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Published: October 6th 2005
Petronas Twin Towers
Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. About 30 stories taller that tallest building in the USAWe are currently on a flight from Singapore to Delhi, India. The last couple days have been filled with meetings for me, as Lou spent his time touring the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I had to change my flight plans and left Lou in KL for a 24-hour period while I traveled to Singapore for meetings with the Ministry of Health and Economic Development Board. In Singapore, I met up with a few people I work with from Vienna so we spent a few hours together. I did call Lou back in KL to make sure he was doing okay alone, only to find out that he had made friends with a fellow from Bangladesh and a woman from China while on a structured bus tour of the city. The woman was the editor of Car and Driver magazine (the China version) and was accompanying her fiancé, as he was in KL for business. I guess the three of them hung out all day together and had a great time.
We did meet up late this afternoon at the Singapore Airport as Lou was connecting through Singapore to the flight we are currently on. For me the last 48
hours have been pretty hectic with many presentations and discussions with health officials about H5N1 (the bird flu) and biodefense.
So as we arrive in India, we will have started in a country that is predominantly Christian (Australia), to one that is mainly Buddhist (Thailand), to a strictly Muslim country on the day Ramadan started (Malaysia), to a country that is mainly Hindu (India). I think this trip should be entitled the Peter and Lou World Religion Tour! So Lou got his first encounter with Ramadan (the high holy days for Muslims). During Ramadan Muslims are prohibited from eating from sunrise to sunset. This includes drinking any liquids (strict practice includes not swallowing your own saliva). Malaysia is so strict with their population that if you are a Muslim resident of Malaysia and are caught eating or drinking during the daylight hours, you are arrested. This is according to Lou who, having spent 2 days in KL, is now an expert on Muslim practice. Since 95% of the Malaysian population is Muslim, restaurants are obviously closed during the daylight hours for the 30 days of Ramadan. Last year I was in Istanbul, Turkey during Ramadan and also encountered the
Kuala Lumpur Skyline
Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower. same practices.
Sorry the picture selection is so boring for this blog entry but I was busy working and only got a few pictures from hotel and car windows.
FYI, hotel in Kuala Lumpur was next to the Petronas Twin Towers, which are about 300 feet taller than what the World Trade Center was. Bathroom picture was my hotel in Singapore (Raffles) as I loved the “minimalistic” style. Stay tuned as I can guarantee some unusual pictures from India.
ADDENDUM: As I sit here now at our hotel in India, I am greatful to be alive. Not because of the wonderful experiences from this trip, but due to the driving habits in Delhi. The traffic flow is a controlled chaos where you spend more time beeping your horn than not. Very few roads have lane markers so you simply fit your car into any available space on the road. The collection of vehicles on the road at midnight is amazing. Everything from 20 year old taxis, to bikes, to foot traffic, to small cart that look like a mix between golf cart and go-cart (with 10 butts hanging out the sides). It was analogous to being a
PM's Office Malaysia
Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya (outside of Kuala Lumpur). blood cell rushing through a vein. Fun but nerve-racking. Surprisingly no accidents to be seen. (yet).
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Doug
non-member comment
Sounds like
you guy's are having a great time.