Wizard of Malaysia

If I were Dorothy, granted I'd look cuter in those red shoes, my yellow brick road would begin in Malaysia, grace Cambodia and end in China. All the while trying not to click my heels in fit of a culture shock. I realized that I wasn’t in Kansas anymore, but Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was nothing I imagined the city to be. The streets were filled with the same quick-paced pedestrians, honking horns and random antics found in the Big Apple. Except Kuala Lumpur Sentral train system is more reliable. For just one ringgit, my mate and I traveled to the Matahari Lodge by Komuter train. Stands lined a nearby street flaunting rich colors of yarn, yummy local food and native music. And if that wasn’t enough for the senses, the stands led right to the Central Market.

I'd even ditch poor lil' ToTo for an elephant—I fell in love with the docile animal while bathing with them at the Elephant Sanctuary in Kuala Gandah. We had the opportunity to feed, ride and wash rescued elephants. Actually, I became acquainted with many animals during the day’s tour having fed sweet potatoes to deer, carrots to rabbits and Oreos to a honey bear at the Deer Sanctuary. In all, I learned that elephants love sugarcane juice and Oreos are not only America's favorite cookie! 

Speaking of animals, I had my bout with monkeys at the Batu Caves. As I climbed the 272 steps to see one of the largest Hindu shrines outside of India, they jumped around taunting tourists and stealing snacks right from their pockets! Then there were the penko fish. Despite being countless miles away from New York, we managed to run through (Berjaya) Times Square. The 7.5 million square foot building featured just about every kind of store you could think of, including the Fish Foot Spa. The penko fish nibbled away at my feet until they were as soft as a baby’s bottom! A really peculiar sensation, but an experience worth having no less.

The last of our journey was spent at the theme park…also inside Berjaya Times Square. Three days felt like so much more while exploring Kuala Lumpur, but the city is so full of adventure and culture. Enough to break out into song like the Munchkins! Check out some of the photos below—click to enlarge!

[Around the way.]

[Batu Caves x Naughty Monkeys.]

[Deer Park...and a whole lot more than deer.]

[Elephant Sanctuary.]

[Times Square x Penko Fish Foot Spa.]

Next stop, Cambodia. x

*This entry is dedicated to Bernie, Andrea and Jared—Thank you for your encouragement and support in continuing this blog.

When in Sydney...

...Actually, I don't know how I'd complete that phrase. When Kim and I first decided to go to Sydney, we had no idea it would be an adventure comparable to The Hangover. 

Thankfully, neither of us lost any teeth or fell victim to a drunken dead-end marriage, but it was pretty ridiculous! Even after the funny look our driver gave us after we told him we were staying in Kings Cross, we did not expect such...characters. And by characters, I mean the guy from O'Malley's (pictured below) who smacked a pint of Guinness into the female bartender's face because she refused to serve him anymore drinks; the Caucasian woman who cried in my ear about having been denied service because she's "a-colored"; the Ferris Wheel attendant who gave me incorrect change and proceeded to disrespect me (She later felt the wrath); the African man at the club who shared poems about the stars to profess his love for Kim and I; the the random guy who shouted "Negras" as we came out of the train station; the guy who asked if we ever rode the "coke train"; the visibly-high stripper who fell asleep on stage (lest we forget the other one who used fire in her set); and EVERY-SINGLE-PERSON who asked us if were from Africa despite a clear American disposition. I cannot make this up, I promise!

But on a more civilized note, Kim and I basked in the glory of Paddy's Markets and The Rocks. These are two of Sydney's most prized markets—the former is about the size of Madison Square Garden filled with stalls of competitively-priced clothes, shoes, jewelry, artwork, accessories, cosmetics, toys, and soaps whereas the latter was more a boutique selection with full-priced items. Can you guess where we had more fun? When we weren't shopping (or drinking), we ventured off by the triple decker train to walk Darling Harbour, stroll the Government House and the Royal Gardens, watch "Faustus" at the Sydney Opera House and stop by the Winter Carnival. Even after managing to do all of these activities and then-some, there was so much more that we could have seen. But above all else, I made sure Kim had a proper Ozzie experience with a meat pie.

[Pieface...]

