Sunday, December 21, 2003
December 21, 2003
So this site has been a little neglected: my laptop is getting fixed (insha'allah, cross your fingers), so I've been incommunicado of late. And that trend will continue, as I leave Tuesday to go to Sabah with roommates (tickets went through, so all alternatives plans got shelved for the original, including flying to Cairo to surprise old friends or seeing about a flight to Korea--though now I see Andi's fam is on the way anyway). I'll taking notes of observations though, lots of them. Fill you in post-holidays.
In the meantime, have yourselves a merry little Christmas, make the...what are those words? Katrina would know. She always does.
Just one thing I want to share for now: I'm magic. Three examples:
1. "Gee, considering it rains so much here and is also sunny a lot, I'm surprised I've only ever seen one rainbow," I say as we exit the parking ramp, where upon I see a DOUBLE rainbow.
2. "Gee, I'm feeling aggression and wish I could beat someone up." By the end of the day, I happen to look up above a restaurant 1 block away from my apartment where I always eat and see punching bags in the window and people kicking them. Next day I check it out and get two free kickboxing classes before having to decide if I want to join. (And boy am I feeling that first one still; I can barely walk. Today's church-going expedition was particularly painful given all the standing/sitting/kneeling. The second one will have to wait so I will hopefully be able to climb a mountain...)
3. "Gee, I haven't had any gecko-y lizardy things in my room." Within 10 minutes, I have a little visitor on my wall. (So it's not ALL good magic; haven't quite learned how to control it...be careful what you wish for, right? Though I was a little lonely, so maybe he was just coming to keep me company.)
And remind me to tell you about R. I don't think he's appeared yet in these files, at least not by name. He's the guy who lent me money post-theft way back when. If my life was a movie, he'd definitely star in the lead male role. He's also my Malay teacher and possibly the only person I would truly miss if I were to have to leave Malaysia forever today. He deserves space here, not sure what was keeping me from sharing him with you. Will do. In the New Year.
Love to you all.
(And send messages to my cell phone to ward off feeling immense distance from loved ones during the holidays. Send short messages to: 0123558349@sms.maxis.net.my and I will be ever so much happier. Thanks to all those who have sent ones so far--much appreciated!)
So this site has been a little neglected: my laptop is getting fixed (insha'allah, cross your fingers), so I've been incommunicado of late. And that trend will continue, as I leave Tuesday to go to Sabah with roommates (tickets went through, so all alternatives plans got shelved for the original, including flying to Cairo to surprise old friends or seeing about a flight to Korea--though now I see Andi's fam is on the way anyway). I'll taking notes of observations though, lots of them. Fill you in post-holidays.
In the meantime, have yourselves a merry little Christmas, make the...what are those words? Katrina would know. She always does.
Just one thing I want to share for now: I'm magic. Three examples:
1. "Gee, considering it rains so much here and is also sunny a lot, I'm surprised I've only ever seen one rainbow," I say as we exit the parking ramp, where upon I see a DOUBLE rainbow.
2. "Gee, I'm feeling aggression and wish I could beat someone up." By the end of the day, I happen to look up above a restaurant 1 block away from my apartment where I always eat and see punching bags in the window and people kicking them. Next day I check it out and get two free kickboxing classes before having to decide if I want to join. (And boy am I feeling that first one still; I can barely walk. Today's church-going expedition was particularly painful given all the standing/sitting/kneeling. The second one will have to wait so I will hopefully be able to climb a mountain...)
3. "Gee, I haven't had any gecko-y lizardy things in my room." Within 10 minutes, I have a little visitor on my wall. (So it's not ALL good magic; haven't quite learned how to control it...be careful what you wish for, right? Though I was a little lonely, so maybe he was just coming to keep me company.)
And remind me to tell you about R. I don't think he's appeared yet in these files, at least not by name. He's the guy who lent me money post-theft way back when. If my life was a movie, he'd definitely star in the lead male role. He's also my Malay teacher and possibly the only person I would truly miss if I were to have to leave Malaysia forever today. He deserves space here, not sure what was keeping me from sharing him with you. Will do. In the New Year.
Love to you all.
(And send messages to my cell phone to ward off feeling immense distance from loved ones during the holidays. Send short messages to: 0123558349@sms.maxis.net.my and I will be ever so much happier. Thanks to all those who have sent ones so far--much appreciated!)
Saturday, December 13, 2003
What are the odds?
December 13, 2003
I have this habit of making eye contact, even when just walking down the street, that has many more implication abroad than it does in the States. I like to look at people's faces, see their features, see their expressions. In some countries, particularly when woman do this, it is considered an invitation to engage in conversation and very forward, especially if the looked-at is male. Today, I happened to look at a man some distance away and he looked at me at the same time and our eyes met. This was unintentional, mind you, I was NOT trying to get his attention (though I have been known to do that!). My unconscious reaction when our eyes met was to raise my eyebrows, a kind of, what are you looking at type reaction.
Well, he was some distance ahead of me and I noticed that he'd stopped, so I planned to breeze right by him and not say anything or look over. As I passed him, he said hello. Being the Midwestern, friendly girl that I am, I cannot not say hello to someone (same problem in Egypt!). So I said hello back but kept on walking. He started to walk beside me and I realized on second glance that he didn't seem to look like a Malaysian (which is saying a lot since that could mean Malay, Chinese, Indian).
"Where are you from?" I inquired. I always play a guessing game when I see obvious foreigners, though rarely find out if my guesses are correct. Even in Egypt I would do this. It's cheating if you actually HEAR the person speaking; this game has to be played from afar.
"Egypt," he replied.
At this point, of course, I launched into some Arabic expressions of dismay and improbability! "Walahi? Mismaul!" Really?! Unbelievable!
He returned the question and I, a creature of habit, replied that I was from...Shobra (refer to first post). At this point I believed that my search for an Arabic teacher may well be over, but it turns out he's just transiting through KL for a few days on his way to Indonesia. We went to grab a drink and I got at least a mini-review session! Turns out that he works in Zamalek, not far from where my apartment was in Cairo.
Egypt in Malaysia, yet again. I seem to be a magnet.
