The full moon over the Batu Caves on Thaipusam

In my three weeks of travel now that Tamar has returned to the US I planned to visit Malaysia, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City. When I told my Malaysian friend, Vannitha, that I was in the process of making plans she told me about the Hindu Thaipusam Festival that was to happen in and around Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, the weekend of February 8th this year. She described it as an “unforgettable experience” and “a very out of this world sort of thing”. That certainly sounded interesting enough for me so I planned to arrive on February 7, the day before.

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrating the deity, Murugan, and is marked largely by Tamils in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and Mauritius. Malaysian Tamils created the shrines at the Batu Caves just 13km north of Kuala Lumpur in the late 19th century and, although Thaipusam is celebrated in many states in Malaysia, these caves are the primary location for the festival in the country. Devotees take part in a procession originating in Kuala Lumpur and ending up in the Batu Caves. They shave their heads and carry out acts of kavadi, or burdens, ranging from carrying a pot of milk to piercing of the body flesh, tongue and cheeks with metal hooks or skewers.
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Tamar & Kevin in Chiang Mai

It’s time to say goodbye to Asia again. I cannot believe 8 weeks have gone by already. I’ve had an incredible time living, working and traveling in South East Asia. It has been a very special experience and I hope its positive effects will stay with me for a while. I’ll admit it though, I miss home.

This morning Kevin and I said goodbye at Chiang Mai airport. We almost missed our flights due to a flower festival in town and had to walk with our bags to the highway where we eventually found a taxi. Luckily we made it in time! I boarded a plane to Bangkok and then switched to another plane heading to HCMC, Vietnam. Tomorrow night I leave for New York (via Tokyo). Kevin boarded a plane to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which marks the first stop on his three week adventure around Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Be sure to check out the blog for stories, photos and videos of his journey!

I spent the evening in HCMC stuffing myself with Vietnamese food (I missed it terribly) and enjoying drinks outdoors with good friends. The city looks as beautiful as ever and I hope to see it again real soon!

A tragic fire and stampede has resulted in nearly 60 deaths in an upscale nightclub in Bangkok. Read the full story on CNN and the NY Times.

New Year's Celebration in Saigon

In preparing for work in Asia this winter, I knew there would be a lot of challenges. But truthfully, there was one thing that scared me the most about coming out to Vietnam. It wasn’t the fear of working in a foreign country or missing the comforts of home. It wasn’t the risk of getting sick or the difficulty of being away from Kevin and Cuggits. The biggest fear of all was…

KARAOKE

Standing in front of a group of people and singing is pretty much the sum of all fears for me. It took a substantial amount of alcohol last time I did it (which also happens to be the only time I ever did) and I swore to never do it again. I blame it on 10 years spent at the conservatory of music where we had to practice solfège weekly and sing while conducting. It was not fun.

That’s why when my company sent out an email yesterday saying we are all going to celebrate New Year’s in a Karaoke bar, I almost had a heart attack. Singing is a very big part of Asian culture and Vietnam is no exception. EVERYBODY loves Karaoke and feels very comfortable participating. We will be welcoming the new year tonight at a Karaoke venue where I will be downing lots of drinks in order to get up and join the celebration.

If this is any indication of what’s to come in 2009 then it is bound to be a very happy (musical) year.

Happy New Year!

Tien Dat Resort

I am in heaven, also known as Mui Ne beach. I arrived in Phan Thiet very late Wednesday night after a 4.5 hr bus ride from HCMC. Phan Thiet is located north east of HCMC, by the South China sea. It is a very popular beach retreat with Vietnamese and expats alike.

As soon as the bus pulled into Mui Ne, I noticed large fields of dragonfruit trees everywhere. The trees look like a psychedelic cactus and when it’s lit at night, it’s even more magical.

I wake up every morning in my beautiful sea view room at Tien Dat resort to the sound of the waves. My daily routine includes, tanning by the pool, tanning at the beach, lunching with friends at “Sailing Club”, exploring Mui Ne by foot and reading on my porch. It’s definitely exhausting.

All the resorts are located on one stretch lined with coconut trees and excellent seafood BBQ restaurants. In between the resorts, you can sometimes spot a couple of cows or a duck.

This is all so relaxing, I have completely lost sense of time. I think I am going to make this a Christmas tradition.

Merry Christmas!

Tamar is in Mui Ne for Christmas and I’m still celebrating the holidays here in New York.

In the meantime, here is a link to some very festive photos of holiday lights from around Saigon from another fellow blogger in Vietnam.

Merry Christmas!

Kevin & Tamar