DanielYKL

 (This is unhealthy for children! If you are 18yrs and below, get your parents permission!) 

And did I, the Lord God create Helen and Eve?  NO!  NO!  NO!

I, the Lord God created Adam and Eve, man and woman - not Helen and Eve. Adam I know. Eve I know. Steve and Helen? That I don’t know! Who are they?

                                         Walking down the streets along Penang’s Little India brings back memories of the days when i was in India. This place really reminds me of Chennai - formerly Madras. Even the name of the streets - King Street, Queen Street, Bishop Street, and Armenian Street sound like the streets in Chennai. Here you find banana leaves and vegetarian restaurants - and definitely no beef here as majority of the businesses are own by Hindus. There are some Indian Muslim too doing business here- especially the money changers.   As you walk along the streets there, you will hear Bollywood music blasting everywhere and fragrant of rose or jasmin scented incense. Right at the jumction of King Street there is little stall selling vadai, samosa, fried battered onions and many other types of fried pastry.  And next to it another stall sells a variety of ‘muruku’ and nuts. Opposite the road, an Indian man on a push cart - selling bananas and papayas.  You would love the road-side stall’s ‘teh tarik’ or to the indians - ‘chai’ and fresh milk. And you will find shops selling sari, colourful garland, stainless steel pots and pans and food carriers and even sitar and tabla- the indian drums.  There are also shops selling spicies, Indian music cd and dvd movies.  Whatever the Indian household needs - you can find it here.

                             The only difference here is, this place is much cleaner than Chennai. And no ‘tuktuk’ - the scrary 3-wheels scooter, no taxis or cars honking their way through narrow streets and definitely less traffic - vehicles and humans -congestion. And also no ‘holy cows’ sleeping in the middle of the road.

Munich 1972, Germany. This is the year of the Munich Olympic and that’s why we want to be there, to witness the Olympic. Yes, we witnessed our Malaysian football team lost to the Germans on the opening day. And apart from that, we also get to watched some of the heats and qualifying fields and tracks events. These are the only tickets that we could afford at that moment.

I worked as a kitchen helper in a famous Argentina’s restaurant called “Churassco Steakhause.” My job is to help out to do whatever needs to be done in the kitchen, from peeling potatoes to cleaning up the kitchen. In other words, I do everything. After 6 months as a kitchen hand, I was promoted as a cook. I worked from 9.30am till 6.30pm, preparing and cooking all the different salads and soups for the restaurant. Life was never a dull moment here. For the next two years or so, it was work in the daytime and partying in the evening until I was caught for working without a permit. The police came and raid our restaurant. Three of us were arrested for working illegally without a working permit. And for the first time in my life I get to ride in a BMW, a police car and first time too being handcuffed. I was remanded in the Munich Prison for 4 months before they deported me out of Germany.

The German prison compared with the one in Malaysia is like a “five star hotel.” We were put in cell with a single bed and a double decker beds. The cell also contains a cupboard, a table and two benches. At the far end is the toilet and washing basin, which is half-covered by a brick wall. There is also a heater to warm up the cell during winter. They served you 4 meals per day. Breakfast consists of varieties of bread and buns with cheese, butter, jam, pate’ and sausages, cereals and milk, with either coffee, tea or chocolate. For lunch or dinner they served you either roast beef, pork, chicken steaks, or sausages, or spaghetti, with pastas, rice, and soup. And during tea time, you get to eat sweet bun or cakes with coffee, tea or chocolate. You get to bath once a day in a common shower with hot water. You were allowed to go for walks at the courtyard for an hour per day. You can purchase cigarettes and tobacco from the money you have when you were arrested. Once a week, a doctor will see you if you have any complain of illness. You were also allowed you own a small transistor radio. You can borrow magazines or books from the library once a week. I shared a cell with an Algerian, who was in for picked- pocket, and a Nigerian, who was arrested for robbery. It was in the middle of the cold winter, when they deported me out of Germany to Austria.

Europe! After months of traveling in Asia, we finally made it to Europe. From Istanbul our journey took us through Greece, Bulgaria, former Yugoslavia, Austria and finally Germany. We did not stayed long in these countries as we were in a hurried to get to our final destination and also we ran short of money. Most of out times are spent sleeping or waiting for trains at the train stations. We did not have enough money to stay in hotel, so we hang out at the train station waiting room. We took a train from Istanbul to Thessoloniki in Greece.  Stayed there for just a couple of nights, and took another train to Sofia in Bulgaria. We did not stay in Bulgaria, we just passed through the country and went straight to Belgrade in Yugoslavia. Here we stayed for a few days to get our visa for Austria, and then head for Salzburg in Austria. From Salzburg we took a train all the way to Munich, Germany.

