Language Class

One of my complaints about university language classes is that they are designed for much younger people. So yesterday's vocabulary was "how old are you?" I wasn't really eager to let many of students know that I had lived nearly half of century longer than had. I don't mind being old, but really do I have people amazed that I am still alive! My answer "I am old." It wasn't in their vocabulary yet, but my knowledge of Indonesian carried me through.

Today I switched to a smaller class. Not only is it smaller but all the students are graduate students. Two from Palestine, three from the Maldives, one from Saudi Arabia, one from Indian, and one whom I assume is Chinese. The other class was largely Chinese and Indonesians. But I will miss hearing the instructor call on "Fabian," "Sabrina," and "Loleta." The new section has much more familiar regional names.

Durian Party

Last night someone brought a bunch of rambutans to class. They were from his kampong (home village). Later I made a comment about durians - He immediately disappeared and came back with about 6 durians and a machete. The class ended feasting on rambutans and durians. I still am not sure exactly how they knew which ones were good before opening them. I was told that the ones that had a cat-like formation inside, instead of a smaller cluster around the seeds, were the best. I stuck to their recommendation and was quite happy.

Here I was in the midst of happy dining students - to say nothing of the machete attack on the durians - without my camera. Sorry I can't fully share the experience. I have been told that Malaysians love X and food. The X doesn't vary much either - so far it has been shopping or gambling, but there is no disagreement on the love of food.

Getting About

This weekend Penang celebrated being added to the list of World Heritage sites. Of course, I was in KL when most of the action took place. On Sunday I headed back to Georgetown to the Little Penang Street Market, which is held the last Sunday of the month. It has performances and vendors from various NGOs and representing the arts and crafts community. I bought snacks from an organization for "persons with intellectual disabilities." Over the past week I have noticed that Malaysia is more inclusive than I would have imagined. There are ramps on campus (I have seen a very few wheelchairs and no crutches). One attendee at the conference was from the Society for the Blind - he spoke of the need to have the rights of disabled persons recognized. And then on Sunday I photographed this his energized group from Mutiara Voice Club fulfilling their mission as self-advocacy by promoting and selling various products.


On Sunday night I joined friends of a co-worker of Clarence, a friend in Kuching, for dinner. I had Shanghai dumplings, which surely were far healthier than the selection at Shanghai Joe's in NYC, and several other dishes (that I hope I can remember for when Doug arrives). One of the group just graduated from Pharmacy School, which now requires her to work for the government. She could work anywhere in the country, which seems daunting to me.


Here is a picture from the conference - and now those who last saw me a month ago can decide if I have changed.

Conference in KL

The opportunities I have enjoyed continue to amaze me. Wednesday I joined colleagues from CenPRIS (Centre for Policy Research) to attend CenPRIS sponsored conference, the "Religion in the Quest for Global Justice and Peace" in KL. Along the way we stopped for lunch at an area that included a prayer room, Dunkin' Donuts, \Baskin and Robbins and an array of fruit stalls and eating stalls. It was far cry from the grimy, dark, and dusty rest areas of previous years. On the way I learned why the students are reticent to discuss politics. Political involvement, including political speech, is prohibited by law. (I think of it as "don't bite the hand that feeds you" law.) [With a bit of googling I ascertained that change is slow. If interested google Universities and University's Colleges Act - also the Internal Securities Act. Numerous blogs and short articles will show up on google. Here is on that seemed informative http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA28/034/2001/en/dom-ASA280342001en.html)

The Prime Minister opened the conference with a presentation in Bahasa Malaysian and then English. It made for a long first session and my attention waned more than I would like to admit. During the course of the first two days I met many interesting, involved people which has enriched my understanding of Malaysia and the variety of concerns of its various ethnic groups. In addition to lectures, panels, and interaction sessions there were assigned workshops. I heard workshop participants discuss in personal terms their experiences with religion and multi-racial relations. People of my generation regretted that the racial/ethnic groups have become more separated – during their school they experienced close friendships across racial lines.

