When we start writing about a new country, we try to provide some general pointers. We are in Malaysia, specifically Kuala Lumpur, the capital, for a few days, en route to Indonesia (for work.)
On the globe below, the two green patches are the two land areas that comprise the 11 states that make up Malaysia.
Sitting at the bottom of the South China Sea, below the Indochinese peninsula, Malaysia is the 66th largest country by total land area. It has land borders with Thailand in West Malaysia, and Indonesia and Brunei in East Malaysia. It is linked to Singapore by a narrow causeway and a bridge. The country also has maritime boundaries with Vietnam and the Philippines.
A majority of the population is muslim, and Malaysia has traditionally been recognized as a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country that has a diverse population of 31 million people, who live in relative harmony.
As we get on the plane from our current home base in Sri Lanka, to Malaysia, we read with great sadness, but not surprise, about the radical steps taken by the current administration. Importantly, we read about the cavalier lack of coordination with the very US government agencies that have the expertise required to provide advice and counsel to the President’s leadership team.
The new U.S. President has opted to take an unprecedented and dangerous (let alone anti-constitutional, immoral and un-American) step to ban immigration into the U.S. from 7 muslim states (using the rationale of 9/11, even though none of the countries listed in this travel ban, had anything to do with 9/11).
We stand on the precipice of a monumental mis-step in American foreign and national security policy, namely falling right into the ISIS trap of equating the decades long fight against Jihadist networks with a war between the West and Islam. This is not only tragic, it is fundamentally misguided.
As a diversion to the news, ironically, we make a point of visiting the Museum of Islamic Art. We choose to immerse ourselves in a walk through centuries of Islamic history and artistic beauty.
This is an infinitely small, but at least symbolic gesture and nod to our muslim friends, and a reminder that the current US Administration does not speak for the West, nor in fact for the United States’ population, as it imminently clear from spontaneous protests across the U.S. at airports where muslim travelers have been frozen in limbo. There is no telling how far the lunacy of this president will go, and no doubt this is but an opening act in a tragic play. But we do have the benefit of historical facts and we recall that Islam has survived and flourished on all continents, for several centuries. This too shall pass, but how brutal, how long, how ugly will things get? Time will tell…
A whole room is devoted to the beauty of the calligraphy in koran writing. Here a particularly unusual round Koran.
Islamic calligraphy is surrounded by intricate designs and an abundance of gold leaf. Each page is meticulously hand painted and an absolute work of art. Each and every page!
Miniature models of mosques around the globe fill an entire room. There are some common elements amongst them, such as the dome and minaret, but the rest allows for local influences depending on the location. The room included replicas of mosques in India, Yemen, New Mexico, Iran, Turkey and Sudan to name a few.
The water fountain is often a central focal point of many mosques. It is a place where men gather to wash their feet before entering the prayer halls. This particular one reflects white, black and rust colored marble.
Velum, is a paper thin material used for calligraphy made from goat skin which is treated and stretched. It is translucent and can last for centuries. Way more resilient than paper.
The design is more dominant than the calligraphy in many cases, such as illustrated here. It is amazing to ponder how much time went in to creating just one page, let alone an entire book.
Ah, the beauty! Each one more beautiful than the next.
Islam contributed significantly in the area of astronomy and this book is a detailed notebook of scientific observations about the planets.
A notebook about the study of anatomy. The drawing on the left has various notes on the various parts of the body. Islam has a long history of scientific discovery. There have been many significant contributions in the field of medicine.
A few more close ups to give an idea of the variety and extent of this collection of Islamic calligraphy and Korans.
A collection of Indian paintings of daily life scenes from the Mogul period remind us of India’s significant and important Muslim lineage.
Ben mesmerized by Islamic calligraphy ~ part of his overall fascination with Islam. We have enjoyed Islamic art museums in two other locations: Paris and Sharjah.
There is also a collection of miniature korans. These were typically given to soldiers before they left their homes as a way of keeping them safe. Some are tiny and need to be read with a magnifying glass.
Centuries old and yet so modern!
Stunning blue and white ceramic tiles.
Ceramic collection incorporating calligraphy into the designs.
Looking at a map of the spread of Islam. Wow, we live right here….. at the tip of India!
On a timeline illustrating Islam’s presence in Palestine, Peta connects with her Palestinian roots ~ as her maternal grandmother was born in Palestine (before the creation of Israel in 1948.)
