"The way they do things in Penang"

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Anyway, the monkey gets a bad press.

Monkeys get bad press because they're intelligent, malicious, cunning and vicious creatures with sharp teeth. In effect, they are us without any morals. (Or my kids.) Things are bad enough with my low tolerance of fellow humans, so you can imagine how I take to monkeys! Horrible creatures. Monkeys too!

Forget Penang, feebee. Come down to Johor, where you have plenty of room to breathe, sea breezes, Singers on your doorstep (so you can get patronised at a convenient distance) and no monkeys! Okay, so it's a little Wild West here at the moment, but things will only improve. Plus, did I mention no large packs of wild dogs (only some small, docile ones), and no monkeys! 

Kaz @ Johor

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kaz - fascinating idea.  I have browsed the internet on monkeys and found that they are common in Malaysia, so how come Johor is monkey-free?

And dog-free too!  Quite remarkable, and if you have time I would enjoy hearing more, as I know nothing.  How about the humidity?  Is cycling possible?  Is it a foreigner-friendly place?

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40 years ago while touring India a monkey blocked the way and reached for my thick glasses.  Seeing that I defended it with both hands it snatched my ballpen instead and ran off.  A local chased after it and offered a banana for exchange.  The monkey made the right choice,  I got my ballpen back and rewarded the quick-thinking man a small sum of money.  Some said the monkey had a win-win agreement with this smart guy and that it would only deal with him.  Since then I have become wary of monkeys and always stay away from them.  If I had lost my spectacles I would not have enjoyed the rest of the tour. 

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Mmm looks like there has been a bit of monkey business in Johor...

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/11/24/nation/20081124203129&sec=nation

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Re the Monkey and local man trick.

Could it be that the man had trained the monkey to do just that?  A clever scam?   

Perhaps the next foreigner to come along would find the monkey going for his wallet and Wow!! a helpful local, fortuitously equipped with banana, gives chase.........

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Hey hey, papaya, no more dissin' Johor from north of the border!

Glad to be of service, feebee! And forgive the tardy response but the Day Job intervened. Mighty inconvenient.

Anyway, it's not to say there are NO monkeys in Johor (ahem). Just that, besides one small band that roamed across the freeway near here (Nusajaya) a year ago, and stopped to peer in our windows before going on their way, I've seen no monkeys at all.

Humidity. Not so noticeable, except for the past two months, which are the hottest in the year. We rolled out our portable air-conditioner for about a third of those nights and an equal number of days. Other than that, it's very bearable here and not much needed beyond fans.

Cycling. Interestingly enough, I've seen quite a number of locals (!) all done up in their lycra finery, peddling their sweaty way between Puteri Harbour and Gelang Patah. And an increasing number of pink-skins doing the same too. Average about one or two a week, but I've noticed a trend upwards in cyclists over the past six months.

Foreigner-friendly. Oh, much friendlier than KL, which is the emo-capital of Malaysia, in my opinion. (And, bear in mind all readers, that I was born in KL myself.) The people here are very open towards foreigners, especially if you come armed with a smile. It's the Singaporeans they're not too keen on. The problem you'll find is that it's not as "advanced" as KL or Penang in terms of getting Stuff. It's like a high-tech kampung, would be the best way I'd put it. In fact, you couldn't even get any Bosch appliances -- for example -- anywhere in the state until about six months ago. They just didn't exist. But it's getting better all the time. And the chicken here is divine. Really. Best chicken, regardless of cooking method, I've tasted anywhere. it has real flavour.

There's a thread on Johor that papaya started in this area ("Chit Chat"), where I went into a little detail about the state, so have a read of that too.

Kaz @ Johor

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Kaz@Johor -

Thanks for the response.  I had only considered KL and Penang up to now.  Ok, minimal monkeys, and may they be forever so!  Humidity sounds much like BKK, though this year I have not used aircon at all.

On the cycling thing, I really doubt the wisdom of lycra in this climate.  It's not actually necessary to dress up in pink and fluorescent purple to pedal down the road.  I find that my standard garb of a cotton shirt and longish cotton shorts is quite ok, but there again I'm not out to break any records.

It all sounds quite reasonable.  However, I'm mostly vegetarian so the chicken bit is lost on me!  But I do eat some fish.  [Thai fish is very disappointing - high price and bland, so I buy John West in the supermarket.]

Will proceed to Papaya's thread.

Thanks for taking the time for such a full reply.

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On the cycling thing, I really doubt the wisdom of lycra in this climate.

Regardless of hobby, I really doubt the wisdom of lycra in ANY climate.

Kaz

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Would it be safe for me to assume that condos in Penang do not allow pets, [eg dogs, cats, rabbits, gerbils, parrots etc], and that the rules are enforced?

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Many condos allow pets, except for dogs, but the rules are hardly ever enforced. As long as the dog  doesn't make a lot of noise they are accepted. We have a cat, a ferret and a prairie dog for pets.

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.............and that the rules are enforced?

I am sad to say that very few rules are enforced in Malaysia

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That's not ALWAYS a bad thing, Fizzy.

Kaz!

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Oh dear.  That's reeaaallly bad news.   Could be the last nail in the coffin for my trial run at mm2h.  I was hoping for an improvement on the anarchy here, given that Malaysia is reputedly more civilized.  Animals in flats are a no-no for me.  Noise and smell.  Sharing the elevator with a dog that wants to lick me, or shag my leg.  Turds in the lobby, stains on the wall.  Interpersonal troubles with the rule-breaking owners.  Yuk.

Is it possible that the more up-market the condo, the tighter the rules and the quality of enforcement?  Give me hope.

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Feebee.
I have never seen what you are describing in any complexes here. People who do have dogs take very good care of them and do not let them annoy other people. Actually their animals are better behaved than many peoples children. If you don't like animals maybe you should find an isolated house far away from people, but then you might have to deal with the natural wildlife. I think you are overreacting.

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I like apartments; don't need or want a house.  I will just have to try to find one that has the most restrictive rules on animals, and hope they are enforced acceptably.  Some condos must have a better reputation than others for this.  I guess it's just a matter of local knowledge.

As to owners controlling dogs, I'm not convinced.  As a jogger in the grounds of my last condo, I was continually chased by condo dogs [in that condo, "original" dogs were permitted that were there before the time that new dogs were banned].  One owner took his dog for a swim in the swimming pool and the pool had to be drained and cleaned.  He was charged 20,000 baht for the water, and slung out, mercifully.

Another kept a screeching parrot on his balcony that could be heard all over the condo.

in this condo, my neighbour kept a rabbit in a cage, and the lobby smelled like a farmyard.  Another has a teacup dog that it puts on the table in the restaurant. 

Improve the world - support animal-free condos.