cooldice23

1. because i understand that malaysia is a wonderful combination of different cultures: indian, arabic, chinese, indigenous, etc. living more or less harmoniously and that the food and culture have really benefitted.

2. it looks b e a u t i f u l

3. i’d love to check out the martial arts that have developed there (especially silat).

i was with a crazy ex girlfriend visiting her estranged sister. we spent a day touring this amazing, beautiful, rich city and a night drinking (strong ‘hek’ beer) heavily left me with fond memories and a strong desire to return!!!

the falls themselves are beautiful, but wayyy over developed and commercialized. it seemed like the majority of the people there were there to party, gamble, and be obnoxious. these factors definitely took away from my enjoyment, specifically american fratboys being idiots.

if you’re looking for a straight up tourist experience and have some cash to spend, vancouver island is a great pick. buchart gardens is beautiful in season, and the town is hustle-bustle fun, replete with such standard tourist town fare as street musicians, artists, and improv. suitable for families, couples, or individuals. very pretty and laid-back.

not so much the cities, but what a beautiful landscape!!! people were very friendly and helpful.

i somehow convinced my parents to let me go on a road trip with two older friends to the west edmonton mall. it was educational: i got super drunk for the first time (on cheap vodka, no less!); also our campsite in edmonton was adjacent to a very horny couple. the mall was very cool, but was still a mall.

i spent several weeks in mobile in between katrina and rita, so 10/10 for mitigating circumstances. that said: i went to a plexi-glass gas station by a large mall (i was, miraculously, staying in a hotel in the immediate area for a juice. while standing in the considerable line i noted that there was a sign on the window stating “no change given, only change-cards”. the 40-something gentleman in front of me tried to break a bill, and the clerk just pointed at the sign. the man said ‘what’s that supposed to mean?’ the clerk said ‘just what it says!’ the man responded, ‘no, what’s it say?! i can’t read!’. i had never seen such an example of modern day illiteracy, even among homeless populations. blew my mind.

imho. i’ve been a couple of times and have been pretty impressed with the scene, even though it seems really nuclear. simply put, it’s got a lot to offer and still feels like a small-to-medium sized city to me. tons of great music.

i went and was glad for the experience: the land was pretty but wayyyyy overcrowded for me, and the people came off as kinda fake, but still cool to hang out with in a casual social environment.

i just drove through. it seemed very simple and pretty, and like the people were probably very hospitable. i’d love to live there someday!