December 13, 2003
I have this habit of making eye contact, even when just walking down the street, that has many more implication abroad than it does in the States. I like to look at people's faces, see their features, see their expressions. In some countries, particularly when woman do this, it is considered an invitation to engage in conversation and very forward, especially if the looked-at is male. Today, I happened to look at a man some distance away and he looked at me at the same time and our eyes met. This was unintentional, mind you, I was NOT trying to get his attention (though I have been known to do that!). My unconscious reaction when our eyes met was to raise my eyebrows, a kind of, what are you looking at type reaction.
Well, he was some distance ahead of me and I noticed that he'd stopped, so I planned to breeze right by him and not say anything or look over. As I passed him, he said hello. Being the Midwestern, friendly girl that I am, I cannot not say hello to someone (same problem in Egypt!). So I said hello back but kept on walking. He started to walk beside me and I realized on second glance that he didn't seem to look like a Malaysian (which is saying a lot since that could mean Malay, Chinese, Indian).
"Where are you from?" I inquired. I always play a guessing game when I see obvious foreigners, though rarely find out if my guesses are correct. Even in Egypt I would do this. It's cheating if you actually HEAR the person speaking; this game has to be played from afar.
"Egypt," he replied.
At this point, of course, I launched into some Arabic expressions of dismay and improbability! "Walahi? Mismaul!" Really?! Unbelievable!
He returned the question and I, a creature of habit, replied that I was from...Shobra (refer to first post). At this point I believed that my search for an Arabic teacher may well be over, but it turns out he's just transiting through KL for a few days on his way to Indonesia. We went to grab a drink and I got at least a mini-review session! Turns out that he works in Zamalek, not far from where my apartment was in Cairo.
Egypt in Malaysia, yet again. I seem to be a magnet.
Friday, December 12, 2003
On the Move
December 12, 2003
Yesterday I went to the Egyptian restaurant that I stumbled upon on my first full day here in hopes of making some leads on finding an Arabic tutor. When I go to the site, it was gone! Everything had been cleared out and the owner/waiter man I had spoken with my first time was sitting there as the Coke machine was being carted off. Turns out that he's opened another restaurant in another part of town (much further for me, sadly!). It's lucky I went yesterday, otherwise odds are I would never have figured out there was a new cafe.
I've begun to think about things for next year. The vision had been Africa, but now I'm feeling like South America or Eastern Europe wouldn't be bad. Any suggestions from anyone out there?! LEAVE A COMMENT! CAST YOUR VOTES!
I feel this immense desire to go back to Egypt...but so many other places to visit...what to do, what to do.
Also, looks like the Sabah plans with roommates is questionable--on a waitlist for tickets...Must think of alternative...I was invited to a party in Singapore thrown by Yale alum--they even made a movie trailer advertising the party. If they go to that kind of trouble, the party's bound to be good, right? But that's not the DAY OF Christmas, when there is most potential for the blues to strike...
December 12, 2003
Yesterday I went to the Egyptian restaurant that I stumbled upon on my first full day here in hopes of making some leads on finding an Arabic tutor. When I go to the site, it was gone! Everything had been cleared out and the owner/waiter man I had spoken with my first time was sitting there as the Coke machine was being carted off. Turns out that he's opened another restaurant in another part of town (much further for me, sadly!). It's lucky I went yesterday, otherwise odds are I would never have figured out there was a new cafe.
I've begun to think about things for next year. The vision had been Africa, but now I'm feeling like South America or Eastern Europe wouldn't be bad. Any suggestions from anyone out there?! LEAVE A COMMENT! CAST YOUR VOTES!
I feel this immense desire to go back to Egypt...but so many other places to visit...what to do, what to do.
Also, looks like the Sabah plans with roommates is questionable--on a waitlist for tickets...Must think of alternative...I was invited to a party in Singapore thrown by Yale alum--they even made a movie trailer advertising the party. If they go to that kind of trouble, the party's bound to be good, right? But that's not the DAY OF Christmas, when there is most potential for the blues to strike...
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
Hari Raya, the celebration after Ramadan
Ramadan ended November 24th and it is followed by 3 days of festivities (but in Malaysia, they seem to drag it out beyond that even!). People have open houses, where their family and friends come and feast on food and children are given packets of money (called angpow, this tradition actually came from the Chinese custom of giving money in packets on Chinese New Year).
I went over to Nora's house on Tuesday and we went with her parents to three open houses. These were obviously wealthy people. The second had a tent set up and catered food--it reminded me of graduation parties: people going from house to house, money being given, and lots of food to eat!
On Wednesday, we drove to Nora's mom's village, Muar. It is about two hours away. The thing about Hari Raya in Malaysia is that Kuala Lumpur empties out and everyone goes back home. Which means traffic is bad in the rest of the country, but for once its okay in KL because its a ghost town. Nora's mom is from a family of 12 and most of the siblings and their own families came back! That's a lot of people! This was the first Hari Raya since their mother passed away, so things were a bit difficult for them both emotionally and logistically. After we arrived we went to some relation's open house (the familial connections were always a bit hazy for me...a cousin or a cousin's cousin, who know!?). He is somewhere high up on the totem for UMNO (the party in power) at a district level, so everyone in the whole area was invited. Nora's dad asked if it reminded me of a county fair. I didn't see any cows or pigs, so I'm gonna stick with the graduation party analogy. That was followed by stopping by the homes of many relatives--all of whom lived in the vicinity.
For dinner, the task was to grill chicken for all the family (at least 30 people). But I was personally put in charge of fries and chicken nuggets for the kids. My first time at the helm of a deep fat fryer, but I think I fared pretty well.
That night the lineup happened (see photos): the kids file past the aunts and uncles, giving 'salam' (shaking their hand and bringing it to their head...some kiss, some just put it up to their forehead), and getting a bit ole money in the process. Anyone who is not yet married or not yet working is eligible for the money (which means, if you start to work, you're responsible to give it!). One aunt told me that she normally gives 1000 RM total out (that's about $250). But I think a lot of that had to do with giving adult siblings who were less well-off money as well as her mother. Usually the kids get 3-20 RM/envelope. The kids went through by family, in order of age. After Nora went, her mom said it was MY turn! Egads! I wasn't supposed to be getting money from these strangers!?!? But they made me, and who am I to turn away from a cultural experience, right? Now I'm officially adopted into the family!
