Desa Parkcity

We live in a planned neighborhood called Desa Parkcity.  There are only 2 entries to the area and they are both gated.  Once you enter, the neighborhood includes several housing developments, a couple of high rise condos, a shopping center, a lake, and a park.  Each housing development requires a card to access and has 4 gaurds on duty 24/7.  The gaurds know everyone and they patrol the area regularly.  I do not know if all the security is required, but it does make us feel more comfortable.

The kids play at the park almost every day.  They have made some friends, as has Kristen.  I am not sure if any 2 friends are from the same country, though.  The biggest problem we have with the park is the heat.  After 9:00am and before 6:00pm it is very hot.  Kristen usually gets the kids to the park early in the morning.  The swimming pool is probably their favorite.  Both William and Rebekah have learned to swim through trial and error.  They could swim all day long and never get tired.

The Coffee Bean might be our favorite place.  Inside, it feels like home.  We have breakfast every Saturday while we watch the kids play in the park.  All of the staff know us and remember the kid's names.  Saturday morning is just the best.

Main entry into Desa Park.  There are only 2 entries into the park, both gated.

This is the entry into our particular housing area...also gated.

Our car (the silver one, not the Porsche!).  Now with over 19,000 kilometers.

Our back porch

From the house, we can walk through the park to get to some restaurants and shops.

This is the outside of The Coffee Bean.  We eat here every Saturday for breakfast and it may be the most enjoyable part of our week.



From the Coffee Bean, we can look out to see this park where the kids play.  They have spent thousands of hours in this park.



The park includes a small lake.  Unfortunately, no fishing, no swimming, no feeding the fish, no remote control boats....just looking, I guess.

Our swimming pool.  Both William and Rebekah have learned to swim here.

Our front door is all the way back and to the left.

Looking out our bedroom window in the evening.

Rebekah's 8th Birthday

I had visitors down at work on Rebekah's birthday so I couldn't take a day off.  Instead, we celebrated the Saturday before.  I let Rebekah lay out the itinerary for the day.  First thing, breakfast with just her dad at Starbucks (lucky me).  While we were eating, she had a nose bleed and made a mess on her pretty dress.  So, off to the store to buy a new dress (lucky her).  As it turns out, her bow and shoes no longer matched the new dress....off we go for matching accessories.  Deep down, I know Rebekah did not have a nose bleed on purpose, but I am sure she would have if she could.  She had a great time.

Then her lunch of choice: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and rolls.  Followed by an afternoon of swimming and dinner at the Japanese restaurant.  This will be our final birthday celebration in Malaysia.  Next up is Sarah in September!



Coincidentally, William also solved his first Rubix cube (with a little help from Youtube)



Everyday Malaysia

It has been suggested that my posts paint an unrepresentative portrait of everyday life in Malaysia.  I have added some pictures here to give a sense of some of the more ordinary aspects of Malaysian life.





Hanging clothes outside is the most common way to dry clothes. 

  


A wet market is where you can go to buy very fresh meat and vegetables.  The cage to the left of the meat holds a live cat!

 

I just cannot get used to the fish smell.



Pretty fresh....raw chicken sitting on top of the live chicken cages.




I wanted to buy a locally made blow gun from this street vendor.  They told me that they are made and used by the near by aborigines.  I thought it was a gimmick.



The guy that sold me the blow gun insisted on demonstrating it to me.  He pointed the blow gun out of the store, over the road, and up into the jungle.  If you look closely, you can see a small foam target in the jungle.  He barely missed it and wasn't trying very hard.  I decided maybe it wasn't a gimmick.



We pass this hotel every week on the way to church.  They claim to be the cheapest hotel in town at $6/night.  I question the accuracy of this claim as well as the wisdom of the marketing strategy.




This is where we go to church.  There is no parking so we have to park at a nearby hotel and walk about 1/4 mile along the street to get to it.  After a few months, Kristen could make the walk without crying.



A picture of our church (baby blue in the back ground) from the parking garage.




Petaling street, aka China town.  This is where folks (mostly tourists) come to buy knock-off goods





During the week I normally eat with my co-workers at the near by street vendors.  For my birthday, Kristen agreed to eat with me at one of my favorite street vendors.  We did not blend in very well.





Behind these cars is one of my regular lunch venues.




Walking back from lunch...watch your step.




Another lunch favorite.



The scooter street vendor comes in many forms.  This is one of my favorites.  After satisfying an area, off to the highway, canopy up, to find another customer base.




The pedestrian is the lowest class of citizen in Malaysia.  Here, Kristen chickened out as the rest of us crossed the road.  We patiently waited (and took pictures) while she chose her moment.




A ride in the subway.  Unfortunately, the subway broke down and we were all stuck in the tunnel!