Sneaking Out

This morning I woke feeling emotionally constipated. I had to get on this blog! It is interesting being in a country where there are laws about what you can say and do. I tried to blog the other day but my blog was restricted! Imagine this racy blog not being enjoyed by greater Malaysia! Another big pro for being American!

This morning, over my favorite instant coffee on the balcony looking out at interior Langkawi, my cute husband and I tried to put our finger on the problem of this place. Had we not been enjoying each and every day? The kids have been swimming like crazy. They have been looking at geckos and monkeys. We rode a sky tram to the top of a mountain and came down enveloped by a misty cloud. The quiet was surreal! We swam in fairy pools.

Yesterday we took a cruise to a coral reef which was teaming with fish. We saw huge groupers and parrot fish. There were giant clams and barracuda. I was again struck by how wonderful my children are. Open hearted fearless Alaskans, both of them. Between Marina being a curious and chatty white girl and Falcom breaking loose with Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" for the crew, both children were the darlings of the voyage. The crew were so enamored by them that they lured the reef sharks to us so that the kids could swim with sharks and gave them presents at the end of the ride. It was a phenomenal day.

I am beautifully tan (which is unusual for me) and Vince is peeling! (which is unusual for him). We have been watching the sunset on the beach and have had some interesting conversations with some nice people while the kids have been running and playing. Yesterday, as Falcom was getting his mask and snorkel on, he was standing on the white sand beach, behind him the jungle. His skin is getting so dark and he looked so natural walking into the gentle surf. Vince and i looked at each other and smiled.

So what is the problem? The food. We have not had a descent meal in a week! I think it is because the women are kept under wraps and their opinion means little but wow... a little atmosphere could go a long way! Tend a little garden and make things a little beautiful. Life is balance and this community is not balanced.

It is beautiful in the early morning and early evening to hear the call to prayer broadcasting out over the village. The song, like a baroque masterpiece, fits into the habitat superbly. I am enthralled by it! Birds singing, prayer filling the air. It is mesmerizing. No, not mesmerizing enough to veil myself and give up pork. (You can't even get pork at McDonald's here. Crazy, right?).

Yesterday while we were snorkeling, Marina started screaming "Something has got me, something has got me!" I held her out of the water while Vince extracted a crab from her hair. She was panicked but got over it. Finally, as we were in 20 feet of water and I'm not in that great of shape, I got her to put her mask back on and swim on her own. Vince took the palm sized crab and like a good dad said, "Good-bye crab! You'll be good eating for some fish for bothering my daughter!" He tossed off the crab and it raced right back to him. He took it down to a coral and it scrambled back up his arm. We both could hear the little crabs thoughts, "Please don't leave me here. Don't leave me here." It was so funny!

Vince spent the next 20 minutes carrying around that crab in his fist until we got close enough to shore to leave it safely.

Marina has re-written her favorite Bob Marley song: "Rise up this morning, Smile with the rising sun, Sweet little girl, sits on my doorstep, singing sweet songs, memory pure and true, singing, 'This is my message to you..."

Tonight, Kuala Lumpur. Another fish treatment. More hand bag shopping. Tomorrow: Borneo