At dinner I heard those odd observations that stick in one's mind for a long time. One man pointed out that Malaysia has “no weather.” It either rains or it doesn’t. Either way one wears the same clothes and carries an umbrella to fend off the rain or sun depending on what it going on. Furthermore, he pointed out Malaysians never comment on the weather. Instead they say “have you eaten?” This solved my puzzlement by how often I am asked this question as I arrive on campus.

No pictures – I brought my camera, but not the cable to link it to the computer.

Voting from Abroad

For any stray Americans who wander into this blog - if you will be out of the country during the election it is easy to vote from abroad. Or at least it is easy to get the process started. If you go to http://www.votefromabroad.com/ you can fill out forms to get an absentee ballot. You can also register to vote if you haven't done that. You can't send in the form on-line - you have to download it ( the form can be e-mailed for downloading later) and mail it to the Elections Board - the site includes the specific address on your form. So no guessing or extra work on your part.

A friend voted during the primary from Sweden and reported the ballot was delivered to her apartment. So if you aren't registered or applied for an absentee ballot no time like the present.

Off to KL

I leave for KL tomorrow morning for a three day conference on Religion and Social Justice. A former dean suggested it to me as a good way to meet people, and it seemed interesting and relevant. Here is the program http://www.usm.my/cenpris/seminar/ To prepare I have charged my camera battery, packed my cell phone charger, and my PC charger. I feel like a budding technician when I travel. I spend more time figuring what equipment and chargers I need than what clothes I will wear.

Today after Bahasa Malaysian a young man stopped me to ask if he had ever seen me in Medan (Sumatra). I had to tell him if so he was very young, that I was last there in 1984. He said that he had noticed that I knew a lot of Indonesian words. Which I do, but they often getting in the way of speaking Malaysian - enough different words, meanings, and pronunciations to addle my language impaired brain.

We had a meeting about my research project this morning - I hope that it gets off the ground early next week. If everything is on my side I may identify other research contacts in KL or on my way.

Doug's Birthday Picture

I was amused when I received a note from the Chancellor congratulating me on my Fulbright award. He offered to have the bell tower lighted red on the day of my choosing. At least one colleague wrote back that I might beat the football team in frequency of celabratory colors. The date I chose was 20 July, Doug's birthday. So here he is in glowing colors.

I called Doug Sunday p.m. (Sunday morning in Raleigh) to let him know that he had a rainy birthday in Penang.

Another Saturday in Penang

This is my third Saturday in Penang, and my wandering is a little less random. I checked out exiting the campus from a new (for me) gate, which is close to the Guest House. I now have a much better idea of what is up and what is down. I have no idea if locals would agree with these designations.

Next I headed for the local "hyper-market." Notice in the picture that the shading-roofs over the parking spots. "Hyper" is right; the store has as many non-food sections as a K-Mart and getting to a section quickly was close to impossible. When I looked for toothpaste I started to wonder if the store specialized in hyper-sizes as well. I found giant tubes or packages of 6-8 regular size tubes. (Last week I bought really cheap toothpaste, but almost immediately I experienced pain on the surface of my teeth. So back to the old reliable, and widely available Colgate.) BTW - I eventually found single, regular tubes.

We own stock in Heinz (I assume that no matter what happens to an economy people will continue to buy condiments.) No catsup in sight, but lots of chili sauce. I bought cereal and milk for breakfast, and crackers, peanut butter, and cheese for emergency snacks. After class on Monday or in a serious downpour food in the room is handy After Tesco my next stop was the night market to pick up oranges, then a stop at a mini-market to get a knife and fork.

A Malaysian friend and her Jordanian friend invited me to dinner. We ate at a restaurant area by the sea. I was struck by how empty it seemed, which my friends attributed to the recession. I found the relatively emptiness somewhat worrisome, since Asians seem to flock to outdoor restaurants. As we drove by eating areas closer in they seemed crowded. Our conversation included NY Times articles (my friend is a fan of Gail Collins), Obama's candidacy, and US immigration/visa policies. As an American I am saddened that the perceived US hostility to Asian/Moslem/Arab travellers has not lessened since our last trip to SE Asia. Most of the people I have talked with about the US elections have been guarded in their comments (I assume this is based on the perception that each candidate has strong & weak points and both bring risks). A few have mentioned Obama's inexperience while others have said that "he will put a new face on America" or the "America will regain its moral authority." I haven't had as many conversations about Malaysian politics - mainly because I am still having trouble sorting out who is who. But there is a lot going on and people aren't disinteresed.

