Bangkok, Malaysia and Island Hopping

Bangkok is a bustling big city. Rapid transit was fairly easy to figure out, baring knowing north, south, east and west. Oh well, we saw more of the city than was planned! Given we were in Bangkok less than 48 hours and getting lost more times than digits on one hand, didn't establish a rock solid faith for Glenn. Hallas, cabs were cheap, so what if we only went two blocks!

buying chicken on a stick!

Our hotel, the Bangkok Loft Inn, was very comfortable and not in a tourist area. Our walking adventures were interesting, very little English was spoken and several wrong turns were made given all the hand gestures. Lunch was purchasing giant BBQ chicken wing on a stick, a bag of sticky rice and 4 steaming hot spring rolls with delicious sauce given to us in a small plastic bag. It seems many people eat and walk there. For supper, sharing an outside street table with a local over a bowl of chicken and egg noodles seemed to be the norm. By the time we finally found the night market, Glenn was not interested in more adventure!

simple and effective ferry to Koh Lanta

ferry landing - a little different than BC Ferries!

we are not in Saudi now honey - yummers sweet & sour . . . .

Koh Lanta, and island southwest of Bangkok, was quiet and relaxing. The Moonlight Resort and Spa was mid Island, away from the crowded beaches, was serene and quaint. Each guest had their own little stilted cabin. Ours was right on the river which proved to be a very interesting ecosystem. Various fish, mud skippers, frogs, birds, BIG lizards, small lizards, geckos, honey bugs and no snakes!

Having dinner on the beach, we saw the biggest beetle we had ever seen. The kitten wanted to play and the beetle actually hissed at it!

grinning like the Chestier Cat but not batting the big bug!

Moonlight Resort and Spa - Ahhhhhh  . . . . . . .

Driving on Koh Lanta was interesting. Left hand side, passing wherever they want, scooters, tuk tuks, dogs, cows, big trucks, vans, buses, motorcycles and pedal bikes. We did get brave and rent a scooter for two days. Stupid or daring, we even drove at night! Motorcycle Man, aka Glenn, skilfully manoeuvred around one darting dog and one local who was coming straight for us in our lane. Whew!

Old Lanta Town, built on stilts. This was the port for trade in years gone past.

Our kayaking trip through the Mangrove forest was one of a kind.  It was really hot and sunny and the inlets of forest were thick, with roots interwoven like multiple fingers gnarled together. It was lush and green. Signs were posted - no cutting! Stopping at "Monkey Point" was scary and overwhelming! Our guide told us monkeys love people with bananas. Boy do they ever! Paddling up to the site, the monkeys started chattering and jumping from tree to tree. Our guide threw a piece of banana into the water and the action was fast and furious. They literally dove from the high branches of the trees, swam to the boat and jumped aboard. I wish I had been more prepared to get it on video. I think we were lucky not to capsize! It was fun but a bit overpowering too. With wet monkeys jumping all over us, Glenn claims I screamed too much and scared the crap out of one. Poor guy, he needed to clean the "outhouse".

Come aboard, enjoy the banana and the ride too!

Although our days in Thailand were few, we enjoyed the variety of the spicy delicious food and the friendly and helpful people. The Thai massage was a retreat from the tropical rainstorm,  intense, and similar to the massages in Indonesian.

Next we travelled to the northwest island of Langkawi, Malaysia. This is a quiet resort island with tourist sites and activities. We rode up the mountain in a cable car but it was so cloudy we didn't get a clear view of the surrounding islands. Langkawi is one of 99 islands in the area. Local folklore has it that Langkawi derived its name from the eagle or 'helang' as it is know in the Malay language. The story goes an eagle flew over, dropped the piece of limestone it was carrying and the island was formed. We hiked up to the seven falls, a natural waterside made from the rocks and water, tickled our toes in the black sand and Cheryl went on an Island Hopping trip. The motor boat stopped at Pregnant Maiden Lake, the eagle feeding area and a snorkeling spot with beautiful white beaches.

tropical jungle, riding the cable car up the mountain

black sand beach - north end of Langkawi Island

start of the MAJOR hike up to the 7 Wells - looking strong

thankful for the benches and little houses for resting periods - We think we can, we think we can . . .

