The KL Experience

I'm taking a vacation this week and it's starting in Kuala Lumpur. It's not really a vacation as I am doing some sales pitches for Umbrella Tours while I'm here, too. It's not very easy to find tour agencies in this city. It's almost like finding a needle in a haystack, almost. I think I've been a little more successful, but it hasn't been easy.

Next stop, Singapore. I was there about a year ago and loved the two days I had there. This time it will be a little work with the tour promotions, but I hope to see some more sights.

I'm always astounded by the mix of nationalities in Malaysia. The US is considered a melting pot by some, but I really think that Malaysia is more so. For one thing it's hotter. But it really seems like the cultures have developed within and around each other without civil disturbances. It really seems to be a very developed and well-run country. The level of English is quite astounding too.

The Bald Pianist

I had the pleasure of attending a lovely Jazz piano concert for FREE at one of the local 5-star hotels. The man was bald. I only point this out because of certain friends who have drooling fascinations with the hairless type and so now have me scouting out for chrome domes.

Bald head count= 3 (1, the pianist and the other 2, in the audience)

It was amazing how 90 minutes can fly by and still want more good music. There is such a lack of this kind of cultural experiences in this town because Cambodian ideas of good music is their own knock-offs of either Thai or Chinese songs re-written into Khmer. It all sounds the same.


I love listening to Jazz because it's almost like a game to try and guess where all the bits and pieces are taken from. There's always a few notes thrown in from a variety of other musicians and songs and it's so thrilling to hear them. They're like little musical surprises every time.

End of Term Once Again

Yes, it's that time again: the end of the term. This is when we get to sit around watching students take their exams so that they don't attempt to cheat. Then it's marking the exams and printing up results and reports. Tuesday is so close and yet so far away.

Rain has come and gone. We had a whopper of a storm the other morning. The downpour started at around 2:30 am. Woke me up cause I thought my roof was going to cave in from the pounding, or at least water would pour in from the backsplashing above my front door. Instead my kitchen flooded, as usual, though not as bad as before.

The car's got a huge scratch in in on the side and on the hood. Very unfortunate. One looked accidental, the other purposeful. Cambodians are notoriously jealous folks. They just can't stand seeing other people with something more or better than themselves. One would think they would be called 'wee little green folks' and not the Irish.

Crotch Pot Cooking: A Weather Update

For those who've seen "Good Morning, Vietnam" that was probably my favorite line in the entire movie. For some reason the thought of crotch pot cooking struck me as humorous way back then.

Now, it's a reality and I can truly understand it. It's been so hot lately, which means we're due for rain. In fact, the rain started this afternoon. It reminds me of California's Central Coast where I grew up. We'd get a few sunny days followed by the inevitable fog. It's the whole warm up, cool down cycle.

Here's to refreshing showers for those crotch pot cooking days!

A "New" Car

OK, so I bit the bullet and went ahead and purchased a Toyota Camry. It's not really new as it is 12 years old, but it has been kept in good condition. I couldn't pass up the deal and had been thinking about it for some time. I really wasn't ready to buy it, however, the price and the car were hard to pass up and I knew that I wouldn't have the same opportunity later down the road. So, I went for it!

The car is strictly a working car, and not for pleasure. I hope to be able to drive lots of tourists around to help the investment pay for itself.