This and That

Ah, first and foremost, to all of the Mothers in my life... Happy Mothers Day! Mom, Vwowie, Grandma S, and Grandma H, Beth, LA, and Mary Jo (also Sarah, the mother to be). Hope you are all having a nice slow Sunday and enjoying your day.

Sunday morning and humid. Very very humid. I went running wuith a 130lb gorilla on my back. Ugh. Not so fun run.I look forward to the day that I can go running on a cool breezy day, without 95% humidity. But, nonetheless, it's Sunday morning, I'm awake and alive, and all is well in my world.

Last night D and I had dinner at Chili's. We sat back in a quiet corner, talking about this and that, and I looked up at one point and for all I knew, I could've been anywhere in America. At that moment I was having this sort of deja vu that reminded me of all the trips crisscrossing the country between Arizona and Michigan, Wisconsin, and DC. Somewhere around Texas, Oklahoma, or one of the other equally flat and dull states in that region I'd inevitably pull off the highway and have dinner at an Applebee's or Chili's, instead of the unhealthy road food I'd been consuming for the two days prior. How odd to be reminded of it over here. Well, odd but not so odd.

Yesterday we partook in what can only be described as Malaysia's new favorite weekend pasttime, shopping. Just for a change we left the city center and the incredibly packed KLCC (the mall at the base of the Petronas Towers) for Damansara, a suburbia like area about 10 miles out of the city center. In Malaysia, development and progress are the ultimate gods. Sadly, urban sprawl is becoming as much of an epidemic here as it is in America. Truly, with the franchised shopping centers,Starbucks everywhere, and condo's sprouting up faster and taller than Jack's beanstalk, it often feels more like America than it does like a balmy Southeast Asian country.

For the Buddhist world, Friday was Wesak Day, or the Buddha's birthday. Celebrations took place in Chinatown and other predominantly Buddhist areas of Malaysia. Meanwhile, I worked on my thesis and cleaned my apartment. When we went out for Friday night on the town, the city was like a ghost town. Long weekend, so most people balik kampung (return to their villages) or go away for the weekend. Like Krazie who's down in Johor hanging out on a raft for four days. (I can't wait to hear about this, as I might have to try it myself some weekend).

And thats all the rambling that's not fit to print, but I'll print it anyway. Happy Mothers Day, Happy Wesak Day, and Happy everything in between. :-)