Escape The Shell

Over the years we have visited Yosemite, driven through the Rocky Mountains, been up and down the West Coast, enjoyed many days in my hometown of Portland, and of course seen all sorts of exciting things here in Los Angeles. So far my writing in this blog has focused primarily on big international excursions, and I suppose I have taken these intra-US trips for granted, forgetting that our readers outside this region may find some benefit to them as well. I plan to put an end to this international bias.

Starting this coming Friday, we will begin a cross country trip originating in Los Angeles and taking us all the way across the United States to Syracuse, New York. During the trip, I will be writing and sharing photos via my iPhone (there is no Internet on the train). You can follow my progress here on the blog. You will also be able to track where we are on the Look For America Flickr Map.

Of the 5 things I planned to do while in Malaysia, the only one that wasn't possible was drinking teh ais on a corner in little India. This is because the cafe right in the center of little india had closed. A minor inconvenience because there are plenty of places to get teh ais, but none with such a prime location. On the positive side though, the other 4 activities were completed.

Since today is the last day of Ramadan, it seems fitting that I right about the Ramadan Market. For anyone who hasn't had a chance to visit a country with a large Muslim population during Ramadan, the basic ritual is rather simple, Muslims don't eat or drink from dawn until dusk. The times that they stop and start eating are marked by the morning prayer and late evening prayer.

As you might imagine when fasting, life doesn't generally continue as usual. This is partly because the body must make it through an entire day on whatever was eaten in the morning, and also because many Muslims use their time during Ramadan to reflect on life, engage in prayer and visit family and friends.