Odds & Ends

This campus is full of surprises. Well, the first one wasn't a surprise - the post office was nearly empty this morning. So Doug will get his birthday card late. Doug has had the lousiest luck with birthdays - he missed at least two because we crossed the international date line on his birthday.

Last night as I was walking through campus a man called out to me - he was the person I had e-mailed the day before. Ends up he is the former dean of social sciences, whom I heard many good things about before I arrived on campus. This morning he sent me a flier for a conference in KL on Religion & Social Justice at the end of next week. I may have a conflict, but I hope that I can work around it.

Today I had lunch with a young colleague who teaches in political science. We were joined by a sociologist who teaches the MPA research methods course. The younger man's PhD studies were funded - his obligation is to work at the university for seven years. Beats job hunting and job talks. On the way back I met one of the university's non-profit scholars/activists - we will meet in about two weeks. I talked with a young lecturer in sociology who would like to do further research on concepts of beauty. She talked about women in the Far East whose concept of beauty involved cosmetic surgery. We brainstormed about funders for a few minutes. All I could think of were cosmetic companies and market researchers - not the group she would seek out to fund research that suggests that women's perceptions of beauty could be problematic.

FYI - during lunch there were comments about the university becoming more corporate. Sound familar?

Meet My Students I

I have had two class meetings and read the first set of papers. The students wrote about a policy problem that interested them. Two papers were unique to Malaysia. One addressed the requirement that math & science courses be taught in English. This is apparently a hot topic. The requirement was introduced in 2001. A decision whether to continue it will be made in November. Earlier today a colleague explained to me the language policies in the schools. Currently elementary schools may teach in Malay, Chinese, or Tamil, but only the Malay schools are fully funded. Secondary courses are taught in Malay except one course in English and in "Chinese" school one course in Chinese. (My colleague was in school prior to the English for science & math requirement.) The other uniquely Malaysian paper was on the ethnic quotas used to award scholarships. (When I came to Malaysian in 1974 the nation had just implemented its policy to have schools convert to Malay-medium so that everyone spoke the same language.)

The other papers addressed more universal issues. One sought more customer friendly banking policies, anther complained about civil servants who refused to work overtime. There was one on traffic on the Penang Bridge (by all accounts it is a nightmare). Other topics included: increasing maternity leave in the private sector (to make it comparable to the public sector); modernizing health facilities; combating the increased cost of living and fuel prices; illegal immigration.

For the most part the English was reasonably good and clear. I had two papers that mystified me - so I don't know if the course will work out for them. The major difference from US papers were remarks about government and the competence of government employees. The students remarks were far more pointed and openly critical. Sometimes in class discussions it is hard to get past what they think of the government.

My Surroundings

Yesterday my "mini-bar" arrived - a perk of being a long term resident. I have stocked it with water, cereal, milk and an orange. I am pleased to have this new addition - especially since I leave for Malaysian class before the canteen opens. Plus I am not convinced that a breakfast of noodles and egg is the best start to every day.

I also snapped the view from my "front door" actually at the right time one notices the hills that surround the campus. This picture doesn't do justice to the really attractive surrounding (beyond the tall buildings) but it gives you an idea. The building pictured is the Institute of Archeology - when I return home in the afternoon there are bunches of women washing rocks (my apologies to any readers who are serious scientists.)

This morning I sat and chatted in the office of a colleague in the Housing Department. It was a great conversation and I learned more about Sunni and Shia differences. Maybe now I can keep straight which is which. Malaysians and Indonesians are largely Sunni.

When I returned to my office I wrote several "maybe you have ideas?" e-mails. This is my favorite subject line for "please help me." This afternoon one recipient contacted me - he has put me in touch with someone who will speak to my class on how Malaysian public officials use policy analysis. I am convinced that the students in the class believe that the gov't uses no analysis or use it for window dressing. I will follow up on the contacts tomorrow. I am impressed with how generous and helpful people are.