When we finally arrived in Munich, we were lost. We don’t know what to do. Yes, we have finally arrived at our destination but we don’t know what we were doing there. We don’t have any friends or contacts. We don’t know where to go and rather where to start. We were running out of money. We survived just on milk and bread for days. We hang out at the railway station just waiting and wondering what to do next. Then one day, we saw a Chinese guy around the railway station, and he looks Malaysian to us. So we approached him and asked for information. He was our saviour! He took us to a place called Leopold Strasse in Swabing and told us that we could find many other Malaysians hanging out here. True enough after a day or two we met a friend from Penang, who then found me job at a restaurant as a kitchen helper. I was staying with this friend in his apartment which has no hot water or heater for a couple of months till I found a place of my own. I started off as a kitchen helper but progress to be a cook after a year there. Life was great, got a good job and nice place to stay and lots of friends to hangout with, till one day the law caught up with me. All these while I was working without a permit. In another words, I was an illegal immigrant. After working for two years there, I was arrested and put in prison for 4 months before they deport me out of Germany and back to Austria. Yes I spent 4 months in the German prison while waiting to be deported. I cannot complain much about the prison life there compared with the prison in Malaysia.

After, I was deported out of Germany, I was sent to Austria. And from there I find my  back, passing through once again Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and finally India. Spent another few months in India before retuning to Penang by ship.

From Teheran, we find our way by buses and trains all the way to Istanbul, Turkey. The journey took through desert, poppy fields, lakes and rugged mountains. Along the way we stayed in small towns and villages to enjoy the real simple country life of the local Iranians and Turkish people. We only spend about a couple of days in Ankara, the capital of Turkey then took a bus all the way to Istanbul. This is where Asia meets Europe. Istanbul is divided by the Bosporus Sea. On one side which is the old city is Asia and on the other side is the modern Istanbul of Europe.Istanbul is a fascinating city. It’s huge, noisy and crowded and exotic. There are plenty of markets, bazaar, fish markets and modern shopping arcade. I stayed in a hotel very near the famous Hagia Sophia, (the Church of) Holy Wisdom, now known as the Ayasofya Museum. This was an early Christian Church and later which was transformed into a mosque in by the Turks, and converted into a museum. It is considered one of the greatest and most beautiful buildings in history. One of the things I remembered was that I used to play chess with the hotel manager for my lodging. If I win I get to stay free for the night. Either he likes me and let me win or he must be a lousy player, cos every time we play, I always win. Used to buy tomatoes, cucumber, white sheep’s cheese and Pide (broad, round and flat kind of bread made of wheat) and just had a picnic in the park near Hagia Sophia. Here you can see dancing bears and all kinds of outdoors shows. And at night there is a sound and light show on the famous Blue Mosque.

After spending more than a week here, I ran short of cash and was introduced by s traveler that I could sell my blood for a very good price. So I went and donate “sell” my blood to a private clinic and had a bad experience. Instead of just taking a pint or so, they drained more than what I bargain for, and I had to literally pulled off the needles myself from my vein to stop it. All the nurses did was just smiled at me as I walked away feeling “high” and faint.

Rice which is called pilav, is the essential side dish of many foods. Frequently used ingredients in Turkish dishes include eggplant, green pepper, onion, lentil, bean, tomato, garlic, and cucumber. Grape, apricot, cherry, melon, fig, lemon, pistachio, pine nut, almond, hazelnut, watermelon, and walnut are among the most abundantly used fruits and nuts. As the variety can be observed in the Spice Bazaar, spices have a special place in the Turkish cuisine. Preferred spices and herbs are parsley, cumin, pepper, paprika, mint, oregano and thyme.

A Turkish meal usually starts with a thin soup (çorba) with a low consistency. The most common types of soup are made of lentil, yogurt or wheat (often mashed) called mercimek çorbas?. Eggplant (aubergine) has a special place in the Turkish cuisine. It is combined with minced meat and cooked over tomatoes sauce. You will find the best Shish kebab (pronounced “shish”, means “skewer” in Turkish), chicken or lamb shish are usually marinated and grilled over an open fire, or Doner (which means “turn”) kebab and Köfte (meatball) here in Istanbul.

One of the best-known desserts in Turkish cuisine is baklava and Lokum (Turkish Delight) which was eaten for digestion after meals. And of course you can never go without the world-known Turkish coffee which can be served sweet or bitter.
Challenges for Prayer

- Turkey remains the largest unreached nation in the world – Few of the 66 million Muslims have ever heard the gospel and only 15 of Turkeys 80 provinces have a Christian church.

