What a day… What a day… I’ll try and sum it up in just a few sentences though… Started the day at 5:45am in Bali with just enough time to pack and get to the airport to catch our flight. Little did we Air Asia’s computer system was down (as was all of the island’s power the night before) and it wouldn’t be until two hours later our flight would be leaving. Landing in Kuala Lumpur for the fourth time in the past month and 2 hours late, we rushed past the “temperature cameras” and customs to try and catch our flight to Melbourne. Receiving notice that our gate was already closed and we couldn’t board, a quick little argument later we were again on our way in the smallest airline seats I have ever seen. Landing in Melbourne, Australia just after 11pm we again passed the “temperature cameras” (damn swine flu) and through another set of customs but this time as we left the airport a friend of JK’s hired a driver for us, tough life… After the all day travel it was time for some quick food… First stop, Hungry Jack’s for a chicken sandwich and yes we are wearing crowns…
Side Note: If Hungry Jack’s looks fimialiar to any of you, its because it’s actually Burger King but that name didn’t fly here in Oz…
Back in KL for the night after a great week of slow internet but amazing weather in Langkawi. It’s a great little get away for anyone traveling to Malaysia looking for a hideout. A thanks goes out to Oliver for the ally-op on that one…
As we are just here for the night, a quick thoughtless dinner was in store. Normally I only go to Hard Rock Cafe to grab a shot glass to add to the collection but tonight we threw a dinner as well. It worked out perfectly as Manchester United was playing my squad Arsenal in the second to last match of the season, and with a win/draw Man U would capture is 18th league championship. For those unfamiliar with English football, Man U are pretty much the Yankees of the league and have their games shown all over the planet. At the same time gathering a bunch of fans in the process because; 1. Over the past 10 years have been unstoppable and have won everything 2. Everyone gets to see them play more often than any other team. Needless to say, I am not one of their fans.
However, this event got me thinking about why I support the teams I do. I seem to really love the underdogs (Oregon Ducks, Trailblazers) but I also love a team that has a bitter cross town rival (The Clippers and The Mets). As for Arsenal they have both. I jumped on this bandwagon back in ’06 when I lived in London because everything revolved around soccer in the pub and if you didn’t have a team you were left out of many conversations. And with so many teams based in the English capital, I fell for this one because I saw potential in the young team, they were just 4 stops away on the tube and I didn’t want to route for snobby Chelsea aka “Red Sox” of the league.
Getting to my point. I really love this game and I wish it was bigger in the States, as it is the biggest sport in the world. Soccer is such an exciting event to watch on TV and even more so to witness in a match live, I can’t say enough about it. However, I can guarantee that when I do arrive back “home” I will be staying up late / getting up early to catch as many matches as I can. So this was my soapbox moment of the day, but for anyone still reading…next time you see a match on give it a second look, I promise you won’t be disappointed. By the way, Man U drew against Arsenal and therefore won the Premier League title…Boo.
Side note: I’m very stoked that Portland will have a MLS team this next year. Go Timbers.
Where I Rested: Sheraton Hotel Imperial, Kuala Lumpur
This weeks album is the debut from the singer/songwriter Lisa Hannigan, Sea Sew. Although the album was released in her home country of Ireland in September, it was only just released in the States this last February and has not left my iTunes playlist since. The album features 10 amazing tracks including “Ocean And A Rock” which I have included below and to listen to more you can click the album cover above. To some of you the name might sound familiar as Lisa has contributed guest vocals on a number of other artists including The Frames, Herbie Hancock and most notably Damien Rice. The self proclaimed “plinky plonk rock” singer really gives her all with this release and draws you into every song with her lyrics. The album has been described as charmingly idiosyncratic and wonderfully creaky and raw as its’ been great for long bus rides and late night walks. Give it a listen, as I’m sure Lisa’s voice will pull you in just as she has done to me…
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Drum roll please….And I present to you the new Blog Craver Media website! After a few months of design and re-design during my free time and with great programming help from Ron, we have just put the finishing touches on our first official site. Click the image above to check it out and feel free to leave some comments here about your thoughts on the new digs. Thank you, and Goodnight.
Ahhh…. Feels good to be back on the beach. I know it only seems like yesterday that I was on a beach in Thailand but its actually been 4 days! We’ve made our way back north and right below the Thai border on the island of Langkawi aka the Jewel of Kedah. The internet is kind of spotty so expect my blogs to be a little slow for a couple of days, but know that I’ll be working with my toes in the sand and a beer on my table…
Drew took some time to monkey around today at the Petronas Towers… However this was as close as we got to the towers, as it was a Monday and the only day they are closed. Not everything always goes as planned while traveling, so its always nice to have a plan B and C… With it being our last together in KL we tried to make the most of it; first with a walk around the central park and mall attached to the towers and secondly visiting a pretty interesting aquarium beneath said mall. After lunch in a Bird Park we finished our KL adventure with a walk through the Kuala Lumpur Orchid Garden… Mom sure enjoyed that. And you will enjoy the video and photos below…
KLCC Aquaria
Where I Rested: Sheraton Hotel Imperial, Kuala Lumpur
Day two in Kuala Lumpur. Events included: KL Tower. Snakes. F1 Race Cars. Central Market. Monkeys. Independence Square. All made for a very busy Mother’s Day. And to all you Mother’s out there, I hope you had a great day as well.
Where I Rested: Sheraton Hotel Imperial, Kuala Lumpur
Arrived in Kuala Lumpur. Have a nice little view of the Petronas Twin Towers from my hotel. Not bad, eh? More to come soon.
Update: OK… After yet another Air Asia flight from Phuket I landed in KL, Malaysia and met up with Drew as he made the journey down from Seoul. We are out here for a week long semi-family reunion with our Mom, should be an adventure. Here’s a pic from our first dinner together in over 11 months…
Where I Rested: Sheraton Hotel Imperial, Kuala Lumpur
But: The Dodgers??