APRIL FOOLS

Today is April Fools Day here in Malaysia.  Not sure I feel like testing this one out on the locals. It would take far too much energy explaining it all. Another thing I miss here:  DUCT TAPE from the $ store. I bought a roll of it to make my new bedroom screen so I can have fresh air flowing into my room, The cost of this roll was a whopping RM4 and it was only enough to tape around ONE WINDOW. I gave away more duct tape in Victoria than all the supplies in Kota Tinggi put together.  But the screen was a success, so today after work I am going to buy more and some bits of wood, a staple gun, and of course more duct tape and build myself a patio screen door so I can leave my main floor door open for fresh air too.  Mr. Chips move aside - I am the new builder and designer for modern living. 
I also miss talking to Jennifer on gmail phone. Something has happened to the internet at my house so that we cannot chat on that phone any longer. I can hear her loud and clear, but she hears me gurgling underwater.  Somehow I am going to have to figure out how to make this work again.  I cannot dash to the cafe before work in the morning, and she is never awake when I get home,. Hmmmm, I will ponder this one and see how I can fix it.
Tonight I will have company.  Several colleagues are going to converge on the metropolis of Kota Tinggi for the weekend. They are curious about our environment and want to see what we have been talking about.  Jeff and I have planned some excursions.  We will go to the Kota Tinggi waterfalls for a swim, go to the crocodile farm, ostrich farm, and then later on Saturday we will all go to the firefly park near the city.  Maybe I will beg off if the mosquitoes are too much.  I have made gazpacho and hummus, and Jeff plans to make Sangria.  Nothing like a Spanish flavour for a Malaysian get together.  I hope to pick up some Tongkul fish (tuna like apparently) and bbq a feast for the gang.
Now I have to get those window areas measured so I can have screens in place for the big weekend event. I cannot hide in my room while being a hostess.  Hope to be able to find time for the luxurious hairwash before the company arrives too.
Still no granddaughter. Maybe she has the sense of humour of her uncle Ryan, surprising us all, and will arrive on the Canadian April Fools Day (tomorrow)

what do I miss now that I am in Malaysia? but I can vote

• I miss internet when I need it. 
• I miss barbecued rib eye steaks, sockeye salmon, and lamburgers THERE IS NO LAMB JENNIFER
• I miss going out to a store to get something I need - the item is never 'there'
• I miss roiboos tea (although I dole it out sparingly to myself and still have a little cache)
• I miss tomato juice (weird huh?)
• I misa swiss grotto dressing for water packed tuna on romaine leaves (Pam knows the stuff)
• I miss salads (although occasionally there is iceberg lettuce)
• I miss turning on a tap and drinking a large glass of water
• I miss Dr Seuss books and having anyone here know what they are
• I miss shopping for my new granddaughter yet to appear. The local store only has baby clothes in sizes beginning at 1 - 6 months (all in one) and they are pj's only. You can imagine how the poor little thing swims in such a garment as a newborn. 
• I miss Cobb's apricot bread 
• plastic ziplock bags, the kind with a toggle- or any kind at all and SARAN WRAP
• I miss Jennifer, Levi and Ryan. even though Ryan is geographically closer, he is not here 

Oddly enough, I don't really miss Americanos. And I don't miss the pain in my knee or walking like a spaz. So there are many things that have improved in my life while I miss the other materialistic things above.

I guess this list is telling me I need to venture out from the jungle neighbourhood. I am more fortunate than the people who have always lived here. They don't know there is another part of the world to experience. If I were more adventuresome, I could travel the 45 minutes to Johor Baru and find many of the things I listed above. NOT ALL THOUGH! But this list is not enough to send me packing either. I can eat dragon fruit every day, watermelon freshly picked, and well, I guess the list is shorter than the have nots.
Today I can add to my list of things to avoid on my drive to work.  MONITOR LIZARDS. I saw two on my way to work this morning. Both dead on the side of the road. One about 5 1/2 feet long, the other about 2 feet long.  I prefer seeing them in that state.
I just got an e-mail from back home. Seems I am eligible to vote in May.  Now, someone tell me who to vote for!

The Cat in the Hat

I finally found something fun to teach my teachers.  They do not know anything about Dr Seuss here and teaching pronunciation can be very boring and frustrating for every one. My mission now is to find The Cat in the Hat and One Fish, Two Fish books. I have managed to copy pages from online to make pronunciation games for them and they had a ball.  I would read a page of one of them slowly, and in teams the teachers would line up to race to the whiteboard to write a word when they heard a word that had a short a vowel sound. This exercise was to help them hear the difference between short a vowels and short e vowels. They have not been able to make a distinction until now.  If I had the book, they would see how much fun the kids would have with this too, because I don't know a child that does not love Dr Seuss.  One learns quickly how lacking in resources these schools are.  There is a sad litttle projector that sometimes works with my computer, but when it does, it is too sunny, so nothing is legible on the screen, and other times it does not turn on.  That is it for classroom resources other than some schools with whiteboards, and my own with old blackboards (not even greenboards). There is a school library but all I have found is religious books and a few books written in Malay. Having said all this I must admit that many of the students go on to university. Many of the teachers who teach at my schools attended the school as children and came back to teach.  They would be in awe with what is available in Canada to students and teachers in the public systems there. 
I am also delighted in how the teachers are like sponges picking up ideas I put forward to them for teaching.  They invite me into their classrooms to witness the changes they are making and I love what I see. New approaches to teaching are already being demonstrated and I have only been here for 6 weeks.  Others are using lesson plans I have developed for them and having fun presenting them. There is definitely a different tone in the schools beginning here. Far less rote learning with repetition, and far more little voices being heard during the class time. 
Now to get back on the road and spread the word! And hopefully find some vendor in Malaysia that sells Dr Seuss.  A short day, I hope, it is only Wednesday, and I feel like I have driven around the world already. 

A short chat with Jenn  this morning that did not work too well. We might just meet at Rosemerah cafe later today if I can get back there before her day is over.  Besides, everyone in the cafe is probably waiting to see the lovely lady in Canada again.

EEK!