This family has a particular tradition that would fit in well with my family: to get the angpow $, the kids all have to perform. (I had visions of Tyler, Katrina, and I choreographing something well in advance!) After the kids sang songs, they got a RM or two more out of the aunts, like a tip. Well, Nora made me perform! I sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (terribly, I might add). All in all, I made away with about 55 RM from the packets and the tips! I think they appreciated that I was a good sport about it.
A lot of the family stayed in the house (which is where the mother had lived), sprawling out on the floor and couches; a few stayed at a hotel nearby. Thursday was more of the same, visiting family. Friday, Nora, her mother, and her little sister Aliyah and I went to Melaka, an old historic port town about an hour away. It was colonized by the Portuguese, then the Dutch, then the British, about 150 years one after the other (photos). On the ride home, Aliyah (who is 8), had to go to the bathroom really badly, so we pulled over to the side of the road. I had to go at the time too and was envious that she got to do that, while I suffered in silence! After we were back on the road and I realized I couldn't make it home (not knowing how long that would be either), I said something and we stopped. Not at a petrol station, but at something much more common along the road: a mosque.
We ended back to Muar to pack up our stuff and left at about 11 pm. We arrived back to KL at about 2:30 am, grabbed something to eat at an all-night hawker's stall, and slept a few hours before Nora and I left early in the morning to go to a wedding in a town about 2 hours to the north (we had been coming from the Muar and Melaka to the south).
Chinese Wedding in Ipoh with "Iowa Malaysians"
The groom of the wedding, Eric, studied at the UI and I met about 10 other "Iowa Malaysian." The 11 am wedding was held at a Methodist Church and I was surprised to see that people were wearing jeans and a children's choir that performed were wearing t-shirts. (Nora and I were overdressed! This was her first non-Muslim wedding, so neither of us knew!) When the congregation sang, they swayed, clapped, and even raised their hands up in the air in a way that I imagine Christians in the American South do. Throughout the sermon, I was struck by the large emphasis placed on Jesus. The marriage wasn't just between the bride and groom, but Jesus had to be at the center; romantic and brotherly love was not enough, there had to be love for Jesus to make the marriage work. Everything was Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
After the ceremony, a buffet lunch was provided at the church. Then the Iowa Malaysians and I went to another town about an hour away to eat seafood. It was a very small town and when I walked by one restaurant, I heard a guy sitting there say the word for foreigner that is commonly used (masalay). The problem with growing up in land-locked Iowa, I don't really know how to eat seafood. In the past I suppose I would have avoided having to or watched what everyone else was doing. This time I asked and was told how to eat prawn brain. Yum yum.
The wedding dinner celebration had a 9 course meal! We were assigned to tables--I was at the Iowa table. The food was brought out, course by course, on platters for each table to share from. I had fish lip soup (which replaced shark fin soup because it's really cruel to just kill a shark for only its fin). The Chinese have a tradition where the guests raise their glasses to the couple and shout "Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmm" (holding it out as long as they can) and then "Sing"! It's basically a cheers/long life type toast. Our table was definitely the best at it. And the students brought back the tinking of the glass to make the couple kiss with them; it's unknown here really and I was told that everyone else there probably thought our table was being rude. The bride and groom were shy and reluctant to do it, but finally (to shut us up), Eric kissed Peipei on the cheek. At one point Peipei's uncle came to our table to YumSing with us (he'd already put back a few) and made us bottoms up drinks he'd made us all refill.
When I got back to KL on Sunday afternoon, I was exhausted after so much traveling but happy to have seen and experienced so much in so short a time.
Ramadan ended November 24th and it is followed by 3 days of festivities (but in Malaysia, they seem to drag it out beyond that even!). People have open houses, where their family and friends come and feast on food and children are given packets of money (called angpow, this tradition actually came from the Chinese custom of giving money in packets on Chinese New Year).
I went over to Nora's house on Tuesday and we went with her parents to three open houses. These were obviously wealthy people. The second had a tent set up and catered food--it reminded me of graduation parties: people going from house to house, money being given, and lots of food to eat!
On Wednesday, we drove to Nora's mom's village, Muar. It is about two hours away. The thing about Hari Raya in Malaysia is that Kuala Lumpur empties out and everyone goes back home. Which means traffic is bad in the rest of the country, but for once its okay in KL because its a ghost town. Nora's mom is from a family of 12 and most of the siblings and their own families came back! That's a lot of people! This was the first Hari Raya since their mother passed away, so things were a bit difficult for them both emotionally and logistically. After we arrived we went to some relation's open house (the familial connections were always a bit hazy for me...a cousin or a cousin's cousin, who know!?). He is somewhere high up on the totem for UMNO (the party in power) at a district level, so everyone in the whole area was invited. Nora's dad asked if it reminded me of a county fair. I didn't see any cows or pigs, so I'm gonna stick with the graduation party analogy. That was followed by stopping by the homes of many relatives--all of whom lived in the vicinity.
For dinner, the task was to grill chicken for all the family (at least 30 people). But I was personally put in charge of fries and chicken nuggets for the kids. My first time at the helm of a deep fat fryer, but I think I fared pretty well.
That night the lineup happened (see photos): the kids file past the aunts and uncles, giving 'salam' (shaking their hand and bringing it to their head...some kiss, some just put it up to their forehead), and getting a bit ole money in the process. Anyone who is not yet married or not yet working is eligible for the money (which means, if you start to work, you're responsible to give it!). One aunt told me that she normally gives 1000 RM total out (that's about $250). But I think a lot of that had to do with giving adult siblings who were less well-off money as well as her mother. Usually the kids get 3-20 RM/envelope. The kids went through by family, in order of age. After Nora went, her mom said it was MY turn! Egads! I wasn't supposed to be getting money from these strangers!?!? But they made me, and who am I to turn away from a cultural experience, right? Now I'm officially adopted into the family!
