Or rather, Happy Indpendence Day from Malaysia. The 31st of August is a public holiday all across this country. Well, it is for the Malay, those of us that are IM-ers are still required to attend work. However, I did not mind as I have many things to do! Last night at midnight they shot off fireworks, which I was told is pretty cool to see. I almost went but then I considered the glorious and marvelous sleep that I could be taking advantage of (since I don’t get the day off). It was an obvious win.
I considered asking if my boss cared if I came in today, but as he wasn’t at work yesterday for some reason (also, no phone answering or text response which is doubly odd for him), I just asked Ruby (an admin) and she explained that, nope, the bus would still come to pick me up in the morning. This is actually probably a good thing. If I stayed at home today I would probably end up eating all of those chocolate pastry things (like..the stick things you dip in coffee or cocoa) and go into a small diabetic coma while watching E! Hollywood Stories, or something like that.
For the record E! True Hollywood stories are strangely addictive. If y’all ever have any questions about Princess Di, Oprah, or Tyra Banks, please feel free to pick at my incredible amount of knowledge.
Today I brought with me the new hire that arrived yesterday. Catherine Chang, is from Indonesia, and just graduated from college as well. She is extremely nice and friendly. Also nervous; however I remember how nervous I was (and am) about many things so I try to be helpful. I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy being the next-to-least knowledgeable person in D&M right now, instead of the bottom of the knowledge pool in our location.
Also, at about noon today we also got ANOTHER new hire. Her name is (and I will mess up the spelling this first time) Wang Gu Gu. I think she said her “English name” is Cherry, so I will call her that instead. Or Sheri…Like I said, accent is a bit rough. She is nice too. A little more nervous than Catherine, but everyone handles stress differently. We will see what she is like as time goes on!
It is interesting to me what we initially are worried about when we get to a country. I was desperate for internet, and they are obsessed with sim cards. A sim card, for all of you in America, is something we do not have. Here, all of the cell phones in Asia and the Middle East can work in each other’s countries. No need to switch providers or anything like that. Instead, they just buy a sim card in the country they go to and use that country’s network. It is very confusing to me. However, as I did just get paid, I guess I will be joining the realm of sim card users soon enough!
We do have a housing problem, however. Catherine stayed at Lazenda 3 with Syafyka and I last night and tonight. However, we did not really have room for another person when the other new girl got here. There is a new staff house that will be available for moving into on Sept. 1st, however, that still leaves this evening (August 31st) to take care of. I am all for just letting her have my bed, I will take the uber comfy couch, and that is the end of it. Sadly, all of our admins keep on saying, “are you sure that would be ok??? Are you sure you could handle that.” I wanna be like, “Ladies, just because I require internet at whatever house I happen to be occupying, does not mean I cannot handle couch sleeping.” Americans are tough…we run long distance races, go camping while 8 months pregnant, and walk multiple miles a day in 50 C temperatures. I think I can handle one night on a couch. However, they decided to put her in a Completions (another slb segment) house until tomorrow. Then, both Catherine and Sheri will be put in the new D&M house somewhere else on Labuan.
Life in Labuan is better. I feel a little more comfortable here. Come on tomorrow!
Love you all,
Becca
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Bored in an Airport so...blog!!
Woot! Time to blog, so I am going to make another post. I am currently sitting in the Miri airport. Of course, there is not internet so instead I am watching Glee!! Yes, it seems like my glee obsession is a bit pathetic, but you have to realize it is one of the few movies/shows I have on my computer. My extensive list of media is rounded out with 2 seasons of Big Bang Theory, When in Rome, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. I don’t love When in Rome all that much (too…gushy), really super like the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and thus don’t want to over-watch it, and can only handle so much of the laugh track on Big Bang Theory, so Glee is it!!
Anyway, good show. Good show.
So let’s people watch! Across from me is an old Malay woman with a long black dress/robe on, with a white headdress/scarf (I need to learn the names of these things!). She is reading a book in a way that looks backwards and upside down, but I believe she is actually reading in Arabic. Oh…now she’s gone. Maybe my shorts wearing bothered her. Or, actually, I think her plane is loading peoples at the moment. So now my 5 person row and the 5 person row facing me are both gone. Woot!! I like it when I am the autonomous owner of many rows. It was the same way when I was eating my McDonalds earlier. In my defense, I got it “take-away” at a mall in town as my driver was taking me to the airport this afternoon. I asked if there was a place to eat it and the lady checking me in at the airport looked at me weird and said, “anywhere…” so that is what I did! The only reason I even asked is that since it is Ramadan right now and it’s kind of a big deal here, it is considered impolite to eat in front of Muslims because they are fasting. However, as it is difficult to tell who is Muslim unless they are wearing the religious/traditional dress, I just ate my delicious fries and hoped no one would get upset with me.
Speaking of Miri…there is civilization and stuff in this country!!! I consider this incredibly exciting because the choices for things in Labuan are very…limited. So based on Labuan, I assumed that most of Malaysia was like this. Lies, friends! Miri is not western-y by any means, however it does have variety. And clothing stores that include clothing I could/would want to wear. Also, The Body Shop is here!!!!!!! For those of you who do not know what the body shop is; it is like Bath and Body Works with more perfume and 10x the delicious smells! I have been ordering their stuff off of the internet for like 2 years (not very often as it is not cheap) and I am so excited that this one is only a 40 minute flight from me. Next time I come to Miri you can bet where I am going to visit. Also there is a much wider food variety. Italian, Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, legit Thai; all the food is here! Sadly, there is no D&M segment in Miri, so there is no way I will ever be transferred here to take advantage of it. I can only hope they lose my paperwork for sea survival so I can come again.
Important news: There is a crocodile farm about 30 minutes outside of Miri. Next time I come through here I can promise you that I will be visiting this farm. As a result you will either here reports that I had to change pants, or that I have semi-conquered my ridiculous fear o’ the croc. I will never completely conquer my fear because to do that I will have to successfully wrestle and kill one. I will never get close enough to wrestle one, so there is a bit of an impasse there.
Ha! One more guy has sat down a couple seats from me. He is older. Oh..wait…he is leaving too. Bwahaha! My human deterrent perfume (aka not showering) is working! Just joking, mum. Promise I shower on a regular basis here.
Well, there is a Coffee Bean in this airport, and as I am kind of bored (and I’ve just finished my 4th episode of Glee today) I feel like I should get up and let feeling come to my bum again. It will be painful.
Hmm…someone sensed I am about to get up. Now a younger guy who is furiously texting on his phone has sat down a couple seats from me. I am considering staying in order to try and propel him away, but I feel as if it wouldn’t be fair. AH! Another older darker guy has sat across from me! Darnit. My repellant is failing. Also the airport has become quite crowded in the last 10 minutes.
Anyway, love you all. I am almost “home.”
Becca
Anyway, good show. Good show.
So let’s people watch! Across from me is an old Malay woman with a long black dress/robe on, with a white headdress/scarf (I need to learn the names of these things!). She is reading a book in a way that looks backwards and upside down, but I believe she is actually reading in Arabic. Oh…now she’s gone. Maybe my shorts wearing bothered her. Or, actually, I think her plane is loading peoples at the moment. So now my 5 person row and the 5 person row facing me are both gone. Woot!! I like it when I am the autonomous owner of many rows. It was the same way when I was eating my McDonalds earlier. In my defense, I got it “take-away” at a mall in town as my driver was taking me to the airport this afternoon. I asked if there was a place to eat it and the lady checking me in at the airport looked at me weird and said, “anywhere…” so that is what I did! The only reason I even asked is that since it is Ramadan right now and it’s kind of a big deal here, it is considered impolite to eat in front of Muslims because they are fasting. However, as it is difficult to tell who is Muslim unless they are wearing the religious/traditional dress, I just ate my delicious fries and hoped no one would get upset with me.
Speaking of Miri…there is civilization and stuff in this country!!! I consider this incredibly exciting because the choices for things in Labuan are very…limited. So based on Labuan, I assumed that most of Malaysia was like this. Lies, friends! Miri is not western-y by any means, however it does have variety. And clothing stores that include clothing I could/would want to wear. Also, The Body Shop is here!!!!!!! For those of you who do not know what the body shop is; it is like Bath and Body Works with more perfume and 10x the delicious smells! I have been ordering their stuff off of the internet for like 2 years (not very often as it is not cheap) and I am so excited that this one is only a 40 minute flight from me. Next time I come to Miri you can bet where I am going to visit. Also there is a much wider food variety. Italian, Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, legit Thai; all the food is here! Sadly, there is no D&M segment in Miri, so there is no way I will ever be transferred here to take advantage of it. I can only hope they lose my paperwork for sea survival so I can come again.
