Kolam

Malaysia - first glimpses.

Malaysia is very near to Singapore.As we were to travel to Singapore,we were advised by friends to visit Malaysia which is next door.We went through a travel company.This was done to prevent stress arising from booking flight,hotel,etc. But during the trip,we realised, that conducted tours, are more stressful as we want our money's worth.To get that feeling ,we sacrifice our sleep,our digestion ,- to name only a few.

At the Mumbai airport,we were greeted by the travel company representative,who handed us our free gifts namely a trolley bag & two back packs filled with snacks & tea bags.He also handed over our passports,visas & air tickets.The flight was scheduled to leave just before midnight.We cleared immigration,security check & boarded the aircraft.It was full.We also met the other  family of three who were part of our travel company group.We tried to sleep but just as we were dosing off,we were roused awake to taste the dinner.Since we did not want to disappoint the crew,we made an attempt to eat what passed off as dinner.The dinner was absolutely worthless compared to precious sleep from which we were awakened.We tried again to sleep but very soon,it was time to alight.

As we alighted,we were surprised by the magnificience of the Kaula Lampur airport.It was bright & clean.There are numerous escalators & even horizontal moving tracks. There was a small metro train to take us to the other end of the airport from where we could step into the city.We made use of the toilets & the toilets were squeaky clean.The was always an attendent or two at the toilets to keep an eye on the tidiness.

We were met by the tour guide at the airport entrance .All six of us were bundled into a luxury coach & left for Kaula Lampur which is away from the international airport.En route,we stopped at Putrajaya for a sumptous breakfast of upma,idlis,dosa,sambhar,chutney,bhajiyas ,etal.We resumed our journey & reached Hotel Grand Season at around 11am.The checkout time being 3pm,there were no rooms available.We were curtly informed that for an additional fee of fifty ringtts (Malayisian currency) ,we could avail of  a room immediately.The other option was to wait in the lobby till 3pm.We paid & were led into our rooms.We freshened up & came down for lunch.We had lunch at an Indian restaurant - dal tadka,rice,tandoori rotis,aloo gobhi,papad ,achar.This menu was to be repeated ad nauseum throughout the trip with little or no changes.We left to vist the aqiuarium as my friend had advised us to visit it.We were awestruck by the aquarium interiors where fishes are on display in numerous ponds.Also,one can travel on a horizontal moving track which slowly moves & takes one around the place.Above the moving track & besides the track, is a glass enclosure, wherein, the numerous fishes,tortoises,sea horses,are swimming.We also witnessed the feeding of fish by two crew members .

There was cleanliness all around & the staff was courteous.Frankly,the tidiness at all places in Kaula Lampur stares at us,Indians, as we seem to believe, that litter is a natural phenomena which increases as days go by.The Malays are very courteous to all.They speak softly, unlike us, who are very loud & rude.The Malays  look like cousins of Chinese people with small eyes .They  are of small to medium build.Many Malays being  Muslims , the ladies wear head scarfs.But they seem to be  liberal, as  no woman could be seen practising purdah.The Malay ladies of other sects are very modern & stylish.Their clothes & accessories namely bags & footwear are very westernised.

We returned to the hotel & made tea with the tea bags provided in the room.There is an electric kettle in which water is boiled & then we added sugar,& the creamer & dipped the tea bags till we got the tea color we desired.This is a common feature at all hotels in Malaysia & also Singapore - an electric kettle with tea bags & coffee bags are provided in the hotel room to help ourselves.We switched on the idiot box & took turns to check our mailboxes on the net.Now,it was time for dinner.We were met in the lobby by our travel company 's Indian representative,Sachin who took us to another Indian restaurant.After dinner,we took some snaps with the Petronas towers in the background as the restaurant was nearby.The Petronas towers are  made  entirely of steel & can be clicked at varying angles in many shades & hues.We were told that unless one lies down on the road ,it is impossible to click the top of the Petronas towers but we managed to get some good shots.

We returned to hotel & slept as next day,we were to leave for Genting highlands,a popular hill station near Kaula Lampur.

Raangoli

The family of the patient.

My padosan always hides any sickness in her family from prying eyes.No,there is no noble purpose like containing infection,etc  behind this.She has pure  selfish motives in mind.She argues that if people come to know that someone is sick,the world comes visiting  & the woman of the house has to serve guests more than  the patient.

As my parents got older & started suffering from ailments in succession,I realised that my neighbour  is right.When people arrive to enquire about the well being of the patient,the family  gets impatient.The family members have to make small talk with the guest/s .serve tea & if the guest lingers even later, offer snacks,lunch,dinner ,etal.Some people  are so concerned about the sick that they descend into the household from various towns  & then the family has to tolerate the patient as also the guest.Perhaps they want to make sure that TLC ( tender loving care ) is being dispensed  to the patient.  In some instances,the family members may be unable to distinguish the guest from the patient.Even the guest will fail to recognise the sick.This is so, as the family will have already gone berserk in seva shushrusha of the patient & the sight of the guest will drive them bonkers !

There is this senior citizen who will keep enquiring about my dad's whereabouts when my dad goes out of town.I have still to figure out why he does not ask my dad when he is in town instead of asking me.His enquiries begin the moment, my dad goes out of station.I dread meeting the senior citizen as I have to grin & pretend in a very civil fashion.Recently,while my dad was recuperating in a nursing home,he visited the nursing home & as visiting hours were over,I had to bear the brunt of his gibberish talk.Thank God,he didn't arrive home to check up on my dad's health ! 

Some friends & relatives will enquire on phone about the well being of the patient.This is fine, but becomes an ordeal when this enquiry begins to resemble hourly updates.The concerned public demands a pleathora of answers  about the doctors' opinion,the nurse's opinion,the consultant's opinion, the second opinion,the patients condition & so on & so forth.But they omit  to ask the opinion of  the person at the other end of the phone -for obvious reasons ! Actually, the family starts having second thoughts that they have erred in taking care of the sick.Some members may even feel like outsourcing the well being of the patient to the ever inquisitive relative,friend,etc as they seem to be doing a good job of it on the phone.The conclusion is they will fare excellently in person, in the task of taking care of the patient.

The guests & well wishers of the patient forget that in these booming economic times,when costs of  groceries are breaking through the roof,the family is burdened with caring for the guest after paying the gigantic hospital bills.It is a double jeopardy for the family !The well wishers of the patient are therefore  the unwell wishers of the family.So,next time,anyone of your near or dear ones fall sick,please show some patience yourself, lest you make  other family members ill !