Merbok and Metang :)

     While on a weekend trip to Merbok and Metang, I had one of the best experiences thus far. We started out our trip by heading by boat to a few mangrove forests nearby. We departed from the docks around 9:00am and arrived at our first Mangrove around 10:00am. During our boat ride, we came across a plethora of species I had never heard of. We came across Mangrove Crab, Horseshoe Crab, White Bellied Eagles, Tiger Prawn, Catfish, Grouper and so much more!
   
      At our first Mangrove, we descended into a valley of sluggish mud. It was dark, wet and dirty. As we began to analyze the various species that made their home in the depths of the Mangrove, I attempted to take it all in. There was so much dark, but amongst it all, there was life. Life that survived off a food chain of species that which depended on one another.  In a matter of a few hours, I learned about the biological classifications of Mangrove species such as crab, clam, knee roots, and buttress roots.

       We ended our day by heading to local kompang's material arts performance. At this ceremony we saw a traditional martial arts performance - it was so cool! Each performance began with two people. The two people would synchronize a choreographed piece and then would break into an all out spar.  We watched what seemed like five distinct duo performances before a group performance followed. There was jumps and kicks and twists - it was basically a live Jackie Chan movie! In the end, they invited our group to join them in closing the performance with their classical routine. As we attempted to mask their steps/moves, you could tell that we were struggling.  All in all, it was so much fun!

       The next day was by far the BEST DAY EVER!! We woke up bright and early to headed to a local kompang in order to teach english to underprivileged children and learn some more Bahasa Melayu at the same time! I can wholeheartedly say that It was one of the best experiences I have had in Malaysia thus far! Upon arrival, the village children were lined up as a welcome party waiting for our arrival. As we walked through the crowd of beautiful children aged 8 to 18, we were bathed in flowers! We were taken to the front of the classroom where we were introduced to the man behind it all: Tok Su.

      He is a retired USM professor who moved back to his childhood kompang to educate  underprivileged youth. He explained how most of the children's parents are fisherman or handy man and thus, are considerably economically disadvantaged. As he described his desires to educate these youth he brought me to tears - both tears of joy and tears of sorrow. Furthermore, he asked us to ponder the quote, "We are delivered into tis world full of bees, trees,  and rivers through which we received our sustenance. The actual lesson is not just the gleaning of information but rather the ability to live in harmony with all creations" - Unknown. A very thought provoking quotes, this acted as a segway to the fact that we are all connected by our humanism. Thus, we must learn to live in harmony for it may be the only commonality among us all.  He followed by presented our group with a beautiful painting of a river with a sunrise on the horizon. On the left there are two golden eagles which represent us Gusties (Americans). On the right is a tiger of which represents the children of Malaysia. They held a ceremony and our professors signed the middle of the sea to signify them being a witness, while a select few students (Malaysian and Gusties) signed each others sides to signify that they wanted to see past our differences to be our friends in harmony. After, Tok Su began to fill my heart with joy when he explained the results of his free school. Many of his pupils go on to be chemical engineers, physics majors, etc. Additionally, four of them are graduate programs and another two are getting their PhD's.

       Ultimately, this was by my best time spent in Malaysia because I was able to actually meet some of the cutest children ever. Many of them stricken by poor, but still linger onto the hope of an education. This past weekend has only solidified my notions of educating our youth, especially the poor. Education is a powerful tool that can uplift just about anyone. Thanks for reading this whirlwind of a post!

Sending so much love from Malaysia,

Hales

Sunrise @ Kompang

Horsehoe Crab

Fisherman Showing His Catch of Catfish

Local Collecting His Traps

All Aboard!

Clam Found in Soils of Mangrove Forest!

Welcome Party!

Inspirational Tok Su

Local Children!

Charcoal Shop

TOWERS, TOWERS, and BATU CAVES !!

HOLA :)

       JUST WOW!! What an AMAZING weekend spent in the beautiful state of Malacca and Kuala Lumpor, Malaysia!