Next weekend I am meeting with the cousin of my roommate from VPI (where I went for sabbatical). The timing will be perfect after a month of weekends spent trying to figure out the community it will be nice to be with someone who actually knows where she is!

You will have to picture these

I left the Guest House about 7:15, checked my e-mail at my office, and went to my Malaysian class. The weather was perfect - cool and a slight breeze. Outside the Foreign Languages building a staff was doing their exercises. The women were dressed in traditional garb; among the office workers the clothes are quite lovely. I know one of the exercisers so I might ask him if I can take a picture.

The doors to the language classes are padlocked. Along the outside walls there are a bank of chairs where students wait. Since the rooms are on the outside of the building it isn't grim. My impression is that USM has invested where it is important (technology) and made do with desks and chairs. Today we worked on pronuncation - a topic that I have previously ignored. Today I paid close attention \, b/c I need to do a better job of pronouncing my students' names. Next class our lesson includes "dari mana kamu" which is "where are your from." So I'll know more about my classmates - thus far a number of Indonesians and Saudi Arabians.

For another mental cture - as I was leaving campus this afternoon I noticed a woman in a long skirt, heels, and hidjah with a motor cycle helmet. The contrast was quite striking and not at all uncommon.

BTW - Doug sent me a link to the Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur) where they used the term truthiness to describe Parliment's operations!

Somethings work better in KL

On Saturday I lfinally found a birthday card for Doug that wasn't overly sentimental or horribly cute. Today, birthday card in hand, I set out for the campus post office. The line probably had twenty students, and they appeared to be ooked like they weren't just buying stamps. The Postal Services Web Site claims they offer 139 services. The line wasn't as long as the one pictured at http://malaysiansnapshots.blogspot.com/2008/06/what-crowd-at-malaysian-post-office.html No queueing machine such those at KL's banks and post office, so I went back to my office with Doug's birthday card. The Malaysian class meets tomorrow morning. I'll test my hypothesis that the queue is short in the morning, although the linked picture does not give me hope.

Doug's birthday is Sunday. The bell tower at NC State will be lighted red in my honor and to celebrate his birthday. I chose the date, so even though it doesn't have official sanction you can think of it as celebrating Doug's birthday. If you wish you can e-mail Doug a birthday greeting or add a comment here - since he surely won't receive a card from his wife by Sunday.

I Need to Change My Saturday Routine

Since the Guest House canteen is closed during the weekend I have headed out to Georgetown both Saturdays for roti. This Saturday I had roti canai and took a picture of the roti makers. Until I saw these men I had no idea of how much energy goes into kneading the bread.

I wandered through Little India for about 2 hours - then headed for the mall at the bus station. I first went there late in the afternoon my second day in Penang . I thought it was a pretty sad place - few people and a deserted food court. Saturday is the day to visit. I looked for a guide to Penang at the bookstore - no luck. Before I left I decided to look for chendol - much easier to find than a guidebook


So why do I need to change my routine? If I leave USM in the morning, by 1:00 p.m. I am hot, worn out, and have no appetite. Georgetown is over 30 minutes from campus by bus, so returning later isn't appealing and I am sure that the town has a very different feel later in the day. Besides I can eat something other than roti!

Friday's Accomplishments

Fridays seem to be the day when things come together. I had a pretty full day and felt like I accomplished a lot on all fronts - syllabus nearly done, a conversation with a faculty colleague that will be useful as the research evolves, lunch with another colleague who gave lost of useful logistic advice (such as where the gym is and when it is opened), and I "signed up" for Malaysian I. It is probably too elementary, but I don't want to commit to a higher level class. The class meets on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 8-10, which cuts into convenient times to call the US

It is 29 degrees and 75% humidity - I was disappointed to learn that 29 is equivalent to 86. It feels much, much hotter. weather.com puts the temperature as equivalent to 96, which feels about right. I am planning to head for George Town and Little India tomorrow - I hope the heat lets up a bit. At lunch I was told that there is a night market on Saturday nights near campus, so that will probably add to my weekend's outings.

