The Final Countdown

Alright, so we're in the final week of my Fantastically Awesome Year Abroad in the Wild Lands of Malaysia with Outward Bound and Project Trust.

Now that's a scary thought.

Before this week (especially last Saturday), I was just wafting around, feeling like I had all the time in the world to procrastinate (demonstrated by my complete lack of updates for two months). At the same time, I was suffering very heavily from sleep deprivation, whereby from Thursday to Tuesday I couldn't sleep at night, and I didn't actually sleep at all from midday Saturday until Monday night, culminating in a run at 3.30 in the morning and 7 hours each night devoted to the Scrapbook of Awesomeness and Food aka. my PT Community Profile.

But the sleep issue was related to Ramadan, which after two weeks of faithfully being followed, has been left at the wayside to allow me to enjoy two of my favourite things in preparation for leaving the humid delights of Malaysia: sleep and food.

And goodness me, the last month or so has been an absolute delight regarding food. The start of July saw George, Adam and I at the Outward Bound Sabah site, a more rural setting with the most fantastic Ridge Run - wear shorts at your peril - and a Faraway tree, the twists and turns providing excellent handholds for climbing. Our arrival was punctuated with a great deal of surprise, as we were immediately sent off on a 5 day trek through ever changing scenery, a risk of death at every turn due to my failure to bring both contact lenses and glasses. Thank the OB spirit for my compatriots who saved me from 20 foot drops and river baths.

Cheese and Chocolate, perfect combo.

But as I said, food. The delightful instructor Ell had promised me two things: a heaping of pork and fish and chips, both delivered in perfunctory style (as well as being a complete surprise to me when they occurred), and my birthday saw a wake up call with creamy sponge cake, and an overdose of chocolate surprise at lunch, with a fantastic array of snappable, snackable mini chocolate sculptures on top (not to mention the Secret Recipe walnut brownie and white-dark chocolate cheesecake smuggled into the cinema to accompany The Amazing Spiderman).

We returned only to venture onto the Cameron Highlands with the OBML staff, where strawberry ice cream, fresh, creamy, light and sickeningly sweet, sent our stomachs swirling with every mountain bend; our BBQ saw sting ray and chicken, frankfurters and squid, marshmallows oozing in our hands as our eyes watered from the smoke - the smell lasted for days - all washed down with Cameron Boh tea, Didy spilling what appeared to be half the sugar pot into her refreshing green tea.

George and I set off for Outward Bound Singapore on Sunday night, and have been completely dazzled by the professionalism and sheer gloriousness of the site, it being a playground of epic proportions with 4 different high ropes courses, at least 50ft high, with one in the shape of a pirate ship and another incorporating a windmill. To top it off, the instructors were some of the snazziest, loveliest people you could meet and Singapore itself is a foodie heaven - all the possible cuisines of Asia and beyond packed into a 40 mile wide city.

We had dim sum and spicy fish ball noodles; mango pudding and fruit melted together with shaved ice; crispy  crackling and delicious duck; bakkwa, the scrumptious crunchy pork jerky; Turkish ice cream, the consistency of chewing gum, yogurt, gelato and cotton candy for a truly mouthwatering treat; alpokat, consisting of an inch worth of Hershey's chocolate sauce mixed with avocado and cream; chocolate lava (wear a bib, because it will literally explode all over you in a wave); a chocolate martini, that of the vodka, chocolate balls and gold flakes, sipped on the 70th floor of the Raffles City Mall as the sun set; kuih lapis, or layer cake, which takes hours to make, each layer applied only as the last has dried (it tastes similar to banana cake); ah balling, glutinous rice balls filled with red bean, green bean, yam, peanut or seasme seed paste in peanut soup, for a surprisingly sweet treat.

My Birthday lives on!

