Beer at School
Sorry we haven’t written…just been so busy with school…you know how it gets. We just completed our second week. In fact, Friday was payday. And as tradition has it, our school puts on a grand bash called Stalls Night, every year the Friday of the first payday. All staff and faculty are invited to the High School and the most amazing food is available…roasted lamb, chicken and beef satay with lip-smacking peanut sauce, fried chicken, noodle dishes, local Malay treats, fresh vegetables and fruit…all you can eat, and BEER!!! Cold, cold beer….at school!!!! Now that was novel for us!!!

Lamppost Encounter
Ran over a lamp post…that is right, a 40 foot lamp post crashed onto the highway during a massive thunderstorm….came around the corner doing about 60 KPH, cars to the right and left of us, and all of a sudden, with no time to stop, was this lamp post across the entire three lanes, couldn’t go under it, couldn’t go around it…no choice but go over it…Ka-bloomp!!! Cars lined the road with flat tires, missing mufflers and what-not. We seemed to have escaped with nary a scratch…at least until we got to about a kilometer from school and our front driver-side tire went completely flat…pancake flat, running on the rim flat…but school was in sight, it was raining like crazy so we kept driving…limped into the parking lot. Phew!!! We love our little Waja!!!!

Rain
You do not know what rain is until you live in Malaysia. Think of the downpours you had in Wenatchee this summer…now multiply that ten fold and that is what it is like when the heavens open up here. Add an orchestra of thunder, multiple lightning strikes , and water, water EVERYWHERE. Usually the deluge lasts for less than an hour and the sun comes out and dries everything up. Heidi and I love sitting on our deck sipping wine and watching Mother Nature put on her show!!! Amazing…simply amazing.

Celebrations
Last month was Ramadan. Muslims here in Malaysia and around the world, abstain from food, drink and other physical needs during daylight hours. They focus on purifying their souls, their thoughts and actions. The Muslims on staff shared with me that this was a time for them to think about those who do not have much, those who are dis-advantaged, those who go hungry. It helps them to empathize and to be better people and to give more. But each night the roads were packed to the gill with very hungry people rushing to get home to eat at sunset. Traffic jams like you wouldn’t believe. And everywhere were huge Ramadan Buffets. And each night fireworks…not just a one night Fourth of July extravaganza, but every night. Heidi and I would sit on our deck, high above the city and watch the sky alight with color…and booms, crackles, oooohs and aaaahs. Next week we have a Hari Raya celebration at school. It is a cultural dress up day for everyone. Heidi and I have been presented with special outfits to wear…what fun. With so many cultures here, we celebrate many different holidays and learn the meaning of each….Hari Raya, Deepavalli, Chinese New Year, Christmas, Muharran, Wesak Day, Malaysia Day….Holidays are loved here in Malaysia.

Diversity
There is a richness that comes from students working side by side with others who are not of the same mold. In any one class at our school you will find students from Nigeria, India, China, Korea, USA, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Croatia, New Zealand, Columbia, Italy, Saudi, on and on. Kids here truly do seem “color blind” They make friends with people from all over the world. They become global citizens…pretty special. When they move on and read about a disaster such as the tsunami in Japan, they probably knew someone from Japan…they can empathize, they care what happens. When they hear of the terrible plight of the people in Syria, good chance they had a friendship with someone who had lived or was from Syria. They care about what happens in the world, they care about all the people they meet and have grown to love. For most, they are here for a few years and then move on to another country where they will enroll in another International School and meet a whole new group of classmates from around the world. We have a school full of third culture kids (TCKs)…kids who have spent a large part of their life in one or more culture other than their own. Most of the students at school have passports filled with stamps from countries around the world. Ask a TCK where they are from and you may be surprised with the answer…you mean, Where I was born? or Where I have spent most of my life? or Where did we just came from? They get good at dealing with loss….loss of friends, of home, or pets, belongings. They get good at assimilating into new cultures. They know their way around international airports, can tell you what it is like to walk on the Great Wall of China, swim in the Indian Ocean, or walk down a Parisian boulevard. I just finished reading stories to our preschool kids….and as I looked out at my little audience, I marveled at their beautiful faces..faces from all over the world, all sitting together in harmony. And no matter what country they come from…they all know how to hug their principal !!!!

