Greetings family and friends...this will more than likely, hopefully be the
last email I send until I get home. I'm currently in Singapore...9 miles
north of the equator. It has been quite and ordeal today and I think I may
have taxed my body a bit too much today with the heat and humidity.

Last night, Ratna came home from work and she made dinner for me and Denise.
I told them I did not want to go out...so we just hung out and talked
until about 1 am. I felt like I was on a 60 minutes interview as they were
inquisitive about all aspects of American Life...TV, movies, politics,
social issues, gay life, etc. It was fun...but I was getting tired of
fielding all the questions.

I woke up at 7 am for a hard journey today. I hate "transport" days....they
are always grueling and today’s was especially hard. Ratna accompanied me
to the bus station..which included a taxi ride to the metro, the metro to
downtown and then a 15 minute walk with my 60 pounds plus of luggage! I
then got on my bus which was a nice bud ride. We eventually got to the
Malaysian/Singapore Border and then the fun began...I had to get off the bus
to pass through Malaysian immigration which was uneventful. I then got back
on the bus, drove a mile, and then had to get off the bus with all my
luggage in tow through Singapore immigrations, then line up for Singapore
customs...then walk across the border, load up the bus again, and then get
on the bus where it finally got to downtown Singapore about 3:30 pm....6
hours later.

When I got off the bus...I had no Singapore dollars so I had to find an ATM
machine..once that task was accomplished I needed to find a place to stay
for the night....I had no idea where to go. So I hailed a taxi and got in
the taxi and explained my situation to the driver. He took me to an area
near Little India that has backpacker hostels. I was able to get a room
for about $15 without air-condition which displeases me...but I was so hot,
sweaty and tired and wanted to get rid of all my luggage I accepted. The
room is real typical backpacker hostel...shared baths, small room with a
light and a fan. But since I'm only here for about 12 hours....I can't
imagine needing anything more.

I dropped off my bags and decided to explore the city...I walked around, did
a little shopping and then started to get light headed, dizzy, not feeling
to great....I am sure it was exhaustion...since I did not have time to eat a
meal today...and I had a hard time manufacturing any urine...so I knew I
must be dehydrated. I walked back to the hostel and took a cool shower, laid
in front of the fan and drank 1/2 liter of water.....I felt a tad bit better
but I still need to eat something substantial.

As for Singapore...I am glad I saw it but I will probably not revisit this
city/country. I'm glad I cut my time down here and spent it in Malaysia.
Singapore is big, busy, and not a lot of historical stuff or natural beauty.
It's a bustling town and very very conservative country with all kinds of
rules, laws, regulations and they are very serious about it...fines for
chewing gum, smoking in the wrong place, jay walking, etc.

So...I'm finally cooled down and after I write this email...I'm going to
venture out to an Air conditioned restaurant and have some dinner, get some
water for the night and try to turn in early since I have to leave at 4:45
AM for my 7 am flight.

From there I will fly for 6 1/2 hours to Tokyo..then a three hour lay over,
then a 9 1/2 hour flight to Los Angeles...with the time change and the
international dateline..I actually get back to Los Angeles..Saturday morning
about 10:30 am....then of course...my favorite..US Customs which always
grills me about my whereabouts.

By the way,, I only have room for two more stamps in my passport! One which
will be stamped upon arrival to Los Angeles...so I am going to have to find
out how to order extra pages. So...
Singapore is country 29 for me :) It seems like Vietnam and Cambodia were
ages ago...a whole other trip. It has been a great experience and I’ve
learned so much about a culture that I really was very uneducated about.
I've not studied much of Asian history or culture...so everything was very
new for me. But I am ready to come home...I'm tired, miss my mom, friends
and my regular routine. Though I'm not overly excited about going back to
work Monday...wish I had some more time off....It will be good to get back
in the swing of things...though it always seems I have a hard time
readjusting to coming back. It takes about a week. And the holidays are
quickly approaching.

Well, my friends and family...thank you so much for listening and allowing
me to take you along with me on this journey. It's comforting to know that
you are all just "send button" away. I hope that this finds you in the
best of health and spirits. Take care. With much love, peace, and
gratitude...