As you can see, I've gone a tad crazy (not helped by the fact that I have finally consumed a roti naan kismis, kismis being raisins, naan just being plain awesome, as well as receiving a mass serving of that which I have been owed - from Khaliq, the tenderest, juiciest tenderloin steak I have sunk my teeth into it, promised since January; from George, Black Forest Cheesecake from Secret Recipe, a birthday treat; and I am still ignoring the fact that upon breaking fast at 7.30 every night, Pak Ghani cooks up a helping of 3 times the normal dinner choice.


So yeah, I maaaay have put on a bit of weight over the last month or so. Ah well, in less than a week I shall be home, so I might as well enjoy the tempting delights of Malaysia as though they're my last (though I have the sneaking suspicious I will be back again to tremble in the beauty that is the people, the scenery, the heat and the FOOD).

Emily

Why did the Vietnamese not cross the road?

Oioioioioi, I am truly terrible at this regular correspondence via. the world. I blame it entirely on it seemingly being impersonal, as I am fantastic (if I do say so myself) regarding emails and letters, but alas, I find myself having difficulty drawing inspiration regarding my blog.

Not that I haven't got a lot to talk about - in fact, my time over the past month or so has been so ludicrously busy, I find myself startled at actually having time to sit here (contrary to that, I should really be working on my Project Trust Community Profile, but I am currently congratulating myself on working non-stop from 9.30 until 17.00 yesterday, even if only 4 double sided pages are the proof of the pudding).

As it is, my main adventure has, of course, been the week and a half solo trip to Vietnam, which brought me great delight, as well as good deal of fantastic food. I am honestly startled at the amount of bakeries in South-East Asia, though not surprised at my inability to resist. Especially when, on my last two nights, I discovered my hostel in Ho Chi Minh was three shops away from a bakery which had a 2-for-1 sale on everything after 9o'clock. My good intentions went rapidly downhill after that.

The Emperor's Concubines live in dorms. Seems mean to me.

Vietnam itself is amazing. While still ravaged by the numerous wars it went through during the 20th Century - the French battling the Vietnamese want of independence and the Tet Offensive of '69 causing the liberal destruction of much of the Forbidden Purple City (which is severely lacking in the colour purple) within the Citadel in Hue; the American bombing of Cu Chi; the use of Agent Orange still affecting participants and descendants alike; Vietnam is still beautiful.

If you like black and white, don't go. It would just upset you.

Hoi An is as much of a fairytale town as I have ever seen. French Colonial mixed with Chinese style buildings line the river of this small town, with colourful paper lanterns strung up everywhere; bursting out of shops is all manner of colour, trees and flowers overhanging the winding lanes. It's also insanely touristy, where you can get anything and everything made within a 24 hour span, and I had trouble seeing the actual locals - and when I did, I felt like I was drowning in crazy bargains, so naturally, I ran away. Thus, Hoi An is a place to shop, and admire, but being so small, not somewhere to remain for a long period of time.


Hue was my favourite, though Hoi An and Hanoi, the capital infused with French culture, were definitely the most beautiful. Of course, Hue was my favourite simply because of a number of odd events; signing up for the City Tour not only showed me beautiful tombs and scenery, as well as piling on the odd facts (Emperor Minh Mang had 520 wives and concubines; what I find strange is that, despite all these women, he only had 142 children), but also introduced me to two American Med Students.

Meet Nemo, the parsnip. Or something.

I ended up going out to dinner with them and their friend who spoke Vietnamese (well, sort of) and after a mishap with the taxi taking us to a massage parlour, ended up outside the 'Ancient Hue' restaurant; this place exuded expensive to the degree that all our mouths dropped open simultaneously. The food couldn't live up to expectation sadly, with vegetable carvings of swans and fish gracing the plates. I honestly thought I was going to start to hyperventilate, when I was kindly saved by their offer of payment (since when I'd agreed to come out, I was talking about downtown chow, cheap and tasty; I think pity was a major factor in all of this frankly). I cannot thank them enough, especially as it showed a whole other side of Vietnam, and was also a truly hilarious evening, ending in a mass consumption of cocktails as they tried to erase the memory of spending so much money (that seems counterproductive considering it means the removal of more money from their pockets, but who am I to judge?)