Important news: There is a crocodile farm about 30 minutes outside of Miri. Next time I come through here I can promise you that I will be visiting this farm. As a result you will either here reports that I had to change pants, or that I have semi-conquered my ridiculous fear o’ the croc. I will never completely conquer my fear because to do that I will have to successfully wrestle and kill one. I will never get close enough to wrestle one, so there is a bit of an impasse there.
Ha! One more guy has sat down a couple seats from me. He is older. Oh..wait…he is leaving too. Bwahaha! My human deterrent perfume (aka not showering) is working! Just joking, mum. Promise I shower on a regular basis here.
Well, there is a Coffee Bean in this airport, and as I am kind of bored (and I’ve just finished my 4th episode of Glee today) I feel like I should get up and let feeling come to my bum again. It will be painful.
Hmm…someone sensed I am about to get up. Now a younger guy who is furiously texting on his phone has sat down a couple seats from me. I am considering staying in order to try and propel him away, but I feel as if it wouldn’t be fair. AH! Another older darker guy has sat across from me! Darnit. My repellant is failing. Also the airport has become quite crowded in the last 10 minutes.
Anyway, love you all. I am almost “home.”
Becca
Thursday, August 26, 2010
They're more like guidelines than actual rules...
Berhenti. This is a Malaysian word meaning, "stop." It is most often found at intersections on a red octagonal shape that looks exactly like the American version of the same sign. However, as the title of this particular post states, I believe this attitude to be the general one of the Malaysian person. Kind of awesome and kind of scary. Usually (unless there are guards in place at locations like checkpoints) the most response I see to the berhenti signs here is a slow roll through the intersection, stopping really only if a car is closs enough to hit us. Here in Miri, my teksi (taxi) driver disregards these signs entirely. Its kind of exciting and slightly scary, but it makes every car ride an adventure!
My sea survival course has been very interesting thus far. I am in a class with an Australian, a northern European (Norway?), a halliburton engg from Singapore, and 9 guys from Malaysia who all hold various positions on rigs like welder or rigger. A rigger, btw, is someone who works around the rig with the mechanical equipment as well as doing whatever jobs need to be done.
The first day of class my our teacher, whose name is David, introduced himself as David Beckham. I could only laugh...apparently that man is popular in this part of the world.
Though all the people in class are nice, it has been a different sort of experience because at least 2 of them speak/understand very little english, and 2 or 3 more have a slightly better grasp, but still not so hot. So the first day class was pretty much taught in both english and Malay, with David switching back and forth in both languages. Kind of fun, but it trying to catch him as he switched back and forth got slightly head-achy after awhile. The first morning was all power point so I utilized the awesomeness that is the little candies at my table. I avoided the coconut ones and went straight for those with coffee flavor. :) Most of the first day was about why safety is important, as well as how to handle emergencies on rigs, and what to do in an emergencie. Also, firefighting!
My firefighting practical rocked! We put on PPE (coveralls, helmets, boots, gloves, gas masks) and using proper guiding techniques make it through a 60-80 foot corrugated metal building through doors and around obstacles. The first time we went through it we had light filtering in the building. Second time was in the dark with smoke surrounding us, which is slightly scary because you can see nothing! Even though I went through it in the light it still felt completely different going back when I could not see. It definitely felt more real. The final time we went though the building the opposite way, in the dark with smoke, in groups. I was last in my 4 person group and it was definitely more difficult because not only did I have to keep in contact, but it felt like we were going the wrong way because the instructors closed all the doors on us and we had to figure out how to open and go through them in the dark. Next we headed over to a concrete area with metal containers and such on it, and got to practice putting out chemical, gas, liquid, and solid fires. Very cool. Basically they just lit stuff up for us and we took turns with different types of fire extinguishers to put them out. My inner pyro was fulfilled.
Today was the sea survival part of the course. We had the lecture in the morning again, including first aid, different types of life boats, how to survive in the water for multiple days, and what to do if you are floating by yourself, with another person, or in a group. The guy that lectured today told me I was going to be the OIM for the day, which stands for Offshore Installation Manager. This person is basically the person in charge of deciding if they abandon the platform, making sure roll is called, and they are supposed to be the last one into any lifeboat and the last one out of any lifeboat. It was kind of fun, even if I didn't volunteer. One of my Malaysian friends told me they jokingly call the OIM, "orang itu malas" (hopefully spelled that right), which basically stands for "The Lazy Person." Apparently the OIM doesn't generally have a good rep on the rig :) All my co-survivalists were very nice to me though and we had a good day practicing getting in and out of different life rafts, floating around in the pool trying to stay together as they were throwing waves at us, and counting off (always an important part of any safety exercise, apparently). The waves were pretty cool. I hope I am never in the ocean in a lifejacket having to deal with them in real life, though. We also practiced boarding and getting off of vessels in rough seas using ropes to swing on. Slightly scary for me as I was afraid my clumsiness would come into play (it didn't!). Finally, we had to board an inflatable raft (that looks kind of like a teepee), paddle it over to the other side of the pool, and then, one-by-one, be lifted out of the pool in a helicopter harness. Pretty fun stuff!! Helicopter harnesses are also not as comfortable as those people being rescued from floods make them look. False advertising, I say...
Also today I had some amazing chinese food!! It is nice to get to say that about a meal. I had Pineapple Fried Rice "Thai Style" (don't really know what that means) and sweet and sour chicken. We do it so wrong in Kansas. Chinese food here tastes so much better! However, I think the proximity to China helps with this.
So that has been my last two days I think. I have my first sunburn on my face and so if nothing else tans, at least that will!! It is difficult to tan when you work outside and everything from your neck to your toes is covered in protective gear. At least none of you have to wonder if I will contract skin cancer (contract? eh..whatever).
But now I am tired. I took a two hour nap today but feel as if I have been hit by a large bus. Probably one that didn't stop at the Berhenti sign...tsk. :) Love you guys, have a great day!
Becca
My sea survival course has been very interesting thus far. I am in a class with an Australian, a northern European (Norway?), a halliburton engg from Singapore, and 9 guys from Malaysia who all hold various positions on rigs like welder or rigger. A rigger, btw, is someone who works around the rig with the mechanical equipment as well as doing whatever jobs need to be done.
The first day of class my our teacher, whose name is David, introduced himself as David Beckham. I could only laugh...apparently that man is popular in this part of the world.
Though all the people in class are nice, it has been a different sort of experience because at least 2 of them speak/understand very little english, and 2 or 3 more have a slightly better grasp, but still not so hot. So the first day class was pretty much taught in both english and Malay, with David switching back and forth in both languages. Kind of fun, but it trying to catch him as he switched back and forth got slightly head-achy after awhile. The first morning was all power point so I utilized the awesomeness that is the little candies at my table. I avoided the coconut ones and went straight for those with coffee flavor. :) Most of the first day was about why safety is important, as well as how to handle emergencies on rigs, and what to do in an emergencie. Also, firefighting!
My firefighting practical rocked! We put on PPE (coveralls, helmets, boots, gloves, gas masks) and using proper guiding techniques make it through a 60-80 foot corrugated metal building through doors and around obstacles. The first time we went through it we had light filtering in the building. Second time was in the dark with smoke surrounding us, which is slightly scary because you can see nothing! Even though I went through it in the light it still felt completely different going back when I could not see. It definitely felt more real. The final time we went though the building the opposite way, in the dark with smoke, in groups. I was last in my 4 person group and it was definitely more difficult because not only did I have to keep in contact, but it felt like we were going the wrong way because the instructors closed all the doors on us and we had to figure out how to open and go through them in the dark. Next we headed over to a concrete area with metal containers and such on it, and got to practice putting out chemical, gas, liquid, and solid fires. Very cool. Basically they just lit stuff up for us and we took turns with different types of fire extinguishers to put them out. My inner pyro was fulfilled.
Today was the sea survival part of the course. We had the lecture in the morning again, including first aid, different types of life boats, how to survive in the water for multiple days, and what to do if you are floating by yourself, with another person, or in a group. The guy that lectured today told me I was going to be the OIM for the day, which stands for Offshore Installation Manager. This person is basically the person in charge of deciding if they abandon the platform, making sure roll is called, and they are supposed to be the last one into any lifeboat and the last one out of any lifeboat. It was kind of fun, even if I didn't volunteer. One of my Malaysian friends told me they jokingly call the OIM, "orang itu malas" (hopefully spelled that right), which basically stands for "The Lazy Person." Apparently the OIM doesn't generally have a good rep on the rig :) All my co-survivalists were very nice to me though and we had a good day practicing getting in and out of different life rafts, floating around in the pool trying to stay together as they were throwing waves at us, and counting off (always an important part of any safety exercise, apparently). The waves were pretty cool. I hope I am never in the ocean in a lifejacket having to deal with them in real life, though. We also practiced boarding and getting off of vessels in rough seas using ropes to swing on. Slightly scary for me as I was afraid my clumsiness would come into play (it didn't!). Finally, we had to board an inflatable raft (that looks kind of like a teepee), paddle it over to the other side of the pool, and then, one-by-one, be lifted out of the pool in a helicopter harness. Pretty fun stuff!! Helicopter harnesses are also not as comfortable as those people being rescued from floods make them look. False advertising, I say...
