Independent Woman

I see a cafe that's empty
I sit alone at a table
I order something familiar
I touch the keys on my laptop
I smell home cooking, but its not my Mom's
I feel my lips burn from the spices
I hear the piano softly playing
I scratch where the mosquito's are biting my back
I contemplate on what I have accomplished today
I think about what I need to do tomorrow
I try to make plans for my weekend
I only want to be better
I want to discover my purpose in life
I feel what it's like to be independent, to be an independent woman
I feel for a moment a world no obligations, no commitment, no restrictions

But in my opinion, what IS a world such as this

Where you don't feel obligated to do something
Where you're not committed to someone...to something...to your words
Where your free to do ANYTHING...

The way I see it, we are all just human.

It's reality.

You, me, we...all of us are dependent, obligated, committed, and restricted...from or by someone or something. Whether its our family, some we love, companionship, our mistakes, society, the government, our thinking, money, passion or lack there of...

Missing My Family

Mom, Nicole, Dad, Me, Cecile, & Camille


Camille & Cecile


Camille


Celene

Okay, this is definitely the longest I'll be away from my family. When I was back home, I saw my parents and my sisters almost every weekend!

"I really miss all of you...

I think of you guys everyday...the times we've spent together - laughing, playing Scrabble, Karaoke, even talking about how our 'family plan' cell phone bill went over minutes again=)

I wish you guys would call me...

But don't get me wrong. It's not the type of miss that some trainees get when their homesick, (the type of homesick that often leads to depression). I'm just talking about the feeling of missing the ones you love but being okay with that feeling.....hmmm...not sure if I made myself clear.

Anyways, I can't wait to see you guys here so you can experience what life is like on the other side of the globe=)."

Suria KLCC

Suria KLCC b/w the Petronas Twin Towers


6 stories with a different theme on each


Makeup counters (like Clinique) on the Lower Ground and Ground Levels

Suria KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Center) is one of the most beautiful malls I've been to. Actually it has won an award as being one of the best malls in the world! It's much nicer than Phipp's Plaza and Lenox Mall in Buckhead, Atlanta and most of the malls I've been to in LA.

The mall is surrounded by hotels, office buildings, condominiums, a scenic park, dancing fountains, and sits between KL's twin towers. I noticed that the KLCC area is designed to be a mixed-use development, similar to a much larger 'Atlantic Station' in Midtown ATL, where people can 'Live, Work and Play' without having to leave the community.

There are 6 floors for your shopping pleasure (ladies don't wear your heels if plan to shop all day). You'll find stores like Emporio Armani, Coach, Isetan (a Japanese store similar to 'Bed, Bath & Beyond'), BCBG, Max Mara, Gucci, Versace...yeah, so really, really nice except on your wallet!=)

I've been to this several times already, but not to shop. I mainly go to Starbucks so I can log into their wireless network, update my Blog, check email, and cool down with a 'tall Rhumba Frappuccino' (my favorite!). The MindValley Team has also spent a few days working from Starbucks -which is nice so we are not always in the same office setting.

Yoshinoya

Look Nicole! Yoshinoya -your favorite! Yummmmy=)

For those in Atlanta reading my Blog, Yoshinoya is a Japanese food chain famous for their beef n' rice bowls. They're popular in Southern California, and my sisters and I love it.

I enjoyed this beef bowl at the food court in Suria KLCC. The portion is much smaller here in KL, but that could just be b/c we're used to getting larger portions in U.S.

LeBron Slam Dunks the Basket Ball After Bouncing it on a Kung Fu Master

I first saw this ad at the train station in KL. Then I noticed that several versions of the ad were placed at numerous stations around the city. The ads are not even great pictures of him. He looks all greasy and sweaty. I wondered, 'What's up with the fascination of LeBron and what does it have to do with Asian people?' I thought maybe it was for a new Kung Fu movie he was in...

Later, I realized it's an ad by Nike for LeBron's new video game. A Sports Illustrated article mentioned that 'Chinese regulators have banned the Nike ad featuring LeBron James, saying they find the depiction of the player defeating a martial arts master and other animated characters to be disrespectful to Chinese traditional culture. Still, the Chinese seem willing to accept a compromise ad in which LeBron is viciously dunked on by Yao Ming.'

NBA, Nike and LeBron all must have choked on their steamed dumplings when they found out many people are now accusing the ad of insulting China's culture. This goes to show you that even large international corporations like Nike should do some more cultural research before releasing an ad. I'm sure this negatively effects the sales of their product as well as the reputation of LeBron to the country that holds the largest population on earth!

