Monday, Monday...

We're on vacation this week. Club Med Cherating. This week is all about rest, relaxation and rejuvenation for the body, mind and spirit.

I could also use a few positive thoughts. I've applied for a position I REALLY want! So if you could send some good juju my way, I'd totally appreciate it!

Will try to get a Fab 5 in on Friday! Looking like it might be full of the week's funnies...as they have been numerous.

I'll leave you with my view for the week...

Fab 5 Friday...

Why is it that the week before vacation just drags on and on and on? Neverending!! But, it's Friday...we made it...even with Blaine in Manila this week for work - we got to FRIDAY!

So...let's get to today's Fab 5 Friday!

1. Fun Fair. This past Sunday was the big Fun Fair at M'KIS. We decided to hit it early as we knew it was going to be a hot day, so we arrived right at 10 a.m. WOW! Awesome job to the PA team who worked on this event! My kids had a rockin' good time! Lots of kid appropriate activities, great selection of vendors, some yummy food...just a nice morning chatting with people.

 Lots of fun!

 



Cotton candy and the inflatable bull were big hits!

2. Laurie and Adam's Farewell Party. So we attended our first farewell party here in KL. Laurie and Adam are moving to France within the next couple of weeks. You know that this is part of the ex-pat life - people come and people go. You're always excited for the leaving family - onto a new adventure or perhaps returning home, but sad to see them leave. We'll have several of these parties coming in the next few months. It won't get any easier, but we're thankful for the friends we're making here and for the places across the globe that we can go and visit.

3. Travel plans. I've been busy making travel plans. I have this great fear that we'll be asked to move before I've seen everything I want to see here in this part of the world. So...we've booked Christmas in Phuket. I found a two bedroom apartment to rent, well actually, I found several. But, they kept getting snatched up before we could finalize booking. Finally, we got one booked! Anyways, since the kids know about Santa (or the lack there of), we're heading to Thailand on the 24th of December. The few presents they'll receive will be distributed ahead of time and away we'll go. It will be a different Christmas for sure, but fun! We've also booked another long weekend back in Penang in June. Since the kids and I are heading back to States before Blaine, we thought we'd spend some quality time with him before our departure. The kids loved the Hard Rock - so back we go. This did not hurt my feelings...yummy margaritas and a trip to my favourite tailor will be on the agenda. Last, but not least, we're working on a surprise trip for the boys in May. And this is totally a kids trip - LEGOLAND in Johor Bahru and Universal Studios in Singapore. The kids will be loving this trip! Hopefully, I can keep my mouth shut so it remains a surprise! I have a few more travel things to get booked for the fall and then 2014 will be pretty much booked travel wise!

4. Movie Night and Lunch Dates. So Blaine has been gone all week - which left me and the monkeys. Wednesday was their last day of school this week, so we kicked off vacation with movie and pizza night. "Turbo" and pizza from the new pizza place in Publika called The Cube. (I will say, we liked the pizza a lot! They were not stingy with the cheese - which I appreciated! #cheeseaholic And, they sent me home with a ton of menus - so if anyone wants one - just ask! Free delivery! And they were very nice when we stopped in!) Thursday, Grayson and I had a lunch date at Dome - his pick as he wanted a big, ol' strawberry milkshake. It was fun spending some one-on-one time with him. He asks some funny stuff. The kids have really been great this week...

Pizza and Movie Night

Dome Date

5. Kids Cooking Classes. So the kids signed up for cooking classes this week at BIG. Grayson took yesterday's class - all about baking. He made banana walnut bread, blueberry coconut mini cakes, and milky way brownies. And he did amazing. Loved every minute of it, worked well with his partner, Justin, and I had several moms tell me what a great kid he was - offering to help others and cleaning up and being a good listener. (I'm always happy to hear this as he has a tendency to be the naughtier of the two!) He even went and shared some of his baked goodies with the neighbors! Today, Caleb and Grayson are taking class. They are making spaghetti and meatballs (meatballs being made from scratch - I will say that I think Grayson thought that "scratch" was the main ingredient for meatballs until I explained that it meant "homemade") cauliflower tots (I didn't mention this was on the menu or they may have boycotted) and garlic bread. Of course, Christine and Mabel are here assisting - so the boys are in heaven.