Pho; for anytime and anywhen!

The food was the best part of my trip though. Delicious, and healthy, pho bo, beef with noodles, in stew, surrounded by greenery; banh cuon, rice flour steamed rolls, stir fried to perfection and served with sweet and sour sauce; spring rolls of epic proportions, the crunch as good as the taste; oc, or snails the size of golfballs, chewy but fantastich; banh xeo, a crepe of rice flour and coconut milk, filled with shellfish, meat and vegetables; and, the French influence startling obvious here banh mi, with some of the best baguettes ever to be created just around every corner.

How I do adore food. And once you've finished your delicious meal, you can work it all off by having a quick jaunt across the road. Remember these rules: never change your pace, do not look at the traffic, and hope for the best, because if they don't go around you, you're screwed, and if you don't try, you will never, ever, get to the other side.

Emily

Never again, will still be too soon.

It's probably very fortunate that I don't know the name of the International School I just spent four days working with. Odd perhaps, but I attribute this to the fact that the course itself came through a 'middle man', a company called Navigate Together. All I can say really, is that while the Navigate Together team, Mike and Londi, were absolute sweethearts, and the children - just 9 and 10 years old - were adorable, the course was the most horrific I have ever taken, and according to the other instructors (mind, some have been here over 5 years) the worst course ever.

That was meant to be ominous for a reason.

Technically, it started fine - they arrived exactly on time, so we were happy. But then, everything went downhill. Following normal tradition, we had a 1/2 hour admin session, getting them to hand in snacks, sign the normal agreement and fill in the allergy information for the med bay and dining hall. The chaperones were not happy with this, seeing no need for admin, whatsoever. Yes, they had filled in the forms earlier, but it's OB tradition, alongside the back to basics - as is eating the food you're given. However, lunch was 'too spicy' for these westernised children, with many refusing to eat.

Everything just got worse.

As the trip went on, the chaperones began to take more and more control away from the instructors, leaving them unable to bond with the participants, and causing total communication breakdowns as the instructors began to resent them - one, for refusing to let them do their jobs properly, two, for acting as though they weren't competent enough to look after the children, and three, for pampering the children with no thought to the point of OB. The schedule constantly changed to fit around the time demands, and the food fits that kept getting thrown - with a demand for a second breakfast when the first didn't satisfy their tastebuds, leaving me to clean everything up afterward - drove everyone insane.

Their expectations of OB

OB tradition was completely put on a backslide, thanks in part due to having a middle man who, obviously, wanted to please the client. Dinner attire was completely ignored, with shorts and flipflops worn, confusing other course participants following the rules of long pants, shoes and shirts tucked in (for the guys). To make it worse, after just two meals, the chaperones decided they couldn't trust the food, and went out, buying over 600RM worth of food. Camping at Pangkor, the breakfast menu saw them having an option of bread and jam (as standard), Corn flakes and milk, alongside Pot Noodles. Just to remind everyone, this is not a resort.

Even worse, the packed lunch of fried chicken, scrambled egg, rice and cabbage was rejected, because apparently four days of chicken is going to damage the children hugely, so our timings went completely loopy, with them insisting on the children making sandwiches, forcing us to leave nearly two hours late for camping. Owing to this, as the kids happily ate, the chaperones briefing them on who knows what, us OB lot were running around setting up their tents; later we cooked their food for them. The fact that we had to do rappelling based on who wanted to, instead of encouraging everyone, was apparently our fault, despite the fact that it due to them that we were late in the first place.

Back to Basics, at its best.

