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.

Social media: Love it or hate it, some of us NEED it!

Social media:  Love it or hate it, some of us NEED it!

Well I haven't been on here for twelve or so weeks; In the past three months a lot has happened.  The migration is ticking on, I've had a blast from the distant past, a family gathering

and I've made some new wonderful friends.

How is that fair?  I've been a economic migrant of middle England for 24 years and in the past twelve months have made some fantastic friends, just in time to leave some of them and move 6000 miles away.  And I worry every day how we will get by without them.

One thing is good, that some of these said new friends - made via social media -  will be coming with us.  They are the next stage in our network of friends and colleagues... I wonder if they realise what they are letting themselves in for?  The responsibility they have , the shoes they have to fit into?

If anyone ever says Spacebook or Slap Chat or Bicker are the bain of the 21st century then don't believe them.  I've supported and councilled friends, found long-lost family, and insulted colleagues, and these interactions have all taken place within seconds of each other and without leaving my living room...  it's great!  Best of all, I've rekindled relationships with sisters, cousins, nieces and old RAF and school friends.

How else would I know that Jase has just had a beautiful little girl, Rach had moved back to Poola or that Rich is married to my ex-BIL's step daughter.  Nor would I know that J is now doing an amazing and heroic job.  One incidentally, I never expected from the pretentious undergraduate who ripped out my tender small-town teenage heart and, with his intellectual girlfriend, stamped on it to the joyful songs of 1988.

Not that I hold a grudge or anything....  but let's just say I might not be able to stop myself from mounting the kerb if I'm ever in the same street ;-)  Actually, being sensible, in light of the fact that if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be the successful graduate I am today, who served with HMF, moved from said small town, on my own, to middle England, married Superman and had two beautiful children, so in retrospect, Superman and I have concluded that maybe we should pop to the borders to shake his hand and buy him a pint?

Talking pints, the Road to KL has spurred a new past time amongst New friends.  As we are all reluctantly counting down the days, and have realised what little time we have,  we have started to meet up every Thursday for the pub quiz.

With high aspirations and the motivation to do well, we model ourselves on Cj, Daphne and Judith. And as such, have also called ourselves a totally logical name:  we are the 69'ers with no name - catchy isn't it?  But don't be dismayed in our endeavor, as it's not all bad. We've managed to win at least three times in the past nine weeks.  But with a total prize fund of less than £70, we are hardly in Judith's million pound league.  And we struggle too, as we have another 10-15 equally motivated teams of tributes to beat.  Therefore, the odds are not really in our favour.  But we are together, having fun, building memories.

Well we only have two quiz nights left as the holiday season begins and we will all be off on travels, visiting, being visited or simple packing the house up for storage. So we need to make the most of our time together.  In my desperation to not miss out on the fun,  I have threatened to Skype them on a Thursday evening between 2100 - 2230hrs.  But with a time difference of approx eight hours - that's 0400-0530hrs on a Friday morning for me - maybe I'll have to wait until school holidays and fit the 69ers in between Thailand, Laos, the Batu Caves, or scuba diving in Borneo with Green Turtles.

But in the meantime, I'm making the most of my family and friends, chatting and sharing missed times or details of key events in our lives.  These past three months have been priceless and I have made memories to keep be smiling on long, light, hot, humid evenings in my tropical destination.  When I look back I will especially enjoy reflecting on ... now to tell you all that would just spoil the surprise for when you meet up with them too.

So until next Friday, when with friends and colleagues we are making more memories by attending my leaving do and eating and drinking and dancing all night at a Dirty Dancing Tribute night...  and I need to remember that it will be okay starting again.  It will be okay becoming an economic migrant of SE Asia, although I'm leaving behind the family and friends who have supported, shaped, inspired, infuriated, crippled, loved, cared, influenced me over the years.  And a little bit if me is scared that without them I might not feel the same, might not be the person I am with them...

Me? I’m scared of everything. I’m scared of what I saw, I’m scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you.”

So all hail social media!  You are going to be my life line.