I described the small black wormy snaky looking thing I murdered in my bedroom to a local. Seems it just might have been a baby snake, considering its method of movement and lack of being able to kill it by stomping on it. Crap, I am not sure I want to think about this considering it was in the bedroom upstairs.  I am trying to convince myself that I brought it in with my citronella plant housed there.  I have still not dealt with the carcass, I give it as wide a berth as the lizard in his own kitchen.  He is drying up nicely, so not even sure I could show him to someone and be able to figure out what he was.
Good news - another earthquake in Japan last night with fears of another tsunami. BUT here in Malaysia apparently we are not on that fault line and not really in earthquake territory either. That is what I will believe because alternatives are not nice.  Too many rock and rolls all around us.
Still no granddaughter making her debut.

TEXANS PAY TAXES IN TAXIS

THIS WILL BE MY TOPIC FOR THE TEACHERS AT THE WORKSHOP TOMORROW.

They are still having trouble with pronunciation making a distinction between short a sounds and short e sounds. For that matter, 'i' is also becoming an issue.

I created this sentence because it is something that I have discovered makes no sense when they say it.

What they say is ‘Texens pay texas in texeez’

Whoever gets it right will win a durian – they love them, and they are in season! Should be a good motivator.

Don’t be too amused - remember my pronunciation of the villages I travel to.

I completely butchered the village of Pangerang.

I pronounced it pang garh ang

The correct pronunciation for the word is Poongh ah rungh

Also found The Cat in the Hat online, so copied a page of that story for the teachers to practice circling the short vowel sounds in the text. Should be fun, because they can then pass the exercise on to the children. I cannot find a copy of that book anywhere here. Maybe I need to ask for that book in my CARE PACKAGE???? I could then hold a lottery for the schools to see who gets to keep it when I leave.

Jennifer was a hit at Rosemerah today

I settled in at the cafe and had a wonderful chat with Jenn on Skype. She was completely amused with the various servers, patrons, and other sorts who would stand over my shoulder and look at her on my computer screen.  When I did leave, because my battery gave up, a patron sitting behind me asked "what is your Country?"  When I told him Canada, he said a very lovely lady lives there.  She is who?  I explained she is my daughter.  Once again, the kindness, curiosity, and inquisitiveness of the locals touches me.  As each of them viewed my computer, they had no inhibitions of looking at something North Americans would consider private.  Their approach is one of family, and knowing that keeping in touch with family is a good thing, and they want to celebrate that with you.  That nice man also gave me another lead on a dobi, so I have not given up hope on that one yet.
Thanks Jenn for the visit. Hope you didn't mind me bringing half of the population of Kota Tinggi with me.
Homeward bound to clean the house and enjoy the scents of incense wafting over my wall.  My next door neighbours are Chinese and there must be a religious significance to the incense on the weekends. It is a lovely scent, not too heavy - quite spicy.  When I combine this with the BATIK I am transformed to a time in my life in the 1960's where BATIK and incense was the norm if you were young.

No clean hair - but a great bed!

Well, I mosyed back to town through plantations and back roads just to do some exploring. I stopped in at a batik place I have eyed several times when travelling out past my school. I am glad I did.I introduced myself and they said they knew who I was. They even knew where I worked. They probably know how old I am too - everyone asks me that, plus how much money I make.  I have been told to reply the 'how much money to do you make' with ' cukup makan' which means enough to eat.  These villages are a grapevine of news.  Everyone knows the new whitie in town.  I guess that just reminds me that I better behave myself.  I know I need to get a batik outfit to wear at school but I hate all the stuff in the city. It is either gaudy or polyester or both.  This is an artist who actually does the real batik. Those of you in my age group will be familiar with batik. The hippies were famous for the art back in the 60's.  This couple make all their batik from either silk or bamboo rayon. He strongly recommended the rayon for work. I was resistant because I had my mind set on cotton. They told me they would not make any from cotton because it is too warm to wear. So they had one shirt that I loved so bought it to test the feel.  If I like it, they will make me a skirt and I will have the whole event for my batik 'uniform' for work.  I am also thinking of the batik for sleepwear. Apparently it so cool to sleep in but very beautiful too. At this point, there is nada touching my skin when I sleep. Not even a top sheet. Probably not a visualization my kids want to put into their heads!  I finally got into town early afternoon, and then headed to the bank.  I have learned it is not worth trying to use a debit or credit card in this country. They are actually very wise - if you use either, they charge you what the bank will charge them. No one in Canada would even dare to try that. But I don't blame them at all. Most patrons do not know how much the banks gouge a business for customers using either of those cards. Anyway, with my mitts full of cash, I headed to my first stop to buy a garment rack - you know the kind Canucks use in the laundry room to hang fresh ironing. Well, that is my new closet. I think I am brilliant, because there is lots of air circulation around my garments. It was like a mini Ikea purchase, because it even came complete with an allen wrench to build it.  Picked up a shelf unit there too, for the big sum of RM25 so I now have a bed side table. Still no lamp though.  Tried my negotiation skills there for a decent mattress, but my buddy was not working today so I didn't get too far with that. Back to the other store where I was offered a mattress at a good price, and discovered that she was not going to honour that one. However, she did negotiate down to what I was willing to pay (RM250) and we shook hands. She was so nervous that her hands were sweating.  Poor thing.  I told her I would be back for more, later. Then  off to find some food. One of my teachers told me of a Chinese restaurant near my home, so I went there. I had fun trying to order. They pushed some young lad into the order because he had some English. It was quite funny, and I asked him if everything is RM8 for caucasians, because is the common thread I have discovered. I told them I am a local.  We will see if the price begins to change. Maybe I have to take my teacher friend with me next time. Anyway, on to the cell phone store because my crappy Nokia non-featured phone was not working. We got that sorted out and then home. Flew upstairs to get the single mattress configuration removed that  I had on my bed in preparation for the new beauty.  I was sweeping the floor when I thought I saw some kind of a black twistie under the bed. Yanked it out with the broom and it began to wriggle around. Totally freaked out, I jumped on it with my rubber flip flop. It did nothing to the BEAST.  I kept pounding on it with my shoe and it kept jumping around. I flew downstairs and found my cockroach spray and sprayed him with half a can of stuff, while he still writhed and wriggled and actually stood up on his end. YUCK. while he was twisting about in a pool of spray, I clobbered him with the end of the broom and ended up cutting him in half. Power of a frantic woman is immense!  The pool of spray and the discected carcass are still there. I will have to google him to see what the heck he was - I am thinking a black adder baby.  But that is my imagination working overtime. Sure am glad I didn't see him when I was still sleeping on the floor.
So, no indulgent hair shampoo today. I really didn't feel like having my hair done and then coming home to sweat over bedroom preparations. Tomorrow I will have it done and find out who I can find to wash my clothes.

