I hope anyone and everyone reading my blog had a wonderful Christmas, even if you're not Christian. Let's face it, Christmas is as commercial as any holiday these days, even in Singapore and Malaysia Christmas is a big deal. The difference between those countries and the United States is that they don't pretend it's anything but a commercial holiday. Singapore had lights decked out everywhere, especially Orchard Street (their main shopping street). It's really weird to be walking around in Kuala Lumpur malls and listen to songs about baby Jesus considering Malaysia is a Muslim country. There are Christmas trees, lights, and music all over Kuala Lumpur too!
Anyway, I got to spend Christmas in the Bay Area with my family. It was very nice. My family made a nice turkey dinner with stuffing, mash potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc for me. We usually have traditional foods on Christmas but they also did it because I missed out on Thanksgiving. I think it would have been really interesting to spend Christmas overseas, but I'll have to experience that another time.
I'm not from the Bay Area, but my family moved up here, so it's sorta become my home I guess. I forgot how cold it gets here. It's strange because I'm now used to the weather staying hot when it rains... instead it's freezing cold here and rains way too much! I miss the tropics... but at least there's warm showers here, and no blood sucking bugs around me all the time. I think it might be good to get a couple of those Japanese toilet seats I used in Japan for home use. The toilet seats here are super cold due to the terribly cold weather in the bay. Those Japanese toilet seats automatically warm up on touch.
I haven't been in a rush to look for work so I've been bumming around home. People are excited to hear about my trip and I'm happy to talk about it. I've been avoiding most stores so I missed out on the chaos typical in the malls.
My first meal back was a double double, fries, and a chocolate shake at In and Out. Man it was good. I still haven't had my American Breakfast yet... but maybe I'll get it today.
My hours are messed up. I'm not on Malaysia time or West Coast time. I think all the time spend waiting around and sleeping in the airports put me on totally messed up vincent time. I now sleep in the afternoon and wake up around 10 or 11 PM PST. Oh well.
I'll be heading to Vegas for New Years. I don't really plan on doing much, probably just eat and sleep. If I can get some nice pictures I'll put them up here.
Ok, so Happy New Years everyone, and I'll continue playing catch up with my blog very soon! I'll finish up Bangkok and then we're off to Siem Reap for Angkor Wat, the mother of all temples!
7 comments:
Hey there Vince.
Good to hear you made it back to the USA safely.
I sure would have liked to eat Turkey for Christmas dinner this year, but BBQ chicken, lamb and corn was pretty good We are now in Penang wondering what to do for new year.
Look forward to reading more articles
take care and have a great new year
Rich from KL
welcome back!
Welcome back to USA. Looking forward to read the rest of your trip.
thanks! it's nice to be back.
So you were gone for 4 months and you saw all of those places? I think I missed the part where you came back cause I thought you were still there now. I like the double double part. That's what my sister ate when she landed in LAX after being in Spain for 1 year. Did you save alot of money for the whole trip?
Hi Chester,
Yeah, it's really embarrassing how behind I am with the blog of my trip. It's been a year and I still haven't finished. =) I'm trying to get to it though, only one country left: Malaysia.
I will finish it! eventually... Hopefully soon. I have a ton of pictures to sort through.
I didn't talk too much about my return besides this post. While 2008 was a great adventure for me, 2009 has been an adventure of a different sort. I have had serious family medical issues arise. I have spent the majority of the year taking care of that full time so things like this blog have been sorely neglected.
As far as money, I saved a decent amount. I spent a little under 10k for all my travel and gear. It's really not that much money for a trip of this magnitude, and I could have spent even less if I had not for example stayed at some 4 star hotels in china and thailand amongst a few other luxurious comforts I indulged in.
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