So I’m back in Vegas now. And I finally got around to posting up the Malaysia pictures. Since my free Flickr account is almost maxed out, I ended up just throwing them all on Facebook, which I (used to) hardly ever visit. While I was on Facebook, I also got around to adding the rest of my cousins and some of my old high school classmates.

And now I can’t stop going back on that godforsaken site.

It’s been so bad that I haven’t really even felt like updating this blog. It’s not like I’m even posting any kind of updates there, either though. But anyway… here are just a couple of photos:

This is an old photo I found in my Uncle’s house. Back in the early 80’s, my uncle came to visit us in Hawaii. That’s him in the photo, with me and my sister. I’m the one with no pants on. Playa from day one!

That’s a group shot with a bunch of my cousins and uncles and aunts after a celebration lunch for my cousin’s wedding. My brother’s in the red, throwing the shocker. So juvenile!

Evan and I at the Petronas Towers Skybridge. My Uncle and Aunt took us there before 9am to get tickets, and the earliest visit we could get wasn’t until 5:30pm!

Petronas Towers

Dude, this is THE very bike that I learned how to ride on at my cousin’s house over 15 years ago! I was surprised they still had that thing lying around! Still looks good, too! (well, kinda).

Wanna see more? Here’s Part 1 and Here’s Part 2.

Badasia time: Sat 6/27, 12:15am

After an awesome five weeks, it comes to an end.

We fly out in about 14 hours. It’d midnight here and I’m debating on whether or not I should stay up so that I can pass out in the plane through the first leg of our flight back home.

These past five weeks have been an eye opening experience. Like I mentioned before, the last time I was here was the summer of 1999. A lot has changed since then. More importantly, a lot has changed with me.

This time around, I’ve been able to look at things with a new appreciation (that goes beyond being able to put durian in my mouth for the first time in over 15 years). I’ve felt a deeper connection to my family here than in any previous visits. I learned a little more about my dad from different peoples’ stories of him.

Over dinner one night in Singapore, I also listened to my uncle’s stories about some place in China called Eng Choon, where both my parents’ families were originally from. As he told these stories, I saw his face light up with pride, like someone rooting for their home town’s team.

I’ve been here maybe a dozen times throughout my life, but I think this is the first time I’m sad to be going back home.

Badasia time: Thurs 6/25 9:47am

My aunt took us up to Genting Highlands for an overnight stay on Tuesday. The last time I was there was maybe 20 years ago, and a lot’s changed. It was the first time I could go into the casino, too. After living in Vegas though, the casino was a little anticlimactic. That, and they had some idiot rule where you could only sign up for a casino card with either a passport or an “Identity Card”, which I guess excludes an American drivers license. That pretty much killed tha fevah for me and I decided to just save my money for Vegas. (USA! USA!)

The place was nice, though. A lot’s changed around there. Again, I took a bunch of pictures but I’m too lazy to post them up. I’ll try putting them all up when I get back home.

We’re back in KL now at my uncle’s place. Yesterday, uncle took us to to this massage place that he goes to for foot reflexology. I got a body massage, though, administered by a plump little lady from China with really strong fingers. When I got home I had to check the mirror to see if she left any bruises. My back still hurts, but it’s the good kind of hurt.

So we’ve got two more days here. We’re just taking it easy today, and maybe going out tomorrow. I just helped my mom with the laundry, which means that I helped her sort out which clothes to give to the maid to wash. This place is crazyland!

Badasia time: Fri 6/19. 1:03pm

We’re still in Kuala Lumpur. The other day, my uncle dropped us off at a shopping center called the Sunway Pyramid, which looks like a smaller brown ripoff of the Luxor hotel back in Vegas (which, of course, is smaller black ripoff of the actual pyramid and sphynx in Egypt).

