Malaysia: Arriving in Mabul

02/25/2014 co-written with The Organizer

We woke up early without an alarm. A little groggy but nothing bad like a soju night. We headed down to the main office for a complimentary breakfast. BP&Js on toast with gritty instant coffee. Bills were paid, goodbyes were said, thanks were given and off we went to Uncle Chang's port. I didn't bring a lot of money with me and took my VISA to make life more convenient; in hindsight it was a stupid idea. I didn't have enough money for Uncle Chang's and the only ATM in Semporna couldn't read my card. So Uncle Chang's is on my VISA (so I have to behave myself). Regardless, everything got sorted out and we traveled to Mabul Island. 

On our boat was a hilarious troupe of Chinese people, varying from infancy to old age, who took at least four hundred photos between five cameras. They would hop from side to side taking pictures with one another. Now I know why its called a Chinese fire drill. We made our way into a couple photos too. One guy even nudged himself onto the seat next to the driver and pretended he was driving. Man, oh man, did he laugh. It was in that throaty sound you make when your choking but you're really excited, and then they all started laughing. The three of us shared this look asking how much longer can this last. I felt so sorry for that baby. 

When we got to Mabul reality sunk in. There were half-clothed children paddling boats, children bailing out the same boats while the smallest children put fingers to their mouths begging for food. Welcome to the third world.

In some instances this is not something humbling for the islanders, some are kings in their own mind because they know the place and everybody in it. The staff is very free-flowing with friends swinging by and just a general lazy demeanor around the island. 

We went on our first snorkel and left our bags on the boat. Luckily I didn't leave any Malaysian money in my bag. My two friends weren't so lucky. We kept all of our $ in the office safe but didn't think the change from paying for the trip would go missing. One lost fifty Ringgit and the other lost 130 (three ringgit is roughly a dollar). That settled all the trust issues we had with the boat driver and the staff. The Pirates of Indonesia are charging north picking on the foreigners. Beware, tourists, looks are deceiving.

Later that night we were playing Rummy and some people watched, didn't understand, then walked away. Others who noticed we were slamming Tigers hung around to witness the antics or enjoy them with us. At this point I had no patience for their attitudes. I got to play some guitar though, Young's "Southern Man" with a harmonica solo from another guest, "Lose Yourself," some Jackie J and something else... I think. Regardless in all the fun our cards disappeared. 

This place has already received a terrible a review, just to prove that "What happens on Mabul doesn't stay on Mabul." I shouldn't rag on all the staff some are really nice and helpful but some lack a work ethic.

Example: Another night, I had my older brother moment babysitting the drunk bartender as he puked over the walkway into the ocean before midnight... I think. I might have been drunk too. 

           

Tawau, Malaysia

02/24/2014

I have three hours to kill. I walked to the end of the parking lot and took some photos along the way.

This is like those bobbing dogs except it was a flower.

Then I had first lunch: a bowl of spicy chicken soup in the shade. It had noodles, fish cakes balls, noodles, a couple kaffir leafs, chicken, and some cabbage. Overall, Malaysian food is living up to what I've heard and seen on Facebook/ Instagram plus its cheap. Just had my second lunch which was a little more expensive and not as flavorful but at the same time it had canned mushrooms in the sauce and that brought be back to family dinners in university. 

While waiting at the arrival gate I ran into a guy from Uncle Chang's, our hostel, was waiting outside the arrivals just like me. As I approached him and asked who he was picking up the guy seemed to only have "Yes" in his English repertoire. My friends got out of baggage claim and I was so excited that I had contributed to the trip (Disclaimer: I planned literally nothing for this trip). The organizer looked me straight in the face, "We sleep there tomorrow." Damn. The guy still gave us a ride to Semporna, our final destination of the day. We listened to "different" club music the whole way there.

He dropped us off at our hostel and gave us his name and number so he can drive us back to Tawau for a discount. Our hostel was pretty small a twin and queen filled the main room. The bathroom was pretty rustic but cleaner than mine (we'd have a problem if it wasn't). After dropping off our bags we explored the small coastal city of Semporna. We found a really cool mosque.

That was the prettiest thing in the area. Besides that there was a fish-filled market that had some less than fresh smells, hecklers, and sweet-talkers. Of course there's also just a huge mound of garbage right beside the water too. We stopped at the Western Bar on the patio and had a bunch of drinks. It was a really solid place until you got a warm breeze from the garbage heap. I found it really hard to get wasted because it was so humid, I was perspiring like nobody's business. Our collective bar tab was $60 which is awesome for roughly 3 hours of drinking. We woke up reasonably early to get our boat to Mabul but it was easy with sun out.  

Malaysia: Wakey Wakey

02/23/2014 - 02/24/2014

We got into the hotel late. The three of us took our time to settle in: figuring out the Air Con and the score in the Gold Medal game (Yay Canada). My flight the following day was at 7:10 so I asked for a wake-up call. The shuttle came at every hour on the hour so I needed to be downstairs by 5:00. My wake-up call was at 4:30. Just brutal. I blindly grabbed for the phone and ended up flipping it over. I got up and walked outside greeted by darkness.

