I've come home to Kuala Lumpur and have had no time to write at all! Okay, I'll be honest - I've been stuffing my face with food and thus have had no time to write at all!
For some reason, time seems to move about 100x faster in Malaysia compared to Dar. I looked at the clock at what seemed like 10 minutes ago and it was 8:30pm. I'm looking at the clock now and it's 9:53pm! What's up with that!
The good thing is, I'm having a blast here. A dear, dear friend of mine took The Engineer and me out to this cool new place in town called Palate Palette and they make the meanest and most fabulous Lychee Martinis. I had one to many (I only had two but the second one was a mistake!) and spent the whole of Saturday regretting it : )
It's good to be back and KL seems cleaner and cooler than it did in December which was the last time I came home.
Still, I miss Girlfriend and everyone else back in Dar. Maybe I'm lucky to have so many good friends to miss!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The Bead Queen Meets Mean Queens
The Bead Queen (she's the Bead Queen coz she loves beads and can make really lovely bead necklaces, bracelets etc) came over the other day for a mid-afternoon coffee and chat. She's always wanted to see my apartment
She arrived at my door with a bunch of red roses cause she's a real sweetheart that way. She absolutely loved the view (even though I've been living here for 7 months, I still can't get over it) and we both had a really nice time together.
She arrived at my door with a bunch of red roses cause she's a real sweetheart that way. She absolutely loved the view (even though I've been living here for 7 months, I still can't get over it) and we both had a really nice time together.
Now Bead Queen is one of those girls whom you will instantly like because she's just so cheerful and friendly. She's always got some party to go to or to plan and people just love warmth, sincerity and wicked sense of humour.
So it came as a total surprise when she told me that she had an awful time when she first arrived in Dar a couple of years ago.
Apparently, there are certain ladies here in Dar who consider themselves the 'in crowd'. They pick and choose who they're friends with and make everyone else wish they'd never been born. They're really good at pointedly ignoring any lady they don't 'approve of' and make a real effort to make her feel unwanted and small. This may not be a big deal when you're surrounded by family and friends but in foreign land, it can really get to you!
I have no idea what the criteria is to be part of this so called 'in crowd' but it seems to me that bitchiness has definitely got to be one of them!
Besides, these ladies should wake up and smell the coffee. Look around - this is hardly LA or New York, it's Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania for crying out loud! There's no such thing as an 'in crowd' in a place like this. There's hardly even a crowd!
Looks like Mean Girls aren't just confined to the movies and to high schools.
Quick riddle: What's worse than a Mean Girl? A Mean Old Crone!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
South Beach on Easter
The Engineer, Boss and I found ourselves with little to do on Easter Sunday. (pssst...none of us even talked about going to church!)
So Boss and Engineer came up with the idea of going to South Beach. I suppose it's called South Beach because it's at the south end of Dar.
The Engineer and I went there with a group of friends last year but we were totally unimpressed. The water wasn't very clear and the beach was very crowded - much like the clips you see on tv of California beaches. The only problem is the South Beach crowd is hardly the 6-pack-displaying, bikini-wearing types at all.
Instead, sprawled across the sand were old Aunties and Uncles, their kids and screaming grandkids all running helter-skelter. There were people in long-sleeved blouses and what looked like formal wear. Yech!
Anyway, this time it was thankfully different. We gave the crowded beaches a miss and just drove around from one campsite to another. The places we chose were fairly deserted and absolutely gorgeous.
Boss made some fabulous lamb mince and ham sandwiches. I should've taken a picture of them but we ate them all before I thought of the camera! They certainly looked like they were made by a man because there was nothing delicate about them at all. I call them 'man sandwiches' - huge cuts of bread, really generous meat filling and a slice of cheese.