TGIF

Today after work I am going in search of a headset for my computer. It seems that everyone hears me as if I am under water most of the time, and as it is Ryan who is the big brave diver I need to correct the impression that it is I who is employed in that field. I am the landlubber who is definitely not going to try to master that fear in this lifetime.  I am hoping I can wear a headset at some public WiFi and have chats with my loved ones without the garbled noise that pretends to be my voice. The problem is intermittent, but frequent enough to be annoying.
Looks like my 'to do' list is growing, so I better prioritize the items and see what I can accomplish.  Maybe the hair wash needs to be at the back end, otherwise I don't see myself doing anything else after that one.
Now it is time to focus on what pays the bills, so adios amigas and amigos whilst I drive off into the sunrise to spread the English words in a fun manner. Or as we say in Malaysia 'selamat tinggal'. Looks awfully like the last half of my city name (Kota Tinggi) huh?

To Pangarang and back

Bases school to south coast = 130 km.  I found my way, and managed to make the trip only 130 instead of about 150 km.  Did the teacher training, and then had a dinner meeting to plan next week's training.  The Chinese restaurant was closed so we had to have Malay food. BUT, surprisingly it was not too bad.A grand total for the three of us was RM17.  Mine was the cheapest as I only drank water, so was fed more than I wanted for RM5.  And the view was spectacular. Sitting in an outdoor cafe (as usual) on the coast overlooking ships and oil rigs and platforms. Seems that a team of oil workers are coming in this week to work out there. They are working for Petronus gas.  This seems to leave some doubt for the new member of our team finding accommodations, as a number of these people are converging on his little town, and they have a lot more money than he does.
I think I may have resolved the computer problem. I have been told by everyone who has an opinion that it is a software problem. Not knowing anything about this but thinking the only thing I have changed on the unit is that I added Firefox web browser. So, I uninstalled it and re installed the new version that came out yesterday. After doing that I was able to upload my report to the site. But of course the fragile internet crapped out and I could not test my theory further. I am now home and way too tired to be a technical wizard so I will check that out tomorrow.
Tomorrow is a short day, thank goodness. I will be heading to my new hairdresser for a long and luxurious hair wash. Then I will pick her brain to tell me where I can find a 'dobi'

wish me luck

Retirement Party punts my interviews

Internet is sadly compromised here today. I worked at a school today called SK Seri Aman. The name translates to Beautiful and Peaceful and that is exactly what the place exudes.  The grounds are lovely. They are perched in the hills surrounded by oil palm plantations.  My intention was to have meetings with the teachers I work with in order to plan what I will do with them in the next couple of weeks. That did not happen, well at least not completely. There was some event which took precedent over the meetings. The head mistress was celebrating her retirement today so that event replaced any meetings I was trying to have. I did manage to have two, and then was led to the ceremony which is nothing like a retirement in Canada. I hope to get some of the photographs from one of the people taking pictures throughout and post them here. It attracted all levels of government officials from the Ministry of Education as well as other head masters and head mistresses from the area. Each of those from Kota Tinggi  took my phone number and invited me to visit them at their schools. Also said they would be happy to show me around town too.  Looks like I have some new friends. I was fortunate to sit beside one from Kota Tinggi who helped me to understand the entire event. All was in Malay, so I needed a lot of help.  After the dancing by the children, prayers, speeches and video of her life we were then taken to another area of the grounds to a roofed dining hall. One of my teachers was watching out for me and slipped me a spoon and a fork.  Others were far more interested in watching me try with my hands. I did not entertain them with that today. And to top it all of, we were each presented with a giftbag containing some kind of cakes and a small china plate with a plate holder to display it. A china plate in this part of the world is a generous gift. China is not something most people use. Plastic is the product for the masses. 

So, I did manage to get in some work before the celebrations, but will have to repair that loss next week. Tomorrow I will be hoping to meet with teachers at Bukit Mahkota, and I know no one is retiring there. Then the big journey down south to do another workshop with the teachers and practicing their pronunciation.  I am going to take that back road for part of the trip to avoid the traffic. I have also filled the gas tank to the top, so no worries about being stranded.  Who knows, I might even find another back road to take me all the way south. I do know there is a coastal road, but I think I will try it when I am not working. A Saturday adventure sounds like a good idea.

Now, lets hope that this internet will post the blog.  Otherwise, it will be back to the restaurant tomorrow.  Still cannot post pictures, so you will have to imagine what I saw today.  Beautiful flowers, shrubs, visas, and hills.  And of course, the beautiful people who surround me here.

Backroads and Laundry

Another good day at work. I also discovered a new shortcut to Bundar Penawar, which is one of the clusters of schools where we hold training for teachers. I bravely set out from my own base school to see how I could get to this other school without having to return to the highway, pass Kota Tinggi, and then travel another 50 km to the destination. I had seen a sign on my backroads that indicated hey 99 gets me there in 52 km.  So off I went.  I thought I was in a rural community. My God, this was in the middle of nowhere, and nothing to stop at to ask for directions (which is useless anyway, because the locals, if they can speak English do not know the difference between left and right, back or forward, or any of those directions. Halfway along this journey that indicated I was on hey 99, 90, 93, & 95 all at different segments, I noticed my gas gauge was at only one bar. Oops.  Being half way I decided I might as well move ahead and hope for the best.  When I was getting a bit concerned, there like an oasis was a BHP gas bar. There had been no sign of life from the beginning of this trip nor after the BHP.  I was right. It did lead me to the town, and with a considerable saving in kms to boot. And really kind of peaceful too, seeing only plantations on either side of the road until suddenly I was joining the highway just 10 km from my destination.  So, there I have mastered another fear. Taking a chance in the middle of nowhere with the GPS broad who clearly didn’t know where the heck she was. She was silent the whole journey and just let me lead the way.