It would be lopsided of us to only acknowledge the muslim population in Malaysia. In addition to the Malay population, the country is also comprised of a large Chinese community.
And… it is the Chinese New Year, and all Chinese communities around the world celebrate for at least a week. This is the year of the rooster and Kuala Lumpur is awash in red, as is the custom at Chinese New Year. It is about family, food and a sea of red!
Lanterns are everywhere and these, accompanied by blossom trees are at the entrance to one of the many large shopping malls in downtown Kuala Lumpur. There is an air of excitement and joy in the streets.
Malls are a very popular place for family reunions, outings and shopping of course.
It is the year of the rooster and a huge paper rooster soars in the center of the mall. There is a constant crowd of people, young and old, coming to enjoy the decorations and festivities.
Kuala Lumpur is a modern buzzing metropolis. There is some pretty fun and interesting architecture in the mix.
This window display illustrates the concept of modernity. In the building and in the make up of the city.
Shopping for make up. Girls will be girls.
The colorful hijabs brighten the streets and the mood. The Malaysian hijab is distinctive in that it is long enough to more than cover the shoulders.
And what is a Chinese celebration without food?? So of course we go to find ourselves some dim sum. If there is a city that offers dim sum, we will default to that first, before any other cuisine. And original creative dim sum? That gets us really excited…..
Bamboo charcoal! buns filled with salted egg yolks. This may look weird, but it is totally scrumptious and completely original.
Baby bok choy in garlic sauce. Always a good accompaniment to dim sum.
Crispy shrimp wrapped in rice paper with sesame seeds. Light and amazing.
Street side dim sum made en masse and sold outside the Chinese temples celebrating new year. Huge bamboo steamers filled with colorful dim sum.
Buns of different colors and flavors fill the steamer.
CNY (Chinese New Year) is a time to visit the temple. We are here to witness the Lion dance. The red lanterns strung from the temple roof carpet the sky.
Look up! An ornate temple ceiling.
We are not the only ones who are here for the Lion dance. To touch the lions is a sign of good luck for the year.
It looks like snow, but in actuality it is the ash from all the incense that has been lit to bring in the New Year. Here is our prayer for a peaceful new year for ALL colors, nationalities, religions around the globe.
I was close enough to touch a Chinese lion on Saturday. Why, oh why didn’t I stroke him? Goodness knows we could do with a little luck right now 🙂
Jo, the good news is it is not too late. Chinese New Year goes on for a whole week, so you might be able to squeeze in a good luck stroke if you catch another lion dance.
Thanks for stopping by…
Peta
Beautiful photos and experiences and beautifully expressed how you guys – and us – feel about the current political situation in the US. What happened to people’s brains, if they ever had any? Such sad, sad, sad developments and incomprehensible “logic”. Let’s hope all this passes really quickly!!! Somehow. In the meantime, thanks for elaborating on the museum of Islamic art, and enjoy your stay in Kuala Lumpur!
Liesbet thanks for your compliments.
And there lies the problem ~ Democrats use words like “brain” and “logic” whereas the president’s supporters operate on the more visceral plane. The very fact that “alternative facts” are now part of our vocabulary and the basis for policy making, directly affirms that this is not about brains or logic. It is about playing up to a scared and angry segment of the U.S. electorate which in it’s frustration wants a president to “punch somebody”. Whether or not punching will result in anything positive for the U.S. seems almost irrelevant at this point they just want the satisfaction and release from the act of punching. It is going to be a long four years (if the constitutional four year term remains the law of the land.
The museum of Islamic art was for us a wonderful sequel to an earlier visit about a year ago what is arguably the most extensive collection of Islamic art and artifacts… If you are interested, take a peek:
http://www.greenglobaltrek.com/2014/11/16-hours-in-sharjah-united-arab-emirates.html
Ben
I love your blog post about UAE – one of the many places we have yet to explore.
You explained “the problem” nicely above. I am really trying hard to understand and remain open-minded, but it is becoming increasingly more difficult. And, it requires understanding from both sides, of course, not narrow-mindedness as seems to be the case.
Thanks Liesbet for checking out our post on Sharjah and the Islamic Museum there, which is simply fantastic! We both learnt so much about Islamic contributions in the fields of medicine and science, of which there are many. And the artworks there, are incredible. We highly recommend a visit to anyone in the region.