The Engineer bit into one and discovered that the plastic wrapper was still on the cheese and said, "these sandwiches are defintely made by Boss," with a sly grin. I think he meant that while Boss is nice enough to actually go to the trouble of making the sandwiches, he probably ran out of patience long before he'd finished making them : )
I managed to buy something even though South Beach is hardly a shopper's paradise. Here's The Engineer picking out a rasta coloured hat for me at a stall by the beach:
The caps were cute but I suspect the bikinis in the background were not new. I don't think second-hand tops are that bad but a bikini top is a whole other story - and don't even get me started on second-hand bikini bottoms. Yikes!
We eventually stopped to use the restroom and I actually found myself in a ladies' room which was basically a hole in the ground. Don't be fooled by it's castle-like exterior:
It was astonishingly dry, looked and even smelled clean! I think some of the toilets in Mid Valley Megamall is a lot worse!
We eventually made our way to a horse farm (is that what they're called?) where you can learn to ride. It was literally in the middle of nowhere and this road just seemed to go on and on:
It was worth the trip though because it was a really, sweet, quaint little place with dogs, cats, chickens and horses all living together in harmony. They had this lovely bougainvillea tunnel leading toward the stables:
Here's The Engineer giving Steffie some love - the only girl I would actually approve of him caressing!
We thought about walking to the beach which is about 20 minutes away from the stables but decided we were too lazy. Besides, we could catch a glimpse of the ocean right from the stables:
The Engineer and I have decided that South Beach isn't so bad after all and we're definitely going back. There's talk of doing a camping trip but I'm hoping everyone will decide to rent a bungalow instead. I can never understand why people like to do the outdoor thing when the indoor-with-a-bathroom-and-fewer-mosquitoes thing is so much better!
The only part of our trip that wasn't good was Girlfriend's absence. She's was away in South Africa and I can't wait for her to come back.
So Boss and Engineer came up with the idea of going to South Beach. I suppose it's called South Beach because it's at the south end of Dar.
The Engineer and I went there with a group of friends last year but we were totally unimpressed. The water wasn't very clear and the beach was very crowded - much like the clips you see on tv of California beaches. The only problem is the South Beach crowd is hardly the 6-pack-displaying, bikini-wearing types at all.
Instead, sprawled across the sand were old Aunties and Uncles, their kids and screaming grandkids all running helter-skelter. There were people in long-sleeved blouses and what looked like formal wear. Yech!
Anyway, this time it was thankfully different. We gave the crowded beaches a miss and just drove around from one campsite to another. The places we chose were fairly deserted and absolutely gorgeous.
Boss made some fabulous lamb mince and ham sandwiches. I should've taken a picture of them but we ate them all before I thought of the camera! They certainly looked like they were made by a man because there was nothing delicate about them at all. I call them 'man sandwiches' - huge cuts of bread, really generous meat filling and a slice of cheese.
The Engineer bit into one and discovered that the plastic wrapper was still on the cheese and said, "these sandwiches are defintely made by Boss," with a sly grin. I think he meant that while Boss is nice enough to actually go to the trouble of making the sandwiches, he probably ran out of patience long before he'd finished making them : )
I managed to buy something even though South Beach is hardly a shopper's paradise. Here's The Engineer picking out a rasta coloured hat for me at a stall by the beach:
The caps were cute but I suspect the bikinis in the background were not new. I don't think second-hand tops are that bad but a bikini top is a whole other story - and don't even get me started on second-hand bikini bottoms. Yikes!We eventually stopped to use the restroom and I actually found myself in a ladies' room which was basically a hole in the ground. Don't be fooled by it's castle-like exterior:
It was astonishingly dry, looked and even smelled clean! I think some of the toilets in Mid Valley Megamall is a lot worse!
We eventually made our way to a horse farm (is that what they're called?) where you can learn to ride. It was literally in the middle of nowhere and this road just seemed to go on and on:
It was worth the trip though because it was a really, sweet, quaint little place with dogs, cats, chickens and horses all living together in harmony. They had this lovely bougainvillea tunnel leading toward the stables:
Here's The Engineer giving Steffie some love - the only girl I would actually approve of him caressing!