Baking Class

Spaghetti and Meatballs Class

Tomorrow we leave for Club Med Cherating (here in Malaysia). I'm looking forward to a lounge chair with my name on it, several good books, sunshine, cocktails and my children going to the kids club - oh, was that my outloud voice on the last one! Caleb's classmate, Jad, arrives there on Monday - so the kids are psyched to have another friend coming! It should be a stress-free, relaxing week! Enjoy your weekend everyone!

86 Days...

Yes, that's how many days until we get on a plane and head back to the States.

Today I am feeling homesick. I haven't had a day like this since back in August when we first arrived. (And today's feeling of homesickness is not nearly as bad as that day in August.) But, this longing for home has been sneaking up on me...ever since we booked our flights home for the summer. I can't wait to see my family and friends, go shopping in my favourite stores, eat at some of our favourite restaurants, spend some time looking out at the lake and reading a book in cooler weather.

And, by later this afternoon or tomorrow this feeling will subside. I have lots to look forward to in the upcoming weeks and months until we get on the plane - vacations, evenings out with friends, a certain little boy's 8th birthday, coffee after morning WODs with the Crossfit crew, lunches with girlfriends, PA work...certainly enough to keep me busy and not occupied with the thought of going home. I know how to cope with this...I just need to choose to do it.

For today, I will remember this:

And today my heart is being shared between Kuala Lumpur and Queensbury, New York. Tomorrow it will probably be right back here in Malaysia...

Defensive Driving...

Defensive driving is defined as driving to save lives, time and money in spite of the conditions of where you are and the action of those around you. It is the reasonable and responsible operation of an automobile, anticipation of potential problems and actions of other drivers to lower the likelihood of accidents.

Here in Kuala Lumpur defensive driving must be practiced to the max! Lane drifting, poor merging, no use of blinkers, the cutting of four lanes to get to the off ramp and the running of red lights are more the usual than the unusual.

Now, I wish I could say that I handle driving in Malaysia with patience and calm. But, alas, that is not the case. Behind the wheel I've become a raving lunatic. If you thought I dropped a lot of "F-bombs" before - you should get in a car with me here. The lane drifters and those that try to creep up when they should've merged about a mile back are the ones that drive me ape-shit crazy. The other day I honked and screamed at a lane drifter for a good thirty seconds - even though he had no clue that I was doing so. And, even if he had seen my rage, he would've had no idea what he'd done.

And then there's this:

 

This is SOOOOOOO common here. And, in the States, I was always nice and would let at least one person in when this occurred. Now...NO FREAKING WAY! I ride the bumper of the car in front of me like it's my job! My MyVi is just mere millimetres away from rear bumper and you can be damn sure that this woman isn't letting you in. I've become so spiteful.

 

Now, there are some things that I have adopted here...mainly out of necessity. I've been known to run the occasional red light - especially the light in front of Publika as you are turning into our neighbourhood. As long as the cops aren't hanging out at the guard house picking up their bribes - I run it. (And yes, we saw two police officers come to Duta Tropika the other night and receive a nice envelope from our guards...and while I can't say for sure it was a bribe, in this land of police corruption, I'm going to wager a bet that they were being paid off for something.)

And, a few weeks back my youngest child yelled from the back seat, "Mom! You are driving like a Malaysian!" This was as I cut 3 lanes to get to the off ramp to keep up with the speeding bus that was carrying my oldest to his track meet. Not my proudest moment, but we got to the track meet - on time - and no one was hurt. (I will add, that Grayson also said his dad drives like this "all the time." You see, Blaine was known to drive like a Malaysian back in the States - we just didn't know how to describe his style of driving until we came here.)

