Greetings from Malaysia. Since mid July, I have had the opportunity to travel this tropical, kind-spirited, Muslim country. Previously not on my radar screen as a place to visit, Malaysia's ease of travel , friendly people, and spicy food have made my stay a longer one than planned. It is currently Ramadan, the holy month of fasting during day light hours for the Muslim Malay population. This has meant that most stores have been closed as people rest and fast. Lucky for me, there is a small Chinese and Indian population in Malaysia that is constantly cooking a serving great food during daylight hours. When the Malay people ate in the evenings, I could tell that the fast had taken a toll on them because their eyes were glazed and they moved slowly. I observed the fast for one day to feel more connected to the country. For the past month, I have been travelling with my German friend Christian who inspired me to take this year long journey around the world. He reminded me of the important fact that we have one life to live, thus the reason I wanted to make this trip. He shares my interest in environmental issues and together we have been learning about the positive and negative actions that Malaysians put on their environment. Recycling of metals like aluminum and alloy is available but not practiced by many people. The tabs on cans can be returned for a refund of 130 dollars per kg and Christian has been diligently picking the tabs off of the cans. Plastics are able to be recycled but few people do because of lack of facilities, and little education on the matter. We have seen many plastics being burned because landfills don't exist. The country is reliant on a strong tourist industry where transport is easy and straightforward. On a resource size, palm oil plantations and rubber trees are the most common trees grown for production. Growing only rubber or palm oil trees means just one type of tree and therefore less diversity of animals. The palm oil trees are chopped after harvesting causing widespread erosion. Malaysia's underwater life has been the most diverse that I have encountered anywhere. Blessed with a diverse array of coral and fish, the clear waters make Malaysia a big draw for divers. As in reefs all over the world, coral bleaching from increased water temperature is a major issue killing corals. I plan to head through Thailand and Laos before heading back to the US. Thanks for reading.