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Malaysia

From Cebu to Kuala Lumpur

Thursday September 25, 2014 6:30 a.m. Cebu City, Philippines Doug Health Check: It’s a good thing that I don’t (as the Filipinos tell me I should) have a bunch of children to take care of ...

Riding My Bike from Airport to Kuala Lumpur

Friday September 25, 2014 Somewhere lost in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 8:30 a.m. Man oh man oh man oh man oh man. A crazy life. It’s funny how I keep deciding to do things ...

Finding an AWESOME Bike Shop In Kuala Lumpur

Saturday September 27, 2014 8:15 a.m. Eagle’s Perch, Bird Nest Guest House Kaula Lumpur I thought the guest house would be alive with activity at this point, but I think the young kids were up ...

The Three Cultures of Kuala Lumpur

Sunday September 28, 2014 7:00 a.m. Bird Nest 2 Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I already covered the events of yesterday – my success in mastering the transit system and finding a potential bike shop ...

A Long Walk to the Petronas Towers

Monday September 29, 2014 7;15 a.m. Bird Nest 2, Kuala Lumpur It was a Sunday yesterday, and bike shops and such things were largely closed. I started the day in the Internet café. I mentioned ...

Trying to Find DT Swiss Alpine III Spokes

Tuesday September 30, 2014 6:45 a.m. Kuala Lumpur Bird Nest Guest House I got a bit of a late start yesterday, so I didn’t accomplish as much as I’d hoped. I suppose I can also ...

Trying to Cycle Across Kuala Lumpur

Wednesday October 1, 2014 8:00 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Words fail me about my adventures yesterday. I went out on my bike to find the Olympus service center, and I discovered ...

“Error 404 – Not Found” – and Permalinks “Save Changes”

Thursday, October 2, 2014 6:20 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I experienced some success, though very frustrating success, with the website. I had sent an email to my hosting company,m and I ...

Thinking About Buying an MSR Whisperlite Universal

Thursday October 4, 2014 8:00 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The argument grows stronger for buying a computer. I went to the Internet café to download the latest installment of my shopping ...

Rebuilding My Wheels with Sapim Leader Spokes

Saturday, October 4, 2014 5:50 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Yesterday was all about the bike. The plan was to ride my bike to the Bike Pro shop and have Jason rebuild ...

Overhauling Bottom Bracket and Headset

Friday October 10, 2014 6:15 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The big adventure for yesterday was riding back to the Bike Pro shop for more repairs. Getting there was a nightmare. No ...

New 9-Speed Chain and New Cassette

Saturday October 11, 2014, 5:30 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I did return to the bike shop (called Bike Pro, by the way) yesterday. Jason was there, and I was happy about ...

More Modifications and Upgrades to the Bike

Sunday October 12, 2014, 7;15 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala lumpur, Malaysia Another day yesterday in the historic city of Kuala Lumpur. So what amazing tourist sites did I visit? What cultural events did ...

New Tires and a Stuck Seatpost

Monday October 13, 2014, 7:00 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I finally took the chance, and yesterday morning I ordered a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Mondial tires from Chain Reaction Cycles in ...

Rabbit Bites, Schwalbe Tires, Clikstand, and Camera Repairs

Thursday October 16, 2014 6:30 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Some events of note took place yesterday. For one, the rabbit that I have such an odd relationship with actually bit someone ...

Picking Up My Repaired Olympus OM-D E-M5

Friday October 17, 2014 6:20 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I am the proud possessor of a working Olympus camera once more. I went back to Mont Kiara by taxi again, as ...

Uploading Photos to Smugmug and Seatpost Removal Success!

Saturday October 18, 2014 8:00 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I made a useful discovery at the guest house yesterday. I learned that I could use the computer in the reception area ...

New Seatpost Problems and New Handlebar Grips

Wednesday October 22, 2014 7:15 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I did get up the energy to go out to the bike shops. However, I did not return with the bike. We ...

Picking up My Bike and the Clikstand T-2G

Friday October 24, 2014 6:30 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I am in proud possession of my bicycle once more. Getting to the bike shop was as easy as always. It involves ...

Lifesystems Mosquito Net and Other Gear

Saturday October 25, 2014 7:00 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Shopping adventures continue. I went back to a camping store yesterday to consider purchasing a mosquito net and a sleeping sheet. I ...

Gear Talk – MSR Hubba Hubba NX and Thermarest Prolite

Wednesday October 29, 2014 6:45 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I went to another camping store yesterday. My goal was simply to purchase a second lightweight Dueter toiletries bag. I used the ...