I saw it the last time I was here in Malaysia, but that was ten years ago, and I had only vague memories to go on. Since then, they’ve expanded and renovated the place. The place was huge. Evan and I stopped at a few of the restaurants in the mall for a few afternoon Tiger Beers. I also had some really awesome Japanese-style spaghetti. It was Pietros stuff, but with L&L prices. I had something called Onsen Tamago spaghetti, or something like that. I didn’t get a picture of it because I ate it too quickly. It was really good stuff, and ran less than $4US.

It’s ironic - some of the best spaghetti dishes I’ve had were all in Asia. The garlicky bacon in Taiwan runs a close second. Man after all the wok-fried stuff we’ve been eating here, this stuff’s what I’m talking about.

As the day went on, I got tired of shopping and wandered around random restaurants asking them how much their beer was. I wound up at this korean restaurant that sold Tiger for RM10 (about $2.50). One of the girls working there heard me speaking American and asked me where I was from. She didn’t understand the way I said “Hawaii” until I showed her my ID (they pronounce it “how-aye” like people in the mainland).

I talked with her for a while and found out she just returned to badasia after living in the UK for about five years. She said she came back because her parents were starting to get old, and took the job at the restaurant as a temporary thing while looking for more serious work.

I could have been imagining, but she looked kind of sad to be back in Malaysia. It’s ironic because a part of me is really wanting to just pack up everything and just move here, Shanghai Kiss style. I guess the grass is always greener.

Damn wtf it just started raining here. When it rains here, it’s no joke. It rained a few weeks ago when we were in Singapore and the thunder was louder than a Kalihi moped. I could have sworn I heard it strike something, too.

Anyway, tonight we’re going to see my aunt and uncle on my dad’s side. It turns out we haven’t really seen as much of my dad’s family as I thought we would have. I’m still not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Badasia time: Wed 6/17. 9:49am

After about four days in Singapore, we got back to Malaysia on Sunday night. We’re staying at another uncle’s place in Kuala Lumpur now (Oh yeah, I have a whole lot of uncles and aunts here; my mom’s from a family of 13 kids who all took different paths in life, and most are still here in Malaysia).

My uncle here is really cool guy. The dude went to college in Arizona and grew his hair really long and probably partied every single night. He has some crazy stories. When he came back to Malaysia, he grew up, got responsible, got married, and has a great family with three kids and a maid who can cook awesome curry.

He also has an internet connection.

Anyway, Singapore was interesting. We stayed with our mom most of the time helping her get stuff done, but there was one night when Evan and I went out to somewhere called Boat Quay, where my cousin told us there were a bunch of pubs. There, we wandered around and drank at random places until we winded up at this pub full of local Singaporeans and Karaoke.

Their english song selection was pretty limited. They didn’t have Eve6 or Poison, but we managed to find some Journey and Bon Jovi (good songs, but way too hard to sing, so I usually never do). Evan and I sang and made complete [American] assholes of ourselves. It was good times.

I think I like going out at night in Asia more - somehow it just seems different. I had the same feeling when we went out in Hong Kong and Taiwan. I think it’s because people get less rowdy, and seem a lot nicer (I guess it helps that we look just like them here though). While we were at that Karaoke place, some random drunk girl ran up to me and made me switch drinks with her (give me back my beer, bitch!). Later on, the manager of the place also came to talk with us. When we told him we were heading to KL next, he told us was from there and wrote down a bunch of things for us to check out.

Oh yeah, and later in the night he gave us free drinks. (then again he probably overcharged us for our first few rounds when he heard me speaking American).

Oh yeah part 2, he also gave me his phone number. Hey guys! I got a phone number!

Anyway, Singapore was fun. On our last night there, we went with our mom to the Night Safari, which cost upwards of $20US, but was really cool because you could sit on a tram and watch nocturnal animals out and about.

But anyway. Like I said, we’re back in Malaysia now, in Kuala Lumpur. My uncle took us to this Japanese buffet for dinner last night and I ate a bunch of a sashimi and about 15 oysters. In typical ‘the-fongs-have-no-luck’ fashion, I took a gamble and lost. I started paying for those oysters about an hour after we got home. I hit the crapper about four times last night and the only reason I haven’t gone today is because my stomach’s got nothing left to give. It was worth it, though! (okay maybe it wasn’t worth it).