Also today I had some amazing chinese food!! It is nice to get to say that about a meal. I had Pineapple Fried Rice "Thai Style" (don't really know what that means) and sweet and sour chicken. We do it so wrong in Kansas. Chinese food here tastes so much better! However, I think the proximity to China helps with this.
So that has been my last two days I think. I have my first sunburn on my face and so if nothing else tans, at least that will!! It is difficult to tan when you work outside and everything from your neck to your toes is covered in protective gear. At least none of you have to wonder if I will contract skin cancer (contract? eh..whatever).
But now I am tired. I took a two hour nap today but feel as if I have been hit by a large bus. Probably one that didn't stop at the Berhenti sign...tsk. :) Love you guys, have a great day!
Becca
Monday, August 23, 2010
An aunt in less than a month!!!!
This post really hasn't got a lot to do with that title, but I am looking forward to my new niece so much! Plus..only the cool people get to be aunts :)
Anyway life in Malaysia has been pretty nice recently. I have met/become friends with more people. Most of the engineers I have met here are incredibly nice. And those people I don’t think I will ever become buddies with are at least..interesting.
My weekend was incredibly nice, by the way. On Sunday morning I woke up, (almost late!!) and got ready for my skype date with Adam, which was awesome! We ate pizza hut together and watched No Country for Old men. The internet dodged out on us a couple times, but I completely enjoyed myself anyway. Dating internationally (though not the optimal dating situation, of course), is actually fun as long as both people are not crazy and unreasonable. Luckily, I happen to be dating an incredibly sane, reasonable, amazing guy, so I have no complaints! Whether or not I am sane is always up for debate I suppose. Anyway, so after watching the movie and talking for awhile, he went to bed and I hung out with my roommate, Syafyka. Both of us were feeling lazy, so we watching shows like Australia’s Next Top Model and the movie specials brought to us by way of the cable here. Sunday was also incredibly rain (still!) so I had the perfect excuse to stay inside and laze around. Later on we went to the bazaar (more awkward staring, of course) and I got a flat noodle that I really like along with CUPCAKES!! There is no substitute in this world for a good chocolate cupcake. But yes, got food, then ate with one of Syafyka’s college friends who was super nice and then we played a card game that I don’t know the name of, but definitely plan to teach to my friends and family (you have been warned!) when I head back to the U.S.
Oh, I figured out why the staring bothers me so much today while waiting for a SLB van to pick me up from the bank. I think it is because in the U.S., we stare very discreetly or not at all. If someone is staring at you, then, it is because they are about to invade your personal space in some way (approach you with you wanting them too) or because they are being threatening in some way. So even though the people here are super nice, I think I feel a little threatened when people stare at me constantly. Woot! Glad to finally figure that one out.
Mk. Onto more interesting things. So today I talked to my boss and not only do I have the go-ahead to get my flights for school in Houston, but I also have the go ahead to tack my proposed vacation onto it!! Guess who will be home for the holidays!!! I legitimately do NOT have to sing “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…” and feel nostalgic and sad. I will be there!!! Barring any unforeseen/crazy things happening, of course. I will not feel like it is completely real until I am holding those plane tickets in my hand (or until I step off the plane into Kansas!). Hopefully I will be able to take care of getting that started tomorrow morning.
Speaking of tomorrow; also guess who has to go BACK to the Klinik again? Yup, that would be me. They did not take enough blood last time, so I get to head back to share some more with them. I’m sure it will be another interesting, and hopefully shorter, experience this time.
Tonight I am doing a little packing, actually because I get to head off to Miri for sea survival training stuff tomorrow at 8 pm! It’s just a 40 minute flight over there, and then I will head into the hotel and prep for the next day. I’ve heard the class is pretty fun and interesting. Adwa (a super nice engineer here) told me today that the first time he went he was very excited and the second time (you have to be recertified every 3 years) all he could think was, “I’m too old for this!” I am definitely looking forward to the next 3 days regardless of how the course goes. It will be my first traveling-by-self experience in Malaysia. However, my flights, transport to-and-from hotel, as well as hotel stay are already taken care of, so I’m pretty taken care of to start with!
Well, it is late and I am old and tired. I will tell you about my aerobics class later because it was pretty sweet.
Excited!
Becca
Anyway life in Malaysia has been pretty nice recently. I have met/become friends with more people. Most of the engineers I have met here are incredibly nice. And those people I don’t think I will ever become buddies with are at least..interesting.
My weekend was incredibly nice, by the way. On Sunday morning I woke up, (almost late!!) and got ready for my skype date with Adam, which was awesome! We ate pizza hut together and watched No Country for Old men. The internet dodged out on us a couple times, but I completely enjoyed myself anyway. Dating internationally (though not the optimal dating situation, of course), is actually fun as long as both people are not crazy and unreasonable. Luckily, I happen to be dating an incredibly sane, reasonable, amazing guy, so I have no complaints! Whether or not I am sane is always up for debate I suppose. Anyway, so after watching the movie and talking for awhile, he went to bed and I hung out with my roommate, Syafyka. Both of us were feeling lazy, so we watching shows like Australia’s Next Top Model and the movie specials brought to us by way of the cable here. Sunday was also incredibly rain (still!) so I had the perfect excuse to stay inside and laze around. Later on we went to the bazaar (more awkward staring, of course) and I got a flat noodle that I really like along with CUPCAKES!! There is no substitute in this world for a good chocolate cupcake. But yes, got food, then ate with one of Syafyka’s college friends who was super nice and then we played a card game that I don’t know the name of, but definitely plan to teach to my friends and family (you have been warned!) when I head back to the U.S.
Oh, I figured out why the staring bothers me so much today while waiting for a SLB van to pick me up from the bank. I think it is because in the U.S., we stare very discreetly or not at all. If someone is staring at you, then, it is because they are about to invade your personal space in some way (approach you with you wanting them too) or because they are being threatening in some way. So even though the people here are super nice, I think I feel a little threatened when people stare at me constantly. Woot! Glad to finally figure that one out.
Mk. Onto more interesting things. So today I talked to my boss and not only do I have the go-ahead to get my flights for school in Houston, but I also have the go ahead to tack my proposed vacation onto it!! Guess who will be home for the holidays!!! I legitimately do NOT have to sing “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…” and feel nostalgic and sad. I will be there!!! Barring any unforeseen/crazy things happening, of course. I will not feel like it is completely real until I am holding those plane tickets in my hand (or until I step off the plane into Kansas!). Hopefully I will be able to take care of getting that started tomorrow morning.
Speaking of tomorrow; also guess who has to go BACK to the Klinik again? Yup, that would be me. They did not take enough blood last time, so I get to head back to share some more with them. I’m sure it will be another interesting, and hopefully shorter, experience this time.
Tonight I am doing a little packing, actually because I get to head off to Miri for sea survival training stuff tomorrow at 8 pm! It’s just a 40 minute flight over there, and then I will head into the hotel and prep for the next day. I’ve heard the class is pretty fun and interesting. Adwa (a super nice engineer here) told me today that the first time he went he was very excited and the second time (you have to be recertified every 3 years) all he could think was, “I’m too old for this!” I am definitely looking forward to the next 3 days regardless of how the course goes. It will be my first traveling-by-self experience in Malaysia. However, my flights, transport to-and-from hotel, as well as hotel stay are already taken care of, so I’m pretty taken care of to start with!
Well, it is late and I am old and tired. I will tell you about my aerobics class later because it was pretty sweet.
Excited!
Becca
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Rain, rain, rain!!!
Hello from my rainy house!
People say I will get tired of the rain in Malaysia and I completely disagree. It's like saying I will get tired of ketchup, godiva chocolates, or running. Complete nonsense! They just don't understand how much I love storms!! First the clouds start to get dark, then the sky changes color. A couple drops fall, then ka-blam!!! Down through the (usually) evening or night sky it just begins to completely pour!! Some days it pours for 20 minutes, and on days like to day it has been raining pretty solidly for the better part of two hours. I have no problems with it. Even if I had to be in it, it is just rain. I will not melt, nor will I "catch my death." And every single storm, without fail, makes me want to do a Gene Kelly impression on my street. For those of you who don't know who Gene Kelly is or why he is so amazing, I demand you go onto Amazon or ebay and immediately order Singin' in the Rain. If you don't and I find out, I will shun you :)
Anyway, it is a Saturday night in Malaysia. Syafyka is out celebrating someone's birthday, Syaiful is getting ready to head to his first rig (woohoo!! I am so excited for him!!) and the rest of my friends I have made here are either on rigs or at schools of some sort. So it is just me, the tv that will not show satellite shows right now because the cable always goes out when we get a rainstorm, and my lovely huge windows in the livingroom that allow me to see the awesome (seriously...so cool!!!) drainage system in our front yard.
