I am coming home!

It is time to go back home. And I can't stop myself from reminiscing about my stay here. I loved staying in Malaysia very much. I had a wonderful, relaxed, laid back time here. It was a sort of a long awaited vacation for me.

This country is so unique in its own ways. It has mostly 2 weathers- summer and rainy.

Its predominantly a Muslim country, but with almost equal population of Chinese and Indians settled here over a long time. I tried out Nasi Lemak, known as the national dish. Rojak, Cendol and Nyonya Laksa Mee were also awesome. The clay-pot cooking style is very unique. The food is slightly roasted at the bottom of the small clay pots and cooked wonderfully above. I became fast friends with a Chinese family here. They helped me to try out various Chinese cuisines. I looooouvvveeed Chinese food! (And we laughed about how Chinese food in India is actually Indian food and not Chinese! Ha ha!) I also got to eat some tropical fruits I had never heard of- Dragon Fruit, Durian, Rambutan, Longan, Mangosteen, Cempeda, etc. I loved all of them, especially Mangosteen!

Food was the top-most thought in my mind. So, now that I am over it, I also admired how the city I lived in (most parts) was squeaky clean. Mostly everyone stands in a queue in a bus stop, in a traffic signal or in KFC. People are polite and funny. (I found their sense of humor weird but funny!) There are so many shopping malls here. One can never get bored of window shopping (or real shopping, if you don't mind spending), and must I remind that its a good exercise?

There are quite a few lovely locales to visit in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is a busy place and has some important monuments to see. I lived around 30-40 kms away in a much quieter city, Shah Alam. I posted some pictures of my trip to Langkawi and Penang in this post. Penang is a lovely place for food lovers. And the transport within the city is very convenient because of the abundant local buses. Langkawi has so many gorgeous beaches! I also visited a cooler place called Genting Highlands, which mainly has theme park and a casino, and pleasant weather.

This picture was taken when my husband visited Cameroon Highlands. Here, he and friends actually picked Strawberries from the farm for a small amount; dewy, farm-fresh Strawberries! Also, the vegetables here are so so fresh! I did not get to go there :(.

I could not visit the other places like Terengganu and Melaka due to shortage of time.

Well, since I did not own a car here, I had to depend on cabs a lot. Some cabbies can be deceitful, finding ways to charge you extra. (So, beware. Always, climb in a cab that has a meter, and always carry change with you! It would be helpful if you learned Malay.)

Coming from another country (India), I also found some things strange, like:

• Many motorists wear their wind cheaters the wrong way, with the zipper side back.
• Nobody honks.
• All houses have a safety gate outside the main door, and none have door bells.
• You have to order a drink when you go to a restaurant. None of the restaurants offer you water on their own, or they charge you.
• The government encourages 5 kids per family.
• It is acceptable to eat out almost daily.
• The Muslim women wear swimsuits that cover them from head to toe.
• The locals' English is different from what I am used to. Also they spell certain things their own way- "post"-pos, "monorail"- monorel, "lift"- lif, "section"- seksyen, etc.

Although I am excited about going back home, I surely will miss Malaysia.

I am loving

Drinking strawberry milk straight from the carton.

How important a teacher's role in Sex Education in schools is.

Watching funny cat videos.

Reading blogs about innovative and cool things.

Reading what it takes to be a mommy.

Learning recipes for different fruit mixes (juices).

Listening to Moves Like Jagger

Wondering about Orangutans! So cute!

Reading people's opinion about what it is to be pretty.

Thinking of my not real (?) and "real sun sign".

This lip art!

Ain't these cool?

Did you know (DYK)?

I recently visited Singapore. I loved the country. It is so well organised in all ways. But more about that in another post.

The main thing I liked there was the ZOO! :) I love animals. It is so nice to see them in the natural settings than in an enclosure. This was an open zoo! I loved most of all, the Orangutans! They are just too adorable.

I love these gentle apes. They look so much like us. They are so shy and they would turn away from inquisitive people's cameras (*guilty*). The mom fed the baby and burped it like we humans do! How can you not love them! These Sumatran Orangutans (orange-haired ones) are endangered species.

DYK? The female Orangs wait for 7-8 years after giving birth to a baby (one at a time) to have the next, the longest time for any primate! After 6-7 years, the baby moves away from the mom and lives alone for next 50 years. These are the least social animals.

The Australian outback section consisted of the smallest Kangaroos.

DYK? Most of the mammals stop growing once they reach puberty. But, Kangaroos grow throughout their lives.

I also saw Pumba! Yes, its called the Desert Warthog. This is mostly found in South African forests. It feeds on rhizomes, seeds, fruits, and small animals.

DYK? These animals, especially males, have many warts under their eye. This helps to cushion them against the opposing male's tusk during a head-on collision/fight.

This adorable parrot is called Cockatoo. So majestic, eh? This bird is endangered too. Its hard beak can crush seeds and nuts. Farmers consider this a pest because it raids all the crops and capture it!

DYK? Since, these are quite intelligent, they must often be supplied with things to play, chew and destroy. Otherwise, in captivity, the bird resorts to plucking its own plumage out of boredom!

These Zebras were not anything extraordinary. I like their stripes though.

DYK? The stripes on the Zebras are not just for beautification; they are striped all which way. This is to confuse the hunting animal when they run in herds, giving the hunter a dizzying spell!

In another section I saw pigmy Hippos (10 of these make a large Hippopotamus). These were swimming in the water so fast. They almost looked like big fat elegant fishes.

DYK? The Hippos do not have sweat glands. So, they stay in the water during the day to keep cool. Their skin produces mucus, which acts like a natural sunscreen. They wade out of the pool in the evening to forage for food.

Baboons are interesting to watch. They generally travel in troops. They sort of have "family meetings." These have red bums, which help them attract partners. Presenting the swollen bum is a submissive gesture for mating in both males and females.

DYK? The troop mostly consists of females and babies. The head of the troop also being a female. The males come and go as they please. The young male monkey leaves the troop before maturity. But the female stays on even after maturity. Talk about female bonding!

Komodo dragons are giant lizards, largest lizards on Earth. They are mainly found in Indonesian islands.

DYK? These lizards can swim quite well. They swim to find their favorite food from one island to another or to find a mate. These were found accidentally when a pilot crashed into the Komodo sea and swam to the Komodo Island around 1912.

The graceful Giraffe was thought to be a mix between a Camel and a Leopard by ancient Greeks and Romans. So, its genus name is Camelopardalis.

DYK? The Giraffe can suffer a heart attack if it is run for too long, as it generally has high blood pressure.

I captured a few more pictures with no intention of excelling at photography, but just to serve as a memory of the trip. I think I saw a flying squirrel. I am not sure though. What do you think?

Ohh and look at this bad boy! So neon!

I get so excited about learning these interesting facts about animals. Let us share more fun facts!