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June 17th 2011 08:26
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Malaysia Found - Malaysia2007
Malaysia Found - June 2011
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My New Blog
June 10th 2011 08:38
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My New Malaysia Blog
Only a short time ago I started a blog here on Orble. I had never written a blog before and was completely clueless. I give many thanks to Orble for allowing a tech illiterate person like me a chance to start and write a blog. I spent a lot of time each day searching for ways to increase traffic and make a little money. I found many ways to do this on sites outside of Orble. I couldn't use most of them because the Orble platform didn't allow it. I searched the Orble forums for help and found some assistance. I noticed that the majority of information posts were 3 or even 4 years old. I posted replies on various posts asking for help, but never received an answer. I contacted customer support and also got no answer. There are so many things I want to do with my blog, but it is frustrating that I always meet a dead end when I try to do them here.
Saddly and after much thought, I have decided to leave Orble and start a new blog on a different platform. I actually have started 2 new blogs. I would like to thank Orble for giving me a start and for sparking my interest in blogging. I also would like to thank all those people who have read and followed my posts. I really appeciated your support. Please continue to follow my writings on my new blogs. Thank you[ Click here to read more ]
Saddly and after much thought, I have decided to leave Orble and start a new blog on a different platform. I actually have started 2 new blogs. I would like to thank Orble for giving me a start and for sparking my interest in blogging. I also would like to thank all those people who have read and followed my posts. I really appeciated your support. Please continue to follow my writings on my new blogs. Thank you
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Respect Your Host
June 8th 2011 15:25
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Tourists Behavior in Malaysia
I have been meaning to write about the subject of the behavior of Western tourists in Malaysia for quite some time, but after a trip into the Georgetown section of Penang I made up my mind to do it today. I have always been taught that if I were a guest in someone else's home that I should dress and behave respectfully. I also would expect anyone who is a guest in my house to feel at home, but still respect my hospitality and dress and act appropriately. Whether or not someone visits another's house or country I feel the same rules of respectability should apply.
Tonight I saw no less than 10 caucasians who appeared to have just crawled out from beneath a rock. They had long, scraggly hair, unkempt beards and clothes that appeared to have been slept in and rarely laundered. They were absolutely disgusting looking and an embarassment to all civilized caucasians. Some of these people appeared to have been drunk and incoherent. Others appeared to be searching out the underlife of the areas frequented by prostitutes. Sadly to say a few of these people appeared to have psychiatric problems. To me all of them resembled homeless people[ Click here to read more ]
Tonight I saw no less than 10 caucasians who appeared to have just crawled out from beneath a rock. They had long, scraggly hair, unkempt beards and clothes that appeared to have been slept in and rarely laundered. They were absolutely disgusting looking and an embarassment to all civilized caucasians. Some of these people appeared to have been drunk and incoherent. Others appeared to be searching out the underlife of the areas frequented by prostitutes. Sadly to say a few of these people appeared to have psychiatric problems. To me all of them resembled homeless people
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Posted By: Watertown Wanderer - Category: Retirement, Abroad, Expats, Penang, Malaysia, Culture, Travel
Children of the Night
June 7th 2011 14:44
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Dining out with Children
When people back home in the US go out for a dinner among friends they expect a quiet dining experience. Couples leave their children at home with a babysitter, either a neighbor or a relative, so they can enjoy a quiet romantic dinner alone. When groups of adults go out for dinner they leave the kids at home and enjoy their night out together. There are no screaming and misbehaving childred to contend with. They are at home and usually in bed by 7 or 8 PM, depending on the age. If a family wants to take their children out with them for dinner there are plenty of "family friendly" restaurants to go to, where kids can be kids. People who don't want to eat with a bunch of crying, screaming kids around know not to go to such places for dinner. People are usually responsible and thoughtful enough not to bring their young children where the atmosphere is quiet and reserved - in other words for adults only. Diners who bring noisy children to these restaurants would be more than likely be asked to leave.
