Kuala Lumpur is a foodie’s paradise. Everywhere you go you see food….in little stands (Hawker stands), sidewalk food, grand buffets, ethnic restaurants galore, everything imaginable…and so tasty!!! It is going to be very hard to diet here.

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Tonight is our last night at this wonderful 5 Star Hotel….we move into our place tomorrow. Once we get it all set up, we will post more pictures. It is about a 15 minute drive to our school and we’re located smack dab in the middle of the Embassy area. The US embassy (or should I say Fortress) is about three blocks away. The Qatar Embassy is a block north, the British and Russian Embassies five blocks away… Our condo is about 20 years old and while it may not be sparkling new, the rooms are larger, the deck is spacious, and the building is low density and quiet. There are only four units on our floor. We have three bedrooms, two and a half baths, spacious dining room…about 3000 square feet. It will serve us well. We haven’t met the other tenants but we did view their cars in the basement parking garage…we saw a Bentley, 12 Mercedes, a Jaguar, 8 BMW’s, ….and our little Proton Waja!!!!

Our Condo.

And speaking of our little Proton Waja….I drove today and Heidi navigated….and we made it to our destination all in one piece and to the best of our knowledge we didn’t hit or maim anyone. It was like being a brand new driver all over again. We’re creatures of habit and those habits take a while to change. Just getting into the car, I find myself getting in the passenger side, you shift with your left hand, at round-a-bouts you circle left…..it is so hard to re-train your brain. Go to YouTube and search for “driving in Kuala Lumpur.

Skyscrapers abound in Kuala Lumpur but none can compare to the Petronas Towers. They are definitely the landmark buildings in the city. They were completed in 1994 and were the tallest buildings in the world until 2004…they still remain the tallest twin towers. They are simply stunning…at night they are all lit up, from the top you see the entire valley.

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Heidi and I are learning so much about acclimating to a new country. Things are the same but different. Going to the bank you need to have a sponsor…someone who already has an account and can vouch for you. (We luckily had the school) When you go to get a phone you first buy a SIM card…we found ours in a rather seedy mall….the cards are displayed on a board with the telephone number attached so you get to select your number. Then you go and purchase a phone…stores everywhere for phones. Then you go to a service provider to select your plan….multiple steps but the service is so friendly you just don’t mind. We went shopping for a TV, printer and other small electrical items….we didn’t bring any of ours as the outlets here are 220, not 110. Every item in the store of course had a tag….but we would ask, “Is that the best price?” And invariably they would reduce it anywhere from 5 to 10%. Again the service so friendly…when people say hello they place their right hand over their heart….the hello comes from the heart. When eating out you are not presented a bill until you ask for it…we didn’t know this at first and waited and waited and waited…they are in no hurry to push you out so they can fill the table. It’s funny to see hookah pipes in cafes. Being a Muslim nation it is hard to find pork items, dress is conservative, you see a fair number of women in burkas. All in all we find we must go into every new encounter with an open mind, with patience, and a sense of humor.

We are going to be without internet service for a week or two until we can get it installed at the condo…so until then…sehhinga kita bertemu lagu (until we meet again)
Bob and Heidi