude, but there are many very wealthy ones. I can hardly believe how much money there is around here. Some of the houses we have looked at to rent would cost close to a million dollars near where we live. Today we visited three "Smart Houses" in a new development. Lights, fans, power, etc. can all be controlled with a cellphone! But most houses still do not have hot water in the kitchen. They all have a bathroom for every single bedroom (including the maid's room), but hardly anyone has a clothes dryer. Just very different than what we are used to. But I don't think we'll be suffering here!

I have already run the gamut of emotions - I hate it, I love it, I can't stand this, I love that, I'm homesick, I'm fascinated by everything new. I can imagine the next two years will be the same way - lots of ups and downs. Right now the driving seems to be the biggest challenge for me. The roads here are so random; no exit numbers or route numbers on the highways, just signs saying where you can get to from the exit. There are so many ways to get to the same place that you see the same destinations on the signs over and over again. Which to take? They LOVE U-turns here. A lot of them are built-in to the system. Just beacuse you see the building you want to get to on the left doesn't mean you should get in the left-hand lane. It's as likely that you are expected to exit right and drive till you get to a U-turn. Then the joke around here is that "All roads lead to Ipoh" since you constantly see signs for it, whether you are traveling north, south, east or west!

The most terrifying part of driving for me (I have not gotten behind the wheel once, though I keep opening the driver's side door by mistake since it's on the right!) is the "hell-drivers" - the millions of motor-scooters that weave in and out of traffic, passing on both sides, sharing lanes with cars, seemingly coming out of nowhere to zip in front of your car. They are everywhere. They all drive to the front of the pack at every traffic light or jam. I am sure I will kill at least one of them in the two years we are here. Then I read in the newspaper about an accident between an SUV and a taxi where the taxi driver was killed. The incident was treated as a hit and run because the people in the SUV fled on foot after witnesses to the accident pulled them out of their car and began beating them. The witnesses were not charged with anything. Apparently righteous indignation is an acceptable motive. Fortunately "teksis" are cheap. I plan to live in them.

Well, those are enough first impressions. We are about to sign an agreement on a house today, probably in a country club (sigh). It has a lovely guest room (nudge, nudge knowwhatImean?)overlooking the pool. I hope it gets well-used!