So there you have it! If you come visit us in Malaysia I want you to be prepared...either for your own driving around town or my excessive use of the "F" word if you let me chauffeur you. Traffic is crazy, driving is always an adventure and I would totally appreciate you screaming a few obscenities if you're in the car with me!

Fab 5 Friday...

Oh...another week has come to an end! It started rough, but has finished splendidly! Looking forward to a great weekend, but here's a few highlights from the week.

Fab 5 Friday
1. Lunch Date with Caleb and Blaine. Grayson had a birthday party last Sunday...so I was able to have a lunch date with Caleb and Blaine. It's really important to spend time with the kids one-on-one, so this just worked out great! We dropped Grayson off at Laser Tag and grabbed a bite at Fresca. I have to say - pretty decent Mexican/Tex-Mex - and really good raspberry margaritas. (You all know - that's the most important way to judge a Mexican restaurant.) And, you've just got to love a little conversation with the oldest of the little dudes. I find him to be so thoughtful and funny - in a quiet way.

Fresca Date

Grayson will have his chance at some Mommy time this upcoming week when Caleb heads to a goodbye party for a friend at Kidzania.

2. Swimming and Crossfit. So my back hit a major rough spot last week - and decided it wasn't going to right itself until late this week. Which meant drugs, rest, and swimming. Yeah, I'm actually thankful for the swimming...it kept me sane. Plus, we're only a few weeks out from Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya...so it was good to have my ass in the pool. But, yesterday I was able to head back to Crossfit - which was good for my soul. While we had to modify the WOD for me (no deadlifts yet!) - I was never so happy to do burpees and ride the freakin' Airdyne. I missed working out with my friends at the box and was just happy to complete the 15 minutes of torture. (Plus, a PR on shoulder press didn't feel too bad!)

3. Winning Tickets to the Premiere of Divergent. Yup, I won tickets last week through the magazine Expatriate Lifestyle to the premiere of Divergent! Score! So a girls night out for me and Mabel!

 

And the movie wasn't too bad either. I'd say it did the book justice...

4. Good Report Cards and Conferences. The kids received their report cards and we had parent-teacher conferences this week. They rocked it! Great report cards and their teacher had nice things to say at conferences. I totally love both of their teachers...they are exactly what each child needs. Caleb's teacher is able to see how sensitive he is and totally knows how to work with him. Grayson's teacher treats him as if he's one of her own and doesn't let him get away with anything - YAY!

5. My Little Blogger. So Caleb's class is blogging - and Caleb seems to really love it! The other night he came home and worked on a new blog post for school all on his own - adding pictures and letting me read it when he was done. He thrives on receiving the comments...they totally make his day! I hope that this might be a way to keep him engaged in reading and writing as he is definitely a math/science dominant child. Time will tell. I've told him that once his Quadblogging project is done at school that he could guest blog for me when he wanted!

Yup, he's blogging about his Saturday. That blog was about Cinnamon Toast Crunch, soccer and baseball...the life of a 9 year old.

All right! There you have it! I hope life is treating you well! How are my Iowa friends doing? Is the snow gone yet? (I'm kinda glad I missed the winter this year after seeing all of your Facebook posts!)

Malaysia In The News...

If you weren't friends with me or a reader of my blog, chances are you have given very little (if any) thought at all to Malaysia prior to the disappearance of MH370. Malaysia!? Where the hell is that?And then, BOOM! Malaysia is everywhere in the news! And guess what?! It has not been portrayed in the most flattering of ways. The government has come off as inept, incompetent, confused, lacking in transparency...and I'm not denying that any of these things are true. I've watched the press conferences and cringed at the inconsistencies. But, Malaysia is not a first world country. It's not the United States, Canada, Great Britain...it's not a superpower. (And let's be honest, do we really believe that those countries are transparent and forthcoming all of the time?! I believe they've just had a lot more practice of telling us what we want/need to know.) Malaysia is also not a third world country - it's not Sudan, Rwanda, or Zambia. It is a developing country. A country learning. A country growing.The government has surely made mistakes with this investigation and being put on the world stage has not helped. This was something they were not ready for - and who would be ready for something as bizarre and inconceivable as the disappearance of a Boeing777?

