Kuala Lumpur - Diversity at its best

I never thought this would happen. I am thousands of feet above ground. A strange mist has left everyone in the cabin coughing and tearing up, making it impossible to witness our quick descent into Malaysia. For those "catching shut-eye" on the three hour flight from Hong Kong, waking up now would be a detrimental experience as it seems to be the oh-so-feared attempt of terrorism we post-9/11-ers sub-consciously worry about each time we step onto an airplane. However this was no act of terrorism. The Malaysian government requires a thorough sanitary spray-down on each plane entering the country.

This is my first trip to Kuala Lumpur. I will come to find out that the "terrorist scenario" is the first of many firsts I will experience during my week and a half long stay. Pet monkeys on leashes, a first. Small cat-sized rats in back alleys, a first. The tranny-diva show that would leave me in utter confusion, a first.

As the mist fades I can see the earth below. All that's there is a countless number of palm trees expanding miles in every direction...another first.

The last noteable "first" is something I will experience constantly throughout my stay in Malaysia. As I step off the plane I am surrounded by people whose realm of language capabilities envelopes my own (English, Malay, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Indonesian) and more. I've never felt so fit for an environment...linguistically that is. The linguistic portfolio for a large number of Malaysians, however, is much more impressive than my own. Throw in a few more dialects of Chinese, maybe some passable Tamil, and bits and pieces of a few languages of your own choice - that will give you a better idea of the diversity of this place. Perhaps the variety of languages is a perfect resemblance of the Malaysian culture. A quick 5 minute walk in any direction brings you in contact with people from India, China, Africa, Australia, Europe, Indonesia, Philippines, and probably anywhere else you could think of. And if you want to know what food from any of these places tastes like, I guarantee you can find it at a restaurant close by.

Diversity is a great learning and growing experience. Sometimes I think about how a kid like myself from the hills of the Virginia could be so lucky and blessed to see the things I've seen, meet the people I've met, and experience the things I've been able to experience.