It’s that time again, another blog waiting to pour out of
me!
For years, I’ve kept a journal…quite a different experience
when you’re blogging. It’s as if you finally have permission to share your
thoughts in a public forum. Living abroad takes credit for this one…I want to
share all of my experiences with my loved ones back home.
As you know, this spring break I was able to travel to
Malaysia and Singapore with some of the ‘group 5 family’. An experience like
this one doesn’t really ‘kick in’ until you return. I recall being in awe and
in the moment…but coming back, you really ask yourself, “did we just do that?”
We sure did.
About to take off from Abu Dhabi in the early morning on
March 29th, we were given the terrible news that we would be bumped
to the next flight available. I’ve seen overbookings before, but this is the
first one I have been a victim of. It’s an awful thought to know your flight is
leaving without you, and there is nothing you can do. To help make things up to
us, our airline, Etihad, had given us a brief stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on
Yas Island. They’ve also given us a voucher to upgrade on another one of their
flights…I’ll be coming back home to Canada in July in comfort J Disappointed…we changed
our attitudes and became convinced that we were held back for a reason and it
would only come to our advantage. Before we left Abu Dhabi, we got them to
change our flight so that we could stay an extra day…after all, we were about
to miss a day because of their mistake.
For the rest of the trip, I really need the assistance of
all of the pictures we took. It is a blur of tastes, sights, and the many walks
and bus trips we took. I would like to consider myself a person with a passion
for history. I won’t likely be able to spout out facts and dates for you. But
what I can say is that I can put my feet down in an historic site, take a deep
breath, and almost be able to feel the footsteps of civilizations past. The
300+ steps that we took into the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur almost did me in…but
I loved it. Walking up there we were in awe of the sacredness of the Hindu
temples almost in hiding…in complete serenity. Only now unfortunately I feel a
little spoiled by tourism. You will find the gift shops and refreshments at the
foot of the stairs as well as inside the caves, but are quickly taken back to
nature with the wild monkeys roaming the area searching for coconut pieces and
other treasures they might find from the workers and tourists. Oh, how do they
get the refreshments up those stairs you might ask? I thought it was hard
enough making it up those stairs on my own. Watching a Malaysian worker going
up with 3 cases of water on his head…I couldn’t imagine how that would feel!
One of the other experiences I could literally feel
footprints of civilizations past was when we took a trip a few hours outside of
Kuala Lumpur to the quaint city of Melacca (also Melaka, Melaqa). There, we
were able to see Dutch, British, and Portuguese influences throughout this busy
but small area. The pirate ship on display was able to be discovered. Inside,
you would be able to find a diorama of trading pirates as well as weapons and
coins on display. Within the ship, you can hear the creaks of the stairs
underneath your feet as well as see the latch doors that would unhook and
unfold in the days of trade.
In retrospect, the country of Malaysia is literally seeping
with history for those who want to discover it. Canadian by birth, I was struck
by the similarity of government as Malaysia too, is part of the British Commonwealth.
Prime Ministers and Kings of the past and present decorate their walls and
denominations of the Malaysian Ringgit.
As our trip was delayed, we were determined to make up for
lost time. A special thanks to one of our group members, for this and
everything else she’s done! She was able to contact our travel agent back in
Abu Dhabi who worked out a package that would allow us to stay one extra night…in
Singapore. Transportation, tours, and hotel included…it was about $200 extra.
How amazing is that? Back in the van, our driver took us to the 5 hour away
destination. There is a stark difference between Malaysia and Singapore, but
both worth a visit for you to discover. I want to go back to both places.
People have commented to me, “this looks like a trip of a
lifetime!” Looking back, this is my 3rd so-called trip of a
lifetime, and I intend on having more. Throughout the break you can see on my
Facebook newsfeed pictures from around the world from fellow ADEC teachers. We
are so fortunate to be in a place where we are able to travel so easily to
parts of the world we never thought we would go from North America. Living
abroad, and now travelling abroad with Abu Dhabi family members…it makes you
appreciate family and friends from home more than I ever thought possible.
Discovering new countries, new people, new climates, new
foods, new streets, and new ways of doing things…is unforgettable and
indescribable in any way that would do it justice. I challenge each and every
one of you to find a new place within the next little while. For those of you
restricted by time or area…find something new within your ‘backyard’. For those
of you with passports, at least one new stamp before your expiry date. For
those of you with passports and NOT restricted with a teaching schedule…you
have no excuse! You are the limited few who can go anywhere on a cheap budget!
If you are interested in Abu Dhabi…we’ll work it out. If I can help you put a
few more stamps on that passport, I’m here for you J Wouldn’t you rather
experience it for yourself then try to imagine it through my blogs? Go for it.
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