1Malaysia

The slogan is everywhere. Posters on buildings. Adverts in newspapers. On the radio and TV. In the news and on the street. On the other end of the spectrum there's a crowd with a cow's head marching on a proposed Hindu temple in a majority Muslim area. Vigilante anti-alcohol activists removing beer from a Seven-Eleven. There's the caning sentence for a Muslim girl for drinking a beer in a night club.
Malaysia is a multicultural melting pot and pots are known to simmer and occasionally boil over. Malaysians make up 50.4% of the population, the Chinese around 23.7%, the indigenous Sarawak around 11%, and the Indians about 7% (for the record most of the Indians I met in Malaysia actually consider themselves to be Tamil). Almost all of the non-Malays have been on Malay soil for many generations. The Chinese came with the trade. The Indians as soldiers and labor for the plantations during the British colonial period.
The country gained its independence from Britain in 1957 and has been working hard at developing a stable identity ever since. The road hasn't always been smooth. The same party (UMNO) has been in power since independence and with the power of the ISA isn't shy about using it to retain power. While the Opposition is growing in strength its still fairly weak and fractured. Its interesting reading the newspapers here. You always read the UMNO reaction to something the Opposition has said or written, but you never actually read what the Opposition's position was. The ISA requires all newspapers and media to apply for a renewal of license once a year to the government. Connect the dots.
For the most part tensions are fairly low between the people, but there is always that under current bubbling below the surface. For the most part Malays control the political sphere, the Chinese the economics and the Indians the lower end of the labor market. The non Malays complain about the quota system (Malays and the indigenous groups get preferential treatment in eduction and housing). The Malays on the other hand are very sensitive to any slights on their identity and Islam. Rumors of corruption and political scandals abound. And now there are also tensions between Malaysia and Indonesia over, of all things, a dance used in a Discovery promotional video.
Where it will all lead to is hard to predict. The people get along and the country is relatively prosperous due to oil exports and IT outsourcing. Tensions, as I wrote are very low, but when you add to it a single political party clinging to power, religion and ethnic and national politics it can be a volatile mix. Here's hoping it all shakes itself out for the best.

Sipadan -- Mabul

They say that 6/7ths of the planet are covered by water. That's a lot of water. I haven't had the chance to explore all of it yet. Maybe just 1/6677 of it, but I've been fortunate to dive in some really nice portions of it. I've been to the Red Sea, Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Roatan, Belize, Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Costa Rica, Phuket and Florida. I even dove within sight of a nuclear reactor in Kenting, Taiwan. There are many places I've yet to dive, but Sipadan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sipadan) is the second best place after the Red Sea I've ever been to and Baracuda Point (http://www.dive-the-world.com/diving-sites-malaysia-sipadan-island-barracuda-point.php) the single best dive site I've had the pleasure to dive.

Each diver has his or her own preferences. Some like the big things. Some like the little things. Some like coral. Some like rocks. Some like caves and dive throughs. Others like open water. About the only thing that can spoil even the best dives is poor visibility. The visibility in Sipadan, since this was rather late in the season, was poor to average, 5-15 meters, but even with that the Island did not disappoint.

As the name implies there are the barracudas, but that's only a small portion of the story. In my first dive I encountered turtles, white tip reef sharks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitetip_reef_shark), bumphead parrot fish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_humphead_parrotfish), jacks, leaf scorpion fish (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/12/fish), nudi branch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudibranch) and on and on and on. Basically Barracuda Point is like an underwater visual buffet of almost everything Sipadan has to offer.

Sipadan is a protected area and only 120 divers are permitted on the island each day. There are no resorts on Sipadan itself so you have to stay on one of the neighboring islands. Usually either Mabul or Kapalai. I used Dive the World (http://www.dive-the-world.com/) to book the vacation and opted for Mabul (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabul) and Borneo Divers Mabul Resort (http://www.borneodivers.info/). Good choices on all accounts. I had used Dive the World for the Phuket trip and wasn't disappointed and they delivered on all accounts on the Sipadan trip as well. The price was a little on the high end, but ultimately worth it.

This was my first exposure to BDMR, but they too delivered on all accounts. The rooms were clean, the AC worked and the food was good. Okay. So my standards might not be as high as some, but its the diving that is the star attraction and that's what BDMR is for. Besides any place with dogs is okay with me. The diving was well organized and the guides professional and knowledgeable. Dove mostly with Maadil and Lorenco and both are excellent at what they do.

The best test of any resort is how they react when things go wrong. When the scheduled divemaster for one of the dives didn't show up and the other boat left without some of us BDRM just set up another boat for us and we caught up to the boat already on its way to the island hopped on board and continued our dives without any problems.