But, on a personal level, the fate of MH370 and all of the passengers has truly touched the people of this country. Every place you go there are huge memorial walls where people can post notes/words about MH370. People want to know what happened. They don't agree with how their government has acted. They are angry at the confusion. But, they still love their country. A friend posted this to her Facebook wall:

So, let's hope that answers come soon. Let's hope that Malaysia accepts any and all help offered to them from countries who are able to provide assistance. Let's hope that the Malaysian government learns and grows from this. Let's hope that the family and friends of those 239 passengers and crew obtain some sense of closure. Continue to pray for MH370.

Fab 5 Friday...

This has been a week of ups and downs for sure, but I'm going to end the week on a positive note!!! It's time for Fab 5 Friday...a list of five little things that made me happy this week!

FAB 5 FRIDAY

1. Harimau Baseball Tournament. Once again, the KL All-Stars put their hearts and souls into playing some ball this past weekend. Unfortunately, they came up short. We were hoping for a win against the India National Team (Come on! They play cricket there for God's sake! And, it was readily apparent they played cricket when you watched them pitch and bat!) But, we couldn't pull it off. (And yes, it didn't help that their pitcher was a tall, lanky kid with a full mustache throwing some heat! I knew I should've asked for a passport check! 12 years old my ass!) But, our kiddos played some good ball and their coach remarked on how young our team is...yeah, we have one 12-year old.

 

So our official season is done. Caleb has me scouting the internet to find him ball camps this summer and I think I've found a coach for some one-on-one instruction. Little dude wants to be a pitcher - and we certainly could use some pitchers on the team. I think at 9 years old he's found his passion...

2. Small Reminders of Home. So I love when something small from home just brings a smile to your face. This week, it was this glass:

 

I went to reach for a wine glass this week (I know...you're all shocked by this!) and this one was just staring at me! So thank you Brenda and Brianne for this fabulous prezzie!! Just know it's being put to good use!

 

3. Michelangelo's. We often get stuck in a rut when we go out to dinner...it's just so easy to walk across the street to Publika and dine there. But, Blaine suggested we try Michelangelo's last Friday night...which is just over in Solaris (really - it's like 3 minutes away). And, it was really good and the service was excellent. But, what's even better is dining with Mini Food Critic #1 and Mini Food Critic #2. They were sure to dissect the meal and service, try everyone's dishes, then proceed to decide who's was the best and why, and then finally, give their rating along with a notation as to whether we could come back or not.

 

Michelangelo's, you'll be glad to know that they both gave you high marks and we can go back.

 

4. Cooking Class. It was all about desserts today! Banana pudding with homemade nilla wafers, whoopie pies, and cannolis! YUMMO! It was also Mabel's first time teaching a cooking class and she did fabulous!!!

 

Whoopie Pies

Cannolis

Banana Pudding in the making with Mabel

 

5. New Bloggers. I've just got to give another shoutout to the new 3rd grade bloggers at M'KIS. I know that Caleb has just been over the moon when he receives a comment on his blog and I'm sure the other children feel the same way. And thanks to those who have responded or attempted to respond (I'm not sure what the tech issue is!) - it's SOOOOOOOOOOOOO appreciated!!!

 

3rd Grade Bloggers

 

All right! That's all I've got!! Let me know how your week is going...and yes, I promise a blog update on MH370 where I'll answer all of your questions, especially as to whether I really believe the Malaysian government is as inept as they appear on television.