7 Wells - brave people waterslide down through the wells.

long beautiful sandy beaches on Langkawi

Thunder and lightning storms brought short bursts of warm tropical rain. Fortunately, we were not caught in any of these downpours. The resident frogs in our motel bathroom obviously didn't like too much water either and surfaced each time we showered!

morning shopping in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur was not so crowded

Staying in the heart of Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur was a highlight of our trip. Noisy, hustling, bustling vendors and hawkers were friendly, fun, and tried every trick they had to lure us into their rickety mobile store or restaurant. Knock offs of every kind were available for "very cheap". We ate mystery and delicious foods, strolled through the tranquil bird sanctuary, shopped, walked, and appreciated the history of Chinatown. We knew we were the minority when we were the only Caucasians in the subway car. The lone rooster which crowed when the doors closed probably felt the same way!  We really could not look at each other without bursting into fits of laughter.

simply stunning

never can resist a photo op of cute school kids - little ones in the bird sanctuary

Too much fun - foot fishing!

Our trip to the Far East offered us another adventure of fun, new attitudes and memories to store away.

Canadian Summer 2011

Stunning glacier in Courtenay BC Vancouver Island

When I watched the sun set over the spectacular horizontal glacier in the Comox Valley, it symbolized my Canadian summer was coming to a close. That in itself made my heart bleed. As I reflected on the wonderful places and people we visited it makes leaving our beautiful Canada endurable.We appreciated stand up visits in stores or on the street, dinners, walks, boat rides, lunches and shopping excursions too. We are so grateful and thankful to each person or family who offered us a bed (17 in total this summer) as we racked up over 4200km.

This much we know is true. Canada is a spectacular country; complete with beauty people and specacular landscape too.

Todd, Glenn and Trucker

Inner Harbour - Victoria BC

Save her Bob! Transformation on the Shore - Campbell River

Sandra and Normie in Langley

long straight uncrowded roads - Hwy to Kelowna

hiking high above Okanagan Lake in Kelowna

fellow hikers - Cousin Charlene, Jeanette, Glenn and Robair

Chillin' under the cherry tree - Nai'a & Glenn, Vernon BC

at Wilson & Viv's on Okanagan Lake - Vernon BC

Best B & B - Kicking Horse Ranch - Liz and Russ - Clearwater BC

Edmonton Alberta with precious people!

Jakob (Arab boy) and Steve

Baby Micah and Mommy Katie

Kyle and Papa

   

Happy Engaged Couple!

Taste of Edmonton - so many choices! Nan bread and Indian chicken with some of my fav peeps

Central B.C. - Greeen Lake at the Hughe's cottage

family of goats on Hwy 16 stop all traffic in Jasper Park

Duffy Lake Road

Sea to Sky Highway - how I miss you my majestical mountains!

Just outside the Nanimo Harbour Vancouver Island 

Vancouver Island family and friends

Kye Bay, Comox Valley

Trevor and Val - Kye Bay, Comox Valley

Toresa and Terry - thank you for the lovely anniversary dinner.

Gio, Glenn, Keri, Diane another yummy dinner and fun time too.

Val and Rick still smilin'

lunch with dearest Lori

Karen D.

A windy summer day with Cathrine in Deep Bay.

Pratt cottage on Horn Lake. Thank you Oopie and Laurie for a most marvelous day!

Ever seen a stop sign in the middle of a lake?? LOL Heavy boating traffic on Horn Lake.

Family BBQ complete with IPad presentation! Thanks Chris and everyone for a great way to end our summer!

Well Now, That's Different!

While we have only been away for just under one year, coming back to Canada is exciting and gives us a huge sense of appreciation for our beautiful country, organized systems, and easy of travel.  Adjusting to Canada in early July was effortless compared to adjusting to our new life and lifestyle in Jeddah last fall. The familiarity of our hometown and beyond made our jetlag practically non-existent.

day lilies in Mom's Langley garden

English our recognizable and common spoken language, contributes to easy conversations. Not understanding another’s language has its advantages though. When we can’t understand the words, it doesn’t take up any headspace because we have no opinions or lingering mind thoughts. Reading body language is our only clue to a foreign exchange.  We enjoyed chatting and understood every word when sharing travel stories with a friendly policeman at the ferry line-up as we made our way to Port Angeles. Asking for directions and returning items to a store has also given us a sense of clarity and ease. Not once have we heard “Enshalla” when we required service from businesses, clerks, or when we booked hotel rooms. Regardless, we have been very lazy language learners in Jeddah. English is prevalent and spoken with a cute accent.

