Sabbath in Kuching

Today we got to sleep in a little bit, then went to breakfast at the hotel. After a leisurely breakfast, we took a tour bus to the Seventh-day Adventist church in Kuching. Matt, Meggie, and Royce gave short sermons, and the entire group sang for the congregation. It was fun to see so many familiar faces again. In fact, many of the people I was able to meet last year were there again this year. I think that was my favorite part of the church experience. I loved seeing old friends and meeting new people. :) After church, they invited us to a monstrous vegetarian potluck. We tried everything from Durian blossom to sautéed fern, to home made Pad See Ew. It was so delicious!! 

After church, we went back to the hotel for free time from 2 pm to 7 pm. That is the most free time we have had on the trip so far. We almost didn't know what to do with ourselves! After much debate about how to spend our free time, we went back to the room and took a nap. 

After our rest, we went to Dr. Perumal's family's home for dinner. As it turns out, his sister-in-law was having a 60th birthday party with the whole family, and they invited us to join them. Dr. Perumal told them not to bother, since we have 18 people this time around and since it is a special occasion for his sister-in-law, and we didn't want to impose. However, they insisted that we should come. What a privilege it was for us to be included! There were probably 75 people at the party. We all gathered around tables and ate from banana palm leaves with our hands. We got to meet lots of Dr. Perumal's family members, and saw some of the same family members that we met last time. (Jenna and Tori, Dr. Perumal's other sister-in-law, the seamstress, said to tell you hi!) I sat at a table with one of the nieces who is currently at university studying civil engineering. She explained some of the customs of Hindus, as well as the different customs for a birthday party. At a birthday party, not only does everyone sing Happy Birthday, but afterwards the cake is cut into small pieces and every guest goes up to the person having the birthday and feeds them a piece of cake, and the birthday person feeds the guest a piece of cake. It reminded me of the wedding tradition we have in the States, where the couple feeds each other a piece of the wedding cake. Everyone made us feel so welcome there. We had a fantastic time. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the Indian food was THE BEST I have ever tasted. I can only hope to be able to repay all the hospitality that was shown to us tonight. 

With all this hospitality in one day, we're never going to want to leave Kuching!

Johor Bahru to Kuching, Sarawak

Today we got to sleep in a bit longer and had a fantastic breakfast buffet at our hotel. After breakfast we met to discuss the plans for the church service in Kuching, and then we were given some free time until we had to leave for the bus station at 11:30. Meggie and I ran to the mall to get some snacks for the trip, and she also got an adorable pineapple-themed Swatch. Time well spent! :) 

We packed our backpacks and met in the lobby to walk to the bus station. It was only a couple of blocks away, and we got even more snacks while waiting for the bus. We had a 45 minute drive through the countryside to reach the airport where we would be flying to Kuching, Sarawak in east Malaysia. This portion of Malaysia is located on the island of Borneo, so a plane is the best way to get there. 

We got Laksa (curry noodles) at the airport while waiting for our flight, but I think there are better versions of the Malaysian dish outside of the airport. Our flight only took about an hour, and I was excited to be able to see the Sarawak river, the umbrella-shaped Parliament building, and even our hotel from the window of the airplane. 

We met Nicole, the travel guide from last year, at the airport, and she took us to our hotel. We are staying at the Grand Margherita again this year. We have a view of the Sarawak River from our room, and we can watch the little passenger boats zip back and forth across the river each day.

We dropped our stuff at the hotel, then went to an Indian restaurant called Curry King. It was so good, yet so different from the food we had tried the night before. The Indian food in JB had been South Indian, with crispy wafers and banana palm leaves. In contrast, the food we had tonight was North Indian, with various types of Naan and chapati. Tonight's restaurant was also a lot fancier, and we all had Mango Lassi and fresh limeade. We had just about the same amount of food, but the meal here cost about three times as much as the meal in JB. I think it is because the restaurant was substantially fancier. The food was amazing, though. I'm really glad we got a chance to try it. 

After dinner, Dr. Perumal showed us around Chinatown here in Kuching. The Chinese festival of the "hungry ghost" is currently taking place, and on the streets of Chinatown people were burning paper offerings (representing money) that they believe will go to their ancestors who are in the afterlife. Also in the Chinatown area, Petronas is sponsoring a mural-painting project on older buildings to try to revitalize the area. Even in the late evening, we were able to see the artists work on these giant murals. We also found an area of Chinatown that seems to be the go-to location for backpackers. It had lots of trendy hostels and hipster restaurants begging to be Instagrammed. We'll have to come back for a meal at one of these places.