        Early Friday morning, the 12 of us headed for Malacca, about 8 hours north of Penang. Dubbed the "The Historic State," Malacca is the third smallest state in Malaysia. Upon arrival, we headed to our hotel the Seri-Costa! The hotel was beautiful, possessed air conditioning (a commodity we don't have at USM) hot showers and beautiful luscious beds -  It was completely different than the hostel living we had became accustomed to at USM! As we started our day, we first headed to the Malacca mall where we came across many local vendors selling traditional Malaysian clothing, antiques and accessories and additionally, we saw many vendors selling extremely western attire such as hats and brand shirts. In one of the local vendors shops, I picked a beautiful t-shirt for my adorable nephew back home - I'm sure he will love it!

        Next, we ventured through the Malacca about a mile away to the infamous Jonker Street! Jonker Street is comparable to a small chinatown - there is an abundance of clothing, crafts, accessory and restaurant outlets. As we approached Jonker street you could see an abundance of people and shops sprawled all along. We even saw many trishaw's (bike taxi's) decked out with lights, colors and stuffed animals/ action heroes such as Hello Kitty and  Superman! Additionally, the trishaws had even had stereo systems connected to them where they played all the best tunes and horns to honk at oncoming traffic -  AN AMAZING SIGHT TO SEE!  As nightfall approached, the best part of Jonker Street came alive: the night market! On Fridays and Saturdays, these night markets sell literally everything, which usually tends to be cheap. We spent a solid 4 hours traveled down the street buying many cheap accessories and clothing items! The best part of the night had to be when I went on stage with elder Chinese women during Karaoke - we danced and laughed and had a great time!

     The following day, we had time to explore some of Malacca's infamous attractions such as St. Paul's Church built in 1521 by the portuguese, the Melaka Sultanate Replica built in 1984 from information and data obtained from the Malay Annals - both of which were located amidst St. Paul's hill.
   
      Following our exploration, we boarded the bus and traveled 2 hours to the neighboring state of Kuala Lumpor (KL) - we would stay in KL for 3 days and 2 nights. In KL we spent our first night exploring Jalan Alor: a street in KL with all sorts of delicious foods and stores. Later in the evening, the street transformed into a night market! The night market was filled with much more traditional clothing, accessories and gadgets than the Jonker Street Market ( this market was not intended for tourists). Additionally, the market was a bit more expensive than the one in Malacca, but I believe that is because KL is a huge city in retrospect.  Later that night, a group of us traveled by "rapid KL" to Bukit Bitan, a shopping and entertainment district of KL - THIS PLACE WAS LIKE TIMES-SQAURE, NY! There were literally so many malls including  Berjaya Times Square, Bukit Bintang Plaza, Imbi Plaza, Fahrenheit 88,  Low Yat Plaza, Starhill Gallery, Sungei Wang Plaza, Lot 10 and Pavilion KL. There were street performers like everywhere and I even came across men dressed up in suits with one of the primary colors from head to toe (including their faces).
 
      On Sunday morning, I awoke to the BEST BREAKFAST EVER!! Our hotel had the most phenomenal options which included traditional Malaysian food such as Nasi, Mee, etc, but also had western foods such as eggs, omelets, cereal, bread, peanut butter (I missed peanut butter!), muffins, brownies! Our Sunday included a few historic and infamous attraction such as the Petronas Twin Towers, Menara KL Towers, the Islamic Museum and Central Market.
 
      The Petronas Twin Towers were absolutely beautiful - I am so glad I visited and took lots of selfies! Although we were not able to go up (they were shooting a commercial), the view from the outside was magnificent!
   
      The Menara Kuala Lumpor Tower was next on our list. Upon arrival, we received a complimentary 20 minute informational video because we attend USM! This is what I learned.. Considered the "jewel in the sky" is the tallest communications tower in Southeast Asia and 4th tallest in the world as it stands at 421 meters. The tower had a lot of offer, including many facilities such as the observation deck, XD theater, F1 Simulators, a revolving restaurant and an animal zone. The towers were completed in May 1966 and opened in October 1996. Surrounding the tower is the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, the nature surroundings were uniquely cared for during the time of construction and continue to be preserved. There are 5 levels of the tower, with more than 2058 steps from the bottom to the top. Fun Fact: the menara KL Towers is home to the International Jump Malaysia where skydivers form all around the world come seeking adventure and adrenaline-rushes. They thrill-seekers jump from the observation deck, and have about 10 seconds after jumping to pull their parachutes or it could be ugly!

