Amazing Race

The show that inspired me to travel has returned!



Watching The Amazing Race is like saying hi to an old friend. The show is in its 13th(!) season, and it always manages to put a hop in my step. If it wasn't for TAR, I wouldn't have renewed my passport, I wouldn't have trekked through Europe, South America or Southeast Asia.

I owe a lot to this show. My only complaint is when the personalities of the contestants dominate the show, relegating the locales as secondary characters. Make no mistake, the world is the superstar in this show.

From the first episode of this season, there are two teams I'm pulling for (Ty/Aja, The Comic-Book Geeks), two teams I like for the eye candy (Divorcees, Starr and...the other guy), and one team that I can't stand (Terrence and...the other girl).

Here's hoping for a great season...

Traveling

I miss it.

That's all.

Oregon Bits

Haven't posted in a while. Lots of (non-travel) stuff going on, but I did get a chance to visit the great state of Oregon. Here are tidbits about the Beaver State:

- Oregon is incredibly green. It's mind-blowing. And I don't just mean green in the literal sense. Oregonians are very environmentally conscious. I inadvertently placed my empty water bottle in the trash instead of the recycling bin. I felt guilty.



- The world's best bookstore in located in Downtown Portland. Powell's City of Books spans an entire city block. There are (at least) three floors. Every genre is represented in spades. It took me three hours to browse the entire store. Time well spent.



- The Beaverton Farmers Market is every Saturday from 8 am to 1:30 pm. The produce is fresh. The air is filled with kettle corn, sunflowers and German Sausage. In the background a bluegrass band plays Johnny Cash cover songs. Is there ANYTHING like this in Southern California? I doubt it.


*Heaven*

Oregon is a wonderful getaway spot. Especially if you've been holed up a smoggy LA for a while. I didn't even mention the outdoor activities. I will soon...

What This? (A Taste of Malaysia)

I had heard the food in Malaysia was fantastic. My primary goal was to try as many exotic foods as possible. Which is why my first meal was at the California Pizza Kitchen in Suria KLCC.



CPK in Malaysia tastes exactly like CPK in Los Angeles. I was shocked. You'd think that there'd be some variation on the Thai BBQ Chicken Pizza. Sadly, no.

The next day, while wandering KLCC (again), I found a breakfast place tucked away on the ground level of the mall. On display were several multi-colored pastries, each one crying out to me to choose them. I wanted to. I hadn't eaten all day. I waved to the woman at the counter, pointed to a neon-green pastry and asked, "What this?" I don't know why I spoke to her in broken English. It was a habit I picked up during my trip; asking questions, leaving out verbs, pointing a lot.

"Bingka," The woman answered. "Very sweet. Good!" I pointed at more dishes. "What this? What that one? Is good, yes?" She must have thought I was a monkey.

I picked two more dishes and a packet of rice, egg and anchovies wrapped in a banana leaf. I only chose it because other patrons were grabbing two at a time and giving me the stinkeye while I was took a whiff of the anchovies. I found out that the packet was a dish called nasi lemak, a Malaysian staple.



My entire meal cost $2 US. And it was fantastic.

If only I had found this before CPK...

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Bonus Tip: When you're in Malaysia, make sure to grab some Hainan Chicken Rice.



If this doesn't hit the spot, check your taste buds.

Sidetracked Again

Now that the Olympics are through I have three days to get ready for OREGON!



I'll be spending Labor Day weekend in the greater Portland area. I've been there twice before, but never in the summer. I hear it's not as cold.

Though I'll be spending most of the time with family, there's only one place I want to go. And I really, really, really hope I can go there.

Olympic Distractions

I have a quite a bit more to write about my Thailand/Malaysia trip. But like many people around the world, I've been distracted.

The Olympic Games have a place on this blog, no question. At the least, these two weeks serve as the ultimate travelogue? When those aerial shots of the Forbidden City come up, how does your heart not skip a beat?

I actually thought about going to Beijing during the Olympics, but you know? I think I like watching the games from my living room in HD. And then I can see it online. For a total of 3,600 hours. If I were in Beijing, I'd either be missing out on the action, or the sights. Tough call. I'd choose the sights.

I don't post anything in the next week, please understand.

Malaysia: On the Tube

There wasn't a lot for me to do in KL.

My hotel was close to Suria KLCC, and if you're into shopping malls, that's a good thing.

So while there is plenty to see during the day, Kuala Lumpur's nightlife was lacking. I spent each night in the hotel, unwinding in front of tube. This may seem like a waste of vacation. And you may be right. But by this time, I was craving the comforts of home.



At 9 PM every night, one of the channels broadcasts live from an unnamed mosque. It's not exactly the 700 Club, but the call to prayer is mesmerizing. For about a minute.



Malaysia has its own version of So You Think You Can Dance? Does it compare to the US version? Hardly. All are decent enough dancers, but not a Katee nor Joshua to be found. However, there is no Malaysian Nigel nor Mary, and that's a good thing.



This is Edleen Ismail. She co-anchors the Malaysian version of SportsCenter on ESPN. If there is ANY way ESPN can move her stateside, I would be ever so grateful. If not, I may contemplate moving.

I doubt I will. I love American TV too much. However, if a Malaysian version of The Office comes on the air, then maybe. Just maybe.