Agreed that there is an opportunity for trying to understand and this is valid with regard to understanding the plight of white uneducated males who comprise the bulk of Trumps movement, as well as the bulk of the industrial blue collar work force. They are indeed poorly prepared to adjust to the rapid changes brought about both by technology and the surge of global competitors. But that is where the understanding part ends. What is not understandable nor acceptable in any way is the administration’s choice to respond to this populations plight by turning to xenophobic and dictatorial solutions.
Ben
Wise words on the current mess here in the U.S. and how misguided the actions are. And then a bonus: beautiful shots and explanations of the beautiful Islamic art and the CNY celebrations. How wonderful to be able to travel in that region from your close home base! Have a fun and successful trip!
Thanks Lex. Traveling in the region does feel right now like a sort of escapism from the dreadful U.S. reality. Sri Lanka is well located for easy and short trips via Kuala Lumpur and or Singapore.
Short stops for Ben’s meetings in Malaysia before a longer stay in Indonesia for more work (Ben) and play (Peta) 🙂
Peta
Dear, Peta,
Gorgeous photos.
Wonderful Education.
I so much look forward to reading about your adventures.
What do the other countries think about this new President?
xxx From MN.
Hi Kim, thanks for your lovely words and glad you enjoyed this post.
It is early to have a definitive view but overall the initial first impression is one of definite alarm and concern that the U.S. is taking a radical departure not just from policies of the last eight years but from a U.S. led world order that has been mostly stable for the past 60, 70 years. While it is understood by all that Democracy yields leaders of different political tendencies and some priorities naturally shift, it is entirely incomprehensible to anyone in Asia that the new U.S. government, while talking tough, is essentially ceding regional leadership in Asia to China. While the TPP (Transpacific Partnership) is viewed in the U.S. through the prism of job creation/job destruction, in Asia it was widely viewed and negotiated over 12 plus years as a regime intended to reinforce America’s network of allies in the face of Chinese expansionism. It took but one week for the U.S. to abandon it’s decades long philosophy of international free trade and for the Chinese president to strut at Davos, the leading CEO conclave in Switzerland to position China now, as the leading proponent of international free trade. Sorry you asked? 🙂
Ben & Peta
LOL.
No, not sorry.
I’m learning A LOT!
Thank you. xx
most impressive information and beautifully illustrated. i had not seen such ornate books or realized the rich history. and that food look most yummy. glad you had a meaningful new year celebration. wishing you continued safe travels 🙂
Thanks for your comments and for stopping by to read us.
It is always a balancing act between visual entertainment (photos) and Ben’s proclivity to do a deep dive into politics and or history. Glad to introduce you to the gorgeous calligraphy and rich history of Islamic art, there is SO much more!
Oh yes, dim sum is a favorite delicacy we search for in Chinatowns all over the world.
http://www.greenglobaltrek.com/2016/06/green-global-trek-guide-to-dim-sum-hong-kong.html
Peta & Ben
We had one day in Kuala Lumpar as a stop-over some years ago. I don’t remember visiting any museums, I think we just wandered about exploring the city. However, this is definitely a must-see if we return. That calligraphy is just amazing!
As for the politics, words fail me. I told myself that Trump would be reined in by the checks and balances of the political system but he’s just overriding them. I’m afraid for the world. What happens in America tends to set a trend for elsewhere and we already have our own madness in the UK, Le Pen is threatening in France etc etc. This too shall pass? I hope so.
Indeed most museums in the West tend to be rather ethnocentric and most of us Westerners rarely have a chance to be exposed to the magnificence of Islamic calligraphy. If you do get a chance to see it, it is even more incredible in person. A rare treat!
Anabel, as for politics, yet another distressing piece of news is that the ultra right wing Breitbart news organization headed until recently by Trump’s strategic advisor Steve Bannon, is now aiming to open up a European edition with the expressed intent of affecting the outcome of forthcoming European elections. The extreme right in France, Germany, Holland…. will now find a potent ally right in the White House. Scary stuff!
Ben
Beautiful post, thanks.
Thanks Sharon.
