Dress for the Elements

I bought Jay a new shirt today. I didn't take a picture but typed shirt to search for old personal photos on Flickr that might contain that subject. One came up that was taken in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia six years ago this month. We stayed for the winter in an Airbnb and used the city as a base for other journeys within Asia.

   

I'm adding it here because it demonstrates both Jay's and my propensity in shirt selection. We are bright and loud. It stems partly from the fact we own mostly short-sleeved shirts. Because we experience perpetual summers, and travel often to tropical settings, being bright and loud works well. 

Jay's shirt choice today continued the same trend. You'll someday see a picture of it here when he's wearing it.

Afternoon Coffee and Tea

I parked at the EV chargers on Third Avenue. Kimchi got several hours of free Level 2 power from New Westminster's street lighting system.

The parking was right across the street from some folks whom we'd not yet seen this summer. They'd invited us for coffee at their place. We met in New Westminster through mutual friends a smidgeon over one year ago. They have continuing connections to Malaysia, where we had spent most of the previous winter.

That wasn't the last time we saw them though. Luckily, our paths crossed once again in Kuala Lumpur last winter. This photo was taken on January 17th.



It's entirely possible we may have the chance to meet them at the same location again. As fellow 'snowbirds', they will also be travelling for about five months of the upcoming winter. We will have overlapping dates in Malaysia during February and March 2020.

Nothing's Really Final Yet

A Hindu Temple beside our hotel had special comemorations.
Day 154 - Today is a new month and the beginning of a new year in many parts of South Asia and Indochina. Well, it's April 14th everywhere, of course, but today marks an annual beginning point in many ancient religious and agricultural calendars. From today, Sri Lankans celebrate several days called the Sinhalese or Tamil New Year, but in Thailand, these days are called Songkran. Wherever you are, and whether currently celebrating or not, I hope you are having a safe and prosperous day.




Today also marks our last full day in Kuala Lumpur in 2019. We did some packing yesterday but continued getting everything ready for smooth exit tomorrow morning. We will take a Grab car to the airport in the late morning. Our initial flight to Taipei takes off at 3:30 PM. This afternoon, we walked around our part of the city a bit. I wanted to buy a local, batiq-design shirt but couldn't find anything that'd fit. Their XXL would have been about an M in Canadian clothes sizes!

Jay ended up buying a new shirt though! That guy also insists on leaving our studio apartment spotlessly clean. I think he's leaving it better than it was when we arrived. I told him he's being selfish and not thinking of the bored staff who will come after we leave and have nothing to do.

Canada, here we come! Almost. Well soon, anyways.

Annual Seasonal Migration

Day 153 - Okay, it is time to start packing!



Hey, I've heard that birds do it but bees do not. I know we have been doing it since 2015. We are readying for our annual spring return to Canada. We've started throwing odds and ends into our suitcases in preparation for Monday's flights home.

In Kuala Lumpur at the moment, it's 3:30 PM and it's getting strangely very dark outside. I'm going to switch on the kitchen lights now, in fact. We have now heard thunder and seen an occasional flash from bolts of lightning. The storm's audio bass is turned up and even the windows are shuddering. This is going to be a big one! They're not unusual at this time of year. SE Asian thunderstorms are not kids' play. We've noticed that rain on Saturday evenings isn't unusual. As a huge, Asian-style night-market occurs in our neighbourhood on Saturdays, perhaps we simply notice the threat and occurrence of rain more.

I uploaded the following three pictures to Facebook this morning. These will become the very first photos of our car, ever. Sid at Lougheed Hyundai was kind enough to email them to me. Of course, as you can tell, the dealer hasn't finished prepping the 2019 KONA Electric yet. However, they will have the EV locked and loaded for us on our first full day back in British Columbia.

So Long, Soursop!

Day 151 - Our time in Malaysia feels limited now. We have just tomorrow, the weekend and then we're off. We have been slowly wrapping things up. There are many little details to consider such as ensuring our refrigerator will be empty by next Monday. We have completed most of our last minute shopping. We've been saying goodbye to some things which have become familar over the course of our winter.


We'll say so-long to soursop until next winter!
Being away for five months a year is nearly perfect. We can now anxiously anticipiate our return home. I'm quite excited by the prospects for a fun summer and fall in British Columbia. Having a new set of wheels will probably mean we put on more miles than we've been doing in recent years. As they'll be powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels, the cost of driving will be much less and the impact much greener.