“If life isn’t about human beings and living in harmony, then I don’t know what it is about.” -Orlando Bloom

We are hoping to get about the city some more next week and will try our best to get you more pictures. In three weeks time we have a trip to Singapore planned…definitely will bring my camera.
Hope all at Eastmont are ready for a new year!!! Have a great start…we’ll be thinking of you.

PS…we celebrate many holidays but we do not celebrate Labor Day 🙂

Bob and Heidi

Our quest today was the quaint and eclectic shop of Peter Hoe Beyond. Finding it was part of the challenge. The shop actually does not have a sign…all we knew is it was tucked away in China Town on the second floor of a non-descript building. When we heard this there was no stopping us…we were going to find it.

Still wheeling from the flu, or whatever it is I have, Heidi drove us to the train station. And I must say she did quite well for her first time…much better than my first encounter with the KL traffic. After a quick ride on the LRT, we crossed a couple of streets and there on a corner was a little shop called Peter Hoe Evolution….this is a sister store of Peter Hoe Beyond. So we cheated. We browsed around PH Evolution and before leaving asked directions for PH Beyond. Glad we did. Walked down the street, passed the MayBank, took a right at the light, went to the bookstore, took the next door to the right…across from the Buddhist Temple. Perfect directions but we didn’t believe the door next to the bookstore was correct. There was a guard inside and we asked and sure enough, “just go up the stairs to the second floor. When someone says the second floor here, it is like the third floor back home….the bottom floor is the ground floor, then the first floor, second floor, etc. To make matters even more confusing, the building we live in was built by a Chinese company so the number four is not used as it is considered unlucky (kind of like 13) So we are on floor 13A, not the fourteenth floor. Anyway, back to Peter Hoe. The building is in the old Lee Rubber Building. After climbing the two flights we entered some double doors and we were there…Peter Hoe Beyond. It is sort of a Pier One on steroids…tons of items for the home. Everything is bursting with color…pillows, lamps, linens, knick-knacks, picture frames, fountains, etc., etc. We were only going to look but two picture frames, 8 batik napkins, one table cloth and three candle holders made their way into our basket. Before paying, we visited the little cafe in the far corner. People are seated at these great old tables, some set against silk cushioned benches. We ordered what we believe to be the best quiche we’ve ever eaten along with a fresh salad..just the right amount of vinaigrette….followed up with a slice of white chocolate cheesecake. We added the cost of our meal right onto our purchase and we exited the store a bit heavier but felt like two conquering explorers.

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Since we were in Chinatown we decided to explore further and made our way to Petaling Street. This is probably the most visited street in all of Kuala Lumpur…if you want a bargain you come here. Stall after stall crowd both sides of the street…vendors hawking purses, watches, sunglasses, CDs, shirts…as well as flower stands, fruit, vegetables….very easy to overload your senses here. I cannot tell you how many times Heidi was propositioned to purchase a purse….Prada, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Michael Kors…..at least that is what the label said. A little way in I spied a narrow alley and I could see vendors…Heidi wouldn’t go as it smelled a bit, well, more than a bit. It was a wet market…there were fish being cut up, meat being chopped, chicken for sale including all the chicken parts, vegetables, fruit…the alley seemed to go forever but I didn’t want to leave Heidi too long with all the vendors…who knows how many purses she might pick up. Truly an amazing sight.

Now we must confess to you…Heidi did buy a purse. She was in need of a smaller bag and we saw this stand of leather Mont Blanc purses. The vendor said he would give it to us for a steal…only 160 ringgits (about $50.00) We countered with 100. He came down to 140. We stuck at 100. He came down to 120. We held our ground. He then tried to get us with the proof of the lighter….took out his lighter, lit the flame and ran it across the purse to prove there were no plastics, that it was genuine leather….definitely worth 110 ringgits. We weren’t impressed and showed him a small scuff mark on the strap…we lowered our price to 90 ringgit. We were ready to walk away but at the last minute he felt we were good people and he would give it to us for 95 ringgit ($30.00) SOLD!!! Heidi now has a “genuine” Mont Blanc purse that retails for $2260.00 in NYC. Too funny!!!

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As far as China Towns go, the KL China Town is not that large…nothing like San Francisco, NYC, Vancouver BC China Towns…but it is so condensed, so much in such a small place…and fun, fun, fun!