Gear Thoughts – Tents, Sleeping Bags, and Stoves

Saturday November 1, 2014 7:00 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I’ve conceded victory to the animals of the Bird Nest. I now feed the rabbit a slice of bread every time I ...

Lifesystems Mosquito Net, Bikebuddy, and Trangia Adventures

Wednesday November 5, 2014 4:45 a.m. Yes, the time is correct. It’s that early in the morning. I woke up and I just couldn’t get back to sleep. Only the usual type of news to ...

Bikebuddy, BBB Fueltank XL, and Sigg Bottles

Thursday November 6, 2014 6:25 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Feeling much better this morning. I can tell I slept well because I woke up with strong memories of all the insane ...

Running Errands, Reading Books, Listening to Podcasts

Friday November 7, 2014 7:45 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Not much happened yesterday. I spent the morning working on the Trangia X2 stove. I got my hands on a long and ...

Checking Out Ortlieb Pannier Bags

Friday November 14, 2014 6:45 a.m. Bird Nest Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Again, not much to say this morning I don’t think. I stumbled across the existence of another bicycle shop yesterday, and I ...

Sleeping Bags, Pannier Bags, and Hose Clamps

Thursday November 20, 2014,December,12, 7:30 a.m. I’m doing the usual things here in Kuala Lumpur as I wait for my tent and other things to be put in the mail. I’m shopping while altering my ...

My New MSR Whisperlite Universal

Thursday December 11, 2014 6:00 a.m. I’m now the proud and very happy owner of an MSR Whisperlite Universal stove. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I can finally ...

Quick Trip – Kuala Lumpur to Singapore

A small adventure to report. It really is small, so don't get your hopes up. It's just a short trip to Singapore. My tourist visa for Malaysia was expiring, and I had to leave the ...

Quick Trip – Kuala Lumpur to Singapore

I'm writing from Singapore, and for the first time, I have my laptop out in a coffee shop. I never really took it outside of the hostel in Kuala Lumpur. It's not like the NEO ...

Buying a Smartphone – Samsung Galaxy J7

I finally got around to buying a smartphone. I thought'd I'd do a little experiment and type something up on the NEO and then hook the NEO up to the phone (using the keyboard emulator ...

Trip to Penang to Get an Indonesian Tourist Visa

Thursday, November 5, 2015 It's been a while, so I thought it was time for a note from the "road." It still isn't much of a road, but at least it isn't Kuala Lumpur. I'm ...

Passport Photos with Never-Drying Ink

I could write a weekly or even daily column entitled, “Things That Happen Only to Me.” Today, that thing involved getting passport photos. I need two of them to present to the Canadian embassy as ...

New Passport at the Canadian High Commission in KL

I've always had a strong interest in good customer service and good design, and I was pleased to find on my visit that the Canadian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur had both. I went there ...

Buying a Motorola Moto X Play in Kuala Lumpur

I was thinking that it is time for an update on my smartphone adventures. Months and months back, I went through an intense period of research as I prepared to purchase my very first smartphone ...

Tourism Secrets of Kuala Lumpur

Everyone loves secrets, and I know lots of them about Malaysia’s fascinating capital city, Kuala Lumpur. My first secret is at the famous KL Tower. Every tourist knows this tower. At 421 meters, it is ...

“Buy more credit! Buy more credit!”

Another story in the many life episodes of things that seem to happen only to me. This one involves my brand new Motorola smartphone and the Maxis Hotlink SIM card I bought for it. From ...

Train Ride from Kuala Lumpur to Klang

I rode the KTM Kommuter train from KL Sentral down to Klang and back. My goal was to buy a ticket on the ferry to Sumatra. I'd done this once before, so it was a ...

Walking Around Kuala Lumpur

I grabbed my camera (an Olympus OM-D E-M5) and went for a walk around Kuala Lumpur. I shot some video in a selfie "vlogging" style as kind of an experiment. It felt weird to be ...

Walking Along a Bike Path in Kuala Lumpur

This was my final day in Kuala Lumpur before catching the ferry to Sumatra. I was pretty much ready to go, but I had one or two things to do at the local shopping mall ...

Shop Till You Drop at the Megamall – Window Shopping at the Gardens Mall

Shopping and shopping malls have become a big part of Chinese New Year celebrations. The malls organize sophisticated artistic and cultural displays, put on exciting lion dances, and install lavish decorations to attract customers during ...