We can take dozens of picnic and day trips to places such as Whistler, the Fraser Valley, or in northern Washington State. An immediate example comes to mind, Jay and I have lived in New Westminster, BC for 23 years but we've never been to Point Roberts, WA, a pene-exclave of the US. It is surrounded by water and Canada and we've no excuse for such lethargy, really. There are so many cool and interesting places within three or four hours of our home in Beautiful BC.

Do It Yourself

Day 150 - When I was in college that term, DIY, would have been used to describe a business selling home improvement and hardware supplies. I was thinking just how much more we do ourselves today.

For example today, I used the Internet from Malaysia to complete a number of tasks which simply would have been inconceivable 40 years ago. Of course, things such as blog posts weren't possible at all. However, my purpose today is to point out how the Net has simplified things which other people used to have to do for us. Here are four things I easily accomplished via a PC today:

1) We moved money between a few bank accounts in sums that are rather astonishing. We didn't have to visit a branch, speak to a teller, or fill out any forms. Of course, the transactions didn't involve physical cash but the funds were instantly in their respective accounts.

2) Jay and I purchased airline tickets to visit the US for a few days during the beginning of May. We are working with my sister, who's not on the east coast, to plan the logistics of spreading our recently deceased father's ashes. We didn't have to go to a travel agency, sit with an agent for options or wait to complete the transaction. We are all set to travel on May 3rd.

3) I applied to start receiving my Canadian Pension Plan this summer because I turn 60 years old in July. I am opting to receive about half the benefit I'd get if I waited, but will have an extra five years to collect it. I didn't have to find a government office, fill out paperwork, and hand to a civil servant. I'll be kept up-to-date on the process via email.

4) Lastly, moments ago, I photographed our 'travel computer' to post in this entry. I didn't need to take a roll of film to a store, wait for chemical developing, and eventually receive a paper photograph. Instead, I can share it with you right now, wherever in the world you are viewing this from.


Our 'travel PC' has a sold-state drive and fits in my backpack. There are times when a phone or tablet is just not sufficient.

Just When You Thought It Was Safe

to go back into the ... supermarket!



(If the theme from the movie, Jaws, the 'DAH-dah, DAH-dah, DAH-dah' just went through your head, then you're probably quite old!)

Day 149 - It didn't feel like a Tuesday today. I don't know what it felt like, actually. We haven't done a whole lot. The supermarket is just across the street, so that is not really an outing. We will undoubtedly venture out a bit later as long as a huge, tropical thunderstorm doesn't suddenly crop up. We do try to get in our daily number of steps as counted by my Mi band. At the moment the number sits at just 2566!

I spent a bit of the afternoon writing an obituary for my dad. That is a much harder task than I thought. There are just a few rules but the writing should capture something about the person rather than being a glorified resume with a few dates. Everyone should practice writing their own and keeping a copy to share with loved ones.

Oh my, I say that yet Jay and I do not even legal wills yet! Why is it so easy to put off these things?

Best to Buy Tickets 11 Months Ahead

Day 147 - Next Sunday will be the last day of our winter vacation. I am sure I will miss our Sunday morning walks around the Kuala Lumpur city center. Sunday is the main free day for many workers and many come to shop, transfer money home, and just enjoy themselves. Jay and I enjoy being downtown on Sundays too.











But hey, I am not sad. I guess we can continue to enjoy Sundays here in the future. In fact, we very well may include a few months in KL as our base next winter. First though, I'm pretty sure we have chosen to kick things off by staying in Sri Lanka for the months of November, December and January.

It is a bit too early to buy air tickets for next winter. First, we have seven, entire months based in our favourite summer location in the whole world: British Columbia. Yet, it is never too early to start working through plans. If recent years are any indication, November will arrive lickety-split.

This Was Our First Time on EVA

Day 146 - We've still some time remaining in Kuala Lumpur as our return flight is a week from the upcoming Monday. Jay and I are currently fifteen hours ahead of Vancouver but we'll be in the air for fifteen and a half hours plus an additional three-hours in Taipei during a transfer. No matter how much or often we fly, the size of the Pacific Ocean never fails to impress, especially when sitting by the toilets a tiny, economy seat.



There is no possible way in which we could calculate how many flights we've taken nor the number of air miles travelled during our lives. I'm sure it's many many times the average.

Thankfully for us, aviation is a cut-throat industry with players which come and go. Deregulation and competition have kept ticket prices nearly the same as they were in the 80s. In fact, due to rise of Asian economies, the cost of flying over the Pacific Ocean is cheaper than it has ever been.