I see the current events leave you speechless… sigh.
xoxo
P
Hi Peta, thank you so much for this beautifully heartfelt post. I love the art and the colorful displays in the mall are superb! We are living in such a sad state of affairs right now in the US. No matter what side of the isle we are aligned with we can no longer share our views without vicious responses from the opposing side. It’s like if we don’t agree then we are demonized. Reading posts like yours offer me hope. Wishing you safe travels
Stephanae glad you enjoyed the Islamic art and mall displays for Chinese New Year.
The virulence of the political landscape now is no longer in fact about a traditional left/right, Democrat/Republican divide. It was one thing to debate policy differences in the past. However, the divide now is of an entirely nature between fact based realities and opinions versus “alternative facts”. And an entire segment of the population that simply does not feel a need to base any kind of policy on facts, knowledge, science…
Having travelled now extensively in Latin America for 8 years and Asia for 3 plus years, we have seen and read about and observed the ravages of dictatorship and the formula is not that complicated. Sadly there is every indication that the U.S. as difficult as it is to say, has all the elements of an early dictatorship. May not evolve to its full potential ~ hopefully not~ but the ingredients are there.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting on our blog.
Ben
I also feel totally gobsmacked and confused with the recent events in the US, your words echoing my exact thoughts.
As always your photos are exuberant and colorful and the dim sum mouth watering?
Thanks Gilda for the compliments on the photos. “Exuberant”…I like that!
Food and art continue to serve as a wonderful distraction from the political nightmare we are in.
Peta
My, what a feast for the eyes and stomach! Thanks for sharing the vibrant tapestry of Malaysia.
Thanks so much J.D. So glad that you enjoyed this post. This was our first brief introduction to Kuala Lumpur and we do look forward to hopefully returning and adding more layers to our understanding of Malaysia by traveling more in the region.
Peta
Stunning visuals! Loved the diverse tour of Islamic culture and artwork along with the gala Chinese New Year celebrations. And now I am starving! btw – bamboo Charcoal Buns? really?
Dahlia I am so pleased you enjoyed the visuals and the tour. One of the interesting dimension of our short stay in Kuala Lumpur was to see the two distinct ethnic groups with their different attire, food, culture, language… interwoven to create what is Kuala Lumpur!
Those bamboo charcoal buns were absolutely delicious.. The inside was described as being a salted egg yolk, but we both thought it was more on the sweet side. Very unusual but would definitely eat those again if we get the opportunity. The interesting thing about dim sum is that even for frequent dim sum eaters, such as ourselves, there is always something new and different to try.
Peta
Peta
This post – like most of your posts – remind me that we are often defined by our ignorance. Some of us choose to stay within the comfortable confines of what we know while others, like you, search out to understand, embrace what lifts your heart, and then leave the rest.
As I reflect on those beautiful hand-drawn books that I can’t read, and the rich history of this religion and its people I know so little about, I am reminded that there is just so much more to experience and learn.
I’m at risk of turning this comment into a rant, so I’ll have to end simply by wishing you and Ben a Happy Lunar New Year. Let us hope that the Rooster brings some compassion and understanding with it for we desperately need more.
Joanne thanks for your thoughtful and meaningful comments.
We have definitely chosen to try to as you say “embrace what lifts our hearts” at this time, which otherwise could be completely depressing and even more gut wrenching than it is. Our variant on Michelle Obama’s “When they go low, we go high!” Their low = muslim ban; our high = islamic calligraphy.
Happy Lunar New Year to you too!
Peta & Ben
Wonderful read and wonderful snaps, must have been an eye opening experience to immersed in the Chinese New Year celebrations! Much love and travel onwards safely xxx
Thanks Tes. Always fun to be part of the energy of cultural festivities. Safe travels to you too! See you back in SL in a while…
xoxo
P
Where to start as I try to compose a comment that adequately expresses how much your beautifully written post affected me …
We’ve spent a great portion of the last few days watching with sick horror as DT has taken the wrecking ball to our country in an attempt to dismantle it brick by brick and principle by principle. While we’re happy in part to be removed from some of the chaos and living in Portugal, we’re conflicted because we also feel how necessary it is to add our voices to the protests. (Luckily there’s Skype to call our Senators and representatives and email to write our opposing views.)
I loved your photos of the Islamic calligraphy and the awe inspiring, magnificent artistry in the books, paintings and models of mosques that expresses the devotion of those faithful to Islam. Such a great contrast to the celebration of the Chinese New Year, the lanterns, the crowds and the festivities in the new Year of the Rooster.