That night, a heavy storm meant water and mud got into a few of the tents; the teachers, angry because we didn't wake up immediately, to help the situation, decided the children were very much in danger of possibly dying,  that these tents clearly were not safe, and a night without enough sleep was the end of the world. Thus, Thursday saw us landing back in OB and watching, open mouthed in shock, as they sent the children straight to their rooms, and contemptuously walked away, leaving us 9 instructors to clean up - with 40 tent sheets, all the cooking equipment, 43 sleeping mats, 3 dome tents, 6 rations drums (3 filled with their own purchases, including kit kats - very back to basics, no?). 

If you want to know how awesome the OB staff are, than the fact that 8 instructors not on course, as well as  a part timer, just there for 5 days, assisted us for the 2 hours it took to clean everything up should start to make you understand. That Thursday, from 6 in the morning, until 9 at night, we had less than 1/2 an hour to ourselves - which was spent rushing around, having a shower, and unpacking, before lunch. That evening, we were forced into cleaning everything up from the BBQ, because, again, the children needed more rest, and the chaperones clearly couldn't (more like wouldn't) help.

What's ridiculous, is that I actually liked most of the chaperones on a one to one basis - they were interesting, funny and pretty nice. But then you get their complete disregard for the instructors, because they were completely focused on pandering to the kids - or really, the parents, because the kids seemed to have a complete ball, and kept offering to help us, before being herded away into the chaperones protective circle. Even worse, because of the fact that George and I were white, and Khaliq mixed with little accent, the chaperones and Navigate Together team kept coming to us for everything - yes, we speak the best English, but we have a Course Director for a reason, and not only are we not even actual instructors, just support, we're bloody volunteers. How the hell are we meant to know, or have the authority that they want out of this?!

I have never been so happy to see the back of a course; yet even as I say this, I adored those children, and when the chaperones, on their rare moments of not jealously drawing them in, were chatting amongst themselves, I had a lot of fun with the kids, encouraging them down the rappelling wall and along the rope course. But if I never have to do a course like this again, it will be too soon.

Mainly though, I state this: do not use middle men. They just make everything worse - hyping up expectation, changing boundaries and tradition to suit their needs, and causing miscommunication  with the need for 3 point contact.

There is so much more I could say about this course, but I feel like there's only so much of a rant you, as a reader, can take before wanting to possibly kill yourself (or me), so I shall end on the note that while the course was stressful, their leaving saw the biggest smiles and happy dances I have ever had the pleasure to participate in - so maybe it was good for something after all.

Emily

Needed Full Time: A Cure for Boredom

Well, as Duty Instructor (unwillingly roped in I may be, and probably not prepared for this AT ALL), it is my Duty to stay in the DI Room, where, lo and behold, the computer lives. So it shan't be entirely boring. Not that I'm suggesting I want drama, even if an incident would be rather exciting (I am fully against accidents happening to participants, and can in no way be held liable if something actually befalls one of them).

Anyway, after what was a fairly boring week or so (no courses in, and with nothing to do, I was simply given last Tuesday off - my boredom scale hit so high, this was not exciting news) Wednesday kicked it up a notch. I joined a few instructors for some swimming times, delving into the realm of the sea and establishing that my breath control has improved muchly - to the point someone tried to rescue me from 'drowning' since I'd been under for so long. It didn't end well for him.

For the love of God, just watch it.

Thursday and Friday was kayak training: I had been roped into a kayak competition with Khaliq, due to the Pangkor Sea Festival that was going on, culminating in a death match on Saturday. By training, I mean we kayaked for a few minutes, than floated around - our training probably never totalled more than an hour, though I did finally swim to the Giraffe (I don't know the name for it, but I'd promised myself and so was pleased, despite being constantly blinded by waves and salt water attempting to choke me).
Honestly though, the best part of those days was the midnight viewing of The Avengers. IT WAS AWESOME. Despite being ludicrously cold (air-con, you plague me), and ridiculously late, the cinema was packed, and the reception justly deserved.

This is a terrible representation of us. 

