Greetings from Malaysia!

If "the first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it,” then my impression of our home for the next 5-6 weeks is firstly one of warmth (with some lemongrass and clove cigarettes mixed in).

Approximately 24 hours since being sent off in style by our sponsors and friends of Rotary District 5110, "Team Sungai" arrived in Kuala Lumpur yesterday evening and were warmly received by our gracious hosts of Rotary District 3300, including Dr. Joy Varughese, the District GSE Chair; Mrs. Sylvia Jayanthimalar, President of the Danau Desa Rotary club; and Mr. Christie Daniels, Director and Club Admin of Danau Desa. "Warmly received" is an understatement - our hosts made us feel like rock stars!

To supplement this view from our room's balcony, imagine the hum of an air conditioner, sounds of construction in the distance, motorbikes whizzing, and "polite" honking.

We finally had a restful night's sleep in our hotel (generously provided by a Rotarian) after not one but two delicious meals with our hosts. Last night we surrounded a lazy Susan piled with Tom Yum (yes, we like it face-perspiringly spicy!), lemongrass Mee (a kind of noodle), chicken satay with a dark peanut sauce, and an array of garnishes. Although this particular meal was inspired by Thai specialties, Christie and Dr. Joy were quick to point out that a "typical" Malaysian dinner is often a fusion of flavors that may allude to Chinese, Indian, and other fare. For instance, the crispy fried rice (nasi) served with the meal, peppered with anchovies, is in a league of its own.

In the Eugene airport, Chandra had told my boyfriend Evan, "she's going to come back so spoiled," a prophecy that didn't take long to fulfill. As if being fed two huge meals and being put up in a comfy hotel weren't enough, Christie offered to take our team for a night drive through downtown KL. The city transforms and shimmers at night, and I have a feeling that our cameras won't really do justice to the sights we experience here.

Like this photo, the first 24 hours of our Malaysian experience have been a blur.

In future posts, we hope to transport our readers here with more photos and video when our Internet connection speed allows.

Following a quick debriefing with Dr. Joy later this morning, our team will jump aboard a coach bus to our next destination, Penang. Our first full day in Malaysia is about to begin, so jumpa lagi (see you) for now!