Well done! Over 10 people replied to the “stick no bills” challenge question, either via the blog or via email. I like the participation, people! Keep at it. New challenge question below. Reply to the blog if you can. My sister in law Tanya was Johnny-on-the-spot with the answer, so she gets a Penang present when I see her next. Btw, I know I’ve been given a few assignments – I will be sending a report on those shortly.
How I know I’m not in Kansas Anymore: I flew with some expats to the island of Langkawi last week on one of Malaysia’s budget airlines, Firefly. My boarding pass was a tiny thin piece of paper (like a receipt you get when you pay by credit card). I could wad it up into a ball the size of pea. The guy gave it to me and I said, puzzled, “That’s it?” As I walked away from the check-in desk, I noticed the airline’s slogan printed at the bottom. I found it quite distinctive: Firefly - Agile, Brilliant, Charming and Fun!
Quote of the Week: Ton has very low tolerance for cockroaches. So when we saw the first one in our condo this weekend (welcome to the tropics), he quickly implemented ORE – Operation Roach Eradication. The savage caveman tendencies from our human past seemed to rise within him, firing his eyes with intensity. The ORE process was quite complex and multi-faceted – far too much to detail here – but it worked.
His victory comment, “The roach in the bathroom is curled up in a little ball of death.” A little while later, he adds, “I’m so excited the house is safe now.” I would have nodded, given some kind of positive feedback, but all my energy was consumed in fending off the desire to curl up in a little ball of death myself due to the fumes wafting from the bathroom.
Rookie Moves: Twice I have been to a local’s home – once for an International Women’s Association (IWA) activity – sushi demo! – and once for a dinner. Twice I have pondered my outfit, including which pair of kickin’ sandals to wear. Only to realize when I arrive that I will be removing my shoes at the front door, and they will stay off the entire time. Note to self: remember when to plan outfits around shoes and when not to.
What I Miss (it’s the little things that get ya)
- Napkins – most restaurants don’t automatically offer them and, when you ask for one, it’s usually so small that it covers about an eighth of one thigh
- Books, magazines and paper that don’t go limp or buckle with humidity
What I’m Digging
- The food
- As I walked through the Pulau Tikus section of town, I noticed an unusual bird call coming from a small bushy tree. The leaves were so thick I couldn’t see the actual bird, so the tree seemed like a green furry speaker emanating funky chrips and trills – loud, low and rich in tone.
- The food
- Strolling through the electronics shop and seeing all kinds of small funky kitchen appliances like a soybean milk maker and a number of others which I could not remotely identify
-The food
Challenge question: I posted pix on my blog a few weeks ago of the wet market, where I can buy produce, spices, flowers, fish/chicken, etc. Why is it called the “wet” market? Hint: it’s a reference to a practical purpose.(The first person to answer correctly gets a present from Penang! Anyone with these letters in their last name – H-Q-A-U – may not answer.)
This was a fun week for the blog as two friends of mine who’d lost touch saw pix of each other on the blog and got reconnected. Plus, I had for the first time a person “find” me on the web. A new virtual friend! Citizens of the world unite. Peace out everyone.
10 comments:
There is this funny effect with roaches when you douse them with the contents of a big killer spray can. They first start running around like there is no tomorrow. Then, for some unexplainable reason they flip over on their back, contract into this half moon shape with their paws furiously scratching against an imagined ceiling of… well… air. It is quite the scene and worth further study and experimentation. Maybe I’ll find another one soon… but after this blog post they might just all decide to stay at the lower floors of our condo building… and that's fine with me as well.
Wet Market = Produce market where you can buy fresh things? either that where you can by liquor - Just kidding. Ah the poor roaches. the heading Agile Brilliant Charming and fun I know doesn't refer to your new found flat mates but it is kind of funny that the roach story falls under that heading now. hope all is well sounds like you are having fun - love jojo
"Only to realize when I arrive that I will be removing my shoes at the front door, and they will stay off the entire time."
This is a terrific reason to have very regular pedicures!
Ton: You may want to now post a note to all other cockroaches that this will happen to them, too, should they decide to cross your threshold.
- As I walked through the Pulau Tikus section of town, I noticed an unusual bird call coming from a small bushy tree. The leaves were so thick I couldn’t see the actual bird, so the tree seemed like a green furry speaker emanating funky chrips and trills – loud, low and rich in tone....
Great short story or chapter starter!! ;-)
Miss ya!
Kat
Here's a suggestion on killing cockroaches. Spray insecticide on the cockroach until it turns upside down. Then pour thick lethal liquid, drowning it to death. That way, you don’t have to spray huge amount of insecticide. :)
Ciao, A Penang local.
It is called a "wet market" because they wash the floors every morning. They are also called "wet market" in the Philippines, Guam and a few other places I have been.
There's one magic pen sell in the wet market that able to kill cockroaches when they cross over the line you draw with that magic pen. It Works very well and I keep using that to draw few lines outside of my house especially in raining season.
PAWS?! Roaches now have Paws?! Yikes! They must be ginormous over there... :)
I experienced a similar cockroach-killing mania back in NYC, but clearly a second to Ton's passionate approach ... now I know his worst nightmare is probably something Kafka-esque ...
You can sing Soybean Milk Maker to the tune of Gold Digger -- it actually works pretty well. I'm loving the posts, but I hope your downstairs neighbors are not reading them, I don't think they'd appreciate Ton's cavalier attitude.
xxoo
Karen
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