 



Working With Some New Bloggers...

Caleb's class has started a project recently called "Quadblogging." They are teamed up with three other schools around the world. For three weeks they are the readers and commenters on the blog posts and, for one week, they are the primary writers and contributors to the blog. I think this is a SUPER COOL project! What a great way to work on your writing skills, have a built-in audience that will respond to your writing, and learn about different parts of the world through this awesome interaction. You can read more about the Quadblogging project here.

Now, Caleb knows that I blog regularly so he asked me to send his teacher, Mr. G, a link to my blog - which I gladly did, along with a note saying I would be happy to come in and help when the kids started their blogs. (Yeah...I can only stay away from the classroom so long and then I need to teach and be with kids.) So, today he took me up on my offer.

The kids were fantastic. I explained why I started my blog - as a means of sharing our Malaysian adventure with family and friends. I talked a little about what I blog about: where we travel, things I do, Caleb and Grayson, my Fab 5 Fridays, things we find funny and amusing (or not so funny and amusing) about living here in Malaysia - just about our everyday life. One girl asked me which blog post was my favourite and why. It was definitely the one about being homesick/grumpy here in Malaysia at the beginning of August. I explained that lots of people responded to that blog with kind words and made me see that my feelings were normal. The fact that someone had read my blog was enough to make me feel better. We also talked about internet safety and then we got into the heart of their project - What were they going to blog about?

Mr. G and his 3rd grade class

 

In pairs, they each came up with three topics related to school that could be possible blogs. Next, they were to work in their writing notebooks to come up with a few sentences to start their blog topics. We talked about grabbing the audience's attention, creative titles and asking questions in blog posts so that readers will respond. I explained that even I keep a running list of possible topics - and while mine isn't in a notebook, I keep it in my phone!

 

The kids working on their topics and a screen shot of my blog topics for this week

 

Starting a blog post is hard for everyone - adults and third graders alike. What am I going to say? Does this sound silly? Will anyone read it? Is it going to grab their attention? I think about these things every time I blog...and these 3rd graders were having the same problems getting started. But, once they got going - there was some AMAZING writing going on! One girl was going to write about Pirates! The Musical that is going on at school and her opening line was: Yo, ho, ho! (That's  some good stuff!) There were lots of posts about P.E. - because everyone loves P.E.! Silas wrote about playing badminton with some friends - and it was awesome! You wanted to know more about his match against his friends. And the kids definitely learned to ask their readers questions - because that's how they KNOW someone will respond to their blog post. Do you play floor hockey at your school? Do you like blogging? Can you come up with the sum for this math problem? Those are just a few of the things that the kids wanted responses to!

 

The class uses Blogger/BlogSpot just like me...so it was easy to work with them.

 

Hard at work on the Chromebooks

 

Most of the class had a good start on their first blog post. And I can't wait to read them all and see how the other schools respond! Hopefully, I can come back and help them finish their posts in the near future!

 



 Me and Mr. G's Third Grade Bloggers

 

Good luck bloggers! Keep writing! Ask questions! Share details! Let me know if you need anymore help!

 

 

 



MH370

Yesterday morning was like most mornings for us. We all got up and got moving - and as is typical on a Saturday, we headed out for a kid's sporting event. Baseball was the game this weekend. As I sat down to watch the first game, my phone started going crazy. Several emails, many Facebook messages, a text or two. All of them asking about MH370...were we in KL and not traveling...did we know what had happened...were our friends all safe and sound. (Thank you for all of your concern!)  I'll be honest, I had not turned on the news or even glanced at Facebook before leaving for the tournament...so I had to do a quick scan of the news to get caught up. Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 was missing. This is a red-eye flight to Beijing, China and while we've never been to China, many of our friends have taken this flight...thankfully, not on Friday evening. We are all safe and sound in Kuala Lumpur.