We’ve delayed our travels to this part of the world for a couple of months but now you have me thinking of spending more time in Malaysia as well. Thanks again Peta for this lovely and heartfelt post.
Anita, thank you so much for your thoughts and compiments.
It is the sign of our times that those of us who regard the United States as one of our home bases and hold U.S. passports, are forced to reckon with the spectrum of choices we have that ranges from full throated resistance to finding a way to hide under a rock and not read the news. All of us will by default need to find the right balance for ourselves. But what is very clear is that the torrent of shocking news from the U.S. will not cease anytime soon. And thus, (looking for a silver lining here) this forces us to be mindful about how much bad news we let in and how much pushback we feel is healthy and appropriate for each of us.
The juxtaposition of a muslim Malay community and a buddhist Chinese community is a reminder that few of us live in homogeneous societies and just about every population out there has a choice to make between multi ethnic integration and harmony versus the push for one ethnic groups dominance over its ethnic minorities. So many lessons of multi cultural acceptance to be learned by the U.S.
Peta & Ben
I so enjoyed reading this post, Peta. It is sad to hear what’s happening over in the US. It sounds like a very sad start to what’s to come. Hopefully, hopefully, there will be some common sense at some point.
Beautiful Islamic calligraphy and works you captured there. So detailed, and as you mentioned, it must have taken them long to work on a whole book and good to see museums are preserving the moments of history.
Looks like you got to explore KL quite a bit. It looks like downtown in the city there, around the Pavilion area. Do you remember which shopping centre you went to?
Hope good luck comes you and Ben’s way this year. You got awfully close there with the Lion and I am sure you touched it. It is quite a big crowd, everyone so close to each other. Ben had a great vantage point with the camera 🙂
Also, the dim sum and dumplings you had look amazing. So does the char kuay teow. I’m guessing it was a good place to eat 🙂
Thanks Mabel.
We just had a couple of days in KL, but we really did quite a lot for a short amount of time. We also went to a butterfly park that was gorgeous and had hoped to go inside the national mosque but the timing did not work out well for us.
Yes we were around the Pavilion area and I think the shopping mall was called Pavilion. It was extremely busy and we even saw a movie there at midnight at which time the streets were still buzzing with activity. Going to malls is a rather rare occurrence for us as we would not think of malls as a destination for fun, other than movies, but the cultural proclivity to use malls as an entertainment destination, beyond the pure transactional nature of buying stuff leads to some extensive investment in decoration and so on. We were pleasantly surprised.
Which part of Malaysia did you grow up in??
I did get to touch the lion, so the year of the rooster I expect will bring good things. Happy Lunar New year to you too.
Hard to beat the dim sum we had in Hong Kong recently, but the decision we made to sample some high end novel dim sum, paid off handsomely.
Peta & Ben
I grew up in the KL area, and go back then and again. So all of the places you mentioned in this post are familiar to me 🙂 Though I must say, having eaten at a lot of places there, I find a good dim sum place or even a good restaurant hard to find – the standard is high and there are so many new eateries coming up there these days.
Shopping centres is certainly a big entertainment place in South East Asia. They are great places to escape the humid, hot weather and also to just hang out – much safer than hanging out on the streets. Hope the two of you enjoyed the movie 🙂
We did a bit of dim sum research when we got to KL and hit a combination of high end and more everyday fare. We were very happy with the quality and as well with the variety.
We hope to have more time in Malaysia and to see more of the country. Let us know if you have any specific recommendations for future Malaysian travel.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Peta
Those Korans are stunning – I especially love the round one.
Such incredible history, and it’s all being diluted, trivialized, reduced to nothing in this rocky horror show.
How wonderful that your visit to KL coincided with CNY. And way to go, getting a shot of you (Peta) with the lion by your side.
So..welcome to Bali! Hope we meet for breakfast tomorrow 😉
Amit thanks for your comments. Ben loved the round koran as well, that was definitely one of his favorites.
Everyone was pretty determined to touch the lion for good luck so I had to push forward with the rest of the crowd.
Looking forward to meeting you,
Peta
Amit,
I have been trying to find your blog again but don’t seem to be able to find it. Can you send me a link please to my email: petakaplan@hotmail.com.