Lion Dance at Grandma's House

I've tried to find information on the history of the Lion Dance, however, there are many stories about its origins. Here are the 3 most popular stories about the origin of Lion Dance:


"THE LION SAVES AN EMPEROR"

Legend has it that the Emperor had a dream one night in which he was separated from his army. Lost with no food or drink, the Emperor began to panic. Then he saw a strange looking animal that protected him and guided him back to the palace. The next morning, the Emperor described the dream to his ministers. One minister told the Emperor that the strange animal resembled a creature from the West, the Lion.


"THE LION AND THE NIAN"

A long time ago, a fierce creature - the Nian - appeared, which terrified the villagers. No one could fight the Nian, so in despair the villagers asked the lion to help. The lion courageously attacked and injured the Nian. After some time passed, the Nian returned to the village and vowed to take revenge. But at that time, the lion was unable to help, so the people constructed an imitation lion out of bamboo & cloth. Two men operated the lion while the rest of the people banged there pots & pans. When the Nian saw the lion and heard the commotion it ran away. The Villagers carried on with this tradition every year to scare away evil.


"THE LION BREAKS THE ELEPHANT FORMATION"

During the Sung Dynasty (420-479), the General Zhong Yue led an army south to the country of Lin Yi, (located near Laos & Burma). The King of the Country used an "elephant formation" to stop the army's advance. But the general had an idea, having heard that all beasts submit to the lion. He ordered his subordinates to construct imitation lions and put them on the front line. As soon as the elephants saw them they scattered and Lin Yi submitted to the Sung.

******
I'm not really sure which story is true, or if even any of them are close to the true origin of the Lion Dance.

I DO KNOW that I had a great time watching the Lion Dance with Huilin's family. The performers are a group of young kids that go from house to house starting on the 4th day of Chinese New Year. They volunteer their time, perform in the hot 90+ degree/45% humidity weather and donate the proceeds of their show to charity!

I was in the shade outside the house as they performed under the hot sun, and even I was sweating from the heat. Can you imagine performing in the burning hot sun under a Lion costume...better yet, imagine the kid who is the back end of the Lion that has to perform with his back bent forward the whole time! (Ouch!)


The family prepares a plate of mandarin oranges with other fruit and leafy veggies for the Lions.


After the Lions dance, one seems to fall asleep... The other Lion nudges him to try to wake him up!


As the supposed sleeping Lion gets up, we all witness the plate of fruit and veggies neatly presented.


Then the Lions give the newly opened fruit back to the family.

Last year, Nicole and I went to a Chinese Lunar Banquet hosted by Georgia Tech's Chinese Student Association (CSA). We had a delicious 8 course meal as we watched several performances, including a Dragon Dance. It was a great cultural experience, but it doesn't beat how I've spend this Lunar New Year! I've learned so much about Chinese culture by celebrating this special time of year with Huilin's family. I'm so thankful to her and her family for making me feel at home and sharing their traditions with me.

When I get back to the US, I'll make it a new tradition of mine to take part in Chinese New Year...at least by watching a Lion or Dragon Dance.

I Can't Seem to Get Karaoke Out of My System!

My family loves Karaoke. I love Karaoke.

So when AIESEC MC's invited me to a Karaoke luncheon...How can I resist?=)

This is room number 47 out of over 50 different Karaoke rooms located in a new place called 'the Red Box'. They were running a special for Chinese New Year, so reserving the room was free of charge. We only had to pay for our food, which came up to only $2USD.

We were singing for over 3 hours!

A Cultural Night Tour in KL

Okay...so I was a little adventurous Monday night. I decided to go on one of the paid sightseeing tours in KL. This one was called, 'A Cultural Night Tour'.

My tour guide showed me around China Town and helped me bargain with the locals for a souvenir by talking in Bahasa Malayu (the National language in Malaysia).

China Town is filled with hawker stalls (street vendors) selling everything from fresh fruits & vegetables to imitations of Rolex watches & Louvie Vuitton bags. An AIESECer mentioned to me that I should be careful of pick-pocketers, since it's known that most tourists visit China Town.




Next, I visited Sri Maha Mariamman Temple. This was built in 1873 and is KL's oldest Hindu Temple. Notice how colorful it is! (This is different from all the Hindu Temples I have seen in the States which are all white.)