Now for a funny story. John, the Greek, our new team member has taken a hotel room in Pangerang.  He will stay there until he finds suitable accommodations or maybe even just stay there. He is a very minimalist guy, does tai chi, yoga, meditation and is a gifted teacher too. Talks a bit too much, but we can control him in that. Anyway, the room, which he avoids sending a photo to us, is across the street from his base school, which is on the water that crosses to Singapore. Nice view apparently.  He got the room for RM100 for 12 days, (until he either stays for the next month or moves into a house). If he continues to rent, he said he will only have to pay RM450 a month.  No secured parking for his car, but he can leave it at the school which is secured with a guard.  And then he figured out he can eat at the two schools which are side by side (that is free) and not even have to use the hotel dining room. His schools are also in a very concentrated area, so he won’t burning up the gas like I do. He was hilarious telling this plan of living on next to nothing and actually making money on the accommodation allowance we get. Not bad huh? He has also put me onto a dobi.  What is that you say? It is a Chinese laundry.  He said that I just need to go into a Chinese store and ask about a dobi, and if there is not one right now, there will be one before I know it. I really don’t want to invest in the goofy washing machines they sell here. They are more work than doing it by hand, which I am still doing. But this weekend I can see myself finding a dobi for the duration. John the Greek found a dobi in the ‘sticks’ where he lives, so I know there is one in Kota Tinggi.

Cant seem to add any pictures to this

My internet is nasty these days, so anything that requires more than a blip of internet is not going to happen.  I will try to download some when I have the energy to go to the WiFi restaurant Rosemerah.  For now, all you have is my words.
We finally got our third mentor, which means no middle of the night drives to Pangerang. YAY.  I still have to go down there on Thursdays but I can go to my own schools in the morning, which is a much more civlized drive than that crazy haul down south before dawn.
I delivered a training session on pronunciation today with the teachers. They really enjoyed participating, especially when I demonstrated with Jeff and myself and the way we destroy words in Malay.  Jeff is impossible and even I cannot understand what the heck he is trying to say. With that in their back pockets, they were very willing to learn how they say words that are completely different and yet when spoken by them; identical. I tested several teachers with the words taxes, Texas, and taxis.  All came out exactly the same when they said them. Then, moved onto short and long vowels, which was something most of them had never considered in the past. They were delighted to be able to say the words correctly and actually know when someone said them wrong.
What I have discovered is they use our English vowels but apply Malay sound rules to the words. I figured that out when I tried so hard to pronounce the name of my base school, which is Gembut.  I figured out that Milay only has one sound for 'g', so that was solved. But I kept saying Gem but. and the others kept correcting me after a bit of giggling. Finally I realized that the letter 'u' in Milay only has one sound and that sound is neither 'uh' or 'ooh' as we use in English. The only way to pronounce 'u' in Malay is with a sound like 'oa' as in 'oat'. So the sound of the school is Gem boat. Tada. 
Your Milay lesson for today.
And that is the kind of day it has been

Nothing new today

Prepared for tomorrow at work. I hope to be able to concentrate my time at one school each day, except for the workshops that we will be doing at each cluster of schools on Mondays. Tuesdays, and Thursdays.  Following my clever daughter's style, I have created charts with teacher names, grades, needs, etc within each school and should be able to figure out schedules to accommodate each. We will see.
I have taken a few pictures of views from my home property to give an idea of what I see each day.  The one looking south (to the right) is the least attractive, but it is far enough away that I only see it when I leave in my car.
I have to admit it, but I now miss the geckos. I found some kind of repellent which I sprayed on exits and entries to the house yesterday and since that I have not seen the little gaffers.  Guess it will remain this way for about 60 days as that is the indication of the effectiveness of the spray.  Ryan wrote an told me that I should enjoy them around - they eat all the bugs and spiders that come in.  I was always afraid of stepping on one of them, because they were extremely abundant in the main living area.  My friend even captured one in a cut out water bottle to remove him when I was still sleeping on the floor down there.  Another friend told me that one fell on her head when she was sleeping, so I just wanted to get rid of them. Now, sorry that I did.
I will post the pictures now, if my internet cooperates.

No new granddaught yet

I spoke with the mother who is waiting for her baby to make an appearance. Since tomorrow is a full moon, I am sure she will join many others and make her debut on that day.
I will be going to the Econsave to find the spray can of 'lizard repellent' I saw the other day.  I do draw a line with roommates, and having a gecko share my bed is not an option.  These little guys are getting too comfortable around here. Last night I was making and tossing paper airplanes at them in the living room. They thought it was a game, and just dashed about on the walls about 15 feet above me. This morning, one of the little guys was on the wall in my bedroom near the bathroom doorway.  I didn't have any paper to make airplanes so I used my 'outdoor voice' which  just caused him to  cling to the wall and stared at me.
Tomorrow I get to watch a movie on TV. Some Steve Martin movie - the pink panther - will keep me entertained. 
For now, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I am sure the geckos are regrouping for their next onslought in Kota Tinggi. I will go now to the new restaurant and have a roti and dahl for the same price as the downtown one. But, the place is clean, no rags to wipe down the plate and cutlery.  And I can also download the Malaysia Ikea catalogue to browse for when I have some RM in my account. I am thinking that a recliner chair is in order for this old bird and I have discovered that lazyboy has not found its way to Malaysia..If I am going to be here for a few years, it might as well be in comfort.  Besides, whoever gets to claim this when I leave will enjoy it themselves.

Repairs to the household

It is amazing what can bring joy to a person when basics are  not provided. I had repairmen at my home all morning repairing issues that make living difficult. One of the bathrooms had a toilet that would not stop running, an outlet that did not work in the kitchen, and the light on the stairs that does not work. And the dreaded mosquitoes. My least concern was the TV. Now all is repaired, except the mosquito issue. He did leave me some bottle of magic stuff I plug into the wall and somehow the mosquitoes will leave. I am at the point that I will try this in conjunction with my citronella plants disbursed throughout the place. But the TV is awesome., The little guy climbed up onto my rooftop and installed an antenna. Then set channels for me. I probably have about a dozen channels, (mostly Chinese or Milay) but a couple of full English ones too.  Amazingly, right after he tested the channels, the skies opened up into a huge downpour. I would have hated to see him perched on the roof during that coupled with lightning. 
Anyway, life is feeling pretty good now that I have the basics, and don't have to navigate my way in the dark up the stairs at night.  I might even watch some news tonight so that I can talk intelligently about current events.
No new baby arrival in Canada yet.

