I woke up at 7am to walk around the neighborhood with Sonny.  My dad is a champion walker, and I’m an expert stroller so while my dad charged around with excellent enthusiasm for such an early hour (partly due to jetlag), I took my time to take in the sights, particularly the large mansions which are a perfect example of the country’s misguided understanding of luxury.

Wealth and class are often associated with gaudy European interior design so it’s not so surprising to find houses decorated as if Versaille had a yard sale.  However, the heavy, suffocating imperial French style conflicts with the climate and functional needs of the house.  The blistering heat and 200% humidity cannot be good for silk brocade couches.  Thankfully, my family has decent taste and we’ve stuck with classic wooden chinese furniture with the occasional cushion to prevent numb butt.

Top 3 notable observations:

• Motorcyclists wear their jackets on their fronts to protect themselves from the heat while zipping through the city at break neck speeds.  I’m familiar with wind chaffing in the winter, but heat chaffing?
• The fresh water prawns are the size of lobsters.  OK, that’s an exaggeration, but they are pretty big.
• New Jersey’s biggest rival in terms of # of malls per square mile is Kuala Lumpur.