**8:32am, Wed. 6/10

We’re leaving for Singapore in a few hours. It’s been a lot of fun here in Ipoh, and my uncle, aunt, and cousins have been great hosts. I’m still a little shocked by how much food we’ve been eating. Evan says that he’s gotten pretty fat, and I think I’ve gained a few pounds myself.

I’m going to miss this place. The last time I was in Malaysia was 10 years ago, but I think it’s been 15 since I was in Ipoh. Singapore should be interesting. I think it’s been about 15 years since I was there, too.

Badasia time: Sat. 6/6 9:13am

We’re in the city of Ipoh, in the state of Perak now. We actually got here a few days ago. We’re staying with our uncle who lives here and he’s been showing us around and taking us to eat nonstop ever since. I told my cousins the other day that my body’s forgotten the feeling of hunger. I don’t think I’ve felt hungry once in this country so far.

My cousin said it’s because there’s not much to do here so people just tend to eat a whole lot more often. I can believe it. We’ve gone to food stalls at 3pm and the places are just as full as they’d be at noon. A lot of them also run 24 hours and don’t charge ridiculous Zippy’s-like prices (you can get a small plate/bowl of noodles for about one US Dollar).

The food here’s good and really oily, and somehow, everyone here seems really skinny. It’s a total paradigm shift for me when I’m walking around the mall and the only person bigger than me is my younger brother. Whaddup with that?!

Since my last journal entry, we stayed in Kelantan for a few more days and watched one of my younger cousins get married. I remember when that guy was a little kid, but now he’s in his mid 20’s. He’s gone to school in the dirty South (Tennessee), worked in China, and is going to (of all places) Kansas to work. He married this girl he knew all the way back from intermediate school, which I thought was really nice.

What also would have been nice is if I could remember the damn wedding. I’ve got some crazy relatives who drink like fiends and I got wasted off Merlot. Someone was nice enough to get us a room at the hotel and Evan had to carry me up. Good times (ie: not good times).

So anyway, like I said, we’re got over to the state of Perak and are staying with my uncle in the city of Ipoh. My uncle lives in this castle with marble-everything, a red pool table, ceiling mounted AC units in every room and LCD tv’s sprinkled throughout the three stories of this place. His closet and bathroom are about as big as our entire apartment back in Vegas and he’s got a wall mounted TV that he watches soccer on while he’s sitting on the crapper. That is the BALLINEST SHIT EVER!!!!

Uncle’s really low key, though. He told us he still goes to Malay food stalls for breakfast, takes his food to the corner and sits there by himself and eats with his hands. My mom told me this one time, a lady came up to him and asked why he wasn’t driving today (she thought he was a cab driver). He told her he was on break. I guess that’s what he does when he’s not firing people and making-and-breaking the dreams of his trembling minions.

Anyway, we’re going to be here a few more days, and I think we’re hitting Singapore next. I have lots of pictures and I’ll try to put them up soon.

badasia time: 5/28 3:15pm

We’re in Kelantan now. Kelantan’s one of the ‘more-Muslim’ states in Malaysia, which means no pubs anywhere, and way more covered women.

We were in my dad’s hometown a few days ago and just got to my mom’s hometown last night. My mom’s hometown is a small village surrounded by jungle. We’re staying at her brother’s house now, but they don’t have internet there because copper thieves made off with their telephone/dsl lines a few weeks ago. I’m at another uncle’s house right now to post this entry.

Not much changes around here, even after ten years. My baby cousins are ten years older now and my uncle stopped fishing and carries a shotgun around now. When he took us out to breakfast this morning, he left it in the backseat of the car next to his ammo belt. Pimp move!

I’ll try to take some pictures soon. I’m a bit hesitant to whip the camera out because I get this vibe that we’d get robbed if that ever happened.

