6/17/1993
Hi Mom,
My apologies, I know I promised I would write sooner. I just wanted to drop you a quick note from my luxurious hotel room in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. You know, the place I was supposed to just have a 10-hour layover in before jetting off to Singapore to meet up with my friends. But, as fate would have it, a little thing called a tropical cyclone had other plans for me. So here I am, stuck in this jungle paradise for an additional 30 hours.
I shouldn’t complain. I have nobody to blame except myself. I had a fantastic time in Kuala Lumpur. Back in KL I had the brilliant idea to take a side trip to Manukan Island. (It’s not every day you are near Borneo.) I envisioned myself lounging on a tropical beach and taking in the many exotic sights and sounds. But instead, when I arrived, I got caught in a monsoon. What a sight to behold. To shelter from the torrential downpour I spent a greater part of the day in a tiny souvenir shop, where the shopkeeper, a elderly Malay woman, fed me a local delicacy called Hinava. What can one say about the culinary wonder that is Hinava? Well, it's considered a delicacy in Kota Kinabalu. Imagine, if you will, a plate of raw fish that's been soaked in lime juice and ginger. (I’ve concluded that raw fish is an acquired taste.) And then there’s the texture- Imagine eating a mouthful of slippery worms. Bon appétit! Please don’t worry. I’ve been making the most of Borneo, from the confines of my hotel room, watching paint dry, and eating Ambuyat, a rather bland starchy substance kind of like tapioca, only it tastes like cement mixed with pennies.
Kota Kinabalu is certainly growing on me. Sure, it would be nice to be in Singapore with my friends, but who needs friends when you can have a room with a view of a construction site?
Anyway, that’s all for now. I just wanted to give you an update on my exciting adventure. I'll be sure to write once I get to Singapore.
I love and miss you,
Jenny
Letter courtesy of J.W.
(for Layover Goods)