Back in Malaysia... But where's the Water?

It seems that no matter what Ayu and I do, fate always has a way of bringing us back to Malaysia. The amount of time spent away from Malaysia usually dictates the way I feel the first time I realize where I am - this time the feeling was frustration, and the object of my frustration was water (or the lack thereof).

Water is an addiction for Ayu and I. At any given time we are very likely to be carrying 32 oz. (or about 1 liter) around with us. We have a Nalgene bottle made out of #2 plastic (not the kind that leeches Bisphenol-A into the liquid and could potentially give you cancer) that we take everywhere. I suspect it won't be long until Ayu gives it a name. While living in the US, this water bottle was constantly full. Even when travelling, we make sure it stays topped up. The trip here was no exception.

While on the plane from Chicago to Tokyo it was constantly filled up by the best flight attendant in the world. While in Tokyo briefly, a public water fountain contributed to our cause, on the flight to Singapore I had to "steal" water because the flight attendants were quite mean (so it was full then too), and while in Singapore it was still full thanks to plenty of drinking fountains (even though some were out of order - see below).
However this could not last forever....

To get from Singapore to Malaysia we took the Aeroline bus. If you are unaware, Aeroline is really the only way to go when it comes to long distance bus rides in Malaysia. They have the best seats, the best service, food served on the bus, a bathroom (for light use only), flat screen TV's with movies playing, and even a lounge on the lower deck. Aeroline gives each passenger a bottle of water when you board, so Ayu and my thirst was still well-quenched (and our bottle happily full).
Once we got off the bus in KL for our layover between buses, I was for the first time aware of where I was as I realized suddenly that I was out of water! I searched high and low in the hotel (which has the bus station attached to it) with no luck. Not one water fountain! A woman who noticed me looking all around asked me if she could help me, to which I inquired about the water fountain location(s) and she said there aren't any. All of a sudden it dawns on me - I had forgotten that in most parts of Asia they don't trust tap water (even though I've heard its just fine). Tap water in the bathroom was out of the question for this reason, and since Aeroline had no place for us to leave our luggage, we entrusted it to a fellow Penangite who was waiting for his bus as well and went off in search of mineral water. We eventually found it and had lunch, and everything was dandy, but I'll never make that mistake again. Its hard to describe how much Ayu and I believe we NEED water, but if you can imagine it then you can also probably imagine how much I was stressing out when we didn't have any.

After this we took our next bus to Penang (the island Ayu is from), and had a nice day and a half there full of good eats and old friends. We also explored Fort Cornwallis. One of the more famous sites in Penang as it was a British outpost for many years. The items in quotations are copied verbatim off the website.
"Fort Cornwallis is situated at the spot where Captain Francis Light was supposed to have landed in 1786. Originally a wooden structure, the fort was rebuilt between 1808 and 1810 with convict labour. It was named after Charles Marquis Cornwallis, a distinguished Governor General of India, and designed to protect the harbour from possible French attacks."

Below, Ayu and I are re-enacting the French (me) trying to invade the British (Ayu).
"Today, much of the old fort remains, but its precincts have been converted into a public park and an open air theater. It is still guarded by old cannons, which were retrieved by the British from pirates who had captured them from the Johore Sultanate."

I caught this picture of a mom and her daughter swinging from a tree swing in the courtyard.
And here are some of the old cannons that are still in place.

"The most famous of the cannons is Seri Rambai, which dates back to 1613. Local beliefs have it that childless women can become fertile by placing flowers in the barrel of the cannon and offering special prayers."

Here's Ayu, Claire, and Ween with the Seri Rambai. Unfortunately, they forgot their flowers.

I spotted a sign that made me nervous. But then I laughed pretty hard when I found what docile creatures it was referring to...

By far the funniest part of the Fort was seeing how they cope with the fact that the British have left - By trying to re-create them as best as possible - With an Indian guy and a wooden barrel.

Two days ago we arrived in KL with 4 backpacks (two big, two small) and two duffel bags. Which basically encompasses all the gear we intend to take with us to Denmark next month. No single piece is particularly heavy, but all strapped up, its a considerable load. Ayu and I moved all of this first to the LRT station (the inner-city commuter train), then to KLCC (where the twin towers are located) to have lunch with Ayu's sister, next to the Danish embassy (to get Ayu's visa - until they told us we have to go to the Swedish embassy to apply - which was now closed), and finally to Ayu's cousins apartment where we crashed for the night. By that time, our backs were nearly broke and we spent the next 14 hours or so sleeping.

Yesterday was spent finding a hostel downtown, meeting up with friends, and escaping the flash floods that frequently plague the city of Kuala Lumpur. Actually, flood is not the right word because the drainage system is amazing. But it was as if the skies had opened up and let loose everything they had stored up. Luckily, we were in a mall at the time, so Ayu and I hid in a theater and watched the new James Bond movie - Quantum of Solace (It was rubbish by the way). Which brings me to today, where we got some much needed excercise walking all about KL, and eating our way through the world's fish supply at a sushi buffet. Pretty Crazy. The late update is due to dodgey internet conections that have kept me from uploading pictures - and I didn't want to tell the stories without them. More later... Love and Kisses...