This family has a particular tradition that would fit in well with my family: to get the angpow $, the kids all have to perform. (I had visions of Tyler, Katrina, and I choreographing something well in advance!) After the kids sang songs, they got a RM or two more out of the aunts, like a tip. Well, Nora made me perform! I sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (terribly, I might add). All in all, I made away with about 55 RM from the packets and the tips! I think they appreciated that I was a good sport about it.
A lot of the family stayed in the house (which is where the mother had lived), sprawling out on the floor and couches; a few stayed at a hotel nearby. Thursday was more of the same, visiting family. Friday, Nora, her mother, and her little sister Aliyah and I went to Melaka, an old historic port town about an hour away. It was colonized by the Portuguese, then the Dutch, then the British, about 150 years one after the other (photos). On the ride home, Aliyah (who is 8), had to go to the bathroom really badly, so we pulled over to the side of the road. I had to go at the time too and was envious that she got to do that, while I suffered in silence! After we were back on the road and I realized I couldn't make it home (not knowing how long that would be either), I said something and we stopped. Not at a petrol station, but at something much more common along the road: a mosque.
We ended back to Muar to pack up our stuff and left at about 11 pm. We arrived back to KL at about 2:30 am, grabbed something to eat at an all-night hawker's stall, and slept a few hours before Nora and I left early in the morning to go to a wedding in a town about 2 hours to the north (we had been coming from the Muar and Melaka to the south).
Chinese Wedding in Ipoh with "Iowa Malaysians"
The groom of the wedding, Eric, studied at the UI and I met about 10 other "Iowa Malaysian." The 11 am wedding was held at a Methodist Church and I was surprised to see that people were wearing jeans and a children's choir that performed were wearing t-shirts. (Nora and I were overdressed! This was her first non-Muslim wedding, so neither of us knew!) When the congregation sang, they swayed, clapped, and even raised their hands up in the air in a way that I imagine Christians in the American South do. Throughout the sermon, I was struck by the large emphasis placed on Jesus. The marriage wasn't just between the bride and groom, but Jesus had to be at the center; romantic and brotherly love was not enough, there had to be love for Jesus to make the marriage work. Everything was Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
After the ceremony, a buffet lunch was provided at the church. Then the Iowa Malaysians and I went to another town about an hour away to eat seafood. It was a very small town and when I walked by one restaurant, I heard a guy sitting there say the word for foreigner that is commonly used (masalay). The problem with growing up in land-locked Iowa, I don't really know how to eat seafood. In the past I suppose I would have avoided having to or watched what everyone else was doing. This time I asked and was told how to eat prawn brain. Yum yum.
The wedding dinner celebration had a 9 course meal! We were assigned to tables--I was at the Iowa table. The food was brought out, course by course, on platters for each table to share from. I had fish lip soup (which replaced shark fin soup because it's really cruel to just kill a shark for only its fin). The Chinese have a tradition where the guests raise their glasses to the couple and shout "Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmm" (holding it out as long as they can) and then "Sing"! It's basically a cheers/long life type toast. Our table was definitely the best at it. And the students brought back the tinking of the glass to make the couple kiss with them; it's unknown here really and I was told that everyone else there probably thought our table was being rude. The bride and groom were shy and reluctant to do it, but finally (to shut us up), Eric kissed Peipei on the cheek. At one point Peipei's uncle came to our table to YumSing with us (he'd already put back a few) and made us bottoms up drinks he'd made us all refill.
When I got back to KL on Sunday afternoon, I was exhausted after so much traveling but happy to have seen and experienced so much in so short a time.
Sunday, December 07, 2003
December 6, 2003
Potential Christmas Blues TAKEN CARE OF!
I decided to ask my flatmate, Gavin, if he had any suggestions for places to visit over the holidays, since he's been living in the area for several years and has done extensive traveling...and he did what I had hoped--invited me to join him and Shaz in Sabah! Sabah is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo (with Brunei and part of Indonesia making up the rest of the island...ever heard of the "headhunters of Borneo"?! Yep, this is it!). Gavin is going for business and staying at one of his partners' condo right on the beach and will have access to a car. I get to go along and reap the benefits! I asked if Brunei was accessible from the capital city where we'll be staying and he said, "Sure, why not! I want to go too--we'll drive there!" (Then he told me that he and Shaz had driven all the way from Singapore to Cambodia and back--look at a map--that's a long way!) So, I will be going from about December 23rd-January 2nd or 3rd. Yea!
Potential Christmas Blues TAKEN CARE OF!
I decided to ask my flatmate, Gavin, if he had any suggestions for places to visit over the holidays, since he's been living in the area for several years and has done extensive traveling...and he did what I had hoped--invited me to join him and Shaz in Sabah! Sabah is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo (with Brunei and part of Indonesia making up the rest of the island...ever heard of the "headhunters of Borneo"?! Yep, this is it!). Gavin is going for business and staying at one of his partners' condo right on the beach and will have access to a car. I get to go along and reap the benefits! I asked if Brunei was accessible from the capital city where we'll be staying and he said, "Sure, why not! I want to go too--we'll drive there!" (Then he told me that he and Shaz had driven all the way from Singapore to Cambodia and back--look at a map--that's a long way!) So, I will be going from about December 23rd-January 2nd or 3rd. Yea!
Saturday, December 06, 2003
December 6, 2003
Elephants and Christmas
I have this immense need for this blog to be in order, nice and neat, easily accessible and chronological. It bothers me that the most recent is at the top, for fear that something I have said might *gasp* be missed by starting to read from there. So I've been blogging away under one post, the plan was until I'd caught up to present time...until now. I want to talk about today, though I haven't finished catching up. What to do, what to do?
I recommend a drive-by reading. Just zoom the sidebar down to somewhere, anywhere, and start from there. It'll give you a taste, a little flavor. And that way it's haphazard enough that you WILL miss something and knowing that, I'll feel better. I hope.
So, today I went to the Elephant Conservation Centre in Pahang. It's about a two hour drive from KL; I went with Dr. McCloud (head of Fulbright office here), his wife, Chris (another Fulbrighter), his mom who is here visiting, and Joan (a Fulbrighter professor).
