We're back!! It is always hard to figure out where the time goes over summer. This year things went by faster than usual. We were finished school on the 5th of June. We hung around KL for a bit after school ended enjoying the quiet time. While were in 'tax jail' we did manage to fit in two trips. The first was to Bali where we spent 6 days and confirmed our love for the place, pledging that it will be our 'winter retreat' once we retire. After a few days of packing up back in KL we headed off to the Perhentian Islands in north-east Malaysia. The Perhentian's are absolutely spectacular and we enjoyed the beach and the snorkeling that is second to none. After returning to Kuala Lumpur we spend a hurried few days moving out of our old condo, putting our belongings in storage, and packing up for our trip home.
We returned to Canada as soon as we could, which was July 2nd. The time home really was too short as we needed to return to work on July 30. We did enjoy touching base though with friends and, of course, seeing Cole, Alana, and Pedja as well as most of the rest of our families. Nelson is uniquely beautiful and going back confirmed it as our home.
We arrived back in KL on July 29. We got in about 3 in the afternoon and spend until the wee hours unpacking our things and moving into the new condo(see the view from new condo above). We started work the following day. We had two days of meetings which we were able to sleep through easily enough. On Saturday August 1st Maureen's sister Jan and her husband Len arrived for their month holiday in SE Asia. The next week was spent working during the day and touring around the country-side in the evening. We managed to pack in seeing the fireflies at Kuala Selangor, watching the sunset and the lights come on at Petronas Towers from the Skybar, and other things I can't even remember now. Jan and Len joined us at the big 'back to school bash' on the first Friday of school. They got to see how the MKIS family of teachers have fun together. We got up early the following morning, Saturday, and headed off to Malacca for the day. We got to show them around our favourite get away close to KL, a two hour drive away. We then saw Jan and Len off to Bali the next day.
Moe and Jan in front of one of the Chinese Nonya guild halls.We spent last week recouperating and settling into our jobs at school. I'm teaching Grade 5 again and have a great bunch of kids. Maureen is teaching Grade 9 PE and Health. She is much more comfortable in this position and enjoying the challenge of teaching a rather talented group of kids.
We spent this past weekend busy again. Last year Maureen had volunteered to look after a couple kids of some fellow teachers once a month and they took us up on the offer. They came home with us Friday after school and they kept us busy as only a 4 and 8 year could do. We did have a party in our condo complex to go to in the evening so we had to get a babysister for a while. Too funny!!! The next morning Maureen ditched me with the kids and took off for a climbing course at Camp 5. (Check it out at http://www.camp5.com) I did manage to equip myself with gear from MEC in Vancouver so I can climb there this year and Maureen did want to take a course to use as part of her PE program at school climbing wall and to also join me once in awhile at Camp 5. The kids were picked up in the early afternoon. I spent the rest of the day resting while Maureen managed the energy to head off to a wine tasting event with some other teachers in downtown KL.
Yahoo!!
Maureen at the bouldering part of Camp 5.I headed out to the airport late that evening to pick up Maureen's sister and husband. Their plane was delayed, of course, and we ended up not getting back home until about 2 am. We spent a lazy Sunday, had some friends over for dinner, and then saw them off again early in the morning as Jan and Len headed to the Perhentians.
Next Friday starts the first of many trips we have planned this year. We have taken our 'personal' day from school and are heading to Chiang Mai with Len and Jan for the weekend. We have also booked 4 days in Padang, West Sumatra in September, 10 days in Vietnam with Shirley Neil in October, and a long weekend in Siem Reap, Cambodia in November. Alana is joining us at Christmas time and depending on when she is able to get hereafter UBC exams. we will be off somewhere during this holiday
