This has been Kuala Lumpur for the past two months (that is right, two months!!!!) The picture at the bottom is a typical day in Kuala Lumpur. The photo at top is life for us right now.

In nearby Indonesia, on the huge islands of Sumatra and Borneo, palm grove companies are constantly looking to increase their acreage. The cheapest way to do this is to burn the jungle during the dry season. Of course it is illegal but it hasn’t stopped them. Year after year this activity goes on. I’m pretty sure there is some big money changing hands to allow this to continue. This year, an El Nino year, the land is particularly dry and the fires are out of control. The jungle floor is peat base and it just smolders. The smoke is suffocating and deadly.

See this video: Deadly Indonesian Haze

We have closed school three times already and have set up virtual learning for our students. Countless days we have no outdoor activity as the air is too thick with smoke. We are lucky to have a school that is air conditioned for the most part we are able to keep the smoke out of the rooms. The local schools and the majority of residents are not so fortunate. Most people here are living with the lung choking haze 24-7. Experts expect the conditions to last until January…some predict until March. It is criminal.

The second week of October during our Fall Break, I jetted home….home to my loving wife and the fresh air of Washington state. I definitely consider myself fortunate.
It was so good to be home. I actually got to sleep in our new home for the first time and explore Chelan with Heidi. My lungs cleared up. My eyes became white again. Never take for granted the lovely air in North Central Washington!!!!

As they say, “All good things must come to an end”….my time at home came to a close and back on a plane I did go….not to Kuala Lumpur, but to Melbourne, Australia. Going to a Visible Learning Workshop with my Early Years teachers. (yes, we have nice PD opportunities)

For the last three years, Melbourne, Australia, has been voted the MOST LIVEABLE CITY in the world. Exploring the city the past 4 days, I found out why.

First…amazing food!!!! Every dinner we had was sumptuous. Everywhere were great little restaurants and cafes. Good wines, great coffee. And almost every cafe had outdoor dining. Along the river is an expansive esplanade….grab a seat, order some tapas and beverage and watch the world walk by.

Safe…for a city of almost 4 million, Melbourne has a very low crime rate. There is low-keyed but constant police presence. Never did I feel unsafe or threatened. There was a total lack of drifters and homeless individuals. People followed the rules of the road.

Transportation…a plethora of taxis, free street cars throughout the downtown area, steady schedule of trains to the suburbs, an international airport only 30 minutes away. And BIKE TRAILS everywhere!!!! And people respected bicyclists!!!! And there were as many bikes as cars.

Clean…funny that I didn’t see anyone picking up trash, but there wasn’t any trash…anywhere….alleys were even clean. I’m not sure if the cleaning crews come out at night, or if there are litter fairies…perhaps the people of Melbourne just don’t drop their trash…whatever the reason, Melbourne is Singapore clean.

Weather….they say in Melbourne you can have four seasons in one day. During my stay we had a beautiful sunny day, an overcast warm day, and two chilly rainy days, one with wind. But overall the weather is conducive to an outdoor lifestyle.

Arts…there is a vibrant art and music community….galleries, concerts, museums, even alleyways are decorated with amazing graffiti.

Outdoor activities…..biking paths galore, huge parks and green spaces, rowing clubs, sailing, paddling, cricket, horse racing, rugby, tennis (Rod Laver stadium his here) swimming, walking paths, you name it and it is happening in Melbourne.

I have a few cities that I just love…San Francisco, Hong Kong, Paris…and now add to that, Melbourne, Australia. If Donald Trump is elected president, I saw a nice house for sale in Melbourne that has my name on it!!!

Melbourne Skyline and Buildings

Melbourne Misc.