Because of urbanization and also the growth of palm oil plantations, the natural rainforest habitat for Asian elephants has been shrinking. The elephants cause problems, like "raiding" a plantation. To protect the elephants from revengeful, gun-toting farmers or else starvation, the center was established to help with the relocation of the elephants into the national parks. The elephants at the center are trained (in numerous languages) so that they can be used in locating, subduing, and relocating the wild elephants. They have a calming effect on the wild animal--we saw video footage of how the elephants use their trunks to essentially caress the wild elephant and soothe it (and they can use grass to swat flies away--not only primates can make use of tools!). The center also looks after orphaned elephants. Asian elephants are endanged, with at most 1200 elephants in the wild in Peninsular Malaysia.
We were able to ride the elephants around (SEE PHOTOS! use the link in the sidebar) and even better--into the river! On a certain command, the elephant sort of rolls, throwing everyone (up to 4 people besides the 'driver') into the water. It was so much fun! And the elephant uses it's trunk to spray water sometimes too, so it's like a sprinkler! Later, I got back on the elephant's back for another go by sitting on her trunk and then shimmying over her head. I don't think I looked too graceful, but it was fun anyway! The only bad thing that happened was that a man lost his wedding ring in the river when he was getting onto the elephant and, of course, it was gone for good ("Holy Saint Anthony" didn't even work!).
Tonight I went to the mall (have I mentioned that there are SO MANY malls here?!) and they were playing Christmas music! There was even a great, big, 6-story high Christmas tree in the middle of the mall! It was nice at first, but then realized that this would mean I would be reminded that it was Christmas time and that I was far away, without family, friends, or snow! I'd been planning on just trying to forget the fact--which, considering the weather, might not have been that difficult. How can it be Christmas when it's so hot and humid?! But, that pesky music might just be the downfall of that attempt! I had been planning to just stay in KL for the holidays, but just found out my roommates (an Australian man and his Malay girlfriend) will be gone from mid-Dec till mid-Jan! I might get very lonely if I stay here...better to try to plan a trip I think...Or else have guests--any takers!?
Elephants and Christmas
I have this immense need for this blog to be in order, nice and neat, easily accessible and chronological. It bothers me that the most recent is at the top, for fear that something I have said might *gasp* be missed by starting to read from there. So I've been blogging away under one post, the plan was until I'd caught up to present time...until now. I want to talk about today, though I haven't finished catching up. What to do, what to do?
I recommend a drive-by reading. Just zoom the sidebar down to somewhere, anywhere, and start from there. It'll give you a taste, a little flavor. And that way it's haphazard enough that you WILL miss something and knowing that, I'll feel better. I hope.
So, today I went to the Elephant Conservation Centre in Pahang. It's about a two hour drive from KL; I went with Dr. McCloud (head of Fulbright office here), his wife, Chris (another Fulbrighter), his mom who is here visiting, and Joan (a Fulbrighter professor).
Because of urbanization and also the growth of palm oil plantations, the natural rainforest habitat for Asian elephants has been shrinking. The elephants cause problems, like "raiding" a plantation. To protect the elephants from revengeful, gun-toting farmers or else starvation, the center was established to help with the relocation of the elephants into the national parks. The elephants at the center are trained (in numerous languages) so that they can be used in locating, subduing, and relocating the wild elephants. They have a calming effect on the wild animal--we saw video footage of how the elephants use their trunks to essentially caress the wild elephant and soothe it (and they can use grass to swat flies away--not only primates can make use of tools!). The center also looks after orphaned elephants. Asian elephants are endanged, with at most 1200 elephants in the wild in Peninsular Malaysia.
We were able to ride the elephants around (SEE PHOTOS! use the link in the sidebar) and even better--into the river! On a certain command, the elephant sort of rolls, throwing everyone (up to 4 people besides the 'driver') into the water. It was so much fun! And the elephant uses it's trunk to spray water sometimes too, so it's like a sprinkler! Later, I got back on the elephant's back for another go by sitting on her trunk and then shimmying over her head. I don't think I looked too graceful, but it was fun anyway! The only bad thing that happened was that a man lost his wedding ring in the river when he was getting onto the elephant and, of course, it was gone for good ("Holy Saint Anthony" didn't even work!).
Tonight I went to the mall (have I mentioned that there are SO MANY malls here?!) and they were playing Christmas music! There was even a great, big, 6-story high Christmas tree in the middle of the mall! It was nice at first, but then realized that this would mean I would be reminded that it was Christmas time and that I was far away, without family, friends, or snow! I'd been planning on just trying to forget the fact--which, considering the weather, might not have been that difficult. How can it be Christmas when it's so hot and humid?! But, that pesky music might just be the downfall of that attempt! I had been planning to just stay in KL for the holidays, but just found out my roommates (an Australian man and his Malay girlfriend) will be gone from mid-Dec till mid-Jan! I might get very lonely if I stay here...better to try to plan a trip I think...Or else have guests--any takers!?
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
December 3rd
Time to Play Catch-Up
Check out my photos at: http://photos.yahoo.com/jill_schnoebelen
or click on the link in the left column (I'm so proud I learned how to put that there!).
Malaysia International Visitors' Programme
So, from November 9-17th, I was an invited participant on a program sponsored by the Institute for Strategic and International Studies, a Malaysian think tank. I was not prepared for what grand treatment I would be given---somehow they mistook me for someone important enough to be pampered and treated like royalty!
We were put up in the Mandarian Orient Hotel; I got my own air conditioned room, with hot water and a bathtub even. After three weeks at the UIA campus, this was paradise. AND lots and lots of meals at really nice restuarants, where I could order as many drinks as I wanted and dessert and not have to pay! Then they even FLEW us to Langkawi, a famous island vacation spot of the west coast in the north, not far from Thailand. We went snorkeling and ate lots of fish. I opted out of one dinner to go to a night market with a Malay lifeguard I met and learned to say: "saya sudah pergi ke Langkawi, makan ekan, lihat laut dan pantai." Translated: I went to Langkawi, ate fish, and saw the sea and beach. It's always good (and easier) to learn language from locals--especially cute ones like Anuar!