Each resort is allotted a certain amount of permits, so with that in mind I had booked 8 days just to make sure that I get at least one day of diving in Sipadan. As luck would have it this being the low season and the one advantage of being a solo traveler I actually dove Sipadan 5 days in a row. Each day included four dives and at least one dive was to Barracuda Point and each time it was something new. Its not that the other dive sites are not worth diving, but Barracuda point is truly something special. Even the most experienced and jaded of the divers on the island all came up with big grins and excited chatter after each dive. In addition to Barracuda Point we also dove South Point, Hanging Gardens, Turtle Tomb, Dropoff, Mid Reef, White Tip Avenue and Coral Gardens. Mid Reef was probably my second favorite, but all of the other sites were quite good as well. Besides you never know what you will see on any given dive. On our dive to Coral Gardens we came across the biggest manta ray I had ever seen. Easily around 10-15 feet. It just hung there for a few minutes as we all gaped at it in amazement. The biggest problem was the visibility. I'd love to dive Mid Reef in high visibility since the amount of coral and rock formations would really be something in good light and visibility.

Eventually my Sipadan luck ran out and on the last day on Mabul we did local dives. I almost gave up after Old House Reef and was going to pass up the rest of the diving since the visibility was so poor. Maybe 3 meters at best, but the second dive was going to be to the Seaventures Rig (http://www.seaventuresdive.com/) and curiosity got the best of me. Seaventures is an old oil rig that has been turned into a dive resort just off the coast of Mabul. Glad I did. The visibility was much better, 5-10 meters, and saw some things I've never seen before like the crocodile fish (http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=466) as well as a lot of the usual suspects like leaf scorpion fish, stone fish, nudi branch and eels. Overall, while the diving off Mabul is certainly not as spectacular as Sipadan if Sipadan is not an option then Mabul will do. As to Mabul Island itself. Really not much to do. Dive, eat, drink, repeat. I've heard of sleepy fishing villages, but that's basically what it is. Okay. Maybe not so sleepy since there are a lot kids running around doing the things that kids do.

Tioman Island & Malacca

Thanks to Nunda for first suggesting it and then Adrian, Lisa, Michael, Nesh and Tim for letting me tag along, I got a chance to visit Tioman Island (http://www.tioman.com.my/) and on the way back Malacca (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacca). To get to Tioman you start out in the port of Mersing. We didn't really spend that much time in Mersing other than park and board the ferry, but that's the joy of traveling that even the smallest things in foreign places can be of interest. Wish I could have found a better angle, but the picture on the left is of a Hindu temple across form the gas station where we fueled up. Note the interesting iconography. The Firesign (its fairly common across Asia and not meant as reproduction of the Swastika), but also a six pointed star. Its the first time I ever seen one. Wish I had more time to see if there is a story there, but we were due for the ferry. A mystery for another day.

Tioman

Tioman has multiple resorts and locations with a variety of options all the way from the high end to the low end. We stayed at the Salang Indah Resort (http://www.journeymalaysia.com/islandtiomansalangindah.htm)

in Salang at the northern most point of the Island. The resort itself is fairly basic. Like most resorts in South East Asia it covers the basics. We got one of the low end lodges. No AC, but it did have ceiling fan and since the nights were cool and during the day we didn't spend that much time in our rooms it was more than adequate.
Salang very much reminded me of the West End of Roatan. A long stretch of beach lined with bars and lodges. There's really not much to do other than beach, water and bars. Not a criticism of the Island itself since the beach and the surroundings are beautiful, but for those who aren't looking for either of the three above the options might be limited.

While the rest of the group went snorkeling I went diving. I went with Fisherman Divers (http://www.fishermandivers.com/home.html). Good guys and I'd recommend them to anyone. The diving was good, but not great. We did Labas and Salang Bay. A lot of the coral is dying due to the high volume and traffic and the marine life is relatively sparce. Still do not regret going and would definitely recommend it to those who find themselves on Tioman for reasons other and for novice divers who just need to get wet.


Malacca

On the way back from Tioman we stopped in Malacca. Definitely one of the highlights of my stay in Malaysia. Tim is originally from Malacca so it was like having a native guide. (Thanks Tim. I owe you one). Malacca is an old city and you really get a sense of place that I didn't really get in KL or Putrajaya. Putrajaya is much too new and still developing and KL is a major city in many ways not unlike other major cities around the world. But in Malacca due to the mixture of cultures. The Malays, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the British and the Chinese all left an indelible mark on the city and it all melds into an interesting combination of the various cultures and flavors. Each retaining something unique and complimenting the others. We got into the Malacca Town fairly late on Sunday so all of the museums (and there are a lot of them) were closed, but we did walk through the center and then climbed the hill up to St. Paul's church and watched the sun set over the harbor. Our final stop was Jonker Street.
http://www.amazingmelaka.com/2006/01/29/jonker-street-jalan-hang-jebat/
Lots of restaurants and street stalls. The street food is really, really good. I was even brave and tried some Durian Chendol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cendol). For those of you who have never tried a Durian it is an acquired taste. The flavor is best described as a sweet onion garlic mix.

Wish we had had more time to spend in Malacca, but this will definitely give me a reason to return.

