Statues and Taxi's

I read one of mom’s family emails this morning and it brought me back to life on the coast of B.C. again.  When I read her letters I can see their faces, hear their voices and actually smell the air there.. rich earth and salt water.  It is comforting to know it is all still there, even though I’m not. 

And she said dad commented yet again that I hadn’t written a new blog.  I can see them sitting together in the evening, with the sun reflecting off the water..  at this time of years days are long.. after their dinner of ‘Italian Perogies?!’ looking to see what is new here.. a little ‘chat’ with me.  I love that we visit in the evening, even when I’m not there. 

So what’s new? 

Well.. I got lost in Kuala Lumpur. 

Sabak Bernam

I was a little upset and foolishly decided to take a drive to the capital city area, without looking at a map.  I must have spent about 100 Malaysian Ringgits (35$) on Tolls.  The big four lane Express highways twist and turn all over the KL area. I drove for hours.. probably in circles, but always by a new route.  And then suddenly, from the side of mountain, stood a 140 foot brilliant golden statue of Lord Muruga. 

While Malaysia is predominantly a Muslim country, there are a lot of Tamils and Chinese citizens, so Tamil and Chinese schools are scattered all over the country.  However, mine are all Muslim and the Tamil children get reprimanded by their teachers when they speak Tamil instead of Malay: they sound the same to me: foreign and indecipherable.  

Just as the huge golden Buddas in Bangkok and this enormous statue at the mouth of Batu Caves Murugan, look a lot alike.   Ahh.. the ignorance of the untrained eye.

Lord Murugan is quite regal: he has lots of arms, stands straight like a soldier and carries a sword, while Budda wouldn’t do that. He likes to sit or even lay around.. grinning over his big tummy.  None of those here.  But I have seen big golden statues like this one in Bangkok and Bejing.  Same only different. 

Lord Murugan is popular in the south of India where there are more Tamils..  but the Chinese Malays like him too.   

I will have to walk the 272 steps leading to up to the temple on the outskirts of KL.. and check out the Batu Caves, but it will have to wait until I have some company.    

Once I found my hotel, I went shopping instead. 

I found a mall that sells pirated computer programs.  I don’t like buying pirated stuff, but the program I was looking for has just been unavailable at regular shops.  I can only find student editions and I am not a student so not eligible to buy it.

So.. I bent my scruples a bit and went for it.

Bought a couple of movies as well.. what the heck.  I was already compromised. 

I took a taxi when I went to get some art supplies.  I usually take the train to the centre of the city, but decided that would be a bit difficult with a couple of big canvases.. besides, taxi’s can be fun. 

I got to meet some cool taxi drivers.. one took me on a tunnel under the city.. a short cut that he was very excited to show me.. while another dropped me off on a freeway: cars honking.. rain.. I had to climb a fence to get to the train station.. because otherwise it was going to take forever to get back to my hotel.  The traffic in KL is amazing.. amazingly horrible.  And it is school holidays and it was a Friday night.. not a good time to be caught in traffic. 

He wouldn’t take any money.  I think he is still scratching his head over the fact that I got a tattoo for my 50^th birthday.  I could see him thinking that his mother wouldn’t do that.  And he felt guilty dropping a grandma off where he did.. but really felt it was the best option. 

I can never tell if people are Muslim, Chinese.. or Tamil.  I am not sure if they are worshipping in the green roofed Mosques, or the gold ones, one of the detailed Hindu temples, or at the feet of Murugan.. but I do know they are pretty good to me. 

I am back 'home' now.  Mom's talk of gardens and such took me to the nursery here.. I have some planting of my own to do.  

One more week of 'holidays'.  I better get to work!