Malaysia

I was lucky enough to get sent to Malaysia June 6-10 for a conference.  It was pretty interesting - we were addressed by both the Prime and Deputy Prime Ministers.  I had a little time to get around Kuala Lumpur, see the National Museum, do some shopping etc.   I stayed at the Sheraton Imperial, a very nice hotel.  The food provided as part of the registration was excellent - their restaurant buffet served Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Continental, and Middle Eastern.  They almost have to as Malaysia is a highly multicultural country that is majority Muslim.  I learned a lot about the Asia-Pacific region and that should help in my position here in Canberra.

You may have heard that the President postponed his trip to Indonesia and Australia for the third time.  There has been a good reason all three times (domestic politics), but people here are disappointed because he is enormously popular here and a lot of that has to do with him having grown up in Indonesia.  He is considered a "Pacific President" and the fact that Indonesia rated a paragraph in the new National Security Strategy - here's the link - http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/national_security_strategy.pdf -
he's expected to be out here periodically.  There was a great deal of discussion of this at the conference.

Anyway, here are some selected photos from the trip:

The view out my hotel room window.

These are the Petronas Towers - third highest towers in the world.

Not bad for a kid from Clinton...

This is the Kuala Lumpur Tower.

The Central Market for crafts and the like.

Inside.

Carved head from a Royal Dragon Boat - in the National Museum.

One of the Royal Thrones (Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy)

Not the coming of the Three Wise Men, but the arrival and acceptance of Islam in Malaysia.

The sushi bar at the hotel.

Apparently, some United States Navy Ensign left his Dress Hat and Epaulets in Malaysia sometime back in the 1920s, because they for some reason have ended up on display at the Sheraton (with no explanation).  I'm sure there is a story here somewhere...I could make up all kinds of things like said Ensign vaulting out some bedroom window after an evening at some Embassy soiree and leaving these bits behind...

Unlike the U.S., in Australia when you travel on business they actually fly you in Business Class.  

The BC Lounge at the airport in Kuala Lumpur even has its own putting green.

Oh - one more thing - I can't tell if the blog is serving its intended purpose if you don't tell me.  So please drop a comment and let me know.