I was born and raised in Oklahoma, one of the most conservative of the United States. My parents are Republican, as is just about everyone else. Growing up, I was raised to believe in the basic Republican tenets:1) Fiscal Conservative2) Smaller Government3) Strict Constitutional Interpretation4) Environmental AwarenessRonald Reagan was the Prez during my early youth, … Continue reading From (R) to (D). What Happened?
Taman Negara – Part I
When we last left our intrepid heroes, we were heading from the not-too-impressive town of Kuantan to one of the oldest rainforests in the world. It was awesome! We bussed from Kuantan to the small town of Jerantut. Being a popular jumping-off point for one of the highlights of Malaysia's tourist industry, we booked ahead … Continue reading Taman Negara – Part I
My Friend, Ali
Our first night in Melaka, some weeks ago, I met a young man named Ali. We played a few games of pool at our mutual hostel and during said games (where I lost horribly, I might add) we had a conversation that spawned a friendship. Ali is from Iran. He's in his early twenties and … Continue reading My Friend, Ali
Casio: In Mourning
I've worn a Casio watch for the majority of the time since my father got one for me back in middle school. I wrote about the death of that watch (after a decade of faithful service) on Livejournal: Casio NL-11 1993 - 2006 My Casio was a good, nay, a great watch. It stuck with … Continue reading Casio: In Mourning
New Foods List – July
7/2: Nasi Campur - Rice with odds 'n ends. Bits of various unidentified meats. Surprisingly tasty and mega cheap. 7/4: Mie Ayam, Deep Fried Banana Fritters - Mie Ayam is a chicken noodle meal, and it was super good. Well seasoned and, yes, it had veggies in it. This particular one also had a meatball … Continue reading New Foods List – July
Kuantan? More like BORE-ntuan!
Not really. However, there isn't a whole host of things to do here. Our bus took about three hours from Mersing, and most of that was highway driving. I did notice for the first time, however, that there is undeveloped space here. This did not appear in Indonesia. Every available square inch of land I … Continue reading Kuantan? More like BORE-ntuan!
In Memoriam of Friendly Fur
Tioman was beautiful, it was everything that Rhys said it was, but I wanted to relate one specific incident that caught me hard. Nikki, I would recommend having tissues. There are thousands of semi-feral cats all over Malaysia, and Tioman was no exception. Some are looked after, a few are true "pets," but most beg … Continue reading In Memoriam of Friendly Fur
Paradise Found
I have seen brochure pictures of crystal-clear waters and beautiful sandy beaches surrounded by palm trees all my life. I didn't think they really existed. I found out differently last week. Last Tuesday we took the ferry from Mersing, Malaysia (quite a small town, actually) to Tioman Island. It's a duty-free island of a dozen … Continue reading Paradise Found
Pulau Tioman
We are in Kampung Salang on Pulau Tioman - that's a lot of unusual words to say we're on a paradise-like tropical island with actual white-sand beaches and the sort of turquoise water you only see in pictures. There is about 20 meters visibility underwater and some amazingly colorful fish - highlight of our snorkelling … Continue reading Pulau Tioman
Maintenance Update
Hello, friends! Since it's been a little while, I wanted to toss some reminders out there for those of you who may not know the variety of ways you can follow along on our journey. 1. Rhysandindi.com is the obvious one. You can get to our blog from there (direct link: http://rhysandindi.blogspot.com) and view the … Continue reading Maintenance Update
Rhys' Pieces 