I admit it. This picture was taken a few years ago, but I think I still look vaguely like that. Depends on the day (and the time of day). And today, just before I uploaded this picture, an Indonesian English student told me how much she liked my nose. I heard that a lot in Indonesia. Apparently, a large nose like mine is a good …
Read the full story »“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 the beginning, my state-of-the-art Motorola seemed to struggle with the Internet. Everyone around me in Kuala Lumpur is surfing the Internet on their phones with ease.
Stop thief! That’s my phone!
It happened in the blink of an eye. One second I was on my dream trip, happily cycling down a busy street in Sumatra, Indonesia. The next, my precious smartphone was gone – snatched from my waist by a man on a motorcycle.
My first reaction was stunned disbelief. Had that really just happened? Next, came a wave of anger. I yelled at the thief in …
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 the seventh highest self-supported tower in the world. Ride the elevator to the upper decks for fantastic views of the city.
But just steps away, I discovered the KL Forest Eco Park. …
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. I ended up with a mid-range Samsung Galaxy J7. I was very happy with that phone, and I tricked it out with a 64 GB memory card and a fancy …
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 because I needed to renew my passport, and I was a little bit nervous. I’m always nervous when I come face-to-face with officialdom. They ask me to fill out forms, and …
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 part of my application to renew my expiring passport. I imagine thousands of people around the world doing this every day. They go to a photo shop, comb their hair …
Compromising and Buying a Cheap Phone
Monday, March 21, 2016
7:30 a.m. Room 7, Tamariah Losmen
Siantar, Sumatra
The search for a cell phone continues. After doing a lot of research, I had nearly made up my mind to take a chance and buy a Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. This is in spite of the fact that I don’t trust Chinese brands as a rule. I feel like even if they look amazing on …
Thief! Part 4 – A Resultant Bad Mood
Sunday, March 20, 2016
6:30 a.m. Room 7, Tamariah Losmen
Siantar, Sumatra
I didn’t make much progress in my search for a new smart phone yesterday. Once I started my research into the Xiaomi brand, things got very complicated very fast. In a way, it’s connected with my concerns about Xiaomi (and the other Chinese brands): I get confused by the language they use and the naming conventions. …