Goodbye, Dog! Hello, Pig! Chinese New Year Traditions at Thean Hou Temple

Chinese New Year is the biggest and most lavish holiday event in the Chinese calendar. Families gather at home, at shopping malls, and at temples to celebrate. As a backpacker slash tourist, I chose to ...

Revisiting My Childhood at the KL Butterfly Park (Part 1)

I go full-on tourist once again as I visit the Butterfly Park in Kuala Lumpur. It's kinda like the Bird Park but with 5,000-6,000 fluttery butterflies instead of a couple thousand feathery birds. I collected ...

Revisiting my Childhood at the KL Butterfly Park (Part 2)

In Part 2, I dive back in to the heat of the Butterfly Park armed with a telephoto macros lens. My mission was to capture some close-up video of some of the dozens of species ...

Turtle-Warp Speed on the KL Monorail – EXPERIENCE KUALA LUMPUR FROM ABOVE!

I've ridden on the Kuala Lumpur LRT and the MRT at Warp Speed. Now it's time for a ride on the KL Monorail - perhaps at Turtle Speed. Stretching 8.6 kilometers over 11 stations, the ...

Hunting for LIONS in Malaysia! [The Chinese New Year Acrobatic Lion Dance]

Colorful, exciting, dramatic, funny, suspenseful. What could this be? The newest Pixar film? No, it's the traditional Lion Dance for Chinese New Year. I really, really wanted to witness an acrobatic lion dance in Malaysia ...

CNY Lion Dance #3!! Catching Lucky Oranges at Petronas – Tallest Twin Towers in the World

The Chinese New Year holidays were winding down. It was late afternoon on Chap Goh Mei - the fifteenth and final day of the Spring Festival. A lion dance was scheduled for 5:30 at the ...

Chap Goh Mei! Firecrackers, Temple Offerings, Lion Dances – Celebrating the End of CNY in Malaysia

Chinese New Year is a long and elaborate holiday. In fact, it lasts for 15 days, and the final day has lots of names. It's known as Chap Goh Mei. It's also the Lantern Festival ...

Good Food & Camera Shopping in Pudu, Kuala Lumpur

My Kuala Lumpur adventures continue with a shopping expedition to Pudu. I'm interested in buying a new camera, and I wanted to visit a "pro" camera shop I knew in the Pudu district. Things did ...

KTM Komuter & 5-Snack Challenge! (Ramly Burger, Tealive, Mangga Susu, and More!)

The KTM Komuter was the last part of the transportation system in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that I hadn't explored with my camera. But the time had come, and I took the KTM Komuter train on ...

Yap Ah Loy Temple & the 5-Snack Challenge (Featuring Durian Ice Cream!)

I enjoyed my first 5-Snack Challenge so much that I decided to do another one. My main mission for the day was to continue on my quest for the perfect (yet low to medium budget) ...

Staying Dry at the Chow Kit Wet Market (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Most of my small Kuala Lumpur adventures come with surprises and detours, and my trip to Chow Kit Market was no exception. The biggest surprise was the discovery of a Malaysian pop star named Sudirman ...

Street Art and Sculpture at the National Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur

I know less about art than I do about food, so it made sense to head to the National Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur for a Culture Vulture Sunday experience. And I got lucky. The ...

Chan She Shu Yuen Ancestral Hall and the 5-Snack Challenge

I had a simple mission for the day - errands, and a visit the 120-year-old Chan She Shu Yuen Temple/Ancestral Hall in Chinatown (that's Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, of course). I had seen this ...

Kampung Bharu & the 5-Snack Challenge – Traditional Malaysia

I'd been hearing about Kampung Bharu (or Kampong Baru) for a long time. I heard stories of this traditional Malay village right in the heart of downtown Kuala Lupur - right across the Klang River ...

Kuala Lumpur’s Old Little India and the 5-Snack Challenge

Three missions for today: Visit Old Little India in Kuala Lumpur, try 5 snacks, and test the video capabilities of my new Panasonic G85 mirrorless camera with the 12-60mm f3.5/5.6 kit lens. My original plan ...

Rambling through Petaling Jaya in Search of a New Tripod

New possessions often lead to a perceived need for even more possessions. And my new Panasonic G85 is no exception. With this new camera has a come a need for new microphones, new bags, new ...

5-Snack Challenge in Kuala Lumpur’s Little India (Day 1: Scott Road)

Little India in Kuala Lumpur's Brickfield district seemed too large and contained too many snacks for just one visit. I decided to explore the area street by street over five days and try five new ...

Planning a Trip to Myanmar and Buying a Microphone

My flight to Myanmar was coming up fast, and I still had a lot of things to do to get ready. I had booked my flight, but I still needed to get a tourist visa ...

