Chapter 1

It's been a month since I've arrived in KL. Shit. Has it really been that long? Or that short...? When I meet someone new and I come to the point when I have to tell them how long I've been here, I just can't get myself to say that m-word...it always seems to get stuck in my throat and I end up telling them that its been 4 or 5 weeks. How long am I gonna keep this up? I'm not sure but I think I've come to understand why new parents count their baby's age in weeks ("He was born right before Christmas so it's been 32 weeks!" ...)

Anyways. A couple of exciting new developments in my now semi-new home:
- My roommate got a TV = Olympics and Malaysian soap operas. Woo!
- just realized that my washing machine sings a song when the laundry is done. I think it's the cutest thing ever. (especially since I grew up in a house with a dryer that made the most obscene honking noise in the middle of the night.)
- the new 7-11 which magically appeared on my block in a matter of days
- finally started cooking food at home! ...despite the fact that it's more expensive, more laborious and more time consuming than eating out. it's still awesome to be able to make miso soup at home.
- FINALLY got a gym card after going to the management office SIX TIMES (a long story which only makes me relive my frustration to the point that I pop a vein on my eyeball every time I retell it)
- have decided only to smile at female neighbors as I pass them by because too many guys have gotten the wrong idea by this minor friendly gesture



Right before seeing Dark Knight with my new hilarious friends from work. (Doesn't pertain to the rest of the post but whatev)


I'm not sure why I started off this post with the most mundane developments in my life, but now I'm sleepy and I realized I have to wake up early to go to a conference on "Islam in Southeast Asia" at University Malaya. One of the speakers is the professor/activist/blogger who got me connected to SIS so I'm pretty much required to go stalk him.

Preview for the next entries: JAG E&P meeting, new SIS projects, and most importantly, Barcamp...!


Cheers.