Bali to Manila, Philippines: Jeepneys and tricycles, and Filipino soap opera

Nearly every person whom I told I was going to Manila gave me the same reaction: "Manila?!  You have to be careful!  Its crazy in Manila!".  Nicole, my host from Kuala Lumpur, even showed me a message her last CS guest sent her in which she express how she just wanted to cry in Manila and was so afraid she couldn't eat.  When I asked Nicole why it was so bad she said that cops with large guns search you at the subways and stores.  "Well that's not too different from the cops in the NYC subway trains", I told her.

Bali: dangerous surf conditions, kebays, and Uluwatu

I feel like I really cheated Kadek's sister out of a learning opportunity.

The night we got back from Ubud, her younger sister asked me to help her with her homework.  She was supposed to transcribe into English a 3 minute audio clip.  I took me a couple of minutes and Kadek said her sister would have been up all night doing it.  The audio clip was actually really channeling.  It seemed to be a clip form National Geographic or other documentary, and had complex sentences and words like "subterranean" and "tectonic plates" .  We laughed about how impressed her teacher was going to be when she read it.

Ubud: A Hindu purification ceremony that left me feeling happy, cold, and clean

Indonesia is a strongly religious country with Muslims prominent in the northern island of Jakarta, and Hindus in the more southern island of Bali.  All over Bali, within a hundred feet or so, temples line the streets.  At any  given time in the day, you can see men or women bringing offerings, called canang sari and leaving it before the temple.  This means that all along the city, canang saris are found on the street.  It is a small flat bowl made out of palm leaf.  Inside, they hold flowers, other plants, and even money.

Bali, Indonesia: Waterbom, and surfing on Kuta beach

Bali was just straight up fun.

Kadek accepted my CS host request but the morning of my flight she sent me an email saying it was too dangerous to stay at her house due to strong winds.  She said I could stay by a friend of hers for the first couple of nights and that she would meet me at his house.  I told her I couldn't stay with a guy so I would find a hostel for the first couple of nights.  She really kindly offered to come by my hostel the next day.

Singapore: National Museum, high tea and the Singapore sling

The next morning, Carine's mom made me a turkey lettuce wrap for breakfast.  We also had one of the pomegranate my friends in KL got me.  Neither Carine's mom or I had eaten one before (though I've had the juice) and we tried to figure out how to eat it given it is full of seeds.  But I was really amazed at how readily her mom was willing to try something new, without hesitation or skepticism.  It also felt great to share something I had just learned with her.  I know my KL friends would be proud!

Kuala Lumpur to Singapore: conversations about race and Eastern toilets

The next day in Kuala Lumpur, I had a flight to Singapore.  I really should have taken the bus as it is slightly cheaper but a lot more convenient.  Nicole's parents took me for breakfast as an Indian restaurant.  I wanted to order roti but her dad said to get Nasi.  I can't argue with paying parents!

Kuala Lumpur: a trip made special by photos, Lydia and Ika, and roti

Kuala Lumpur has the reputation of being a city with "not much to see".  In fact, its listed in my guide book as the 3rd most recommend place to visit in Malaysia.  I however had a fantastic time in KL.  I felt like I got to experience China, India, and Malaysia all on the same trip.

Nicole, my CS host, is Malay-Chinese.  Her ancestors from 3 generations ago came to Malaysia to escape internal conflict in China.  She is 33 years old and teaches private Mandarin lessons, mostly to expatriates, for a living.

I met Nicole in front of the Starbucks at Kuala Lumpur City Center or KLCC, famed for its twin towers which are the tallest in the world.