Getting a Myanmar Tourist Visa (and a Bonus Snack!)

I apply for a tourist visa for Myanmar at Ever Fine Services in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After that, I sample a special Taiwanese dessert called a snowflake. The owner of the Bingo snowflake shop treated ...

5-Snacks, a Haircut, and a Thunderstorm in KL’s Little India (Day 2: Jalan Padang Belia)

I set myself up for a 5-Street, 5-Snack, 5-Day challenge for Little India, and this is Day 2. I'd hoped to finish all 5 challenges before going to Myanmar, but a certain GoPro got in ...

GoPro Hero 7 Black – Buying/Unboxing (+ In-depth first impressions & test clips)

I'm breaking all of my own rules these days. One such rule is to avoid buying brand new tech just before a trip. It's just asking for trouble. You've got to buy this stuff a ...

STORYTIME: 3 GoPros in 3 Days! (Freezing and Glitches – Defective Firmware?)

With much fanfare, I bought and unboxed my very first action camera: a GoPro Hero 7 Black. Things did not go smoothly as I charged the battery, updated the firmware, and otherwise got it set ...

GoPro TimeWarp in Kuala Lumpur — From Low Yat Plaza to Pasar Seni by MRT

What do you do when you buy your very first GoPro? You try out the TimeWarp feature of course. And here it is, TimeWarp all the way from where I bought the GoPro to my ...

Goodbye, Kuala Lumpur (for now); Hello, Yangon

When I booked my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Yangon (Myanmar), I had to choose between flying out early in the morning or late at night. Since I'm a morning person, I chose the early ...

VIDEO: Mandalay to Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia – A Short But Also LOOONG Journey

With my visa for Myanmar soon expiring, I had booked a flight from Mandalay back to Kuala Lumpur, a city which has served as my base for a while. There were no direct flights, so ...

JOURNAL: Flight from Mandalay to Kuala Lumpur

Wednesday, July 24, 2019 5:45 a.m. Room 2, Grocer's Inn Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I've been back in Malaysia for a few days now. I flew here from Mandalay, Myanmar, by way of Bangkok. When I ...

JOURNAL: Learning About Myanmar

Thursday, July 25, 2019 7:30 a.m. Room 2, Grocer's Inn Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia As always, things are going much more slowly than I planned - especially regarding finishing up the YouTube videos from my final ...

JOURNAL: YouTube Comments, Guidebooks, & Myanmar Videos

Friday, July 26, 2019 4:30 a.m. Room 2, Grocer's Inn Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I wore myself out yesterday because I spent so much time on the computer working on my blog, on videos for YouTube, ...

JOURNAL: Best Mode of Transportation In Myanmar?

Saturday July 27, 2019 7:15 a.m. Room 2, Grocer's Inn Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia This is my last day and night at the Grocer's Inn. I'm finally moving back to my regular hostel to be reunited ...

JOURNAL: Hmm. Maybe It’s Time to Buy a Smartphone.

Monday, July 29, 2019 4:30 a.m. Room 4, Natalia Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I was hoping to get a great night of sleep at my new guest house and then wake up feeling refreshed ...

JOURNAL: Dream Psychology and the Ulanzi V2 GoPro Cage

Tuesday, July 30, 2019 8:00 a.m. Room 4, Natalia Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Look at that time! Eight in the morning. I finally did it. I manged to get some sleep last night, and ...

JOURNAL: Shopping for Backpacks, Microphones, Computers

Wednesday, July 31, 2019 8:00 a.m. Room 4, Natalia Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia In keeping with the sleeping and dream theme of yesterday's "entry", I should start by saying that I slept okay. I ...

VIDEO: Vintage 1988 Cafe – Meeting YouTuber “Wander Eats” (PLUS Shopping Adventures in KL)

In this video, I talk about all the shopping I've been doing since I flew from Mandalay to Kuala Lumpur. I'd had my eye on a very special microphone for a while now, and I ...

JOURNAL: Buying a Rode Wireless Go & Dinner with a Subscriber

Saturday, August 3, 2019 7:00 a.m. Room 4, Natalia Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I dreamed like a crazed person last night, but I won't bother writing down all their stories. My favorite, though, was ...

JOURNAL: YouTuber Meet-Up with Malaysia’s “Wander Eats” (Plus Rode Wireless Go Thoughts)

Sunday, August 4, 2019 6:45 a.m. Room 4, Natalia Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Yesterday was another very interesting day. It began with the realization that I had the power of Reddit at my command ...