Thoughts on Social Capital and Electronic Communications

Yesterday I sent out an e-mail to an evaluation listserv asking for ideas on focusing the policy analysis course. I received a guide from Canada, a course outline from Australia, the name of a potential contact in Malaysia (via Australia), a note from a former student, and a request for similar advice. The responses reminded me that for some of us electronic communications play a large role in developing social networks.

The process that got me here involved people responding to "cold calls" albeit with the help of Google and the Internet. I sought out names of anyone in Malaysia who appeared to have interests in public administration or program evaluation. I received several possible answers - some of which I should follow up on now that I am here. One answer was from a colleague here, who I have come to admire greatly, who virtually coached me through the process. I also heard from two former Fulbrighters who encourage and shared their insights - including the comforting observation that she didn't here until March that she had received an award.

And then there are all the in-between folks who have helped me find contacts in Penang. If anything urgent comes up I am well taken care of. Each one has assured me that they are not just for emergencies. They have started sending me e-mails of Penang events to make sure I don't get isolated.

So everything is adding up to an exciting adventure.

Message from Doug - Linking US banks internationally

In case you missed the comment on the previous entry here are Doug's insights after much frustration to have a reimbursement check issued in Malaysia put in my US account. If you think that you may be in a similar situation you may want to keep this message.

As a play on the credit card advert: "Don't leave home without it", here are some financial things one needs when working outside of the US.As the spouse who is still in Raleigh, it fell to me to locate this set of information.Many US banks, particularily smaller one's and Credit Unions have limited exposure to international banking. When the time came for some reimbursement for airfare, etc., we needed to transfer the funds from Malaysia to the US. You know, the credit card bills for the airfare do need to be paid.So I contacted my local credit union (not a small one, but one with over 12 billion in assets). It took me over 8 phone calls before someone could come up the the information necessary. So do the spade work before you leave, you need:The SWIFT Number:The Name of the Correspondent Bank, their city, and state.The name of the Beneficiary Bank (that is your banking institution), its city, and state, plus its account number.Finally you need your Name, address, city, state and your account number.Stuff this stuff away with copies of your passport, credit cards, and other important documents. Who knows, you may need them.
July 9, 2008 11:27 PM

So I am here to do research

Today I met with the Dept chair (PhD Columbia) to start to work on the research project. The first step has been to develop the questionnaire. I am validating a questionnaire developed by a colleague at IU to measure collaboration. So the question wording problems are largely non-existent. Formatting has been more of a challenge. I have put the survey in Survey Monkey, but have yet to tackle the question of formatting. If anyone has other suggestions - speak up.

Next week we will firm up the protocal and begin contacting potential subjects (collaborative organizations). It will be great to get the ball rolling.

We also discussed the department's problems in attracting PA faculty. There are few PhD in PA in Malaysia. So if any one has knowledge of how the department can break into the international hiring world let me know and I'll pass the information on.

Really - It's not all about food

Before I start the day I am adding pictures from last night's dinner. The first is the buffet where I had dinner tonight and Sunday. The other is a shot of the stall area. Not terribly different from a NYC deli. On Sunday the area was quite crowded and the buffet ran parallel to the road. Last night it was less crowded and the buffet was off to a side and perpendicular to the road - an opportunity to ponder the meaning of "location, location, location." As I left I saw a similar Indian buffet - I promised to come back tonight.

Prior to eating I walked further down the road and saw a Baskin & Robbins, Pizza Hut, and McDonalds. I will probably check out the latter, b/c in the past I have found that McD adapts its menu to local preferences. Across the street was a 24 hour Indian restaurant (or so I assumed). My options are increasing daily.

The pictures were darker than I intended so I decide this was the time to read my camera manual. Malaysia has forced me to made some big changes - reading maps and manuals!

The First Day of School

In most respects it seemed like the first day of school everywhere - nothing worked quite as well as you expected. The computer system was on the fritz and printing was out. I was lost time trying to merge microsoft documents from my laptop's older version to my office's newer version. Two hours before class isn't exactly when I want to relearn navigating around Power Point.

