Leaving for Laos Tomorrow

We fly out tomorrow morning for the capital of Laos, Vientiane where we will stay for 2 days and then its another 2 days in Luang Prabang.

It is only a fleeting visit but we are hopeful of getting a taste of the famous Laotian hospitality.

Full details will follow upon our return next week.

Look out for 'Expat Tales' in the Sunday Star Times

The Escape travel section of the Sunday Star Times in Auckland has requested contributions from Kiwis living abroad. It follows a Q & A format and here is my submission.

It was limited to under 400 words so tbrevity was the order of the day. For further on my 'likes' of KL see the December entry http://kiakahakl.blogspot.com/2009/12/things-i-love-about-malaysia.html

So keep a look out, There is no word if it will ever make it to print but fingers crossed.

Kiwi Expatriate living in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia


Why did you move to the city?

My wife received a job offer in KL. I became the ‘trailing spouse’.

What do you do there?

The first 2 years I was a fulltime dad to our 3 year old son. I am now working as a physiotherapist.

What to do you like / dislike about it?

Likes:

To name but a few:

English is widely spoken
Many holidays
Delicious, cheap food
Sultry, warm evenings



Dislikes:

Traffic
Urban spread
Few touring international events


How does the cost of living compare to New Zealand?

Significantly cheaper.

What do you do on weekends?

Playgrounds, swimming, eating out, shopping, massages.



What do you think of the food / what's your favourite thing to eat there?

KL has varied, diverse, and accessible food. My favourite is Banana Leaf which originates from South India.


What's the best way to get around the city?

Taxi. They are cheap and easy.

What's the shopping like?

Shopping malls cater for all shopping needs.

What's the nightlife like?

A great night out can be had in KL. Stay clear of touristy bars and ask locals for their favourites. Asian Heritage Row has a range of bars and clubs.

What is your favourite part of the city?

KL is surprisingly green and at Lake Gardens park, you can go for long walks and runs in a beautiful, shady, tropical setting.

What time of year is best to visit and why?

It is hot and humid all year round with occasional rain in the afternoon. Air pollution caused by land burning means hazy conditions around August to October. Religious festivities run at most times of the year.

What's your must-do thing for visitors to do?

Eat street food from Hawker stalls. Just follow the locals.

What are your top tips for tourists?

Pace yourself. It can get very hot so sightsee in the early part of the day, chill out by the pool in the heat of the day, then go out again in the late afternoon and evening when things cool down.
Be adventurous with food – its tasty, food hygiene is OK and it’s the best way to interact with locals.
Explore off the beaten track. Aside from the usual precautions, KL is safe to wander.


How easy is it for you to get back to New Zealand?

The direct flight from KL to Auckland takes about 10 hours.

Family Pic

Film Review: The Invention of Lying

It was with tremendous disappointment that I persevered through 45 minutes of Ricky Gervais’s latest venture, ‘The Invention of Lying’. Make no mistake this is a movie that is barely watchable.

How did the comic genius go so awry on this shift? Imagine yourself as a film executive being pitched the idea. Ricky plays a man who becomes the first person ever in the world, to lie. A multitude of ‘zany’ possibilities right? Er, yeah. But does this translate to good cinema? Clearly no guarantee and based on this effort, Gervais should in future pass such scripts to the go-to man for such movies, Jim Carrey.

Firstly the mood and tone is hopelessly muddled. The setting is grimly sterile in an understated, futuristic sci-fi kind of way, but without the hovering vehicles. However at no point am I drawn in, even on a superficial level, to this strange world. The mid-Atlantic atmosphere created with the Anglo-American cast stretches the concept from the ridiculous to just plain vacuous. I am tired of every Gervais character being teased about either his a) pug nose, b) rotund physique, or c) various other physical abnormalities. Let’s move on Ricky.

At no time do I feel anything for the characters except pity for having to deliver such unfunny lines. What seals the disappointment deal is that even as I write, the full wash of mediocrity having fully subsided, I remain convinced that they had the makings of a very good film. But this makes the films flaws all the more inexcusable.

Let’s hope Gervais gets back on track after this disappointment.