Taking Care of (Local) Business Part 1

Our first stop of the day was to a roof maker. She was a quiet woman just threading away through pandan leaves to make the shingles for thatched rooves. These rooves are cooler than corrugated metal and function perfectly for chicken houses.
Here are our bikes opposite her roof factory with a brightly colored goat house in the background - notice all the shingles lined up on the right and left.
She taught us how to say thank you in Malay: sounds like Trey-Mag-ah-Say
Next up, the sugar cane workers were in the fields with multiple hats (more protection?). There are two types of sugar cane according to David - one for the juice and one for the raw sugar.





- Catherine

Through the Lens Into Their Lives

There!

As you scrolled down the post you saw the dusted head of a small girl from her Hindu ear piercing ceremony in Penang, Malaysia. But it wasn't until she looked up that you realized her eyes were piercing through you.

Taking on the suggestion to take more thematic pictures, I started capturing the presence of children around the world. (cliche!) However, as the unknown quote proclaims:

"Life is like photography; we develop from the negatives." (cliche quota satisfied).

My first experiment was at a Hindu Temple in mainland Penang, Malaysia. Instead of the anticipated Gerber look that oftentimes are on display at Walmart's baby photo booth, I found my lens capturing joy, curiosity, boredom, but also fear, confusion, and honest hardship even at their younger than young age.

Take it for what you will, but I find the purest statements about a culture through the interactions with those that have not studied/tested/established differences and who probably cannot even spell the word hate.

For some of them, a 5'10" Ang Moh (white person) probably raises a few red flags as they have think about culture/self/race/differences for the first time.

This obedient little girl stayed near her auntie, unaware of how valuable her beauty will be.

Mischievious little man. Roaming around, checking his heart rate, desiring to be on the move.

A lonely heart. This boy sits without food and sits without friends.

I first tried to catch the dancing of Behlvia and her brother.

Finally I captured her alone, reflecting on her interaction with me. Imagine you just saw a white girl taller than the average male, I'd have to sit down and think about it too.

Malaysia Sneak Peaks

Stingray anyone? Just picking up some fun things at the Fish Stock Exchange in Malaysia..

Bridge over Troubled Waters... or a fishing village in Parit Buntar

My Homies!

My homies with a serious pose, just a posse of banana plantation workers drinking Malaysian moonshine or naturally fermented coconut water taken from over-ripened coconuts, tastes as awful as you would expect old coconut water to taste.


- Catherine

What's going on here?!

You will soon find out what Catherine in a bike jersey and crazy chickens have in common. But for now, I leave you with the only hints that Malaysia is a great great time!

- Catherine

A good REM cycle = Good AM cycle

DAY 1: Start your engines!

Courtesy of a Norweigian cyclist, I inherited an amazing jersey since David couldn't fit in it!

Outside David's house, you can see how serious Chris and I are about sun protection - Caspar the friendly ghost!

Chris ready to take on the day!

Breakfast of Champions: Some curry, some coconut sauce, some Indian pancakes, steamed rice cakes, and hot chocolate!


- Catherine

Made it to Malaysia!

Took a flight. A bus. A taxi. A bus. A car. and Bam! I'm in Parit Buntar, Perak, Malaysia in the guest room of David, our Malaysian cyclist. Only problem, there is a giant spider above my bed. I never have the strength to kill it or the strength to block it out of my mind.. Here goes nothing.

The Beginning of the Best Adventure Ever

Here is a pic of the man, who after an email sent 48 hours before arrival let us stay in his house, eat with his friends, ride his bikes, annoy him with our Americanism, call him Patchi or Mama or Papa Bear, all based on a Google search of "Malaysia adventure cycling."

Woke up at 6am after having a successful first pub crawl - more on that later (it's our business plan that we are kicking off in Hong Kong!) Got to the plane, got a free meal there! Landed in Kuala Lumpur, took a bus to the bus station, took a taxi to the next station, took a bus to Parit Buntar... a little poor town outside Penang known for its fishing villages, but only known by the locals.

Chris awaiting the bus numero 2 in what looks to be a homemade exit row.

Normal Malay attire for putting air in your tires: a towel around your waist.

Finally arrived around 11pm, met up with Damien (39 year old, quit his job with Barclay's after traveling the world with them in IT Research, now cycling the world on his own http://www.blog.bikermanscafe.com/), David (57 years old, our beloved/bewildering host), Chris and Catherine (Globe's adventure duo).


- Catherine

5 P's and other pages

Check it out at the top!
I'll keep updating the pages when I feel there is something necessary to add to them. Here is an overview of the pages for reference but they are only one click away don't be shy!

About me:
See Page.
Blog from Copenhagen:
A link to my blog I wrote for the first part of Globe in wordpress format
Scents, Sounds, and Smells:
A sensory description of the places I've visited
5 P's:
My rubric for prioritizing life and making the most of Globe (Copyright goes to Dad)

- Catherine

Befriending over Badminton

Yesterday, not wanting to continue the same boring workout regime, I dusted off my old badminton skills ... solo. Yes, pretty pathetic with no plans of playing I renting one racquet and forced the fitness man to hand over a birdie too. Then while the bball boys were shooting around, I was swatting the shuttlecock over the net...with no one to return it (insert pathetic puppy picture). Then after maybe 10 minutes, a couple walks into the gym...with only one racquet. Rather than surrender my fun and let them play, I challenge her to a match! haha it was a bit kinder of an exchange than what I just described, as that sounds like a stubborn kid not wanting to share. I was merely encouraging meeting new people. So a couple volleys and aces and wiffs later, she comments, "It's so strange you're good but not yellow." I was flabergasted! Did she just say that? It's not even possible to be offended by her low expectations of me as she applied racial descripters to herself that were limiting. Haha, I laughed it off and won the next point. Surprise, surprise - awkward white girl has got game.

We continued playing for a while, rotating who would play so everyone got a turn. Quite a good workout - didn't remember it involving a drenched t-shirt last time I played. This was an accomplishment to know that I had actually worked while I was on the court. After about and hour+ of play, we both decided to end the fun as 10pm was approaching. As I reached for my bag to leave, Jo (my new friend) reached into her wallet and pulled out what looked to be a piece of bark on a cellphone key chain. "This is from my travels," she said. "For you."

I was shocked! I literally had met this girl an hour ago, whooped her in badminton, was whooped by her a couple times, and now we exchange gifts! (perhaps it was a gift of surrender due to my menacing smashes and Western/tennis strength as a player)The small carving on the wood is a scene from a window view that she had seen, and it was from the area where she and Ivan (her friend) were from in Mainland China - Xi'an. Still shocked by the random act of kindness, I exchanged emails with Jo in hopes of playing again.

This reminded me of the kindness of Lux, my bus angel that lent me 100hkd as a stranger. So far the score is Mainland Students 2 Hong Kong 0. I am not sure whether it is because they are also visitors to this place that they are more open to international students or that showing interest in someone's life really does pay off. While we were on the court, I asked Jo how to say "nice shot" in Mandarin - pronounced "How Cho" I received applause from the two for my pronounciation though I consider only as skilled as a parrot, just repeating the same thing I hear without remembering what I'm saying. Regardless, I find the kindness in surprises to keep me thinking the world will be alright. And if that's silly of me to do so, please let me enjoy the surprising friendships and mini-blessings that I cherish.

Best Morning Ever!

Honestly, who couldn't have a better morning than waking up to this lil shitzu dining with its masters for some congee breakfast. Unbelievable! and what a good dog.

- Catherine