I did have dinner tonight, and it was a couple pieces of pizza hut pizza (woot!) and a "chocolate shake." And though it wasn't exactly like chocolate shakes in America, it was actually really delicious and it had sugar and stuff in it. I miss sugary things so there are no complaints here :).
My week has been interesting. Full or new experiences, both good and not so good. I had to re-do about 70 percent of my medical exam that I already did in America because the American doctors didn't send it over. In the course of this exam I (a) peed over an open hole in the ground into an already used specimen cup, (b) found out I've lost 8 kg (17 lbs) since I've come here (just sayin...all my close fit really nicely now, though my shirts are kind of big), (c) found out that I really do like Lafene in retrospect, and (d) realized that I can actually pull out patience when I need to. There is hope for me yet parents!!
Letter (a) was definitely a new experience and I had a little bit of a shy bladder issue because I've never had to crouch, aim, and balance before. Those of you that have seen my coordination skills/balancing ability in action are probably laughing right now because it took a large amount of effort to say the least. I do like toilets.
Letter (b) was a surpise, both pleasant and not so good at the same time. I don't mind losing weight, however I would prefer it was in a healthier and more enjoyable manner (aka...running a marathon or something). I've never been into the whole starving oneself scene (as anyone who has seen me eat can vouch for!), so it is a little different to lose weight that way. And no, I am not actually starving myself. Just eating whoa less calories because when I eat a lot of food here I end up having...digestive issues. However, I actually can't wait for getting to go to my aerobics class on Monday (that I wasn't able to attend last week) so I can start being fit the healthy way again.
Skipping letter (c), I will address (d). My physical actually ended up taking about 4 hours altogether after I did all the tests and incorporated the waiting inbetween each. I am not used to waiting so much for things, however with the help of a book Adam gave me before I left, and the realization that I really had nowhere to be besides work (and that could definitely wait!), I actually never got impatient or grouchy (which is my usual reaction).
So that was my Thursday, then, on Friday most of everything went ok. I went to work like normal, studied, ran some errands, and rocked out at my desk to the top 100 list on yahoo music (it helps me focus!!). For lunch I had some rice with the first truly spicy side dishes I've run into here, so I had one bean (literally) and 2 bites of the rice with some of the sauce on it. As it seemed like eating anymore might be a bit of an un-good idea, I just ate the non-sauced rice around it along with a couple pieces of watermelon. Fast forward to 2 hours later, feeling good, just sat down at my desk after doing some talking to coworkers and suddenly intense pain (like the kind you get in your side during an intense workout and it hurts so much you can't breath and have to stop) started in my lower chest area and quickly spread to my sides and then eventually all the way to my spine in the back. I felt like I needed to throw-up but couldn't and it got so bad that eventually I couldn't even breath in very deep and it actually hurt intensely when I tried to take deep breaths. Syafyka went with me to the company medic, then he sent me to the clinic I was at the day before to be checked out (Syaiful drove...I have good friends, btw.). The pain (about 30-40 minutes later now) finally started to subside as I was sitting in the doctors office (of course...) and he diagnosed me with "gastric" which I basically have no clue what that means. He prescribed maalox, nexium, and basically a peppermint version of the pink medicine. Oh and some anti-vomiting pills. However, for the record I have never vomited here. So yeah, we'll see if that works. It was really scary though. I've had multiple pulled muscles, sprained ankles, a sciatic nerve injury and nothing hurt like that did. I feel like the medic, though he is super nice, might think I am a whiner (along with the doctor), but I've NEVER been a sick/complainy person before. And I can definitely handle a lot of pain with relative ease, so...I guess it will just get better or worse :) Its like a mystery...how will it turn out?!?
For the record though, I feel crazy better today and I have actually had minimal headaches and such all day so I almost feel like I could conquer the world if I wasn't so tired!
Today has been fun, by the way. We went to work late, left it early, and I got to go with Syafyka and Syaiful as Syafyka was looking for material for her dress for Hari Raya which is (as far as I understand it) a big celebration they are having on the 10th and 11th of September. Maybe it is for James' birthday?!? He will be 21!! Just kidding. Anyway, they dress in traditional Malay dress, there are parades and unity activities and such and they go around to each other's houses eating foods people have prepared. Should be interesting! The material is really beautiful (that Syafyka got for her dress) and I hope I have a working camera by the time it comes around so I can take pictures of her (and the food!).
So, finally timeline of the next week: Sunday, skype date with Adam!; Monday, pick up new debit card from HSBC and see a lithium battery leak drill; Tuesday, fly to Miri, Malaysia; and Wednesday thru Friday, sea survival training!! Should be a busy and fun week. I am looking forward to it (and hopefully not being sick anymore!)
This is too long so I will end it now...I love you guys and hope you are having fun in the States!
Becca
People say I will get tired of the rain in Malaysia and I completely disagree. It's like saying I will get tired of ketchup, godiva chocolates, or running. Complete nonsense! They just don't understand how much I love storms!! First the clouds start to get dark, then the sky changes color. A couple drops fall, then ka-blam!!! Down through the (usually) evening or night sky it just begins to completely pour!! Some days it pours for 20 minutes, and on days like to day it has been raining pretty solidly for the better part of two hours. I have no problems with it. Even if I had to be in it, it is just rain. I will not melt, nor will I "catch my death." And every single storm, without fail, makes me want to do a Gene Kelly impression on my street. For those of you who don't know who Gene Kelly is or why he is so amazing, I demand you go onto Amazon or ebay and immediately order Singin' in the Rain. If you don't and I find out, I will shun you :)
Anyway, it is a Saturday night in Malaysia. Syafyka is out celebrating someone's birthday, Syaiful is getting ready to head to his first rig (woohoo!! I am so excited for him!!) and the rest of my friends I have made here are either on rigs or at schools of some sort. So it is just me, the tv that will not show satellite shows right now because the cable always goes out when we get a rainstorm, and my lovely huge windows in the livingroom that allow me to see the awesome (seriously...so cool!!!) drainage system in our front yard.
I did have dinner tonight, and it was a couple pieces of pizza hut pizza (woot!) and a "chocolate shake." And though it wasn't exactly like chocolate shakes in America, it was actually really delicious and it had sugar and stuff in it. I miss sugary things so there are no complaints here :).
My week has been interesting. Full or new experiences, both good and not so good. I had to re-do about 70 percent of my medical exam that I already did in America because the American doctors didn't send it over. In the course of this exam I (a) peed over an open hole in the ground into an already used specimen cup, (b) found out I've lost 8 kg (17 lbs) since I've come here (just sayin...all my close fit really nicely now, though my shirts are kind of big), (c) found out that I really do like Lafene in retrospect, and (d) realized that I can actually pull out patience when I need to. There is hope for me yet parents!!
Letter (a) was definitely a new experience and I had a little bit of a shy bladder issue because I've never had to crouch, aim, and balance before. Those of you that have seen my coordination skills/balancing ability in action are probably laughing right now because it took a large amount of effort to say the least. I do like toilets.
Letter (b) was a surpise, both pleasant and not so good at the same time. I don't mind losing weight, however I would prefer it was in a healthier and more enjoyable manner (aka...running a marathon or something). I've never been into the whole starving oneself scene (as anyone who has seen me eat can vouch for!), so it is a little different to lose weight that way. And no, I am not actually starving myself. Just eating whoa less calories because when I eat a lot of food here I end up having...digestive issues. However, I actually can't wait for getting to go to my aerobics class on Monday (that I wasn't able to attend last week) so I can start being fit the healthy way again.
Skipping letter (c), I will address (d). My physical actually ended up taking about 4 hours altogether after I did all the tests and incorporated the waiting inbetween each. I am not used to waiting so much for things, however with the help of a book Adam gave me before I left, and the realization that I really had nowhere to be besides work (and that could definitely wait!), I actually never got impatient or grouchy (which is my usual reaction).
