The maximum speed of the KLIA Ekspres appeared to be 160 km/h, and it was touted as the fastest train in Southeast Asia. The train had free Wi-Fi over a 4G network, so we were able to send photos home and chat on Gtalk. We also tested a Gtalk video call with each other while sitting on the same train, and it worked. I wished more people back home had Android devices so I could talk with them.

Kuala Lumpur is familiar to me, yet each time I go back I do something unique. My layover this time was a mere 16 hours, enough to go into the city, visit some sights, and start adjusting to the jet lag of crossing to the other side of the world. The LCCT is located an hour from KL Sentral, with frequent buses running between the two. My trip brought me to KL Sentral just after breakfast time, and I was hungry after choosing not to buy food on the AirAsia flight. I walked out of the main train station looking for curry, one of my fondest memories of Kuala Lumpur and something I seek every time I transit through. Just around the corner I found a busy restaurant and ordered roti with curry. Then another. Then a …

Yesterday we went to Coogee Beach for a BBQ, and I must say, a BBQ in December is pretty nice. Wan, our flatmate, and I visited the store in the early afternoon and bought a case of beer and $50 worth of meat. One of the nice things about the beach is that there are free BBQs to use: just push the button and away you go. After a few hours of eating, we took a short walk to the beach. I was nominated as the designated driver, so I took Wan and one of his friends back to his house to change. Shortly afterward, we were back at the beach and then on our way home.

We woke early to the sound of cars, but easily ignored the noise to get a few more minutes of sleep. At 9:00 a.m. we went to a Chinese-style breakfast place around the corner from the hotel. Next, we wandered to the Potala Palace to stand in line and buy our tickets. The sun was intense; every minute without sunscreen felt like another minute closer to a burn. After a short wait, Mei and Kwon returned from buying train tickets. The line was massive, stretching along a wall and out into the open. Luckily, we were able to find some shade.

I awoke to a loud knock at my door; 8:00am had come too quickly. We had breakfast, packed our bags, and checked out of the hotel. Once the car was packed, I drove to the Snake Kiln, continuing the trip’s theme of ceramics and teapots. Cathy thoroughly enjoyed the kiln, while I had a chance to chat and see some new sights. We browsed the gift shop, made a few purchases, and continued along the highway to Tainan.

We had breakfast at the hotel from the same chain across the street. Full of energy, I started my drive around the lake. First, I stopped at Wen Wu Temple, a large and well-visited complex. I wandered throughout it, explaining its small nuances as we went. In front of the temple, Cathy bought a bag of tangerines before we returned to the car. Second, we visited a peacock farm. Having seen only a few peacocks in my life, I found them intriguing. The birds appeared to be in mating season, with courtship displays occurring everywhere. Third, we visited a small Aboriginal village through which the road passed, where we browsed the gift shops and Cathy eventually purchased a bamboo teapot. Fourth, we saw a huge …

I ate breakfast on my own, as my parents had decided to eat the hotel’s “free” food. Once I arrived, my dad went to pick up the car while Cathy and I chatted and eventually waited by the street. Just as I was beginning to worry, the car appeared, its occupants having only “gotten lost a few times” and “tried to turn down a few one-way streets.” Once on the freeway, I passed through several tollbooths and got only semi-lost while trying to find the perfect area to see blossoms. I found $20 in the bushes next to a large dam, picked it up, and decided not to think too hard about why it was there.

Today is my birthday, and it was slightly disappointing to spend the first part of it on a bus. I can normally sleep anywhere, and although I slept for much of the journey, I never became comfortable. Eventually, I arrived in Bangkok and made my way to Khaosan Road, a popular area for backpackers. I find my companion’s fascination with night markets and bazaars highly entertaining. To borrow a line from Karl Marx, if religion is the opiate of the masses, then markets must be hers. Even supermarkets qualify.