Port Dickson and ayam curry for breakfast

September 2014

Following our stint in cyberspace, we moved into the house staff accommodation in time for the new school year.  Being a new build, there is a snagging list as long as your arm.  As long as two arms, if I'm honest.

Furniture arrived in drips and drabs.  As did the water in the shower.  Small things made such a difference.  The arrival of a coffee table was an achievement.  The arrival of a couple of wardrobes was amazing.

Being on site has as many advantages as disadvantages.  It is clean and new - bye bye Bangkok headboard - and you have your own space to begin to make your home.  Also you can rock out of bed at 8am and be teaching at 830am, if you so desired. Or, like me, if you leave your laptop charger in your classroom, no need to fret as it's a less than five minute stroll from your house.

But there are disadvantages too.  We are in a small and new township called Bandar Enstek, with little shops near by, in the middle of nowhere.  Without a car it is difficult.  We need to rely on public transport and the local bus stop is miles away, so it's down to the use of a Teksi. But there aren't that many here.

In Malaysia they have this great system of booking a cab through your smart phone.  myteksi allows you to put in your location by GPS and your desired destination and cabs in your vicinity bid for your fare.  You then get an offer and you accept the price up front.  It's amazing.... but only in the big towns and cities... not in Bandar Enstek!

Luckily a local man, Mr Richard, came to our rescue.  The friend of a friend of a friend of a colleague, he has become our life line to nip to KLIA2 Jaya Grocer or Nilai for shopping at Tesco.

As typical of  the massive supermarket Tesco, they cover a range of basics we can buy in the UK so that keeps us all happy.  From HP Sauce or Marmite to Tesco Finest granola or Weetabix, most needs are covered.   Most importantly, they have a non-halal section selling bacon, wine and beer. A slab of 24 x 330ml cans of Guinness is 202RM (£50.50) or Tiger Beer at 175RM (£35) if we are feeling flushed.   Wine ranges from 50RM to 200RM (divide it by 5) a bottle - my favourite at 54.99RM (£11) is the Yaldara Estates Shiraz.  Although, with the festive season coming around soon, I've currently got my eye on a bottle of Baileys for Christmas at 130RM for 70cl - yes £26!

Apart from Tesco, it's not as if we have many places to go.  We eat in the Dining Hall with the boarders and are on duty every other evening, so it's not like we can just swan off for a meal with family and friends at Shaftsbury Square at will, as we did when living in Cyberspace.  We also work until 3-5pm Saturday and on a Sunday rota.  At best we might get a Saturday 5pm till Sunday 9pm 24 hours off.

24 hours off site - we tried that once.  Back at the end of September, when I was fit to throw the towel in, we decided with 48 hours notice that we needed an overnight away.   Little did we know it would be more stressful than staying here.

The local beach and coastal town of Port Dickson seemed the best place away for 24hrs. It is only 30 mins away (just not on a Saturday evening as our journey took 90mins in the weekend traffic).

We booked into a hotel on the outskirts of town. The Paradise Spa Hotel.  Typical of here the hotel was not paradise nor did it have a spa.   Before you ask, yes, I did read Trip Advisor.  Yes, I did know all of this before I booked.... but I wanted to escape and all the better hotels were booked at short notice.

The hotel was lovely and clean and a family room was a two-bedroomed suite with TVs, ensuite each, a small fridge (unclean and not cold) and very limited wi-fi connection.  The roof top swimming pool was lovely and the view was as good as it gets for this area.

We asked the reception staff to book us a taxi into the main town area as we wanted to eat at the El-Cactus Mexican restaurant which had been recommended to us.  The receptionist had other ideas.  She refused.  Yes - point blank refused.  She told us the chef was very good and would cook our meal.  Talk about being press-ganged into it.  We were tired, and didn't have the energy to argue.  We were pleasantly surprised.  We had four steak and chips - cooked beautifully - with a lovely black peppercorn sauce.  Well done chef!

However, our favourite was breakfast.  It was a buffet with something for everyone.   I had the noodles, rice and ayam (chicken) curry.  It was delicious!

Before we knew it, it was time for home and school.  24 hours had flown by and we were no further relaxed but had tried curry for breakfast - magic!

