First Full Day in Kuala Lumpur

No one wants to hear tales of woe about long-distance flights, so I'll just say that it took me 17 hours of sleep to recover. On the plus side, I'm seriously considering retiring to the Singapore airport. It has a cactus garden, a butterfly garden, a movie theater, a swimming pool, and some sort of mysterious game involving Angry Birds and giant eggs that's called "Redemption." I didn't have the energy to enjoy any of these things, but I did spend some time riding a newfangled contraption labeled the "Travelator"--a.k.a. the moving sidewalk.

After a day of sleep and the most amazing complimentary buffet I've ever had, I felt amazing this morning. Seriously, the buffet was out of control--I had roti, sushi, lamb curry, nasi lemak (a Malaysian coconut rice dish), a plate full of mysterious fruits, and more. The fruits included mangosteen, rambutan, and something we're calling "snake fruit" because of the texture of its peel. (We later found out the real name is salak fruit.) I'll try to post a picture tomorrow of the breakfast bounty, because the internet clearly needs more pictures of foods that twentysomethings are about to eat.

It's surprising how quickly you adapt to a new environment. I went from this tree in the Soltan household (note the photo of Kathleen and me in the corner):

to this unexpected sight in the hotel lobby:

without much difficulty adjusting. It's very hot and humid here, but in KL at least I can wear shorts and tank tops without offending sensibilities. And I've already nearly gone through one tube of sunblock (CVS SPF 50) already.

I spent the morning walking around near our lovely, fancypants hotel, which is right next to the Petronas Towers.

Hotel Lobby

Note: Those trees are actually fake. 

Unexpectedly Christmasy hotel lobby

Petronas Towers

We played on this playground in the shadow of the towers. This is one of a series of awkward photos in which I tried to squeeze in the towers, usually cutting at least one of the spires out. They really are tall, ok?

There were more fountains and pools and such than you could shake a stick at in this area.

The hotel is located in an area blessed with an unusual number of high-end malls.

Not really my cup of tea, but a sight to see nonetheless. After lunch I spent some time swimming and reading (The Last Crusade: The Epic Voyage of Vasco da Gama--thanks Mom and Dad!) by the beautiful outdoor pool at the hotel. The luxury level of this place makes me think that Malaysia really wants this whole English teaching thing to work out. The room I'm staying in has a rain shower and a balcony, plus a weird shutter set-up that allows you to see into the main room from the bath tub if you so desire. I think Fulbright's plan is to lull us into complacency with a 5-star hotel before jettisoning us out into far-flung, rural outposts. If so, it's working.

Dinner was a delicious adventure. Up till now we'd been eating at the surprisingly decent food court at a nearby mall. Pathetic, I know, but cheap and convenient. This time we ventured a little further in search of street food. I had a delicious, filling meal with friends--spicy chicken, seafood noodle soup, fried rice, ginger chicken, and watermelon juice--for about $2.50.

The predators.

                                                             The prey.
                                       

Afterwards we went to another food court, which was more like Reading Terminal than a food court. Over the course of the day I also explored two grocery stores. At one of them my roommate and I bought Durian Pop Pops, a crunch treat that was disgusting and delicious all at the same time. Can't wait to try the real deal. At the second grocery store, we noticed a sign in the liquor section stating that selling to customers under 18 or to Muslim customers was prohibited. Hm.

Since I went to bed well before dark yesterday, this was my first chance to see Malaysia after dark.

                                                     As you can see, the town gets mighty blurry after nightfall.

Walking a little outside the immediate neighborhood where I'm staying was a good chance to see a more bustling side of the city that felt more foreign than the rather sterile fancy environs of the Royale Chulan Hotel.

Despite my anxieties about meeting 75 other people at once while jet-lagged and disoriented, the group seems to be much friendlier, more fun, and quirkier than I anticipated. This has inspired much internal rejoicing on my part.

Official orientation starts bright and early tomorrow, and I have no idea what to expect other than a lunch with the ambassador to Malaysia. At least I'll be well-fortified with a hotel breakfast.