Before class I went to visit my classroom and check out the technology. A worthwhile trip since there is definitely a drill in turning on equipment. The biggest challenge was getting the projector to work - it was as annoying as the ones at NCSU could be. But half an hour later I left feeling that I was in control and knew how to get lights on, the AC started up, the desktop working, the screen moving, and projector on. The technology part of class worked smoothly.

I have 19 students in the class and they seemed more engaged and willing to interact than I expected. It will be motivating to keep on top of things and find good examples to use through out the lecture. About 7:15 I suggested that we take a break and was told that later was better so that they could pray from 7:45 - 8:00. Once class was over a large number of students were hanging out to talk together - unlike my NCSU students who head out the door immediately. Perhaps it was the catching up after the first class of the first semester, or trying to figure out the class and the instructor, or just the general culture.

Vegetables - At Last!

Today I ventured further down the street that surrounds the campus. I found what I have been looking for since I arrived. A large area with stalls and tables. Near the center was a buffet with at least 8 types of vegetables. It was really good (and less than US $2). I got out my camera only to receive a message "battery exhausted." At least I have a better idea of when to recharge tge camera. I'll be back for food often, so expect pictures soon.

I rec'd a question about Laksa - google describes it as a curry noodle soup and the following from wikipedia summarizes my favorite Sarawak Laksa: "It has a base of Sambal belacan, sour tamarind, garlic, galangal, lemon grass and coconut milk, topped with omelette strips, chicken strips, prawns, fresh coriander and optionally lime. Ingredients such as bean sprouts, (sliced) fried tofu or other seafood are not traditional but are sometimes added." So if you find it, try it. Some laksas, such as those from S'pore and Penang are much fishier.

Today I worked on my syllabi and power points for tomorrow. I was able to use articles from the Straits Times to pull out some examples. A lot of the paper is political news,but without knowing the actors it is hard to follow. Doug seems to read the paper regularly so he is a better, more attentive source of information on the political intrigues.

Eating on the Economy

On Friday night I headed out to test the near campus food options. As I passed the mosque I remembered to document the seminar on "Hajj Best Practices." Given the enormous logistics and the problems with stampedes it is probably a good idea.

The most convenient campus exit has at least three "dining" options an ice cream shop, a fruit stand, several "mini-marts," and KFC. (The KFC will remain as a default option, but it is a poor choice for starting to expand one's eating horizons. ) The "waiter" gractiously posed in front of the stalls where I had fresh orange to drink and chicken rice. (Saturday morning I sat next to a woman eating chicken, rice, and something green. I assume that the something green was a vegetable - I asked what she was eating but she was more focused letting me know about the rice and meat)

Friday I went to the Foreign Languages Department to explore options for improving my conversational Malay. The staff at the Guest House are delighted that I am planning to improve upon my random use of words. I got a terrific welcome from the Foreign Languages I go back on Tuesday to meet other department's administration and come up with a plan. I am sure that if I take a class I will meet some students who can give me information on laundry facilities, bus routes,, and other challenges that are not part of the life of professional university staff.

Getting to Work

Here are some photos that capture the basics of my existance, i.e., my room and office. The room picture was taken during the last stages of unpacking. The pile on the bed were waiting for hangers. Both spaces are adequate and the office's electronic capacity provides the easiest access to the Internet.

If you noted the times on my postings they were Pacific time, which has not been changed to real time (or at least my version) thereof. I have a pretty conventional routine. I get up around 7 and may call Brendan or Colin. Doug has been trying to take advantage of our cheap phone card. It would work like a wonder if the Guest House system were more up-to-date. As it is he can call 0n a landlline between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Once I get my routine more in order calls to my office may work out better. The breakfast spread between 7:30 and 8:00 seems to be the least tired, but given the convenience and the price there isn't anytihing to complain about.

2. I now have the previous syllabus for the course I will be teaching. It is somewhat different from what I had in mind, but it gives me a better idea of where to go and how to proceed. I also got my library card - as soon as I entered the library the clerk at the desk went to fetch the card. I guess age, complextion, and dress all make me quickly distnguishable. So while some of you are celebrating the 4th of July or getting up to start celebrating I will be preparing a syllabus - I am sure that I had written at least 100 syllabi, of course most were up-dating an existing course.