       Central Market was located in the heart of KL and had many shopping options with local vendors seeking to sell their products. I wasn't much of a fan of the market because much of the stuff was overpriced ( in comparison to other areas of Malaysia) and many of the vendors were too stubborn to bargain. I did however obtain some amazing rainbow Aladdin pants that I ADORE!!

       On Monday morning we made our final stop in KL when we headed to the Batu Caves! I would have to say that this was the BEST but also the SCARIEST part of my time in KL! The Batu Caves is comprised of a limestone hill (said to be more than 400 million years old) that has a series of caves and cave temples and is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to Lord Murugan. Every year, it is the focal point Thaipusam, a Hindu Festival. This historical attraction was a great way to end our long weekend in KL. We climbed the massive steps to the temple within the confides of the caves. The real struggled seemed to stem from the climb as Monkeys descended on us - they were everywhere. These monkeys meant business too; they were out for food. On our way up, one of USM staff had her flowers stolen by a monkey who began to eat them. Another girl had her flower ripped from her head and eaten by a monkey, while another was corned and forced to give a monkey her water bottle (immediately following the monkey opened, yes OPENED the water bottle and drank from it). Liz also got jumped on by a monkey on her way up to the caves AND down from the caves - it was crazy! Yet, even though I was incredibly petrified, I captured some AMAZING pictures of the infamous Batu Caves and loved everything single minute of it!

   Thank you for reading! Sending so much love back home to my family, friends and loved ones!

- Hales

Flags @ Putrajaya Entrance

Petronas Twin Towers with Krystal!

View from the Menara KL Tower Observation Deck

Sultanate Replica Museum in Malacca 

Batu Caves :)

Classic Karate Kick! 

Street Performers @ Bukit Bintang Walk

Beginning of Batu Cave Steps (Photo Credit: Kristine Molde)

Goin' for a Selfie with this fella!

CAPTURED SOME MONKEY TONGUE!!

Cute Lil' Fella :)

Descending from Batu Caves

Kristine, Krystal and I @ the Batu Caves!

Abundance of Buddhist Temples

       This past saturday, the 12 of us headed out for 5 consecutive tours/class visits to Buddhist Temples within the confides of Malaysia. First we started out at a Sri-Lankan Buddhist Temples where there was magnificent decor!  In the heart of the temple, there was a Bodhi Tree, a treasured and sacred fig tree within Buddhism. The Bodhi tree is very recognizable by its heart-shaped leaves, which are usually prominently displayed in close proximity to every Buddhist temple. Furthermore, many Buddhist often pray in close proximity of Bodhi trees due to the belief that they have been propagated from the original Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India. Inside the temple, there were many colorful statutes of Budda and Buddhist monks shrined to highlight the religion. Near the main place of prayer, there was ample flowers for guests to take when they were done with prayer. What I found truly amazing was an elder women in a position where her feet were crouched on the corners of her knees in a seated position - she was meditated. This occurrence was amazing because she didn't move for the FULL 30 mins that we were in temple; she was completely in a trans!  

       Next we went to a plethora of temples as we headed to a complex of Buddhist Temples perched on top of a hill. Known as Kek Lo Si "Temple of Supreme Bliss," is one of the best known Buddhist temples on the small island of Penang in peninsular Malaysia. Additionally, Kek Lo Si is the BIGGEST Buddhist Temple in South East Asia! As we started at the base of the abundance of temple, we came across the magnificence of vast Buddha shrines such as that of Vairochana. Inside we also came across a wishing ribbon tree filled with colorful ribbons of which tourists have contributed as donations.

       As we ascended a stairway to head to more temples, we passed the Liberation Pond, following the buddhist tradition of merit-making, turtles may be released into freedom, albeit a limited one. The pond was actually surrounded by many turtles.  On our way up, there were numerous street beggers/ homeless individuals seeking donations - I didn't know what to think.

       When we reached the top of that section, we saw one more beautiful temple before heading to the main temple, Pagoda, at the highest point of the intricate infrastructure. The pagoda combines a Chinese octagonal base with a middle tier of Thai design, and a Burmese crown; reflecting the temple's embrace of both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism - IT WAS MAGNIFICENT!! 

