Malaysia's population of 25 million is about 60% Malay (who are Muslim), 25% Chinese and 10% Indian, living harmoniously although not without some tension. There are quotas to guarantee Malays a majority of places at university, and they receive preference in government contracts and even a discount on home purchases.

Currently in the news there is controversy over a compulsory university coourse on ethnic relations, and until recently a course in Islamic principles was compulsory for all university students. The government is now trying to bar a committee of non-Muslim religious groups from meeting to discuss a coordinated approach to ensure their rights, on the grounds that it will promote religious hatred.

On the positive side, each of these ethnic groups is known for its cuisine, making Malaysia a memorable food destination. It's also very cheap, especially "hawker food" (stalls or open-air restaurants).

I have been eating several fruits that are new to me, including the rambutan and longan, which resemble lychees, and the mangosteen (nothing like a mango). It's now durian season, and the durian is much prized by Malaysians. My first effort to swallow a bit of this fruit that supposedly "tastes better than it smells" was unsuccessful, but on my second try a few days later I managed to down a small bite.

Yesterday at the night market we bought popiah, satay and fried noodles before running the gamut of smelly foods. Ann bought some smelly-beans of which she is very fond. ("Many people have died climbing the smelly-bean tree," she says with approval.) She then initiated a durian frenzy by negotiating a discount. After that we sniffed our way through the market toward the smelly-tofu stand. Smells like camembert in the toilet. No, sorry, that's durian, this smells like what actually belongs in the toilet and even Ann won't eat it, she just wants to give me the experience, perhaps to prove that the durian isn't so bad after all. It's so toxic that the other food-sellers had banished these people to an isolated location, but on this evening, air currents were such that a couple of unfortunate ice-cream sellers, far away downwind, could get no business.