Cameron Highland Spiders, Fancy Balls, and More

Living as diplomats abroad is a weird mix of experiences. You attend cocktail parties and balls with ambassadors, you live next door to your coworkers, you go to doctor appointments at the embassy, your house is filled with government-provided furniture, your kids attend schools you would never be able to afford without State Department subsidies, you get a variety of wild driving experience, and the list goes on and on.

I am just really enjoying soaking all of these experiences up and observing it all in my own little corner. Life is such an interesting adventure, you know?

A couple weekends ago, we took our first overnight vacation here in Malaysia. We drove 3 hours to a place called the Cameron Highlands. Known for its cooler temperatures, high elevation, unique flora and fauna, tea farms, and strawberry fields, the Cameron Highlands is a popular tourist destination.

In places like this, hotels seem to be in one of two categories: 1) Cheap and dumpy, and 2) Expensive and nice. There doesn’t seem to be much in-between.

Not wanting to spend a fortune on lodging, we found the most expensive, best reviewed hotel in the cheap, #1 category, a place I’ve since named, “the Spider house.”

When we arrived to our home away from home, we made some interesting observations:

-We couldn’t drink the water unless we boiled it.

-The walls were covered in all sorts of interesting stains.

-The dishes that were provided didn’t appear to be clean.

-The bedding didn’t appear to be clean.

-It was cold

-There was no heater

-One ultra-thin blanket lay across each bed

-Ceiling corners were filled with tangles of large, winged bugs caught in cobwebs

-The house was filled with spiders, including one especially large mama in the living room, above the T.V. (The kids named her “Sneaker.” Thanks, Kids.)

I walked to the lobby and asked for more blankets. The woman at the desk said comforters weren’t provided, but that I could rent them for 50 rm per comforter per night. I returned to the room blanket-less.

A friend warned us about this– how the hotels up there were without frills and commodities. So, we took a deep breath, killed a few spiders, and dressed the kids in thick sweatpants for bed.

That night, after checking for bedbugs (no signs, thank goodness), I pulled the sheet back to climb into bed. Near my pillow, I discovered a wad of black hair.

I don’t know what else to say about that.

..

The next morning, we brought a few of our *grievances* to the manager, who responded apathetically but sent someone to spiff up our room a bit.

Meanwhile, we left to explore the Cameron Highlands! Our first stop was “The Mossy Forest,” an apparently beautiful hike up a mountain road. We had been warned that Said Mountain Road was slightly treacherous, but we decided give our gutless, 2-wheel drive Toyota Picnic the challenge anyway. 

 Boy, was that road a challenge. After about a mile, we hit a patch of potholes, gravel, and bumps that we thought would surely deflate our Mossy Forest dreams, if it didn’t deflate a tire first. On the ascent up this bouncy, air-popping section, we met a car coming down. Unfortunately the road was so narrow, we had to back down to the side of the road, stopping at a steep and gravely incline.  

When the car passed us, Mike attempted to get the Toyota up the incline, but the wheels spun against the gravel. We couldn’t move forward. We had backed up in such a precarious way that behind us was now a deep gulch. We couldn’t move backward. We were stuck.

Mike told me to get the kids out of the car. We all gathered to the side of the road while the kids said, “I’m scared!” and “I’m going to say a prayer!”

“Yes, let’s say a prayer that Daddy can get the car back on the road.”

Then we watched as Daddy put the car in low gear and gunned it. Wheels spun, the engine roared, the car grunted and gripped at the gravel, and lurched itself up the hill to where asphalt waited. Thank goodness!

We hopped in the car and continued up the windy dindy mountain turns.

The Mossy Forest was beautiful. A wooded pathway led us through pitcher plants, a misty mountain lookout, a giant centipede, and lots of jungle. When we started the hike, the jungle was quiet and cool. By the end, it was warm and sunny, bringing the jungle to life with noisy cicadas and other insects. 

On the much smoother ride down the mountain, we passed several wild dog packs hanging out on the side of the road. They looked so friendly, all tails wagging  and trotting along. You could tell they were very used to human interaction, and I almost wanted to pet them, but knowing wild dogs can carry rabies here, we thought it best to leave them alone.

