Monday, May 30, 2011

Oh Malaysia :)

Truly Asia, as the tourism commercial says. Definitely a ginormous mash-up of everything and anything Asian: Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and a sprinkle of expats of course.

Loved every moment of it, here are some shots :)

Petronas Towers at night, Kuala Lumpur.


The Shah Alam mosque, one of the largest in the region, just about an hour out of Kuala Lumpur.


Penang, the historical island of culture and food. Incense offerings at an ancestral temple.


Langkawi, my ideal definition of an island - good food, chilled out people, awesome beach.


I already miss Malaysia and I just left it this morning. It has definitely been the highlight of my trip so far. Just got to Thailand today, gonna do some island hopping on the south west coast and then head over to Bangkok!

note: i posted this entry on the 6th of june, but it says may 30th. dont ask.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Friday, May 27, 2011

Daily Reflection

It's true, no matter where you are in the world:

Those who talk about others in front of you, will talk about you in front of others.
Hold your tongue.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Pictures! Bali

I finally have pictures for you :)

Here are my 2 favorite moments in Bali.

1. So I learned to surf. The waves at Kuta beach totally kicked my butt, but it was one of my best times on this trip so far. Needless to say, I acquired many injuries, and was sore for a few days afterwards.


Tips for learning to surf:
- When the instructor says UP, you need to get right up on your feet in half a second, from lying down flat on your surfboard. While you're on a wave of course. Serious upper body strength.
- Do not eat right before surfing. Trust me, you'll feel sick to your stomach for the rest of the day.
- Make sure you understand how the waves work, because otherwise, you're gonna have your board smash right onto your head (speaking from experience).
- Just keep at it! And have fun :)


2. Watching the sunrise from the top of Mt Batur, the 2nd highest volcano in Bali. Started climbing at 3:30am, got to the peak at 5:30am (almost 2000 meters), just in time to see this beautiful scene. You can even still see a star or two :) It was magical to say the least.


I just got to Malaysia yesterday, and taking it all in!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Oh Technology

Yes, technical difficulties for sure. Internet everywhere, but uploading from a DSLR camera has been a nightmare.
Will try again in Malaysia :)

In the meantime, I've checked off these things from my ever-growing list of things to do around the world:
- Learn to surf
- Climb a volcano (Mt. Batur)
- Spend my birthday on the beach in Bali

Let's just say, Bali was amazing.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Today I Learned...

That I've become pro at 3 things:
1. Packing
2. Saying goodbye
3. Taking cold showers (hot water isn't as available as you'd think in most countries; its better for the environment)

That I would like to move to Bali.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Today I Learned...

That once you understand the concept of Respect, mere Tolerance becomes such an ugly idea.

Bali


Tomorrow. This. Bali.


(Note: ummm dont hate me, but i didnt bring my camera's usb with me. i thot i would find a way to connect thru the memory card but its not working out so far. ill find a way, im determined!)

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Friday, May 13, 2011

Jakarta!

Indonesia baby. English isn't spoken here as widely as it was in Singapore, but Bahasa Indonesia is easy enough to pick up. I got ten days to figure it out I guess. 3 days in Jakarta, then off to beautiful Ballllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

cannotwait.

ps: I will upload pics soontimes, just trying to absorb that I'm in Asia that's all :p

Life in Singapore

Where shorts, flip flops, and crocs are the national dress.

Where I could totally live! So similar to Toronto, Canada.

Where the Singapore Dollar is almost the same value as the US Dollar.

Where the beach is right around the corner. Sigh.

Where I got serious jet lag :(

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Today I learned...

That traveling in a group of 7 is WAY different from traveling solo.

That gum is illegal in Singapore :O

That I'm going to fall in love with Asia :)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Singapore!

WOW that a really long break from updating bintbattuta. But trust me, I was just chilling in Egypt and hanging out with the famjam, nothing spectacular.

But now Im spending the next 9 weeks in Asia! Starting off in Singapore right now. And Ill be updating more often I promise! :D

Will post pics soon. On the list today: Sentosa Island! http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/sentosa-island-sin232.jpg