[Kim pleased with Pieface =)]

Unlike most of my stays at hostels, I didn't have the opportunity to meet anyone new. The roommates that we did have left immediately because of the harsh conditions. It was ICE cold and all we had to sleep under was a skimpy blanket. I woke up sore from going numb in the night. Kim and I had a word with the owner the next day and were able to score a nice, fluffy blanket. I cannot help but wonder why this wasn't the blanket given upon arrival! If you see this name, beware!

[Don't say I didn't warn you.]

No less, it was something about Darling Harbour and the Opera House that made me fall in love with Sydney—and even considered a future in the city. I'll have to take this time to get over the characters I've encountered. In the meantime, enjoy these photos. Click to enlarge. 

xx

A Family Affair

Mum and I raised our chilled glasses of Sauvignon Blanc to Joi’s bottle of Coca-Cola. A toast, to pushing the limits. This was undoubtedly the mantra for our weekend getaway in Cairns. I haven’t quite figured out what is in the Ozzie air that forces visitors to live beyond their usual boundaries and fall in love with life all over again. But before I admit to my reoccurring addiction to adrenaline or share tales of Mum braving the ocean, let me begin with our travel nightmares.

Mum & Joi’s stay differed from the itinerary that I shared in The Countdown. Since my two favorite ladies were scheduled to fly into Sydney, we had planned to meet up in Cairns in what should have been two days later. I’ll get to that. Mum & Joi would then accompany me to the Gold Coast for two nights before returning to Sydney in time for their flight back to the States. It seemed all too simple; the airlines were destined to screw something up. Like Delta not allowing any standby passengers to board despite 51 available seats, delaying their arrival by one day and temporarily misplacing Mum’s bag; JetStar using international terminals for Domestic flights to Cairns, requiring a passport and rerouting all of my travel plans since I didn’t have mine on hand; and JetStar losing Mum’s bag, then taking an entire day to courier the bag.

I could imagine how your head is spinning from those trifling details, so I won’t keep you from the photos any longer. Images appear in order of our travels. You know the drill, click to enlarge. Enjoy!

[9,000 ft. Skydive, 1-minute that changed my life.]

Already searching for my next adrenaline rush!

[A stint at Cairns Central, a dash of poolside escapades]

and a stroll through the Esplanade Markets.

[Scenic drive up the coast to Port Douglas, conversing about]

ambition and life changes. Aren't we cute?

[Off to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef at the Quicksilver Marine Center,] 

90-minute boat ride to the middle of the Coral Sea. Stylin' in Lycra =).

*Mum, I'm so proud of you for snorkeling, that first peek was a doozy!

[No trip to Oz is complete without seeing Koalas and Roos,]

or precious time with the Adlers. One big, happy family!

[And here's the lovely Jadie, my Ozzie lil' sister, hugging 'Fluffy'.]

Mum bought her a Build-a-Bear, Joi kissed the heart before it was stuffed.

Cheers, let's drink.

Keep Calm & Thrift On

There aren't many things that can get me out of the bed at 7:30AM on a Sunday. Or any day for that matter. But having learned about The Village Markets (TVM) and the opportunity to support aspiring designers whilst thrifting, it was difficult to complain any further about the obnoxious hour.

TVM occurs the first Sunday of each month between 8am-1p at Burleigh Heads State School. Sneak previews and details on what shoppers may expect were shared via Facebook as well as their personal blog site. It was very clear that this was not an event to be overlooked. TVM hosted about 50 stalls ranging from established retailers and aspiring designers, to secondhand items and homemade crafts. My classmate and I must've circled the area thrice, making certain that we left no stone (or stall) unturned. Simply put...

[Check out TVM at http://thevillagemarketsgc.com.au/]

You wouldn't even have guessed that the main reason for our excursion was to collect images for our Sartorial assessment. But how many priorities would you have recalled after spotting the "$5 bin" overflowing with goodies? Today must've been my lucky day! I found a Bohemian patchwork gypsy skirt, a black crocheted monokini (just in time for my upcoming trip to Cairns), and a striped weekend dress. But my favorite thrift of all is undoubtedly this acoustic beaut!

[$30, Once used as a prop in a music video]

It was a lovely combination of designers, patterns, talents, and culture. I was in awe that something like this actually exists on the Gold Coast. I've been here about 9 months and was absolutely convinced that there was nary a fashion sense on the coast; No charm nor personality. Well, you know the saying. Never judge a book by its cover. And so I wandered throughout the venue, snapping moments of my first thrift experience. 

[TVM, we shall meet again next month!]