Hari Merdeka

Hari Merdeka is the Malaysian Independence Day. Thanks to Adrian, Lisa, Michael, Nunda and Nesh I got to get a little taste of Malaysia's 52nd. We originally had hoped to watch some fireworks at KLCC (http://www.suriaklcc.com.my/) but the government had decided to dial down the celebrations this year (the official reason given was due to fears of the spread of H1N1) so the fireworks at KLCC were cancelled. Instead we went to one of the local night clubs (The Beach Club) to celebrate with a different type of fireworks. Its been many a year since I had gone clubbing and probably be many a year before I do again, but the most important lesson learned was: stop after the first bottle Vodka.

Like New Year's the celebration started at midnight with a countdown and we had polished off about 3/4 of the Absolut by then. No pain and still relatively steady hands as the picture on the right proves. Then came the second bottle. My own fault. I'm the one who ordered it. Had to have a little sit down around 2am and wait for the worst of it to pass. Vaguely remember a lovely girl asking me why I wasn't dancing. Tried to explain over the din that I couldn't even stand up at that point. Alls well that ends well. The room stopped spinning around 3am and all of us made it home safely none the worse for the wear. Might not have learned much about Malaysian Independence, but did get a reminder why moderation in all things is always a good thing. No worries. I'll forget by the next time the occassion presents itself.

Malaysia--First Impressions

As some of you know I am currently in Malaysia on business. Liking the country and the people, but not liking the working hours. Malaysia is 13 hours ahead of the US and since we are supporting the US on local US time the working hours translate to 10pm-7am Malay time. I've worked the third shift from time to time in the US back in my Dominick's days, but never had to for a prolonged period. Its been 2 weeks and I thought I would adjust a little bit, but thus far no luck. And judging from comments from rest of the people at the office who have been at this for much longer than I you never really do. The hardest part is 3am-5am. No matter what you do or how much and when you slept before getting to the office you are just holding on for dear life. Then around 5am you usually start getting your second wind, but that's not saying much. But enough about me.

I am staying at the Putrajaya Shangri La (http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/kualalumpur/putrajayashangrila) Very nice hotel. Lots of marble and plants. Good food and excellent service. Its on top of a hill affording some great views of the city. And the prices are just so ridiculously low by American standards. Those who know me know I am not much for spending cash on luxuries like room service, but due to the hours sometimes its unavoidable. Best room service (0kay I've never ordered room service before) burger I ever had. And only $9. Also, the first time I started experiencing some cultural differences.

Calling room service:

Me: Hi, I'd like the hamburger and a coke please for room 405.
Room Service: (pause) Sorry. We do not have ham burger. Only beef burger.

Some things are lost in the translation. I almost started explaining that a ham burger is a beef burger, but then thought the better of it. Malaysia is primarily a muslim country so pork is not served in most places. I say primarily muslim since there are sizeable non-muslim minorities, but more on that in a later post should I get to it. It can get pretty complicated.

Putrajaya itself is the center of the government. That's the parliament on the right. The city looks and feels spanking new. That's because it is new. Development started in 1995.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putrajaya
It contains mostly government offices and civil services. Its kind of a strange feeling since on some level I associate Asia and the East with the old and cultural. I expect 2000 year old temples and places that existed long before Western cultures decided that moving from tribal settings to cities would be a good thing, so to see this spanking new city built practically from scratch and considering the wealth that was needed to bring it off is quite something.
I work in Cyberjaya. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberjaya. Another spanking new city. Its about 20 minutes away by cab from the Hotel. Yes, there I go again. The man who wouldn't dream of taking a taxi in the States being a spendthrift. But remember the prices are so low. Its about $6. In Chicago that would be the price for openning that taxi cab door.
The WK office is in the FSBM plaza which is the oldest building in Cyberjaya. Nice enough building, but the best feature is the artificial koi pond out front. Of course I didn't quite know it was a koi pond at first. I only got to see at night during my smoking breaks. And its dark outside. I just figured it was one of those artificial water architectural flourishes that most modern building like to utilize. Imagine my surprise when while walking next to the edge in my nicotine fueled sleep deprived 7am daze one of the fish jumped out of the water. I almost fell in.
The CBJ staff have all been super and very welcoming. Everyone usually goes to "lunch" around 1:30am in group so I am getting a taste of all kinds of different foods. And the food is excellent. And did I mention cheap. You could get a really good solid meal for around $3. YC and Hui Ling also took me out for some really good satay and a Thai restaurant in KL in the off hours. Thanks guys. Everyone.
I took a couple of short trips to Kuala Lumpur, but still don't have a real sense of the place. Will get more opportunities since I still have 4 weeks here. Did visit Petaling Street and Petronas Towers. Hopefully will write up my KL adventures at some later date. Thus far the only bad thing, other than the working hours, is the weather. Its hot and humid. When Aris picked me up at the airport and drove me to the hotel I noted that there doesn't seem to be much pedestrians about. Now I know why. Its just too hot and humid. Walk more than 100 meters and you are drenched in sweat. At least I am.

Next on tap is a weekend at Tioman with some of the guys from the office. And then the big trip to Sipadan from September 1 -8. Details, hopefully, to follow.