Greetings from Temerloh!

We've moved away from the more developed western side of peninsular Malaysia. Here, the roads are dark corridors at night. Temerloh is the town of the Patin fish, an icon that decorates the town infrastructure. We ate Patin fish upon arrival, steamed and doused in a light, sweet sauce. It was very good.

We presented at the Rotary Club of Temerloh meeting on the first evening here, and it almost turned out to be the "obligatory" GSE-presentation-without-PowerPoint. Then at the last minute, success. The computer connected, and we shared our slides about Oregon and ourselves.

Somehow like the calm that Malaysian drivers seem to possess on the busy streets where motorbikes race by and cars turn into traffic, I felt unconcerned about doing a presentation without a projector. After all, our Temerloh hosts said, "You give us your best tonight at our Rotary meetings, and we give you the best of Temerloh on your itinerary." We have yet to see our hosts flustered either behind the driver's wheel or guiding us through planned and unplanned events on our schedule. I hope I am absorbing some of the Malaysian calm demeanor.

Yesterday we had a boat ride on the Pahang River and visited Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary, where we got to feed and ride elephants. We were all heartbroken about the conflicts and severe habitat loss facing Malaysian elephants, but also glad to see conservation efforts. Riding an elephant bareback was fun and prickly!

Today I go to visit a mountain cave. Temerloh is a very short paragraph in Lonely Planet, and this particular cave area isn't even mentioned. All the more reason to appreciate our GSE experiences here, which we would never have discovered without our hosts and home-stays.

Greetings from Klang!

Since Klang is not so far from Kuala Lumpur (KL), we arrived by train from Ipoh to KL and were met at the station by Rotarian Aaron Samuel, our coordinator while in Klang. He described Klang as a cowboy town of 1 million. In spite of its population it retains many frontier and port city aspects. On the way to my homestay we encountered cattle grazing and crossing the street amidst housing developments and businesses.

We experienced a terrific downpour and thunderstorm while we presented to the Rotary Club of Klang yesterday evening. Every time there was thunder our projector screen shook just a little.

Our cultural visit (and for me, vocational visit) earlier yesterday was an outing to Batu Caves and Dark Cave. We had been warned about the aggressive macaques, and everything we had been told was true. They snatched any plastic bag or drink that they could from the hands of tourists, and generally made a mess. But of course there was some appeal to seeing them up close, including the babies. We snapped lots of photos.


The cave itself was filled with shrines and lit with impossibly high skylights. Though a tourist attraction, many devout Hindus were there to perform religious functions, including old men and women carrying babies up the 272 stairs to the cave. The huge Murugan Statue was surrounded by scaffolding as it was being cleaned.

Dark Cave, adjacent to Batu Caves, was an entirely different experience. Not lit except for skylights and the flashlights we carried, we had a 45-minute tour with an emphasis on ecology and conservation. Our guide carried a notebook with photo prints of cave life, including flatworms, trapdoor spiders, and millipedes. Overhead the fruit bats chirped and chattered, and far above we could see them coming and going from a misty skylight. The cave was rich with guano and cockroaches, and home to a timid dog. A massively tall flowstone formation featured films of cascading water, the best visual depiction I've ever seen of how flowstone forms.

Globalisation has certainly reduced degrees of separation. Not only all this time have we not been far from American pop radio stations, but often at food areas there is at least one "Western" hawker stall that offers food like french fries and pizza. Over and over we meet Malaysians who speak sophisticated, British English as fluently as the languages spoken in their homes. At Batu Cave I encountered a tourist wearing an Oregon t-shirt. And then last night after the Rotary meeting, Ashley learned that her host has a cousin who is an alumni of MIUSA, the organization where she works. She will meet him in the next few days.

Planned for the duration of our stay in Klang: vocational visits, a cultural tour of Klang, and a Tamil wedding dinner!

Greetings from Ipoh!

Greetings from the Guilin of Malaysia! You might not catch this geographic reference unless you are from China (note that nearly 25% of Malaysians trace their ancestry to China). We are very impressed by the "karst towers" surrounding Ipoh: sheer cliffs of stained limestone pocked with literally hundreds of caves. Over 70 of them are used as temples.

When we arrived to Ipoh we each experienced something different our first evening with our host families. After an afternoon nap to offset the previous late night packing, I went with my host parents to Ipoh's Little India and later, the Ipoh City & Country Club where we had a karaoke room that fit about a dozen people. A favorite band among Malaysians appears to be Air Supply from Australia. I was not familiar with those songs but able to sing along to John Denver, Abba, and Old MacDonald (for the kids with us).



Ashley belts out a pop tune with host family and friends at KBox karaoke.


The next day we traveled west toward Lumut to visit the campus of Outward Bound, an international not-for-profit organization that offers leadership courses based in outdoor experiences for youth and companies who send their staff for professional development. Their longest course lasts 25 days, which includes trekking, boating, and solo camping.

In the afternoon we shopped among souvenir stalls and succumbed to a craving for ice cream. We were also hosted for part of the afternoon at the home of Past President Saw Eng Thai, who used some kind of long-handled machete to saw off several fresh coconuts so we could enjoy some cooling coconut water to stave off the afternoon heat and humidity. Such hospitality!

We spent the evening dining under a shelter from the rain, a restaurant where we were served course after course of seafood, including a variety of clam (I think), crab prepared two ways (we are not as efficient as our Malaysian hosts at shelling it), fish cooked and served whole (we are used to this now), and fish stomach soup (not used to this yet). There is a lot of finger food, but a sink to wash your hands is commonly found in the eating area, not just in the restaurant bathroom.

This morning I had my first taste of Old Town White Coffee from the original location. This has become a franchise now, but the franchise locations are reputedly not as good as the original.



