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Published: October 12th 2007
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Soon after informing you of the bug bite problem I had in China, I received a comforting e-mail from my mother where in she told me that she was always thinking of me, was sorry about my bug problems and then she offered me a little motherly advice - "Jeremy, now don't you go scratching at those bites. You know how you have a habit of scratching and picking at your skin, so don't you go and get an infection." I laughed and thought, "Yeeees Mother, you don't have to worry about me. Your little boy is all grown up now." Well, guess what this big boy went and did...yep, you guessed it - I got another Staph infection (aka
Staphylococcus aureus - Jill taught me that). Lucky for me I'd just recently had one, so I knew the signs and caught it quick. Also, it's much easier (no doctor's visit) and less expensive to treat in a third world country than it is in the U.S., but probably a bit more risky. I simply walked down to the local pharmacy, scrolled through the pharmacists little book and pointed out what I had. He grabbed the medication off of the shelf
and told me to take it for 5 days and not to wash with the local tap water because it's loaded with germs. Oh that's just great; I'm all hot and sweaty from the hellish humidity down here near this blasted equator and now I'm going to stink something terrible - there goes any chance I have of meeting a girl (and the fact that I now have to wear a bandana b/c the bite was on the side of my head, really doesn't help). I'm sorry mother! I promise I'll never laugh at you again. Now, what is up with me constantly having something wrong? I'm like a walking science project (a human petri dish of disaster). If there is one thing you can learn from reading my journals, it's how to identify and treat illnesses. Maybe God is trying to tell me something. Maybe He is giving me every illness under the sun, so I will know how to help others or maybe I'm just a complete bonehead. So, either I should become a doctor (or a Murse - male nurse) or I should lock myself in a room and avoid all human contact. Alright, that's enough about
The Petronas Twin Towers
The tallest twin buildings in the world. me and my inability to stay healthy, let me tell you what I've been up to.
After leaving Singapore, I headed straight for Kuala Lumpur (aka KL), the capital of Malaysia. The first thing I noticed about this metropolitan city was that this place was an Ethnic fondue of multi-cultural delight. There were Indian, Chinese, Malay, you name it, well, except for Israelis. Malaysia forbids Israelis from entering the country and vice versa. This was a big surprise to me. I dug a little deeper and found that it has nothing to due with race. According to sources, Non-Israeli Jews are free to visit the country. It may have something to do with the fact that Malaysia is a supporter of the Palestinian cause, and established diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Liberation Organization...you think that's it? Islam is the official state religion, although they have freedom to practice whatever they please. Malays make up 48.6% of the population and are virtually all Muslim (53% of Malaysia is Muslim and growing). I wasn't aware of this at first, but then I noticed that a large number of the women here cover their heads with veils (head scarves they call'em). The
rest of the population in KL was really friendly. My hostel (The Red Palm) was super nice and the staff really went out of their way to help. As for site-seeing in KL, well, everyone has to make a trip to see the Petronas Twin Towers (especially at night).
The Petronas Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in the world until Taipei 101 (in Taiwan) was constructed in 2003, although, they still remain the tallest twin buildings in the world. According to Wikipedia (one of my favorite sources for information), The 88-floor towers were constructed of reinforced concrete with a steel and glass facade outer design made to resemble motifs found in Islamic art, a reflection of Malaysia's Muslim religion. There is a skyway between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-story bridge in the world. The Towers were featured in the 1999 movie
Entrapment starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery, and a major stunt sequence took place on (actually dangling from) the Skyway bridge.
As for the rest of KL, I spent two days walking around downtown, taking in views from the Kuala Lumpur Tower (fourth tallest telecommunications tower in the
world), eating in markets (the Indian food is always spicy, even when they say it's not) and experiencing the night lights of KL's many skyscrapers. But of course, I can only take so much of the big city, so I headed north (toward the Thailand border) to the island of Penang.
Penang was once home to one of the world's mightiest corporations, the East India Company, which has since crumbled. The island was the first British settlement on the Malay peninsula and has continually declined in international trade status since the fall of the British Empire. Besides all that...Bobby, wake up!...the place is chill, cheap and has some great eats. The food vendors come out at night and throw together some tasty, cheap dishes that hit the spot for a wandering nomad like myself. The food here has actually been my favorite of the trip. And the beach...well, it’s not the most spectacular, but hey, there's sand, salt water and the sun hits it. I took a short trip down to the local beach to catch some rays and soak in the water for a bit. I really was needing it, since I hadn't taken a shower in a
few days. Plus, the salt water helped out with the head wound. It had gotten pretty bad and has definitely taught me a lesson. I have to say it has given me some of the most difficult nights I've ever had during my travels (it runs a close second to the Salmonella).
I had planned on visiting Taman Negara, the jungle region of Malaysia, but there was no way I was going there in this condition. So, I decided to proceed on to Thailand and take in the ocean scene at the lovely Phuket Island. I could definitely use some more salt water soaks. I would stay in Penang and rehab a little longer, but the room I'm in is a small sweat box and I can't stands it no more - I'm out.
Hopping country to country this frequently can really start to get confusing. The local customs in the countries of Southeast Asia vary from place to place, so you have to be on your toes. A lot of times I can’t remember where I’m supposed to do what and why. I need to do some more reading so I don’t offend anyone. At my hostel
Looking up at the Skyway Bridge
There is a skyway between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-story bridge in the world. in Kuala Lumpur, I walked inside the house with my flip flops on, which was a "No, No." I guess I missed the big sign on the door - No shoes inside (I thought that was in only Thailand) and No pork products (Ok - I thought that was a Jewish thing). Now, I've read that in Thailand the feet are considered the lowest and dirtiest part of the body (which seems pretty obvious to me). So, you must always keep your feet on the floor, never point your feet at anyone (especially your left foot - that’s like flipping the bird) and never touch or step over anyone. Also, the head is the most important (spiritual center) part of the body, which means you should never touch another person's head. So, I guess I'd better not go sticking my foot on anyone's head or I may get my caning after all.
Alright, that's all I've got. Sorry I wasn't more exciting - this infection is putting a hurting on me. I'll try and do something really crazy soon to make up for it. Until then, take care and Happy Birthday Mom and Cayce.
Note: Don't worry about
my infection. I waited a few days before posting this to make sure I didn't die from the head wound. I'm doing much better. I finally got all the infection to drain - it only took five wonderful days (great fun). See ya.
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Dennis McCutcheon
non-member comment
Hey!
Hey "Petri" You ALWAYS pay attention to mom. Enjoy your notes and pictures - keep 'em coming. I keep mentioning your needs to Dad everytime I think about you. Sounds like he needs to touch you on the head even if that goes against the culture. Dennis