Scavenging

A highlight of this week was the orientation scavenger hunt we did on Saturday. Sure, it was corny, but it was also a good chance to work on one of my number one goals for my time in Malaysia: taking myself less seriously and being more willing to make a fool of myself in public. Once I start teaching, I will enter a life of nonstop public humiliation, so I might as well start now.

On that note, I finally got word of my teaching assignment. I will be at a secondary school in Kuantan, the capital of the state of Pahang. It's on a lovely beach on the east coast, and it's a fairly large city. If you know me, you know I've already started the hand-wringing about whether I'm missing out on the full cultural immersion experience by not going to the most rural, conservative place possible. My mother encouraged me to stop being such a baby, and to get over my simplistic, patronizing idea that the only authentic experience of a developing country is to be in a backwater. Wise, wise woman.

Some memorable moments of the hunt and of the week:

-Going to a fish spa to have "doctor fish" bite the dead skin off my feet. It's debatable whether this has any real benefits, but boy does it tickle. 

 -Taking in the view from the top of Menara KL by night.

Menara KL. I was too cheap to go to the summit. My mind has quickly adjusted to Malaysian prices, so anything over 10 ringgit ($3.33) seems outrageous.

 -Finding various places of worship for the scavenger hunt. I have no photos of the church, which was not that impressive.

Hindu temple interior.

Incense in Buddhist temple. Pro tip: If you stand under it, hot ash WILL fall on you. 

Buddhist temple interior.

Not sure the name of this mosque, since this photo is taken from the balcony of an outdoor mall.

The National Mosque.

-Witnessing the pulling of teh tarik (tea with condensed milk).

By a professional.

By a promising beginner.

Celebratory cheers with scavenger hunt team. (Photo credit: Middle-aged Dutch tourist seated next to us.)

-Visiting Chinatown. 

Tail end of a protest. Note that the building says "Jalan Sultan" (Sultan Street).

Part of the scavenger hunt involved getting the recipe for char kuey teow. If the internet ever gets faster in my hotel, I'll upload a video of me talking to the owner of a stall that's been around for over 60 years as her husband whips up (woks up?) the dish.  For now, here's what it looks like:

Finished product. 

-Night market in Little India. I didn't get many good ambience shots, so stalk me on Facebook. I think friends will post some soon. 

Not a cheesesteak. Still delicious.

Awkward group candid. 

My meal for under $3. Laksa, some unnamed oniony, doughy thing (hard to see here, in brown paper), and a delicious durian juice drink. I'm slowly approaching eating actual durian fruit. That's right, I've got you in my sights, durian. 

-Attending a circus-themed gallery opening featuring the work of East Malaysian artists (mostly from Sabah). The aim was to showcase outsider art, and, as one artist explained to me, to show that there is more to art in Sabah than paintings of touristy beach scenes and Mt. Kinabalu. 

Dragon bones? Actually the artist, Cracko's, dead dog's bones. Yes. He told us this.

Clown painting (also by Cracko). 

-Singing R. Kelly's "The World's Greatest" with a Malaysian student near the Petronas Towers. 

One task in our scavenger hunt was to ask a Malaysian to sing an American song and to try to learn a song in Bahasa Malaysia. (By the way, I'm finally learning a little of the language.) The student suggested the song, not us. Glad only the best parts of American culture get exported. Video omitted to protect the innocent. 

-Dancing at a happy hour hosted by the 6 Marines who live on the Embassy grounds. Ask me what good story I learned from a State Dept. employee who was in attendance. 

That's all for now! Oh, I'm trying to keep track of what I read. Just started Farewell Waltz by Milan Kundera.