Of course, there was actually something to be learned during this week as well. They arranged meetings for us with government officials (Minister of Defense, Minister of Foreign Affairs--one of these two will likely become the Deputy Prime Minister), the chief of police, economists, editors of newspapers, etc. The others on the program included two professor Fulbrighters, two French journalists, a South Korean TV news anchor, a few other Asian journalists who deal mostly with money and economic matters, and a St. Louis lawyer on the American Muslim Council. They were an interesting crew, but after more than a week, I found it difficult to be with them constantly, trying to think of things to say to them (all much older, professionals).
The week gave me a great overview of a lot of issues and I'm glad it came at the beginning of my trip. However, I don't think we got a completely honest view of Malaysia--we got the primped, made up version. For example, at the Conference on Torture, I heard first hand accounts of torture happening here. But when I asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs why Malaysia hadn't signed the Convention Against Torture, he said that there was no torture happening in Malaysia, and that many countries sign the treaties but do not implement them in actuality.
We also visited an NGO called "Sisters in Islam," which works for women's rights and education and pushes "progressive" Islam...Not that they're changing it, but that the one true Islam needs to be understood in the socio-economic time the Quran was revealed and in its entirety, not just parts (ie multiple wives allowed, but goes on to say must treat equally and fairly and virtually impossible to, so would show that though permissiable, not encouraged). Or the idea that women should only inherit 1/2 of what a man does is in a situation where men are responsible for providing for the women, but that in today's society they do not, so it shouldn't be assumed to apply (idea that with rights come responsiblity, without responsibility, don't have that same entitlement). I have a feeling that the group has both strong supporters and strong opponents. My friends i asked about it dismissed them, saying that they were interpreting the Quran their way and that you can't do this. My thought was, at least the way the Sisters in Islam sell it, Islam is more acceptable to me/the west. I think it was with the idea to be like, "look, West, Islam is okay."
Regarding refugees, it seems that Malaysia doesn't want to make their neighbors mad and claim that the issue is internal to those countries. Regional politics is a sad excuse to not protect vulnerable, persecuted people. But the more I talk to people, I realize that they don't seem to be aware of these issues--they see the foreigners as the cause of social ills--just want the government wants, to be able to scapegoat them. Even SUHAKAM, the Human Rights Comission (funded by the government, supposedly independent, but not), said that the first issue to look at was that the people are illegal, so they can't do anything for them even if there are human rights abuses. There is a big problem if the government refuses to recognize that their is a difference between illegal immigrants, migrant workers, and refugees...
Malayisa has released a "Smartcard" national ID. The card acts a license, an ATM card, has access to medical health information from blood type and meds to xrays, is like a passport (though they have a physical passport as well since other countries don't have the system equipment yet). It is encoded, so that one type of information is not accessible to another (i.e. doctors can't look at bank statements, immigration officials can't look at medical reports). At first I thought it sounded like an efficient, good system, but then thought "Big Brother"...
Random
I saw my first episode of Fear Factor at the hotel. One of the challenges was eating some gross part of a pig (the rectum perhaps?!?), but it was censored out.
When I'm around foreigners, I tend to notice how they speak very loudly. It is a very American thing to do. And Schnoebelen, of course. It makes me cringe.
When in Langkawi, I had this momentarily fear that it was because of women like me that Dahab (Egypt town on Red Sea) is the way that it is (male workers very aggressive and flirtatious, but in overbearing way that can really wear on you). I had approached a Malay lifeguard, Anuar, to ask him when the boat would be leaving, but also because I wanted to talk to him. Langkawi men are not obnoxious as Dahab men are, but what if in a few years, it becomes that way because foreign women somehow encourage it? Was Dahab ever like Langkawi? But it's more complicated than that: I used to think that Dahab would be perfect without the men as they are there, but realized that things in Langkawi were a bit...boring and almost wished that I was getting attention from someone!
Trial for "Karachi 13"
On November 21, I went to the Second High Court for a hearing related to 13 Malaysian students who are suspected of having received militant training in Pakistan. They were first arrested in Pakistan two months ago, but released and deported. When they arrived, the students (aged 16 to 25) were arrested by the police who claimed that they could have been trained as the next generation of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) militant organization. They were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which gives the government a license to basically arrest anyone they deem to be a threat to national security, without having to bring charges and with no right to a trial. The sentence is for an initial 2 years, renewable indefinitely. The ISA is used often to jail political opponents. In the 60s, the government merely had to claim someone was a Communist in order to jail him (not unlike the days of McCarthy). Today, terrorism is used as an excuse to jail people. (In the 70s, trade unionists; in the 80s, opposition politicians; in the 90s, NGO workers and non-Sunni branches of Islam.)
The only thing to do is file a habeas corpus motion that there was some procedural error that makes the detention unlawful. That was what this hearing was for.
Now, my first thought was: if these kids are terrorists-in-the-making, then they deserve to be behind bars. But, then I thought about it. The effect of the ISA is not unlike Guantanamo Bay--people being placed behind bars, without knowing the charges against them, without seeing any evidence, without getting a free and fair trail, without knowing when they will be free. And they very well could be innocent. Is this what the War on Terror has done to me: to believe that national security really should trump human rights?!? Egads. Luckily, that was just my first knee-jerk response.
This gave me a chance to reflect on my intended career path of human rights lawyer. To be a human rights defender, you have to defend the system and all individuals. There can be no picking and choosing based on some ability I believe I have to know someone's guilt or innocence. There are standards to be upheld regardless of who the person is or what they did/did not do. I guess leading up to this, I always just envisioned defending those that needed defending (refugees, certainly not terrorists) or prosecuting the bad (rapists, murderers, etc., but not woman who kill their abusive husbands).
Unlike the Egyptian courthouse that I saw (broken windows, dirty, metal cage for detained, people selling tea and consessions like it was a baseball game), this was more in lines with an American courtroom. The differences: a photograph of the King and Queen; lawyers in big, black robes; no security checkpoints. I was also told that crossing your legs was not allowed once the judge was in the room because it was a sign of disrespect--I watched and when I saw others crossing their legs later, I did too regardless. There were three woman wearing niqab (full veil), which is a rare thing for Malay women to do. Is this indicative of the families being ultra conservative? Is it a sign that there houses may be the breeding ground for extremists? (After the session ended, I spoke to one of them, who was actually not related to any of the students, but her husband was detained under the ISA earlier this year for suspected terrorist activities...she seemed nice. Her eyes smiled and sparkled in a way that I do not believe could have been hiding some deep-seated hatred of me for being American.)