        Our last temple of the day was actually that of our Buddhist professor Dr. Hor. His traditional temple was completely differently than that of the other temples of the day. All of the other temples we had saw that day were commercialized and developed around the emphasis on tourists with souvenir shops and photography stations while Dr. Hor's temple focused on natural manifestations. The entire compound is run by one man and numerous volunteers! I loved this temple because it focused on maintaining natural occurrences and was incredibly peaceful.

     All in all, it was a great day to experience so much of the Buddhist religion through some of it's holy sites in Peninsular Malaysia!

Love,

Hales

We are ONE!

Sri Lankan Temple

Sri Lankan Temple Ceiling 

Buddhist Monks' Artwork on the Walls of the Temple

Walking is hard for some...

Buddha Transformation over the Years

Entrance to a Plethora of Buddhist Temples at Kek Lok Si

Pagoda

Just Chillin' on Top of the World

These Gems and I @ Kek Lo Si 

Perlis State Park

FRIENDS!! 

     Over this course of this past weekend, the 12 of us headed to the remote Perlis State Park for Spelunking, Herping, and more biological shenanigans! Prior to heading out, I was very nervous for this particular tropical ecology field-trip because I heard about the possibility of Leeches. Anyone who knows me, knows that I hate bugs/insects ( I know, Malaysia has tons of bugs/insects). Yet, a big reason why I came on this program was to get out of my comfort zone.

     As we headed out Friday morning, we headed south to Perlis, Malaysia. Shortly after what seemed like a three hour bus ride, we arrived at Perlis State Park. After getting situated into our hostels, we had time to grab a bite to eat and began our weekend adventure! We set up a combination of bat/bird traps in hopes of catching different species of birds and bats. One trap in particular was my favorite - known as a harp trap! This trap is special in that it can lure insectivore bats that have ecological capabilities. These bats are very intelligent and are able to pick up wave signals in accordance to danger. Yet, these bats cannot detect the harp trap which is created to allude their echolocation abilities. Their echolocation abilities are a type of sonar that is used to detect prey and avoid close obstacles in the dark. They emit a 'shout' which then sends back a wavelength to bounce back when it hits an object.

     The next day when we checked our traps, we had caught a total of 5 bats and 1 bird! Our guide advised us that this was a lot, as he was not expecting us to catch that many! As we studied each species, I learned something new about each distinct species. All of them differ in genus in particular ways even though they all hail from the same family.

     Among the various outings, Spelunking in particular happened on Sunday morning! In case you were wondering, spelunking is also known as caving! To reach the cave, we trekked about 2 miles from our cabins to the entrance of the Gua Wang Burma One and Gua Wang Burma Two. As we approached the caves, I couldn't begin to contain my excitement, but also pure terror (I was scared out of my mind). We were heading into a dark unknown cave in the middle of Malaysia. In addition their was a total absence of light beyond the entrance (thus, the need for headlamps). Yet, we were also traveling somewhere that not many people (outside of Malaysia) have the privilege to go!

    The Gua Wang Burma caves are divided into two sections. Gua Wang Burma Satu (One) is far less challenging and more touristy - with rock formations. Gua Wang Burma Dua (Two) is both physically and mentally more challenging with its dark and narrow passages, including muddy tunnels, that force you to crawl/squeeze your way through to reach the water/rock formations in the inner part of the cave.

    Once we were finally in the cave, we descended down 3 flights of stairs to reach Gua Wang Burma Satu! The walk was magnificent, with amazing rock formations just about everywhere! Additionally, there was a plethora of bats chillin' on the walls and a vast number of species on the cave floors. I found it incredibly fascinating to know that much of the cave ground was made of built up bat feces! The first cave consisted of much infrastructure - it was ginormous! The next cave farther into the cave and it involved more strenuous physical movement as it involved us squeezing into tiny, tiny, tiny spaces (some people could not take part).