It is different though in Asia. The majority of Asians don't cook at home, but go out to eat for dinner. They also eat dinner at a much later hour than people do in the US and the West. Asians don't think twice about bringing their children to dinner with them, whether it be at a food court or the highest class 5 star restaurants. I think Westerners are somewhat tolerant of children eating at food courts and places like KFC and McDonald's, but definitley not at higher end restaurants. There is nothing like going to an expensive retaurant, ordering an costly meal and bottle of wine and having to contend with children screaming and running around the tables, while their parents pay no attention to them. I have seen, however, parents with young children who behave like young ladies and gentlemen. It is actually a pleasure for me to see them. I commend their parents for raising their children properly[ Click here to read more ]
It is different though in Asia. The majority of Asians don't cook at home, but go out to eat for dinner. They also eat dinner at a much later hour than people do in the US and the West. Asians don't think twice about bringing their children to dinner with them, whether it be at a food court or the highest class 5 star restaurants. I think Westerners are somewhat tolerant of children eating at food courts and places like KFC and McDonald's, but definitley not at higher end restaurants. There is nothing like going to an expensive retaurant, ordering an costly meal and bottle of wine and having to contend with children screaming and running around the tables, while their parents pay no attention to them. I have seen, however, parents with young children who behave like young ladies and gentlemen. It is actually a pleasure for me to see them. I commend their parents for raising their children properly
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A Smile Can Make Your Day
June 6th 2011 14:44
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Malaysia's Friendly People
Today I was talking to a couple of women in one of my classes at the gym. This is the first time that we have actaully had any kind of conversation. One person was from Swaziland and the other from Hungary. After we told each other where we were from, the discussion turned to why we came to Malaysia and what we like about Malaysia. I told of how I got here and the reasons why I like Malaysia, which can be found elsewhere in this blog. My story naturally was different from theirs. Both of these women were here because of their husbands' jobs and were quite happy to have made the move.
The big differences came when these two women described what they liked about Malaysia. The Hungarian woman said that the one thing she loved about Malaysia was the fact that everyone smiled at her and pleasantly greeted her. She went on to explain that in Hungary and in Europe in general she never received a smile or friendly greeting from strangers. She loved the fact that everywhere she went, children and adults alike smiled and greeted her and often offered assistance. To her this was the complete opposite of what she had experienced back home. I agreed that the local people here are quite friendly and helpful, as I also thought they were back in Boston. We both agreed that the locals are more friendly than other expats, mainly Europeans[ Click here to read more ]
The big differences came when these two women described what they liked about Malaysia. The Hungarian woman said that the one thing she loved about Malaysia was the fact that everyone smiled at her and pleasantly greeted her. She went on to explain that in Hungary and in Europe in general she never received a smile or friendly greeting from strangers. She loved the fact that everywhere she went, children and adults alike smiled and greeted her and often offered assistance. To her this was the complete opposite of what she had experienced back home. I agreed that the local people here are quite friendly and helpful, as I also thought they were back in Boston. We both agreed that the locals are more friendly than other expats, mainly Europeans
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Maid's Night Out
June 5th 2011 13:41
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Family Maids
One aspect of Malaysian culture which is still difficult for me to comprehend is the employment and use of maids. At home families may employ a nanny to look after their children,especially if they have more than one. I have only known one person who had a nanny though, so to me it was not that common. In the US a maid would, in my mind, be a person who may clean the house or help with household chores. Here in Malysia a maid is a nanny, house cleaner, cook and overall servant.In other words a maid is a slave.
Most maids employed here in Malaysia are from Indonesia. Until very recently maids worked 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, with no time off. The employer usually holds the passport and controls the maids bank account. The average salary for an Indonesian maid is RM 500 to RM550, about $170 a month. There have been numerous incidents of abuse and assault committed by employers upon their maids. An agreement was just reached between the Malaysian and Indonesian authorities where maids now get one day a week off, keep their own pasport and have their wages paid directly into their bank account. Indonesia is asking for a minimum wage of RM800 ($370) to be paid. As of now there has been no agreement on this issue[ Click here to read more ]
Most maids employed here in Malaysia are from Indonesia. Until very recently maids worked 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, with no time off. The employer usually holds the passport and controls the maids bank account. The average salary for an Indonesian maid is RM 500 to RM550, about $170 a month. There have been numerous incidents of abuse and assault committed by employers upon their maids. An agreement was just reached between the Malaysian and Indonesian authorities where maids now get one day a week off, keep their own pasport and have their wages paid directly into their bank account. Indonesia is asking for a minimum wage of RM800 ($370) to be paid. As of now there has been no agreement on this issue
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Technorati
June 5th 2011 09:50
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toekn code
NTPFTR2JNPYM
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Posted By: Watertown Wanderer - Category: Travel
More of Me
June 3rd 2011 14:36
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Eating, Exercise and Weight Gain
I have lived in Penang for almost 3 years now and have become a slightly different person. I quit smoking about 4 years ago and that combined with living in Penang, with diffrerent food, have led to a sizeable weight gain, Back home I would usually eat oatmeal for breakfast, a salad or mainly vegetables for lunch and a dinner comprised of veggies and fish or lean meat. Here in Penang it is different. Most Asians don't like raw vegetables like salad, so salad bars are rare here. When you do order vegetables here they are usually stir fried in oil or covered with a greasy sauce.There is no such thing as broiled meat or fish here. The closest you can get is grilled. Grilled is healthy, but most eateries use a ton of oil when grilling. Most of the grilled meats are covered with greasy gravies. Even steak, which can be expensive here is covered with a sauce. Malaysians don't know how to enjoy a nice tender steak. All of this delicious food combined with rice at every meal leads to weight gain.