I’ve also got this irrational fear of being destroyed by a cobra while I’m here. I was scared of it back in Honolulu, and now that we’re here I’m even more paranoid about it. Before I went to use the bathroom this morning, I spent nearly half a minute peering in and making sure it was clear first. They found a cobra in the bathroom in the past but I think it was only one time, and a long time ago. I’m still scared though. COBRAAA!!!

badasia time: 5/25, 12:20pm

On Saturday (crap that reminds me; I need to re-set the time stamps on wordpress to reflect our timezone), Uncle Mike dropped Evan and me off at a touristy area near the Eastern Oriental hotel. We spent the next few hours wandering the pubs and discos (or, ‘bars and clubs’, in Americanese) drinking gin/tonics and Tiger Beer (that stuff’s 5% here!)

We also talked to wahtever random white people we happened across to find out if there was anything else to do (there wasn’t). They’re mostly Australians and Europeans, though I did run across a group of Canadian exchange students on vacation from Kuala Lumpur (who were less than thrilled that the girls’ bathroom didn’t have any soap), and one guy from Arizona who was here on business. I told Arizona that it was good to finally run into another American. We shared a brief ‘God-Bless-the-USA’ moment before I lost interest and walked off.

Anyway, we’re leaving Penang in a few hours and will be heading southeast to the state of Kelantan, where my parents are from. We’re going to a medium sized town called Kota Bharu, where my dad was born and staying with one of my mom’s sisters. One of her daughters is actually studying here in Penang now and came out yesterday to meet us. When I asked my cousin what there is to do in KB, she said there’s very little. It’s going to be good times.

Note: I was having some trouble logging into my Wordpress account earlier today. I don’t know if they filter sites around here, but I’ll try to keep posting whenever I can.

We made it. We’ve arrived in Badasia (that’s what Evan and I call it - ‘mal’ means ‘bad’, you see). We took a series of flights over to get here. It was something like 8 or 9 hours to Japan, a half-hour stopover, 4 hours to Taiwan, an overnight stopover, and then 4 more to Malaysia.

We’re staying at my aunt’s place in a city/island on the Northwest called Penang. It’s been ten years since I’ve last been to this country, and even longer since I’ve been in Penang. It’s still hot like I remember it, though. It was a shock actually, coming straight from Vegas’ dry heat (10% humidity there vs. 89% here).

We’ve done a little sight seeing here and there. I don’t have too many pictures yet, though. But here are a couple of the ones I do have:

Evan and I checked out one of those ‘doctor fish’ spas yesterday. I remember seeing them on Bourdain when he visited Shanghai or something. You stick your feet in a pool of water and get your toes sucked on:

Sorry the picture’s kind of grainy. They had a big ‘no cameras’ sign posted up so I had to sneak that one through. Anyway it cost about 6 bucks (USD) to sit there for half an hour. There were about 20 seats but Evan and I were the only ones there. We giggled like little girls the entire half hour while passerby gave us funny looks. They were probably just jealous.

After it was done my feet felt amazing!! Nah not really - they pretty much felt the same as they did before. I’d still do it again though. After we were done there, we walked around and saw another place that had it for cheaper AND the fish were twice as big. FAIL!!

Besides that, we’ve eaten a lot of different foods and gone to a few shopping centers. I just picked up a local prepaid sim card earlier today and we got our phones unlocked (thanks for the tip, Andrew).

We’re in Penang a few more days, and then driving down to the state of Kelantan, where my parents are from, and where my cousin’s getting married later this month. I still remember him as a little kid. Like I said, it’s been ten years since I’ve been here. While a lot has changed, I’ve noticed that a lot is still the same.

Like rats. Because they use an open drainage system here, these guys are all over the place. And they’re still as hard core as ever -check this guy out; we found him just sunbathing on the side of the road!

Dude didn’t even care that we stopped to take a picture of him. STRAIGHT THUG!!

Anyway, I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to post, but check back periodically. I hope everyone’s doing good back home.