Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia
January 21, 2014
It’s been another week of walking dogs on the Tropical Isle in 30+ heat.
I’ve become accustomed to it now really. I was thinking back a couple of days ago and I haven’t worn anything other than a t-shirt and shorts since I arrived in Malaysia back at the beginning of December, that’s not bad going really and I know I have many more months of that to come so I can’t complain.
My day off last Saturday was fairly uneventful unfortunately. I had planned to get out and about again and head up the highest mountain here on the motorbike I have been borrowing….but unfortunately the bike fell apart on me when I took a quick spin along to Cenang on Friday so it was a case of ‘Game Over’ for that plan come Saturday morning. Instead I decided to head out with my camera on foot, trundling around some of the backwaters to see what I could find of interest and also went and hung out on the beach for a few hours as well as using the super massive expensive resorts swimming pool and facilities that sits at the quiet end of the beach. I’m western so they always assume you are staying there! Unfortunately I burnt myself to a crisp on the beach after just a short while. I have been working 8 hours a day in this heat and sun and it hasn’t been a problem, but for some reason put me on a beach and my pasty white Anglo-Saxon body seems to scream out ‘Burn me!’
I soon came back to nurse my wounds and cool off a bit before I headed to Dorothy and Jeromes to cook some home-made seafood pasta for them. The sauce and seafood was canny but it’s a tough gig trying to make fresh egg pasta with the wrong flour and no pasta roller, so the less said about the pasta side of things the better.
In the land of cats and dogs it’s pretty much been business as usual. I have really grown to like these dogs and cats. Berjaya and her Wheelchair, Furball who just want’s a cuddle and to stare into your eyes. Posh and Becks who seem to have the power and energy of the Sun, Poppet, my favourite, who is scared of most things, particularly men and who for the first week slept under my bed but now quite often shares it with me and Custard the kitten.
They are all very sweet and in desperate need of attention and care. It was hilarious when I woke up the other morning as I quite often have to keep repeating ‘Good girl’ to Poppet to make sure she doesn’t go after Custard and it seems to work. However saying ‘Good girl’ makes Poppet wag her tail….which in turn makes Custard go after the said wagging tail in front of her…..which makes Poppet more interested in giving Custard a clip…which makes me say ‘Good girl’ again….which…..you get the idea. It’s hilarious to watch though and the two get on pretty well together now. I need to take Custard in this week to get her vaccinations done and to Spay her so that she is able to be released if needed but I’m hoping I can somehow squeeze her into the Kitten shelter so at least she has some sort of chance of adoption as opposed to braving the Wet Market alone.
The days and weeks tend to blur into one here after a while. I’ve popped out a couple of nights along to Cenang for a few drinks and some food with the staff here at the clinic and shelter. Bumped into a couple of girls from Finland that have been traveling round these parts and shared a few stories and the other night Dr Tim one of the Vets here held a cracking BBQ out the back of the resort near the swimming pool with probably the best melt in your mouth fresh squid I have ever had along with some very tasty Mantis Prawns. So it’s not as if I am always sat about doing nothing and just walk dogs all day every day.
It’s slowly starting to feel like Langkawi is coming to an end now. I leave the shelter next Monday and then have 5 days chill out time to myself here before I head back to KL to meet Dani who flies in on the 5th….and then I guess the next chapter of this adventure begins. I’m really looking forward to a new chapter beginning it feels like I’m ready to move on now and experience new things and meet new people. As hard at times as it’s been working here I really have had a great time so far. Met so many new people and done a lot of simple things that you wouldn’t get to do as tourist if it wasn’t for me getting to know so many friendly and welcoming locals here and for that I am very grateful.
This week I have popped in a few photos of the old Malay houses that make up the resort/shelter where I am working and a couple I took while out and about.
