Toilet talk

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In a witty follow-on from the saturation coverage by the media of All Black Aaron Smith’s antics in a Christchurch airport toilet, the Travel Wires column in the New Zealand Herald‘s travel supplement (11 October 2016) was devoted to “toilet talks” – snippets about toilets at airports around New Zealand. What amused me most though was Allan’s comment on “the foul toilets at Kuala Lumpur airport – unclean, unacceptable, unusable”. If he thinks those toilets are bad, he should see some I’ve come across in my travels in Malaysia! Part of the problem is that people use hoses instead of toilet paper, which means that the floors are flooded with stinking water. These hoses are ubiquitous – we even have them in the bathrooms in our flat in Ipoh (see pic), not that we ever use them. I have, however, gone in after a visiting contractor has used the bathroom to be greeted by pools of water. When I’m cleaning it up, I have to think about something else in order not to dwell on the foulness of the task! Using public toilets in Malaysia requires a strong stomach or the ability to hold one’s breath for a long time.

Spring weather

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Auckland’s weather is famously changeable but never more so than in spring. I’ve just dashed out in pouring rain to grab the towels off the line when 10 minutes ago they were drying in bright sunshine. Yesterday I drove over the Bombays into the Waikato and marvelled at the spring green of the trees in the sunshine. Having arrived in Hamilton and sitting in a cafe drinking a coffee with friends (and very pleasant it was!) I looked out the window to see horizontal driving rain. But when I drove back the sun was shining again. I know “four seasons in one day” drives Aucklanders crazy especially when planning outdoor activities. I, however, am enjoying the weather – it is a welcome change from the relentless heat of the tropics.

Beach

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When you live on an island, you are never far from a beach. I took a walk along Bucklands beach (south eastern Auckland) the other day. It was overcast, calm and warm. It reminded me of all the reasons I love the beach – waves (very small ones created by the passing ferries and boats), sand, sounds and sky. I walked to the end and gazed for a while at Rangitoto (the volcano in the pic above). It was a serene interlude in an otherwise busy, somewhat stressful day and I felt the better for it.

Grey day in Auckland

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The clouds are low and the rain is dripping down in Auckland today. The weather matches our mood perfectly as we mourn the loss of our beloved uncle. He passed away peacefully yesterday and we are all very sad. However, he had a long, productive and happy life and we will be celebrating that this coming week. So grateful that we are in Auckland with our family and friends.

Perfect Penang day

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Last Wednesday was a public holiday in Malaysia (it was Merdeka (independence) day and we’ve now been here for three of these holidays!) so we decided to spend the day in Penang. We left Ipoh early and got to the China House cafe in George Town in time for morning tea. We wandered around the Armenian Street part of the old town before lunch at the quiet Cafe 55 in Lorong Stewart, where we enjoyed an interesting conversation with our Filipina waitress. By then the sun was high and we retreated to the cool of our lovely room at 23 Love Lane, a beautifully restored boutique hotel (http://www.23lovelane.com/). After a rest under the whirring ceiling fan, we walked along the waterfront and ended up at the Eastern & Oriental Hotel where we indulged in an early cocktail. A walk back to the hotel in the rain, detouring to explore some of the lanes in the area, gave us an appetite for some dinner, which we had at our favourite Italian restaurant Via Pre. After a good sleep and a quick breakfast, we were on the road south and back Ipoh in time for the day’s work.

A pile of books

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“I hate the thought of no printed books, magazines or newspapers and the way of life they evoke. Books on the bedside table …” wrote Janet Weir in The Listener (13 August 2016). How I agree with her! The pile of books on my bedside table has been one of the very few constants in my life – in every country I’ve lived in, in every house, in every bedroom. I came away from our last trip to KL with the pile you can see in the photo above from the excellent Kinokuniya bookshop in the Suria Mall at KLCC. I have already read the Kiran Desai and have just finished Max Perkins – Editor of Genius. This morning before my walk I began the Gabrielle Zevin and really enjoyed the first 18 pages. I know I could have got copies of all these books for my e-reader but somehow it’s not nearly as exciting as having the pile of actual books, which creates a delicious sense of anticipation.

Tramping in KL

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It is possible to go for a tramp in KL but first you have the find the track. Without local knowledge this can be difficult. We’d been told about the Bukit Saga Cheras trail and we looked up directions online. The GPS said we’d arrived but we couldn’t see the trail and there were no signs. After parking with great difficulty because of the high density of housing and vehicles in the area, we wandered around hoping to find the trail while the temperature rose as the sun began beating down. Eventually we got directions from a man out walking his dog and found the track. It was a fairly steep uphill climb but the steps were well maintained and there were ropes in strategic places. All our fellow trampers were friendly and some stopped to chat. When we got to the top, there were boards advertising the “Save Green Lungs” initiative, which is an attempt to prevent the green spaces in KL being swallowed up by development. This is a worthwhile endeavour and having thoroughly enjoyed our expedition, we wish them every success.

A load of rubbish

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This is a common sight in suburban Ipoh – a load of rubbish on the corner dumped there by homeowners from the surrounding houses. There is a council rubbish collection three times a week but they don’t like keeping their rubbish in bins on their properties till the next collection. No matter that it will be scavenged through by the numerous stray animals that abound in all residential areas or that it may be scattered by wind. As long as their own properties are rubbish- free at all times, who cares about the surrounding area, even if it is very close by. The result is that the streets and verges of Ipoh are littered with plastic bags, boxes, cans, bottles, garden clippings and all sorts of larger items from cushions to mattresses to broken down washing machines. I find it depressing but it clearly doesn’t bother most locals, who continue this unhygienic practice despite then having to live with the unsightly consequences.

Low land, high sky, wide water

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Hauraki gulf

This is the Hauraki Gulf in the middle of summer. I know it doesn’t look like that now. It’s grey and cloudy and the low lying islands are obscured. Nevertheless, I miss it and can’t wait to be back in Auckland. I’m even looking forward to the cool weather and rain on my face! Till our next trip home, we’ve got six weeks of tropical heat and days lived mostly indoors.

Elephant encounter

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Who knew a creature as large as an elephant could be cute? The elephant I’m walking with in this photo is five-year-old Namthip and she was cute! While we were in Chiang Mai, we spent a wonderful day with rescued domesticated elephants and their keepers. There was no riding and they didn’t perform any tricks. We walked through the jungle with them, watched them eat and take a mud bath (see photo below). We filled the bags we were given with chopped up sugar cane, which all the elephants loved. They would take it from your hand with their trunks and then crunch it loudly while reaching out for more. Not surprisingly given their size, elephants have voracious appetites and eat all day long. They very eagerly hoovered up all the left-over fruit from our picnic lunch, including the banana leaves it had been served on.

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