WOOF-WOOF...ing

At Serukam Farm with Fred, Bruce, myself, Auntie, Uncle,

Fiona. Johnny, and Xin

During our time cycling out of Penang we realized that we were struggling with our route after southern Thailand and with our feelings of being at loose ends without a focus.  Fortunately without much effort we truly killed the two birds in Sungia Pentai, Malaysia at Serakum Farm, and it was turned out to be better than we ever could have imagined.  With Georgetown and Penang behind us we were not sure if we would enjoy the rest of Malaysia until we entered Thailand in a few days.  Those worries quickly abated when we arrived in Sungai Pentani and met Xin and her wonderful family.  Initially we planned to stay with Xin for one day, just an overnight, and we planned to pick her brain about future routes as she had toured through Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal, and India.  The places at the farm that she lived on were full, so Xin was kind enough to put us up with her parents, Soo and Chow, a 10-minute bike ride from the farm.  That first evening all the volunteers came to Soo and Chow's; Fred, from France, who had been working with Xin to get the farm started for the last nine months, May, also from France, but she had been living in Australia for years, and Johnny and Fiona, a couple from Scotland that had a few years to travel and work.  The next day we went to visit the farm and the hospitality of "Uncle" and the wonderful food prepared by "Auntie" along with the great energy exuded by Xin and the group was plenty to convince us to ask if we could stay and volunteer for a few days.  We found out that her and the family had been already talking and wanted us to stay...so there you have it.  During the day we helped get the farm back on it's feet, clearing fields, painting walls, rebuilding stairs, and just enjoying doing something other than rotating our legs in a circular pattern for 5-6 hours each day.  We also were blessed to be invited to a family party that consisted of food and beer that seem to have no end.  In an attempt to repay our hosts we offered to make homemade pizza before we left.  It was easier than we thought to aquire the ingredients but it should have come at no surporise that stoves are all but non-exitant, as in most of Asia.  No matter, a little ingenuity by our French friend and viola...wood fired grilled pizza, and some of the best crust I have made (toot-toot).

  

Bruce building chicken coop stairs, helping with the farm's mosaic table

  

Making pizza for 25, a lovely evening on the farm with our makeshift pizza oven 

  Leaving was more difficult than we could hav imagined when we first arrived in this out-of-the-way town of strangers, now feeling more like family.  But, alas, we knew we would have to continue at some point so we said a misty eyed farewell, invited everyone to come to the states to visir in the near future, and left feeling full of happiness.

We moved on to Alor Setar and another Warmhowers host.  This time the experience was slightly different to say the least.  Our hot was welcoming but he was not confident with his English and we, obviouly had not mastered even the begin levels of the native language.  He took us to a vegetarian meal and afterward we joined in on a chanting mediation group that he frequents.  This was all pleasant but mostly nonverbal time spent together.  The next morning he toook us to see his city, the temples, mosques and the like and then offered to ride to our next destination with us (only about 40km).  He also told us that he would set it up so that we could stay with a friend of his in the next town of Kangar Perlis.  However upon arrival we discovered,  to our dismay, that he had not notified anyone prior to our arrival and that the family had no room for us to stay.  They did invite us in and allowed us to shower and gave us food and drinks.  With minimal English translation we found out that they also knew our previous nights host only briefly and that he often only spoke when absolutley necessary.  We apologized and ofered to leave and find accomodation but the family would not hear of it.  They told us it was an "honor to host us" and that they were very happy.  They put us up in a local hotel (owned by a friend of theirs) and took us to an amazing seafood restaurant for what may have been the most amazing in a recent series of outstanding meals.  This family truly exemplified that which had come to be a part of Asian culture that we adore; their willingness and pleasure at taking in and treating strangers/travelers as family or better.  How will we ever find the time, money, and space to repay all these fantastic people that have done so much for us on this journey?!

  

With the Oon family, who were so good to us, me in the local mosque in Alor Setar