More on Malaysia

After visiting the aboriginal museum we went to Lake Gardens. We visited the world’s largest covered aviary and got to see some stunning birds. My favorites were the Great Hornbill and the Scarlet Ibis. The ibis literally looked like it had been dunked into a vat of scarlet paint. We also visited an orchid garden within the park. We finished the day with a foot massage and a delicious Thai dinner at a very shishi shopping mall that had the floors in the elevator labeled feast, (for dining) indulge, pamper (spa floor), adorn (jewelry) and relish.

The dress in KL was fascinating. Many Muslim women wore prints of garish colored synthetic outfits that consisted of ankle length skirts with a long sleeve over blouse of the same material that hung just below the knees and a matching solid color headscarf. I saw a few girl toddlers 2-3 years old with headscarves also. Some younger Muslim women wore tight jeans, simple blouses and a headscarf. It was rare to see a woman wearing the traditional black dress we associate with Muslim garb. Some who wear the black over dress with a veil that shows only their eyes also wear gloves and closed toe shoes and black hosiery so that the only exposed skin is the area around the eyes. Traditional dress for men is a pastel shirt that isn’t tucked in with matching pants. The material looked like a lightweight synthetic so the look resembled pajamas. Around the waist was another piece of elaborately woven colorful material about 18-24 inches in width that was rolled at the waist to keep it in place. So it looked sort of like a short straight skirt over the pjs.

The major exports are now manufacturing, particularly electronics and electrical machinery that accounts for 67% of exports. The economy has had steady growth since independence. Multinationals have poured billions into the Malay economy due to tax incentives and a pro-business government.

From the ashes of the interracial riots of 1969 when distrust between Chinese and Malays peaked, the country has managed to create a more tolerant society. SL needs a lesson in how to achieve this! An economic policy has increased Malay involvement in the economy, although it has largely benefited the elite. This has helped defuse Malay fears and resentment of Chinese economic dominance but has done little to quell Chinese or Indian fears, or the reality of their being discriminated against by government policy.

The major religions are Islam which was introduced via South Indian traders and was not the more orthodox Islamic tradition of Arabia, Chinese religions of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism and Hinduism that dates back at least 1500 years. The indigenous people of Malaysia practiced animism.

I forgot to mention that the taxi driver who picked us up in Colombo to take us to the airport recognized us from our morning exercise walks. He frequently washed his car at the spring where people bathe. We passed it every morning going and coming back home. Small world, huh? Then when we were ready to leave our hotel in KL, the man who had picked us up at the airport was standing in the lobby and said for 50 ringit he would take us to the Central Station where we could catch the express train to the airport. That’s about $12. We declined and said we would take the light rail to the Central Station so he then offered to take us for free. Go figure. We had decided to take the train to the airport as we had been charged double the standard fare for a taxi from the airport. We had no regrets because we had gotten to see the government seat on the way into town. We also knew that we could get stuck in traffic and wanted to avoid missing our plane.

We arrived in SL around 5:30, got through customs and out the door by 6:00. Normally it takes 45 minutes to get to Colombo from the airport but we hit end of day traffic and it took one and a half hours. I asked the driver how many trips he had made into Colombo that day. We were his second trip and his last for the day. He said the conflict keeps tourists away and his income is greatly reduced consequently. Everyone on the island suffers from the conflict even if no one is shooting at you. Most drivers get 10% of the fare so in this case it was $1.80. Ron gave him an extra big tip after hearing his story.

We treated ourselves to room service and got to bed at a decent hour. The next day I unpacked our bags, ironed clothes and organized our one room home. Our room has a desk and two-drawer file cabinet that makes a nice little office for our tiny laptop and an area for paying bills, etc. I feel more settled now and think we will survive this change. Eating in restaurants will grow tiresome but at least we now have a variety to choose from that we didn’t when we arrived 13 months ago and were unfamiliar with Colombo. We have TV that we haven’t had since June in SL due to a lawsuit. Hotels have satellite TV so never lost reception.

Our room faces the Indian Ocean. Our view is partially obstructed by other buildings but we can see the ocean and ships on the horizon. Each morning we take our exercise walk of 45 minutes down by the ocean at what is called Galle Face Green. Since most of the green is sand Ron and I call it Galle Face Brown. Currently a high fence surrounds the green so we are assuming they are trying to green it up! There is a wide boardwalk and there are a number of others out early exercising. During the day this is a very popular place for young couples to court since most SL live at home until they marry. Usually they can be spied sitting close together under an umbrella for privacy as they snuggle and kiss. In the evening there are many families who come to walk, eat treats sold by vendors and to enjoy the night ocean breeze. One of the best parts of being in the hotel is no mosquitoes, roaches and bugs that go bite in the night!

So that’s life five degrees above the equator where Ron and Tricia are having an adventure of a lifetime.