St Patrick's Day in Canada

Levi might just have a new sister today.  I will be hanging onto my computer all day just to keep posted as the day and night unfold.  Stay tuned to see results of the day.  Just might be a Kate, or some other fine Irish name, in the family very soon. Maybe a Ryann. I hope I am allowed to post pictures, but will have to clear with the family first.

Just have to mention this

Now that I am in the good books with the city of Kota Tinggi, by paying my parking fine, I must head over somewhere that way again, and pay my water bill. It is a hefty RM4.90, so don't want service interrupted. That translates into about $1.00 Canadian. Also have to go back to the WiFi cafe I did some work yesterday because I forgot to pay for the soft drink I ordered. 
I am going to see if I can find a second hand furniture store to get some more things in this place. It would be nice to have a place to store my clothing for the next three years.

Japan and its crisis

I took a look at online coverage of Japan and the radiation problem they now face.  I then thought I should see what effects can be felt here from that.  I found some person by the name of Tony Wanhjor who is some kind of reporter here and had several blogs.  He also had a website using his name. Each blog and the website are suspended.  This does concern me in the fact that freedom of speech is perhaps not as available here as it is in Canada. I could also be overreacting and the guy could be a bit of a sensationalist. I have never read any of his blogs in the past.
Take a look for yourself and see if you can see any of his information online.
I searched some other sites and found this:
Straits Times 16 Mar 11;

GEORGE TOWN: Malaysians need not worry about radiation particles heading here from Japan as prevailing winds are now drifting toward the west coast of the United States.

A spokesman from the Malaysian Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) said it obtained the information from the Japan Meteorological Agency.

“The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also informed us that the situation remained under control in Japan, despite the fire at the Unit 4 reactor and explosion at the Unit 2 reactor of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant,” he said.

The spokesman added that the dose rate of up to 400 millisievert per hour detected at the site was reported to be dropping, according to IAEA.

The Health Ministry has moved quickly to quell rumours that radioactive winds were heading toward Malaysia.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai told reporters at Parliament lobby yesterday that the Malaysian Nuclear Agency was monitoring the situation.

“As for now, the radiation is contained to just a certain region in Japan. It is highly unlikely that it will reach Malaysia,” he said.

“I hope the public will not believe the rumours that are circulating through SMS.”

Fukushima is about 5,600km north-east of Kuala Lumpur.

Guess it is best to believe this one. What else can I do?  Doesn't look good for the USA though. 

Navigating Kota Tinggi today

I should have known that there is "no free parking" even in Kota Tinggi.  I stopped in at a hair salon yesterday to check it out, and when I got back to my car, there was some official looking document under my wiper blade. I knew it must be a ticket but I didn't know how to pay it. I stopped at the bank and saw a man writing these tickets so asked him.  He explained I need to buy a coupon, and then told me how to buy one. I asked him not to give me another ticket until I could at least buy this crazy coupon. I could not find the "electric shop" he directed me to, so went into a camera shop to ask. Seems the camera shop is exactly where he meant. Bought some booklet of tickets that look like lottery tickets, where you pop out dates and times as you use them.  So, now to the hair salon, to ask Kiki, my new hairdresser, where the heck I pay this fine. Kiki, the owner was not in but her assistant, Uki, remembered me and I showed her the document. I asked where I should pay it, and she directed me to some MDKT building. I said I didn't know where that was, so she then told me it was across from the Post Office. I had found that once, but never again, so she said, it is also across the other way from the hospital. Again, no clue.  She then offered to go with me in my car and lead me. I took her up on that and off we set. MDKT turns out to be their version of city hall. I flashed the paper to various people and we were directed to several different places. Finally, some woman listened to me and did manage to reduce the fine by 50%, so I paid my RM15. If you don't pay the fine, they lock your wheels and then you pay RM200 to get them unlocked.  So I found many new places today with the help of my assistant.  I went back to her salon and had her give me a hair wash and blow dry.  What an experience. It was over one hour.  She led me to her styling chair and I said, no I want a wash. She kept insisting I sit there, so I did. She blobbed some shampoo on my head and then while stirring that around, she kept adding water from a squirt bottle. Hair wash, scalp massage, neck massage, shoulder and back massage, all for RM10.  I will be doing this once a week -- it will be my Friday afternoon treat to myself. The blow dry is part of the package.  I then gave her a RM5 tip and she was delighted. That was also to compensate for the driving directions.
Now, because this dongle internet is such crap, I am going over to the Muslim restaurant where I had a fresh coconut to download my workshop details for the next month. These things take forever to download at my own place.  I found free wifi there -- one of the few places in this crazy town.  Maybe I will have another coconut too.
I asked Uki if she also drove a car. She looked at me like I was insane. She said "I am only 16".  So of course I said, 'so what".  Apparently in Malaysia, you cannot drive until you are 21.  I wonder how the Canuck kids would manage with that age limit.  Here, it not a hardship -- no one can afford a car anyway.
We will see if this posts. The internet has bonbed out twice since I began to write this.

I just wrote a post and the internet crapped out

I was telling all of you about my wonderful cooking and blending devices and then poof, it was all gone. I guess it was tedious, so won't bore you with that again.  I am happy to not have to forage through the food stalls here, and know that I can feed myself with somewhat normal foods.  I made gazpacho, of a kind and loved it. There are no herbs or even sea salt here but I managed to put together a healthy blend of veggies.
I am also trying to post my reports for work and the internet is not being my friend.  I will try again in a few minutes and then give up for the day.  We have had another downpour late this afternoon. I like it when I am at home, because it cools things off nicely. You know, down to about 30. If what just fell from the sky was just a rain shower I am not sure I want to see a full blown monsoon.
There is nothing exciting to write here so will sign off.  