The 3rd of July

I can't believe the 4th of July is tomorrow. I am surprised how far the US seems. I barely keep up with the political news or any other news. (I check Gallup's tracking poll and the NY Times front page and little else)

I am gradually remembering my market level Malaysian. Still walking up to people every block or so to ask directions - today I got myself royally disoriented so the typical answer was "that is very far." I had planned to take a bus to a nearby mall. From what I have learned thus far only one bus goes there. After waiting nearly 40 minutes - I gave up and decided that I will take a cab the next time I try. My anticipated fish dinner was put off and replaced by mee goreng (fried noodles) and lemonade at the Guest House. My disappointment was softened by the 5 ringitt (less than US$2) charge.

Today's major projects were attending orientation and getting a library card. Orientation included a lot of emphasis on the students taking responsibility for their work and learning, a bit of prodding to get them to ask questions, and the normal drill on objectives and curriculum. It was like revisiting my past life.

To get my library card I needed a copy of my contract and passport. I had decided that my passport could be temporarily put aside - wrong. So I had an extra trip to the Guest House. I will get the desparately needed card tomorrow. I had to go back to the guest house a second time to get a photo for the card. So even without being lost I get to do a lot of hiking. I verified that the library has books on the shelf which will help me make good progress in putting together a good syllabus.

Odds & ends - sign of the day "Best Practices for the Hajj" - I'll try to remember to get a photo. Also, we had thunderstorms and heavy rain last night/this morning, so the Department's printing capacity was kaput. It has been raining nearly every day since I arrive (29 June). I just hope that the heavy rains aren't followed by draught. I am told that this is an unusuallly early start to the rainy season.

Penang 2 July

Yesterday while I was updating my site the system had problems. I have a meeting in 10 minutes so here is a quick summary from yesterday (July 2)

Things are moving along quickly. Yesterday I thought that I was going to teach Organizational Behavior. An urgent e-mail went out to my colleagues at NCSU. This morning I had received syllabi and comments. Less than 24 hours later I learned Organizational Behavior wasn’t on the schedule so I will teach Policy Design and Analysis. It is a subject I am more comfortable with but no more prepared. An e-mail went out to another set of colleagues. An opinionated reader of this blog is invited to send their suggestions – cases/exercises/readings will be gratefully accepted.

A major task today was to get more comfortable with the campus and the city. I deposited a check and withdrew money to pay for my accommodations. Running around with a stack of bills still isn’t comfortable, but at least I knew where I was going and the stack wasn’t as high. I took a bus to go get bus maps and check out food options. I took the totally misnamed Penang Rapid Express. When I first read that Penang had “a rapid express” I assumed that it was rail system. It is a bus which has to maneuver the traffic like the cars and motorcycles. The bus information was moderately successful – I got sheets with the bus routes, which is okay but still challenging for the newcomer. I asked a person at the Tourist Bureau (BTW on the 56th floor great view - sorry I was too rushed to take a picture), but I would have preferred to pop into a ground floor office.

I asked if there was a nearby food court. I was directed to a grim looking place that seemed more similar to a school cafeteria. So far Penang doesn’t measure up to Singapore or KL, but it has a great food reputation. I was clearly looking in all the wrong places. (On the other hand breakfast cost the equivalent of a US$1 and dinner about $2.50 and both were satisfying)

My New Digs

Today's major tasks were to settle into the USM Guest House and meet folks in the School of Social Sciences. I now have a room for sleeping and bathing and an office. Here is a view of my room (2nd floor extreme right) and the view from my room. Tomorrow I will have longer discussions about my teaching and research. So I will leave the office pictures and plans until tomorrow.

The Guest House is moderately large and quiet. It is an easy walk to my office and probably a lot more of the campus once I am oriented. It is bit quieter and more isolated that I would like. On the other hand I avoided the hassle of finding a suitable apartment for 5 months. Once I get bus information I will begin exploring the city. (Among USM professionals bus ridership seems very rare.) Tomorrow I will go the International Relations Office – primarily to check on the status of my visa, but I also hope to get a bus map and probably other local information