Hello....and HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Taman Melati, Malaysia...that is the
name of the district I am staying in with Ratna in Malaysia. It's Thursday
evening...and if I didn't remember...I would have never guessed it was
Thanksgiving...obviously it is not a holiday here and most people I talked
to today...didn't even know about this holiday in the states. Aside from
that....the 90 plus degree weather and 200% humidity....it's definitely not
fall and harvest time!

Well, I hope that today is a wonderful day filled with family, loved ones,
friends, and gratitude for the blessings we all have.

As for me...things are quickly winding down. Last night I went to eat and
then went to bed as I was pretty tired. I woke up this morning and Ratna
made me breakfast and coffee which was nice to wake up to. She had to go to
work...so we both took the train to downtown Kuala Lumpur.

My first stop was the Masjid Jamek which is the largest Mosque in South East
Asia....it was very elaborate and ornate. After I walked over to the Sultan
Abdul Samad Building which houses many of the government offices. The decor
and names are all Muslim design and often I forget that I am in South East
Asia and think I am in the middle east again. It's kind of odd. I then
walked across the street to Medeka Square which is where 50 years ago The
English relinquished control of Malaysia and an independent Malaysia was
created. They are celebrating their Golden Independence this year.

I then walked to Central Market and did some stall shopping for gifts but I
didn't want to carry everything around so I then toured around China Town
and Little India....the heat was unbearable today so I stopped for a while
to have a papaya smoothie. I then went and called mom to wish her a Happy
Thanksgiving...even though it was still Wednesday night there. It was so
nice to hear her voice and hear that all is well with her and my cats. I
then went shopping for a while and got hungry.

I saw a restaurant that said Ali Baba Cafe....they had Shwarma which is one
of my favorites. So even though I probably should have had Malaysian
food...I didn't want to pass up some Shwarma. I went in a said "Salam
Alykum" one of the few Arabic phrases I know which means...May the Peace of
Allah be upon you. The guy behind the counter melted...he asked where I was
from and then asked if I was a Muslim...which I said No...he was so
impressed that I greeted him in Arabic...he sat with me for a while and
loaded me up on Shwarma, Mango Juice, Pita, Hummus. He explained that he
was Egyptian and we had a great talk. It's amazing what a smile and a
phrase in ones local tongue can do!

I then finished up a little shopping and started to get a little lightheaded
from the heat and headed back to where I am staying. Once you get off the
train....there is about 1/2 mile walk, up hill in the sun....Normally this
would not be such a difficult task...but I thought I was going to pass out
at any minute. I kept drinking water, resting and finally made it. I just
wanted to make it back...I had images of me collapsing and then waking up in
a Malaysian Hospital.

Speaking of health....I did not get any mosquito bites until the last few
days. Ratna told me that the big problem is Dengue fever which of course
there is no prophylactic for so I'm hoping that these bites I got are
benign. I know that Malaria can live in the system for many weeks after a
trip...but I don't know that much about Dengue fever and no one really
prepared me for that. I've learned on this trip...you can have your guide
books, do your research, post questions on forums....but nothing ever really
adequately prepares you for these trips. For example...no one really made
clear to me that is so hot and humid...words cannot even describe the amount
of humidity here. Conversely, people said "dress conservatively....it's a
more conservative society." This is not true...many people are conservative
but there are equal number of people that wear tank tops, shorts, etc. If I
had know that I wouldn't have packed long sleeve clothes, jeans, and
jacket!! I've carried that around for three weeks for nothing...everyday is
tshirt/tank top/shorts.

So now it is Thursday night....I'm waiting for Ratna to come home. I think
she wants to go out tonight...but I have an early bus tomorrow and am going
to politely turn down the opportunity to go out. Tomorrow morning I head to
Singapore..which I found out is 9 miles from the Equator! I will only be
there for one night and then fly home....a task I am not looking forward to.
The flights home are always harder for me..because I just want to get
home. So I will probably be sending out one final email tomorrow night from
Singapore which I heard is expensive and very strict laws (i.e., no chewing
gum in the country, no public smoking, $250 fine for throwing anything on
the street)...but we shall see...I've learned to take what others say or
write with a grain of salt.

