July 16th - Sept 12, 2009
(map)
Borneo
“What the hell are we gonna do with a Gwailo??” That was the reaction from Yuri and Michie’s Chinese family. The two sisters and I had planned to take a short excursion from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu in Borneo. Soon after our plans had been devised, their brother Nick found out and wanted to join. In a similar fashion, the entourage quickly expanded to include the two sisters, brother, mother, aunt, grandmother, aunt’s friend, and me… the whitey – the Gwailou.
Except for Yuri and Michie, their family hadn’t interacted much with Westerners before, and I had to dispel their preconceived notions that all Westerners were arrogant, loud, burger-munching pale-faced people. Most of our time was spent either preparing to go out to meals, eating meals, or recovering from the vast amounts of food that we had just eaten. Because our entourage was so large and the timing so short, it was impossible to venture too far out of Kota Kinabalu, and the wild jungles of Borneo still remain a mystery to me.
Upon returning to KL, I was extended a kind and generous offer to stay with Yuri and Michie’s mother and brother. I spent most of my time arm-wrestling with the absurdities of renewing my Canadian passport and surfing the internet for engineering employment… both were frustrating endeavours. In the evenings we would often meet for late-night ‘mamak sessions’ at the Indian street side cafes, where we would gather friends, family, and even the family dog PoiPoi. I enjoyed these cultural exchanges and also experienced a strange and unexpected twist on something that is very taboo in my own family. Yuri and Michie’s family (and especially their grandmother) sometimes use swearing, cursing, and making fun of each other as a tool for reducing a generational chasm into a mere generational gap. Everyone was placed on a level playing field and it seemed to keep everyone close, friendly, and in dire need of washing their mouths out with soap!
The Mystery of Ramadan
Due to the inefficiencies and bureaucracy of the Canadian government, I had to kill 3 more weeks in Malaysia without flying or leaving the country while my extremely expensive and limited passport was being reissued. During this time, the Muslim tradition of Ramadan began, where they are expected to purify themselves by fasting completely during daylight hours (except for the rampant cheating that apparently Allah would not be able to notice). As if from a bad Will Smith apocalyptic movie, the giant super-consumer malls, restaurants, and busy streets had become suddenly devoid of people. As the sun would set, however, the Muslims would reappear in gremlin hordes to drink fluids and binge eat while somehow maintaining the façade that this form of ‘fasting’ was actually healthy.
Having spent more time in Kuala Lumpur, my previous observations of a city where 3 distinct cultures lived harmoniously was being eroded as I began to sense the mass corruption, cultural differences, hypocrisies, and rampant media manipulation.
The Perhentian Islands
I was beginning to go crazy in the big city of KL and I desperately needed an escape. Renowned for relaxation and diving, the Perhentian Islands seemed like a much better beach option than the polluted and dilapidated tragedy of Port Dixon! I enjoyed several lazy days of early nights, late mornings, swimming in the crystal blue waters, and the lack of consistent electricity.
The Girls!
Kota Kinabalu Zoo, Borneo, Malaysia. A special type of zebra!
Kota Kinabalu Zoo, Borneo, Malaysia. These Proboscis monkeys are the reason I had to at least go to the zoo. Their potbellies and glazed-over expressions were reminiscent of many of my coworkers back at the office.
Kota Kinabalu Zoo, Borneo, Malaysia. And the cage/cubicle parallels were uncanny as well.
Kota Kinabalu Zoo, Borneo, Malaysia. Except these cage-dweller monkeys generally had a more curious look in their eye than my cubicle-dwellers counterparts.
Kota Kinabalu Zoo, Borneo, Malaysia. We walked into a massive bird sanctuary where some of the most prehistoric and beautifully-feathered birds flew around.
Kota Kinabalu Zoo, Borneo, Malaysia. But, you had to be tremendously careful in the bird cage, because this particular bird was particularly agressive.
Melaka, Malaysia. My German road-tripping friends from the Great Ocean Road in Australia in the Unesco town of Melaka for a brief reunion.
KL, Malaysia. Looking down from above, these students were taking part in an advertising / competition campaign by an art supplier conglomerate.
KL, Malaysia. This award-winning bar/restaurant was almost completely made out of glass bottles!
KL, Malaysia. Here the gremlins... er... I mean Muslims would come out of hiding as the sun was going down. They had been fasting all day (in theory) and then would load up on foods in the evening!
Malaysia. Just outside of KL, my friend Poohling had taken me for a hike up some beautiful rolling hills.