Leaving the UK

Wow... where have the last two months gone?  I can't believe that we have had parties, packed up our home, moved continent, enrolled in a new school and have already had a short school holiday break. It's been amazing yet exhausting.

August 2014

To add to the whirlwind of emotions, the daughter also dyed her hair: just to stress me out further.  It looked amazing when it was bright pink, but I kept thinking about the uniform policy and would begin to breakout into a cold sweat.

The journey to Manchester Airport was less stress thanks to our very good friend, Caroline.  She drove us to the airport, to make sure we got on the plane... maybe she thought the only way they would ever win at the pub quiz again was to ensure I couldn't join them!

The family also turned up to see us off.  Again, I think this was to ensure we didn't change our mind.



We arrived at Departures with plenty of time to spare - or so we thought - but then we had to tackle airport security.


I never realised that lipstick and a small tub of lip gloss are classified as a liquid... how inept of me to not read the paperwork properly.  We were too concerned with weighing the baggage to ensure that we each only had 30kg of luggage - wow all of our needed possessions in 120kg - that I failed to realise the lipstick rule.



As we had swapped and changed around possession from one bag to another, we had the odd rogue lipstick or lipgloss in three of the four hand luggage. Along with the normal queue, this delayed us in security for over fifty minutes.  Its so embarrassing for your bag to go through the machine again and again and again.  I was beginning to panic that I wouldn't have time to buy my duty free.

Travelling to a dry-ish country (or very very expensive booze) would not be pleasant without a bottle of gin from duty free.   Eventually, we were through, in duty free (gin, make-up and Marc Jacob's Daisy) and walking to the gate... not long now and we would be arriving in our new home.   

With a brief stop in Dubai - wow the heat sure hits you as you leave the plane - we had soon travelled 6,600 miles from the UK to MY and had arrived in KL.

After a good night's sleep we were soon put to work:

Reception

Yes - we have an actual office here.  We have our own desks (no hot seating), a photocopier / printer and a terrific view.

Epsom College in Malaysia

And before we knew it the next few weeks, of living in Cyberview Apartments, surrounded by friends and colleagues, and setting up the school, flew by.  

Cyberview Hotel

Ben and Jack

The lovely Miss Katie x

The offending headboard: would have been more suited to a Bangkok whore house.


Well what a strange few days it has been...
After the initial shock of the lack of accommodation in KL, the additional visa paperwork and the trauma of the carboot, Ive been trying to focus on my 'things to do list' and slowly pass on as many of our possession, to unsuspecting friends, in a bid to clear the house and get it fit for marketing.

Cyberjaya, Malaysia

Needing to travel 35 mins into work / school every day is a tragedy. But as this is not a April Fool's Day prank, it is time to start looking closely at the town and resort in which we will be staying until at least November 2014.

Cyberjaya, I am told, was opened in 1997 and forms the multi-media backbone or was it super corridor of KL. Like many of the modern townships, it's a new area built around an industrial / business area / science park. This town aspires to be the Silicon Valley of Malaysia. Does that mean there are lots of boob-jobs here? There is also a super-duper mall due to open later in 2014, just in time for the arrival of Gin the super-duper shopper.

The resort, its self, sounds and looks idylic. Our accommodation is an apartment on the Cyberview Spa and Resort. The pool is out of this world, hence our new nickname of Cyberspace.

But for now, it's back to reality in Corby

and the mammoth list of things to do. But as usual, when I have a million and one things to do, what do I do? Pop for a few drinks with my mates. Come on, I have to make the most of it while I can. It's not going to be so easy to just pop to Kettering's Aura or walk to The Raven whenever I want, is it?.

April is here but no news on my visa... I sent the paperwork by 'super extra expensive, so it'll arrive in five days, international air postage on 22nd February, but no news of arrival.

This got me thinking about identity theft.  It can't be too difficult to become me, in cyberspace, once you have a colour copy of my passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, the paperwork for hubbie and kids, and both J and mine examination certificates.  Hence panic.

I decided to call.  The bad news was deliver with nonchalance.  My photographs were the wrong shade of blue.  Worst still, the paperwork needed to be legalised, certified and then sent to KL to support the application....   what does this all mean?  So I called the High Commission... oh!  It's all about money is all I can think.  It means £35 per document, a four week delay and then we can send off the visa app.

VISA = money!

