- On Monday I sent-out on foot to visit Gleneagles Medical Center—about a ½ mile down “Jalan Ampang” (Jalan is Malay for road & Ampang is the region of the city where we live and where the International School of KL is located). So, heading down Jalan Ampang (beyond where I walked to the Medical Center), the road continues downtown to KLCC, the very modern hi-rise shopping center. I walked to Gleneagles in search of a local supply for the prescriptions that I brought with me from Oregon. In a very modern building I was directed initially to the pharmacy on the second floor, only to be told that the retail pharmacy was on the ground floor. Arriving there I was told that I needed to report-in at Emergency in order to see a doctor who could write the prescriptions. So, I checked-in at the desk, filled out paper-work with insurance information, and was told that I could see a doctor right then, so please be seated. I waited less than 15 minutes when my name was called by a male nurse who asked me to sit down at a small desk. He took my blood pressure and temperature, wrote down the results on my record and told me to be seated until called by the doctor. Again it was less than 15 minutes when an Asian doctor opened the door from Emergency and called my name. Stepping just inside the door, both of us remained standing beside a counter while I laid-out my prescriptions. I wasn’t with him more than 5 minutes when he told me to wait until one of the girls at the waiting room counter called my name and gave me the prescriptions. Again it was just a few minutes before I was on my way back to the retail pharmacy where I was highly impressed with their efficiency and organization. (I was given a slip of paper with number 1065 on it and information that they were presently waiting on #1057 and that the wait would be approximately 12 minutes. Two electronic panels—one on each side of the room—gave the #’s that were presently being served [1057 and before] and the # of the clerk at the counter [1-4] that was handling that prescription. It was about 15 minutes before I saw #1065 on the screen and stepped up to the counter to get what I came for—except for one medication which apparently isn’t available in Malaysia.)
(Pix above: view from our living room) - Last evening at about 7:00 p.m. Nancy and I drove past ISKL (less than ½ mi. from our apt.) to the golf course since some of the staff at ISKL had said that teachers often got there at about that time for 9 holes of golf “under the lights.” We paid 65RM (approx. $19) each and joined two other ISKL teachers at the first tee. As it was getting dark, we noticed that the lights had not yet been turned on, so one of the teachers made a couple of calls on his cell phone which, after about 20 minutes, resulted in a guy showing up in a golf cart who flipped some switches in an adjacent building. Ten minutes later the course was fully illuminated and we teed-off. Fairways were narrow and tree-lined, and the course had several long 4-pars. Add to that some misjudged distances on holes we’d never played before. The result: probably 8 golf balls lost between Nancy and me! Neither of us kept score (Nancy’s normal practice anyway). I hit the ball fairly well most of the time while Nancy suffered from not being on a course, or even a driving range, since we’d played in Ireland way back in late June/early July. Strangely enough, as far as I could tell our foursome was the only one on the course that evening. Since it hadn’t rained at all for 2-3 days (unusual), it was hotter and more humid at night than it had been since I’d arrived in KL. But, since green fees included a 10RM voucher for food or drink, both of us had 2 glasses each of freshly-squeezed juice (watermelon for Nancy, pineapple for me) prior to leaving and getting home by about 10:15.
- Since I just now finished lunch at about 12:45 p.m. and had some left-over fried rice with chicken, I do need so say something about Shirley—our maid who comes two mornings a week to clean, iron and fix an evening meal that usually has left-overs for another meal. Since Shirley really wants to find out what Malaysian dishes we really like, she actually came on Monday bringing with her spring rolls that she and a friend (Juvy, the live-in maid and nanny who works for Doug & Tracy) had prepared over the week-end on their own time and with their own money! So, to supplement the spring rolls, Shirley made the most delicious fried rice (with chicken, egg, peas & carrots) that I think I’d ever eaten. When browned in oil on top the stove, the spring rolls were crispy and also super-delicious.
- This morning I walked ¼ mile to Ampang Point shopping center to visit the upstairs office of “Mercy Malaysia” (an NGO relief agency) where I wanted to make an appearance and inquire about volunteer opportunities. One Malaysian clerk in particular was very helpful, giving me a full-color 225+ page pictorial-and-text description of their extensive relief operation in Banda Aceh and Sri Lanka after the Dec.26th ’04 tsunami, having me fill-out a volunteer application, and letting me know that they would call me about volunteer opportunities. From there to an air-conditioned coffee house (no Starbucks at Ampang Point) to get a mocha—10RM (approx. $2.90). Then into the shopping mall (5 stories with shops in an oval shape, with “down escalators” on one side and “up escalators” on the other side of the oval) and up to the 3rd floor to the bookstore at about 10:15 to purchase a couple things for grandkids. (By the way, Ampang Point has a number of very modern shops but is much more Asian or Third-world than KLCC or The Great Eastern Mall further down Jalan Ampang.)
- Yesterday Nancy came home with the information that one of the teachers at ISKL is heading-up a 9-day high school trip in late March (the school’s spring break) to Nepal for trekking. Cost for the entire trip, including airfare, is estimated at about $1200 per person. We’re both highly interested, and it looks like if Nancy went as a chaperone, the 9 days out of Malaysia wouldn’t count toward the maximum of 14 days that you can be out of the country in order to qualify for “tax residency” during your first year. (We’re also planning to go to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat shortly after New Year’s.)
- Sunday we’re checking out the 11:00 a.m. “contemporary service” at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church as we continue to discern the Lord’s direction re: a church home (perhaps my #1 prayer request at the moment). - rw
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