Thanks
Peta
We’ve noticed that many who voted for the madman were only interested in one issue that he pandered to: get outdated jobs back; reopen coal mines; make sure all the guns are available at all times to anyone; make abortions illegal; destroy Planned Parenthood (which in fact does not get any federal funding for abortions but provides gynecological care for poor and underserved women) prayers (Christian only of course) back in public schools; get rid of public schools; dump every law that protects the environment; deny every scientific fact in favor of personal prejudice; expand fossil fuel industries across the US no matter how dangerous or whose rights are trampled; don’t let anyone get married unless it’s a man to a woman; destroy all unions (management loves the inequality of this one and the fools who benefit from unions don’t recognize their own danger) destroy the rights of those who are dark skinned; go after the Jews. I know you know this, but these are statements we heard or read about in (gasp!) traditional media. One acquaintance said a vote for T was a vote to protect us from Putin!
Many of these extremist views stand on a foundation of hatred for Obama, not because of his policies or actions but because he is Black. I got so many hideously racist emails from people I’d thought were friends that I had to disconnect from them. I spent my teen and college years campaigning for equal rights and justice for everyone, even giving up a semester to canvass for votes for the 26th amendment (to lower the voting age to 18,) because if a man could be drafted at 18 to serve in the military, he should have the right to vote. Guess I assumed that people would become informed and educated before voting. T acts so much like early Hitler, and the parallels to the rise of nazism are terrifying. Anti-semitism, anti-Mexican, anti-immigrant is as much on the rise here as anti-Muslim sentiment. I fear the Republican Congress that wants to push their right wing Conservative agenda will not be able to control him. We did not get a puppet – we got a dictator who has already dismantled and ignored so many of our democratic principles and institutions. I’m frustrated, angry, and frightened for the future of my grandchildren and for the world.
The only good thing to come out of this horrifying situation is that a very large segment of the younger population which has been apathetic and complacent is becoming galvanized and involved. Right now it’s marches, cute hats, clever signs. I hope they continue to be outraged and that they run for political office in order to restore this country to its actual greatness.
This is a long reply, Peta and Ben, and I’m sure you know these facts and more. No obligation to post this, just wanted to say thank you for a thoughtful post, and for the photos of a beautiful country.
Spot on, Sharon, on every front of your comments.
Perhaps the only dimension I might disagree with is your faith in the younger population becoming more politically engaged. We have four sons, who have different levels of political awareness and attention, but what puzzled us during the pre-election campaign period, is how readily this population was to castigate Hillary as essentially equivalent to Trump. This, courtesy of Bernie, had a catastrophic impact on the results, in my opinion.
The very fact that young women saw zero value in acknowledging the glass ceiling achievement, or that Hillary’s Wall Street connections were seen as essentially as damning as the outrageous stuff coming out of Trump’s campaign, suggests that there is a fundamental problem with this generation’s ability to diagnose and distinguish Republican-sponsored venom at Hillary versus facts. Bernie achieved an admirable level of excitement among the youth and Hillary was never able to muster anything close to this. But… anyone with an ounce of historical memory will remember that prior to the launching of her Presidential campaign, Hillary had been consistently and overwhelmingly judged as a formidable, smart, capable, knowledgeable and caring candidate. The fact that the youth of the country fell so easily into the Trump/Republican misogynist trap speaks volume about this generation’s lack of grounding in the liberal agenda over the past decades. This, to me, is prelude to the future.
Yes, there is the beginning of a “movement”, but… not optimistic it will stick. It is too easy to cast BS character assassination or to derail serious judgement on serious topics when the audience only has a 5 second attention span. I believe she would have won if Bernie had been more forthright in putting his political muscle behind her, rather than sulk for weeks. His support was too little, too late and too grudging. Of course, there were many other determinant exit ramps, most importantly the fatal FBI Director’s political assassination (while at the same time holding back knowledge of Russian influence to help the Trump camp).
Ben
Ben, I agree with much of your assessment, and I’ll add that I thought Hillary ran a weak campaign. I think she insulated herself too much. Trump is a master of manipulation because of his experience with TV, and the fact that he’s essentially a liar. Hillary Clinton didn’t recognize his power with crafting media. I also believe the increase of private schools and home schooling where teachers and parents can exclude information eventually left young people unable to analyze information – they don’t even know where to look for it.