It felt strange to be sitting in that courtroom, as an American. I wondered how it was that other people were perceiving me. Did they think I was checking up and making sure Malaysia was being harsh on terrorists or that I work for the CIA?
The detainees were not in the courtroom, and it wasn't until the morning of the hearing that lawyers had access to them (a second team). The hearing started at 11:30, though it was scheduled for 9 am. I think that something fishy was going on--they said that usually they only start a half-hour late. Was the judge waiting for instructions from above on how to rule??!
The government respondent who spoke was using Malay. The judge, however, spoke English. A few minutes into the hearing, the judge apologized to that lawyer for responding to him in English. And added that he saw that not everyone in the room was Malaysian (obviously referring to me because I was the only non-Malaysian) and that if they represented the media, he would want them to understand (or something like that). Then: "speaking English doesn't mean we're any less Malay." So the government lawyer tried to switch over to English, though he obviously wasn't as comfortable in that mode. When he read something aloud, the judge corrected his pronounciation and then said, "I think you're better off in Malay." The judge was...well, he was a jerk. The defense lawyers (all Chinese Malaysians, mostly schooled in English) were much better in English, so this was all to their advantage. My whole thought during this was: who am I!?! I don't have more of a right to understand what is going on than, say, the parents of the detained! And I felt guilt that because of me, perhaps they were missing what was going on. (I've also heard other stories where if lawyers speak English, certain judges will say repeatedly, "I can't hear you," until they switch to Malay.)
Check out a bit of the judge's logic, when discussing when to have the next hearing, if the government respondents would be ready quickly or need time: the right of the respondent lawyers to take leave/vacation outweighs the rights of the detained. Your opponent (again, this refers to the government lawyers) have their own plans, the press has its plan, not just the detained to consider. UMMM, even if the detained are INNOCENT?!?
The judge ended up disallowing the motion because it was filed by the mothers of the students. He said that the students themselves should have signed their own affidavits (but, of course, the lawyers had not even had access to them before to enable that!). So now the lawyers will have to re-file another habeas corpus application--if they can get access to the detained. 4 of the 13 have been released, but are being "monitored."
Time to Play Catch-Up
Check out my photos at: http://photos.yahoo.com/jill_schnoebelen
or click on the link in the left column (I'm so proud I learned how to put that there!).
Malaysia International Visitors' Programme
So, from November 9-17th, I was an invited participant on a program sponsored by the Institute for Strategic and International Studies, a Malaysian think tank. I was not prepared for what grand treatment I would be given---somehow they mistook me for someone important enough to be pampered and treated like royalty!
We were put up in the Mandarian Orient Hotel; I got my own air conditioned room, with hot water and a bathtub even. After three weeks at the UIA campus, this was paradise. AND lots and lots of meals at really nice restuarants, where I could order as many drinks as I wanted and dessert and not have to pay! Then they even FLEW us to Langkawi, a famous island vacation spot of the west coast in the north, not far from Thailand. We went snorkeling and ate lots of fish. I opted out of one dinner to go to a night market with a Malay lifeguard I met and learned to say: "saya sudah pergi ke Langkawi, makan ekan, lihat laut dan pantai." Translated: I went to Langkawi, ate fish, and saw the sea and beach. It's always good (and easier) to learn language from locals--especially cute ones like Anuar!
Of course, there was actually something to be learned during this week as well. They arranged meetings for us with government officials (Minister of Defense, Minister of Foreign Affairs--one of these two will likely become the Deputy Prime Minister), the chief of police, economists, editors of newspapers, etc. The others on the program included two professor Fulbrighters, two French journalists, a South Korean TV news anchor, a few other Asian journalists who deal mostly with money and economic matters, and a St. Louis lawyer on the American Muslim Council. They were an interesting crew, but after more than a week, I found it difficult to be with them constantly, trying to think of things to say to them (all much older, professionals).
The week gave me a great overview of a lot of issues and I'm glad it came at the beginning of my trip. However, I don't think we got a completely honest view of Malaysia--we got the primped, made up version. For example, at the Conference on Torture, I heard first hand accounts of torture happening here. But when I asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs why Malaysia hadn't signed the Convention Against Torture, he said that there was no torture happening in Malaysia, and that many countries sign the treaties but do not implement them in actuality.
We also visited an NGO called "Sisters in Islam," which works for women's rights and education and pushes "progressive" Islam...Not that they're changing it, but that the one true Islam needs to be understood in the socio-economic time the Quran was revealed and in its entirety, not just parts (ie multiple wives allowed, but goes on to say must treat equally and fairly and virtually impossible to, so would show that though permissiable, not encouraged). Or the idea that women should only inherit 1/2 of what a man does is in a situation where men are responsible for providing for the women, but that in today's society they do not, so it shouldn't be assumed to apply (idea that with rights come responsiblity, without responsibility, don't have that same entitlement). I have a feeling that the group has both strong supporters and strong opponents. My friends i asked about it dismissed them, saying that they were interpreting the Quran their way and that you can't do this. My thought was, at least the way the Sisters in Islam sell it, Islam is more acceptable to me/the west. I think it was with the idea to be like, "look, West, Islam is okay."
Regarding refugees, it seems that Malaysia doesn't want to make their neighbors mad and claim that the issue is internal to those countries. Regional politics is a sad excuse to not protect vulnerable, persecuted people. But the more I talk to people, I realize that they don't seem to be aware of these issues--they see the foreigners as the cause of social ills--just want the government wants, to be able to scapegoat them. Even SUHAKAM, the Human Rights Comission (funded by the government, supposedly independent, but not), said that the first issue to look at was that the people are illegal, so they can't do anything for them even if there are human rights abuses. There is a big problem if the government refuses to recognize that their is a difference between illegal immigrants, migrant workers, and refugees...
