Friday, May 20, 2011

I'm finally here!

     After 2 and a half days of travel, and several plane rides later, I have finally arrived in KL. I'm not sure how much time I have because someone from Veritas is on their way to get me (I'm currently chilling at the KL Sentral, a transit station). My first impressions of KL are minimal, I haven't seen much besides the airport and the train station so I won't comment on that. I paid way too much for a phone, but I needed to call to let Veritas know I got in, so I sucked it up and paid for it. I should have unlocked my iPhone before I left. It's a tiny thing, and I have to learn to use that auto-spell feature (I have an iPhone at home) all over again, so my first text was a little interesting. My bags are heavy and annoying and I would like to get rid of them. I look ridiculous carrying around three months worth of stuff (although it really isn't that much, just bulky).

     I sat next to two locals on the plane ride over. One was a Brit and the other was Malay. The Brit guy was kind of an ass. He had this imperialist attitude and was pretty rude to the flight attendants (bossing them around and such). He also kept insulting America and I was like dude, seriously? I mean I know America doesn't have the greatest reputation, but do you really need to tell me that Americans 'ruin' places? I didn't ask your opinion about my country and I didn't give you mine on yours. Ugh. It was annoying. The Malay man and his wife were quite nice. He promised me 'wonderful hospitality.' I have yet to meat a rude person, even the gal selling me the phone said maybe she will see me in town sometime - totally unexpected. The customs guy was even chatty.

     They let us off the plane for an hour and a half in Taipei which was nice. The transit passenger center was like a first class lounge complete with free internet, showers, massage chairs, ect. You always know you are in Asia when you enter a public bathroom. There really is no middle ground. They are either intimidatingly nice (yes, bathrooms can be intimidating...esp when there are toilet advertisements throughout the airport and you think the toilet is so complex it might start talking to you/eat you) or they are seriously nasty. There is always a squatter (although this time it was towards the back so I wasn't immediately confronted with an old lady taking a poo with the door wide open like I was in Beijing). The ones here are interesting. There is a hose that is like an impromptu bedee (I don't know how to spell that one, sorry French people) instead of toilet paper. You should ALWAYS bring your own TP around here, so I came prepared. There was also a picture on the back of the door of a person squatting on top of the toilet with an X through it. I've heard this is pretty common here, but I have no idea how one would go about doing it without falling over or worse, in.

     I got hooted at this morning in the airport. I sorta got engulfed by a crowd of women in burkas/head to toe coverings and I was wearing long shorts and an oversized t-shirt. I found it somewhat funny because in the US this wouldn't even warrant a glance. However, in the Islamic world, I am dressed like a hooker. The hooting thing doesn't really bother me (yet). It happens all over the world. Plus, I must have stood out like whoa.

     I can actually understand some of the language which is super exciting. However, I'm finding it significantly harder to get people to respond to me in anything other than English and I don't know if they like my attempt at trying to communicate with them. I'm going to have to look into this further once I get settled.

     Anyways I am beat, I'm going to stop writing for now. I think I'll just enjoy my mango tea and people watch. Until we talk again!

-M

1 comment:

  1. the hooting is the most ANNOYING thing in this country. I get that all the time, even when I am at my worst day, dressed in slacks, tshirt and donned my glasses. At times I feel like walking up to the guy and giving him a piece of my mind, though I will only be putting myself in danger. It's such a disgrace, really. I wonder how they will feel if some sleazy man hoots at their wife/daughter/mother. It's like they have never seen a female, ever. tsk tsk tsk

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