Next we visited a tea plantation.  The tea plants lining the hillsides were beautiful. We ate lunch at the Boh Tea Center, bought some herbal tea, and came across the biggest millipede I’ve ever seen in my life. All of us were mesmerized.

Next, we stopped at a small carnival since the kids were begging, and enjoyed watching them have fun on the rides. We all rode the Ferris Wheel together – that thing seemed awfully old, rusty, creaky, and freaky, but we made it safely back to the ground and everyone was happy. 

 

We ended the night going to our first night market in Malaysia. It was packed with street food that smelled delicious. After buying all sorts of fruit, goodies, and fried foods, we returned to our spider house, which we were pleased to discover looked a bit cleaner (and the sheets had been changed). 

That night, we decided to take showers (we were too scared to the night before). The hot water lasted about 2 minutes, so we kept them pretty short. 

Speaking of hotel room adventures, we kept discovering all sorts of interesting bugs in and near our room. It was so fascinating.  

The next day, we attempted a hike through the jungle. We found the trail to what was supposed to be one of the “easiest” hikes in the area. It started off in a field of beautiful wild flowers buzzing with bird-sized bumble bees. It quickly turned into a tunnel of overgrown vines you had to climb through. We didn’t last long before kids were protesting, but we enjoyed the echoing call to prayer from a nearby mosque on the way back. 

 

Other destinations in the Highlands included:

-The Lavender Garden, which had lavender ice cream and a giant castle

-The Bee Farm, filled with boxes of beehives and beautiful flowers

-Cactus Valley, filled with cactus and flowers

-A cool, Chinese Temple

-The morning Market, where we ate popcicles and rode on more rides

 On our drive home from the Highlands, we stopped at a small rest area to prevent a repeat vomiting incident. There were some interesting wildlife hanging out (or up) nearby. What a fitting way to end our adventurous trip. 

 

Another notable event from the past couple weeks was Mike and I attending our first Marine Ball. We got to dress up fancy and stay up past midnight – two very rare occurrences.

After checking into the hotel where the ball was taking place, we mingled for a bit and then entered the dining room where the marine presentation took place. A marine ball celebrates the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps, so the presentation highlighted its purpose and history as well as honoring marines present. I really liked that and couldn’t help but feel proud that my dad was a marine who fought in war courageously, and was awarded the Purple Heart.

Next, we were served a three-course meal, followed by dancing for the rest of the evening.

What kind of music will there be at a black tie embassy event? I wondered this in the days leading up to the ball. Mike and I practice our fox trot, swing, and cha-cha, just to be prepared.

Well, there was one cha-cha song, which we had a nice time dancing to. The rest of the night was techno music, songs like “it’s getting hot in here,” and weirdly, a significant number of NSYNC hits. It was like traveling back into junior high, (but with drunk people).   

I had a lot of fun dancing with my girlfriends in our own little corner while our husbands watched from afar. What a different, fun, glamorous experience – definitely something you don’t do every day – or even every 10 years.

 

It’s Christmas time here in Malaysia. The warmest Christmas we’ve ever experienced! I’ve heard of people cranking the AC up in their houses and dressing in warm clothes to feel more festive. I may try that. But with the Christmas tree up, stockings hung, lights gleaming through the window, pine scented candles, and Christmas music playing in the background, it’s pretty merry and bright around here. 

It also helps that our home finally feels “complete.” The decorating is done. The pictures are hung. We feel cozy and comfortable in our Malaysia home. 

That's it for now. See you in the new year!

Swimsuits, bathrooms, dead rats, and more

When we first visited a Malaysian Beach and saw everyone wearing swim suits with long sleeve, pants, and head coverings, I have to admit, I thought, “Man, I don’t think I could do that! That’s gotta be so hot and uncomfortable.” I then proceeded to cover every inch of my bare skin in sun screen.

The thing about sunscreen here in Malaysia…How do I put this? It doesn’t seem to work. I use 120 SPF and I’m still burning an hour later. 

On another recent beach trip, while I was waist deep in ocean water, I recall remarking, “Did anybody else feel a sting?” To which my friend replied with, “Yeah, I felt a couple too.” Determining that we were probably in some sort of jelly fish entanglement, we retreated closer to shore.

So between the unpleasant sun burns and the unnerving jelly fish stings, it only took three beach trips to realize that, “Huh. You know, these Malaysians are onto something.”