Bus ride to the airport

Mural painting in Chinatown

Instagram-worthy hipsterville in Chinatown

Burning paper "money" as part of the Hungry Ghost festival. Across the street is a Taoist temple.

Singapore to Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Today we woke up early and had worship at the Guesthouse before taking the MRT to the bus station. We stopped for breakfast before going down to the bus loading dock. Thank goodness! We were running out of food in our room at the guesthouse, so the breakfast break was greatly appreciated. I stopped at a place that served make-your-own rice balls. You pick the type of rice and fillings you want, then they press the rice around the filling to form a shape that resembles a miniaturized Chipotle burrito. I chose purple sticky rice and pickles, veggie duck, and carrots, green beans, etc. It was so good! Downstairs, we boarded a bus to the customs station that sits at the very edge of Singapore. We briefly exited the bus to go through customs before reloading the same bus again. Next, we drove across a bridge through no man's land, and reached another customs station at the Malaysian border. After we went through Malaysian customs and got some lunch, we dropped our bags at the hotel.

We visited a Sikh Temple where we were given a tour of the worship area and treated to a cup of piping hot Chai tea. Even in this heat and humidity, it was a nice treat. 

Once outside the temple, a woman introduced herself to us and started pestering us with questions. She began with the typical questions one might ask of a tourist. "Where are you from?" "What brings you here?" "How long will you be staying?" Then she began to tell us more about herself. "I used to draw portraits of Bill Clinton while I was studying at UCLA." "Oh really?" we replied. (Note the thinly veiled skepticism.) Then she cornered several of the girls and told them of various homeopathic remedies they could use to make their acne go away. We thought she was Sikh, but she proudly corrected our assumptions. "I'm not a Sikh! I'm a Methodist!" We pretended to be in a hurry and quickly scurried off.

We walked around Little India and dropped the group off at a Hindu Mosque before Dr. Perumal and I went to get the cell phones activated. On the way, we made reservations at an Indian restaurant for dinner. As we were leaving the restaurant, the same Methodist woman from the Sikh temple found us! She began arguing with Dr. Perumal and pestering us that we hadn't given the Sikhs a big enough donation and now they were all very upset with us. Dr. Perumal and I tried to make it clear that this was not the case, but she was extremely belligerent. We raced across a street just as the light was changing, leaving her on the other side of a busy stream of traffic. I looked back to see her pacing back and forth on the corner where we left her, then wandering towards an open-air market. I think she completely made up the story about the Sikhs being mad at us, but Dr. Perumal went back to give them a donation anyways. 

We found the cell phone shack and were able to buy some SIM cards. It took quite a while to get all the phones up and running, mostly because they had to be registered with the government. At any rate, by the time we were done it was time for another meal.

We went back to the Indian restaurant, and were presented with banana palm leaves. They served us mountains of rice and endless curry, lentils, etc., and we got to eat with our hands for the first time on this trip! We all got two rounds of their delicious limeade. And with all this amazing food for 18 people, our bill came out to around $65 USD. Food is so much cheaper here! Get with the program, America! 

After dinner, we walked through a shopping mall and then headed back to the hotel. We rested for a little while, then went to see the Glass Temple. It is a Hindu temple covered in millions of tiny squares of red, blue, green, yellow, and white mirror. As you might imagine, it is overwhelmingly sparkly. The most exciting part of the temple is actually the journey to and from its location. It sits in a ravine that is somehow secluded from the hustle and bustle of the border town that is Johor Bahru. To get there, we walked for a while through dimly lit city streets lined with hotels, then businesses, then auto repair shops. We crossed a bridge over a busy boulevard, and came to a dirt road where cars slowed down to get a closer look at us tourists. From there, we followed the dirt road into a dark valley, aptly named by Victoria Belliard as the "Valley of the Shadow of Death." After an hour's walk through the darkness (ok, it was only 10 minutes) you reach a brightly lit, sparkly building that is the temple. It was a bonding experience. 

The Fantastic Four

Lunch! The pumpkin curry was my favorite. 