Gradually more people came down. I met a Canadian who works at one of the universities in Seoul and an Environmental Studies Student from the states. The E.S. girl is here for reasons too complicated to understand in the early hours of the day. I was one of the first people to get into the shuttle bus that morning, with the prof from Seoul. The last two people down were a man and a Muslim woman. At this point there was an empty seat up front with the driver and one next to the prof. I had to move to accommodate the woman who can't sit next to a man she's never met before. That was the first culture shock of the trip. I guess shock is the wrong word; I'm just not used to the custom. We, the North Americans, made enough small talk to make the ride seem shorter than it was (fun fact Denmark had 17 HOURS of sunlight in a month during the winter of 2013) then got out of the shuttle and went our separate ways.

I went through the airport rapid-fast thanks to online check-in. I got to my gate and wandered in search of food. Buy+Fly was the only place open with something substantial to eat. The rice here, there's something about it. The grains seem buttery, soft, and not clumpy at all. Ideally I wish I could take some back with me but I feel Koreans would take that as well as one takes a slap in the face.

I was on the plane before the sun was up. Now, above the clouds, the sky is a bright blue. I land in Tawau and will wait in the airport for my friends plane to arrive in three hours. I'll have no idea what I'll do but I'm hoping to get some flip-flops because the toe thong on my left one continuously pops out.

As I sit here, too tired to read, I'm realizing that having a mobile device to watch TV is a very good investment because I don't think airplanes will install personal TVs anymore because of smart phones and tablets.

Malaysia: Togetherness

02/23/2014

On our way to the airport the three of us met up at the interchange station and headed out to the airport together. When we got there we all changed our money over. One of us didn't bring cash to exchange and opted to use a VISA. That doesn't fly. So she went up to her bank's airport branch only to realize she didn't have her bank card. I can understand this, bar-proof your wallet so if you lose your wallet you don't have to rebuild your life after your vacation (or a drunken adventure). She got on her phone to her boyfriend, then the bank, then back to the boyfriend. They tried several ways to figure this out (I was busy reading and perusing the airport occupying my mind and trying not worry.) Eventually the ever-loving boyfriend cabbed down to the airport, she pulled out her money, exchanged it, and then it was a mad dash* through security.We got to the gate as it was boarding.
*That's kind of a lie. We put our carry-ons through the x-ray machine. Guess whose bag gets flagged? After the ordeal with bank card issues my friend had left something in her bag. It gets worse, the personnel couldn't find it on the first try. He took it back to the x-ray machine to see if he could relocate it! I don't blame him, there were about twenty pockets on the pack. We jumped through immigration and walked right onto the plane. Good thing we came early.

According to the pamphlet on the plane these are ten things to do in Malaysia.

1. Eat nasi lemak.
2. Drink coffee from a saucer
3. Make lots of friends.
4. Call home.
5. Eat with your hands.
6. Haggle, haggle, haggle at Petaling street.
7. Hang out at a local coffee shop.
8. Learn the language.
9. Go "mamak"ing 'til late.
10. Don't get ripped off on mobile plans.

I did 1, 3(is 10 lots??), 5(a sandwich), 9 (twice), and 10 by not using a phone at all.

Through the Eyes of the Waygook: A Trip to the Dentist 2: Rebooted

So I went to the dentist on Friday. I brushed my teeth at home then went straight there, thinking they'd be really impressed by the freshness of my breath. I received no compliments what so ever. The dentist sat next to me first and explained what would happen since his hygienist doesn't speak English. So they put this red stuff in my mouth that would mark where I'm not brushing. They cleaned my teeth afterwards. The dentist came back with a big plastic mouth and an over-sized toothbrush in his hands.
"My hygienist will show you how to brush."

Apparently I've been doing it wrong. You need to sweep from your gums to the tips of your teeth. The countless times I've been to the dentist and I've never heard such an idea (or I could have been day-dreaming) the idea there's another technique seems unfathomable. Even in the commercials they're doing it wrong. Either way certain people were worried I had a cavity but I don't which is nice to hear.  The total cost was 10,000 won and half an hour of my time.

Thank you, Korea. You've shown me the path to healthier teeth and presumably gums as well. For a very minimal price too. I guess I can always learn lessons anywhere you go.

...I know I've been slacking on blogs. I'm being productive elsewhere but as far as I know I have a Saturday to myself so I'm going blog crazy. I don't know how many I'll type off but it should be around 7-11 mmmm Slurpees.  

Through the Eyes of the Waygook: A trip to the Dentist 1

I booked an appointment to go to the dentist before I left for Malaysia and went in last Friday. I have never really liked going to the dentist but my parents have reminded me time and time again that tremendous amounts of money have been put into my smile. I also figured it would be something fun to blog about and experience.

When I got into the waiting room the secretary told me to wait a few minutes so I sat down on a leather couch and took in the fung-shui of the room. There was a white tree in the middle of the room with silver balls, Christmas ornaments, scattered around the roots. On one of the side tables there were magazines and a full pot of coffee. Coffee? Yes -- you could get water from a tap.

