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Malaysia
Written by: Donald Miserandino
Photography by: Donald Miserandino
The opportunity of a lifetime proved to be the experience of a lifetime in our journey to the Far East and the multi-cultured land of Malaysia, where we uncovered the mysteries of friendly hospitality in another world and our introduction to squat toilets.
The opportunity of a lifetime proved to be the experience of a lifetime in our journey to the Far East and the multi-cultured land of Malaysia, where we uncovered the mysteries of friendly hospitality in another world, a town named after a cat, and our introduction to the squat toilet.
"You want to go where?!!!"
This was the reaction of some of my family members when I told them TheCelebrityCafe.com had a request for an overseas reviewer, and I was thinking about going.
I am one of the original "See America first" guys. I still believe most of what is over there is now over here, so why go over there? "Food, beaches, art, culture, what do you think you can see there, that you can't see here...or on the Internet?"
I could see that this was going to be difficult. So now it comes down to the truth. Why did I volunteer to go? I always chose the conservative thing to do, or took the secure opportunity when it was presented. I don't know what I would do if I were in a position of adventure, not knowing what would happen next: in a country where I might not be understood when I spoke, in a place where customs, writing, signs on stores, and the faces of people were unfamiliar... There were many questions to be answered. Could I sit in an airplane seat for over 21 hours? Could I avoid the modern toilet for that long? And what the hairball is a squat toilet anyway!
The flight over was on Malaysia Airlines, the national airline of Malaysia. The plane was a large B-777. I was seated in economy class and lucked out by getting an aisle seat, so I could get up at any time and walk around. My row partner was born in Malaysia and was going home for the first time since 1992. He presently lives in Richmond, Virginia. I say "presently" because when he sees how his country has developed, he may decide to move back for the opportunities now available. Malaysia has made it a national goal to be a First World country by 2020.
The flight was quite uneventful--except for the service. It was great. The food was tasty, and the snacks frequent. In addition, each seat has its own little TV built into the back of the seat in front of you. They have about 12 channels, and the entertainment runs from varieties of music to actual first-run movies, and even an "airplane exercise" tape. All available in 2 or more languages! Eating and watching television--two sports that ought to be in the Olympics! This is my way to travel overseas. Even the start of the trip was good. Newark was not crowded; security was heavy, but not obnoxious. In fact, they seemed to work hard to get passengers into the plane. The wait was short, and the plane took off on time.
In hour number six, I still felt good, not stir crazy. I went back to playing with the television channels. Hour eight: too much "kid dust" in the plane, and I couldn't sleep. There were sounds of little bare feet running up and down the aisles, and kids squealing. In hour nine, I thought I would break off for sleep, but they served a snack...and I do have to keep up my strength. Several times, I walked around the cabin and stopped into the lavatory, where I discovered if you flush for a long time it creates a fresh air draft, so for a few seconds, the air feels "springtime" fresh. It is the only private place on this flying village. I also did my seat exercises regularly, about every two hours. The airline strongly suggests them as to avoid DVT or Deep Vein Thrombosis. It's a blood clot that starts in your leg and then goes to your heart. This entitles you to the ultimate adventure. (Note to the editor: If I follow the light, can I put in expenses for another story?)
Anyway, after 16 hours we landed in Dubai, Arab Émigrés. Like prisoners rushing out for recreation time in the yard, the plane clears. It felt good to walk around, but we had only an hour respite before we went back to the sky subway. The airport, however, was impressive. The fake palm trees and decorative plants were all blooming in their finest plastic splendor. Since we are in a Muslim country, the culture change becomes more noticeable in the clothes. The women are covered up, and most of the men wear robes. It looks like Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. We were not allowed to leave the building, so I can't tell you about the 105-degree weather, but the climate in the McDonald's restaurant was about 78 degrees.
At 9 a.m., we start to file back on the plane. Fortunately, we lost a lot of our travel comrades. They have either switched planes, or they live in the area. I think the plane flew faster with the half load. After about two hours, everyone starts to scatter from his or her assigned seats and flop across an unused row. I noticed that even after 18 hours with these people, there was not any cabin odor...unless I have pretty much wiped them out.
The cabin stewards pass out the fourth meal. They call it lunch, but it tasted more like dinner. I had a chicken something. It was good, but my insides are starting to scream because of the spices I've been eating...with limited relief. I suddenly realized I have now eaten more meals with strangers than I have with my mother-in-law. I'll have to change that.
Periodically on the flight, the crew showed our flying progress by way of a television screen with a little plane that moves across a world map. The map starts out showing familiar history book names of United States and European towns; but too quickly, it converts over to Middle Eastern and then Asian newspaper names. You know the towns we have been seeing since Desert Storm. How come everyone seems to get along when you are traveling?
We landed at Kuala Lumpur International airport about 9:45 at night local time, but 9:45 in the morning yesterday "my stomach" time. I think I'm going to have to catch up real quick. The airport was easy to navigate through since the signs are color-coded: just follow the yellow to immigration. Remember it's their country, and they want to keep drugs out. The immigration officers were friendly and efficient, so we passed through quickly. I had filled out the forms on the plane and went right through.
Our tour guide for this trip was Nyaman Ekspres and was right outside the terminal doors. He took us to the "Hotel Istana." It was a 45-minute van trip through the countryside. Although it was dark, it still gave hints as to how modern Malaysia is: adequate lighting, good roads, decorated overpasses, and even noise retention walls. This promises to be an eye-opening tour.
Even though we arrived late, the Hotel Istana kept open a buffet of Malaysian, Chinese and Indian food. At the front door, we were given a very warm greeting: "Selamat Datang," with a hand over the chest to indicate the greeting came from the heart. The meal was wonderful. While I didn't know what I ate, I did invent a new rule: "I will take a little of everything" ...since there's a lot of everything.
I tried the Durian ice cream. They say, "Don't touch the outside of the fruit because it is very stinky," but I can tell you the ice cream was good. I even went back for seconds for the sake of researching this sentence. I got in bed that night about 12:30 a.m., after meeting other travelers and comparing notes. We all agreed the plane trip was "do-able" with common sense: get up and walk around the plane.
When I went to my room, I figured I would take a bath. So I started the tub running and left to unpack my bag. When I returned a few minutes later, the tub was filled with green water and a light smell of chlorine. No problem! I remembered my research: "Some water in Malaysia is filtered, boiled, then chlorinated. Drink only bottled water or hotel-boiled water." I put on my bathing suit and went in for a swim.
Read part 2 | Read part 3 | Read part 4 | Read part 5
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