So that was my Thursday, then, on Friday most of everything went ok. I went to work like normal, studied, ran some errands, and rocked out at my desk to the top 100 list on yahoo music (it helps me focus!!). For lunch I had some rice with the first truly spicy side dishes I've run into here, so I had one bean (literally) and 2 bites of the rice with some of the sauce on it. As it seemed like eating anymore might be a bit of an un-good idea, I just ate the non-sauced rice around it along with a couple pieces of watermelon. Fast forward to 2 hours later, feeling good, just sat down at my desk after doing some talking to coworkers and suddenly intense pain (like the kind you get in your side during an intense workout and it hurts so much you can't breath and have to stop) started in my lower chest area and quickly spread to my sides and then eventually all the way to my spine in the back. I felt like I needed to throw-up but couldn't and it got so bad that eventually I couldn't even breath in very deep and it actually hurt intensely when I tried to take deep breaths. Syafyka went with me to the company medic, then he sent me to the clinic I was at the day before to be checked out (Syaiful drove...I have good friends, btw.). The pain (about 30-40 minutes later now) finally started to subside as I was sitting in the doctors office (of course...) and he diagnosed me with "gastric" which I basically have no clue what that means. He prescribed maalox, nexium, and basically a peppermint version of the pink medicine. Oh and some anti-vomiting pills. However, for the record I have never vomited here. So yeah, we'll see if that works. It was really scary though. I've had multiple pulled muscles, sprained ankles, a sciatic nerve injury and nothing hurt like that did. I feel like the medic, though he is super nice, might think I am a whiner (along with the doctor), but I've NEVER been a sick/complainy person before. And I can definitely handle a lot of pain with relative ease, so...I guess it will just get better or worse :) Its like a mystery...how will it turn out?!?
For the record though, I feel crazy better today and I have actually had minimal headaches and such all day so I almost feel like I could conquer the world if I wasn't so tired!
Today has been fun, by the way. We went to work late, left it early, and I got to go with Syafyka and Syaiful as Syafyka was looking for material for her dress for Hari Raya which is (as far as I understand it) a big celebration they are having on the 10th and 11th of September. Maybe it is for James' birthday?!? He will be 21!! Just kidding. Anyway, they dress in traditional Malay dress, there are parades and unity activities and such and they go around to each other's houses eating foods people have prepared. Should be interesting! The material is really beautiful (that Syafyka got for her dress) and I hope I have a working camera by the time it comes around so I can take pictures of her (and the food!).
So, finally timeline of the next week: Sunday, skype date with Adam!; Monday, pick up new debit card from HSBC and see a lithium battery leak drill; Tuesday, fly to Miri, Malaysia; and Wednesday thru Friday, sea survival training!! Should be a busy and fun week. I am looking forward to it (and hopefully not being sick anymore!)
This is too long so I will end it now...I love you guys and hope you are having fun in the States!
Becca
Monday, August 16, 2010
Are you Britney Spears?
Much to my equal parts disgust, amusement and dismay (well..disgust and dismay might have been a little more far up there than amusement) I was asked this question by a guy about my age in the bazaar yesterday evening when Hanif, Syafyka and I went there to grab some food. Of course he asked it flirtatious/jokingly, as she is about 10 sizes smaller than me, blonde, and I was wearing my blue PPE and probably looked like a very tall (to those around me) mechanic. Of course, as I try not to meet anyone’s eyes as I walk in public (I don’t look like a victim or anything, dad, don’t worry…just not directly at any one person for more than a second) as, generally, they are staring at me first, I didn’t hear him correctly and thought he was speaking Malay to me. Then as I said, “excuse me?” He repeated the question, I didn’t get it again and looked at Syafyka who was laughing beside me. He said it one more time as she did and I got it. A little flabbergasted (usually they stare..I’m rarely approached), I didn’t really know how to respond except with, “Yeah, definitely not.” And I said this he stuck out his hand and said, “It’s nice to meet you, I am David Beckham.” I laughed and shook his hand, all the while remembering while I only go out in public places for short spurts of time. Then, about 10 minutes later, I was walking by another stall in the bazaar (with Syafyka and Hanif) and another guy nudges his guy friend and says something like, “hey sugar, what’s up?” Again, I didn’t know what to do so I pretended I didn’t hear him and went on. I suppose I could’ve turned around and destroyed him verbally (and physically, hey…they grow’em small here) but it’s not worth my time. Does get a bit annoying though. Syafyka finally noticed today how much attention I get in public and for her that is exciting. She actually asked if it is fun to be the center of attention and (you can quote me parentals!) it is NOT. It’s not like I am harassed and feel constantly heckled, but I definitely feel uncomfortable in public. I can only ignore the staring so much. Every food stand or supermarket stall is full of people who just watch me silently (or not so silently sometimes). I went to an open air meat selling place and yup, every single person I saw was watching me…slightly unnerving. It’s even funnier when I wear shorts…I am a very pasty/pink sort of person :).
For the record, I do like that in America it is considered rude to stare.
Besides that, my day was not super eventful. Nor was my weekend for that matter. I definitely slept for about 60 percent of my day on Sunday and I feel amazing for it!! Then today I got a ton of studying/learning done, got food at the bazaar, and found out that not only does SLB pay for our gym membership here, but I can also join aerobics and yoga classes for free in the evenings!! I think I am going to start out with the aerobics class and move on to yoga if I don’t fail miserably at the latter (or former…I always get so confused with those). Also, I got to talk to Adam on his drive back from North Carolina this evening from another engineer’s house, so that helped finish off my day in just the right way. The reason I am calling from the engineer’s house is that my own doesn’t have internet yet. I hope this happens soon!!
Well, I am going to bed now, with Humphrey, my traveling tiger friend sitting next to my bed as the maid thoughtfully arranged him there today. I hope y’all are having a slightly cooler day in America, where ever you happen to be.
Love from your very own Malaysian Britney Spears...
For the record, I do like that in America it is considered rude to stare.
Besides that, my day was not super eventful. Nor was my weekend for that matter. I definitely slept for about 60 percent of my day on Sunday and I feel amazing for it!! Then today I got a ton of studying/learning done, got food at the bazaar, and found out that not only does SLB pay for our gym membership here, but I can also join aerobics and yoga classes for free in the evenings!! I think I am going to start out with the aerobics class and move on to yoga if I don’t fail miserably at the latter (or former…I always get so confused with those). Also, I got to talk to Adam on his drive back from North Carolina this evening from another engineer’s house, so that helped finish off my day in just the right way. The reason I am calling from the engineer’s house is that my own doesn’t have internet yet. I hope this happens soon!!
Well, I am going to bed now, with Humphrey, my traveling tiger friend sitting next to my bed as the maid thoughtfully arranged him there today. I hope y’all are having a slightly cooler day in America, where ever you happen to be.
Love from your very own Malaysian Britney Spears...
Friday, August 13, 2010
And today...was a good day :)
Its funny, you know, just when I am prepared to be miserable and sick for the rest of my time spent in Malaysia...I am surprised in the sweetest ways.
Today started out the way the past 4 days have started out. I have had an intense headache, neck ache, nausea, and tiredness. To sum up; very unhappy. So many times in the past couple of days I thought, "wow, I really just want to go home where I understand people and there is a wal-mart, taco bell, and my car. Maybe I can do something horrible and they will deport me..." Lol. Yes, I know it sounds a little stupid, but it was actually a bit of a hopeful thought.
So I just accepted being able to get through the day so I could go home and sleep, probably without the ability to eat anything or enjoy myself. But I did go to the medic and he gave me some orange stuff to put in my water in order to help me not feel sick that tasted like orange slime, but I sipped it anyway. It didn't do a lot to make me feel better so I was trepidatious when it lunch time came around. A trainee that is only here for a week, Kanchana, knew that I haven't been feeling well and she was going to go out to lunch with some Indian employees, but she stayed to go to lunch downstairs with me because she didn't believe I would go if someone wasn't there to make me. So we went to lunch and I got some rice and chicken (I might've offended the staff by not trying the dodgy looking coleslaw thing or the weird veggies) and watermelon, and though I was full quickly I did not feel sick!
My head still hurt, but I made it through a lot more studying in the afternoon. Later before work ended, I was invited to go to the bazar with Syaiful, Syafyka, and Kanchana. Background: during the day here (as it is now Ramadan) all those that are Muslim do not eat or drink anything. But, at 6:35 pm they break their fast and so throughout this entire month, these places called bazars are set up and large numbers of food sellers all set up tents together and you walk around and get food from them (which to be honest probably is slightly unsanitary) and take it home to eat it. I got some noodles, some grilled chicken on sticks, and a chocolate cupcake! It was the best chocolate cupcake ever. And I was hesitant to go at first, but it was a really fun! I got to spend time with my housemates, see a little bit of Malay culture, and just enjoy being outside. And I still feel really good. I am happy for the first time in awhile and it is so nice! My friend Syafyka commented that she had never seen me like this before, which made me a little sad because normally I am very outgoing and full of fun. I hope this is a bit of a turning point.
