Tuesday...I only have 15 minutes!

I so intended to write something earlier but instead I did some teacher stuff....s'ppose that's what I'm here for! I have only a short minute to write today as we are going to dinner and a movie tonight (seems so much like home!). I'm somewhat jealous of Angel's blog cause he already has pics up and everything, I know, I promised to get my act together and I will...give me till the weekend!
Good news though, I attempted to get back into shape today! After slacking off since leaving Canada I got up at 6:30am and went to the gym in my condo, ran on the treadmill and did some makeshift Body Pump, and let me tell you, I have never sweat so much in my life and that was with the aircon! Turns out, was not such a good idea as I then had to walk to school...messy! So from now on I'm going to swim in the mornings and run in the evenings, tomorrow night I'm going running with Dave by the lake which I'm sure will result in some good stories for you!
And now for what I learned today...aside from the above and other things that I don't have time to tell you...people in hot countries move at a leisurely pace because it's freakin' hot! If you rush you sweat, if you stress you sweat! So for all of you that knock my slow walking you should know that I'm the energizer bunny around here, and that's about to stop!!!!!!!! From now on, I'm taking the "island time" frame of mind, I am, really, so when I get home don't expect me to do anything that requires fastness of any kind! I'm a new woman!!!! Peace!

Good morning Canada! I know, it's 2am where you are...I feel a tad lonely at this time of day, like everyone I know is asleep! It's the first day of school for real today, I met my first class this morning and have one more this afternoon, that's right, only two classes a day! They're an interesting group....teaching pre-university and in a private school in a foreign country leads to a wide variety of students, and the nicknames are fantastic! Some of the teachers have already nicknamed me bigwheel betty, but I won't get into that!!!!
I realize I haven't told you much about the school. First off, it's huge! This campus (one of several) is located in Subang Jaya, which is also where I live, a suburb of KL. It is a university-college, therefore most of Taylor's is post-high school, business studies, law programs, etc. I work in the ICPU (Canadian Pre-University) but there are also pre-U programs from Cambridge (British system) and Australia. Someday soon I'll get my act together and bring my camera in and actually post some pictures!!! The teachers here teach one course only, 2 or 3 times everyday. There are 6 70minute periods and lunch, but no bells to announce the start or end of class, and really, we start everything 5 minutes late, and finish everything 10 minutes early!!!! Grade 12 is the only grade offered, aside from one grade 11 English class, and everyone is ESL....everyone! Most students are either working in the math/sciences or in the social studies sections with one elective choice.
So every morning I make the trek from my condo in the heat through the 10 minute walk to school, dodgeing the crazy drivers who I think aim for us! I then pop to McDonald's for my 3R coffee, or if I'm feeling rich (or hungry, cause I still refuse to eat McD) I do Starbucks for 14R, which I really have to stop! Then I walk up to the 5th floor, outside, and drag my sweaty butt into my office where I chill in the aircon and work. My first class doesn't start until 10:30, so technically I don't even have to be here until 10! Life is grand! Lunch is at 11:45, then I work until 2:15 when I go to class until 3:30 and then it's home! There are no sports teams here, no gym class, no visual arts, a bit of extra-curricular, but not much to do after school! Generally we leave at 4 and go home....and swim!!! I know, you're jealous!!!!!!!
That's pretty much school!
I'm off to meet my next class....peace!

A Live Post!!!

Yea it is!  I am actually writing directly onto the blog, now that I've finally actually set the thing up!  Really, I should be working on lesson planning and unit projects and all that, but the internet is rare and I seem to find endless ways to waste my time while sitting at starbucks using the Kenny Rogers Roasters free internet!  I'm waiting for the coffee to kick in...last night was my first big night out in Malaysia, I finally kicked enough of the jet lag to make it past 11pm and so off we went to Reggae Bar, yup, a reggae bar, in Chinatown, in Kuala Lumpur....random, I know!  And some of you know how much more random it gets!!!!!!  So partying till 4, finding my way back to my apartment and then getting up at 6:30am to take students to World Water Day has left me with a desperation for coffee - also explains the randomness and perhaps dumbness of the writing of today's blog!

I realize I've told you a lot of what I've done, but not about what's what here!  Aside from the 12 hour time difference and the other side of the world thing, it's hot!  The kind of Canadian summer hot, where it's humid and sweaty and great!!!!  Most afternoons there are massive thunderstorms that would rock your socks off!  I live on the 18th floor of a brand new condo, which has 4 towers and houses most of the teachers...my peeps rock and I have a pool, gym, squash courts, ping pong and everyone nearby!  It's good times, and 10 minutes to walk to school!  School is good, aside from walking to the 5th floor in the sweat every morning, lunch and afternoon!  I start in class tomorrow morning, which should be cool - the kids seem great!

I can't really compare KL to anywhere else I've been...they have a lot of the same weather and plant-type stuff as Trinidad (I'm looking at red bamboo now!) and are trying to be very western and cosmopolitan and tell you that every chance they get, but things are still different!  Everything is english and I have yet to find someone with whom I can't communicate, although I get the feeling I annoy many of the men just with the fact that I'm a girl!  Oh, and for those of you wondering, the sexiness of my elbows has not yet offended anyone, nor has my eating with my left hand!  I have yet to really leave my bubble aside from the partying, so I am really looking forward to seeing KL in the daylight!  Perhaps next weekend!!!!!

Anyway, I've lost my train of thought and really should get some work done - comment back with questions and I'll answer them, perhaps it will keep me on track and this will make more sense!!!!  Pictures will come soon....Peace!

Malaysia...wow!

