Shah Alam Botanical Garden

Not ten minutes drive from downtown Shah Alam is the Shah Alam Botanical Garden. An enormous green space gazetted on Bukit Cerakah, the gardens range from open lawns to jungle trails, from ornamental plant collections to a mini zoo. For Malaysians looking for something truly exotic, there is even a four-seasons exhibit. I had to […]

Malaysian Invasion Documentation

After ten years, I brought my entire family back to the US.  Five of us had never set foot in the motherland before.  Between the incredible length of the journey – 30 hours and three airplanes – and the slightly above average size of our family, I imagine it will be ten more before we […]

West Malaysia 2008: Cousins, Cousins, Cousins

Thanks to the largesse of the Malaysian government, I was able to bring my family for a one-month vacation at the end of last year. We brought the whole family, and our maid for good measure, and the nine of us went gallavanting from my brother-in-law’s in Tanjong Malim all the way to the Langkawi […]

Vacation to West Malaysia

It’s school vacation time.  I’m packing up the troops for a three week road trip in West Malaysia.  I’ll be back in Kuching on the 23rd.  In the likely event that I don’t update before Christmas, might I suggest the full online translation of the Hikam by Ibn Ata’Allah, courtesy of Dr Aisha Bewley’s homepage, […]

Eid amidst the coconuts

The kids had a great time for Eid. We all flew back to West Malaysia to my wife’s village, just got back last night.. It was the first time my wife had been there for Eid in 8 years, and my first time ever. The kids got along great with all their cousins and second […]