Birds

On our first day in KL, Matt and I went to the Lake Gardens, which is sort of like KL's version of Balboa Park. There was a Space Museum, various other museums, a butterfly enclosure, a big lake with trails around it, and the world's largest enclosed aviary. We went to the aviary and it was definitely large. The birds were gorgeous and we watched a funny show where the parrots road little bicycles. The best part was watching the little muslim kids that were there on a field trip. They thought it was so funny! And their uniforms were hot pink, even the boys! It was cute.

Another thing happened at the aviary...I didn't think it was very funny. While I was feeding the koi in the pond, I was surrounded by giant bids, you know the ones that are almost as tall as people? With huge bills that could pierce through your head? They didn't bother me because they were far away and doing their own thing.

If anyone knows me well, they know about my history with birds...I will recap for those of you that don't know. When I was little, maybe around the age of 4 or 5, I was walking with my mom on the sidewalk down by the beach. You know the sidewalk that overlooks the ocean on one side, and a grassy field is on the other side? Well, we were walking together and I was eating an ice cream cone. I am not sure what happened but all of a sudden I was surrounded by a flock of sea gulls and they were dive bombing my ice cream cone! My mom was on the other side of the mass of flapping feathers and beaks...I was screaming to her and she was yelling, "Drop the cone! Drop the cone!" I couldn't drop the cone. Now, this could be interpreted in either of two ways: the first way is that I just really like ice cream, and didn't want the birds to get it. I don't thnk that is the case, although I do love ice cream. I was just too scared, and so I got "dear in the headlights" syndrome and I froze. Mom was just yelling to me, and of course it is scary to try to fight your way through scary, aggressive sea gulls, so she just kept yelling. I am not sure how it ended, but obviously it is safe now, so somehow I got out alive. But I am eternally scarred by a fear of large birds. I am sure I am remembering the story in a very exaggerated way, but that is what is in my memory. Maybe my mom can clarify what really happened. I remember being in Spain with Sarah Chipps and clinging on to her and ducking my head behind her back because we were in a plaza surrounded by pigeons. She was stunned by how ridiculous I was...

Anyway, back to the story about the aviary in KL...I was feeding the koi quite happily when all of a sudden all of these tall birds sarted running towards me. They looked eager and hungry...I thought they wanted my fish food, so I started chasing Matt down the path trying to throw the fish food at him. He just kept walkng and I panicked even more...I had to get the fish food away from me. (See...I learned something from the ice cream cone experience.) My heart was leaping into my throat, I didn't know what to do. Then I saw what the birds were after...an aviary employee was walking up with a big bucket of fish to feed to the birds. He had little kids with him and they were going to help. They were looking at me like I was so strange...I guess I was strange, haha! When the adrenaline stopped pumping through my body, I watched the little kids feeding the birds. They were not scared at all! Haha! I guess everyone has their quirks...Matt got a big kick out of my reaction to all of the birds running towards me.


Meagan with pretty bird  


The kids about to watch the bird show 


Meagan feeding the Koi in the Aviary...unaware of the oncoming attack!