more from the muddy confluence

I tried to visit the National Mosque yesterday without success. To be respectful I was careful to change into my long trousers before I went, and studied the tourist visitor hours board carefully before entering. I arrived during a prayer time, and so sat and waited outside in the street by the gate for forty minutes until the next visiting time began. When this time came I went in as far as the car park, and towards the reception desk. An official at the top of the stairs behind the desk saw me and started waving dismissively and angrily that I should get out, and get out urgently. I tried to gesture for him to come down and speak with me so that he could tell me why I couldn't come in (it was after all visitors hour and I seemed to be appropriately dressed), and when I might be able to come back. However, he didn't want to come down and defile himself by actually talking to me, so in the end I had to just turn and walk out. I still don't know when I am allowed inside, and to be frank I don't want to go back to the place anyway if that's how I'm treated. I think the official was extremely rude, and behaved in a manner unbecoming of a religious building. So anyway, I left.

This incident furthered a bad mood I was already in, which began a few hours earlier when I noticed my trusty sandals were beginning to fall apart so badly that I couldn't wear them much longer. Our partnership, or relationship, was about to reach irretrievable breakdown as they call it in the divorce courts. The right sole pretty much fell off around 6pm, and I had to face facts and either go and buy a new pair or start walking bare foot. I chose the former and successors were found in a shoe shop called 'Batu' on Jalan TAR in Little India. They're working out ok so far, but I miss my old sandals. I had hoped they would make it back to Heathrow with me, but instead they have become a trip casuality. Soldiers who fell in the field of action.

Wondering how long a pair of hush puppies in tan can withstand day to day use in South East Asia? The answer is one hundred and seventy days.

I'm waiting to go over to the airport to meet Raj, an old friend who is coming out to visit me for a few weeks. He should be arriving around 11.30am Malaysia time. I'm really looking forward to seeing a familiar face from home after so many months, and also to having someone with whom I can talk through how it's all gone, the good and the bad, the expected and the unexpected. Will probably have bored him to death by Sunday. Better be off to meet him...