No caption necessary. 

Lots and lots of Indian food. :) 

Finding the Glass Temple on the other side of the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

There was even a statue of Jesus in the Glass Temple. They also had statues of Buddha and Mother Teresa. 

Singapore Day 2

In the morning, after worship, we had a lecture on Chinese culture by Dr. Wong. He spoke for our class last year, and was kind enough to come back again this year. He always has fascinating stories and information about the unique culture of Chinese Singaporeans. 

After the lecture, we took the bus to a food court at a nearby mall. The food courts never cease to amaze--for example, Nikki's meal cost the equivalent of less than $3 USD. (Mine cost a little bit more, at around $6 USD, which doesn't prove my point as well as I would like.)

After we ate lunch, we walked around the mall, got some souvenirs, and found a fresh fruit/juice bar and an ice cream shop. The malls are endless glistening caverns. They go deep underground--often at least four stories--and seamlessly connect to the MRT and to other adjacent malls. One could easily get lost.

Around 2 pm we took the MRT to the Gardens by the Bay. We walked around the Cloud Forest, the Flower Dome, and the elevated walkway through the Supertree Grove. It was worth the $5 Singapore Dollars to see the spectacular view of the gardens and the bay from above. 

After the gardens, we went to the food court at the mall adjacent to the Marina Bay Sands. The mall was extremely luxurious, and even featured a moat with gondolas! This time around was a bit more expensive than at the previous food court, but it was very delicious. We went to a Mongolian BBQ type place, where you pick raw, unwashed veggies and they wash them and chop them and add them to a wok. It's feels like grocery shopping because you add whole veggies to a giant stainless steel bowl and hand it to the cashier before cooking. We also got fresh watermelon and Teh Tarik. :)

*Try saying the name of this restaurant with a British Accent. Now picture Tinker Bell. Get it? :)

After the food court, we went outside to look at the city lights and wait for the fountain and light show. We couldn't figure out where exactly the light show would take place, so we decided to wait and see where the crowds began to form before we walked too much further. We sat cross-legged on the dock, adjacent to the Louis Vuitton island and across the estuary from the downtown skyscrapers. It was spectacular. As we watched the sun set, the city came alive with lights. Indeed, Singapore just begins to wake up as the sun goes down. 

We followed the crowds to the light show area, and the show began shortly thereafter. It was nice, (picture a toned-down World of Color), and told the story of Singaporean children as they grew to adulthood. Sadly, there was a technical difficulty and the show came to an abrupt ending just before the story found its resolution. It really left me hanging. I am still left wondering whatever happened to the young Singaporean boy who became a concert violinist! 

After the light show, we decided to go to the top of the Marina Bay Sands to see an even greater view of the city's lights. We had some difficulty finding the ticketing and entrance, and then we got stuck behind a large tour group, but we finally made it! They even gave us a discount when we showed them our Singapore Airlines boarding pass. After a speedy, ear-popping elevator ride, we made it to the 56th floor, and stepped out to meet the glittering view. It was magical, and the pictures can't truly capture it. 

Flight from LAX and Singapore Day 1

"Today" has come to be a loosely defined term. On Sunday, I woke up at 6:30 am. (Not that 6:30 is insanely early, but I note the time for math purposes.) Sleep seemed unnecessary, and hindered by adrenaline anyways. I was too excited about the trip and paranoid that I would forget something important, and at the same time nervous that I was packing too much. 

We had been planning and packing for months, and the day had finally come! 

After meeting at La Sierra, we boarded a flight from LAX to Tokyo. We were flying Singapore Airlines, which is an amazing way to fly. They have countless movies, and TV shows and lots of food available for order (free of charge) whenever you are feeling hungry. At Tokyo, we exited the plane to go through security and customs, only to board the same plane again for our flight to Singapore. We were getting goofy-tired at this point, but the promise of Wifi and solid ground was enough to make our brief plane exit worthwhile. Nikki and I power-walked a lap around the terminal, then got back to the plane. We swapped seats around a little bit, and this time I sat in a row with Meggie. We had a seat between us, so we were able to spread out a little bit, and I slept almost the entire flight. Apparently they woke me up when they brought me my food, but I don't even remember being woken up. 