Your comments are brilliant and cover everything I could hope to say. All I can add is that we loved our time in Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur. On your next visit, Peta, try to take one of the half-day BeTourist walking tours of the city.
Thanks Peggy for the compliments. The walking tour sounds like a great idea. Thanks
Peta
What beautiful photos! I didn’t know about how they made those book designs, stunning! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Cecilia. There was a whole section in the museum that explained the whole process around the production of “velum”, i.e. goat skin that is stretched paper thin between wooden frames, soaked, dried etc. This explains in part why these ancient velum documents are so well preserved, versus European parchment. Thanks for stopping by.
Peta
What a gorgeous, inspiring post. Despite the current ugly and frightening administration in the U.S., there is so much beauty and good in this world, and it’s beneficial for us to remember this and acknowledge it, which you do so beautifully with your words and photos. At the same time, we will continue to speak out, and to take positive action.
We join you in a prayer for a peaceful new year for all beings. Thank you for acting as ambassadors of goodwill in your travels.
I loved seeing your wonderful photos of the Museum of Islamic Art, the Chinese New Year celebration, and that fabulous dim sum!
Thanks Laurel for your positive feedback.
It IS important to focus on the “beauty and good in this world” or else the rest of the stuff is just too overwhelming and negative. Being Jewish, we have a survival narrative which runs deep in our family history, both multi generationally and relatively recently during WWII. Dictatorship and oppression of minorities is, sadly a well rehearsed story and we know that to survive it, one needs to not succumb just to the negative horror show and pay attention to whatever positive can be found around us.
Glad you enjoyed the photos and this post and that it was “inspiring” to you.
Peta & Ben
Great photos and very interesting read too, fab post 🙂
Thanks Becky. Welcome to our Green Global Trek and thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Peta
Thank you for writing this post Peta.
This is a country I hope very much to visit one day. Wish I could be right along side you being an ambassador for all those who have been marginalized in our country. I pray that we all get through this with some semblance of the America we know and love still intact. I stand proud to be among the majority here in the US who do not believe in this administration’s radical beliefs and plan to fight for those causes that have made us great. Mr. Trump’s “make America great again” seems to be working, as a majority of us stand up and demand our rights and those of others. I’m sure this is not what he envisioned but it is a positive by-product. I hope we can prevail. In the meantime I have to move on and focus on other things in order to maintain some sanity.
Thanks for your comments Lu Ann.
As I read this, there is a figment of “checks and balance”, courtesy of a courageous Judge to temporarily halt the dubious Trump Administration “muslim ban” Executive Order. Doubtful that it will last, but it is good to see that at least some of the system continues to function, even as Trump belittles the judge as a “so-called judge”, despite his credentials and political lineage…
Reading the news in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia has been informative. It is all, overwhelmingly, reflective of bewilderment and disappointment at the slipping away of a heretofore steadfast democratic anchor in the U.S. Imagine, for instance, the optics from Indonesia which is recovering for decades of strong-man dictatorial rule and some degree of excitement about democracy under their bold young President “Jokowi”. No matter how the US landscape plays out, and it’s very early days still, there already has been, extensive visible damage to the U.S.’s brand.
Ben
Such a beautifully written post!
You’ve managed to blend fact, stereotype, history, culture, and spiritualism together. That’s quite a task! We need such posts and more of them. Travel cannot just be about beautiful places and sumptuous cuisine. There has to be so much more to it and I’m so happy you’ve touched on this topic.
We’re living in strange times. Every second forward makes me feel as if we’re inching backward in time. There’s always hope.
Your photographs looks stunning and the effort you put in every post is enviable. Thanks for this! 🙂
Cheryl
Cheryl thank you for recognizing our intentions to show that we don’t travel in a vacuum.
We are all impacted by world events and depending on where we are in the world at the time of these happenings, they impact our travel experience and our lives. We are very conscious of the fact that we are currently in countries which are predominantly Muslim and we cannot help but address the current state of affairs that has taken hold in Washington D.C. and is radiating globally.
Totally agree that it feels as though we are reverting backwards rather than making social progress on this important topic.
Thanks for the compliment on the photos and our blog.
Peta & Ben
I was in KL and traveled all over Malaysia way back in 1991, and fell in love with the country and its people. That was during the Gulf War. Scary time, but that was nothing compared to what we are facing now. I share your sentiments about Trump’s misguided policies.
