"pretty much my favourite animal"

"bred for its skills in magic...."

Tomorrow I'm jumping on board the Merlion Express to head down Singapore way ..

The Merlion, for those who are not up-to-date with the latest and greatest in the portmanteau world, is a cross between a mermaid and a lion. As per the norm with pretty much everything in this region, the Merlion has a kick-arse mythology attached to it. Hopefully I will be able to find some ultra-tacky plastic tourist souvenir junk of the Merlion to bring home. Something tells me it shouldn't be too much of a struggle.

I believe that the Merlion is now pretty much my favourite animal, having taken the crown off the Liger. If the Merlion and the Liger had a fight, I wonder who would win....

On another note, I am happy to be leaving Malaysia for a short period of time as I believe the country is trying to KILL ME! The tropical climes have given me a killer ear infection, and the nastiness of Langkawi bungalows has resulted in a rash on my side. I think I have offended the Durian gods or some such equally made up entity, and they are trying to force me out of the country. The upside of all this illness is that I got to see a fine physician by the name of Dr Kwak. Can I get some cheers from my Australians out there! Takes 'going to see the quack' to a whole new level ...

PS - I now struggle to comprehend a pre-wikipedia world.

The Only Thing I Have To Say Today ...

Romantic Poets

STOP RUINING MY LIFE!!!

Half of you were pretty much junkies anyway! Smoking opium pipes and writing some crazy shit down does not make you a genius.For a way more eloquent assessment of The Worst Essay in The World, see Kemi's blog.

I am McLovin ...

The work of illustrator Steven Wilson

... even if he did sell his soul to the devil reincarnate Coca Cola. 'Ahh', I hear you say, 'that's why it looks familiar. I see his stuff in a mass-produced manner!'

Now all I need is a rich benefactor to by a piece for my wall ... or a decent poster place for a knock-off version of the same. By the way, his work looks, ohh, maybe 400 TIMES better when it hasn't been nicked by doing the old 'function-print screen' trick. Instead of looking at this, go to his website for better quality, less dodgy versions of his work. Promise its worth the effort .. even with condo speed connection.

Hope this brightens up your day! jax

KL: 22C - 33C overcast, high chance late afternoon thunderstorm, 89% humidity

First - The Weather Report

Second - The God Report
(just joking)

Malaysian weather is a fairly predictable thing. Coming from Melbourne, the home of Four-Seasons-in-One-Day, it certainly is a pleasant change. I wake up in the morning, and know that a t-shirt and shorts will serve me well throughout the entire morning, afternoon, and evening. I know I will need a jumper if I am going somewhere with sub-Antarctic air-conditioning, like Monash or the movies, but that otherwise, I'll be fine. I know that if I want to walk anywhere late afternoon, it's wise either not to bother at all, or prepare to be soaked, even with the protection of an umbrella.

And I also know it's going to be humid. Reeeaaaalll humid. Apparently the local humidity levels hover at around the 90% mark, and for someone not really used to it, it turns the most simple of tasks into torturous ordeals.

So when you’re walking along this...

Common garden-variety Garden Path

You feel like you are climbing this...

Pathway up Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia’s tallest mountain

On the weekend I went to the FRIM (Forestry Research Institute of Malaysia) which was pretty rockin. We hiked up to a canopy walkway, which was awesome. When you reach the first platform of the canopy, you begin to realised that the entire canopy walk seems to be constructed out of ladders roped together with planks of wood nailed to the top. I'm not quiet sure why, but for some reason I felt the need to trick myself into thinking it must be way more high tech than it appeared. The walk up was beautiful, but also kind of like hiking the above mountain. But however much I like to have a whinge (not that I do....), I will always be in awe of the women that exercise in this ....

Random photo stolen from 'The Hijab Shop'

Even more extreme were the ladies, presumably from the Middle East, seen hiking in the national park at Langkawi in the full burqua. Coming from a country where the large majority the population are non-practising, I'm used to religion being viewed pretty apathetically and it not playing a large part in daily life. This is certainly not the case in Malaysia. Like any place, there are people who are non-practising, and even a small minority who are atheist or undecided, but generally speaking Malaysians are a heck of a lot more dedicated to their chosen God/Gods. Which is pretty lucky, considering that the crazy heat + head wear must = pretty freaking hot!

It is interesting to see the way that religion is part of the everyday life, and how quickly it has become part of mine, even though I'm not 'part of it all'. When choosing where to eat dinner you automatically do a mental religious head count to remember who can eat at non-halal restaurants and who can't. Religious conversations here are inevitable, no matter how quickly you try to run away. I have friends who hold viewpoints on certain matters that I find utterly offensive, but can accept as part of them because it is part of their belief system. According to the statistics that Sheree and I are compiling, there is a Bible Study class held somewhere in Sunway at every moment of the week. We know this because we have been invited to and turned down an invitations to every single one. I wear a pendant of Kali, the Hindu goddess associated with death, wrath and destruction around my neck, which wins me the hearts of Indian shopkeepers country-wide .. and a lot of bemused looks. Anyway, its all very interesting, all this religious business. That is all.

I'm much too tired to make any sense at the moment, so I'm off to bed, but love and thoughts go out to my housemate Juliet and her family. Juliet is Nigerian and on Sunday her step-mum was kidnapped for ransom by thugs. Juliet's Dad is a politician and apparently the kidnapping of wives and children of politicians is a growing problem in Nigeria. Anyway, for those of you who pray, say one for her safe return. Everyone else - cross your fingers I suppose ...

Peace Kiddies

My Lawyer Told Me To

Before I write any more on this blog, I want to make a little disclaimer.

If I say something negative about Malaysia on here, it shouldn't be taken literally, or as a sign that I hate Malaysians or their country. Nothing could be further from the truth. I'm loving it here. I'm loving living in a different culture and experiencing everything there is to experience.

But I'm new here. And I'm also a well known whinger. I like exploring the differences between different cultures. Such differences often grate against each other. This isn't Malaysia's "fault" or my "fault" or ANY ONE'S "FAULT"- it's just the way it is. If I find something difficult to adjust to, I might write about it. If I find something interesting about your religion, I might write about it. I am often sarcastic. I'm sorry if this is ever taken the wrong way and found offense. It's just the way I am. I wouldn't ever set out to intentionally hurt someones sensibilities, and I hope that I never have.

I think the main point that I am trying to get across is that if you don't like what I'm writing, don't read it. Recently I (or someone very similar in description to me) was detailed in a student magazine as somewhat of a racist by a "journalist" whom I'm sure was well-meaning and has stacks of research at home to back such claims up. Since then, I have been reluctant to post, well, pretty much anything, less I offend anyone or my blog serves to reinforce the non-existent existence of my racist alter-ego. But I can't really be bothered anymore. I am who I am, so if you don't like what I'm writing, go read something else to whittle away the hours. Like some fantastically balanced state-owned media. Go Barisan National!

love jax
x0x

-fin-