Kuala Bear

I arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this morning after a 4 hour flight from Chennai, India. All is well, although I think something I ate on the flight didn't agree with me. Not all out sick, but my stomach isn't very happy with me. The hotel, as expected, is very comfortable.

I did spend a couple of hours in central Bangalore walking with my host. He explained to me how the city has grown and what's what in Bangalore. The nice thing about our time, is that we went to places that most tourists would not go. Our first stop was the Bull Temple. It is here where Hindus go to worship. It was explained to me that the area is meant to instill peace and good tidings. Every temple area will have a walking path that allows the faithful to walk around either the temple or the idol within the temple. Again, this is to obtain good will.

We then walked through several streets of Bangalore. I was told that this was a older area of Bangalore and somewhat affluent. It was very crowded and very interesting. Most were shopping or eating. I was stared at by most (I was the only westerner that I saw).

As we walked past a guy pissing on the side of a building, my host made a statement that describes one of the differences of our respective cultures. He said,

In India, we piss in public and kiss in private. In the States, you do the opposite.

One of the great things about being able to travel is to experience different cultures. None better - just different. Just watch where you walk.

SL