Well it has been a couple of days since I posted so I wanted to let you know I am still alive and kicking. It is still a little strange that I am in a completely different day here than you are most of the time. Honestly, I having more fun here than expected. I definitely miss the family and being home but I have made some new friends and seem like I have lot's to do. The last time I came I was sort of tied to a group all traveling together. This time I am on my own and before I left I thought that would be a disadvantage. Now I realize that I actually like it a little better. I can make my own schedule and go where I want to. After the first week I definitely moved out of vacation mode. I didn't really have a lot of responsibilities at work and everything was new and exciting. Now I am working all day add that to the 50 minute trip on the MRT and the days have been flying by. Not as much time to go out and site see but also not as much time to get lonely and bored.
I seem to have made a few friends. There are 2 animators here like I am from SF to teach. I really don't work with them much at home and I barely new them. Since I sit by them at work now and we are staying at the same hotel we have been having dinner and stuff together and it has helped a lot. They both have wives and family at home so we can relate on that level. They are fun guys to hang with and I feel like I made a few new friends.
There are also 2 guys from ILM that moved out here with a 2 year commitment. I know them pretty well and have been hanging out with them as well. They are awesome hosts. They are 2 single guys that like to get out and enjoy the nightlife. Between the 2 different groups I can keep things mixed up and the time is flying by.
Tomorrow if all goes well I am going to join the 2 animators on a trip to Malaysia with some folks that work here. Malaysia borders Singapore to the north and is really a short distance away. I guess there is a big bridge that connects the 2 countries call the causeway. Even though it is close the trip is supposed to take about 3 hours because it takes forever to get across the border. They take the border crossing seriously here because they have such strong laws against drug smuggling, illegal immigration and everything else. There are a few terrorist groups in Asia so they want the keep them in check. I have heard that they really check you out at the border. Everyone has to get out of the car and they search inside the car and the trunk for anything illegal. Another strange things it that you reguired to have 3/4 of a tank of gas to cross the border. I guess the gas is much cheaper in Malaysia and Singapore doesn't want people to cross over just to get gas. If you don't have 3/4 of a tank you can't cross. One of the animators has been here before and made the trip and he said it was fun to go to another country. Malaysia is supposed to be much poorer and less safe than Singapore. We are pretty happy we are going with some Malaysian people as our tour guides. Last time the went they had to travel to their families house in Malaysia and switch cars because for some reason there is a quite a ring of thieves that steal cars from Singapore. The place we are going is some sort of seafood restaraunt on the water. I understand they have all of the fish out on some docks in big tanks in the water and you can pick your dinner out. I am not quite sure what to expect but it seems like it will be fun to see what life is like in another country. I will be sure to take lots of pictures and post some here.
Tonight I am going to go out on the town with my single friends. We are going to go get some dinner together and then have a couple of beers afterwards. I only have a week left and all the sudden it seems like the time is flying by. I am sure I will be heading to the airport before you know it. I leave on Saturday night and get into SF on Saturday night so I get to find that day that I lost. I had a tough time with the jet lag last time so I suspect I will be wide awake at 2am again this time. I guess that is the price you pay for being a jet setter.;)
Anyway I took a couple of pictures of the skyline here right after the sunset from my hotel balcony. I will put them up so you have something pretty to look at. I hope everyone is doing well and I will post a wrap up of my Malaysian road trip after I get back.
2 comments:
Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I have been reading your blog. July is one of my busiest months at work so I've worked several hours of OT this week. I even worked on Saturday, which is something I usually only do during tax season. I started a new session of rowing this week too. When I row, I don't get home until 8:30 or so, so I don't have much day left to do anything.You can see pictures of me in the boat at www.rowsmoky.com.
I hope you have a great trip to Malaysia. I know Kelly travelled to some of the other countries when she was living over there.She even took a trip to Phnom Phen in Cambodia. I'm not sure I'd have the nerve to travel some place like that by myself. As she said, there's a fine line between adventurous and stupidity!!
I'm glad you found some people to go to dinner with, etc. That should make the remainder of your trip much more pleasant.I look forward to your future posts. Try to enjoy your last week over there!
Talk to you soon!
Love, Sis
Where are the pictures? I looked around on the website but couldn't quite figure it out. It looks beautiful out on the lake though.
I have been more than happy to go outside of the urban area's with someone else. I think I would feel a little uncomfortable traveling to a place I had never been by myself. Lots of people do it though so I guess as long as you practice a little common sense you can probably get by. Just about every place here you stick out like a sore thumb if you aren't Asian though so it is tough to blend into the crowd.
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