I had my first fresh coconut yesterday

I stumbled upon a restaurant of sorts and there were a pile of coconuts sitting near the stairs. Ryan told me that he regularly ate coconuts while living in Thailand, so I thought I better try one. I asked how much, and was told RM 1.70 which works out to about 50c.  This guy arrived with a machete and scraped it on the road until it was sharp as a razor. Then proceeded to hack away at the coconut with his other hand extremely close to the hacking site.  He then handed it to me, with the top removed and then brought me a straw and a spoon.  It really was delicious and refreshing too.  I just googled some information regarding the benefits of fresh coconut water and the flesh and the following is what I found.

What is Coconut Water?

Coconut Water is the nutritious clear liquid inside the coconut fruit which is packed with vitamins and minerals. There is usually more water in a young coconut, since the water is replaced by the white coconut flesh as it matures. Therefore, for drinking purposes, coconuts are harvested off the trees when they are still young and green. Later, the outer green husk is removed and the coconuts are wrapped in plastic to keep the moisture.

For best results, the water from a fresh coconut should be consumed shortly after being exposed to air due to the possible loss of important nutrients. A single coconut usually provides an 11 ounce serving of water, and it is low in calories and fat but rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. A few key nutrients in Coconut Water include Lauric acid, Chloride, and Iron, as well as important electrolytes such as Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Sodium, and Phosphorous. In fact, the potassium content in Coconut Water is close to twice the amount in a banana. A healthy balance of electrolytes is important for the optimal health of our muscular, cardiovascular, nervous and immune systems, as well as to help with the absorption and balance of the body's internal fluids.

Now I have to go and deal with the chicken I am charring on the bbq.  I tend to overcook the meat here just in an attempt to not recognize what I bought. But I think I have more than compensated tonight.

Ready to cook and feed myself

Out on a search today for an induction cooker. That was Jennifer's recommendation, and after weighing all the options I decided it would be the best. A microwave oven is nasty to cook meat, a counter top oven apparently could burn down the countertop -- so the logical choice was the induction cooker. I looked in a strip mall of sorts on my way to the downtown and was pleasantly surprised there. I also managed to find a glass vessel blender for only RM69.  I asked them if there was somewhere to buy soft tofu, as that is what I would make for breakfast in the blender. A young girl in the shop told me at econsave, so I said I would check that out and if they had it, I would come back and buy the blender. I searched all over econsave, and no soft tofu. Some little girl was giving samples of ice cream, which I should have bought because she was giving a cooler free if I bought some. Anyway, I didn't and she directed me to this section of the store I avoid because of the smell. I minced my way over there, holding my breath, and lo and behold, there was the soft tofu. Yay. Then, I sidled over to the chicken section, as I did not feel like going to the Kip Mart where I found chicken under ice.Bravely bought chicken pieces, so I guess it is bbq night again.  They have these bins in the store full of chicken pieces and whole chickens (including the feet).  I thought I would try the thighs but did not know what to do. The guy said, just get a plastic bag and put in what you want. Yuck.  That means everyone's hands was in the bin too.  So, I got a plastic bag, and then another plastic bag to pick up the raw meat, and put 3 pieces into the other bag.  I will just pretend that is how everyone else does it, so that I can actually eat this stuff when I get it cooked. On my way past the fish section, I saw a woman running her hands through the ice that the fish was sitting in. I am guessing that she did not use a plastic bag to get her chicken.
Of course, there are no berries here, so trying to think of something to put in this tofu was a challenge.I bought some ribena (a drink that is without sugar, and made from black currents), some oatmeal in a little sack, a papaya, and some nuts.  I can't imagine putting my dragon fruit, watermelon, and other melon in this smoothie creation, but I can eat those on the side.  I am thinking I am going to be darn healthy.It even has a coffee bean grinder included, but kind of a waste on me, as coffee is not part of my diet here. When I got home I realized I can make gazpacho, and get some veggies into me too. I am also beginning to think that I just might not turn out gourmet meals while on this journey.
Dashed back to the store and bought the blender and the induction cooker.  Now that I have all this cooking technology, I guess I need to shop accordingly.  There is a ton of meat and fish concoctions in the freezer section in the store, so I guess I will try one of those.  I saw things called crab drumsticks. Might brave one of those packets one day. Someone write me an e-mail and gives me some ideas for cooking on this thing, please.  I cannot say I have ever relied on cooking on a stove top and that is what this thing is.  Oh yes,  I thought I should pick up some rice as that seems to  be the staple here. Unfortunately I did not succumb to the bags they sell. There were sacks weighing about 10 pounds and higher. My blender person said they have smaller ones, so she is going to go shopping with me next time to show me the small packs of rice and other things I don't understand there.  Whenever I eat at the schools, which of course is mainly rice, I seem to go into a coma after eating. I think the rice is not my friend.
So, as it is nearly 4 pm on Sunday, I think it is time for my Malaria medication. And because I am on vacation, I also think it should be laced with gin.
over and out

Roti Chanan for breakfast and plant shopping

I went to the old haunt we first discovered and had roti chanan with dahl for breakfast. You would be horrified if you saw how it was prepared, but so far I have not died, but I do rush home after eating.  There is a little lady who makes them (rotis, which are a kind of thin, flat fried bread), she cracks an egg into the centre and then folds in the edges, and the slips it into a large black flat pan.  The scary part comes when she gets a rag, that looks like something shredded and used to wash the floor. Then, takes a tin plate, and wipes it off with the rag, and then a spoon and fork, and wipes them too.  I am sure her eggs have been sitting at room temperature just like the ones I see in the stores, but I can pretend that they are not, unlike buying my own and knowing they are.  After that event, I went in search of some kind of vessel to repair the pathetic bbq.  No metal pails are available in Malaysia, so driving past a plant place I saw big clay pots. I bought one for the bbq to sit on as well as 2 more to plant some cintronella plants that will hopefully ward off the mosquitoes.  Also bought a peace lily in hopes of making my place look more like a home and less like an empty cave.  Pictures of the purchases including the wonderful bed are here now too. The pillows on my bed are strictly for show. They are like blocks of concrete, and seem to be all that is available. Jenn gave me a nice neck pillow which I did not use on the airplane, but it is great here.
Once I figure out what I want to buy to cook with I think I will attempt to make my own roti and dahl, although might not be worth the effort. today's meal cost RM1.70.  That translates to 56c. And I don't have to look at the eggs in my fridge.