Malayisa has released a "Smartcard" national ID. The card acts a license, an ATM card, has access to medical health information from blood type and meds to xrays, is like a passport (though they have a physical passport as well since other countries don't have the system equipment yet). It is encoded, so that one type of information is not accessible to another (i.e. doctors can't look at bank statements, immigration officials can't look at medical reports). At first I thought it sounded like an efficient, good system, but then thought "Big Brother"...
Random
I saw my first episode of Fear Factor at the hotel. One of the challenges was eating some gross part of a pig (the rectum perhaps?!?), but it was censored out.
When I'm around foreigners, I tend to notice how they speak very loudly. It is a very American thing to do. And Schnoebelen, of course. It makes me cringe.
When in Langkawi, I had this momentarily fear that it was because of women like me that Dahab (Egypt town on Red Sea) is the way that it is (male workers very aggressive and flirtatious, but in overbearing way that can really wear on you). I had approached a Malay lifeguard, Anuar, to ask him when the boat would be leaving, but also because I wanted to talk to him. Langkawi men are not obnoxious as Dahab men are, but what if in a few years, it becomes that way because foreign women somehow encourage it? Was Dahab ever like Langkawi? But it's more complicated than that: I used to think that Dahab would be perfect without the men as they are there, but realized that things in Langkawi were a bit...boring and almost wished that I was getting attention from someone!
Trial for "Karachi 13"
On November 21, I went to the Second High Court for a hearing related to 13 Malaysian students who are suspected of having received militant training in Pakistan. They were first arrested in Pakistan two months ago, but released and deported. When they arrived, the students (aged 16 to 25) were arrested by the police who claimed that they could have been trained as the next generation of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) militant organization. They were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which gives the government a license to basically arrest anyone they deem to be a threat to national security, without having to bring charges and with no right to a trial. The sentence is for an initial 2 years, renewable indefinitely. The ISA is used often to jail political opponents. In the 60s, the government merely had to claim someone was a Communist in order to jail him (not unlike the days of McCarthy). Today, terrorism is used as an excuse to jail people. (In the 70s, trade unionists; in the 80s, opposition politicians; in the 90s, NGO workers and non-Sunni branches of Islam.)
The only thing to do is file a habeas corpus motion that there was some procedural error that makes the detention unlawful. That was what this hearing was for.
Now, my first thought was: if these kids are terrorists-in-the-making, then they deserve to be behind bars. But, then I thought about it. The effect of the ISA is not unlike Guantanamo Bay--people being placed behind bars, without knowing the charges against them, without seeing any evidence, without getting a free and fair trail, without knowing when they will be free. And they very well could be innocent. Is this what the War on Terror has done to me: to believe that national security really should trump human rights?!? Egads. Luckily, that was just my first knee-jerk response.
This gave me a chance to reflect on my intended career path of human rights lawyer. To be a human rights defender, you have to defend the system and all individuals. There can be no picking and choosing based on some ability I believe I have to know someone's guilt or innocence. There are standards to be upheld regardless of who the person is or what they did/did not do. I guess leading up to this, I always just envisioned defending those that needed defending (refugees, certainly not terrorists) or prosecuting the bad (rapists, murderers, etc., but not woman who kill their abusive husbands).
Unlike the Egyptian courthouse that I saw (broken windows, dirty, metal cage for detained, people selling tea and consessions like it was a baseball game), this was more in lines with an American courtroom. The differences: a photograph of the King and Queen; lawyers in big, black robes; no security checkpoints. I was also told that crossing your legs was not allowed once the judge was in the room because it was a sign of disrespect--I watched and when I saw others crossing their legs later, I did too regardless. There were three woman wearing niqab (full veil), which is a rare thing for Malay women to do. Is this indicative of the families being ultra conservative? Is it a sign that there houses may be the breeding ground for extremists? (After the session ended, I spoke to one of them, who was actually not related to any of the students, but her husband was detained under the ISA earlier this year for suspected terrorist activities...she seemed nice. Her eyes smiled and sparkled in a way that I do not believe could have been hiding some deep-seated hatred of me for being American.)
It felt strange to be sitting in that courtroom, as an American. I wondered how it was that other people were perceiving me. Did they think I was checking up and making sure Malaysia was being harsh on terrorists or that I work for the CIA?
The detainees were not in the courtroom, and it wasn't until the morning of the hearing that lawyers had access to them (a second team). The hearing started at 11:30, though it was scheduled for 9 am. I think that something fishy was going on--they said that usually they only start a half-hour late. Was the judge waiting for instructions from above on how to rule??!
The government respondent who spoke was using Malay. The judge, however, spoke English. A few minutes into the hearing, the judge apologized to that lawyer for responding to him in English. And added that he saw that not everyone in the room was Malaysian (obviously referring to me because I was the only non-Malaysian) and that if they represented the media, he would want them to understand (or something like that). Then: "speaking English doesn't mean we're any less Malay." So the government lawyer tried to switch over to English, though he obviously wasn't as comfortable in that mode. When he read something aloud, the judge corrected his pronounciation and then said, "I think you're better off in Malay." The judge was...well, he was a jerk. The defense lawyers (all Chinese Malaysians, mostly schooled in English) were much better in English, so this was all to their advantage. My whole thought during this was: who am I!?! I don't have more of a right to understand what is going on than, say, the parents of the detained! And I felt guilt that because of me, perhaps they were missing what was going on. (I've also heard other stories where if lawyers speak English, certain judges will say repeatedly, "I can't hear you," until they switch to Malay.)
Check out a bit of the judge's logic, when discussing when to have the next hearing, if the government respondents would be ready quickly or need time: the right of the respondent lawyers to take leave/vacation outweighs the rights of the detained. Your opponent (again, this refers to the government lawyers) have their own plans, the press has its plan, not just the detained to consider. UMMM, even if the detained are INNOCENT?!?
The judge ended up disallowing the motion because it was filed by the mothers of the students. He said that the students themselves should have signed their own affidavits (but, of course, the lawyers had not even had access to them before to enable that!). So now the lawyers will have to re-file another habeas corpus application--if they can get access to the detained. 4 of the 13 have been released, but are being "monitored."
