Oh man...where did the last 6 months go?

I'm sorry. I really am. I knew I was due for a new blog post, but am quite past my deadline. Not cut out for "on time" type work (hopefully my manager doesn't read this post). Or maybe I've been too busy with work to slack off and write a blog (now he can read it).

Well, as you have kept on living the last 6 months, I too have kept on keepin' on. For starters, I am back in Thailand. AH! I never told you I was here in the first place! I came to Thailand for about 3 weeks in February and then returned to Malaysia for the next 4 months. Now, I have joined the team here and should be here for awhile.

Awhile = more than 1 month, less than 1 year

My assignment in Malaysia was to be 3-4 months and turned out to be around 9 months. Both the planned duration and actual time fit into this definition of "awhile" so I will stick to this assumption on the length of my future assignments. Hopefully it won't be too long since I have not returned to the USA since my 25th birthday (just over 9 months ago). Awhile isn't all bad...especially when you have balcony views like this:

My wonderful girlfriend visited for a few weeks in January and it turned out to be the highlight of my time abroad. We visited Cambodia, ate ants, saw floating and stilted houses, climbed on temples about a thousand years old (Angkor near Siem Riep), taught English to Cambodian kids (after we ate ants with them) and just had a grand ol' time. She's beautiful inside and out so our time together is very much cherished...especially while I'm working abroad.

Oh, and I bought a camera. My previous camera was really high tech...for the 90s. That means I can post my pictures to this blog as well. Here are some more good shots from the last couple of months:

• A view from the beach near the Hyatt in Kuantan, Malaysia

• Dusk from the Regency Club lounge at the Hyatt (my favorite picture I have taken thus far)

• A small island off of Tioman Island. We went snorkeling here.
  

• Buddha...in Sepia

• The Petronas Twin Towers at dusk from Traders hotel in Kuala Lumpur

Ok, I promise to write more. Once a week? Oooo don't know bout that. Maybe one every two weeks? I'll try my best. I haven't taken many pictures of Thailand yet, so once I get a nice collection going I'll be sure to post them. A friendly reminder here and there would be good to keep me on task. Until then, keep on keepin' on.

Cock Fight

"Why are those roosters in those wicker baskets?"
"They are for cock fighting..."

These words were said by the driver minutes before we pulled up to a Balinese Hindu Temple...not knowing what we were in store for. We needed to put on sarongs in order to enter the temple. The temple was beautifully decorated and made from volcanic rock. As we went further into the outdoor temple grounds we found a group of people gathering. It looked to be some sort of ceremony. I slowly approached an took this video:

It was a cock fight. Two aggressive rosters with blades on their feet were released at one another with money on the line...and a lot of it. There are two different words said in the video above, one meaning "I'll bet on this rooster" and the other meaning "I'll take that bet". At the end of the above video you can hear the chant change from the first to the second word.

The chanting stops and everyone in the crowd moves in to get as close to the action with about becoming a part of it. My eyes only saw the reaction of the crowd, but I did stick my arm up as far as I could to get over the hoards of people. This video truly shows the emotions of the gamblers with some breaks in the crowd where you can see the cock fight.

The loser was carried off in dismay by its owner and the winner...

To Kuala Lumpur

Well, I finally made it to KL (Kuala Lumpur) for the weekend. One thing I found out was that reindeer are male...and have testicles. All of the reindeer in the Pavilion Mall are shown with their man parts...every single one of them. The first video bares the story.

The other thing about KL is you have to represent your people. This guy was not a good spokesman for white people in general. This video was taken while the band was playing a very impressive drum solo. I think I saw this same guy at a Grateful Dead concert in the 70s.

This one gave me goosebumps. The legend I and many other young guitar players of all ages grew up worshiping was Jimi Hendrix. At the Kuala Lumpur Hard Rock, they had a ratty old Jimi Hendrix coat that looked like something you could pick up at a thrift store for 10 bucks. Regardless, I knew that my idol had worn this garment and all around me I could only here Voodoo Chile and all I could see was a burning guitar on stage with Jimi wearing this coat. OK, I was slightly intoxicated at the time.

Asia has not let me down in regards to surprises. We were walking around town and saw a sign that said "Fish Spa 38 ringgit for 20min" (38 Malaysian ringgit is about $12). I asked my friends they told me about this unique foot treatment. Immediately I decide that I had to try this out. The next day Coworker, Chinese Hair Dresser (my new close friend from Malaysia) and I decided to stop by the fish spa. Hundreds of small fish feast on the dead skin of your feet. The only hard part is getting over the laughing fit you will be in for the first 5 minutes or so. Very bizarre...but surprisingly enjoyable!