Sunday, May 22, 2011

humidddddddddity!

May 22, 2011

            Day three is coming to an end here in KL Tomorrow will be my first official day of work. I am happy I had the weekend to get to know my new home away from home a little better before I got thrown into the frying pan so-to-speak at the office. It is obviously hot and humid here, although it is more tolerable that I thought it would be. It has rained every afternoon, which keeps things cool. Today, however, it was sunny all day and it got very, very hot, even my host family had something to say about it.
           
            I really enjoy my host family. I am living here until the 26th and then I move into my apartment. The family – A, her mom A, and their dog Duchess live in a quaint bungalow just outside of town. Every evening you hear the call to prayer from the local mosque. It reminds me that I am nowhere near home, but I find the chanting soothing in a way. The family I am staying with is one of the few non-Muslim families in this area. It is interesting because the dog can’t get out of the yard because of Muslim rules regarding dogs. The hospitality I have received by them goes above and beyond anything I have ever experienced before. They have made a real effort to take me under their wing, which is comforting because at night I get homesick for the loved ones I left behind in the States. I’ve had trouble sleeping, which is also a surprise to me, as I have never felt like this before. I talked with some friends from home who moved away and they said that it is temporary and will fade with time. I’ve just been taking things one day at a time and focusing on learning as much as I can about this unique place.

            The food here is absolutely unbelievable. I have been eating foods with a little less spice than normal because I don’t want to overwhelm the system, but I am slowly building a tolerance (although today I had Nasi Lemak – a super spicy coconut rice with peanuts and small dried or fried fish and that combined with the intense heat of the day did not sit well with me, but I’ve definitely felt worse in my life…and ya, it was worth it). I haven’t been eating as much as I should, when I wake up at night I also wake up hungry. If I had to guess I would say it is a combination of being wary about food due to  my last experience overseas, plus the heat squelches my appetite.

            I have learned so much that I really don’t know where to begin so this post will seem a little disconnected. Friday was a wash due to jet lag, culture shock, and the general ‘blah-ness’ associated with 23 hours of plane travel.  I had an awesome Thai dinner of fried rice where the egg is wrapped around the rice and drizzled in sweet and sour sauce. Yummy! I was going to learn to cook some beef curry tonight, but my tummy isn’t up to it so we are having garlic (good for the stomach) beef instead. The water here is drinkable, most households filter their water, but it makes my stomach a little too bubbly for comfort so I am using my water purifier (which is alright with me, it was expensive so it needs some use). I’m also getting used to drinking a lot of tea and coffee with milk. Teh Tarik or pulled tea is a national drink here and I happen to love it. It’s also interesting because it cools you down even though it’s served hot.

            On Saturday we went to the mall, which was an interesting experience. They had all types of shops and of course this includes Muslim-appropriate fashion. There was a risqué (I love that word lol) lingerie shop situated in between two of said Muslim shops. It is just one of the many examples of a culture that is very mixed and very unique in the world. They also have grocery stores in malls here and I bought some snacks and breakfast food for the week. Groceries here cost in Ringgit numerically what they cost in dollars (US). Thus, they are a third the price (read: awesome!). I spent the rest of the day lounging around, writing in my journal, and hanging out with the family exchanging stories/various cultural things. They have a really nice covered patio out front with a fan and it was nice to sit and watch the storm roll in. When it rains here, it dumps (pours does not do it justice). I love the sound of rain and I like to watch thunderstorms, plus it cools everything down so much it’s hard not to be outside. One thunderbolt came very close to us and it cracked so loud it sounded like a Sequoia had been split in half.

            Today I went to mass (my host family is Catholic) for the first time in I’m guessing at least 7 years. I felt a bit weird because of my own personal thoughts on the institution of the Catholic Church, but I support people coming together to share spirituality and community so it ended up being quite nice. There are a few subtle differences that mass in the States, most notably most people dress in regular street clothes (read: lots of jeans and t-shirts) and the priest goes a lot faster than at home. The place was packed; people were even standing outside looking into the church during the mass. It was a medium sized place, but keep in mind religion is a major part of life here so it wasn’t too surprising. The mix of people was the most intriguing part of the ceremony. There were Indian women dressed in saris (some even had the Hindu jewelry and dot – excuse me I forget what it is called at the moment), Chinese families and Malays alike, old and young (a large number of teenagers). A even told me that some families bring their maids along to mass as well. A’s mom put it nicely by saying ‘In Malaysia culture is culture and religion is religion.’

Although I do not want to get too into it here, I am undergoing my own personal spiritual journey. Besides from all of the other reasons mentioned, I came here to have a chance to grow and learn about myself by removing myself from the things, people, and life I am comfortable with. I brought along a book on Buddhism that I have begun to read. I’ve done some recent research into Buddhist beliefs and I have been intrigued by Buddhist practices ever since I saw the Dali Lama speak back in 2008. A mentioned that the Sri Lankan Buddhist temple here teaches classes on Buddhism in English so I am thinking about going to one. Like I said, religion is personal and I have never been much of a religious person despite the fact that I went to a Catholic school for 4 years (although some may argue that is exactly why). However, in 2005 one of my closest friend’s died and that caused me to re-think the idea of spirituality. Without getting any more personal, I am inspired here to really think hard about religion as a separate system from the institution of religion. I don’t really know where I am going with this, but today I observed the mass through a filter I have never tried before and it was quite an experience.

            After mass had finished the congregation had a brunch outside that the youth groups put on. They sold food to raise money for various things that they were doing. I got to talk with my family’s niece. I met her last night and she was quite shy, but once we got talking she had some pretty interesting things to say. It was a great conversation. During breakfast a Hindu ceremony for one of the various deities passed us by as about 50 or so people in beautifully ornate outfits with bright colors walked down the street carrying a big flowery shrine thing above their heads playing drums and bells and chanting. The vast richness of various cultures, and religions all going on at once was quite moving. It leaves a culturally minded Westerner such as myself thinking…

            The rest of the day I spent indoors and eventually moved to my room where the air con is to get a much-needed break from the sweltering heat and humidity. My hosts are cooking up some tasty dinner so I best be going. I am so utterly grateful for their genuine hospitality. I need to get them a gift; probably after I move out because otherwise they would be there when I shop, as I have no idea where I am and this city has no grid so I couldn’t possibly navigate at this point without them as I am not close to public transport. If anyone has suggestions let me know!

            Dinner is almost served so I best be going. I hope I get to eat with my hands tonight, because it is honestly super fun to do!

-M

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