Funny-ness: Though people do stare at me, I rarely get stared at openly. I love being out in public with families around, though, because all the little kids are not told it is rude to stare. So I always have 2-10 year old kids that watch my every move and arrange them selves around their parents when I move so they can get a better look at me. Its actually pretty hilarious, to be honest.
Also, best moment of the day (potentially, as the day isn't over yet) is when I had this weird gelatinous-y pink and white dessert. It tasted exactly like SUGAR COOKIE! Yeah. I found sugar cookie in Malaysia, y'all can be jealous now.
Anyway, tomorrow could be better or worse, but I am just thankful that today was good. I love you all. :)
Becca
Today started out the way the past 4 days have started out. I have had an intense headache, neck ache, nausea, and tiredness. To sum up; very unhappy. So many times in the past couple of days I thought, "wow, I really just want to go home where I understand people and there is a wal-mart, taco bell, and my car. Maybe I can do something horrible and they will deport me..." Lol. Yes, I know it sounds a little stupid, but it was actually a bit of a hopeful thought.
So I just accepted being able to get through the day so I could go home and sleep, probably without the ability to eat anything or enjoy myself. But I did go to the medic and he gave me some orange stuff to put in my water in order to help me not feel sick that tasted like orange slime, but I sipped it anyway. It didn't do a lot to make me feel better so I was trepidatious when it lunch time came around. A trainee that is only here for a week, Kanchana, knew that I haven't been feeling well and she was going to go out to lunch with some Indian employees, but she stayed to go to lunch downstairs with me because she didn't believe I would go if someone wasn't there to make me. So we went to lunch and I got some rice and chicken (I might've offended the staff by not trying the dodgy looking coleslaw thing or the weird veggies) and watermelon, and though I was full quickly I did not feel sick!
My head still hurt, but I made it through a lot more studying in the afternoon. Later before work ended, I was invited to go to the bazar with Syaiful, Syafyka, and Kanchana. Background: during the day here (as it is now Ramadan) all those that are Muslim do not eat or drink anything. But, at 6:35 pm they break their fast and so throughout this entire month, these places called bazars are set up and large numbers of food sellers all set up tents together and you walk around and get food from them (which to be honest probably is slightly unsanitary) and take it home to eat it. I got some noodles, some grilled chicken on sticks, and a chocolate cupcake! It was the best chocolate cupcake ever. And I was hesitant to go at first, but it was a really fun! I got to spend time with my housemates, see a little bit of Malay culture, and just enjoy being outside. And I still feel really good. I am happy for the first time in awhile and it is so nice! My friend Syafyka commented that she had never seen me like this before, which made me a little sad because normally I am very outgoing and full of fun. I hope this is a bit of a turning point.
Funny-ness: Though people do stare at me, I rarely get stared at openly. I love being out in public with families around, though, because all the little kids are not told it is rude to stare. So I always have 2-10 year old kids that watch my every move and arrange them selves around their parents when I move so they can get a better look at me. Its actually pretty hilarious, to be honest.
Also, best moment of the day (potentially, as the day isn't over yet) is when I had this weird gelatinous-y pink and white dessert. It tasted exactly like SUGAR COOKIE! Yeah. I found sugar cookie in Malaysia, y'all can be jealous now.
Anyway, tomorrow could be better or worse, but I am just thankful that today was good. I love you all. :)
Becca
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The sun came out tomorrow :)
First: Sorry about the English in that title, mum. I know it probably stabs a little bit, however in my defense many famous authors do it and they get paid millions!!
Anyway, feeling a little bit more positive today. The stomach and headache are pretty much gone. I was able to eat lunch and not feel super upset-ty either! Of course my boots were stolen while I wasn't in the office yesterday evening, but then, apparently that is just Malaysia and they will be getting me more shoes this week. I was initially told that, "sometimes when engineers are in a hurry they just grab a pair and put them back later." Then, when I pointed out that mine weren't returned yet, the person I was talking to was able to pull from their memory that boot theft has been a bit rampant lately and he forgot to warn me about that when I initially arrived. I love this country. Every day makes me appreciate where I am from just a little bit more. :)
Also good thing: I had McDonalds again today!!! I got a double cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milk!!! It was delicious. Funny thing is, since my portions have been...smaller lately, I am not able to eat as much. So even though I totally plowed with determination through the cheeseburger and 3/4 of the fries, I was definitely full halfway through the cheeseburger. It's ok. I have some chicken nuggets I bought for dinner tomorrow in the fridge. The deliciousness will go on!!
Annndddddd....(drum roll)....I found out when my Engg 1 school is! Engg 1 is a basic school D&Mers go to and it is in 3 locations; Houston, Abu Dhabi, or some place in Russia. I get to go back to Houston!!! I never thought I'd be excited to spend 2 months in Texas in my life, but there it is folks! Two words: Taco Bell. Three more words: Adam and Family! Though I won't be able to visit during school, probably. I am going to try and ask for vacation (I get 4 accumulating days a month) directly after that, so cross your fingers for me!!
Anyway, I am hoping that your today is as interesting and fun as mine was. Have a lovely (and hopefully not overly warm) day in Kansas, or whereever you are.
Love you,
Becca
Anyway, feeling a little bit more positive today. The stomach and headache are pretty much gone. I was able to eat lunch and not feel super upset-ty either! Of course my boots were stolen while I wasn't in the office yesterday evening, but then, apparently that is just Malaysia and they will be getting me more shoes this week. I was initially told that, "sometimes when engineers are in a hurry they just grab a pair and put them back later." Then, when I pointed out that mine weren't returned yet, the person I was talking to was able to pull from their memory that boot theft has been a bit rampant lately and he forgot to warn me about that when I initially arrived. I love this country. Every day makes me appreciate where I am from just a little bit more. :)
Also good thing: I had McDonalds again today!!! I got a double cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milk!!! It was delicious. Funny thing is, since my portions have been...smaller lately, I am not able to eat as much. So even though I totally plowed with determination through the cheeseburger and 3/4 of the fries, I was definitely full halfway through the cheeseburger. It's ok. I have some chicken nuggets I bought for dinner tomorrow in the fridge. The deliciousness will go on!!
Annndddddd....(drum roll)....I found out when my Engg 1 school is! Engg 1 is a basic school D&Mers go to and it is in 3 locations; Houston, Abu Dhabi, or some place in Russia. I get to go back to Houston!!! I never thought I'd be excited to spend 2 months in Texas in my life, but there it is folks! Two words: Taco Bell. Three more words: Adam and Family! Though I won't be able to visit during school, probably. I am going to try and ask for vacation (I get 4 accumulating days a month) directly after that, so cross your fingers for me!!
Anyway, I am hoping that your today is as interesting and fun as mine was. Have a lovely (and hopefully not overly warm) day in Kansas, or whereever you are.
Love you,
Becca
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Mayonnaise, Plantains, and what?!
Selemat Malam!
So disclaimer/warning: this post might not be the most positive, though I will try. Currently I am curled up in bed fighting nausea from what I think was a small piece of bread with a piece of hotdog inside and what could've been mayonnaise cooked on top. In my defense, the label in the pastry shop called it "cheese." I clearly need to introduce this country to the realities of cheese. Hmm..now that I think of it, I actually haven't eaten legit cheese on or in anything since I left the states. Yup, if you are ever having a bad day, now you can think, "hmm...but I have cheese and Becca does not." All I require of you for thinking such a thing is to (after you have eaten the cheese) get online and send me a message some way telling me how awesome the cheese tasted, so I can live vicariously through you. As I talk to Adam quite a bit, I get to hear about his meals on a daily basis, which though it sounds a little weird and masochistic, is kind of awesome. Homemade chocolate cake, yummm :)
Second warning: this will be all about food. I love food. I miss loving food and looking forward to eating it. Currently 2/3 of my diet consists of coffee, water, tea, and cocoa puffs. I love this country for having cocoa puffs. It's one of the few foods (also...McDonalds hamburgers..who'd have thought?!) that taste pretty much the same as something from home. Even the cookies/crackers taste different. The buttercream chocolate cake would've broken my heart if I hadn't been watching lions kill wildebeests on tv at the same time. Those lions are crazy distracting.
Sometimes the food here tastes like American food, yet is definitely not the same thing. Example: Plantains. The initial thought (due to the sauce they had on them) I had was, "hey! This tastes like lasagna." The second thought was, "Chewy...slimy...just get it down!!" A variation of this is what happens most lunches there. It is like a groundhog day moment. I have a couple bites of the chicken, attempt the veggies, and then end up consuming 5 or 6 bites of rice before my digestive system gives up. Then I go back upstairs for a handful of my trusty companion, the cereal box. I think I will name the cereal box....um...Janice as it is pretty much a constant companion.