So I need to raise another £140.  Well as standing on my street corner will put me on the prohibited list, I thought how else can I get cold and make a fool of myself haggling over 20p, of course, a car boot.

Well I'm not an expert, having only done one before with my mate, and having only visited two others in the last 25 years, but it was a good morning.   In a lovely rural Northamptonshire village, Holcot was fine.  

Holcot Carboot

What an experience!   I had forgotten how awful it was unloading the car.  Gin was shoved out of the way by two old men who were trying to rummage in the bags in the boot before we had taken them out of the car.  Another two immaculately dressed and pressed men wanted to know did we have any LPs.   The concept of LPs on a 15 year old is lost.  Even though we currently have to step over this box to reach the plug socks in the lounge: 

LPs: Gin didn't have a clue what they were talking about.  

So arriving home with most of what I'd taken and fifty quid in my pockets wasn't too bad for a morning's work.

Next stop Uppingham Book shop to swap my best literature and Gin's vampire plastic  literature for a twenty and we had made it to the half way mark.

My only hope is that this is the last of the big payments for a while.  Shipping doesn't take place for six weeks so that is plenty enough time to sell a limb or two.

But in the meantime, my living room looks like I've been burgled.  Roll on the 9th August.

let the medical games be ever in your favour.

19th February 2014,

 Let the medical games begin.... let the odds be ever in your favour.

It started back in Dec with the tri-annual ladies appointment. Joy of joy.

 Today it was the turn of the dentist.

This was the first time number one child had fan-girled over our very easy on the eyes dentist. I'm officially old. It's all down hill when your first born voices your thoughts.

 The good news was we were all checked, x-rayed and confirmed as dentally fit to travel. Mr Darcy, as he will be known from here on in, did suggest that the staining - from tea and wine- could do with a clean.... oh that's definitely it, yellow teeth. I've turned the corner and now I'm officially old.

He told us #2 child only has one milk tooth left... maybe I have a glimpse of youth left... let's hope the tooth lasts a little while yet.

We then popped to see about the kids phone contracts.... I nearly had a heart attack when I was given the verdict....

Madam, I'm sorry to say that's it's a bouncing, huge bill...

 ...to cancel the contracts.  Lawdy Lord!   That's a month's mortgage down the pan.  Learn from my mistake people, if you are considering whether to get the kids super duper phones on contract, consider the consequences!  You could be paying your mortgage!

Tomorrow will be more interesting.  We are having the vaccines jabs!   It's okay kids, it's just a little prickly!    I don't fancy the after care with the list of side effects as long as an Olympic speed skater's stride!

 

Time is slipping away...

Time is slipping away... it's all ready February.

Well with a lull in proceedings from my employer, I've started trawling the net looking for inspiration and travel ideas.  Voila.

A bucket list is born.

A trip to Malaysia would not be complete without tea in the highlands.

 I found this little number.  The Lakehouse, Ringlet.   This place looks amazing.   

Afternoon tea and a cooler temperature.  And maybe a few days away from the treadmill.

Another sought out tourist attractions is the Hindu Temple and Shrine: The Batu Caves.

With nearly 300 steps, cave paintings and pick-pocketing monkeys, this is an iconic Malaysian place.

Batu Caves

After a few days sightseeing, it must be time for some retailing?    With 66 (yes, sixty-six) shopping malls in KL, number one child is very excited about the concept of shopping from the bank of Mum & Dad in the best shopping in Malaysia.

We have been warned that if you are over a size 14, more than a C cup and over 5'8" (not a problem there), then shopping can be an issue.   But come on KL.  The reputation as the shopping capital of Malaysia but I can't buy a 32jj... I'm disappointed.  So, I'm on a diet to ensure that I can shop, shop, shop.   The only down side of this move.

Shopping Malls in KL

Talking about bikinis, the next place that is a must is Langkawi: beautiful beaches, amazing weather and fantastic food.

Langkawi

This is high on the travel list.  Flights from our local KLIA (5 miles away) with AirAsia start from 75myr (£15) each.   WOW!  The same price as an all day travel ticket on the X4, which would give me unlimited travel - with free wi-fi - from Peterborough to Milton Keynes and back.... how can I choose?

According to The Guardian, Malaysia is an excellent area for cheap beach holidays.  The Guardian Top Ten Budget Beach Hotels in Malaysia.