In total contrast from the common language we participate in and hear, our eyes continued to be stimulated by the individuality of each person’s dress. In Saudi Arabia, all Muslim women wear black abayas always with a head covering and often with a face covering too. The men wear a long white thobe with a head covering too. The mens’ headgear is to keep the scorching sun from burning their neck; the women cover to hide their beauty from others. In Canada we see a kaleidoscope of colour, bare knees and arms, rump hugging pants, accessories, ball caps, jeans of every variety and hairstyles of every kind. Now that’s different! No wonder it is so much fun to watch people in Canada.




Chinatown Victoria BC



Visiting Todd in Victoria gave us time to be tourists in our own country. We gagged as we were in the vicinity of some dope smokin’ dudes in downtown Victoria. We have smelled weed wafting out onto the street on various walks in Campbell River as well as Victoria. This too is different! We saw some funky Canada Post mailboxes downtown Victoria. The mail service is interesting in Jeddah. As an Expat, all mail comes to your employer’s business address. In our case, it is then delivered to me at my work place. Often we get 4 or 5 letters all in one day; all stapled together. Personal pieces of mail are a special treat for us. In Victoria and on the route to Seattle, emergency vehicles are respected. All other vehicles pull right and stop. The drivers in Saudi do not do this. When I first saw drivers ignore an emergency vehicle’s siren and lights it was very disturbing for me. Yellow fire trucks and other emergency vehicles are treated as all other vehicles, just louder and flashier. Victoria is a beautiful city but not without some hardships. There were so many panhandlers, bottle collectors and many people with various mental challenges. Seldom do we ever see anyone in a wheelchair in Jeddah. There are some ladies and children who beg at different intersections, however don’t sit on the sidewalk with a sign asking for food, money, or rides.

Shopping experiences are different too. In Jeddah after we have purchased something, and we go into a different store, we are asked to leave our bag in a secure area. No need for this security measure in Canada or the USA. Initially, we both felt uneasy as we packed out purchases from one store to another. In North America, women can try on clothes prior to purchasing them. For the most part, changing rooms in Jeddah do not exist. Women purchase their wares, take them home and if they don’t fit, return them to the store.

Globally, technology is prevalent. We are however, appreciating the up to date internet services; booking on line and researching information. This is difficult for us in Jeddah. To find a store, we jump in a cab, drive around looking for it, hope it is open and or not prayer time and finally with optimistic anticipation hope they have what we are looking for. This makes life very interesting and each outing an adventure! It is indeed one way to get to know Jeddah.



driving in Jeddah - lanes? not really!

 Speaking of driving, it is a privilege and treat to get behind the wheel again! Truth be told, I was a little nervous about driving when I first sat in the driver’s seat.  Thankfully, our many years of experience were individually and quickly resurrected as we cruised, parallel parked, merged, and make our way through many windy Tim Horton’s drive through windows! One other thought regarding streets in Canada which we find different is the road is the road. We are continually commenting on the spaciousness all around us. We recognized why this is so. Many businesses and stores provide mini parking lots for customers to park in. In Jeddah, the drivers sometimes park two deep while shopping in the store. Given there are few or very narrow sidewalks, the storefront and parked cars create a congested roadway. 

I am sure all those that have travelled can conjure up various bathroom stories. The stories might range from deluxe bathrooms to horror stories. Bathrooms are one other distinguishable difference for us. Bathrooms in North America provide dry floor space and not only one roll, but usually industrial sized rolls of toilet paper. Because of cultural differences, bathrooms in the Middle East have sprayers which always produce wet floors. This fact makes women hike up their abaya prior to entering too far into the washroom. All North American women quickly learn to pack their own tissue paper when visiting washrooms in the Middle East.

Do you have a pet?  We have missed Trucker and Remmie this past year.We have enjoyed stopping to pet the pups and loved visiting with Trucker at Todd’s. We have also enjoyed the big dogs and little dogs to when we visited others on our road trip. There are very few dogs in the Middle East. The cat story is different. There are cats abound. They are feral garbage cats, often diseased and found everywhere in the city.