Apologies for not posting…been too busy. And lately because I’ve been icky sick. But I can’t sleep tonight as I slept all day so I thought I’d entertain myself with writing and hopefully not bore you with my late-night ramblings.

School is about to get started. Monday is new parent orientation day, class lists are posted, and we put on a big ice cream social for new and returning families. Sounds like a grand day. Tuesday is the first day of class for grades Prep Senior (aka kindergarten) to grade 5. Prep Senior only goes half a day for the first week. Wednesday is the first day for our little ones…Prep Junior (4 year olds) and Prep Reception (3 year olds) Finally this lovely building of ours will become a school.

There is something about that first day. The rooms are all decorated. Kids arrive with a combination of excitement and trepidation…..all decked-out in new outfits, ribbons in hair, super white tennis shoes, supplies bursting the seams of their backpacks. And smiles…those funny kindergarten or first grade grins with teeth missing in front. Seeing old friends for the first time in months. Laughter, squeals of delight. The new kid wondering whether he’ll fit in, hoping she’ll find a friend, praying they can find their room. And all the parents, kids in tow. Shepherding them to their classrooms. Some linger, others dart out for some of that almost forgotten alone time. The teachers welcoming each and every child…a new beginning, a new group of charges….and away we go!!!!

Teachers here do not arrive several weeks ahead of time to prepare their rooms. Instead they are globe-trotting around the four corners of the world. Everyone returns right before the start of school with tales of family, of adventure, of romance. Listening at the first get-together you would think you were at a travel agent reunion…”Sri Lanka is amazing…go there before it gets tainted with tourists”; “spent 16 days trekking up to Everest Basecamp”; “Kangaroo Island is as good as it gets”; “Scotland for a week, Canada to visit family, Bali for myself”…it goes on and on. It is definitely an adventurous group, an independent, confident group. The average stay at our school is longer than most as it is a top-tiered school and much sought after….but many teachers are ready to seek another post after 5 to 8 years, some longer, some shorter. I spoke to someone who let me know this was to be his last year, his sixth year. He’s ready to try somewhere else in the world, somewhere that looks interesting, somewhere where he’ll continue to grow as a professional. He left the USA 15 years ago to try a two year stint in China. That turned into 4 years, then to Morocco, Columbia, Turkey and Malaysia…where to next??? See where the winds blows him.
Many of the staff are here as married couples…sometimes both are teachers, sometimes one is a “trailing spouse”. Quite a few have children. I was surprised at the number who come alone, men and women. Being so far from home, living in a foreign land…the faculty becomes your family. Socializing is big. There are all kinds of outings planned…hikes, frisbee golf, concerts. Meetings at the pub, dinners, nightclubs, shopping. It is a tight-knit group, a family.

Changing the subject…..as the keeper of the blog that is my prerogative…Heidi has been the diligent nurse to me the past few days as I have been flat on my back….but today she escaped and went shopping with Allie to Suria KLCC…one of the big malls near our home. Now we were told again and again that we wouldn’t be able to find clothing our size here…well, that turned out to be a myth. She found “cute outfits” (can you hear Heidi saying that?) at Banana Republic, the Gap and a great store called British India. She returned with the biggest grin!!!! And then I had to make an emergency fund transfer!!!! 🙂

We received our shipment a couple of weeks ago….it arrived early and our maid let them in. When we arrived home all our tubs were distributed in the appropriate room based on our labeling….and our BED arrived…no more sleeping with my feet hanging off the end. We had to laugh when we opened our tubs…inside we would find things like 15 bottles of deodorant, 10 tubes of toothpaste, 9 bottles of saline solution, 16 toothbrushes, bottles of shampoo, conditioner, etc…..did we think we were coming to some third world country??? We had a good laugh as we searched for storage for all these “essentials”. If we had it to do over we would have left much at home and brought a few more things like pictures and furniture…live and learn.

Tomorrow we are going to seek out this cool shop, Peter Hoe and Beyond. It’s a one of a kind shop filled with home decorating items from all over the world. It is hidden somewhere in Chinatown and we aim to find it. I’m beginning to feel better, still have intestinal distress (a kinder word for diarrhea) and muscle aches, but I’m cabin feverish and just have to get about.

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