The short version of the story is that Southeast Asia is very warm (and humid), and I'm enjoying it a great deal. Networking and chatting with folks here, which were the two main goals of my trip, have been quite successful. And there's a superb offer to come to Australia via Travelzoo, even if it ports in that "other city" in New South Wales instead of Melbourne. (The Melbourne/Sydney rivalry is quite an interesting side-discussion for another time.)
This won't be the main post detailing my adventures in SE Asia, but rather a (short-term) update on my life so far. Missing my flight to Jakarta doesn't require too much further recap. Not feeling all that great about 9 days in Singapore while SE Asia beckoned, I managed to plan - more like stumble through - a 3 day trip to Melaka and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Once again, the short version of the story is that it was appealing, interesting, and perhaps more than anything *real* in a way that Singapore is not. Singapore, for all of its comfortability and easiness, has a very different feel to KL. Singapore would certainly never be mistaken for a European, Australian, or American city, but it still feels "easy" when it comes to a visit. KL, and Malaysia more generally, actually feels like travelling in a way that Singapore doesn't. It's my intention to give the full run-down once I get a bit more time; give me grief if I don't.
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