Breakfasts here in Malaysia are totally different than in the west. No eggs, bacon, toast or cereal. Breakfast here is the same as lunch or dinner. Just a different name. A variety of fried noodles, rice dishes and deep fried fish or other greasy dishes. It took me quite some time to get used to having spicey and greasy food for breakfast, I suppose it is just as bad as having bacon, sausages and donuts or pancakes for breakfast, I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast at home or I have rice porridge when eating outside. I try to eat light lunches such as porridge or a sandwich at home. Dinner time is difficult because Kevin and I eat out with neighbors and friends. I just don't have the will power most of the time[ Click here to read more ]
Breakfasts here in Malaysia are totally different than in the west. No eggs, bacon, toast or cereal. Breakfast here is the same as lunch or dinner. Just a different name. A variety of fried noodles, rice dishes and deep fried fish or other greasy dishes. It took me quite some time to get used to having spicey and greasy food for breakfast, I suppose it is just as bad as having bacon, sausages and donuts or pancakes for breakfast, I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast at home or I have rice porridge when eating outside. I try to eat light lunches such as porridge or a sandwich at home. Dinner time is difficult because Kevin and I eat out with neighbors and friends. I just don't have the will power most of the time
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Tan Jetty Penang
June 2nd 2011 15:20
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Penang's Chinese Waterfron Heritage
Yesterday while runnning a few errands with a couple of friends, in the Georgetown area of Penang, I visited a part of the city I have never been to. We decided to eat lunch in the area and one of my friends sugggested the waterfront area of Georgetown. Since I had never been there I was eager to agree. We drove along the waterfront passing numerous jettys named after various Chinese clans of Penang. I noticed one Jetty that was named "Mixed Surname Jetty". That must have been the "Heinz 57" Jetty. We were trying to find a Thai restaurant at the Tan Jetty. After passing several jettys we found the Tan Jetty and turned down the dirt road looking for the restaurant.
It seemed as though we were going to end up in the ocean, as we drove quite a distance. It was interesting to see the types of houses populating the jetty. It was reminiscent of the houses along the rivers in Vietnam and Thailand. I was brought down to earth by the stark reality of the waterfront lifestyle, which seemed a world away from the luxurious supercondos and mansions I usually see[ Click here to read more ]
It seemed as though we were going to end up in the ocean, as we drove quite a distance. It was interesting to see the types of houses populating the jetty. It was reminiscent of the houses along the rivers in Vietnam and Thailand. I was brought down to earth by the stark reality of the waterfront lifestyle, which seemed a world away from the luxurious supercondos and mansions I usually see
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More Condo Concerns
June 1st 2011 15:05
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Condominium Construction
Today started out as another hot and humid day in my condo in Penang. By midday the temperature and humidity rose and concerns about living in a condo also rose. In a number of previous posts I detailed a problem I had with a neighbors plumbing leak seeping into my bedroom. I mentioned that each of the 8 units on my floor had major leaks. Today another neighbor discovered not one leak, but two leaks. One in the bathroom seeping down to two floors beneath and the other in the kitchen wall leaking to the outside. There was a constant trickle of water on the outside wall of the corridor. The same plumbing contractor who had been consulted on my problem was called, as he is extremely knowledgeable about the plumbing installed by the developer. He attributes the problems to the use of substandard plumbing material. According to him, even though there are government standards regarding plumbing, many developers pay someone off to look the other way. My condominium complex is only four years old, but the pipes (encased in concrete walls) are leaking or bursting at a surprisingly rapid rate. Here in Malaysia, I learned, there is only a one year warranty on home or condo construction. My heart goes out to my neighbors having to fix the leak.
Later in the afternoon I learned that the developer who built my complex is planning on constructing four high rise luxury condos,on the small vacant lot next door. There goes the seaview! Fortunately my seaview will not be effected Many of the residents, however, who were promised an unobstructedview will be effected. Because of the planned construction of these condos the property values of many units will plummet. If the owners wanted to sell their units they will have a very difficult time and will have to sell at a loss. This is not an uncommon situation here. Many people I know have been promised unobstructed views for long periods of time, but later learned the the promises were meaningless. The only advice I can offer to people looking to buy a condo with a view is "buyer beware[ Click here to read more ]
Later in the afternoon I learned that the developer who built my complex is planning on constructing four high rise luxury condos,on the small vacant lot next door. There goes the seaview! Fortunately my seaview will not be effected Many of the residents, however, who were promised an unobstructedview will be effected. Because of the planned construction of these condos the property values of many units will plummet. If the owners wanted to sell their units they will have a very difficult time and will have to sell at a loss. This is not an uncommon situation here. Many people I know have been promised unobstructed views for long periods of time, but later learned the the promises were meaningless. The only advice I can offer to people looking to buy a condo with a view is "buyer beware
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