The news is tragic and really brings a large, large world closer together. There is lots of speculation, lots of questions, lots of people holding out hope, lots of people shedding tears. Hopefully, answers will come soon. Until those answers come...

Fab Five Friday...

After what has seemed like an interminably long week, we have finally made it to Friday. Give it up for Friday, folks.

The week had a ton of good stuff...tons! Lots of it I've already blogged about, but I'll try to hit a few of the things I missed today...some big, some little, all just made me happy.

FAB 5 FRIDAY

1. Fountain Diet Coke. Ah, yes. We all know how much I love a fountain diet coke. I prefer it in the extra ginormous size...40 ounces or larger...which is impossible to find here in Malaysia. BUT, a Circle K opened in Publika, and, while it does not carry the extra huge size, I can now walk across the street and purchase a beautiful 20 ounces of fountain Coke Light.

Polar Pop - My new friend!

 

Now, please take a look at the photo. You will notice that the Circle K is located DIRECTLY next door to the 7-Eleven. I'm not sure who the genius was that thought putting two convenience stores right next to each other was a smart business decision, but they should be fired! When I asked my Malaysian friends about this, the response was "Welcome to Malaysia." Yes, I guess it is for reasons such as this that we were given an ex-pat assignment here in KL. (Please note: The 7-Eleven does not have a fountain soda machine so Circle K will receive my business. Maybe that was how Circle K thought they would conquer the market here at Publika. We'll see if this business strategy of theirs works for them or if within a few months I'm back to searching high and low for a fountain drink.)

 

2. Mike's Birthday Party. I had the pleasure of attending Mike's 40th birthday party last weekend (planned by the always wonderful, Brandie). Very fun night! Lots of good conversation...with some hilarious stories of searching for houses in Oklahoma when one's English is not so great and meeting a new school teacher and cursing up a storm. Great food and drink...just a relaxing evening out.

 

The Birthday Boy and his lovely wife

 

3. Trip Booked to Siem Reap. So we were going to head to Hong Kong and Cambodia during fall break, but many people have warned us that October is the rainy season and we should probably avoid Cambodia during that time. So, we jumped on the bandwagon and we're heading to Siem Reap in early December. Lots of folks we know are heading there for the Angkor Wat 1/2 marathon, 10K and Family 3K. We're going to pull the kiddos from school for a few days (yeah, yeah...I know...shouldn't do it, but they miss very little school and they're young and they're smart and we're doing it.) So we'll head to Cambodia to see the temples and we'll all do the family 3K - even Grayson who, when asked if he would like to do it, said, "I guess I have to since you're all doing it." Yup, that's the spirit young man! Love the enthusiasm. (Insert sarcasm emoticon here.)

 

Cambodia in December - Staying at The Golden Temple Hotel

 

4. Birthday Flowers. I received a combo of my favourite flowers this week - roses and calla lilies. So pretty...

 

So beautiful.

 

5. Coffee. Coffee should always be on my Fab 5 list. I Just read an article that by 2050 some of my favourite foods could be ruined by global warming...and coffee was on the list! Yikes! By then I'll be 80 - maybe I won't like coffee by then...or maybe I'll be too old and senile to care! Let's hope that's the case or my beloved coffee is ruined.

 

What would my mornings be without you, dear coffee?







So, another edition of Fab 5 Friday has come to an end. Hope your week was wonderful! Thanks again for all the birthday wishes!!

Birthday Spanning Many Time Zones...

You've got to love celebrating your birthday when you're in one time zone and lots of your friends and family are scattered in various other time zones around the world. It's like your birthday lasts for almost 48 hours! The happy birthday wishes and kind words just kept coming via Facebook - so thank you!

I spent my birthday doing exactly what I wanted (minus a workout at Crossfit due to my friggin' back!). I got up and had coffee at SF Coffee while I emailed a few friends. I was so surprised to look at the Google homepage and see that the Google Doodle was in honor of my birthday!! How flippin' cool!?!?