So anyway, here's my new swim suit (I got one for all the kids, too).

 Oh, Malaysia, your swim suits have excellent coverage and your vacuums bring a smile to my face (see previous post). But can we also talk about how your flimsy brooms drive me crazy when I’m trying to sweep up anything heavier than flour? And how your bathrooms scare and confuse me? 

 

Seriously though, you need to participate in a regular regimen of squat exercises just to use these bathrooms. (Or wait, you could just use them regularly and that IS your squat regimen...) There are different kinds of hoses in there, the floor is always soaked, and I keep seeing these buckets of water, with little ladles inside. Is the water clean? Does everybody who goes in there use it to clean themselves? I’m scared! And the fact that there is usually no toilet paper to be seen can be very tricky for a toilet-paper-loving lady like me. That's why I try keep an extra roll with me wherever I go...

In the last couple months, we’ve visited many different places here in Malaysia. Here’s a summary:

-        -The Kuala Lumpur bird park, which is the largest free-range aviary in the world apparently.

o   Pelicans block the paths, Ibis fly past your head, big-beaked egrets threaten to snap at you, and peacocks try to sneak a bite when you stop for ice cream.  You can feed ostriches without any supervision and take pictures with parrots. It’s one of our new favorite places.

-          -The Pudu wet market.

o   There were all sorts of live and dead fish, raw meat, ?prairie dogs? for sale as pets, chickens ready to butcher, birds, moon cakes, and all kinds of never-before-smelled aromas (sometimes not in a good way). 

 

-          -The KL Zoo

o   This was an interesting place. Compared to America, not much between you and the animals. As we walked past the seal exhibit, zoo employees shouted for us to “get back,” while we watched them chase down and surround a vulture that had apparently escaped from its cage.

o   As we were leaving the zoo, we passed an (un-fenced) pond that was active with movement. What was inside there? Upon further inspection, we discovered MANY large monitor lizards swimming fast and getting closer to us than what I’d call comfortable. When I first peaked into the water, one snapped and splashed at me. Woah!

o   Right after the monitor lizard sightings, we passed a gang of monkeys – outside a cage, mind you. Nothing extraordinary about that here in Malaysia, but these guys seemed a little too un-inhibited for our liking. We kept our distance, but as we walked down the path, I looked up in a tree and instantly met a male monkey’s eyes. He growled at me with big yellow teeth and looked like he was about to leap over to gnaw on my face! Needless to say, I backed far away and we all got as much space in between us as possible.

o   The lions and tigers kept roaring at each other. It was so crazy to hear that echoing through the zoo. A SCARY sound. “How come I’ve never heard that at a US zoo?” I kept on thinking.

o   We probably won’t go back to the zoo any time soon, but it made for some interesting observations. 

-           The KL Butterfly park

o   This place was like heaven on earth. Beautiful flowers and the most dazzling, brightly-colored butterflies gliding all over. 

 -          Several jungle hikes

o   A friend and I decided to check out a local hike early one Saturday morning. After several GPS fails, wrong turns (this happens to me A LOT here), and asking for directions, we found the trail head! It led to this dark, narrow trail through the dark, creepy jungle. I wasn’t so sure about it, but eventually, it opened up more and led us on a beautiful hike through the coolest twisty vines and a beautiful overlook of the city. We stopped for a moment to let mountain bikers pass, and as we sat there waiting, we could hear rustling all around us. We looked around and saw NOTHING. Still, the rustling continued, in all directions. It’s hard to explain the feeling of being surrounded by something, hearing it coming closer on all sides, and yet, it being completely invisible. Finally, the image of mischievous little monkeys emerged from the treetops. There’s something SO cool about being surrounded by monkeys (except when they’re like that freaky one at the zoo – luckily these ones gave us space and did their own thing). 

 o   There’s a couple other hikes in the city we’ve done as well. Even in these inner-city hikes, the jungle is filled with SO many little creatures, plants, and sounds. I’m so happy when we go and explore! 

--          -Batu Caves

o   This is a holy place for Hindus. There are stairs leading up into a huge cave where temples and holy areas are built. Visitors are asked to climb the stairs without their shoes because it’s a sacred place. (Nice) monkeys lined the staircase and the view at the top was very pretty. While our feet got pretty dirty, it was a neat and interesting experience for the whole family. I’ve really enjoyed learning about Hinduism while living here! 