"The captain has requested you fasten your seatbelts as this turbulence will likely continue."

Rest in Peace, Dad.

Day 145 - I received a message today from my sister. She informed me that our father passed away last night at the Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont, New Hampshire.

Richard John Hurd taught me a lot about being a good person. Perhaps most importantly he demonstrated, in true Yankee tradition, the importance of becoming an independent person. He also encouraged me to remain curious and adventurous. These prove most true as it's physically impossible for me to return from Malaysia in time to help with his final affairs.

Dad, I will miss our telephone calls and hearing your many stories. I will miss being able to tell you about my life.

My sister will provide more information to me as it becomes available. I want to thank her for her expertise and amazing abilities to ensure his final wishes come to be.


October 1987 - After teaching at the Saudi Army Ordnance School in the city of Taif and a short stay in Sri Lanka, I flew to NH. Dad drove with me to Seattle in my station wagon. He flew home after the short stay.

Shearing Time: Call Me Ragnor.

Day 144 - Since retiring, my trips to a barber have been few and far between. Oh, my hair is not thinning much; I just don't bother. My philosophy is if a guy gets close to 60 years old and still has hair, then it should be worshipped more often than trimmed.


The haircut was $US 2.45 but I tipped the guy an equal amount.
However, when one's hair gets to the point of being annoying, it's a different matter. Last night in bed I got tangled and was nearly strangled by it. So, I'm going for a basic Viking-look from today.

Global Citizens

Day 143 - Most of the laundry from our trip is dried and folded. We did a little shopping today. We're picking up things like shoes and a few new clothes to bring back to Canada. Even cheap Walmart-quality items sell for half the price we'd pay in Canada and there is no tacked-on sales tax in Malaysia. I needed some black dress shoes and bought an additional pair as some were around $CA 10. Jay has finally bought some dress pants for the first time since we lived in Bahrain. We left that country in 1991. Okay, I might be exaggerating a little.

Other staple purchases include my Thai Snake Brand powder. I'd not be able to make it through a BC summer without some. Oh, and I found this whitening soap which I really like. I do not need to bleach my face with beauty products designed for such purposes, but I like how well these mango scented bars last and the amount of lather they create.



I wish I'd taken pictures of ordinary consumer products we've used over the years. Although many of the companies like Unilever or SC Johnson sell consumer items in North America, their products differ immensely in many local markets. Once in a while, I notice this fact as Jay and I use a brand name unknown in Canada.

Getting outside one's cocoon is important for many reasons. Importantly, if the world were full of more 'global citizens' it'd be less likely an entire nation could be manipulated politically.

Getting-Home-for-the-Summer Business

Day 142 - We realized, when we were at the airport yesterday, that we have exactly two weeks left in Kuala Lumpur. That means our winter is rapidly coming to a close. (Pretty soon, when I create an entry from British Columbia, I will stop prefixing each entry with a day number and winter 2018-19 will be complete.)

Seeing we've less than two weeks remaining, I have allowed myself to start thinking about the logistics involved in our return to New Westminster. Today, I wrote an email to our Internet / TV guys at surfinternet.ca. I want our snowbird account to be reactivated before our arrival, so when we switch on the power to the apartment, everything comes back to life. It's been a long time since I asked a Google Mini any questions!

I also allowed myself to get excited about our new vehicle. A shiny, new Hyundai KONA Electric is waiting for me at a Coquitlam dealership. I wrote an email indicating when we will be back in the province and that I'd like to complete the purchase within a few days of arriving. I asked if there were any details about the process I should know.

On both situations, I received responses. The Internet will be on when we get there. On my other query, I was informed I could make the online application for British Columbia's Scrap-It program. I will be letting the old Ranger go. As we are buying an all-electric vehicle, a provincial incentive program will provide $6,000 cash to get the old gas vehicle off the road. This is in addition to the standard $5000 EV incentive. 6K is quite a bit more than the Ford is worth, so it is with little trepidation that I'll let them crush the pickup which has been so good to us for 23 years!

HKT --> KUL

Day 141 - Our hotel included breakfast, so I had the full option again. The coffee and the toast came first and then a plate like the one above. We then went to the room to put everything into the backpacks. Our ticket said our pickup would be between 10:00 and 10:10 AM. Our 12-passenger van did come before 10:15. From Patong Beach, one needs to plan about an hour to get to the airport on the north of the island.