Today I turned on the radio for the first time

You cannot imagine what a treat it was to hear classical music in my car on the way to work, and the announcer speaking clear English. I felt like I had a friend with me.  After my productive day at work, which was only until noon, I drove through the city in search of a bed.  I really am getting weary of sleeping on the floor, and decided I must get something to change that. Besides, it really is a bother to remember to prop the mattress on the wall every morning, and when I don't, it tends to be damp.  Anyway, my plan was first to check out the bus terminal to see where Michel and I would catch a bus to Singapore, and while scouting out that, I found a big furniture store. I asked if they had any bed frames, and the nice man took me to fancy schmancy ones.  I said I just wanted something inexpensive to use for a few years, and he took me to another spot.  I think I bought a red metal bed frame, which will be delivered and set up at 5 pm.  On my way out, I saw an office chair, so bartered for that one (the cheapest because I will have to give everything away when I leave) and then began whining about not having a desk. He showed me some computer desks with varying prices. I again opted for the cheapest one, but had my eye on the nice sapphire blue one that would match my office chair.  So, the prices for the bed frame were RM220, the chair RM65, and the desk RM170.  This was a total of RM445.  I said I really cannot afford this right now, so said I would not get the desk. The nice man said, I could have the lot for RM300. So I agreed. Then tried to use my bank/credit card and they could not process it. Their equipment was archaic, and could not process a debit/credit card. So I said I would go to the bank and get cash and come back. Nice people that they are said no need to come back, just pay when delivered. Yay.  I always forget to take my address with me, so had to draw a map for them to find me.
After this outlay of cashola and celebration of a week vacation, I wanted to find gin.  I went to 7 11 because they apparently sell beer. They advised they do not sell gin, and some Muslim lady told me where she thought I could find gin. Odd that she would know, and she didn't anyway.  So, back to the Chinese lady who serves us bok choy and gai lan regularly.  I knew she would know. She was all excited about me being there because I don't go often any more.  I told her I was not there for food, but for information. She did not let me down, and I found a bigger liquor store than the one we found in Batu Pahat. I really must becoming quite a proletarian because my taste in gin is not dictated by brand any longer. The ability to find any is what I look for now. A lovely locally produced lemon gin is what is now in my freezer awaiting me.
I never did figure out the bus terminal thing. That can be done another day after a good night rest on the new bed.  Now that I have a desk, computer chair coffee table, small settee (came with the house) and a couple of pails I purchased to use upsidedown as tables, I will possibly lose some of the echo in the house.
When I got home I discovered that the cinnamon that I sprinkle on the floor to get rid of ants seems to be a favourite of Mr Gecko.  drat
So, whoever plans on coming to visit, there is a real bed now, queen size according to the man.  I enjoy sleeping on the floor, except for having to always prop the mattress every morning. So, the bed is available. 
Bed, desk, and chair arrived. They set them all up and I am beginning to feel like I live here. 
Just heard from my friend in Pahang. She cannot leave her state as the roads are flooded. Maybe she will be able to get out midweek. Also was informed there are earthquakes and tsunamis all around us. Hope my schools don't wash away over the vacation.  I wont have a job if that happens.

Too much rain

It rained all night last night and still raining now. I hope this is not the weather pattern for our week break.  We thought we were fortunate in missing monsoon season here, but the locals are telling me that weather patterns here are also changing, just like in Canada, and it is looking like monsoons don't follow their usual patterns.  I found a u-tube of Kota Tinggi from just a couple of weeks before I arrived here. I figured out how to post a utube, but not very well. The only one I wanted posted is the Kota Tinggi one, which is shown first. The others were there on the page, and I have no idea of how to remove them. I will check that out later. For now, just take a peek at the Kota Tinggi floods to get an idea of my new 'hometown'.
It starts on the bridge travelling north east toward the downtown area.  Just to the right after crossing the bridge is where we stayed at the hotel. At the intersection that has a green arrow is where I turn to get eventually onto the highway out of town.  I don't think I will chance this route this morning, as the amount of rain that has fallen over the past 24 hours could possibly cause the same problem today.  Besides I have found my route around the city that avoids this and traffic snarls too.
I am going up into the hills of a palm oil plantation area, so floods should not be a factor there. As long as I can get there without having to encounter any along the way. When I find a nice day, I will take some photos of the views on that route. It is amazing each time I see it. You see nothing but the tops of palm trees for miles and miles on either side of the road, much like grain fields in the prairies.  Unlike the prairies, you get a lovely bird's eye view from the hills.
Now to navigate my way through wild boars, marauding elephants, cows, monkeys, and other critters on my way to work.  It is days like this that make me sort of wish I lived in the village. But that is short lived.  I need to step away from the job and live outside its boarders. I am far too visible and without privacy out there.

Great day today workwise

I spent most of the day slotting in meetings for the next three days (today included) and even managed to have a meeting with a new teacher at one of my schools. He has been hired straight out of school but he is an 'optionist' which means he actually took English and teaching education in university. His degree is in International Business, so all of his course work was in English, making him a fine speaker of my native language. He is excited to be part of this program, and hanging onto me for dear life with hopes of my coaching skills rubbing off on him. I enjoyed the meetings because the teachers pick my brain for ideas to teach certain concepts. That is my favourite part of this job.  On my way back to my base school I was stopped on the highway by the army.  I thought we had possibly been invaded because they were in full uniform and looking very officious.  There had been heavy rain and they directed me to some patch of muck to park my car. Seems there was some cycling race along the highway, and I had to remove myself to let them through. A mini 'tour de france' buzzing down my 'hood.  I wish I had the camera today, it was amazing watching these guys burning up the road in 95+ steamy weather.  I have learned that whatever I plan to do here can and usually gets postponed or moved. So, I just sat and watched and for some crazy reason got back to my base school in time for the meeting.
Got all my meetings completed by 2 pm and then headed home in a driving rain which was forecast. Victoria cannot hold a candle to these rains. I had asked everyone at the school where the heck I could buy lavender oil because the mosquito repellent (deet) is not working for me. I must becoming very local because when a couple of them gave me a store to check I actually knew where they meant. I bought the oil but it smells nothing like the lavender oil in Canada. But I am willing to try anything because the bites I have are looking a bit like smallpox.  Lovely huh?
Now it is only 4 o'clock and all I have to do is upload my meeting data and take the night off. I must be getting into the groove.  And to top it off, I have a week off next week.A friend is coming to visit, and I even have spare mattresses to accommodate company We are planning on exploring areas around here, maybe taking in a beach, and checking out Melaka, which is the location I wanted to be posted  initially. But I am happy here in Kota Tinggi, and have made wonderful friends I will never forget. Melaka has a Portuguese history, so I think we will discover some very fine cultural backgrounds there. And it is touted as having the world's largest Zoo. Not that I have to see this, I can see it all in the wild where I live.

why am I here?

