1. Walk 8 minutes to bus stop with Idaho friend, Michele, and meet up with Singaporean friend, Evelyn.
2. Take bus 10 minutes to the border.
3. Go through immigration - takes 20 minutes
4. Welcome to Malaysia!
Evelyn wants us to be able to do this ourselves so she is pointing and reading all the signs to us and probably thinks I will remember what she says but I'm having a hard time paying attention because of so many distractions. Besides, I like her so I'm hoping she'll take me next time I want to go. She points out how clean and nice it is, very safe and all protected from the sun. I thought the protection was from the rain, but even though it rains nearly everyday, sun is a bigger deal here.
The Toilet Bowl restaurant. Sit on toilets and look at urinals while you eat. We didn't eat here.
We go up 2 escalators in a new air conditioned mall and into a restaurant called "Tea Garden" and meet 5 more Singaporean women who all start giggling and shaking our hands. They are kind and cheerful.
They order for us. Lots of Chinese food that tastes nothing like the Chinese food in the USA. I like it. We eat family style. They laugh about how much they love dessert. By American standards dessert isn't very sweet. I ask what their favorite American food is and they say Not Mexican! Their favorite American food is Dessert!
Then we shop for Chinese New Year. Lots of samples of prawn crackers, pineapple tarts, layered cake, love note cookies, fried seaweed, melon seeds, and shortbread cookies until they find the best quality. We pick out treats for Roland to take to the office. When I tell them him he is the boss they quickly put aside the ones we selected and decide he needs much nicer treats. All 6 women spend about 30 minutes picking out the very best Chinese New Year treats for Roland's office. They are very exact and discriminating about the quality of the Pineapple Tarts. We taste about 10 pineapple tarts and they all taste the same to me but they insist there is a difference and lament about how store bought is never as good as homemade. Ain't that the truth.
Treats are all purchased and I ask if we can leave the mall and see more of Malaysia. They are emphatic that it is very dangerous outside of the mall. Never! Never leave the mall! they say.
So we don't.
We head home. Back through immigration, two quick bus rides and a short walk home.
It was a great day!
3 comments:
What was your favorite Chinese Food?
Was anything "sweet," as we'd call it?
When is/wasChinese NY?
You look beautiful
If Evelyn reads this she might feel bad that you don't listen to her. I know that feeling cause it happens all the time. Sometimes by my seminary students. But never by you.
Can't wait for next post.
I want to be there.
What a fun quick trip! Reminds me of the day trip to China I took with my dad when we were on a 3 day layover in Hong Kong. And that toilet bowl restaurant is hilarious!! (and a little disturbing...!) :) I would love to see what you did with the kids for Christmas, if you have a chance to blog about it!! We missed seeing you guys at Christmas in Colorado!
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