A Warm 'KL' Welcome

The beautiful cupcakes Zaidah so graciously brought

I’m still recuperating from our Chinese New Year party. We hung the classic red lanterns at the entrance to Elizabeth’s flat and on the terrace. Candles were in abundance in the entrance vestibule, throughout the flat and on the terrace. The lights of the city and surrounding neighborhoods with the random bursts of fireworks large and small popping up around the panorama, added to the whole festive ambience. The final touch was the view of the brightly twinkling Petronas Towers in the distance. They have a mesmerizing effect on me.

With Zaidah

The first guest to arrive was Zaidah, a very dear friend to Elizabeth. I contacted her on Facebook before I came and was anxious to meet her. Besides Elizabeth’s loving description of Zaidah, there is a kindness that even comes through in her photos. She saved us from the dilemma of what food to serve by picking up a selection of Chinese dishes that have nothing in common with what we find in our local Chinese restaurants in the U.S. Zaidah is a beautiful petite woman with style and grace and warm glow that is infectious. I immediately felt like we were already friends.

With Zaidah was Rani, another beautiful woman with a warm glow about her that draws one in. I briefly spoke to Rani prior to coming to KL one time when Elizabeth called me. She is an intuitive and has given me messages that give me comfort that the road I am on in my life is the correct one.

Shortly after other guests arrived. As I met Nora, beautiful and bubbly, who read and commented on my blog as soon as I posted it, her unabashed hug and extra little squeeze helped wash away any nervousness I was having about meeting all of the new people who now flowed in at a steady pace.

There were friends from Spain, Argentina, Scotland, England, Venezuela, Canada, the U.S., Chinese Malaysians, Indian Malaysians, and Malays. All were welcoming with no pretenses. I never felt so comfortable in a room of strangers. I started the party boldly with no cane and was so comfortable that when my “convulsive” tremors reared their ugly head I just did what I had to do with no shame or embarrassment. And when I finally needed my cane I used it with my head held high.

I spoke with Dr. Sanjeev, a nero-ophthalmologist, and Dr. Rishi, a neurlologist who treats M.S. patients. Multiple Sclerosis is a new phenomenon here.  Rishi believes that it was always present as a disease but due to the limited medical technology in the past, it has only been identified recently. I question why there are any cases here. The diet is one that is ‘good’ for M.S. patients and geographically Malaysia is in a zone where there should be very little M.S. It is documented that the location relative to the equator determines the rate of M.S. Since a vitamin D deficiency is related to M.S. it is believed that is why sunnier climates have less M.S. I wonder if the fact that the influx of western products and especially junk food, (the McDonald’s nearby not only has a drive-thru, but they deliver!), has been a factor in the appearance of M.S.  I have a theory that all the ingested crap that especially my generation has grown up with, fluoride in the water, hormones in the chicken, toxins on produce, etc., is the reason for increased autoimmune diseases in our country and the cropping of new ones like Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatique Syndrome. Of course my theory is only based on all the information I’ve gathered over the years and it is my uneducated, unproven theory. Since no one yet knows what even causes M.S. I guess it’s open season for theories. Rishi asked if I would mind sharing my experiences with his patients and of course I enthusiastically agreed. My experiences are only mine. M.S. is so different for everyone, but I have been through the wringer with doctors and treatments, so I guess I could be a good resource for other patients who are scared for their future with M.S. Anything that I can do that is useful in this world I am happy to do. For me having an iota of help to offer makes me feel purposeful.

Rosa, a Spanish woman who is married to Jason, a Chinese-Malay, brought and prepared the Yi Sang, the traditional Chinese New Year dish. Each ingredient in the dish is a different color and represents either prosperity, abundance or happiness. While all the guests stood around the dining table, Rosa explained the ingredients and their meanings one by one as she added them to the large platter. At the end she, Elizabeth and I did the traditional tossing of the Yi Sang noodles into the air mixing all the good wishes for the coming New Year. Afterwards, all sampled the noodles in hopes it would bring them all good things.

The rest is a blur of good food, beautiful surroundings and most of all good people. The energy here is amazing. I really haven’t ventured out much yet, but there is something about this place. My interest about the people and the culture is peaked in a way I didn’t expect. There is a diversity here that is different from that which one finds in the U.S. There are very particular religions (Malaysia is officially a Muslim country). But just in our little sampling of the locals we had Chinese-Malay, Muslim-Malay and Indian-Hindu-Malay as well as Catholic-Chinese and Catholic-Indian-Malays. (Confusing I know. Try it with cognitive impairment.) All are physically racially different, their worship is different, their religious holidays are different, even their accents are different. Yet they happily celebrate each other’s traditional holidays. And they do it with gusto! Now I know my personal experience is less than limited, but this is my observation. While the local mosques sing the lilting prayers simultaneously with the ubiquitous fireworks, drums and lanterns during this 15-day Chinese New Year

period, we celebrate the year of the Rabbit with the anticipation of Prophet Mohammad’s birthday approaching for yet another celebration on Febuary 16^th. Such a scene leaves a very big impression on a stranger. 

Elizabeth, Zaidah and I

P.S. I stole these pictures because I still must get a cable to upload pictures from my camera. It's on the list for tomorrow.