For a similar airfare we could be in Singapore or Thailand.

For a little more we could visit Borneo.

New Zealand or Oz are also on my travel list.

With all my dreams and fantasies to keep me smiling, I suppose for now I can just about cope with how I'm going to fix the massive oil leak and the lack of electrics on one side of MF....  

MF. I'm beginning to wonder if the name should be applied to someone else?   Famous last words of a salesman:  'It's a tidy little motor.'    Chuffing men!

where to begin?

1st Jan 2014


Well, where to begin?

October 2012


One rainy weekend afternoon, while browsing the Guardian, I came across an advertisement to teach overseas. Overseas: the sunny, warm, daylight type of overseas.   Glancing over my shoulder to the cold, wet, dusk street, the idea of sitting on a balcony in Jakarta or Malaysia overwhelmed me.  Why would I want to work (with intervals of chatting) from 7am to 7pm, only seeing the daylight at the weekends, when I could work 7am to 7pm and still have sun, warm and daylight to enjoy Monday to Friday and all day weekend.

Ideally, like all good wives/mothers,  I needed to consult the family before considering applying for such a life changing job..... well, maybe a normal, considerate, rational wife/mother might behave that way.  Me, I spent the afternoon daydreaming and applying for my dream posting.

Once I had pressed the send button I considered how to break the news carefully.....

Me: Who fancies a trip overseas?
The family:  In the summer holidays?
Me:  It would start about then!
Son:  Will it be a long drive in the car again?  Can we go in the duty free shop on the ferry?
Me:  The drive would be much shorter.  About an hour or so... then we get a plane.
Daughter:  But you promised Paris, Disney and two weeks in a villa with a pool.
Husband: Don't book anything with a flight more than two hours.
Me:  (Spinelessly) maybe we can discuss this again soon! (Thinking) how can I make 9000 miles and a twelve hour flight sound like no ‘more than two hours’?...

I eventually plucked up the courage, with some liquid help, to tell the hubbie.  He laughed, and suggested that it was something to consider, in the future.  It was a long shot and I probably shouldn't get excited or do anything daft, and definitely not discuss it, unless I hear back from them.

The idea blossomed and I soon began researching areas, countries and schools that met the needs of the whole family.   Near the equator for the long days, speak English, good expatriate community, tolerant of other cultures and religions, reputation for excellence from teaching staff, accommodation provided in secure compound.... watched too many CSI programmes!

Twelve months later I applied for another post, was interviewed, waited patiently and eventually received the offer at 11:33 on Thursday 12th December 2013.   I didn't opened the email until after my working day was over. I was alone in my room, browsing my email to see if I'd heard from my car insurance - somebody had recently driven into my car at 30mph on the A14, writing off my lovely car Higgs, and injuring both daughter and oneself - when I noticed the email.  It was from them.  They had contacted me, as promised, before Friday 13^th.

Expecting a rejection, as it had been a bad few weeks - I had no car, a sore back and neck, a head cold and little voice - I reluctantly opened the email, just wanting to get it over with.


Seconds later, my colleague came flying into my room.  Her reaction startled me.  That's what stopped me screaming.   I had been screaming, piercing I think she called it, without realising it.

This was it: our chance to see the world together as a family.   Our chance to travel around a new continent.  Our chance for the son to realise there is more to life than his exbox and Mackie-d’s.   Our chance for the daughter to see another culture, another way of life, another world.  A world where some children don't have instantaneous technology, hair straightener and the opportunity to see live bands every few months.  Our chance for the hubbie to see birds worth seeing when he looks out of the kitchen window, rather than just flying rats, hells angels and - if he is really lucky- the odd goldfinch!   Furthermore, the chance for him to pop out on his bike, when he likes, because he isn't working from dawn till coming home in the dark time, or that the weekend’s weather is too blustery.   My chance, my time to do this for my family.

It's time for me to work my socks off, resulting in everybody in my family having some benefit.   It's time for my children to get a different type of education, not only one that we couldn't ordinarily afford, but also an education in a different type of life.  It's time to learn some new practise from a new bunch of colleagues - so I can become an even better teacher... maybe even coming home professionalism personified!  It's time...

Oh my goodness, there's so much to be done.  Will there really be enough time?