Christmas in Malaysia

We got back home a couple of days ago from a fantastic vacation to Malaysia. We decided on Malaysia as a destination because it is relatively close by (a 4 hour flight), and it is an easy place to travel. We had a lovely break from the day to day difficulties of living in Dhaka, and feel refreshed and relaxed.

Our first couple of days were spent in Kuala Lampur, which struck me as a (relatively) developed city with good infrastructure and friendly people. We were staying in an area full of shops and malls geared towards visitors - I was very excited to do some window shopping, and to be in a more familiar 'western' setting. I loved being able to walk around without being blatantly stared at - Malaysia seemed to have a substantial mix of cultures and people, which suggests that the society is more open and tolerant than Bangladesh. Mark on the otherhand found it quite a culture shock to return to being just another person and nobody special (he has become quite fond of the rockstar-like image that he has been granted in Bangladesh - always the star attraction in the villages, preferential treatment, people following him around and fanning him when it is hot, etc.)! Seriously though, we both found it very refreshing to be in a more secular society and to see a more balanced (from what we could see) social hierarchy without the extremely poor and the few over-privileged. However, that said, we didn't complain when, upon arriving at the Zia International airport in Dhaka, we were bumped up into first class because, well, we are foreigners.















After a couple of days in Kuala Lampur, we headed south to a historic town called Malacca. Malacca was an important trading post in Malaysia's early history, and attracted Asian, Chinese and Indian traders from the region. Its trade of spice, gold, silk and perfumes attracted the attention of colonial powers, and was ruled by the English, Dutch, and Portugese at various times. It was really interesting to see the architectural evidence of these invasions, as well as the inter-cultural population.

















Traveling with Clara limited our touring time, so we had to choose a couple of sites of interest in the city. The nice thing was that the historic area of the city was very compact, and we were able to see most of what we wanted to see in one day. I was interested in the Dutch compenent of the city, and we saw the windmill and Dutch Reformed Church in the centre of the square. We finished the day off with a fantastic Christmas seafood buffet at the hotel for my birthday dinner. Words and pictures cannot describe how good it was, but I'm sure that you can see from the smiling faces how happy we were...















From Malacca we went north to the island of Penang. We initially had a list of 'sights to see', but our hotel was situated directly on the beach, and Clara needed some days to nap, so we hung around the hotel and enjoyed the sun & surf. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to go for a walk on the beach while Mark babysat Clara. When Clara was awake, we had a fun time hanging out. Clara is turning into quite a little ham and she loves to giggle at Dad's jokes.



















After a couple of relaxing days in Penang we headed back to Kuala Lampur. We went back to the same hotel, and enjoyed some more shopping, leisurely coffee-drinking as well as a trip to visit some of the sites in city - including the Petronas Twin Towers. I'm not usually impressed by architecture, but I though that the towers were beautiful - the shining stainless steel, and the Isalmic inspired shape were stunning. We went up to the deck on the 41st floor that connects the two towers, and took some photos of the tiny people...all in all they are very impressive buildings.





























Kuala Lumpur is a very nice mix of modern architecture with old islamic buildings and mosques, and an old Chinatown, and much more.

We had a wonderful holiday...we needed a break from the daily demands of life in Dhaka. For me it was a break from the staring, and for Mark it was a break from the daily grind of a commute and working. Although our tour was quite limited, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Malaysia for a vacation destination. Hopefully we can go back one day and see more. All in all Clara did quite well with the traveling. We had some break-downs, but she was a real trooper, and we tried to give her as many opportunities as possible for those much needed naps. She also tended to nap in the stroller when she could - but wasn't always impressed with being stuck in "the cage" as we call it.

So, here we are back in Dhaka. It is nice to be back home again in our familiar apartment, and we are definitely feeling refreshed. The weather here is quite chilly (I can't believe I just said that!). The high for today is 17 degrees, and the low is 11 degrees. I have Clara wrapped up in a sleeper, sweater and little hat when she is out of bed because there isn't any sort of heating. We are quite able to make due because we have adequate shelter and extra clothing, however, there are reports of 17 people dying in Dhaka just the past couple of days because of the cold.

Whenever I get caught up in the "I want more" mentality, all I have to do is look out our window to realize how much I already have. I hope that I'm able to take back some of this new perspective back to Canada, and that I won't get too caught up in our consumer society....although, I definitely have a ways to go when I remember how excited I was to see a mall in Kuala Lampur.

It was a drag to return to the news in Bangladesh - the election is still scheduled for January 23rd, but it sounds like the 14 party opposition is going to boycott the election unless certain demands are met. The 4 party alliance that previously composed the government doesn't seem like it is going to accommodate those demands, so there is a sense of uncertainty and trepidation in the country right now. I know that in Canada we have our political problems, but you definitely won't see THIS sort advertisement in the paper!