214 - 4.8.26 - -14: Johor Bahru

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View from the hotel













Ma made it to Malaysia! After years of saying she wouldn't go, Jac managed to strongarm her into going to Johor. Well, we made it. And we stayed at a super nice hotel - the Sheraton. Only that the hotel itself was surrounded on all side by construction and extreme disorganisation. Which was par of course for Johor. The place has always been a mess. The thing though is, if I was the government of Johor I would look at deindustrialising the place. Fixing one zone at a time. Getting it right. Finishing dead buildings. Honestly, the number of unfinished projects. Finish them ffs. 

Then on the other side of Johor they have cleared so much forest that it is blazingly hot. Insanely hot. It's mad. 

Malaysia is just a mess really. Well Johor is. I don't know any part of Malaysia where I could go to - like not a hotel - an enclave - and believe that it is not going to be stressful. It is always a resort which seems to be a stand alone homestead. Depressing really. Because it is really such a beautiful country. Stunningly beautiful.

Just as Singapore once was. 

Well... I did use the gym. The equipment was about 20 years old. The pool was lovely but the view of construction site. I suppose the breakfast buffet was the most incredible thing about it. The room itself was very comfortable. I mean it was lovely but it was a city break. In a city which really should take a good long look at itself and the many layers of failure upon failure and try to get to the bottom of it. It is a truly horrible city. Horrible. 

I also realised that the physique I am hoping for will not be achieved in 2 weeks time. Yes, I have chipped away at about half of the weight I had - but I still have another, at least another 4 months of running and exercising to do. It's a good thing I'm on sabbatical then.

I've also been trying to support the next door domestic worker to go home. She has endured the most ridiculous amount of psychological abuse - and it has now crossed over into hitting. So I'm hoping she will get home as she gets out from under this mess. It's a mess alright. Fuck. I'm hoping it won't get worse. It could and I'm hoping it won't. The Ministry of Manpower has said that they are now escalating the case and the agent said that he would be in touch with the woman. But I don't know what any of it means. And now we just WAIT. It is just so fucked up how frightened they are. It's so unfair. Really. I am sure they must have a module on what it do if you are being abused. But it probably has no consequence if they are still just naturally frightened. 

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