Everything about getting back here went smoothly and without interruption. I cannot emphasize how easy air travel is within SE Asia. People queue up without pushing and getting on and off the planes is quick and easy. Our flight arrived a half hour before departure and we boarded a bit early. We'd not chosen seats on this segment and were given Air Asia's hot seats in the front. We were in row 2 and therefore got out quickly at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2.

The flight lasted an hour and a half but we had to change to the earlier Malaysian time zone. That is just enough time to get and eat lunch on the plane. The Bukhara chicken biryani was just right. We'd added the meals when booking the flight and although it cost several bucks, it was worth every penny.

Upon arrival at KIA2, we ordered a Grab Car via the app and had to wait about 5 minutes at Door 2. Then, we effortlessly rode downtown to the Maytower, our home for another two weeks.

This is the Hot Part of the Year

Day 136 - I continued to lie low yesterday and grabbed some extra sleep as a bonus. However, that meant that after breakfast I was ready to go outside to do nearly anything. The closest pharmacy is just up the street in the Little-India neighbourhood. We stopped to pick up those, often-used, over-the-counter medicines that are so much cheaper than at home. In most parts of the recently developed world, local pharmaceutical manufacturers produce high-quality, low-cost drugs. We find no need to pay for IMODIUM® at home when we can pick up the same medicine for around a quarter of the price here. We've frequently done this in past years and although the prices aren't as cheap in Malaysia as in some countries, it seems worth the effort.

We also threw some shirts and underwear in our backpacks. We have a flight to Phuket, Thailand at around noon tomorrow. We're staying in the thick of it at Patong beach for four nights.


Finally! I found a place to buy my fake, plastic bunches of mangoes.

Personal Quote #137

"I think I may be my biggest fan."

Dennis Sylvester Hurd (1959- )

There's only an on/off switch for this room's ceiling fan and consequently no adjustment in speed.

Balcony Storm Viewing

Day 134 - Today was a slow day as I slept fitfully last night due to a fever. I have no other flu symptoms so I will have to attribute my problems to some takeaway food we ate. Jay ate exactly the same items though and doesn't seem to be affected.



I napped for the majority of the day. In the evening, a free show came to me. If you've never seen a thunderstorm in the tropics, you've never really seen a thunderstorm! It would be impossible to estimate the amount of rain which dumped in this area alone. The lightning and thunder occurred mostly in the clouds but the booms were loud, close, and persistent. I am not sure if Malaysian dogs get freaked out by these storms. People don't. Life just goes on after a break in activity.

Contemplating Next Winter

Day 133 - Malaysia is multicultural. Most of the 72 countries and territories I have visited welcome visitors but one would forever remain an outsider if staying in most of those places. Malaysia is one country where I could fit in and that I could call home, however. In fact, there is a large, expatriate retirement community here.


An intent auditence at a free musical program in front of the Sogo Mall.
There's no chance of that yet as we're still healthy and have quite a few years left in our ten-year plan. For some time, we have been discussing what to do next winter. We've thrown around some novel locations. We've contemplated places such as Durban, South Africa. Agadir, Morocco was another initial location. Even Port Louis, Mauritius isn't out of the question as international flights are as cheap as they've ever been. Now we're leaning towards more time in SE Asia combined with three months in Sri Lanka.

We will probably adjust our travel dates. We started our first Puerto Vallarta winter on US Thanksgiving day of 2014 because we had freshly retired the previous month. Lately, our winters have been taking place from mid-November to mid-April. I think it'd be better to move from the beginning of November to the beginning of April in future years. November weather almost always sucks in Vancouver and by getting back a bit earlier we might see the tail end of the cherry-blossom season.

Personal Quote #136

"I so much enjoy being in a large city over some little village. I'd also pick jungle over a desert anyday. This makes Kuala Lumpur seem as though we were made for each other."

Dennis Sylvester Hurd (1959- )

If everybody left for a hundred years, the jungle would take back this city.

Much Less of a Chore

Day 130 - My main accomplishment of the day was filing our Canadian tax returns. I've been using software to do the job for as long as I can remember.

The method of procurement has changed. I remember floppies and then installing from CDs. Now, an automatic order is processed and I'm given a link in January to download the software for the current tax year.


In 2014 we retired. So when I did taxes in the spring of 2015, we had to ensure we were back in Canada well in advance of April 30th, the Canadian deadline for filing. Even as recently as last year, we had to use the slips and banking information mailed to us via Canada Post.

Now all information is secured and visible at the Revenue Canada website. In fact, one could import the relevant information directly into TurboTax. However, that'd take the fun out of double checking all the numbers. It doesn't take long now to do the job, not only because of technical changes but because I have so little income!