Moving on from my comic geekiness, the competition itself ended in failure for us, though I blame this entirely on the fact that the Navy and the Police were our competitors. I feel they might have a slight edge over us, considering the only kayaking any OBer really does is teaching, followed by sitting on the motherboat/speedboat and laughing at the suffering participants (in your head, mind, out loud is just rude). Still, it was a sunny day filled with laughter, food and fun, and I was happily joined by Eleanor and Alison of Project Trust for the weekend.

This of course led to us trekking to Marina Island, and on to Pangkor for some much wanted sunbathing. Despite the beautiful weather, and fantastic scenery, our time there was cut short, just due to awkwardness and the stupidity of other beach goers. Oddly, 'Nice bum!' does not inspire most girls to talk to you. Especially not when you say it on repeat. It must be a thing, this repeating. Numerous times, I have discovered people have been calling me - by this, I mean perfect strangers - who apparently think that saying 'lady!' over and over again is going to catch my attention. Since my name isn't 'Lady' and I have no interest talking to creepy men with no teeth, strangely it doesn't.

Still, it has been a rather action packed week or so, which has sadly ended with me sniffling away, and snacking on some delicious raspberry chocolate, straight from the duty-free island of Langkawi - thank you Karl! - and I am deliriously excited for my adventure to Thailand, where I am off rock climbing and kayaking. 'Don't you do this at OB?' I hear you ask.

Yes I do. But apparently, I'm a sucker for it.

Emily

Time for the 'Posh Digs'

I must apologise for what has been an ABOMINABLY long time of doing absolutely nothing in regards to the computer. I have excuses - I've been on course basically every week, and then the last week and a half of March OB shut down internet access everywhere, except in the office. Apparently there has been abuse of the system; I leave the rest up to your imagination.

April, has been FANTASTIC. My mother, after 10 days in Vietnam, arrived at KL International Airport, receiving a huge shock as I barreled into her. I was then regaled with tales regarding the insanity that is Vietnamese driving and watched as she marveled over the sophisticated and ever-so-green Kuala Lumpur where drivers actually follow the traffic lights, even if they do so at high speed.

While I may now be trekker extraordinaire, it appears that the same cannot be said regarding city wanderings - both of us were tired and sore, having walked around for approximately four hours in attempts to follow the Lonely Planet. A word of advice: do not spend time in KL on a Monday led to the discovery that only the fish anfinding the Sky Bridge to be closed to the public, but astonished by the high rise shopping mall beneath, filled with home comforts, such as the much loved M&S. Petrosains, the Science Centre was to be our next stop, though we were turned away with a smile and a point: 'Open Tuesday to Sunday'. Jonesing for lunch, we headed to the 69 Bistro on the promise of bubble tea and tarot reading to find, low and behold, it was also closed.

And our dinner? The restaurant of choice was shut, but we waffled away to enjoy banana leaf. I do not mean we actually consumed banana leaf; our meal of delicious rice, vegetables and mutton, with sauce, was beautifully placed upon the handy banana leaf, which is far nicer than average plates, generally being of larger size with maximum scoop potentiality. Somehow, I doubt the consumption of actual banana leaf would have been as delicious.

But the rest of our trip has proved fruitful, as well as allowing me to spend time in what can only be considered 'posh digs' compared to norm. The beds have duvets. It's honestly astonishing.

So far we have traversed to Malacca - beautiful, historical, with shops that are basically museums within themselves - and Pulau Tioman, requiring a night bus that ended with us arriving at the ferry at 3.30 in the morning. Tioman itself is not a place I would choose to go if I wasn't a scuba diver, having little of worth for anyone who wants to do something - but as a diver, it is honestly fantastic and B&J Divers were great. The Easter Weekend also affords Singaporeans time off, so en masse they arrived, and en masse they departed, filling me in regarding the wonders of life and how if you are sick underwater, throw up in your regulator. Unpleasant, but apparently vital to survival.

