The distance between us grows and I am now with yet another canine - Marble. More of him later. I travelled up to TBS in KL on a reasonably good bus which took less than 5 hours despite doing an enexpected detour to Seremban - why should this surprise me? Nothing is ever what it should be at face value in this country.
I had to go to the Post Office in Cyberjaya this morning to buy a couple of stamps - 35 minutes it took and there wasn't even much of a queue to speak of. You can imagine my excitment when number 1051 popped up and mine was 1055. I could see an end to the interminable wait and it filled me with such joy. Such joy that I bounced up and down in my seat. There really is a malaise that engulfs this place. How apt is that word for this country?
My time in Malaysia is definitely not a regret. It has meant a last farewell to friends on my journey. The regret I will actually mention firstly is that I have too much stuff. I am travelling with clothes for four seasons, medications, real coffee - yes, I must have my fix - camera, phone and laptop - and toiletries. Oh why wasn't I stricter and with myself. At least I am jettisoning stuff on the way.
The next regret is not using the pool at Dairy Farm more often. I made the excuse to myself that I never had time. The reality is that I never made time. Below me in Melanie's downstairs toilet is Andrea the Rat. She arrived around 2009, I think. We never really got to bond though. A regret to be sure. At least I did get to say goodbye but I do expect to see her turn up in the UK in the foreseeable future. Andrea the Rat is tough and bronze... she will survive anything! I am touched to have a rat named after me - really I am.
Now to Marble, he is a delightful dog with a liking for English fingers and thumbs - mine in particular. When I am around he has a very restricted existence - poor thing. He must associate me with punishment. I wish I was more than a potential snack to him. It won't be long til he gets the run of the house again as I will be off on the road again.
I am going on an overnight trip to Penang, arriving on the morning of the 7th. Even though it will be dark as I travel north on one of Malaysia's E numbers roads, I know that I will be passing through endless kilometres of Palm Oil Plantations. They look lush and verdant but their existence has killed off habitat for the natural flora nad fauna. If only the world knew the harm that palm oil production has done to this planet, they would consume more wisely and stop buying stuff that contains it. We eat it, wash in it, clean stuff with it.. IT is in so much stuff...errrrrr.
Sorry Marms... I didn't mean to end on a gruff note. I love you. XXX and Louai sends his love too.
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