When you move to a new
place, there are always surprises. Sometimes they are good surprises
(like discovering how friendly and polite Malaysians are), and
sometimes they are not so pleasant (like discovering that we can't
open a Malaysian bank account until the new company is fully
registered). From the rooftop carpark of the Aeon shopping complex in
Ipoh, this afternoon we were awarded a most delightful surprise. I
have mentioned that the hills around Ipoh are most bizarre and
wonderful creations, but preparing for the infinitely mundane
experience of shopping, followed by the infinitely frustrating
experience of finding a carpark in a busy shopping centre in the
busiest time of the year, the last thing one expects when stepping
out of the car is an unfolding scene of extraordinary beauty. We were
in the middle of the city, but none of the ugliness man has created
around could detract from the majestic splendour of the limestone
crags that clutch at the edges of the urban mess. The majesty is, unfortunately, spoiled by the lack of clarity. Every day since we
arrived, the air has been heavy and grey with a smog-like haze, apparently
a hallmark of the season. No-one seems to really know where it comes
from or why it's there- they just accept that it is. When the rains
come or the wind changes, it will clear.
After leaving our hazy
rooftop vista, we dived into the frenzy below. Three hours and 450
Ringgats (ca $140) later, we emerged with ironing board, rice cooker,
table cloth, cutlery, chopsticks, glasses, mugs, storage boxes,
picture hooks, toilet seat, flip-top bin, and more of the little
things that hep to make a house a home.
In Australia, my reader
may not be aware that it is currently Ramadan, but for the whole
population of Malaysia, this is an important time of the year. For
the Moslems, this means fasting from sun-up to sun-down. For those of
us who are not, it means sensitivity to this fact, and avoiding the
restaurants when the hungry hordes are likely to descend. Today we
just made it out of the restaurant in time, as the line started to
pour in and occupy tables in faithful anticipation. The young couple
at the table beside us sat there from 6.45, but their time to eat
would not be until 7.32. Not even a glance was cast toward the two
plump dates that waited beside each setting for their time of
reckoning. Ramadan is a time of discipline and excitement, and
everyone eagerly awaits the culmination of this month of devoted
ritual, Hari Raya. Then they will once again be free to eat as they
please, and they will celebrate with feasting. We are excited to have
been invited to the home of Mimi, who works in the lab, to join her
family in the celebration. In honour of Hari Raya, this weekend we
will receive an extra day off, one of the many enjoyed by Malaysians
throughout the year.
This Islamic adventure
will be in stark contrast to today's Sunday expedition to Ipoh, in
search of a church. Using the big man's phone and navigation
software, and with less than a handful of wrong turns, we found the
church. We had located New Life Lutheran Church on the internet, and
it proved familiar and welcoming. Chinese English-speakers comprised
nearly the entire congregation of this special English-language
service, and we were embraced enthusiastically. After the service we
enjoyed easy conversation with a smaller group, who invited us to
lunch, drove us to the restaurant, then paid for our meal. Amongst
the group was an American man (the first Caucasian I have seen since
leaving KL), his Chinese wife and 2 children, who usually live in the
USA, and a Chinese Malaysian couple who met while studying in
Melbourne, and are thinking of returning to live in Australia.
Desmond, SweeYee and their 3-year-old son Daniel drove us back to our
car at the church, taking a scenic route to show us a little of the
layout of Ipoh. How blessed we were to be received so openly.
The inventor created
some anxiety in KL this week, when he made the mistake of asking how
the kitchen should be fitted out. The accountant, the OM, and even D
at the top, have rung to find out how they can help. “Don't do
anything until I come on Thursday,” the OM has instructed. He will
fix it all, apparently. No amount of reassurance has managed to
settle the concern of three delightful Chinese Malaysian businessmen
who are worried that their hospitality has been lacking.
Simultaneously, we are worried that the three men at the top of a
small business empire are worried about kitchen cabinets to put my
Tupperware in! Hopefully, we can find a quick solution on Thursday,
and I can help the OM in return by finding furniture for the new lab
manager's house. We will also impose upon his time to accompany us to
Telecom Malaysia to help us apply for a fixed phone and internet
line, and I have no doubt that, like last week, he will do it all
cheerfully and without fuss, despite having a long list of tasks to
complete to keep the company running. It is a somewhat surreal
experience buying sheets while the manager of a company hovers around
waiting, credit card at the ready. This is a world of discovery for
us- drivers waiting at the airport, hotel front-door pickups,
lunching with businessmen who pay the bill. One day, I suppose, it will feel more natural, but as a pair of ordinary Aussies, we feel somewhat like
fraudulent imposters.
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