Queen of Procrastination

Wow. I cannot believe that it's been over two years since I have updated this site! I have been to so many places and written so many thoughts, yet have been extremely lazy in updating this. Well, I'm going to give it another try. Writing is therapeutic, and helps me focus and reflect on my travels. I also love the feedback and comments I get from my friends and family members. Lastly, I enjoy looking back on my entries which helps me remember specific details from my trips. Looking forward to sharing many more travel stories, thoughts, and observations with you! I'll start with my recent move to Malaysia...

My Move to Malaysia

Before arriving, I didn't know what to expect. I had heard only good things and I figured that whatever I would encounter, it would be less of a shock to the system than China.

The plane ride was horrendously long. My total journey time was around 22 hours more or less. It was a bit unnerving being in Hong Kong again. Last time I was there, I really didn't think I would be back so soon (if ever!) It so happened my friends from China would be there that very night ringing in the new year. If only I had planned it better it could have been a night of partying in HK! I arrived in Malaysia the afternoon of the 31st. New Year's eve. How fitting to ring in the year in a brand new country that would be where I would be starting a new job, implementing a new program....Cheers to 2011!

I met the other teacher sat the airport. One took the initiative to find both of us girls, which was nice. They seemed really friendly and in a bit of a daze, not unlike myself. I was quite overwhelmed and nervous. For some reason I felt more nervous than when I went to China, which does not make a whole lot of sense! The first time I went to China was my first time setting foot in Asia, first time leaving home and first time moving to a new country. I thought I would be used to this by now with all the times I have moved around the world in the past 2 years, but I think my nervousness had more to do with my life situation than the country itself. I thought I was headed in one direction, and unexpectedly, a bit randomly found myself here. Well life surprises us.It just goes to show that you can never really predict what's in store. Well for one thing I can definitely say unpredictability prevents boredom...

We arrived at the Kuala Lumpur airport tired and a little excited. The principal and his wife were there to greet us and the drive to our hotel was on a straight, well-kept road neatly lined with palm trees. It was all so....tropical! We have been put up in a four start hotel for two weeks. It is attached to a 5 start hotel and a giant mall. There is also an amusement park called Sunway Lagoon beside it. Attached to the mall there is a walkway that leads to the school where I will be teaching. The hotel has beautiful amenities and friendly staff...at the 5 star one beside ours, the staff open the door for you as you enter and leave- quite swanky. The whole thing is constructed from a former mine. The pool is very inviting and that's where we headed for a drink as soon as we set down our bags! We lounged by the pool a bit, all went and had naps and then went for a late dinner. We barely finished in time for the firework show over the lagoon and then took to the streets. Earlier we had purchased some wine and were surprised to find that we could drink it on the street! I wasn't sure what to expect since this is a Muslim country. Alcohol is readily available at supermarkets for reasonable prices. Although I'm told at some places they cannot sell it past 9pm. In the alcohol or "haram" section of the grocery store, you can also find forbidden foods such as ham and pork sausages! It is sold at most restaurants but it is quite expensive.

There were tons of people and cars near the hotel. There are a lot of bars and clubs and people were out to ring in the new year. It is an interesting mix of people- Malays, Chinese, Indian, and in our area a lot of Africans who are studying at the university. We ended up at a really seedy bar and had some fun with some locals who had crazy dance moves and then went to bed. A strange, but interesting NYE.

The school is called Sunway University. Within that, there are a few different programs. There are two Canadian programs. Myself and one other teacher will be teaching the grade 7/8 students who are brand new to the school. In the past, it's only been grades 9-12. There are schools within the area from all over the world, including England and the US and an Australian University. It will be quite challenging starting up the new 7/8 program, but I keep focusing on the experience and knowledge I will gain.

Malaysian Food

I've encountered a bit of a problem here and that is: the food is soo delicious. Not only that, but it's cheap, readily available and did I mention, really, really good?! When I first moved to China I lost quite a bit of weight. That was because I am not an adventurous eater and quickly any t bored of the food I could eat. There were a select number of restaurants around out school and home and I wasn't that thrilled about them. I also ate a lot of street food. Western food was available but was more expensive than local restaurant ors street food. Well here you can find a wide array of Malaysian. Thai, Indian, Chinese, Korean food...etc. etc. As well as an abundance of Western restaurants which are not badly priced! Not to mention the regular fast food joints. The breakfast buffet at our hotel has been thoughtfully included in our stay and not only includes full English breakfast- baked beans and tomatoes, chicken sausages, a stand where you can get eggs made any way your heart desires but also an array of noodles rice, rotis, currries, salads, yougurts, cereals, fruit, muffins, croissants....it is completely excessive...and free so we uh, want to eat our money's worth. Haha. Plus I have no self-control around copious amounts of food. I can already feel my waistline expanding....but it's all so good! After a huge breakfast, we always get cajoled into going out to lunch or even better are taken out to lunch where we encounter a long list of scrumptious food. The other day we had dinner at an Arabic restaurant that was exquisite and at a fraction of the price you'd pay in North America. We dined at a table with a view overlooking the lagoon.

Not only does out school cafeteria offer a wide variety of food, butright across the street is an open seating area beside a huge food market offering Asian delights for a mere few dollars. I filled up my plate with Chinese food and it costs me 4 RM...a little over a dollar CAD. People warned me guidebooks warned me...you will out on weight in Malaysia! So if I stop posting pics on FB for a while, you'll know why.

Well hopefully in the coming weeks I can learn to pace myself a bit more, and learn to turn down offers of going out to eat unless I am really really hungry! Well signing off now. There is plate of stir fried chicken and vegetables called hot plate sizzling Yee Mee in front of me waiting to be eaten as I write this. Similar to when I was living in China, I do not think I will be doing much cooking here. What's the point?

Till next time....Bon Appetite!

P.S. Stay tuned for stories on my recent trip to Cambodia, and my upcoming trip to Singapore.