A little trip to Malaysia

I like to imagine that I am a Woman of Adventure. A woman not inhibited by schedules and planning and such that consume the thoughts and Day Planners of normal members of society. A woman unfazed by change. However, there was a moment as I wandered - lost - through the narrow, crowded streets of Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur (every town in the world boasts a Chinatown, as it would seem.... except Oklahoma City, perhaps), alone, with all my bags, in Malaysia, at midnight, and nowhere to stay for the night, that a slight tinge of something akin to panic started creeping into my consciousness, and I wished that I had planned for this trip sooner than 12 hours before. Screw spontaneity . (Sorry Mom, I should have been a more cautionary title, such as "Don't Read, Mom"). The hotel I thought I had reserved didn't have my reservation, nor rooms, but suggested a hotel down the street, also with no rooms. The second suggested a third, the third a fourth. By the fifth hotel, exhausted (6 hour car drive to taxi to bus station to taxi to airport to KL to hour long bus before I finally arrived), I slapped my credit card down at a nice hotel without even looking at the price. Usually a ridiculously cheap, seedy-hostel dweller, this was one time where I couldn't have been happier to see down pillows, room service, and cable TV. After my first rather stressful night, I had an amazing stay in Kuala Lumpur. The city is magnetic and diverse and beautiful and chaotic - but chaotic with an almost tranquil order to it. There are two - sometimes three - of the following on every block (and I am not kidding): KFC, McDonald's, 7-11. McDonald's even offers delivery. I ate incredible Malay and Indian food at every meal (except for the, uh, inexplicable stop at McDonald's for one meal. I know, I know - I don't even remember the last time anything from that disgusting, artery-clogging place went into my mouth. For some reason though, so overpowered by desire was I for the taste of a questionable-meat-fake-cheese Quarter Pounder, I couldn't help myself. Don't judge...). And then there is Starbucks (*sigh*...). After restraining and resisting and writing all sorts of diatribes against the unjust role trendy marketing and globalization has had on the local coffee industry in East Asia, my resolve completely and utterly failed me and I indulged in not one but FOUR grande vanilla lattes over the course of the weekend. Ex-pat Western capitalist guilt notwithstanding, I enjoyed every bit of all four.

The trip to the Thai Embassy to apply for the visa was slightly more complicated - at one moment I realized there was a distinct possibility that I would be stranded in Malaysia indefinitely, without a passport. It took all my skills at persuasion to convince the consulate clerk that really, it was in her best interests to process my visa on a Saturday, when, of course, the embassy is closed. On the way back from the Embassy, Trip 1, fearing I would never see my visa, or passport again, I expressed my frustrations to my taxi driver. It, apparently, was my lucky day. Jamal specializes in, ah... assisting, shall we say, with visa/passport complications. Whipping out a business card, complete with a bogus, nondescript company as cover, he promised to deliver my brand new passport and Thai visa to me before my flight left on Sunday. I burst out laughing. I did, however, keep his card. One never knows when one might be in need of a fake passport...

Petronas Towers
I loved Kuala Lumpur. I found the people strong and welcoming, and the city inspiring. I can't wait to plan a real trip to Malaysia now. So, after the whole trip there in reverse (hotel to taxi to hour long bus to airport to shuttle to 6 hours to kill in Bangkok to train to subway to motorcycle to 10 hour bus back to Mae Sot) I arrived at the Mae Sot bus station at 4:30 Monday morning. I fought with a tuk-tuk driver who took advantage of the fact that he could totally rip me off because it was the middle of the night and there was nothing I could do about it. After 20 minutes of bargaining, stomping off, coming back, stomping off again, I realized he had me and I might as well suck it up and pay the $1 and go home (Yes, I know it was only a dollar, but it should have been 50 cents! It's the principle, people!). At least I got to wake up and go to my cool job. Downtown KL - Petronas Towers are the tall buildings in the middle

Just so you know I was really there...