That Time I was in a Malaysian Show Choir

So, I don't know how many of you know, but since moving to KL, Malaysia, I have been part of a show choir called The Young KL Singers (YKLS). I joined this group of singers when I first moved to Malaysia. It was actually one of the first things I did after moving. If I recall correctly, I even knew which choir I wanted to join before I moved to KL. I know it seems like I'm really committed to my singing (and hence, I must be an incredible performer) but the opposite is actually true.

"but after her lover!"

I'm okay - and I hadn't sung in a while until YKLS. In University, I was part of a 'no-audition required' accapella group for 1 year... and for only half the year... but... while I was in high school, I was a committed member of the Middle School and Upper School choirs at Havergal College. Music has always been something I've enjoyed. One of the biggest rushes I get (and which actually makes me so joyous that it can bring tears to my eyes at moments) is playing or singing in harmony with someone else. This is exactly why I was such an active member of the Jr. and Sr. Band and a member of the Jazz band during high school. Truth be told, I like choir  because my voice could be improved by the sound of everyone else's' voices. hehehe.

So, once I knew I was moving to Malaysia, I decided I needed to start looking into things that made me happy because I knew the transition wouldn't be easy and that I'd want something to bring happiness into my life.

For the first few months, attending the YKLS rehearsals were a reprieve from the daily struggles of life (remember when I used to complain about everything in KL? Like crossing the road, and my land lord, and figuring out my cell phone plan). Things were hard and I was going through a major cultural adjustment. Singing with YKLS was one of the happiest things I did with my week! And, I was really lucky to get to sing with some incredible people with INCREDIBLE voices. The choir members of YKLS are young professionals who all work normal day jobs but enjoy singing for fun and secretly or not-so-secretly sing at night (just like me).

Finding Europen Influence in Malaysia

Yep. In the form of Portuguese people. And even though its taken me over 2 months to write about it, let me just make the excuse that I was collecting my thoughts.

About 2 months ago, I took a trip to the one town I'd been craving to go to for over half a year called Melaka - which is the Portuguese area of Malaysia just 2 hours away from KL (its also known as the town that everyone takes school trips to when they were in elementary school). It may sound a little strange to you that Malaysia has a Portuguese region... but many many many years ago when Malaysia was colonized by the British, some how, the Portuguese made it there too, leaving in their wake, a tradition of pork, churches, forts and beautiful architecture (Photos taken by the lovely Rajibul).

A trip for my heart :)

My friends, faithful blog readers, and people of the world. I have been away from my blog for much too long! ONE month! I always told myself I'd never become that person who forgets about their blog for 1 month.

Well, never say never I guess... But the neglect of my blog does not go without consequence. I have felt so guilty for not writing and now I'm just doing what I can to make myself feel better. I DO have some excuses though that you will hopefully accept.

1. I went back to Canada *surprise!!* for 3.5 weeks and didn't find anything remotely as interesting as what I am about to blog about, to blog about.

2. My choir has gone into INTENSE FULL THROTTLE MODE because the Young KL Singers are performing our big show of the year in about 3 weeks and so I rehearse three times a week - yes, THREE TIMES A WEEK and hence my life outside of work is being chomped away.

3. I am in the process of applying to grad school and the thought and stress of applying to grad school consumes my mind every second of every day because those deadlines are soon. I'm also heartbroken because focusing on important life stuff (such as grad school) means I get less time to travel, theoretically..... but I've been travelling anyway. So: Doing grad school apps + travelling at the same time don't do so well on my nerves.

But let me briefly tell you all what I've been up to in Canada..... okay. CANADA WAS WONDERFUL! For the first few days I was back, the temperature was actually hovering around the low twenties. I felt the need to wear a scarf, pants, sweaters. It was glorious and I was LOVIN' it! (Although its a bummer that I had to come back to KL right before all the trees changed colours... someone please, take pics of my tree in front of my house and send me updates on its colour change progression. I'm serious.)

You haven't experienced Asia Until You've experienced NAM! Part 2

So I left you guys (hopefully at the edge of your seat) at Thailand and promised you tails of Vietnam which I failed to deliver on.... until now!

Let me just jump right into it. So Bilal and I said good riddance to James (jk jk we actually left him in the middle of the night) to catch our 6 am flight to Hanoi, Vietnam! Thailand and Vietnam are separated by Laos and Cambodia but are not far from each other at all so it was a nice little 2 hour plane ride.

Now, I was so freaking amped up to get to Hanoi! I had heard the best things at Vietnam. I had heard that there was French influence everywhere since Vietnam was originally colonised by the French. I was told that I could get fresh baguettes on the streets and in the hostels, 20 cent "microbrewery beer" on the sides of the road, heavenly pho, and vintage Vietnam war propaganda posters. This place sounded like quite the cultural mecca. Secretly, I was also hoping that Hanoi would be the cheese oasis of Asia given the French influence....(spoiler: I was wrong).

So let me tell you my feelings about the real Hanoi...... it really IS THAT COOL and I LOVED THE PLACE!!!!!! Bilal and I were staying in a really, really tall town house in the old quarter of Hanoi. All of the architecture is like that - everything is built UPWARDS and built with French architectural influence. 

Our tall, tall hostel

The Blog Post You've All Been Waiting For (I hope.) PART 1

I would like to think that this blog post is most anticipated. If you are my friend and have been talking to me on a regular basis (don't worry, one statement does not infer the other...) you'll know that I finally felt like I was living my ASIAN DREAM because I took two weeks to travel around Thailand and Vietnam!

Not only did I get to travel around these two AMAZING countries but I was lucky enough to get to travel with my very good friend Bilal! (Shout out to Bilal!) Finally - I could SHARE some of my Asian experience with someone from home. This means 20 years from now I can discuss Asia with someone from home (rather then discuss Asia to myself, in my head, on my own when all my Malaysia friends - whom I DID get to share this experience with - are living all around the world). 

Anyway so let me tell you about my trip. You may want to get comfy, get yourself a snack, because this is going to be a looooonnnnggg read (And only part 1 of 2)... and I apologize in advance. 

First Stop: Bangkok, Thailand. 

Happy reunion on Khao San Road :)

What it's like to live in a fire place

Maybe some of you at home (in Canada) have been reading about the toxic haze slowly creeping into Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Just so y'all know... it's affecting me over here. What is the reason for this hazey grossness you ask? Sumatra is burning. Apparently some people believe that setting everything on fire is the cheap (and ideal?) method for clearing the crop fields so that they can grow crops again next year. The only (MAJOR) problem is that the smoke from the numerous forest fires is carried by the wind over to Singapore, up to KL and it's heading even further north, consuming and destroying all mucous membranes in it's path. I guess this is one of the problems with living on the side of the world that is still developing. Some countries just can't afford/use the technology/have the technology to do things in a clean way that doesn't make the air into one giant cigarette. 

Kuala Lumpur: a confluence of muddy waters

It's been six months (?!?!?!?!) since I moved to Asia and 5 months since I moved into my apartment and really started living in Kuala Lumpur. I got into the habit of leaving KL every 2 weeks sometimes due to bordem and cabin fever,  sometimes due to my desire to travel Asia in this short 1 year. But there were weeks where I felt like I was spending too much time outside of KL and not really embracing the city. In the beginning I didn't really care because to me, KL was a crazy, overwhelming city without a grid system and it really just confused me for various reasons (the lack of logic re: everything, the roads, the transport system) and so I didn't mind leaving so often.