I had a chat with a Canadian friend this morning and understood something about why I am here. After talking about all the fears we each face in our lives, I realized that I am here to overcome some of my own. I also think that where I am is a wonderful opportunity for me to see how other parts of the world live on a daily basis.  I could never have really known this by watching a documentary or reading about it.  One has to live it in order to really know it.  Ryan has told me many things about other parts of the world and until I have seen them with my own eyes, it was only a thought, and not a reality.  I live far differently than I did in Canada, and even this is above the lifestyle of many of the people I work with.  I work with students who walk to school through a jungle, facing the possibility of pythons, cobras, monkeys and wild animals on their daily route. These children live in shacks put together by their parents, deep in the jungle.  They eat what they find in the jungle.  My home, although it is not up to Canadian standards is foreign to these children.  I would have never experienced this as a tourist in Malaysia.  For this I am fortunate to see another part of the world that as a Canadian, would never have known was possible. Some of my own fears that I am overcoming are driving on insane roads with even more insane drivers, knowing that a python or cobra could cross my path at any time, and eating things that I would never have considered worthy of eating in the past.  I think I will stop there, or I might just stop it all and think I cannot do it any longer. So, what I have discovered is that I can do all those things, and it is not as difficult as I thought it would be. Maybe I am braver than I thought I was.

Johor Baru and back

Wow, I was boggled by the big city offerings. But funny enough, my friends Emma and Trav have a probably the best accommodations of all of us down south, but they covet what we have. They wanted really rural too, but got the big city and have to travel to the rural for their work. Their kitchen has real cupboards, and their sinks have both taps. (the rest of us only have one tap - cold (warmish) water.  AND, they have a bathtub too!.Emma is from L.A. and previous to that, Mexico. Trav is from Canada, in fact, Saskatoon. They met in Korea and got married in the Philippines. Not in a real ceremony, just a private exchange of vows to each other. They plan on having a real formal wedding when the can afford to gather all their family somewhere in the world. For now, we are the family, so who knows, maybe they will tie the knot here. Goofy as it is, they were only given a 1 1/2 living allowance because they were a couple. When they did not produce a marriage certificate, they were then given a full 2 living allowances. Silly huh?  They both work fulltime, but for some reason, if you are married, you only get 1 1/2.  We have advised that if they do get married, don't tell anyone. Emma has invited me to come down for visits and use the bathtub.She also had a bottle of REAL vinegar, and gave it to me, because it is easy to get there. I stayed at their place overnight and slept in a real bed too. Emma heard that there is an Ikea opened in JB now so we will go there together perhaps on our week break so I can pick up a bed frame. I have managed to move into my bedroom, and now it is time to get off the floor.
What we did in JB was be a photo opportunity for the politicians of the Ministry of Education (MoE). We had breakfast and lunch and extremely long meetings in a hot and packed hall.There was further mention of the men in our teams needing to cut off ponytails, and women to NEVER WEAR SLACKS TO WORK. I am the golden haired nerdy one who has never worn slacks to work so not in the outs with the authorities.
Jeff and I also got our third mentor, so that should save some serious early morning trips down south. Yay for that.
Before heading home, we all met at a Korean BBQ restaurant, and stuffed our faces there. Good food, and not a pile of hot spices to burn our lips.  The trip home was uneventful and now I am ready to hit the hay to catch some zzz's before the day at my schools tomorrow.

Heading to Johor Baru tonight

We have a big meeting with the Minister of Education at some school down there tomorrow morning so we will travel tonight so that we dont encounter traffic jams etc in the morning.  I have had all sorts of directions from good intentioned people, but when we look at them all are different. So, we will trust that nasty GPS lady and our instincts when she screws up.
Also discovered that we cannot go to Singapore on the school break. We cannot leave the country during the processing of the work visa, so I guess we will have to take in the beaches and other local attractions.  Today was a write off, we had to wait in Kota Tinggi for our district project manager who never showed up. That meant I had to call all my schools and cancel appointments. Not an easy task because the people who answer the phones do not speak English. I have learned that when I call, I just announce this is Madam Frances, and they either try to tell me that I am not there, or eventually understand that it is actually me calling. Beyond that, I am not sure if my message is understood.
Now to pick out my frock for the big meeting tomorrow, and something to wear on the journey back home.
Oh, and I finally learned something about several street signs and other various sign posts. Many have the word Mohd on them. In fact many of the male teachers have that in front of their name. It is actually an abbreviation for Mohammad. I think it means Mr. in Malay because every man has that before his name on his name tag. I am not sure, as I could not get a definite answer from anyone.

My Sunday Rant

Just like Rick Mercer, I have my own rant.  There is a stop sign in Malaysia, which looks just like our own in Canada. The word on this sign is BERHENTI, which translates into ceased.  Well, there is no ceasing occurring at these intersections, so if you are ever driving in Malaysia, DO NOT STOP at these signs. For some reason everyone just carries on as if the sign was not there. It can make for nasty collisions, but I have never actually seen a collision where one of these signs are posted. They don't even treat it like a yield sign, which is something I have never seen here.  And, when I am driving into the downtown from where I live, there is an intersection that has a very clear right turn lane painted on the road, and a straight through lane. I always took the straight through lane, but was startled by all the cars that come straight through on the turn lane.  I have begun doing the same, as I need to be in that lane anyway, and what the heck, I might as be a real local.