Time for a catch up - let's start with the stuff that you won't like: Health and Religion

TLDR;

Hey, stop worrying!!!  (Or, tell me to stop assuming.)  I am fine and feeling well. 

Everyday is better than the last.  But that does not mean that the days have all been peaks.  Remember Calculus 1* - minimums and relatives are classified as "absolute" or "relative."  The previous is a reference to relatives.  Honestly, some were bad days in the "local" sense.  Some physical, some emotional.  Nothing was bad in the "global" sense.

I am healthy, happy, and fine.

I promise.

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I'm still in Kuching.  I was supposed to travel to Penang on Saturday.  Part of my plan on this visit was to experience living as I hope to if I move here.  So, I deliberately did not buy my domestic flights.  That's part of what I will experience: whimsical travel.  (Domestic and regional.)

This town, what little I have seen of it suits me (other than the heat.)  I'm moving here.  Decision done and dusted.

Part of the experience is also living without a meaningful calendar.  (I really have no sense of time or day at this point.)  What does it matter to an agnostic without a sabbath to reference?  So, here's the religion.  Relax, it'll be tangential and easy.

This state is 50.1% Christian so the majority hold it on Sunday. 

The Nation is 65% Muslim, they celebrate Fridays.   I have not gone a day without hearing a local Masjid (Mosque) calling its faithful.   

Somewhere there must be Jewish folk on the Island to take Friday. La?

The Indigenous are a mystery to me. 

There are non-theiest Buddist shrines all over the place. 

The Desi* Hindus  are another mystery to me.

No sabbath = no anchor (ambiguity intentional.)

I don't look at my watch or phone for the time these days.  I look for the day of the week or month.  To stay up on sports.  Literally.



That means I did not realize that today is Malaysia Day - a national holiday.  "Hari Malaysia" ("Celebrate Malaysia" - it's literally the name of the day and the "phrase of the day" like "Happy Thanksgiving.")  No, it is not the same as Merdeka Day, "Independence Day," which was already celebrated.

I generally know where I am, but not "when I am."  Talk about freedom.

Net-net: no cheap tix.  Expensive in this case mean sub - $300 for less than 6 hours.  Could do $300 for 30 hours but..."fuck, no!"  It's less than 2 hours non-stop.

No issue: Canceled the Penang hotel, got the points back.  Spent them and a few more to stay here.  12k points a night is hilariously cheap.  But actually probably a poor use of points.

So, that's where I am.  You've seen pics through the 12th.  If you have questions about them - hit me.  most of those shots reflect what I was doing.  Just walkin' around, sweating, and looking with eyes wide open.



Pounds of sweat I am sure.  I am 100% sure that I have yet to get to calorie neutral on a day.  I eat when hungry and to satiation.  But, I am not very hungry or hungry very often.  I worried about it and still do.  But not horribly so at this point.

At times I forced myself to eat.  That usually just meant eating western food in the hotel.  Not very good but safe.  Salad with beef; beef souvlaki; breakfast stuff (sans pork, alas.)   It also meant a few Snickers Bars.   (Yeah, even with those I still didn't cross 2K kCal.)   

I can see a little hollowness in my cheeks, I can even see a bit of upper rib.  I'm guessing I'm down about 10 ... pounds I hope but, kilos potentially.  (I lost weight last trip; put it all back on over the summer.)  I am paying attention.  Serious attention, with serious intention.  The love handles are absolutely still prominent.



My major concern is hydration.  I was/am hydrating at every opportunity.  Rarely waiting for thirst; and usually sipping well past slaking any dryness.  And, honestly, it still was insufficient.  Hence the worry.

My heart rate has been elevated since arrival.  Hitting the highest levels since I started on a beta blocker in the spring.  Before that my average BPM was ~62 in January.  It had dropped to ~53 in August ( accompanied by better blood pressure readings and less anxiety as intended.)  This month I have averaged 57-58 BPM.  (All data from my Fitbit.  Accurate or not, I trust it for "trends.")

My pee was clearer every day but not "clear."  It was stinky.  

Both are unusual.  At home I average 3-4 litres of fluid a day.  Let's be Imperialist and say 1gal = 4l.***

The hotel provides me with 2l of water a day.  The room attendants started leaving 3l.  

I started resting at the rooftop pool for a bit to cool off before going into the AC and freezing (remember I am soaked through my shirts completely.)  The pool attendants began to recognize that and brought me 0.5-1l when I showed up.  (And towels.)

I was buying and consuming 1-3l while strolling.  

All told, that's over a gallon daily.  But at 90F with 90%rH, sweat does not evaporate much (hence the Humiture and Heat Index concepts.)  One just gushes water here.  It changes as on adapts.  And, my body is adapting.

The decision to stay was a good one for forcing me to take the weekend off.  Check-out and Check-in were both fouled by computer issues.  So, I sat in the lobby for a few hours.  Enjoying "Infused Water" - mint and cukes that day.  I was tired so I walked to an English joint across the street for a coffee and a snack.

And, .... That. Changed. My. Trip.  In the best way.

Hmmm, that seems like a great cliff-hanger spot...

* I better remember - I took Calc 1 thrice. 
'82 - first semester of "Uni," - FAILED

'83 - 2nd semester of Uni - gotta "C"
'88 - getting my 1st master (M.A.) in economics - an "A," third time is a charm.

** No, that is not a pejorative - almost every Indian based food commercial during the Cricket World Cup spoke of Desi pride - it's their world not mine.  It does not come with a religion attached.  Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim commercials alike used it.  

I think my use of Bumiputera was a greater risk.  And, my intentions are good in both cases.  My words are the literal words people are using to describe themselves.

*** 1 US gal = 3.8l; 1 UK gal = 4l.  The top of urinals tell the "Litres per Flush."  What do you look at when standing in front of one?  Walking into a public urinal to find a dude masturbating in either 1980 or '84 taught me that lesson.  (It was in Germany.  Nothing happened.  Chill, people.)