Well, I hope all is well with you. Take care and again, Happy Thanksgiving.
With peace, love, and gratitude,

Greetings my friends and family....well, a it's been a whirlwind the last 30
hours or so! I am currently in Kuala Lumpur the capitol of Malaysia.

I forgot to mention in my last email that Penang saw some action in World
War II and was under Japanese Occupation. I had seen many WWII sites in
Europe...but my Pacific experience has only been Pearl Harbor...and that was
never under Japanese Occupation. There was some interesting stuff at the
museum about the battles on the Pacific Islands out here. Penang had feel
to Japan Dec. 7, 1941 as well.

At any rate, I got my bus. Which was luxurious from Penang to KL....huge
reclining seats, great a/c, it was truly 1st class! The road to KL was
actually very nice and fast....and extremely scenic. It passed through the
Cameron Highlands...where the rainforest and mountains touch the clouds.
There were even cloud forests...where steam and clouds glide down the
mountainsides covering palms and tropical plants. It looked like something
out of Jurassic Park with the greenery, the rock formations, and clouds and
mist.

My bus arrived in Kuala Lumpur and I had a contact from Hospitality
Club....I love Hospitality Club and yet it unnerves me because you never
really know what you are getting into. My contact was a girl named
Ratna...so when I arrived...I called her and she told me to meet her at the
train station a few blocks away. I met her and we had to get on the
metro...squeezed in like sardines with all my luggage...I felt bad. I was
dripping with sweat. We then took a train about 30 miles north of Kuala
Lumpur where she lives with her cousin. It just wouldn't be one of my trips
without going off the Road Less Traveled. We arrived at her place and now
I can say I'm living like the locals..in fact, not many white people make it
to this area...so of course I get the usual looks, stares, and smiles which
is nice...and always a nice reminder. I never give any thought to my skin
color until these trips...then I become very aware of my ethnicity...which
is good because it makes me more empathetic to those back home who are
different.

So I am staying with Ratna and her cousin Denise...both are very nice and
hospitable. The place does not have A/C...and there are no mirrors...and no
hot water...so shaving is/was a chore! What it lacks in convenience is made
up by character and hospitality. I enjoy this as I feel as though I'm
getting a glimpse into how the locals live and not just being a tourist. I
sort of get the best of both worlds.

I was pretty tired...but we went out to eat. Unfortunately, the only thing
to eat is stall food/street food...which I am nervous about eating....but I
had to eat..and I'm so near the end of my trip I had to take the chance.
The food was delicious..but it is unnerving to see the way things are
prepared or how the dishes and stuff are cleaned...It's been 24 hours and no
problem! I went to bed last night about 11 pm.

Ratna had to work today...so she passed me off to her cousin Denise who is
in school but had free time. We took the train back into KL and had a great
time! First we went to the Petronas Towers which I have always wanted to go
to....it was the tallest building in the world until Taipei 101 opened in
2004...but it's the 2nd tallest in the world. You have to get your tickets
early and then get assigned a time later in the day..but there were 2
cancellations and we went at 10. Denise had never been there herself. So
it was a treat for her. You can't go to the top..only to the bridge. After
we walked around for a bit and had breakfast..Noki ..something or other...it
was great. Then we went to the Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower which is the 4 th
tallest Telecommunication towers in the world...it looks like the Seattle
Space Needle.....it was a wonderful view from up there.

We then went to the bus station and Denise helped me get my bus ticket to
Singapore for Friday. It's so nice to be with a local...they can navigate
and negotiate all the prices and stuff and get me good connections.

We then hopped on a few trains and taxis to get to Batu Caves which Denise
had never been to and I really wanted to see. Its the largest Hindu Temple
in south east Asia....you have to climb 256 steps, in the sun and humidity
to get to the caves. It was incredible. Unfortunately, neither of us new
much about Hinduism...so I didn't understand some of the shrines and
statues. There were monkeys all over....they were not afraid of humans!!!