My coworkers keep asking if I am dieting. I think it would be funny to come back with, "What?! You think I am fat?" :) However, instead I go with the tried and true, "oh, I am just not that hungry today. My stomach isn't quite used to eating such big meals." Works pretty well, I think.
Oh yes. K. Itemized list of things I have eaten so far that have left an impression on me:
Love you all.
Becca
So disclaimer/warning: this post might not be the most positive, though I will try. Currently I am curled up in bed fighting nausea from what I think was a small piece of bread with a piece of hotdog inside and what could've been mayonnaise cooked on top. In my defense, the label in the pastry shop called it "cheese." I clearly need to introduce this country to the realities of cheese. Hmm..now that I think of it, I actually haven't eaten legit cheese on or in anything since I left the states. Yup, if you are ever having a bad day, now you can think, "hmm...but I have cheese and Becca does not." All I require of you for thinking such a thing is to (after you have eaten the cheese) get online and send me a message some way telling me how awesome the cheese tasted, so I can live vicariously through you. As I talk to Adam quite a bit, I get to hear about his meals on a daily basis, which though it sounds a little weird and masochistic, is kind of awesome. Homemade chocolate cake, yummm :)
Second warning: this will be all about food. I love food. I miss loving food and looking forward to eating it. Currently 2/3 of my diet consists of coffee, water, tea, and cocoa puffs. I love this country for having cocoa puffs. It's one of the few foods (also...McDonalds hamburgers..who'd have thought?!) that taste pretty much the same as something from home. Even the cookies/crackers taste different. The buttercream chocolate cake would've broken my heart if I hadn't been watching lions kill wildebeests on tv at the same time. Those lions are crazy distracting.
Sometimes the food here tastes like American food, yet is definitely not the same thing. Example: Plantains. The initial thought (due to the sauce they had on them) I had was, "hey! This tastes like lasagna." The second thought was, "Chewy...slimy...just get it down!!" A variation of this is what happens most lunches there. It is like a groundhog day moment. I have a couple bites of the chicken, attempt the veggies, and then end up consuming 5 or 6 bites of rice before my digestive system gives up. Then I go back upstairs for a handful of my trusty companion, the cereal box. I think I will name the cereal box....um...Janice as it is pretty much a constant companion.
My coworkers keep asking if I am dieting. I think it would be funny to come back with, "What?! You think I am fat?" :) However, instead I go with the tried and true, "oh, I am just not that hungry today. My stomach isn't quite used to eating such big meals." Works pretty well, I think.
Oh yes. K. Itemized list of things I have eaten so far that have left an impression on me:
- Fish - This is a first timer for me. I usually love fish! The fish here just seems to be more..pungent. :)
- Cake - Yup...uber dry and kind of flavorless. I mean, if I am going to put empty calories in my body, it better be delicious, people!
- Plantains...really? who invented these? Well, yes, God did. However, did someone really have to decide to start cooking them?
- Cookies - Actually haven't had a Malaysian cookie. I am afraid. I love cookies to much to have them ruined for me.
- Eggs - pretty much the same. It's hard to mess up and egg, I think. :)
- McDonalds - I don't think I have ever been so excited about greasy fast food in my entire life.
- Pizza Hut - potentially better than American pizza hut people!!
- Koh Lo Me (n?) - noodle dish with chicken on top...first time I had it, was excellent, second time I went to a different restaurant...not so impressive.
- Cocoa Puffs - I appreciate you Janice, I really do.
- Coffee...instant...not so bad, actually. :)
- Chicken and Rice - it doesn't taste bad or anything, but theres not a lot of flavor here.
Love you all.
Becca
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Like a zoo animal
So as of today (it is only Thursday evening for those of us in the future) I am still the only American woman I know here in my tiny island. Its not so bad, really. There are some interesting moments, as I really don't understand Malay and I am at a social thing with other coworkers (majority malay) and it feels like I am at a viewing of a foreign film where someone forgot to put in the version with subtitles. I could actually handle a subtitled life, I think. I like to read things. :)
I have AC in my room, but I don't really need it today, except to get rid of the humidity. We had our daily rainstorm (yay!!!!) late this afternoon, so it cooled off what little heat there was before I got home. By the way it is crazy hot in Kansas right now compared to here. Max temp here is about 40 C, which is only around 100 F and it doesn't even reach that most of the time, I am told. I am getting kind of good at converting between farenheit and celcius because everyone keeps telling me the avg temps for their home countries and then asking me of those for mine. Awesomely enough, we seem to be the only country in the world that loves farenheit!
The first day I had a rice and vegetable dish with little fishes mixed in that smelled funny and tasted gross (gave me a stomach ache for awhile). Those same fishes ended up in my breakfast this morning so I asked the IT guy at work what they were. His response? Anchovies! Everything clicked into place at that point and I officially have decided to not go back to that roadside food place again. At least until I have my Malaysian stomach. I think its kind of like sea legs...sometimes it just takes a little bit longer to get them and sometimes you just puke all over the boat for the whole trip. I really hope there is no boat puking in my future!
The mix of culture here is very interesting. There are Indians, Chinese, and Malay people who work alongside others from all over the world without conflict. The most conflicting thing here is the crazy traffic. They slow down for no man (literally..I fear for the lives of those who cross the street) and change lanes at random without proper signalling...or signalling at all for that matter. It makes every day a bit of an adventure, especially when the daily high-volume precipitation event (go BAE!) occurs. There will be apartments and houses in one block, and then across the road in a field, there will be houses made out of wooden planks that don't look like they do much to keep out the storms here. But all over the place the buildings are very colorful, and there are food places (more and less dodgy looking) along the roadsides. It's not really first world, and it's not really 3rd world, so I think my mum and I (or Adam and I..I forget which person I talked about this with) decided it is 2nd world, though I have never heard that word applied to a particular location/country before.
I am full of busyness. I have a lot of things to do before I go to school for slb. This includes going over a lot of test sorts of things, studying, becoming certified for an assortment of subjects, and taking an entrance exam for school. It means every day goes by very fast, and I don't feel like I have enough done. However, it also means I am not bored very often.
I love cocoa puffs. They are my main dietary staple. 2/3rd of my meals every day come from that glorious box of chocolate delight. So happy they have cocoa puffs here!! Of course here it is called Nestle Milo (Milo means chocolate in Malay...and it's pronounced like the grain).
My hair is crazy curly. It has found it's natural environment at last and making full use of every ounce of humidity in the air. It does stand as a differentiating point between me and everyone else I have met here, as their hair is all straight and mine is doing the mamba. I don't really mind though! It is fun.
Miss you guys!!
I have AC in my room, but I don't really need it today, except to get rid of the humidity. We had our daily rainstorm (yay!!!!) late this afternoon, so it cooled off what little heat there was before I got home. By the way it is crazy hot in Kansas right now compared to here. Max temp here is about 40 C, which is only around 100 F and it doesn't even reach that most of the time, I am told. I am getting kind of good at converting between farenheit and celcius because everyone keeps telling me the avg temps for their home countries and then asking me of those for mine. Awesomely enough, we seem to be the only country in the world that loves farenheit!
The first day I had a rice and vegetable dish with little fishes mixed in that smelled funny and tasted gross (gave me a stomach ache for awhile). Those same fishes ended up in my breakfast this morning so I asked the IT guy at work what they were. His response? Anchovies! Everything clicked into place at that point and I officially have decided to not go back to that roadside food place again. At least until I have my Malaysian stomach. I think its kind of like sea legs...sometimes it just takes a little bit longer to get them and sometimes you just puke all over the boat for the whole trip. I really hope there is no boat puking in my future!
The mix of culture here is very interesting. There are Indians, Chinese, and Malay people who work alongside others from all over the world without conflict. The most conflicting thing here is the crazy traffic. They slow down for no man (literally..I fear for the lives of those who cross the street) and change lanes at random without proper signalling...or signalling at all for that matter. It makes every day a bit of an adventure, especially when the daily high-volume precipitation event (go BAE!) occurs. There will be apartments and houses in one block, and then across the road in a field, there will be houses made out of wooden planks that don't look like they do much to keep out the storms here. But all over the place the buildings are very colorful, and there are food places (more and less dodgy looking) along the roadsides. It's not really first world, and it's not really 3rd world, so I think my mum and I (or Adam and I..I forget which person I talked about this with) decided it is 2nd world, though I have never heard that word applied to a particular location/country before.
I am full of busyness. I have a lot of things to do before I go to school for slb. This includes going over a lot of test sorts of things, studying, becoming certified for an assortment of subjects, and taking an entrance exam for school. It means every day goes by very fast, and I don't feel like I have enough done. However, it also means I am not bored very often.