We thought about walking to the beach which is about 20 minutes away from the stables but decided we were too lazy. Besides, we could catch a glimpse of the ocean right from the stables:
The Engineer and I have decided that South Beach isn't so bad after all and we're definitely going back. There's talk of doing a camping trip but I'm hoping everyone will decide to rent a bungalow instead. I can never understand why people like to do the outdoor thing when the indoor-with-a-bathroom-and-fewer-mosquitoes thing is so much better!
The only part of our trip that wasn't good was Girlfriend's absence. She's was away in South Africa and I can't wait for her to come back.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Pina Coladas, Zanzibar and a Fabulous Houseguest
Definition of a fabulous houseguest:
1. Someone who's presence you hardly notice because he/she fits in so perfectly into your household and lifestyle
2.Someone who makes the best cocktails - ever!
That's exactly why Fabulous Houseguest got his name.
There were two highlights of Fabulous Houseguest's visit. One was a cocktail party and the other was our trip to Zanzibar.
We almost didn't make it to Zanzibar because of our very Malaysian disrespect for time. Fortunately for us, we had a very South African person driving us to the jetty.
Boss and Girlfriend had kindly offered to take us to the jetty but I think Boss regretted his generosity when he saw us strolling towards his car at 7.15am when the ferry was due to leave at 7.30am. He had arrived at our apartment at exactly 7.00 am.
Some fifteen adrenaline-charged, jaw-clenching minutes later (and with a string of curses from other drivers in our trail), we caught the ferry by the skin of our teeth. Boss didn't say a word but I thought I saw the corner of his eye twitching in what must have been unadulterated annoyance for 'Malaysian time'!
After a very hair-raising start to our little holiday in Zanzibar, the rest of the trip was highly relaxing and restful. I've been in Tanz for almost a year and I've never been to Zanzibar. Some say that's practically sacrilegious so I was really looking forward to the trip. Despite it's rather unimaginative name, Stone Town, Zanzibar's capitol, is classified as a World Heritage Site.
Personally, I loved it and so did Fabulous Houseguest but The Engineer was not too keen about it. If you're not into cobbled paths, narrow winding streets and if you hated History in school (like The Engineer), you're probably not going to enjoy it much.
I, on the other hand, have always loved history and Stone Town is nothing if not historical.
Here's a peek at a quaint Zanzibarian street....
....and I thought this was a fascinating and possibly rare shot of a church steeple with the minaret of a mosque in the background:
After a tour round Stone Town we headed for Nungwi on the north of the island. Apparently, this area is home to the best beaches on Zanzibar.
It turned out that the sunsets impressed me far more than the beaches. This has to be one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen in my life. I still can't believe it:
We just had to get a shot of ourselves as well and only managed to capture our silhouettes but I think it's kinda cool:
The unbelievable beauty that was all around made me feel rather contemplative but in a good way. It made me think about the really important things in life.
We spent most of our time on the beach, watching the sunsets and drinking Pina Coladas (for me) and beer (for the two boys) but we did veer off from our beach bumming ways when we spotted this intriguing sign:
We wanted to know if it would actually take 27 minutes to get there and I think it did. Our efforts were rewarded when we got to spend some time at the aquarium which turned out to be a lovely natural pool:
Then we came upon this sign:
This other aquarium really was 15 seconds away from the sign and it was then that we realized that Zanzibarians may be laid back but they sure take accuracy on sign boards seriously!
When we got back to Dar, we thought we'd have ourselves a little cocktail party and this is were Fabulous Houseguest really outdid himself. He mixed the best and possibly most dangerous Pina Coladas I have ever had.
Everyone was thrilled with their drinks (Boss, Girlfriend and another friend were also there) and I swear every subsequent batch of cocktails grew steadily more potent. I don't know if this was because Fabulous Houseguest/Bartender was getting drunker and didn't know how much alcohol was going in the drinks or because he believes that a good bartender always adds a little more alcohol in each subsequent drink. Either way, we didn't complain!