Finally we returned back to their place. Denise had to go to school...so I
went with her and at the university internet cafe and Ratna does not get
home until 10 pm. So I'm just chilling out now and relaxing. I have
about 3 hours to kill. Tomorrow I will be on my own...but they gave me the
keys to their place so I can come and go as I please. I will do some
shopping and visit Little India and Chinatown.

It's nice to stay with locals as it always results in wonderful cultural
exchange and knowledge about their culture and even a chance to reflect on
mine. We talk about pop music and culture, politics, etc. I learned today
that the Bali Nightclub bombing was actually a Malaysian Al-Queda
Cell....Al-Queda is alive and well in Malaysia. So this will be my only
hospitality club experience on this trip....I have an opportunity in
Singapore but I will arrive Friday afternoon and need to head to the airport
at 4 am on Saturday....so I think I want to find a place close the airport,
repack, and get ready for the 18 hour flight home :(

The last few days while traveling alone...I’ve had more chance to reflect
on things and meditate. Which is good...because traveling always broadens
my horizons and helps me at an emotional and spiritual level. Plus, it
always seems the last few days I get a bit melancholy...I remember these
feelings in Tel Aviv last year for thanksgiving. Though this trip has proved
to be more contemplative than enlightening....But it has also reconfirmed
some of my previous beliefs that poorer nations and people seem to be more
happy...more genuine than the richer industrial countries. But I guess the
reason I have become so contemplative is that it is so crowded here and such
a huge population with people coming, going, hustling here, there, children,
old, poverty, sickness, death, and it makes me wonder yet again..what is the
point? what is the purpose? If someone has insight into the answer to
those questions...do share! The other good thing about travel is it makes
me truly appreciate what I have...so often I curse my apartment, my car, or
bewail that I have to work or something...and yet compared to these people I
have seen in the last few weeks...I have it all...I really live like a
King...maybe not by US standards...but by most of the world....I need to be
more grateful for small things like having hot water, a mirror in my
bathroom, carpeting, etc. the small things I use everyday and take for
granted.

Well, those are my experiences and thoughts for today....thanks for
listening. Well, until tomorrow night....take care and thank you for
letting me share my trip, my thoughts with you.

Greetings....I am at an internet cafe waiting for my bus and getting
thrashed by mosquitoes...so not sure how long this will last. You know...I
get about 150 emails a day...most trash. I couldn't imagine coming home to
1000's of emails...so if nothing else it is good to clean the in box each
day.

Last night after I wrote...I went back to my room to relax a bit. There is
a TV....I watched a Malaysian Soap Opera...I couldn't understand what they
were saying...but soap operas are pretty easy to figure out. After it
started to cool down I went back out and walked to the Esplanade and
beach...it was nice. The thing that shocked me the most was when the sun
began to set...the bats came out!!! Fort Cornwallis was still open so I got
to tour that last night....very interesting about the British settling the
East India Company here in 1786. After touring the fort....I walked back
to town and topped off my British experience at a British Pub with Fish and
Chips...which were wonderful. I spoke with the proprietor for quite a while
and exchanged email addresses. He moved here from Manchester 8 years ago
and explained what life was like here as a foreigner. I then went back to my
room for one of my best nights sleep...all the way through and for about 9
hours! This morning I　packed and then went to a little place for
coffee and breakfast and then walked to the Museum which was wonderful... I
am not much a museum person but I read this was one of the best in Malaysia
and only 33 cents! it was wonderful with the history, clothing, artifacts
and even some early oil painting by British colonists. I learned about the
rich culture of the Malay people, as well as the Chinese, Indian, Brits, and
Arabs that settled in Penang. Also there were exhibits on cultural events
such as the various clothes, weddings and funerals. Truly a crossroads of
the world in the 1700 and 1800s. After I went to St. Georges Cathedral the
first Anglican church in south east Asia from 1802. I just finished
stocking up on treats and food and water for the bus ride which should be
here momentarily.

I will take the bus to the strait of Melaka and cross by ferry to
Butterworth...then get on another bus for 4 hours south to Kuala Lumpur!
Should be a journey. Plus I have about 60 pounds of gear...backpacks, etc.
Lets hope I make it in this heat! This is not for the faint of heart!