We got to Singapore at about 3:30 am, went through customs, and were once again reunited with our backpacks. Then we boarded a van and started out towards our hotel. We stopped briefly at Mustafa, which is a 24-hour store that combines all the best elements of Nordstrom, Big 5 Sporting Goods, and Wal-Mart in one store. I got a watch, because I didn't bring my phone on the trip. Our primary reason for going to the store was to change money, but I decided not to switch any of my money just yet. Singapore is pretty easy to get around with a credit card, and that often provides a better exchange rate anyway. Around 4:30 we got back on the road to the guesthouse, and arrived around 4:45. We are staying at the guesthouse of the Southeast Asian Union office of the Adventist church. It is the same place that we stayed last year. It is clean, conveniently located a couple of blocks from the Caldecott MRT (metro) station, very clean, and comes with a full kitchen and breakfast in each room. It was a little difficult to find some of the rooms, but eventually we all got settled and went to sleep around 5:30 am. As one of my good friends says, "Sleep is for the weak!" (Or was she saying, "Sleep is for the week"? I'm not sure...)

We got up again at 8:30 and were on the road by 9:15. We took two vans to the Malay Cultural Center and the Sultan Mosque. The Sultan Mosque was closed for renovations, so we went over to the Malay Cultural Center. We learned how to play traditional Malay games, then toured around the museum. We also walked around the nearby streets. It is a popular tourist area of old shophouses (restaurant or shop on the lower floor, with living space above). Each shophouse had beautiful shutters on the windows, and the walls were covered with elaborate modern art murals.

Our next stop was a Malay/Indian area where we walked around hawker stalls selling dresses, household goods, and food. We got bottled water and Teh Tarik (MY FAVORITE!) It is like a tea latte that, literally translated, means "pulled tea" because they pour it back and forth between pots in the process of making it. After that we went to a food stall that specialized in Indian-Malay food. We ate outside under an awning, which began to flap in the wind under the ever-blackening sky. It was going to rain. Luckily, the rain held off until we were done with lunch, and we were able to enjoy our curried vegetables and rice (and yes, even some delicious Chicken Curry broth...I'm an almost vegetarian) in peace. 

Next we went on a whirlwind van tour of the city. We saw a Buddhist temple with a giant reclining Buddha. We saw a ferris wheel, which I have come to call the Singapore Eye because it looks so much like the London eye, although I am not clear on its actual name. We went to a sprawling park and walked across a beautiful wooden bridge with a wave design that offers expansive views of the city. We also went to the Peranakan Museum and the Singapore National museum. 

It was getting close to 6 pm by the time we were done, and we were all fading fast. We had once again reached the stage of slap-happy exhaustion. We walked to the closest MRT station, Dhoby Gaut, and went to Chinatown. We met some of Dr. Perumal's friends (who met up with us in Penang last year) and they took us to Chinese food. We went to the second floor of a shop house, which had been converted into a dining room. We had a smorgasbord of small plates and ate with chopsticks. I surprised myself with my ability to use chopsticks, especially given my state of exhaustion, but I was very hungry. After dinner, we went downstairs to the food street and had Chendol and Ice Kachang. Both are shaved ice desserts with different flavors in different sections, including coconut, sweet corn kernels, molasses/caramel, red beans, and jelly. We tried to eat each flavor separately, but we quickly discovered that it was much better if the flavors were all mixed together into a slush. 

After dessert, we zig-zagged through some of the shops in Chinatown on our way towards the MRT station. We headed towards home. After a day out and about, added to the extreme mugginess and jet lag, many members of our group were falling asleep on the train. We made it back to the Caldecott station and walked back to the guesthouse. We were there by about 10 pm. It was one of those days where I felt too tired to get ready for bed. So naturally, Facebook was the remedy. After a while, I realized I needed sleep and I went to bed by 11 pm. 

I am still too jet lagged to do the math on how many hours I have been awake since I was in Los Angeles. It has been a blur. I still can't believe I am here, that I actually get to see all these places again! I can't wait!

Last year, I attended the trip as a student, and this year, I am working as the TA. This trip is part of the Honors Program at La Sierra University. We will spend the next three weeks exploring Singapore and locations in Malaysia including Johore Bahru, Malacca, Penang, Kuching, and Kuala Lumpur, to name a few. I am so excited for the next three weeks! 

Stay tuned for more posts!