On a nicer note, black tip sharks, blue spotted stingrays and the ever magnificent hogsbill turtles, alongside moon wrasses and parrot fish were on show, with fantastic visibility and beautiful sea urchins and coral.

Now, we are off to the Cameron Highlands to partake in hikes, and enjoy the relaxing consumption of tea and strawberries they are famous for; I believe Mum is hoping that time away from sugar will be good for me, after a rather shocking sugar hike that had me giggling for approximately two hours, much to her horror.

Oh sugar, how I have missed you.

Emily

Outward Bound

I don't believe there has ever been a better week (that I can remember) to demonstrate the variety of Outward Bound. When I first signed up with Project Trust - even before then actually, when the representative showed up on the stage of Nonsuch, and showed us pretty pictures of what we could do, and where we could go - my first thoughts were: climbing, kayaking, having fun in the sun. I had trouble for ages, wondering how this could be considered a valuable project for Project Trust, how volunteering here would help other people, and not just be basically a year long holiday of adventure activities.

I'm not going to deny that being here is fun. I love it. I love the climbing, I love the kayaking, I love sitting on the boat and watching the sunset, I love the hiking and the trees and the crazy birds, I love the instructors and their jokes, I love the smiles I get when I say 'Terima Kasih' instead of 'Thank you', I love singing the National Anthem, I even love how sneaky the monkeys are. But the fact is, the adventure activities, the national pride, they aren't just what it's about.

OB is so much more than just fun in the sun. Over the past four days, I've been up for Physical Training - running, circuit training and so on - every morning for disciplines sake. I worked with the technical team, sweeping up the Flying Fox area, building a bench, taking down the ladder to prevent rot, the lobster claws the only thing keeping me from tumbling 15ft to the floor. I had kayak training, the sun beating down as we tumbled around, water up our noses, our knees covered in bruises from trying to flip. You can't see, you can't breathe, but you have to remember - the paddle set up, the position of your body, jolting your knees and hips, your body comes last, but don't forget to tilt back, push past the pain.

I've spent hours typing up Games Leadership and Risk Management Training, to be distributed among the instructors to ensure that the risks (and with the different participants we get, believe me, there are risks) are noted and reduced wherever possible, while establishing a feeling of community and responsibility though games and activities; just this morning, we spent our time cleaning the dining hall - scrubbing the tables and sinks, sweeping and mopping the floors, wiping the doors down. 

The fact is this: Outward Bound is about Character Development. The fun, the adventure, the outdoors  - they aren't ends in themselves, they're a means to an end. 

It's about providing experiences that are exciting and remarkable, involving uncertain outcomes and acceptable risks to develop the skills of team-work, of leadership, of self-reliance, of tenacity, helping people to overcome their self-imposed limits.

It's about compassion and service: helping others - whether by cleaning, giving blood, showing some initiative and making something - as an 'active expression of the value we place on our common humanity, our diversity and the natural world' as Outward Bound International states.

It's about instilling a sense of community, a sense of responsibility, both socially and environmentally.

But really, the point of OB is, at the very core, to help others grow. I'm having a fabulous time doing the things I love, and I really do admire the other projects available - they're all brilliant, and on the surface all could be said to be a lot more 'charity-work' than what we've got here. 

The fact is though, Project Trust does right by working with OB - it requires discipline, commitment, love for what you do, patience, integrity, a smile, and bloody hard work to help those who won't, and sometimes can't, help themselves.

I realise this is a bit of a ramble, and probably won't make a huge amount of sense, but I figure it might be useful at a later date - to prepare others maybe, for what they might do, and to show that OB isn't all about just having an adventure - the Instructors' have a whole lot more to deal with, and need a whole lot of support to deal with it.

Thaipusam

Thaipusam. If you haven't heard of it before, you're probably not Hindu, and if you have, skip this part. Mostly celebrated by the Tamil community on the full month in the Tamil month of Thai (being January or February), the festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati, wife of Shiva, gave Lord Murugan, the God of War, a vei "spear" enabling him to vanquish the evil demon Soorapadam.

