Hike to Monkey Beach

Feeling adventurous and ready to get outdoors and do some hiking, we packed up our kids and water bottles last Saturday and headed to the Penang National Park.  We chose a trail heading out to Monkey Beach, a popular site to see these animals and to do some swimming.  This would not have been possible without our friends' generosity in letting us borrow a hiking backpack for Rachel.  Even so, her 41 pounds turned out to be a pretty good workout for Adam!

The trail turned out to be pretty adventurous, and it took us about an hour and a half to hike to our destination. We all had fun exploring the trail and often got to climb over big rocks and lift ourselves down with ropes.  Periodically, there were concrete or wooden bridges, at one point, we found a wooden swing that we just had to try out, and Mark had to stop and examine the huge ants!  The only damper to our adventure was my son's fear that we were lost, though we assurred him many times that we weren't. 

When we finally arrived at our destination, Mark stopped crying and jumped right in the water, but then it was Rachel's turn to start screaming, as we saw monkeys from afar.  (My daughter's fear of monkeys initiated from a previous bad experience; see "Monkey attack" post.)  The monkeys here never bothered us at all, but Rachel screamed nonetheless until we were safely in the water.  We spent the next half hour cooling off in the ocean, playing in the waves, and looking for shells.  There were lots of small crabs skittering back and forth along the rocks, and it was fun to watch them.  When we got out, Abigail spotted a jellyfish, but thankfully, no one got stung.

We had arranged for a boat to take us back, which was a quick and windy five-minute ride.  Upon returning to our car, we all were starving, as we had purposely avoided bringing food in order to keep the monkeys away.  All in all, this was a great treking experience, and definetely one we'll do again soon!

Fish spa therapy

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to try a truly unique spa experience, namely fish spa therapy!  We went to a place called Kenko, where we allowed fish to exfoliate our feet.  There is a special species of fish, apparently, that thrive on eating the dead and diseased skin of bathers.  Talk about a symbiotic relationship; I dare all skeptics to try it!!  (For more information, check out www.kenko.com.sg. )

Upon entering, we washed our feet and then sat down on a bench with our feet dangling in the water. The first tank had the smallest fish, and even though I knew to expect it, the first nibbles still startled me!  It didn't hurt at all, but we couldn't help but pass the time giggling as we watched these "little masseurs" eat away our dead skin. We spent the half hour soaking our feet in three different tanks, each with progressively larger fish. I could tell that the last tank was making a genuine difference; I emerged with much softer and smoother heels!

Following our fish spa treatment, my friend and I each enjoyed a lovely 10-minute shoulder massage. I don't know how they can make their hands do some of those motions, but it sure felt amazing!! Afterwards, we were led to a quiet room where we were instructed to lounge on comfy chaises while being covered with warm towels. Peaceful music played in the background, and low lighting and scented candles added to the ambiance, as for the next half an hour, we were treated to an intensely satisfying foot reflexology massage. Wow . . . that's all I can say!

I can't wait to share this experience with friends and family that come and visit.  I'd gladly hand over the ONLY $25 US that I spent to pamper myself with all these treatments! This hour and a half of fun and extreme relaxation was worth every ringgit! I have rarely treated myself to such pampering in the past, but this might become my new guilty pleasure.

First week of school

It's only mid-August and my kids have already completed their first week of school!  They are attending an international school called Dalat, and they have to wear uniforms every day.  Makes for some good pictures, I think!

The first week went very well and we're now getting into the groove of the school schedule, i.e. "early to bed, early to rise"!  Rachel is in preschool for the first time, and she loves every minute of it.  Every day she comes bouncing out the door telling me about what she's done.  She loves free play time, circle/story time, and crafts and painting.  Her class is small, only 3 girls and 6 boys. 

Mark is now is kindergarten and loving making friends and eating the school lunch.  He spends recess time hunting for big ants with some other boys and is making progress in his literacy skills, though math is still his favorite.

 

Abigail is in third grade this year, and is learning all the rules and expectations.  She is keeping track of her daily assignments and will be receiving letter grades for the first time this year.  Her favorite class is art, not surprisingly.  The older two kids also get to attend a weekly chapel and Bahasa classes twice a week.