The last stop in the tour was at a Malaysian Restaurant near KL's Petronas Twin Towers. The restaurant was set up like a banquet hall with a stage in the front. There were so many European tourists there that were spending their vacation in KL. I was sitting at a table of all Germans. (Hi Bjorne and Karsten! I Miss You guys=).

While we feasted in Malaysian cuisine, a cultural performance began showcasing traditional Malaysian dances.



I was the first to get up on stage and volunteer to be part of the traditional "blessing of the couple". (See the picture above). I put rice in the woman's hand, then in the man's hand, next I shake his hand and the women on the floor give me a flower with a boiled egg. They said that the egg symbolizes fertility for the couple so they would have "many babies". =). Hey, that's what they said.

The dances seem fairly simple to do. So when they asked for volunteers, I again went up on stage to learn a dance!

The night was a cultural experience that showed me the three main cultures of Malaysia - Chinese, Indian, and Malay.

It was a great evening! Much more exciting than sitting at home on a Monday night.!

3 Courses for under $20!

I had lunch at an upscale, trendy restaurant called Tewali Street Bistro. My first course was a field green salad with Fuji apples and Asian pears, followed by a spicy sausage risotto entrée. I enjoyed these courses with Malaysia's popular 'Ice Lemon Tea'.


Of course I couldn't skip the most important course, dessert. You can see from the picture above that this 'Chocolate Volcano' couldn't be passed up. I enjoyed it with a port.

The service was excellent and the food...Delicious! All this for less than $20USD.

Chinese New Year's Eve & New Year's Day

Pepsi markets 2 new soft drinks for the Chinese New Year. This picture was taken at a local grocery store where I volunteered to enter a contest and try out the new drinks. After all the volunteers took a drink, we had to do a Kung Fu pose. The two best poses won Pepsi prizes such as t-shirts, sweaters, etc. I didn't win the contest, and since I don't drink soda - I didn't like the new drinks...however I got to take this cool picture with all of the Pepsi marketers.



I helped in the preparation of the traditional 'Reunion Dinner' by de-heading & peeling shrimp, cutting veggies, and wrapping dumplings for the soup.




The house is festively decorated. Mandarin Oranges are placed neatly on a large plate. (Mandarin oranges symbolize wealth and good fortune for the coming year.)





Dinner is served! The first picture has all the veggies, seafood, and tofu that is suppose to go into the pot of boiling soup. The second picture has the condiments that can be added to the pot for extra flavoring. Yummy!





After the reunion dinner, the family catches up on the past year's events by viewing a slide show of pictures. These pictures were projected onto the wall. The kids were bored by the slide show and they focus their attention on a Gameboy.



Huilin and her Grandma



On the morning of Chinese New Year, I received my first "Lucky Red Packet".
Thanks Grandma!

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To all those that celebrate the Lunar New Year....

Hope you all have a wonderful time celebrating the next 15 days!

Here in Malaysia, I've been fortunate to take part in a traditional 'Reunion dinner' on New Year's Eve with a Chinese/Malaysian family. The reunion dinner is where the family goes to the eldest child's house on New Years Day I participated in the custom of offering tea to the Grandmother, and I received 8 "Lucky Red Packets" from various family members that came to visit Grandma's house.

On Friday, (the 3rd day of Chinese New Year), I'll be back at Grandma's house to see a traditional 'Dragon Dance' performed by a local youth group that collects money from their shows and donates it to charities. Look for these pictures in the next few days.

Food...one of my favorite subjects!

Lunch @ Nirvava


Dinner @ Devi's Corner


Porridge @ McDonald's


If you know me pretty well, or at least, if you've ever been to dinner with me...you know that eating is one of my favorite things to do. =)

Since I've been to KL, I've tried some of the best food that I've ever had...and it doesn't empty my pockets either!

My first day in KL, I ate at a place called Nirvana. Here I had a South Indian vegetarian meal placed on Banana leaves. I finished it off with some Asian soy milk - (tastes diff. from American soy milk).

One of my favorite places to eat in Bangsar is Devi's Corner. You can get everything from Malaysian 'satay' to Indian 'naan' and 'tandoori chicken'. Here you will see everyone from locals, to Australian tourists, to Exec's, and even children enjoying some great grub from Devi's Corner.