    Gua Wang Burma Dua was more of a mental challenge than a physical challenge! Prior to the trip, our cikgu (professors) warned us about the possibility of leeches within the water and I was freaking out! As we started out, we trekked down this steep rock formation to a rope that descended down to a deeper part of the cave. Next, we traveled a ways before beginning the tight squeezes into small holes and shortly after we reached the water aspect - this is when I began to freak out!  The entire time I was rushing through the water on all fours praying that I'd make it out without any leeches!

    In the end, all was good and I had a great time! I believe I speak for all of us Gusties when I say that Wang Burma Satu and Dua were AMAZING! It was an experience I will never forget. Everyday that I am in Malaysia, I am more and more excited about all that it has to offer. Some of my greatest memories are formulated in this distant, warming country!

Sending Love from Malaysia!


-Hales

Three of a Kind

Bat Wings

Pinnang Bitternut 

Our Group outside of Caves

Harp Trap!

Inside the Massive Caves

Nature Selfie!

Pycnonotus Bird :)

Cicada Shed

Salamander :)

Baby Crab!

Weekend Adventures

            This past weekend was a whirlwind of fun, excitement and all around learning! On friday night, we headed to one of Malaysia's most fascinating Hindu Temples just outside of Georgetown, Penang. Nattukottai Chettiar Temple in Jalan Kebun Bunga, Penang is considered to be one of the most sacred Hindu temples within the bounds of Malaysia. The Temple was built by the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB) at the cost of RM10 million, the temple is said to be largest temple dedicated to Lord Muruga outside of India.The temple was built by craftsmen of India with a  seven-story 21.6m-tall main tower. There are over 500 steps (513 steps to be exact), which is more than the Batu Caves, leading from the foothill. We distinctively had the pleasure of witnesses many Hindu prayers and ceremonials because it was a Friday, an important day of prayer for Muslims.  We were able to make it to the top and hear the boisterous sounds of drums harmonizing to begin a sacred ceremony! SO BASICALLY IT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!!!
     
             The next day, we were up bright and early to travel to our first field excursion for our tropical ecology class at Orang Utan Island. In order to make the journey, we were up by 7:30 and out the door by 8:15am to catch our bus. The bus would take us over the Penang Bridge ( 44,291' (13,500 m)) to the mainland. We arrived at Laketown Resort and waited to take the ferry to the island shortly after. When we arrived, I was so overjoyed! We could see monkeys in trees and orangutans chillin' just about everywhere! When we boarded the platform and turned the corner, orangutans were behind a glass frame swinging and jumping all around us. Our group immediately swarmed the glass and began taking pictures with the primates who so willingly went along with our crazy shenanigans - we all looked like school girls meeting Justin Bieber! As we headed into the meeting room, we watched a very informational video about the conservation of these orangutans and the island. The Island was opened a mere 14 years ago in February 2000. The Island seeks to preserve and nurture these animals in a 6 phase program which seeks to re-assimilate the primates back to their native homes. The program is thus centered around the conservation and preservation of orangutans which are native to only Malaysia and Indonesia. In addition, orangutans are incredibly similar to that of Humans, with 97% of similarities in DNA.
 
          After the informative session, we were given a tour through the facilities and witnessed some rare sightings! First, orangutans are arboreal animals, they spend much of their time high up in the trees, but most of them came down to visit with us - the staff were so shocked! Secondly, when they came down, they began to play fight with each other (literally right in front of us). This is rare because these animals mostly show affection high up in the trees - THEY PUT ON QUITE THE SHOW! Much after, I continued to soak up all that I could from the faculty by learning more about the orangutans in their care. They have about 24 orangutans that they care for and each of them have different names. I was able to meet a few such as Phat Phat, Tua, Harry Potter, April and Steven! To end the day, I made a new friend, a 2 year old orangutan - we played with sticks (more like arm wrestled!)

      All in all, it was a great weekend filled with cultural explorations, biological conservation, and fun! Malaysia never seeks to amaze me!



Thanks for reading friends!

Hales



**Photos from the weekend**

513 Steps to the Top

Inside the Temple

Group Jump Outside the Temple 

Karate Kick over the City

Giant Leaf Friend

Silhouettes @ The Waterfall Temple

I MADE IT!

Banana my Friend?!

Selfie Time

Those Eyes - Precious 

Swinging Primate

Let's Be Friends!

Dominate Male Orangutan