Kota Bharu Malaysia

After a week in the city working away, we took off for a frenzy of outstation patient group meetings. This time we headed to the Northeastern Coastal town of Kota Bharu to the teaching hospital of USM. This is a predominantly muslim region (in fact the weekend is on Friday and Saturday to ensure Friday's Islamic day can be observed). We came in late at night and the physician from the public hospital came to take us out for Nasi Kerabu (a traditional dish from the state of Kelantan). This consists of blue rice (colored from a medicinal herb), dried fish, spring onions, chilis and BBQ chicken. Even my vegetarian version was pretty good. He showed up in a "vintage" car that had no muffler and the bare minimum functionality and it gave me a glimpse into the pay that public physicians receive.

The next day, we welcomed some 100 plus patients for a great meeting. They spoke a regional dialect so even our Malaysian staff had a little difficulty communicating. Most of the people were of extremely low literacy levels so we had to make a lot of our materials photo based. It was overall a successful event and I made great friends with a patient's 5 year old daughter.

After the event, I took a short walk into the peaceful countryside and was quickly surrounded by mature palm trees, whooping birds by the creek and mooing cows. It felt wonderful to return to the simplicity after the hustle of the capital city. I found my self in the middle of a swarm of swallows. Incredibly peaceful and chaotic at the same time. I will try to post the video here. Ok its giving me an error message in Thai, So here's a pic (doesnt really do it justice)

The next day, we transitted through KL, and headed off to the island of Sarawak which Malaysia shares with Indonesia.

Bussing It!

So, I realize it's been a while since I posted. Thanks for the implicit reminders (Shawn and Leah :). The reason being is of course, that I have been entirely too busy, so let's rewind back to Malaysia.

On the way back from my artsy, farsty adventure at Central Market. I took the bus back home. I proved that my experience of taking the bus in many countries is consistant. It ALWAYS takes me two times the fare. This time, it was an amusing little attempt.

My friend ensured I was on the right bus and told me to make sure the bus driver knows you need to go to hospital Ampang. Easy enough. I told the hyperactive ticket taker this information and she assured me she would let me know. So, about half way through the journey, I notice she gets off to have dinner and the bus continues on. So, I wait and wait and finally walk to the front of the bus and say "Hospital Ampang". Well the bus driver starts yelling something at me in Malay and pointing out the window. He stops the bus in the middle of a 4 lane busy road, yells something to the driver of the bus going in the opposite direction, and tells me to get off and take the other bus.

So, frogger style, I dart through traffic while people are honking at the bus to continue and hop on the other bus. After a few minutes, a lady comes to collect my fare and I say "Hospital Ampang". This time the whole bus starts yelling something to me in Malay trying to convey that I should have been on the other bus. So, he continues with me and drops me off in the middle of nowhere and tells me to wait there until the bus comes and make sure it goes to Hospital Ampang. I recognize the place as where the 1st ticket taker stopped for dinner.

I wait about 20 minutes, until the correct bus comes. I hop on, insist the lady confirms that this bus is going to the correct destination and continue. Things start looking familiar and I see my block. I tell the driver, this is where I need to be and ask to get let off. He refuses since it isnt the Hospital once again. Then I see my apartment, once again I ask. He refuses and tells me we are almost there. SO, the bus continues, loops around and then just stops. Everyone gets off. The driver and ticket lady turn the bus off and leave and I ask, what am I supposed to do? Apparently, it was the end of the route. In about an hour (mind you its almost 11pm at this point) they will load a shift of hospital workers on and continue taking me to the place i need to go. So, I asked them to point me in the direction of the apartment and I set off on foot. Twenty minutes later, I was home.

I guess moral of the story, don't listen to the bus drivers and maybe a taxi is worth it!

Artsy Fartsy-World Music Festival Penang Island

So, Thursday was May Day and most parts of the world had the day off to celebrate the 8 hour work day. Of course, this is a little too close to communism for the good old red, white and blue, so I decided to celebrate my own way by taking a little time off and having my first art lesson with my little Bohemian Artists at Central Market in Kuala Lumpur.Here is a pic of my first lesson on how to draw on eye. My teacher is an incredible pastelist; I felt like karate kid. He made me draw 100 circles and shade them while he chain smoked cherry hand rolled cigarettes and watched and told me I needed to "become one with the graphite and the paper". Apparently I was lucky to have him as a teacher because he was just coming out of a vow of silence for 5 years.

Then this weekend I took off to the island of Penang for the World Music Festival which was a great experience. Penang is an early 16th century port where traders from Portugal coming from Goa used to come. It became a place for all traders following the Spice Trails to come together and I guess a perfect place for pirate raids. So, it is a historic town opening to the straits of Malacca in Northern Malaysia. I finally found my beer and then decided that its too hot to drink beer because I had a headache all day.