I hate to admit my the next place I have eaten 3 times since I have been here....McDonald's! Yes...it doesn't sound appealing, but believe me, McDonald's in the US needs to take lessons from McDonald's in other countries on giving not only great service, but delivering piping hot, delicious food!

I had a porridge-like meal called Bubur. It's very, very similar in taste to my Mom's 'Arrozcaldo', (a Filipino porridge with rice, ginger, garlic, & chicken). The only difference in taste from McDonald's version is that it doesn't have fish sauce (a key ingredient in the Filipino version).

So for McDonald's to provide a dish similar to home cooking...I had to go back for seconds.=)

Happy Chinese Lunar New Year!

The Chinese traded with Malaysia for centuries. Then a large number migrated to Malaysia during the 19th century when word of riches in the Nanyang, or "South Seas," spread across China. When they first arrived, the Chinese worked in grueling jobs like the tinmining and railway construction.

Today, it's easy to see that the Chinese are regarded as Malaysia's businessmen, having succeeded in many industries. This type of success is characteristic to Chinese people as you can easily see when you visit China Town in any US urban city.

Tuesday is New Year's eve, and I'll be fortunate enough to take part in a traditional Chinese dinner with one of the AIESEC MC's. She will be picking me up on Tuesday morning, I'll take part in some of the cooking, her mom will make a traditional Chinese soup, I will meet her whole family during this reunion, and we will eat all throughout the day in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Wednesday morning, I'll meet her grandparents for a traditional blessing given on New Year's day, where they give red envelopes filled with money.

The city has been preparing for the New Year and you can see the color 'Red' everywhere. Chinese New Year celebrations typically last 15 days! Everyone, Malays and Indian's alike, has Feb. 9th & 10th off from work. I was told that most areas will look like ghost towns, since the Chinese run most of the businesses here in KL.

I, on the other hand, have a 9 day vacation. Crazy! I just started work right?! However, this is a great time for me to learn more about the city I now call home.

"Buns to die for!"

No, I'm not talking about my buns, silly!

I'm talking about these delicious 'Coffee Buns' made by Roti, a famous bakery founded here in Malaysia.

I love being greeted by the sweet aroma of freshly baked 'Coffee Buns' right as they are taken out of the oven...and right as I leave the train station and enter into KLCC,(one of the world's most beautiful and upscale malls) where a branch of Roti is located.

"Buns to die for!" is Roti's logo for their famous 'Coffee Buns'. I must say, I've yet to try a better, sweeter bun that can beat this, not even Philippine's 'Pan de Sal'!=)

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia is divided into two regions - Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is located midway along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, in the state of Selangor. Kuala Lumpur is easily the largest city in the nation, with a population of about 1.8 million people. Today, Malaysia has a 'keleideculture' of Malays, Chinese, and Indians. China and India have been the two most prominent trading partners throughout Malaysia's history. Although each of these cultures has vigorously maintained its traditions and community structures, they have blended together to create a cultural mosaic unique to Malaysia.

Hi Gina!

Hey Girl!

It's nice to hear form you. You look great as always!

I'm glad to hear you're loving DC. There are so many things I love about our Nation's Capital. Make some time to see all the museums there, especially the new Native American Museum. It's great b/c they're all free.

Exciting to see that both of us are doing amazing things! I wish you the best with your new career. I am sure our paths will cross again...

My Workout Sister!

Melissa, I have to admit that I have not been working out here in KL! I just haven't had time yet. Yes, it may seem like a sorry excuse, but seriously...I need to get into some sort of daily routine, so I can set aside some time to back into the habit. I miss working out with you at CRC and catching up on what I had missed in Spice-Land =).

Hope you are making it at least our usual 3 times a week...BTW are the same people still there, 'Cologne boy', 'Crack Fein', 'Biker-Boy'...?

Remember 110lbs on the 'Inner and Outers'!

'The Real World'

I must say that I'm really enjoying my work. I 'm surrounded by exciting, motivated, and intelligent people. This environment is important to have as I begin my career in 'The Real World'. Interestingly, work is similar to being in college...in the sense that I'm still learning, developing and growing as an individual and that I'm still evaluated by what I produce. Except now, what I produce results not in a grade, but a salary and commission for my ideas that successfully lead to company profits.=)

As you can see by the layout of our desks, we are able to easily talk to eachother to share and collaborate on ideas, projects and goals. It's a dynamic environment, where we are not doing the same thing everyday. We're constantly challenging ourselves with new ideas, and we try to discover strategies which can improve our company and our services to our customers.