Matt, Sam and I went to Kuala Lumpur for the weekend...for the third time (Matt has been there for work many many more times). I wasn't impressed the first time. I wasn't impressed the second...and this time left me with the same impression. Eh.
It's kinda like Singapore, but not as good. The positives:
Probably ten women took photos with Sam. They just bend down, some pick her up, some stand next to her, and they take photos. This is something that is normal out here, but I still don't expect it and I laugh each time. Sometimes it kinda scares Sam, and she says, "Mommy!" looking for me. Do I comfort her and say, "It's ok, Sam. They just want to take a photo with you." or do I just sweep her away? Hm. Usually I tell her it's ok and I let them continue to take photos. Perhaps I'm not the best mom.
Another thing that's funny in SE Asia, which I have gotten used to, is that people take your child away at times. The first time this happened was in Jakarta in December 2010, when Sam was about 10 weeks old. We pulled up to the hotel, and someone just took the car seat, baby and all, and walked away. That time they took her around the security area, but I had to go through, so they didn't let me go with her, and I didn't understand where I was going (security at a hotel was not something I expected). At the airport today I asked if I needed to take Sam out of the stroller and fold it up to go through the belt thing. They said, nah, and they just wheeled her away. I was still sorting out all of my other things, and she was on the other side with five new friends. I realised that I had grown used to this. Normal? Who knows.
One funny story - we were in the pool at the hotel, and another little girl came into the water with her dad. We said hi to her, asked how old she was, and she was a month older than Sam. I asked if they were on holiday in KL, and the dad said, yes, they live in Singapore and they were there just for the weekend. I said, "me too." And then he said, "didn't we meet two weekends ago at Anthony and Cynthia's?" Yup. Small SE Asian ex-pat world.
It's kinda like Singapore, but not as good. The positives:
- Chinatown is kinda fun in the evening. There were some fun stalls/shops, and we absolutely loved the food at the Old China Cafe at the end of all of the madness.
- You can stay in a five-star hotel for nearly nothing, so the Shangri-;a was our home base this time and last, and it was great. The breakfast is an event, and when eaten outside, it can be coupled with coy-watching and Sam-chasing (which is a good thing - I hate controlling her in a restaurant. Misery).
- The pool at the Shangri-la was a highlight. We swam three times in one weekend, and Sam was a superstar. She absolutely loved it.
- The base of the Petronas Towers (those two iconic towers in KL) has an incredibly huge playground. That is like a dream to a two year old. Finding shady areas to play is another challenge, but all in all, that was a highlight.
Probably ten women took photos with Sam. They just bend down, some pick her up, some stand next to her, and they take photos. This is something that is normal out here, but I still don't expect it and I laugh each time. Sometimes it kinda scares Sam, and she says, "Mommy!" looking for me. Do I comfort her and say, "It's ok, Sam. They just want to take a photo with you." or do I just sweep her away? Hm. Usually I tell her it's ok and I let them continue to take photos. Perhaps I'm not the best mom.
Another thing that's funny in SE Asia, which I have gotten used to, is that people take your child away at times. The first time this happened was in Jakarta in December 2010, when Sam was about 10 weeks old. We pulled up to the hotel, and someone just took the car seat, baby and all, and walked away. That time they took her around the security area, but I had to go through, so they didn't let me go with her, and I didn't understand where I was going (security at a hotel was not something I expected). At the airport today I asked if I needed to take Sam out of the stroller and fold it up to go through the belt thing. They said, nah, and they just wheeled her away. I was still sorting out all of my other things, and she was on the other side with five new friends. I realised that I had grown used to this. Normal? Who knows.
One funny story - we were in the pool at the hotel, and another little girl came into the water with her dad. We said hi to her, asked how old she was, and she was a month older than Sam. I asked if they were on holiday in KL, and the dad said, yes, they live in Singapore and they were there just for the weekend. I said, "me too." And then he said, "didn't we meet two weekends ago at Anthony and Cynthia's?" Yup. Small SE Asian ex-pat world.
Sam at the playground at the bottom of KLCC/Petronas Towers, with Matt
(She loves her Thailand shirt with that monkey - LOVES)
Random Indonesian women who took photos with Sam. They also took some standing up with her. Hugging her, and these, standing next to her.
This place is like heaven for a two year old. She had to give each one that she knows (Winnie the Pooh, Micky, Minny, etc.) a hug. Each one. This woman, from Burma was showing her Barney who sang a song. Each animal was like USD2.
Discrimination is totally legal. It's weird.
Yay Jetstar! Not only were our flights free (ok - they were from a voucher after our trip back from Tasmania was delayed and we spent WAY MORE than this ticket's worth just on one night's hotel...and they had promised that we would be reimbursed...but whatever...) but the pilot invited Sam in to meet him and see all of his gadgets! Cool!
Since nearly all of my good friends here are pregnant, Sam is convinced that she's pregnant too. She makes her stomach go up and down and says, "Mommy, baby moving." She needs to have a dinosaur in her shirt quite often, and if it's not her pregnant belly, then it's "Ergo." Her dinosaur in her ergo. It's pretty funny.
No comments:
Post a Comment