I was called in by the secretary/ hygienist who sat me in an elaborate chair. The chairs weren't sanctioned off by walls and you could see the other patients going under the drill. The chairs themselves were futuristic or maybe my dentist back home is old school. There was a screen, tap and sink, and a built-in tray for all the instruments. The first portion of the check-up was a photo session in my mouth. I had forgotten how many cavities I had and when they took four shots of each molar from different angles it made me feel as if my whole mouth was full of metal. The dentist stopped by and explained in English (co-teacher worthy English) that there was some build-up in spots and his hygienist would clean my teeth.

This is where I feel I didn't get all that I wanted. Now that I think about it, my dentist definitely polished my teeth too, this lady just cleaned them. Koreans have this insecurity about closing their eyes in front of strangers,  (this is an assumption) so just like when you get your hair shampooed, you get a flat plastic doughnut that covers everything but your nose and mouth. The cleaning didn't feel great, they swabbed my mouth with something that had a eucalyptus flavor and that was that.

After coming back into the waiting room, the secretary rang me up. Originally when I saw the bill it said 13,1700 and I almost flipped out. She just dangles her sevens. It came to 13,700, I booked a follow-up in two weeks. . The dentist came out to say goodbye. Before I left I asked him what the best toothpaste to buy was and he said all of them are good. That's the first time a dentist hasn't shown any lean towards the toothpaste that they use. I kind of wish I could fly home and get the expected treatment the same dentist I've had since before I can remember, maybe he'll even except my Korean Insurance.

Costco

On Wednesday I went to the Korean Costco for the first time. The people I went with usually went about every one or two months. They were shocked I had never gone. Quite simply, I rarely ate cheese before I left Canada unless it was an appetizer at a party or on pizza. Living in Korea, I've taken cheese out of my diet unless I take out a pizza. I also just settle with Korean food, BBQ is great, as our pork and beef soups, and all those greens native to Korea. Oh, and rice, can't forget that staple.  

Shopping at Costco has opened my eyes to a little piece of the West just off of the Nakdong River. Big bags of meat, literal bricks of cheese, cheesy pastas, legitimate bread, and soooo many free samples. They had beef that melts in your mouth, danishes that'll cream your jeans, champagne, cheeses, and spam with rice in a cup! Okay that last one sucked, but it was free. I wish I lived close by... and had a  Costco card.

How has this changed my life? I bought two bricks of cheese, three half-loaves of WHOLEWHEAT bread (a rarity in Korea) and cold cuts (another rarity). They've been the cornerstones of my meals at home which have been grilled cheese sandwiches. If I'm ever going to turn into a pudgy-ball again this is the time. I have some much cheese, I don't know what to do with it.

When we got into Costco there is a little eatery set up where you can order pizza, and these baked sandwiches. I went with pizza because despite this being a little piece of the west Koreans still run the mega store. Everything looked good,  I wasn't in the mood to take my time with a decision. I was in sensory overload for a good fifteen minutes just admiring the towers of toiletries, clothes, grub and all the smells.  Oh the smells. In the end I only spent about 85,000 won. I would have gotten more but my freezer is a piece of shit. (Blog/Image To Be Posted).

Costco is good. No, it's wonderful; a very nice break from my usual grocery shopping experience. If you ever get homesick go there.        

Update: School Year, back from Malaysia

Less than 24 hours since getting off the plane from KL I'm back at school. New schedule, new co-teachers and four dudes in the specialist room (it's never been more than two). I'm pretty excited, but also very tired from over thinking and planning. I read an article about how to be proactive at work and came in today thinking I was gonna grab my job by the balls and be on top of my game before lunch. Of course that didn't really happen but I'll give myself until the end of the week to get everything in order.

I was the first one in the office and opened up the windows to air the room out. Busan is beginning to feel like spring. Surprisingly, my computer has been rebooted (thank goodness for back-ups) and stripped to the bones so I needed to download Chrome, then transfer all my PPTs and work sheets. I went downstairs to the English Library to find that some binders have been filled with standard ESL Reading Comprehension worksheets. That's one less thing I have to do this week. 

I go my course schedule and I'm starting the year off with Grade 3s and 5s. My after school programs are similar but my head teacher wants them to be geared towards speaking as opposed to reading and writing. I also have a drama club that I'm co-teaching which I'm excited and incredibly petrified of because I have the reigns and zero guidelines. The year's shaping up to be an interesting one I'm just not sure whether or not it's going to be a semester that encourages me to stay another year. I'm feeling ready for the week despite not really getting a solid recharge from my vacation. 

Malaysia was a cool place, I just wish I had contributed to planning the trip. I felt I didn't get to settle/explore the areas and "experience" Malaysia as much as I wanted to, but I'm planning on posting everything I wrote down by the end of the week. One factor out of my control is I took pictures until my battery died which was on Monday; so I'll be stealing photos from my friends but I'd probably do that anyway: they've got better cameras, itchy fingers, and talent taking photos. 

 

Here's to another semester!