We all felt sorry for him slaving away in the kitchen while the rest of us kept inhaling the fruits of his labour but he seemed to enjoy himself. Girlfriend and I were so pleased with our cocktails that we just had to get some pictures of him creating his magic so we took some shots of him, paparazzi style.
In my opinion, anyone who can whip up Pina Coladas and who is such a Fabulous Houseguest should be treated like a celebrity!
1. Someone who's presence you hardly notice because he/she fits in so perfectly into your household and lifestyle
2.Someone who makes the best cocktails - ever!
That's exactly why Fabulous Houseguest got his name.
There were two highlights of Fabulous Houseguest's visit. One was a cocktail party and the other was our trip to Zanzibar.
We almost didn't make it to Zanzibar because of our very Malaysian disrespect for time. Fortunately for us, we had a very South African person driving us to the jetty.
Boss and Girlfriend had kindly offered to take us to the jetty but I think Boss regretted his generosity when he saw us strolling towards his car at 7.15am when the ferry was due to leave at 7.30am. He had arrived at our apartment at exactly 7.00 am.
Some fifteen adrenaline-charged, jaw-clenching minutes later (and with a string of curses from other drivers in our trail), we caught the ferry by the skin of our teeth. Boss didn't say a word but I thought I saw the corner of his eye twitching in what must have been unadulterated annoyance for 'Malaysian time'!
After a very hair-raising start to our little holiday in Zanzibar, the rest of the trip was highly relaxing and restful. I've been in Tanz for almost a year and I've never been to Zanzibar. Some say that's practically sacrilegious so I was really looking forward to the trip. Despite it's rather unimaginative name, Stone Town, Zanzibar's capitol, is classified as a World Heritage Site.
Personally, I loved it and so did Fabulous Houseguest but The Engineer was not too keen about it. If you're not into cobbled paths, narrow winding streets and if you hated History in school (like The Engineer), you're probably not going to enjoy it much.
I, on the other hand, have always loved history and Stone Town is nothing if not historical.
Here's a peek at a quaint Zanzibarian street....
....and I thought this was a fascinating and possibly rare shot of a church steeple with the minaret of a mosque in the background:
After a tour round Stone Town we headed for Nungwi on the north of the island. Apparently, this area is home to the best beaches on Zanzibar.
It turned out that the sunsets impressed me far more than the beaches. This has to be one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen in my life. I still can't believe it:
We just had to get a shot of ourselves as well and only managed to capture our silhouettes but I think it's kinda cool:
The unbelievable beauty that was all around made me feel rather contemplative but in a good way. It made me think about the really important things in life.
We spent most of our time on the beach, watching the sunsets and drinking Pina Coladas (for me) and beer (for the two boys) but we did veer off from our beach bumming ways when we spotted this intriguing sign:
We wanted to know if it would actually take 27 minutes to get there and I think it did. Our efforts were rewarded when we got to spend some time at the aquarium which turned out to be a lovely natural pool:
Then we came upon this sign:
This other aquarium really was 15 seconds away from the sign and it was then that we realized that Zanzibarians may be laid back but they sure take accuracy on sign boards seriously!
When we got back to Dar, we thought we'd have ourselves a little cocktail party and this is were Fabulous Houseguest really outdid himself. He mixed the best and possibly most dangerous Pina Coladas I have ever had.
Everyone was thrilled with their drinks (Boss, Girlfriend and another friend were also there) and I swear every subsequent batch of cocktails grew steadily more potent. I don't know if this was because Fabulous Houseguest/Bartender was getting drunker and didn't know how much alcohol was going in the drinks or because he believes that a good bartender always adds a little more alcohol in each subsequent drink. Either way, we didn't complain!
We all felt sorry for him slaving away in the kitchen while the rest of us kept inhaling the fruits of his labour but he seemed to enjoy himself. Girlfriend and I were so pleased with our cocktails that we just had to get some pictures of him creating his magic so we took some shots of him, paparazzi style.
In my opinion, anyone who can whip up Pina Coladas and who is such a Fabulous Houseguest should be treated like a celebrity!
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