Adopt the cutest kittens you will ever meet

During the duration of our time here in the US, we have had the good fortune and privilege to help foster a mother cat and her four kittens, who were rescued when an animal shelter closed down earlier in the year. We've had so much fun and joy from watching them grow from tiny-hood into the six-month old teenagers they are today. They are playful, personable little cats and although they do get into the usual occasional mischief (like getting into closets and leaving a mess), they are the best cats you will ever meet. They even changed Kyle's mind about being a self-professed dog person, into admitting that kittens are a lot of fun.

So without further adieu, we are proud to introduce to the world, Sunshine The Mama Cat and her litter of kittens also known as The Designer Bunch.


Sunshine aka Mama (1 year old, long-haired)


When we first met Sunshine, we were told that she must have had a prior incident with a man. She had always been a skittish little cat, but she would claw and bolt out of the room if she even caught a glimpse of a man anywhere around her. When Kyle and I first started taking care of her, she would peek around corners at me, but disappear like a flash when she caught sight of Kyle. Slowly though she got used to having us around, and once she realised we weren't going away anytime soon, she started to grace us with her presence more and more, until one day she walked right up to us and let us pet her. Kyle, who is naturally wonderful with animals, seized the opportunity to gain her trust and show her that she was safe with us. And now, perhaps also due to the fact that her kittens are almost fully grown cats and are now fellow playmates, she has turned into a playful and attention-loving little character, often walking right up to us and dropping on her back to ask for a tummy rub.

Guccio Gucci (Approximately six months old, short haired, male)


Gucci, by virtue of him being the heaviest of the lot, not to mention the boldest and bravest, is what Kyle calls a puppy-cat. While I can still carry the other kittens with one hand, I need two when it comes to Gucci. He loves to explore new corners, counter-tops, and goodness knows what other hidden and not so hidden areas, and consequently, gets into a spot of trouble every now and then. But all you have to do is call out "GUCCI!" when you see him approaching trouble and he will stop almost immediately. He answers to his name just like a dog and he'll let you pick him up, kiss him, and he'll even lick you with his sandpaper tongue. How's that for a puppy-cat?

Jimmy Choo (Approximately six months old, short haired, male)


Jimmy has the sweetest nature among the four kittens. He loves being around others, and unless it's in a snuggle sleeper tucked in under a blanket, he refuses to sleep alone and will find someone to sh-nuggle up to, be it cat or person. When they were younger and smaller, there were times I would wake up in the morning to find Jimmy curled up next to my cheek. As he got bigger and smarter, I would find that he had somehow crawled under the sheets to sleep next to my feet, or sometimes he would find a comfortable little cavity in between the folds of the sheets near my stomach. Jimmy is patient, kind, good natured, with the sweetest little miaos which would melt anyone's heart. He is also the cleanest kitten, he smartly covers up his poo in the litter box, and is constantly cleaning himself. As a result, he always smells wonderful and I love nothing better than to kiss him all over.

Coco Chanel (Approximately six months old, long haired, female)


I have to admit, we pamper little Coco like anything! The only girl, she is super beautiful and so dainty in nature that we can't help but adore her to bits and pieces. This isn't to say that we don't dote on the other cats just as much, but Coco does like to be the little princess of the household, and we indulge her in this. She prances about with her tail held up high, and jumps into laps to be petted whenever she fancies. She is most playful with Jimmy, who with his sweet nature, is more her match than the other two boys and they spend hours chasing each other and rolling around trying to wrestle little toys from one another.

Louis Vuitton (Approximately six months old, medium haired, male)


Louis is the brain of the bunch. The little Einstein figures out how to get into places no one else could, and then teaches them (especially Gucci) how to do it. His list of mischief proudly boasts learning how to open the kitchen cabinet doors and scratching open the folding door to the laundry room. Although extremely playful, he is also the most solitary of the kittens. He plays with the other cats a lot, but he plays by himself just as much. When I don't see him around, I like to think he's in a corner somewhere, plotting his next adventure. Louis, with his medium-length haired coat is also the most gorgeous little man, and amuses us to no end with his sense of curiosity and adventure. He's the only cat who has learned not to be afraid of water and Kyle has even succeeded in taking a bath with little Louis!

We love these cats so much but unfortunately they are only in foster care and really need someone to take them in and give them forever homes. We would love to give them a home, but with our nomadic lifestyles, these cats really need a more stable home to go to. If you or anyone you know would like to save a few cat lives today, please email us at info@nzwow.com or call the number at the end of the videos.

We'll leave you now with a fun little video Kyle and I took of how playful and smart these cats are. Next time you hear from us, we'll be on the other side of the world!


Note: These cats can also be found on www.petfinder.org