My latest fantasty...

includes an air conditioner. and a good book, and writing supplies, and access to all the good foods of the world. I'm seriously craving blueberry...which is not unusual, since I crave blueberry every day in the US as well, but at least there, I had a chance of getting blueberries, whereas here I have to console myself with yellow watermelon (which, btw, is so much better than red watermelon that I don't know if I'll ever be able to eat that pale, watery imitation watermelon again). However, I may crumple in my health & fitness goals and buy a blueberry turnover or blueberry pie at a Western-style bakery or restaurant, which I have yet to really visit, but they do exist for moments of desperation. (I am going to ration myself on the fried food and supersweet juices as I had a full 2 days of nausea and indigestion, and no, I didn't drink any tap water--just fried food for eveyr meal for a week, and since have gone healthy again with marvelous results--like being able to run longer than 10 minutes)

Hmm, I also tried startfruit last night, which was odd--I think there must be some way of cutting it so that one's teeth and tongue can reach the fruity part of the fruit. I just don't know what that way is yet. And also, I tried something porridge-like made from durian today (durian smells like sewage, and is reported to taste like garlic yoghurt. Malaysians would DIE for durian--I think it might be the national fruit)... and it was terrific. Imagine a cold soup, a bit garlicky, with some rice mixed in, and very subtly sweet. Yum yum--I'll have to learn how to make it. I also want to invest in a blender/food processor so I can try making a cucumber soup or a melon soup--cold soup is very necessary here. And ohmygod, I need hummus.

I'm still waiting for my advance from the university... our bureauctratic contact, Mr. Choy (who I have definitely mentioned before) predicted different dates of deposit for each of my roommates, so we're curious as to when this deposit is going to happen. He also calls us everyday to demand that we give him money for our visas (which includes a hefty fee for not having taken care of the work visa before arriving in Malaysia...which btw, is ALL HIS FAULT. I didn't get any paperwork for him until 1.5 weeks before leaving the US, when he needed to have recieved the completed paperwork at least a month befor emy arrival. Hello dumbass.) He is also trying to interfere with our trip to Kuching next week--he will not prevent me from attending a rainforest world music festival, under any circumstances!! I would probably go online to order a year's supply of stink bombs so I could stink-bomb his office every day until I left Malaysia.

An update for those of you who recieved my email about Ladies Night--my roommate Emily and I both crashed about an hour before we were supposed to leave, so we figured that 'half-asleep' was a bad way to start drinking on a free tab. But we're planning on going to Happy Hour in Georgetown tonight (~downtown). and no beach in Thailand this weekend (Phuket)--Francisco doesn't have to leave the country, so we're going to chill, and maybe head to Langkawi, which is another incredibly nice island about 2 hours from Penang (and still in Malaysia). Or maybe just sit aorund some more. I've been working on an essay for Vanity Fair, and also should maybe plan my classes...Hmmm. That's an idea;)

Gotta slop home through the tropical humidity...Check ya later,

<3 Meebs