As for me, I'm not sure what to do with myself!  I drop them all off by 8:20, and then, for the first time, I have all morning to do my own thing.  I pick up Rachel at noon to play one-on-one until going back to get the older kids at 3:05.  Some time spent driving, but some time to breathe, too!  I'm sure that I won't have much trouble finding things to do with my time.  =)

 

Malaysia: a harmonious brew

This is such a fascinating and unique island!  I consider myself lucky to be here in Penang and get to experience various cultures, peoples, and religions firsthand.  Diversity is everywhere, yet here, people live together harmoniously and appreciate and learn from each other's differences.

Living the "island lifestyle" has been quite nice!  The backdrop of beautiful hills and an abundance of flowers and animals make it quite the tropical paradise.  I enjoy watching cruise ships and cargo ships go by each day, jet-skiers playing on the water, and local fishing boats coming in around sunrise with their catch to be sold that morning. I enjoy the sound of ocean waves hitting the shore, and the loud bartering and busy hawkers shouting their wares at the wet markets.  Smells of fish, produce, and spices mix together in a not unpleasant way; even the smell of durian does not disturb me. In this friendly city, people watch out for each other (like the woman gently telling my son to climb down from the railing), and Rachel with her blonde hair is very popular!  I love how our building guards address me respectfully, saying "Hallo, Madam", and even called me to let me know that the inner lights were on in my car.  To quote Annie, "I think I'm gonna like it here."  =)

There seems to be alot going on here, and the Penang events link keeps me "in the know".  When we had been here only a week, we attended a Japanese festival on the esplanade, and tonight, I'm going to see a puppet show related to the Hungry Ghost festival.  (During the seventh lunar month according to tradition, Chinese opera and puppet shows are staged to entertain gods and ghosts that come out roaming in search of food.  The burning of joss sticks and various forms of entertainment are "offered".)  Next week, I plan to attend the world's largest floating book fair, a huge book store on a docked cruise boat, whose proceeds go to the charity Logo's Hope.

Of course, the most widely practiced event on the island right now, being an Islamic country, is the celebration of Ramadan.  During the month of August, devout Muslims fast from all food and drink between sunrise and sunset for the purposes of self-discipline and to focus on prayer and seeking Allah. To witness such devotion humbles me and causes me to ponder how I could put more effort into seeking God.  My knowledge of Islam is very limited, but as I live here for an extended period, I hope to gain a greater understanding of Muslim culture and daily life. 

I can certainly appreciate the beauty in design and architecture of the mosques. The beautiful colors and often elaborate details speak of countless hours of difficult labor by expert craftsmen. Where America is dotted with Christian churches on every corner, here beautiful mosques and temples far outnumber buildings for other religions. I have also enjoyed the soothing sounds of the call to prayer five times a day, heard widely via amplification from various mosques throughout the city.

I am reading an enlightening book right now called Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves.  I would highly reccommend this book to anyone who wants to expand their knowledge of various people groups and the advantages of world travel!  Be brave, step out of your comfort zone, and if you know me, come and visit!!

Monkey attack!!!

So, I'm sitting there at the Penang Youth Park and Playground, minding my own business and watching my kids splash and play in the swimming pools there.  Just idling, responding to an email to a friend far away, when . . . I hear a sound and turn my head and see a rather aggressive monkey less than a foot from my face!  I respond by screaming and jumping up, but forgetting to grab my bag, as I am descended upon by a whole pack of monkeys swinging down from the trees.  No joke, they appeared suddenly out of nowhere!

The next thing I knew, my whole pool bag was all over the place.  One monkey had my car keys, another had my house keys, and another was literally taking all the money out of my wallet.  When faced with such a situation, it made sense to me to try and yell and scare them away, but that only made them angrier, and they started chasing me and my 5-year-old son!  I quickly retreated, hoping they would tire of my things, and yelled to my son to quickly jump into the pool for safety.  Meanwhile, my little daughter, though "safe" in the pool, is screaming with fear!

Luckily, the monkeys tired of playing with my keys, and in several attempts, I was able to recover most of my belongings.  I really don't know what I would have done if they'd carried them away!!!  Needless to say, we quickly left the pool, and it might be awhile before I go there again to swim.  I knew to expect aggressive behavior if there was any kind of food in your bag, but I had none.  I'll have to be more careful next time to hold onto my bag, and definetely watch the movements in the trees!