Devotees from all over come bearing kavadi, a physical burden through which they implore help from Murugan, which can vary in content - at the simplest (thus earning less merit) a pot of milk can be carried; mortification of the flesh is also common, and the greater the pain, the more god-earned merit is considered to be received.

The Tamil community cannot be considered a majority in Malaysia. But that doesn't mean devotees can be considered lacking - the Hindu temple at Batu Caves, near Kuala Lumpur, receives well over one million, alongside tens of thousands of tourists, every year. Technically, the true day of Thaipusam is, in 2012, the 7th of February, but celebrations started from Sunday, and accompanied by Mya and Lisa, I reached Batu at just before midnight on the 6th.

There aren't really words to describe Thaipusam. The smell of incense is heady, alongside the flower wreaths wrapped around people's necks and hanging off stalls. The air is filled with the steady beat of drums and the irritating call of the vuvuzela; sweat literally drips down your back (threatening the gorgeous henna) as you are forced to stop and wait, the Kavadi Attam dance taking place at any moment, in any place.

Frankly, the devotees look like they could drop at any moment. Some of them actually do, with their family surrounding them in support, blood dripping from their mouths, painting their tongues red due to the new (and rather savage) piercings reminding them of their God. Barbers line the streets, shaving all and sundry; ornate canopies known as vel kavadi are carried, some reaching two metres in height, with family members bringing along seats to allow rest - necessary considering the rather terrifying moment I thought I was about to be crushed to death as a devotee staggered towards me, tipping on his side.

It's intense. It's quite easy to get dragged into the fervour, adults and children chanting (admittedly I thought they were saying Ben 10 for a while, but apparently not), people shoving forwards in an attempt to reach the temple. We never did actually, Mya's claustrophobia and the fact it took us half an hour to move about 30 metres curbing our enthusiasm.

But the experience itself was utterly amazing. I have such admiration for the strength that's shown - literally, with ropes attached to hooks in their backs, some drag along family members, appearing to be in a trance, pain apparently not felt due to protection by spiritual and mental endurance. Having that kind of mental strength...I have enough trouble forcing myself to keep running in the morning, let along walking for eight hours with that kind of kavadi.

The insanity that is Thaipusam scares even it's inhabitants, with various people having warned me away from attending it at Batu Caves. And I admit, I reckon attending during the day tomorrow (well, technically today) would probably have ended in utter chaos; but wreathed in moonlight, the festival of Thaipusam is full of savage beauty which can be fully appreciated without fear (except maybe for your bags).

Emily

Repeat: Executives are not the army.

Times are tough at Outward Bound when dealing with participants. Well not all participants: it has been said, by one much wiser than me (apparently some OB Korea man), that 'Good participants are fun; bad participants are our responsibility'. And so it must be, though I would prefer otherwise when said participants take nearly 12 hours to climb two hills.

According to their report afterwards, they 'are not the army - we are executives!' which really seems to have nothing to do with anything if you ask me, especially since they're prospective executives. As it was, the Final (the Hell trek as it is known) did not end in disaster. A series of unfortunate events did occur that seemed set to drive me insane: the waist belt on my bag broke forcing me to take the full weight on my shoulders (we're talking heavy stuff here), I fell (multiple times, as I am wont to do), Usop tried to push me down the hill while singing (as he is wont to do) and than Girl in Green started walking with her eyes closed 'cause she was tired, so I took her bag off her. Two bags are HEAVY, especially when carried for an hour through a swamp. And no thanks received, I am sad to say.

Peanut butter/chocolate spread, provided by Najib revived me much. 'Course, than my hammock (which looks nothing like the picture) broke while I was sitting in it, but I fixed it up and swung happily (well, carefully).

