Introducing.......The QQ

Well, we bit the bullet and took the plunge of car leasing in Singapore. We got what we could afford, A Chery QQ. Let's just say it is the cheapest Chinese made car that is allowed on the road. I drive it to work and back and we explore the island, Jazzy in tow, on the weekends. We absolutely LOVE having a car. My commute time is cut in half and I don't have to stand the whole way to and from work! It has made such a difference in my day to day enjoyment and I am SO happy we decided to make this financial sacrifice to have a car. (it IS expensive. We are paying, per year, about the same amount you could BUY a slightly-mildly used car for in the US)

But.....we Love our QQ! Isn't she cute?!?

Malaysia

Melissa here…..After Chris’ return from South Africa, we took a 4 day trip to Malaysia to celebrate Hari Rayi Haji. During this highly religious time Muslims remember their faith with prayer, sacrifice and reflection. Hari Raya Haji is also known as the Festival of Sacrifice as it is traditional for towns/families to sacrifice an animal and share the meat with their community. Read more here….

As we are not Muslim, we celebrated the holiday with what we do best….exploring new cities, getting some nature time (monkeys!!), pool time, massages, cultural experiences and eating and drinking our way through all the local establishments.

We flew in to Kuala Lumpur (KL) which is the federal capitol of Malaysia. The flight was just 45 minutes from Singapore, although we could have driven to the southern border of Malaysia from our home in less than 20 minutes! For the first 2 nights we stayed at a high end hostel with a private room and air- con. The hostel was very nice and located in the heart of the city; just a minute walk to the metro station and an amazing coffee and sandwich shop.  The first day we hopped the train to Batu Caves which is a historic Hindu Temple built into a limestone hillside. I was adorned with a flower garland prior to making the trek up the 272 steps to the Temple Entrance. Again we did not take many pictures inside, as we felt it was intrusive and too “touristy” or disrespectful to those engaged in the prayer ceremony. The cave was filled with the sweet smell of incense, a constant humming of prayer, bell and gong sounds and the occasional monkey or chicken running by. It was truly an amazing place. Our favourite part of the trip!

Lord hanuman

fixing the lights??

eating the lights??

Lord Murugan

taking a break

feeding the monkeys rice and milk

up....

up....

UP!

representing NorCal in Malaysia! 

After a power nap back at the hostel, we headed out again on a search for the two highest points in KL; The KL Tower and the Petronas Twin Towers. At the KL Tower we had afternoon tea in a 360 degree restaurant to check out the views. Unfortunately, a storm rolled in shortly after, obscuring the views, but we actually enjoyed the unique perspective of being up in a storm cloud as we sipped our kopi (coffee) and nibbled our egg sandwiches and kuih melayu (traditional Malaysian desserts).

                           

                                   

After the storm passed, we caught a taxi to the Petronas Twin Towers,which are now the highest twin towers in the word (after the World Trade Center). They were quite impressive and bright!

Chris liked this Hari Raya decoration, Snowflakes? in Malaysia?

                                          

The next day we packed up, enjoyed the free kopi and banana fingers (what Chris calls the small bananas) and headed to the bus station to catch a ride to Malacca (or Melaka in Malay). Given the holiday, the bus station was quite crowded and even though we had pre purchased tickets online, we made the mistake of queuing in the wrong line (whoops!) Fortunately, we got it sorted out in time and had just enough time to grab some drinks and snacks and use the bathroom. What I affectionately call “squatty potties” are rare to use in SG, but are very common in Malaysia.  Whew! Glad I had some tissue paper as it was not provided in this bathroom; not that is was out….just not provided.

The bus trip was nice and passed by quickly (about 2 hours). Since we had saved some money in KL staying in the hostel, we splurged in Malacca and upgraded to a Club Room at the Equatorial Hotel in the heart of the historic district. Read more about the history of Malacca here…..

can you spot the ang mo?

Malacca

                                  

After settling in, we took a Trishaw ride to a Tea house to have a traditional Chinese Tea Tasting. We learned a lot and drank a lot of tea. We especially enjoyed watching the tea Uncle (elder) go through the meticulous and artistic process of choosing, pulling and preparing the tea for us.

 

Sydney would love this place!!

Tea Uncle

30+ people were queuing for this Malaysia breakfast spot. Maybe we will try it next time!

We left with a slight buzz and headed out for lunch. That afternoon we went for foot and hand reflexology after reading by the pool. Ahhh what a life!

Back in the hotel room, we were surprised by a street parade going on below complete with floats, flashing lights and singing/chanting. It was pouring down rain, but that did not slow the devoted participants that were hand pushing the floats and carts. It was a wonderful surprise!

The next day we walked around, shopped, had more reflexology (:0) prior to heading back to KL to fly home. It was a whirlwind trip and we explored a lot. We loved the historic and quaint feel of Malacca and plan to drive up soon. Yes, I said DRIVE!  Stay tuned for the next post!!!

South Africa

Chris here,

Well the Earth continues to spin on its axis, and time continues to fly by. This post should have been written some time ago-- but who's keeping score, right?

Some months ago, August actually, I joined a group of wonderful students and two other professors on a school trip to South Africa. My role was to intern for the International Strategic Communication Management program, which I have since been asked to take over for the next academic school year. The program focuses on building strong skills in creating communication campaigns for real clients-- this year's client was the country of South Africa's Tourism Board. My students were tasked with creating a marketing campaign aimed at encouraging Singaporeans to consider South Africa for future international vacations. And, in order for them to create such a campaign, they would have to go for themselves and visit all of the "must-see" sights that the incredible country has to offer! What a trip!

We first flew to Johannesburg ("Jo-Burg," or "Josie" for the locals) and spent a few days discovering recent yet prolific history. We visited many culturally significant spots and learned a great deal about apartheid in South Africa; visiting jails and museums that house a wealth of information about Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and many others who worked tirelessly to bring South Africans of all colors to be the great "Rainbow Nation" it strives to be today. 

We then headed north to the incredible Pilanesberg National Park for two days of animal adventuring. Seeing rhinos, wildebeests, impalas, and giraffes up close was an experience I'll never forget. Nor was the afternoon standoff we had with a bull elephant in must who trumpeted at our jeep as if to say "I'm a lot bigger than you and you are in my way, MOVE!" We weren't slow to retreat to a safer distance to then watch as he pushed over trees that were unable to move with such swiftness as we did. 

From the game park we headed south to Cape Town for a couple days of touring South Africa's wine country while also taking a day trip to Robben Island (the Alcatraz-esque prison that housed Mandela). Wine country in South Africa is similar to that of California, only with more monkeys and zebras. As you can tell from the pictures, it was an amazing trip. Next year's destination-- Sri Lanka. Cheers, 

Chris