We were in Bangkok on Chinese New Year. What a marvelous, chaotic experience. We are currently in Cambodia. The Chinese New Year brought lots of travelers to Siem Reap, but much less busy where we are now in Kampot. More on all this in a future post.
Cheers,
Caroline
We still have much of Malaysia to explore obviously, having only started with Kuala Lumur and we look forward to doing so. Are there any particular places you can recommend?
Bangkok for the Lunar new year must have been great. There is a wonderful small butterfly farm just outside of Siem Reap if you are interested to try to find it. Enjoy your travels.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Peta
I am only now catching up on my reader, so sorry for delay. I really loved hanging out on the long, deserted beaches of the east coast (especially around the small village of Marang). Malacca, Penang, and Cameron Highlands were also highlights, as was the night market in Kota Bharu. I assume things have changed since ’91 and perhaps those east coast beaches aren’t deserted anymore!?
No worries. Thanks for the info! Look forward to discovering more…
Peta
Wow!!! Every picture looks so amazing. A very well structured blog really enjoyed reading about your experience. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ratheesh for the nice words and for stopping by to read and comment on our blog. Welcome to Green Global Trek.
Peta
Like most places around the world today, Kuala Lumpur looks and sounds like a vibrant, multi-ethnic, multi-religious city where people of various beliefs and ideas have managed to live with each other harmoniously. More than ever we need the reminder that this is possible. Thank you.
It is indeed possible to live in a multi ethnic multi religious population that gets along. In fact, our personal experience is that the media usually covers that which does not work. While there are to be sure always incidents of inter ethnic inter religious clashes, there are also many communities that get along fine and don’t get their stories covered. Getting along doesn’t make news. We live near to Fort Galle in Sri Lanka, which is roughly divided equally between Muslims, Buddhists and Christians and the city is a role model for integrated and mutually accepting cultures and religions.
Peta
It is an incredible time in the US and around the world. One barely knows what might be next at the next media report. Today our Prime minister was in the US. It will be an interesting relationship as the two seem very diverse in their thoughts on refugees!
The photos of the celebration and especially the lion dance burst forth with color. Here’s hoping the lion brings good luck for all.
Sue, your P.M is so cool. Pure class, much like President Obama. Made from the same cloth.
In sharp contrast to what we have today in the U.S. Let’s hope that the damage can be contained.
On a brighter note, glad that you enjoyed the photos of the New Lunar Year.
Peta
I miss Kuala Lumpur so much! The blend of cultures, people crowded in tightly (which I normally can’t endure for more than a few minutes), but everyone seeming relatively harmonious. Wouldn’t it be great if we could learn a few of these habits in the States?
The photos are immersive. Takes me back to the markets and museums. Thank you so much for bringing us with you!
Hope you get a chance to visit Batu Caves while you’re there.
Thanks Gabriel for your thoughts. We really enjoyed our short visit and look forward to more time in Malaysia overall. We will definitely try to get to Batu Caves, thanks for the recommend.
Glad you enjoyed this post.
Peta
A fascinating post. And of course Malaysia is a fascinating country. I visited it more than 30 years ago, and would like to go back again. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks Otto for stopping by to read us and comment on our blog post. I am sure it would be interesting to go back after 30 years and see what the changes are and what has remained the same. We only got to spend time in Kuala Lumpur but hopefully next time around we will get to see more of the country as well.
Peta
Oh my goodness – SPECTACULAR photos and wonderfully sensitive and insightful comments on the politics. It is sad that so many countries are leading toward populism and isolation. I can only hope that the pendulum does not have a long trajectory in it’s swing.
I absolutely enough being an armchair traveler and can barely imagine what it’s like to be there in person. Travel on!
Thanks Judith for the compliment on the photos! Appreciate that. And for stopping by to read us and comment.
Peta
What beautiful photos! I didn’t know about how they made those book designs, stunning! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for stopping by to read us and to comment on Green Global Trek. The book designs are made with tiny tiny little paintbrushes dipped in gold. What is so fascinating is that while the West has two distinct practices, one being writing (substance) and calligraphy on the other hand, Islamic calligraphy converges the practice of calligraphy as art to match the subject matter of the writing.
We have always appreciated the extraordinary art of Islamic calligraphy and there are several museums around the world that feature rich collections (Paris, Sharjah and Kuala Lumpur…)
Peta & Ben