Malaysia

Its Friday night in Singapore (SG).  It is a Budhist holiday today and the streets are alive.  While earlier, acompanied by a scorching sun and stifling heat, the humidity ilicited an uncomfortable stickiness, tonight its warmth envelops us like a cozy blanket and allows us to dine on Shiraz chicken Kebabs at a street vendor while watching a world of cultures narrowly escaping violent collisions as they dance the sidewalk salsa.  

We've just returned home from a 3 day trip to Malaysia's Kuala Lumpor (KL); only 45 minutes away on a $40 flight that provided the kids with another dot on thier world travels map and another stamp in what will soon be a crowded passport.  I'd like to say we spent our time in KL exploring the city and all that it had to offer but as it turned out, we were there for a business trip.  Although officially on vacation, I asked Lisa and the kids to accompany me to KL as I spent 2 days in meetings with my new team at Shell's offices.  Luckily for them, while I chilled in an overly airconditioned meeting room, they got to hang out in a tropical paradise, either lounging poolside or riding up and down the elevator in the fabulous house where we stayed with friends who welcomed us with open arms into thier home and made us feel like family.

It was a short stay but we did manage to take in some of the sights before we caught our flight home today including the stunning twin towers which make up part of the KL Convention Centre and Bukit Butang, a giant shopping centre and pavillion where Lisa got her nails done (yes, seriously).  We also were able to experience an entirely new style of driving.  As it turns out, in KL, the lines on the roads and speed limit signs mean very little as cars clamour to make room for themselves and jockey for position.  While this alone would be enough to cause a slight heart murmer, despite heading to the airport super early to give ourselves lots of time, we ended up at the wrong airport terminal on our way home and took a page out of the Amazing Race as we ran out of the KL International Airport and breathlessly hopped a cab to take us to another of the 3 seperate airports in KL where our flight on budget airline, Tiger, flys out of.  Let it be a warning, when in KL, if you tell a cabby you have to hurry to make your flight, you are taking your life in your hands.  On at least three occasions, we made maneuvers straight out of a car chase scene from an action movie.  In one, we squeezed between a guard rail and another vehicle in a tight corner on a one lane road.  We bobbed and weaved in and out of lanes like a light weight boxer ducking punches.  What was meant to be a 15-20 minute drive between terminals (at normally crazy KL speeds) took under 6 minutes.  Scary how the stress of potentially missing our flight made us oblivious to the danger we had put ourselves in.

On the bright side,  the driver was a great guy with a great sense of humour (and 5 kids) who made it his personal mission to get us to the airport on time.  There was no way we were missing that flight;  not on his watch!

Hope you are all well.  Love from SG - The Plamondons