Our first year in Malaysia is coming to a close. And just like at home, the last couple months are a cacophony of activity. Evaluations to finish, classes to set up for next year, end of year grades, summer works schedule to finalize, end of year classroom and school events . . . so much to do and not enough time. Sound familiar??

One of the hardest things at International Schools is saying goodbye. We have ten faculty members at our elementary school leaving at the end of the year. One has been here 10 years, another 8, five here for 6 years. You get to know these people, they become part of your “family”. You shared good times and hard times . . . babies born/adopted, marriage unions, trips together, after school functions. . . and then off they go to another posting or retirement in another country. One is headed to Johannesburg, South Africa, another to New Dehli, India, a third to London, England. Three coming home to Canada. Four returning to the USA.

It’s a hard time for our kids, a good fifth of our population will take off to other parts of the world. It is really hard on the kids, the ones staying as well as those leaving. Having your best friend in the whole wide world take off, perhaps never to see again, is very trying on our students. The leavers leave behind a culture they just acclimated to, goodbye to the maid or au pair who were like a parent to them, goodbye to pets, to a school they loved and all their teachers (and principal), and they may go to a completely different environment, all unknown. We see behaviors erupt that we never saw before. Emotional roller coasters all over the place. The end of the school year. An interesting study.

Yesterday Heidi and I were walking on the overhead walkway between two large malls when all of a sudden the walkway ahead of us was closed. The otherwise bustling street below was devoid of all cars and pedestrians. And then about twenty or more police motorcycle zipped by followed by police cars and SWAT vehicles and then the limos. In one of them was Barrack Obama. The closest we have ever been to the President !!! Shortly after the walkway opened up and street below was immediately filled again with cars a honking and jostling for position….back to normal.

Our Head of School was able to attend a special function with Barrack, the King of Malaysia and the Prime Minister . . . pretty heady stuff. The elementary principal did not receive an invitation.

Went to dinner at one of our new favorite spots. It’s called La Boca, a latin restaurant specializing in Argentine beef. Soooo good, so tender you can cut it with a fork. The fajitas are spectacular. We sat next to this lovely Malaysian family. The kids were in a band called Saturday Afternoon. While they performed we struck up a conversation with the mom. Lovely, lovely lady. She was a librarian and now just volunteers storytelling tales from the Koran. We exchanged phone numbers and have been invited to her next Hari Raya celebration. It is nice to have some local friends.

Just finished my last pool session for my scuba class. Next week Heidi and I are heading for Tioman Island. I’ll get to take in four dives in the clear, warm waters around the island. Hopefully will complete all the necessary skills to finish my certification, and after that I’ll have a whole new world to explore. Heidi will get some beach and book time. She is looking forward to it. We’ll post again after our island time.