Sorry for the camera shot, but you can see how if you roll your mouse over the doodle, it says "Happy Birthday Robin!"

Then, it was off to cooking class at B.I.G. - where I was greeted with a most beautiful and delicious cake, made by my dear friend, Mabel. Several of my friends joined me in Mexican cooking class today - Susan, Shannon, Larissa, Donna and Andrea - along with the always wonderful instructor, Christine! And we made some rockin' Mexican food! Jalapeno poppers with jicama slaw, crème catalane (which is like a cheater's crème brulee), steaks tacos with chimichurri and pico de gallo, and Christine demo'd a chicken mole!

Mabel - who baked the most FABULOUS cake! Chocolate and Salted Caramel - Need I say more?

 

Yummy!

 

Oh...we cooked!

 

The cooking group

 

Then, I received a text that Jeffri, the bakery manager at B.I.G. had a little something for me...so I stopped by to see him and he had this:

 

Um...YUM!

 

For dinner, my three "boys" took me out for steak! I've been craving red meat like a crazy woman - so we decided to try "Beast" which is located at The Intermark. While quite a few items were not available on their menu (including Lobster Mac & Cheese - insert sad face here), I have to say we totally enjoyed the meal. We had great wait staff and the kids were hilarious in their critique of the meal.

 

Beast at The Intermark





French Onion Soup, Strongbow, and grilled bread (which my little carb addicts scarfed up in no time)

 

All the yumminess we consumed! We should be ashamed!

(But, it was DELICIOUS!)

 

Now, when you're friends with Mabel, she just seems to make sure your night is special. She called Beast and made sure that they knew we were celebrating not only my birthday, but Blaine's also. (His was March 1st.) So, lo and behold, we had singing and chocolate truffles delivered to the table. (I do believe there is a cut-off age for singing at the table, but it was very sweet!)

 

Candles and everything! (Thank goodness it wasn't a candle for every year!)

 

 

So, all I can say is THANK YOU! Thank you for birthday wishes and a day spent doing what I love!

 

Water and Haze...

Water returns today at 4 p.m.!!! Woohoo! It looks like if we are really careful with our water, we can make it the 55 hours with what's in our tank. We're all showered and teeth are brushed and we're no worse for the wear. And in my effort to conserve water, I haven't been cooking. (Just doing my part - saving water and supporting the local economy.)Tonight I will start laundry as soon as I can and we'll finish it up tomorrow in preparation for it being turned off on Thursday morning again. If you ever thought that ex-pat life was all glamour and fun, think again.

To add to the fun, the haze has rolled back into Kuala Lumpur. Indonesia is once again burning land/forests in preparation for expanding their palm oil fields. Air quality in parts of Malaysia has now reached unhealthy levels, although we're still in the "moderate" level here in KL. You can read about it here. People are advising us to buy air masks, etc. but I just can't bring myself to do it. (I've been known to mock those people wearing the masks. And yes, that was prior to me living here. And yes, I know people have respiratory issues that require the mask.  And yes, I'm sure I'll go to hell for making fun! And yes, I'm sure I'll be changing my tune soon enough if the haze continues.)

Well, as I type, I've received a notice that we've now moved into the "unhealthy" air quality territory. Here's the letter we just received from school:

 

Dear Parents and Community,

 

In light of our recent "Haze" conditions, I wanted to remind all of us of our  contingency plan that we do have in place with regards to "Haze" and the safety and welfare of our students.  Please be reminded that today is a "Yellow" flag day with the API Index this morning at 6:00 am reading at 110.  We will continue to monitor throughout the day.

 

M’KIS Response to “the Haze”

 

The air quality in Malaysia is described in terms of Air Pollutant Index (API).  The API system employed in Malaysia closely follows the Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA).  During “Haze” conditions, we monitor the Air Pollutant Index at least twice a day and update our daily regimen, as required, based on the monitoring process.