I love cocoa puffs. They are my main dietary staple. 2/3rd of my meals every day come from that glorious box of chocolate delight. So happy they have cocoa puffs here!! Of course here it is called Nestle Milo (Milo means chocolate in Malay...and it's pronounced like the grain).
My hair is crazy curly. It has found it's natural environment at last and making full use of every ounce of humidity in the air. It does stand as a differentiating point between me and everyone else I have met here, as their hair is all straight and mine is doing the mamba. I don't really mind though! It is fun.
Miss you guys!!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
A Very Long Day
Good evening from a room in a house in Labuan. Room number 1, to be specific. Rooms number 2 & 3 are taken up by 2 very nice D&M Schlumberger guys, but I will get to that later. First things first. I am here! Finally! After a year of waiting, weeks of frustration, and 24 hours of ridiculousness. I smell disgusting from airplanes, travel, and sweating; I have friction burns on my ankles and feet due to my new boots, and I officially don't care if I ever eat or talk to anyone again as long as I get to sleep this evening. However, I really am happy I have made it. Even if I don't have a towel to shower with tomorrow :) Psh. That is what bad t-shirts are for.
Anyway, so my traveling adventure started out with an early deposit by SLB at the Abu Dhabi Airport. Flight loaded at 2:45 am, we got dropped off at 10 pm. Checking in usually isn't a problem, but this time an issue arose. As I checked my 2 bags (like I was told to) the stewardess told me I was 12 kilos over 23 kilogram weight limit and that I would be assessed a fee because of this. I said ok, thinking that (a) I had no choice and (b) in America it is only like a 25 dollar fee. Nope. On international flights with Etihad Airways, it is 73 durhams (durhims?) for every kilo over, or something like that. 73 durhams is like 20 dollars. So take 20 times 12 and you get? Yes. 240 dollars to bring my bags. Needless to say I was NOT happy, but went over to the guy to talk about payment and because I amgoing to Labuan he tacks on another 120 durhams and I decide that I will try to lighten my luggage because I really can't afford this business. So, I go to the bathroom, try to toss out some things I think I might be able to do without...this includes my ksu hoodie and 1 pair of shoes, btw so I am slightly traumatized by this. Then, I walk back to the desk and I have only gotten rid of 5 kilos, (oh yes, and I put on my work boots cause they are kind of heavy). I cannot get rid of anything else so I resign myself to paying the stupid fee. Then, right before the stewardess prints out the fee ticket, the steward next to her looks at me and asks, "Did you come from Chicago?" I reply in the affirmative, and he proceeds to say that my fee has already been paid and I am allowed the weight of two bags. I threw away my things for nothing. Needless to say I am kind of angry. I quickly go back to the bathroom to get my belongings back, but at this point they are gone and I am incredibly upset. I go back, grab my tickets from the lady and proceed to go through security. The boots already are rubbing on my ankles and feet. By the time I get close to my gate, there are painful raw spots and I have no choice but to wear these boots for the next 24 hours straight (I did take them off when not having to walk though). Pretty much the only good part to my evening yesterday was the fact that Adam was online and I got to talk to him for about 2 hours on skype while sitting on the airport floor. It kind of made everything feel alright again.
After getting on my flight to KL, I promptly felll asleep and only spent about an hour and a half of my 7 hour flight awake. This was nice. I sat next to a very nice couple and their 3 or 4 year old daughter who did not speak english, but just stared at me a lot. She was well behaved so I did not mind. After arriving in KL, I exchanged my money for Ringgit, the Malaysian currency, checked in for my next flight and proceeded to limp my way to my next gate. Got to talk to Adam again in that airport too! I appreciate his willingness to talk at potentially awkward hours of the day or night! After I got into Labuan, we were supposed to be picked up, but the driver did not have room for all 3 of us and our mounds of baggage in his van (cars are a bit smaller here!) so he left two of us at the airport and said we would be picked up, but we got confused, didn't go with the driver that was supposed to pick us up because he didn't have slb identification on him, etc. (neither of us speak malay...my friend was from Myanmar) so there was much confusion. We ended up accidentally calling the D&M manager for all of western Malaysia and he called our manager and sent him to the airport. At the same time the engineer and the tech with whom I am currently staying realized I was late getting in, got worried and came to pick me up! So, I did get home eventually.
My house is pretty sweet It has tv, a kitchen, phone, and a bathroom for each person. I like it a lot. I even have a balcony attached to my room!! We have a maid who comes in and picks up after us each day and does our laundry. This is kind of awesome as I have always hated doing laundry. My only complaint is that my shower is a bit chilly. It definitely wakes me up in the morning!
I have had two days of work already, at the time when I post this. I started it my first evening, but was too tired to stay awake to finish it. I would love to tell you about them and what Labuan is like, however I am tired and slightly jetlagged still, so I think it is time for me to head to bed.
Selamat Malam!
Becca
P.S. I did get a towel to shower with. It's the little things that make life wonderful :)
Anyway, so my traveling adventure started out with an early deposit by SLB at the Abu Dhabi Airport. Flight loaded at 2:45 am, we got dropped off at 10 pm. Checking in usually isn't a problem, but this time an issue arose. As I checked my 2 bags (like I was told to) the stewardess told me I was 12 kilos over 23 kilogram weight limit and that I would be assessed a fee because of this. I said ok, thinking that (a) I had no choice and (b) in America it is only like a 25 dollar fee. Nope. On international flights with Etihad Airways, it is 73 durhams (durhims?) for every kilo over, or something like that. 73 durhams is like 20 dollars. So take 20 times 12 and you get? Yes. 240 dollars to bring my bags. Needless to say I was NOT happy, but went over to the guy to talk about payment and because I amgoing to Labuan he tacks on another 120 durhams and I decide that I will try to lighten my luggage because I really can't afford this business. So, I go to the bathroom, try to toss out some things I think I might be able to do without...this includes my ksu hoodie and 1 pair of shoes, btw so I am slightly traumatized by this. Then, I walk back to the desk and I have only gotten rid of 5 kilos, (oh yes, and I put on my work boots cause they are kind of heavy). I cannot get rid of anything else so I resign myself to paying the stupid fee. Then, right before the stewardess prints out the fee ticket, the steward next to her looks at me and asks, "Did you come from Chicago?" I reply in the affirmative, and he proceeds to say that my fee has already been paid and I am allowed the weight of two bags. I threw away my things for nothing. Needless to say I am kind of angry. I quickly go back to the bathroom to get my belongings back, but at this point they are gone and I am incredibly upset. I go back, grab my tickets from the lady and proceed to go through security. The boots already are rubbing on my ankles and feet. By the time I get close to my gate, there are painful raw spots and I have no choice but to wear these boots for the next 24 hours straight (I did take them off when not having to walk though). Pretty much the only good part to my evening yesterday was the fact that Adam was online and I got to talk to him for about 2 hours on skype while sitting on the airport floor. It kind of made everything feel alright again.
After getting on my flight to KL, I promptly felll asleep and only spent about an hour and a half of my 7 hour flight awake. This was nice. I sat next to a very nice couple and their 3 or 4 year old daughter who did not speak english, but just stared at me a lot. She was well behaved so I did not mind. After arriving in KL, I exchanged my money for Ringgit, the Malaysian currency, checked in for my next flight and proceeded to limp my way to my next gate. Got to talk to Adam again in that airport too! I appreciate his willingness to talk at potentially awkward hours of the day or night! After I got into Labuan, we were supposed to be picked up, but the driver did not have room for all 3 of us and our mounds of baggage in his van (cars are a bit smaller here!) so he left two of us at the airport and said we would be picked up, but we got confused, didn't go with the driver that was supposed to pick us up because he didn't have slb identification on him, etc. (neither of us speak malay...my friend was from Myanmar) so there was much confusion. We ended up accidentally calling the D&M manager for all of western Malaysia and he called our manager and sent him to the airport. At the same time the engineer and the tech with whom I am currently staying realized I was late getting in, got worried and came to pick me up! So, I did get home eventually.
My house is pretty sweet It has tv, a kitchen, phone, and a bathroom for each person. I like it a lot. I even have a balcony attached to my room!! We have a maid who comes in and picks up after us each day and does our laundry. This is kind of awesome as I have always hated doing laundry. My only complaint is that my shower is a bit chilly. It definitely wakes me up in the morning!
I have had two days of work already, at the time when I post this. I started it my first evening, but was too tired to stay awake to finish it. I would love to tell you about them and what Labuan is like, however I am tired and slightly jetlagged still, so I think it is time for me to head to bed.
Selamat Malam!
Becca
P.S. I did get a towel to shower with. It's the little things that make life wonderful :)
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