The GSE team enjoys a nice cold White Coffee with our friend Louis Foo.

We had a walking heritage tour of Old Town Ipoh, which was influenced largely by the British. After lunch at the best noodle restaurant in town, we traveled to a nearby pomelo farm where we sampled the fruit and engaged the farm owner in a discussion about meditation.



GSE host and RC Kinta member Stewart Hoo beats the heat in the shade of a pomelo tree.


Lastly, we visited Kek Look Tong, a Chinese temple in a cave. On their own the cliffs containing the cave were impressive, and you could watch single beads of water drip and fall down, down, down. Painted on the cave ceiling near the entrance: 547, as in 547 feet, the ceiling height. Whoa! Inside, natural features like rimstone and stalactites set the stage for statues of Buddha and Chinese deities.

Almost every day there are a few heavy rain showers with thunder; lightning on the horizon is normal most nights, really, nothing to talk about when you notice it from an open-air restaurant.

Thanks to Immediate Past President and former GSE Team Member Kelvin Chow, who arranged our Ipoh itinerary, which has included such outstanding food and a nice arrangement of visits that surveyed history, agriculture, and natural features of the area.

This evening we presented at the Rotary Club Intercity Meeting. Tomorrow (actually, later today) we go separately to our vocational visits.

இரவு வணக்கம்
晚安
早抖
Selamat malam!
Good night!

Greetings from Taiping!

We have had a great experience in the City of Everlasting Peace. On the day of arrival three of our group participated in a Hash Run, which took us through residential neighborhoods where Malay children smiled and waved, then along a single-track paved motorbike path, and finally up a steep slope through dense jungle, where we grabbed skinny vines and trunks to pull ourselves up as we found our footing in slippery clay mud. Did I mention there was a creek crossing? The three of us soaked our shoes and between us found about six leeches around our ankles and lower legs. Not a big deal though - they are relatively painless - and afterward we enjoyed Indian curries and danced to karaoke songs.

The next day we visited Maxwell Hill, which was much cooler and misty compared to the very humid air at the War Memorial. To get there we were split into two groups to ride in a jeep up a very steep and winding, but paved, road. At the Hill we had very little view because of the mist, but we enjoyed the atmosphere, reminiscent of of a foggy day on the Oregon Coast. The facilities we found at Maxwell Hill were built by the British for a residence/retreat from the hotter conditions in the valley below.

On Thanksgiving Day we each separately attended our vocational visits.

Yesterday we visited a mostly-Chinese fishing village. The fresh fish served at lunch was incredible, and we enjoyed views and cooling breezes on a deck overlooking the river, as fishing boats pulled in and out of the dock. In the evening we presented at the Intercity meeting.

It has not escaped our notice the local use of the punctuation "lah" for emphasis at the end of sentences and phrases, sprinkled into conversation similar to the Argentine "che" or the Canadian "eh." Possibly the American equivalent is "you know?"

So we've realized that our time in Taiping went by quickly, lah! Thanks to our hosts Past President Vijay and his wife Suzanne, Past President Varpal and his wife Zabedah, President Sugitha, Past President Shobhana, and Rotarian Fahmy for an excellent itinerary and their generosity and hospitality making us feel at home here.

This morning we depart for Ipoh.

Greetings from Penang!

Did you know that the "Pearl of the Orient" is also the "Silicon Valley of the East"? Penang is a place where high-rise residential condominiums and an industrial park co-exist with pristine beaches and ancient rain forest. Within a half hour drive you can quit the city for the high-pitched whine of cicadas in Penang National Park.

Assistant Governor Lee Li Fong arranged an excellent itinerary for us. Our first evening we were greeted by our host families at the bus station and treated to what seemed to us like a feast of Indian food. Various curries, tandoori chicken, fried fish, and naan were passed around the table.

The next morning I was particularly excited about our plan to visit Penang National Park. Though the park ranger was not on duty because it was the weekend, we had a knowledgeable Malay guide who introduced us to the rain forest flora: a fern that curls its leaves when touched, tree resins used for book bindings, and pitcher plants! At the end, we visited a meromictic lake, which contains saltwater and freshwater in separate layers.

The hike, about two hours long, was hot but worth it!

Yesterday evening our GSE team gave its first presentation, this one at the Intercity Meeting held in a hotel and attended by approx. 70 Rotarians.

This morning we toured the Adventist Hospital.

This afternoon our hosts escorted us separately on different tours of Penang, depending on our interests. Rotarian Michel Von Crombrugge took me to the Tropical Fruit Farm, where I learned about different fruit trees, their maturity times, and when the fruits are ripe. After the tour, we got to sample a variety of fruits, buffet style. There were at least a dozen! Did you know that pineapple grows on a low plant, not a tree? Did you know that dragonfruit, so popular here, is from Mexico? Have you ever seen a passionfruit flower, and how beautiful it is?

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!

Final Orientation

We met on Saturday, October 29, at the home of DGE Dell Gray, former team leader to the Philippines. We spent most of the time editing our team presentation, trying to get our time down to thirty minutes. The introductory five minutes is about our district, it's history, geography, and present day industry. The rest of the presentation, each person on the team shares about their profession, family, town of residence, recreation, and the Rotary Club that sponsored them. 

We went to lunch at Shanti's Indian restaurant in Roseburg and concluded the afternoon by dividing up the club banners we had already received, discussing packing issues, homestays, and itinerary. Thankyou to Tommi Drake, alternate team leader, who has been with us the entire time and for her good advice, information, and helpful insights during our preparation.


We will meet again on November 15 at 4:30 at the Eugene Airport to check in and have a farewell dinner.