 

The Air Pollutant Index scale and terms used in describing the air quality levels are as follows:

 

API Scale                   Air Quality

0-50                             Good

51-100                       Moderate

101-200                     Unhealthy

201-300                     Very Unhealthy

301 and above          Hazardous

 

Based on the API, a Haze Contingency Plan is in place at M’KIS, is a designed plan to govern student activity, for that particular day, based on the demonstrated API level.

 

API 101-200-Limited Activity Day-Yellow Flag

·      Limitations are placed on the vigorous exertion expected of children

·      A yellow flag is placed at the entrance of the school 

API 201-300-No Activity Day-Red Flag

·      Students are not engaged in outdoor activities
·      A red flag is placed at the entrance o f the school to designate a No Activity Day

Unless and until the Malaysian Ministry of Education or other relevant Ministry determines otherwise, it is anticipated that the school will NOT close as a result of API readings.  Since school will remain open (unless there is a mandated closure by the Malaysian Ministry of Education or other relevant Ministry), parents must make their own determination as to the safety of the environment for their children.

 

Our intent is to monitor and act accordingly so as to create a balance between health/safety and the delivery of the ongoing-academic program of the school.  Please note that such monitoring may lead to a decision to change the designation of the day (Limited Activity; No Activity) as atmospheric conditions evolve.

 

If you have further questions or question, please do not hesitate to contact your Principal. 

Okay...I guess I'm off to the hardware store to buy some masks! (Try not to laugh too hard at me!)

Water rationing...

It hasn't really rained here in Kuala Lumpur in weeks...probably months. I know it's been at least since before Christmas. The reservoirs have reached a critical low and Friday night we were informed about the newest water rationing initiative. For the month of March we will have two days where water is turned on and two days where water is turned off.

The note from our property management group

Now, it's not exactly two days. You have 41 hours with water and 55 hours without water. So our water is being turned off in 30 minutes and I won't have it back until 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Now, is this really a super hardship? No. Is it a pain in the ass? Yes. Can we do our part to help? Sure! Do we need to do some adjusting? Yes. (But, not as much as some of the people who live in our neighbourhood. I'll get to them in a minute.)

I've explained to the kids about short showers and making sure they turn off the water while brushing their teeth. We've talked about using paper plates and cups temporarily since we hand wash our dishes. (Yeah...all you people who want to harp on me about how paper plates are wasteful and bad for the environment can just save it right now. Trust me, the water shortage is bad for the environment.) Last night I explained to Elizabeth that we would not be washing clothes until Wednesday morning this week and that she would have to stop watering the outside plants. (I think this just about broke her heart as she loves the plants. I won't be surprised if she gives them some water on the days when it's turned on and I'm not looking.) We'll definitely be doing our part to help conserve. (I "practiced" taking a short shower last night and this morning. I will admit this is going to be a struggle.)

Now, as for some of my neighbors - and I'll be honest - most of the guilty parties I don't know by name - but, please stop having your help (driver or maid or whoever) wash your cars! There are people in our neighbourhood who have their help wash their cars EVERY day! CRAZY!!! I think I've washed my car once since we moved here. My friend Shannon said she went and asked a driver in her part of the neighbourhood to stop washing a car yesterday due to the water shortage. (GO SHANNON! Her kids were pretty sure he was going to continue washing it after they left, but at least she tried.) Like I said on one of my Facebook groups, I don't want to see someone who has a car cleaner than I am for the month of March. (Some condos and neighborhoods have stated that there is to be no car washing, our neighbourhood did not take it that far. I wish they had.)

So...we're buckling down. I would not recommend this as the ideal time to come visit me in Kuala Lumpur. Water rationing is not fun in a city where the daily temperature is in the 90's. There's nothing more relaxing than a long, cool shower...which won't be happening.

But, this is my motto for the month of March:

And no, I don't mix my vodka with water...I'm a pineapple/orange juice kind of girl!