I suddenly find myself with a sexy little laptop to play with, recuperating in Kuala Lumpur, inflicting myself on the unwitting hospitality of my First Niece, Tricia, getting over the worst bitch of a cold ever.
Or maybe I am just getting over travel fatigue. It’s sheer delight to be in a private home, with these wondrous things like a fridge, a hammock, family, a kitty and a poodle. Big burly Yorkshire Chris taking Zukie the Wonder Poodle out for walkies is truly something to see. Maybe a bit of home living is just what I need at this point in my life and travels.
Christmas in Asia was about as odd as I thought it would be. My sister Christine and her husband Rex flew out from wintry Saskatchewan to spend xmas with their daughter (aforementioned First Niece) Tricia in steamy, muggy Kuala Lumpur. And with Chris and I only a couple hours away via sexy budget airline Air Asia, well, we couldn’t miss the chance to join the family adventure. So, I find myself in this city that was a complete unknown for me. And as I never had much interest in the place, so I fully expected it to remain unknown. And, it's great. A real British Empire gem without the cultural baggage of some colonial outposts (like, say, Canada).
We did all the sights in KL - went an elephant sanctuary, the Batu Caves with the crazy monkeys and psychedelic shrines and ooh’ed and aah’ed at the Petronas Towers.
But for me, really, it’s all about One Utama. This huge mega-mall about a block from Tricia’s place has it all, and I love it. Free wireless, cheap cinema and every chain store or restaurant I have ever heard of from Canada and the UK mixed up with great Asian food and junk. It’s a weird shopping synthesis for me. TGIFridays. Marks & Spencer. Cinnabon, Dorothy Perkins, Roots, Boots. Dunkin’ Donuts. Pukka Pies. A&W. And after eight months of backpacking, serious consumer overload for me.
And, hurrah, it’s even where we spent New Year’s Eve. Yup, we went to the mall. Big-to-Malaysians pop bands. Silly String areas (buy a can for 10p and spray away). Dance mat contests. And not a drop of booze. You 'could' buy beer, but this being Malaysia there wasn't a drunk or puking yob in sight.
So it was the sweetest little NYE ever. And we wish you all the sweetest new year ever.
The thing about blogs, right, is that once you fall behind, it's a bitch to try to catch up.
Anyhow, it's a new year in some parts of the world, so here goes. I am going to upload news of our travels in some semblance of order even if it is a bit late in the day.
Enjoy, let me know what you think, and apologies in advance for the random chaos of my life and times.