Although there are many things for us to think about and appreciate while in Canada this summer, the hugs and visits with our family and friends is at the top of our list. That has not changed. No difference there!

Graduation – Little and Big

Working and playing with English language learners this past year has made me a better listener, concept thinker and most certainly improved my clarifying skills. I have also found some common words which Arab people consistently use. Big means older, little means younger.

Given the entertainment is limited here in Saudi Arabia and there is no mixing of genders (even extended families), parties and shopping are the preferred leisure activities. The summer months for women mean party time. Starting at the end of May and running until after Eid at the end of August, there will be ongoing gatherings (women only), dancing (women only) and many tasty dishes to consume. I had the privilege to attend three private parties in June; one ‘big’ graduation, one ‘little’ graduation and one private family and friends gathering. I probably should include our own AGS Graduation here too.

ASG Kindergarten Graduation party

Merfit’s daughter graduated from high school and Majoleen graduated from Kindergarten! Both functions were filled with fun times and opportunities for me to appreciate and learn more about the Arab culture and in particular, the ways of Saudi women. I had never witnessed ‘dressed and done up’ until I was surrounded by hundreds of Arab women. With their makeup and hair professional sculpted and their designer gowns flowing, one could easily call both functions classy events!

It is common that whomever the party is for, there are door sized portraits, (yes more than one), which honour the bride or graduate. There are several life sized photos at the entrance to the ballroom and at least two more on the stage where the princess stands or sits. The entrance to the party has snacks, gum, mints, cascading flower arrangements, cookies and usually a guest book.

pretty little Majoleen in her first dress of the evening, surrounded by dolls, delicate eats and special portrait

The family who is hosting the party (mother, sisters, and grandmothers) sit just inside the entrance and greet you with several kisses (one on one cheek, three on the other), while simultaneously chatting and giving hugs.

The ballroom itself is beautifully decorated. Chairs are covered with colour co-ordinated pretty chiffon bows, chandeliers glisten, tables are stocked with more food (layers of savoury and sweet, carafes of Arabic coffee and regular black tea), and creative table centerpieces. There are different dainty glass cups to drink Arabic coffee from and mini glass tea cups and saucers for the tea.



present petite princesses (three lovelies from AGS KG3)



The evening party doesn’t really start until midnight or one. It is common for women to sleep in the early evening, get up at midnight and then go the party! Hallas, for those that come earlier, there is plenty of entertainment. The party usually has live singers, (not a band but a male DJ who plays the sound track, in a different room of course), ongoing snacks, gifts, dancing and plenty of laughs. Of course the buffet ends the evening and is offered at about 3:00 a.m.!  It is served in a separate room. Who needs food at that time of night, especially after all the eating - all night long?



One of two graduation cakes at Merfit's daughter's party. Although edible, no one eats it, just pretty to look at.



The actual ‘entrance or honouring the distinguished guest’ is quite an interesting and lengthy affair. Along with filming live and displaying it on the big screen, rose petals are thrown, and drumming persists along with the ear piercing high shrill the women make.

At the little graduation, Majoleen’s father and big brothers (4) came to honour her. This of course meant all the gowns and hair dos were covered prior to their entrance. Once the family made their way to the stage, it appears it is proper protocol for dad to kiss Grandma first, and then kiss the oldest son to youngest son. Majoleen and finally mom finished dad’s kissing greeting. Following dad, older brother did the same, followed by his younger brother and so on. Mom finished the family greeting. Given the Arab greeting requires at least three kisses, this took a long time.

After the family’s public display of affection, Majoleen cut her 4 tiered Graduation cake. She then fed each member of her family one bite each. Same order, beginning with dad and finishing with mom!

Finally, the family did a public dance on the walkway and stage. I could tell the brothers weren’t entirely comfortable with dancing on an elevated platform in front of so many women. Can’t say I would be comfortable either! Guests clapped and cheered through the entire festivities.

The parties I have attended are so much fun; however, one hour of sleep prior to work makes focusing on work challenging! Regardless, I felt very privileged to attend both big and small graduation parties. Aside from that, I have never been able to resist dressing up and enjoying a party!