VIDEO: Kuala Lumpur’s Living History Restored, PLUS Backstreet Noodles – DELICIOUS!

The other day, a subscriber treated me to a delicious lunch of nyonya cuisine at the well-known Old China Cafe on Jalan Balai Polis in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown. Afterwards, she took me to a special ...

JOURNAL: Lunch at the Old China Cafe (Plus A Restored Historic Laneway)

Tuesday, August 6, 2019 5:30 a.m. Room 4, Natalia Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Yesterday was a big day as far as camera gear and vlogging are concerned. For thing, I broke out the big ...

JOURNAL: Struggles with the Panasonic G85 for Vlogging

Wednesday, August 7, 2019 4:30 a.m. Room 4, Natalia Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Something woke me up early again. I don't know what. And I almost went back to sleep, but I felt somewhat ...

JOURNAL: The Mysterious Pie Tee (Top Hats) – A Special Delicacy of Nyonya Cuisine

Thursday, August 8, 2019 8:30 a.m. Room 4, Natalia Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Feeling good this morning. That's a nice change. I went to bed early, and I got up at a regular time ...

JOURNAL: Leonardo da Vinci Exhibit at the National Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur

Saturday, August 10, 2019 6:00 a.m. Room 4, Natalia Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Yesterday, I went to the National Art Gallery to see an exhibit called Leonardo da Vinci OPERA OMNIA. The exhibit is ...

VIDEO: Leonardo da Vinci’s Masterpieces in Kuala Lumpur – PLUS Lost on the Monorail

The Leonardo da Vinci Opera Omnia exhibit was on display at Malaysia's National Art Gallery for just one month from July 15 to August 15, 2019. I had the opportunity to check it out just ...

JOURNAL: Technology Tales-Rode Wireless Go & Saramonic Lav Mic

Sunday, August 11, 2019 5:30 a.m. Room 4, Natalia Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I had a good day yesterday in terms of technology. My goal was to buy a new lavalier microphone to be ...

VIDEO: Awesome Day Trip to Pulau Ketam (Crab Island) in Malaysia

Pulau Ketam (Crab Island) is located just a few kilometers off the coast of Malaysia. This mangrove forest island was settled in 1880 by Chinese fishermen, and today, it has developed into a modern tourist ...

JOURNAL: Awesome Day Trip to Pulau Ketam (Crab Island) in Malaysia

Friday August 16, 2019 6:45 a.m. Room 4, Natalia Guest House Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I went on a day trip from Kuala Lumpur yesterday, and it turned out great. There is nothing like a good ...

VIDEO: Chinatown’s Best-Kept Secret – KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

A few days ago, a friend of mine brought me to her favorite place in Chinatown. A mutual friend had shown it to her. I was so impressed with this place that I decided to ...

Can You Elect a KING? In Malaysia, YES you can! (A Visit to the Royal Museum in Kuala Lumpur)

As Malaysia's Independence Day approached on August 31, I decided it was a good time to finally visit the Royal Museum in Kuala Lumpur (the Muzium Diraja). This museum had gone under the radar to ...

VIDEO: Gleaming, Sleek & Shiny: The Reborn 4-Coach MONORAIL! (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Spending as much time as I have in Kuala Lumpur, I've had the chance to ride on the RapidKL system of MRT, LRT, and Monorail trains a LOT! Riding the Monorail was an interesting way ...

VIDEO: FREE Buses in Kuala Lumpur?? How to Use GoKL Buses (A PURPLE LINE ADVENTURE)

Buses and I don't generally get along. However, there is a special type of bus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that I thought I should get to know better: the free bus service called GoKL. I ...

VIDEO: DELETED SCENES & BONUS CLIPS: The Unfinished Videos of Kuala Lumpur

Not all the video I shoot ends up in a video on YouTube. In fact, a LOT of it doesn't. So I went scrounging around some of the various folders on my computer and picked ...

VIDEO: TIGERS & ELEPHANTS AT KL TOWER – Hutan Kita Exhibition (“Our Forest”)

In the comments to another video, someone suggested that I check out the (free) Hutan Kita exhibition currently running at KL Tower here in Kuala Lumpur. After a quick Google Search and a realization that ...

VIDEO: It’s FREE!! But is it GOOD? A Torture Test of Kuala Lumpur’s GoKL Bus Service (GREEN LINE)

By riding on the GoKL Green Line (one of six lines in Kuala Lumpur's free public transit bus system), I was heading into unfamiliar waters. The Green Line makes a loop from Bukit Bintang to ...