The next day was perhaps better, if you discount the large girl who had the crying fit two minutes from the peak, despite not having carried her bag for half the climb. Her movements had been as follows:

*pantpantpantpantpant* one minute walking - A TREE, A TREE, A GLORIOUS TREE, LET ME LEAN AGAINST YOU TREE - slide down the tree, sit for three minutes while two guys fan her with a hat. And repeat.

It was interesting.

Fortunately, despite my impatience threatening to send me into a fit of anguish, I have since had time to recover and have also finally had some time off! Saturday was a glorious day filled with Malaysian Invasion festivities. Didy, a great food lover, took me to her friend's wedding, which appeared to have a Fairytale Princess theme occurring. For those of you used to English weddings, Malaysian one's are far nicer for guests - for one, the bridge and groom GIVE you care packages, as a 'Thanks for coming!' as well as fabulous flowers decorations, topped with an egg boiled for three days as a symbol of fertility.

Eggs don't taste good after being boiled for that long, I am just saying.

The evening was devoted to the Chinese Open House, in celebration of Chinese

New Year, in which the fair President of Perak and the Head of the Chinese Association of Malaysia came to Sitiawan, and a congregation of 12,000 people turned up to eat free food. While the celebration was certainly beautiful - traditional dancing, flashing lights and lanterns, delicious food - I do not envy the clean up crew, considering what appeared to be the rubbish of said 12,000 strewn across the field, since the bins had overloaded early on.

And yesterday was Scuba! Yes, it finally happened, something I am much delighted in, despite utterly awful visibility. It was basically like being a snowstorm in slow motion, suspending everything in sepia tones. However, there were some rather intriguing plants and fish - a purple trombone; green tubes with alien pods; zigzag clams; a seahorse; a fish shaped like a box; and my personal favourite, a black ball of spikes with a crazy lightshow in the shape of a star, surrounding a turtle ball with blue dots.

For now, I am in training once more: excitement is already arising regarding the Whaler, where I have been assured we get to capsize it. Man overboard to the extreme!

Emily

Oxymoron: a cold, with risks of heat stroke

It's hard to believe it's been two weeks since I last posted, but considering everything I've been doing, maybe not. New Year was an absolute blast, made better of course by the wonderful DAJ and Seremban girls. Fireworks, lanterns, a bonfire so large, that getting within 20 feet of the thing threatened to singe off your eyebrows. And of course, all on the beautiful Pantai Cenang, giving a jaw dropping view of the ocean and the surrounding islands.

After that, all was rather quiet until work began on the 9th. Well, not totally quiet. Apparently not just the nyamuk love to taunt me - now the monyet, or the sneaky, evil, scum that is monkeys, have joined in. I was quite happily reading in my room, enjoying Lord of the Rings as innocently as can be, when what sounded like an avalanche could be heard from the bathroom. Rushing in fear to the door, I find one of those dreaded creatures in the doorway, holding, for some rather weird reason, my retainer box. And thus off he went with it, nibbling at the corner as he goes, and costing me a great deal of money to replace it. I hope he choked on the plastic (actually, I don't because that would be rather sad, but still, EVIL).

Apart from that, I am now back to back until the 28th, thus working over the lovely holiday that is Chinese New Year, while Geordam enjoy surfing with Khaliq and Jamhuri on the east coast. Ah, what a sad life I lead, unable to go surfing and instead sailing and kayaking and trekking with crazy participants...ha, no, all is well and by the end of this week I shall have achieved my Bronze Medallion life-saving certification (we hope!) though I fear I will either pass out from heat stroke or from being drowned before it occurs.

Fortunately, I am easily revived by food, and so Didy has promised to take me to the pasar malam every week to investigate the delicious Malay food on offer. I tell you this: everyone must try pisang goreng (fried banana) because it is sent down from the heavens to dance on your tastebuds.

Farewell my fair friends, may you live in peace and harmony and all the other things :)

Emily