The festival was a wonderful time (http://www.penangworldmusicfestival.com/). Great production, great performers. I met some fun musicians from Kenya (Lake Victoria) called KENGE KENGE and spent time with them. Their performance was amazing and the music incredible. Overall the festival was great.

On Sunday, I headed to the butterfly garden. I forgot how amazing it is to feel the gentle touch of a butterfly on your skin. That was amazing combining my 2 favorite things: butterflies and orchids. Then I went and pampered myself at the beach. Sang show tunes with some gay manicurist from Singapore...all in all a good trip.

For more photos you can go to http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=406924&l=2d2d6&id=508474203

Cutest Rock Star Ever!!!!!!

Melting Away in the Asian Melting Pot

So, I have almost been in Malaysia for one week. I haven't had too much time to explore and have been working too much. I have found a fruit called a rambutan (a relative of the lychee) that is sweet and just fun to hold. I've been trying not to embarass myself with chopsticks, but I think I am getting the hang of them.

On Saturday we had a huge patient group workshop of about 110 plus people. It was very successful and I had the opportunity to meet many patients that I only knew as names. That was very rewarding. I designed a map for patients to come and sign and put a sticker where they are from. Patients liked it and we plan on taking it when we go to do some rural meetings to show them where the other patients are in the country.

Malaysia is a melting pot of many cultures--Malay, Indian and Chinese. As a British colony , the Chinese came to build the railroad and the Indian to do the rubber tapping. Because they have natural resources, I think Malaysia is much better off than a lot of the other nearby countries. It is very modern and clean in Kuala Lumpur.

I wondered how 3 very different races live in such harmony, given other parts of the world have tensions amongst "their own" people. It appears the rascism here is not within these 3 groups-but to the outsiders wanting a better life. They are mostly Bangladeshi and Indonesian with a sparse group of Africans (Nigerians and Somali). Everyone tells me that crime has increased once they arrived, especially the Indonesians) and there is now some ethnic tension.

I can't gauge how safe it is here. I know there is a warning against travelling to Eastern Malaysia because of terrorist activities and kidnappings. Everyone says a woman should never walk alone, its very dangerous. Being double the size of the average man here, I feel I have a little advantage :)

So, when I first arrived I was in the mood for an ice cold beer. Then I realized, all the shopkeepers are muslims and it is against their religion to carry, sell, and consume alcohol. So, I want a beer-just one. My mission to find one continues. I hear there is a Chinese shop somewhere that may have one :) I'll let you know how that goes.

I spent an evening touring around an art market and that was wonderful. One of our patients is an artist there and he introduced me to some amazing pastelists and painters. I will return tomorrow and some of them have agreed to give me some lessons. I'm really excited. I saw a Malaysian kite stall which was incredible. Many colors and each kite hand cut and painted.

I decided to stop working so much so this weekend I am taking a short flight to Penang province for their 2nd annual World Music Festival. Should be fun!

If you smile at me, I will understand

Here I am, in the warm tropical heat of Bangkok. I don't have too many first impressions so far because I have done nothing but work essentially. Thai people are very friendly and always smiling...I see why its called the "Land of Smiles"

I stayed in our office near Victory Monument for the first few nights and spent many hours playing with developing country internet where my work takes 3 times as long to do. I have a hard time figuring out the boundaries of the Thai people because they are so friendly and accomadating, I don't know what is too much to ask. Hopefully that will come with time.

Saturday, we had a wonderful patient group meeting. It was great to see a project that I have been nuturing since infancy becoming fruitful. Watching patients laugh and smile and interact with each other--you would never guess they had a disease. I crossed the language barrier with many smiles, gestures and laughs. It makes me believe that attitude is everything and I found the patients so inspiring.

They had a thai blessing and welcoming ceremony for me with jasmine and rose flowers. People pour water on your flowers and hands while giving you a blessing. Also, since I came a little late for the thai new year (Thai: สงกรานต์ Songkran, from Sanskrit sankrānti "astrological passage"), they gave me a taste of the celebration by putting clay on my face and arms along with well wishes. It was an amazing experience!

I moved into what will be my apartment last night. After carrying all my bags with some help up 5 flights of stairs, I arrived at a beautiful terrace with blooming flowers and the night breeze flowing by. My roomate Alice is absolutely wonderful and we had so much to talk about and connected wonderfully. There is an amazing pool at the apartment that I am sure I will love.

On Thursday I leave for Malaysia for an all-Malaysia patient group meeting and a few rural visits. I'll be there 3 weeks. Ok, more later.

Misses to all! Muah!

One more trip.........

So far I haven't shared this blog with many people nor have I posted very often on it. Seeing as I will soon be leaving on another extended trip, I thought it would be a great way to communicate my thoughts and experiences with those I love.

So, check here in the upcoming months