-         -KL Tower and mini zoo

o   The KL tower is the highest place you can go to view the city, so that was neat! At the bottom, there’s also a mini zoo that was very interactive. We got to pet a wallaby, giant tortoise, several bunnies, and a ferret. The creepiest part of the trip was walking down the trail and seeing a giant gold orb weaver spider (look it up – ah!) that wasn’t a part of the zoo, but just another attraction hanging out in its web above our heads. 

-         - A mountain waterfall/local swimming hot spot

o   About 50 minutes away, up the mountains is this waterfall attraction which is pretty popular among the locals. The parking lot is filled with chickens, cats, and wild dogs. You pay 1 RM (about 25 cents) to enter. Below the waterfall are several pools you can swim in. Silvery-pink lizards dart around and big, warty frogs sit motionless on the rocks. Around the waterfall is a steep staircase leading to the top. We took these stairs and found another series of waterfalls and pools, including a natural waterslide. While it looked bumpy, the waterslide was slick and covered with moss making the ride down fast, painless, and very exciting. Every one of the kids tried it, even our 3 year old (on Mom’s lap and with floaties :D). Man, this place was awesome! The only downside was the piles and piles of garbage packed above the banks and behind the dilapidated canopies. Plus there were no bathrooms up there. But hey, that’s just par for the course.  The beaches were the same – so much garbage - but beautiful otherwise!

What else can I say about Malaysia observations? Well, in Malaysia, there are wild dog packs that roam the streets, and sadly dead dogs lying in the road aren’t uncommon. I was pretty shocked when I saw it for the first time. :(

That reminds me, in Malaysia, you may pass a dead rat on your way to school in the morning. 

On a weirdly similar note, the number 4 is avoided in Malaysia because it apparently sounds like the Chinese word for “death.”

On a happier note, Deepavali, the biggest Hindu holiday, recently passed, and it was fun learning about the meanings of all the colors and lights from our friend Indra. She explained that the bright colors and designs of rangoli (see pic below) bring happiness and is a way to celebrate and feel joy. Candles are placed on the rangoli outside the front door of people’s home to invite God inside, bring light, and allow anything bad in their lives to leave the house. She also explained that in the morning of Deepavali, Hindus take an oil bath, which also represents washing negative and bad things away. I really enjoyed learning from her and she even provided clay candle holders for the kids and created a simple rangoli in our living room.

After three months, I feel comfortable driving here. Every time I drive somewhere new or far away, I just tell myself, “get ready for an adventure,” because the google and i-phone maps are slow and many times incorrect, so VERY often, destinations are tricky to locate. Plus, there’s always the parking challenge. For example, a couple weeks ago, I drove to a dentist appointment across town. I followed the signs for parking around the back of a building and down a narrow opening to an underground parking garage. This driveway down was extremely narrow and signs kept saying “Guest parking on B5”. Well, TEN! levels later (Each number had two levels), I FINALLY reached guest parking, and there was one itsy bitsy little spot left that I had to squeeze into using a 20-point turn….Adventure!

What else?

There are some awesome people here who have become great friends. The kids are so happy and are all in school full-time now (except the youngest). Our youngest enjoys swimming, playdates, riding her scooter, and playing with the hamsters we bought when we moved here. She also just potty trained, so that sure makes life easier!

More and more has been opening up, so we are hopeful about family and friends being able to travel here soon. The quarantine is down to 1 week from 2 – a good sign! We have online church right now, but it should start in-person in less than a month, so that’s exciting as well! (Although kids aren't allowed because they aren’t vaccinated…hmph).

This last week, the remainder of our stuff arrived, including our beloved tigerwood piano, so our house feels more like home.  I just want to get one more indoor plant, and hang a few more pictures, and I’ll feel like it’ll be officially and sufficiently “decorated.” When it is, I’ll probably post a picture or two.

Anyway, we are happy - It’s monsoon season with "cool" 88-degree temperatures right now, we are excited for the holidays coming up, we all recently got our rabies shots – we can’t complain. Life is good! 

On a final note: speaking of monsoons, a couple of pictures of the kids swimming in the rain, and building a fort out of palm trees in the rain: