8.9 Earthquake

I was at Coffee Bean updating this Blog, when the earthquake supposedly took place. I actually didn't feel anything and didn't know about it until I was getting text messages (SMS's) from a friend asking if I was ok.

It wasn't until Sharath called and told me how big the quake actually was...did I realize that it was much more serious.

Here is an article form our local paper regarding the quake:

New Straits Times - KL's article on Earthquake

To all my family and friends outside of Malaysia, I'm safe and doing fine.

Hot, Sweaty, and Nothing Works!

When I was on my way to work today, I thought it was a pretty cool morning. It had been raining sporadically during the past few days, so the air was a little muggy. I didn't mind though since the weather was much cooler than it typical is.

First I get into the elevator (also known as a 'lift' here) and the lights are flickering - about burn out any minute.

Then I get to the train station and none of the escalators are working, (yeah, yeah... the lazy American...so I climbed up all stairs today).

Afterwards, I get into the STAR train - which is the longer train ride of the two that I take - and the a/c (aircon) is not working!

Trust me. It's very stuffy in a train that doesn't have a/c.

By the time I step into the building, I was so hot & sweaty - as if I just had a work out.

No longer fresh from my morning shower, I stepped into the MindValley office...the a/c was accidentally left on...ahhhhh...

I spent the next 5 minutes cooling off and enjoying the icy cold room. =)

En Route to Work

The MindValley office is in a town outside of KL called Cheras, which is about 40-45 minutes away from Bangsar by train. Cheong and I take 2 trains to get there.

So first we walk about 5-7 minutes to the Bangsar train station, take the LRT (Light Rail Transit) into town 3 stops to Masjid Jamek. Then transfer to the STAR train and travel back out of town eastward 7 stops to Pandan Jaya. It's about a 5 minute walk from the exit of the train station in Pandan Jaya.

Download the map of KL's public transit


Here are some pictures of my daily sights on my way to work.


View of housing from the LRT station



A hazy morning



Covered Malays in front of me as I go up the escalator in Masjid Jamek



A shot of the same escalator but from the ground floor.
It's always this crowded and busy in the morning.



Waiting for the STAR train in Masjid Jamek station


Below are more shots of the area surrounding Masjid Jamek











At last, I get off the STAR train in Pandan Jaya. Ahhhhh smell the fresh air! As if it's an ocean breeeeeeze. NOT!!

Take a closer look at the picuture below! The smell when you get off the station is so pungent, I usually have to cover my nose.

1/2 Day Trip to Kuala Selangor

Key Facts about Kuala Selangor

• Located in the West coast of Peninsula Malaysia
• Lies 42 miles (or 67 km) northwest of KL on the banks of the Sungei Selangor River
• Mainly visited for Kampung Kuantan's Firefly Park Resort
• Also visited for the Taman Alam Nature Park

I usually send out a weekly email inviting AIESECers, Trainees and Expats in KL to join me in exploring Malaysia. It's a great way for me to learn more about the country, while getting to know more about locals and other people from all over the world.

The half day trip to Kuala Selangor was a memorable experience. We were an international group of 4. Simon is from New Zealand, an expat here in KL with a Civil Engineering background. He works in the aviation industry with an English company that designs runways. He lived in the US for 1 year, graduated from a university in England, and has been in KL for about 2 months. Toon - (pronounced 'Tone')- is from the Netherlands, also an expat working in KL. He's lived here since October as a logistics manager. Abhinav is from India, currently doing some contract programming work with us at MindValley. He has lived in Malaysia for over 15 years, studied at Purdue University in Indiana, and lived in Japan for 4 years before moving back to KL.

The 4 of us traveled by car to our first destination, Fort Tajong Keramat. This fort was made during the reign of Sultan Abrihim, Selangor's 2nd sultan. Later became Fort Utrecht during the Dutch occupation. Lastly, the Japanese used the fort for training troops during WWII. This fort symbolizes a few of the countries who had a hand in the bloody exchange of owning Malaysia before its independence.

It wasn't well kept as you can see from the pictures above...mainly a grassy area with 5 or so cannons and an old sign explaining when and who it was used by.

We were lost trying to find the other fort, so we decided to skip it and move on to our second destination. Plus the hot sun was baking my skin and mosquitoes were having a Filipino feast on my arms and legs.







The second destination was Kuala Selangor Taman Alam Nature Park. Along the way, we stopped to see monkeys that were walking along the electric wires. I actually got a great mini movie of these monkeys walking along the wire, sliding down the pole, and running across the street in front of us.



A group kids on their bicycles stopped to say hi. We asked him how to get to the Firefly resort and nature park. He answered by speaking really fast in Bahasa Malayu and throwing his arms in all different directions. I thanked him for the advice and we sped off, not understanding a thing he said. =)



Luckily we found Taman Alam. It's said to be the home of silver-leaf monkeys, have over 150 species of birds, and the only site in Malaysia to have the spoonbill sandpiper.

Canopy Bridge @ Kuala Selangor Taman Alam Nature Park

We cooled off with an ice tea and paid our RM2 (53 US cents) entrance fee before we started to walk along the nature trail. By the end we saw 2 species of birds, tons of monkeys, and no insects except the mosquitoes that bit me. But I still enjoyed walking along the short trail through the nature park. Watching monkeys play in their natural environment is always interesting to see, rather than in the US, where monkeys can only be seen in the cages of your local zoo.

Next we drove towards the river to find a place to eat. I suggested that we eat at one of the restaurants along the river. To my surprise the restaurant was on stilts situated ON the river, not just beside it or looking over it.

Me digging into some yummy chilli crabs


I dared all the guys to eat a fish eyeball...


and of course they listened. =) Eat up Simon!

We ordered chili crabs, salt & pepper fried prawns, steamed fish, tofu, Chinese Broccoli, and steamed rice. All the seafood was freshly caught and cooked just right.

Actually it was perfect! The best Chinese food I ever had, the location and the view of restaurant, the company of friends, the sun just beginning to set, and being able to cool off the day's heat with some fresh coconut water...What more could I ask for?


The view of the Sun setting from Restoran Selangor, the Chinese Seafood restaurant on stilts

Finally we made our way to Kampung Kuantan's Firefly Resport, where we're suppose to pay RM10 ($2.63 USD) to ride in an electric boat up and down the river to see one of the world's most numerous population of fireflies. But as we arrived, it was pouring down rain.

Oh no! I thought, this was supposed to be the highlight of our trip. We decided to wait it out as we entered a nearby restaurant. I sipped on some Chinese green tea allowing some time to pass. Afterwards, we walked out to see that fortunately the rain had stopped. The air was muggy and humid - Perfect for insects I thought!

We queued in line, put on our life vests, and quietly hopped into our boat. The stars were twinkling brightly against the dark sky. We began our silent boat ride along the narrow river of Sungei Selangor as we can easily see the fireflies along the banks. These fireflies also known as kelip kelip, flicker at a rate of 3 flashes per second.

Imagine riding on a boat with 15 other people, up along a river, and all you see are stars and fireflies! It's amazing! They were everywhere - along both sides of the river. Groups of fireflies would light almost simultaneously. I've never seen so many. Several locals told me that about 5 years ago there were many, many more. Maybe due to development of nearby areas or changing weather, I'm not sure though.

All I know is that it was amazingly beautiful to see. A perfect romantic scene - (date not included in boat ride, that's another fee that I've already paid for back in Atlanta).=)

So all this done in half a day's time...It was an exciting cultural experience I'll definitely remember.

Batu Caves

272 Steps to Climb Up to the Bottom Floor of the Batu Caves


Monkey Sticking Out His Tongue to Tourists as They Walk Up the Stairs




Hindu Gods Greet You at the Entrance to the Caves


This God was one of the most interesting looking ones...a cross between a cow, woman, & a peacock with wings and horns.



The main cave is called the Temple Cave. The height of the cave reaches 100 meters from the floor. I was glad reach the top and a somewhat cool breeze rewards me.

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Batu Caves are located only 7 miles from KL. Discovered in 1892, these limestone caves are considered a sacred place for Hindus in Malaysia. Every year, thousands of people visit the caves during the month of January to see the Thaipusam festival, where Hindu devotees stick spears throughout their body. This practice is now banned in India, but those that have migrated to Malaysia can still practice it.

Unfortunately I arrived on the 25th of Jan. so I didn't have a chance to see the Thaipusam festival =( Here are some pictures I found on the net of what you can expect to see during the festival. (Feel free to Google "Thaipusam" to see more interesting pictures.)




Various metal hooks and skewers are used to pierce the skin, cheeks and tongue.

*******
It was a hot and hazy day when I visited the caves. (There was a large fire in a town outside of KL and it caused low visibility all throughout its surrounding areas.) Regardless, I was glad that I made it there.

I took the LRT , transferred to the Commuter Train and then took a taxi the rest of the way. Once we arrived, Abhinav and I had and Indian brunch at one of the restaurants located at the bottom on the cave. The climb up the steep stairs was interesting as I saw - for the first time in my life- monkeys sitting on the handrail right in front of me! These monkey are not afraid of humans and often, are out to get food from you.


Monkey Finds Something Interesting on Her Leg...


...then Eats it! Mmmm. Yummy! =)

Inside the cave, there's another large community of monkeys eating coconuts & bananas. I try to get as close as I can to the monkey that made its way near Hindus praying inside the cave.



On the way home, we decide to take the local bus. At first I was excited to take my first bus ride, since I have been using taxis and trains to get everywhere in KL. But after we waited over 30 minutes to get on the bus, and then rode around for over 2 hours without a/c, the excitement wore off and I was dying to get off of it. It was extremely hot and overly crowded that the door couldn't even close. It seemed like we were circling through small villages and finally when we got into town, we were stuck in a really bad traffic jam. I got off before my stop and decided to walk the rest of the way. Keep in mind that the bus was still moving when I got off of it!

But hey...it was a cultural experience right?


Bus Stop Sign - to get back to KL

"Look Up in the Sky! It's a Bird...It's a Plane...no it's...

Bird $h!t...



Okay, so I'm really not the type to curse. But in this case, I would say it's justified.

There's an intersection that Cheong (my roommate) and I have to cross everytime we go to Bangsar Village. Just before sunset, black crows come to this intersection to sit upon the branches of the trees. If you look closely at the picture above you can see the large number of crows that return to these branches everyday.

I always take my laptop case and put it over my head as I cross this street. You can hear the crows flying over you and if you listen closely you can also hear their nasty droppings fall on the ground.

So anyways...here I go again with the bag over my head, just innocently crossing the street. I can hear the crows calling to each other and bird crap is falling on the ground around me left and right. Suddenly...

*Hhhhuk!!!* Black Crow $h!t just splattered on my arm...then it drizzled down to my upper arm because I was holding up the laptop!!! Uuhhhh! Can you say NASTY! I quickly walked into Bangsar Village and frantically looked for the nearest restroom as a few people noticed this white slimy stuff on my arm.

Why me? I ask...It's like the time I got hit in the back of my head with the large cardboard box-paper airplane by a childish Tech college student during our Final 4 Basketball game. (Ask Sharath for details on this one…)

Ok...I need to find another route to the Bangsar Village.