Friday, March 27th

Goodmorning Malaysia!  I’m really here...it is only 5am (which is 5pm Canada on Thursday if you were looking to catch-up!  So Malaysia thus far...the airport was amazing, we landed in the middle of fields of palm trees, which was quite impressive and then made our way through immigration and were happy to find that all of our baggage made the trip!  We then met up with our Taylor’s representatives and the fourth member our of “fearless international team” to head to the school.  Now at this point, the last time we slept was Monday night at home, and have not showered since Tuesday morning, so we are feeling rather skuzzy as well as starting to hallucinate from lack of sleep, but we were dropped off at the school to wait for the end of the day!  We chilled in the staff room (the red room) until four where I was presented with my giant yellow box of fun - turns out my associate is organized and I have piles to do right away!!!  We met  a few of the teachers, including the fab peeps that are putting me up and Angel’s party hours boys (Legs and the fourth are staying with my teacher who is away).  Finally four o’clock appears and we are shuttled back to our condos which are a ten minute walk from school!  

The condos that Legs, the fourth and I are staying in are ginormous, and apparently just finished last fall.  The gals are in one tower with my teacher and I in another - you need a pass to be able to get up the elevator and there are piles of security (feel better mom?).  On the fifth floor there is a lovely outdoor pool, park, gym and ping pong room and outside restaurants and shopping gallore!  There is a starbucks three minutes away, and another across the road, the oh so dangerous road!  I have already been warned that it is pedestrian beware in Subang Jaya and remember to look left!

After what may have been the best shower I have ever had, my peeps and I picked up the gals for dinner where for 3.50RR I had a yummy plate of noodles and veggies, and 3.50RR is about $1 Canadian!  Thus far the food is great, the water is drinkable, I have not gotten sick and I’m only off about 2 hours in my jet lag-ness...and I think I may go back to sleep for another 2 hours before school!  Turns out that living on the 18th floor as I do means that wireless will not reach me, so this blog will be updated from school or starbucks, so keep on checkin’ me!  I have a local phone now, so as soon as I get a card I will send some of you the phone number so that you can reach me whenever you feel like wasting money on long distance charges!!!!!

Peace out and enjoy the weekend!

Saturday, March 28th

So does not feel like March!!!!  It is hot here, the humid kind of Canadian hot that everyone loathes...maybe it’s just that the memory of Canada is too fresh having only been here a few days, but I love it!  It’s a nice sunny morning, and I have managed to sleep until 10 and am finally feeling more human again, but it’s not the kind of sunny that makes me want to go to the beach because there’s always that humid layer up top.  Legs and I are getting some serious work done today, going to starbucks to internet because I have to have my unit project ready for Monday...yea, the first day of classes!

Overall, things are good!  I have discovered that Malaysia is best for boys, not single white gals, but we all could have guessed that before I left, and so I’m not entirely sure about wanting to come back as I miss being able to go wherever I want whenever I like - this may change as I become more comfortable here, we’ll see, no judgement yet!

That’s all I got for now, I’ll write more once I’m caffeinated!

I realize that this still has not been posted to a real blog, and that you will be reading it all at one time, but I’m keeping track of things as I go....really! 

The pool was great, I have a tiny tan thus far and then we did a little shopping at Carrefour, which is like Asian Walmart, and oh so very cheap.  Tonight is Earth Hour and the peeps are hosting a party at our place, also a chance to get to know all the other teachers so that should be good!  All in all, things are good (I may have mentioned that!)  Legs and I are having a blast, avoiding the club scene and sticking together, but it’s fun in our bubble...not sure that the other two are feeling the same way.  The condo is fab, it’s big and bright and airconditionned...I live on the 18th floor - I will take some pics soon, and I will actually post them, I promise!  Perhaps tomorrow at starbucks....

The BIG Trip!!!!

The Trip - Tuesday to Thursday + time zone changes!

I realize now that I should have started this blog when I was in Canada, back when I was feeling fresh and pumped for the trip!!!  Not that I’m not excited now, but with 4 hours and 13 minutes left of my 16 hour flight to Hong Kong, I’m feeling a little less than fresh! 

The journey so far....well, Legs and I chatted from Ottawa to Toronto where we met our third traveling companion and indulged ourselves with Starbucks...beat the jet lag early we thought, caffeinate and get a jump on that 12 hour time change!  We boarded the biggest plane I have ever been on, and in record time (the polar opposite of Caribbean Airlines!) and raved of the comforts of our home for the next day-ish.  They have given us blankets and socks and toothbrushes and toothpaste, even headphones and wine for free and best of all a menu to order our dinner, which came in courses.  The movie marathon started next, a cheesy one for dinner, Batman Returns which puts me to sleep everytime along with some other random background noise, and then Slumdog Millionaire as I awoke to only 6 hours left of my trip.  Legs and I are testing the jetlag pills...so far so good!

And so I sit on the plane, trapped, but feeling pretty darn ok for 12 hours done, anxiously awaiting breakfast in an hour...frittata, yogurt, banana bread and fruit, good times!  Soon Legs and I will learn our Malay essential phrases over coffee and land in Hong Kong...and then on to Kuala Lumpur, another 4 hours in the air!  I would love to be able to tell you exactly where I am in the world, but the map is in Chinese!  It seems we have just passed Chita and are heading to Ulan Bator...

Off to another movie!

Hong Kong airport at 4am is so not exciting, could be so exciting if all of the shops would open, but no!  So instead we ate ramen noodles while waiting for starbucks and the shops to open!  Off to kill another 3 hours till the flight to KL!

ps. I just paid 37 Hong Kong dollars for a black coffee, which is like $6 Canadian, which was more expensive than Legs’ latte!!!