-Pray that the barriers and prejudices against Christianity can be broken down. To be a Turk is to be a Muslim, so people who decide to follow Jesus are threatened, intimidated and can be rejected by their families. There is a deep seated hostility towards Christians – who are identified with foreign invaders who invaded the Turkish empire during the crusades. Pray that these misconceptions would be shattered by the truth and love of Jesus.

- Pray for an end to the trouble and hostility between the Turkish army and Kurdish separatists, who are fighting for their independence from Turkey. Although there may be a few Kurdish Christians, there are no Kurdish churches. Pray for the development of a church which reflects and reaches these people.

From Kabul we took a bus all the way to Herat. I need to mention this. While traveling on the bus in this part of the world, do not be surprised when the bus would just stop in middle of nowhere. When it’s time for prayer, the bus driver would stop along the route and find a spot where they will have access to water, and wash themselves for prayers. Then they would lay their mat, and one of them who lead the group to face Mecca, and pray. They do this five times a day.

From Heart we took a local bus to the border of Iran. From here we spend a few days in a town called Mashad, which is famous for it’s turquoise. From here we took another bus that takes us all the way to Teheran, the capital of Iran. Teheran is a very modern Islamic city. During this time, it was ruled by the Shah of Iran and the city was very westernized. Its is complete different from Afghanistan or Pakistan. I stayed at the part of the city called Amir Kabir. The best part of traveling in Iran is taking the local buses from town to town. Here you will experience the real Iran or Persia as it is known, living in guest houses, savoring the local dishes, communicating in your own ways with the locals and enjoying the Persian coffee. We spend about 3 weeks just traveling around Iran. Warning! Do not be caught with drugs here, or you will be shot in a firing squad.

Iran is a diverse country consisting of people of many religions and ethnic backgrounds. Most Iranians are Muslims; 90% belong to the Shi’a branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 8% belong to the Sunni branch, mainly Kurds. The remaining 2% are non-Muslim religious minorities, mainly Bahai’s, Mandeans, Hindus, Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians. The latter three minority religions are officially recognized and protected, and have reserved seats in the Majles (Parliament)

The cuisine of Iran is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, as well as culinary traditions and styles, distinct to their regions. Iranian food is not spicy. Herbs are used a lot, as is fruit from plums and pomegranates to quince, prunes, apricots, and raisins. The main Persian cuisines are combinations of rice with meat, chicken or fish and plenty of garlic, onion, vegetables, nuts, and herbs. To achieve a delicious taste and a balanced diet, unique Persian spices such as saffron, diced limes, cinnamon, and parsley are mixed delicately and used in some special dishes.

Here’s is what you could pray for Iran

- Pray for all those in authority over the nation. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hailed his election to power as an Islamic revolution that could spread throughout the whole world. He claimed former regimes were not strict enough implementing Islamic law.

- For Revival in Iran – Most of Iran’s 70 million people have never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel. We want to pray that every Iranian will hear and understand the Gospel and that millions will repent and be saved.

- For God to intervene in the political situation – We will pray that God will give Iran righteous and humble leaders who will act justly and love mercy.

From Kandahar we took a bus all the way to Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. Kabul is world on its own. In the city, you find people dressed up in tie and jacket, and at the same time you will find people in robes, turbans, with long beards and carrying rifles walking along the streets. There are modern facilities, cars, buses, scooters but at the same time there are horse carts, and mules transporting people and goods. There are antique shops everywhere. And kebabs stalls and restaurants are plentiful. I love to hang out at the tea shop, sipping hot mint tea and watching the world goes by. There is a particular place where backpackers or “Hippies’ hang out. It’s called Chicken Street. Here you will find lots of guest houses, budget hotels and café and restaurant owned and ran by Germans, French, Americans and Italians. The café is always blasting with rock music and you can find all sorts of food here, from pizza to burgers, to steaks and noodles. You can meet travelers from all over the world here. And you can get all kind of drugs too. It’s a drug’s paradise at that time. And I was stoned out of my head most of the time during my one month stays here in Kabul.It’s too bad now with all the wars, and civil wars the country is in chaos and people are suffering. The Afghan people are friendly and peaceful, different from what you heard or seen in the news.
• 20 years of war has shattered the lives of almost anyone in Afghanistan and left 4 million children orphaned. 12 million uncleared mines still litter the land.
• Pray that God will begin mending the lives of these war-torn people.
• Pray for millions of Afghans experiencing desperate need.
• Pray for protection for government leaders and wisdom as they try to bring stability to the country
• For world leaders to fulfill funding promised and lend responsible support in rebuilding Afghanistan

GIVE AFGHANISTAN BACK TO THE AFGHANS

(Check out other episodes of my travel to Europe 30+ years ago here )