Weeks three and four in Sunny Malaysia

Monday 22^nd July 2013

What an exciting day today was I got up and went to the gym absolutely killing my legs in the progress. At school I got three new students one of them I had to put straight into the remedial class as he didn’t speak a word of English. When I asked what his name was he just repeated the question back to me. The other two are both Japanese brothers here on their school holidays their written work is outstanding but their speaking is horrendous. After school I spent the evening writing grammar tests the students need a few trail runs before the exams next week. Its only Monday but I’m already shattered so after a brief spell of yoga it’s time for bed.

Tuesday 23^rd July 2013

Today was even more exciting than yesterday after school I spent the entire evening doing prep for the next few days and then hit the hay early leaving Ayla up doing lesson plans

Wednesday 24^th July 2013

Just when you thought this week couldn’t get any more exciting… well actually it was a bit. School was much the same but afterwards we met up with Hana, Nicola and Rachel and some students and headed out to get some dinner apart from having a chicken kebab waved in my face for about 20mins (“Teacher teacher eat the chicken, chickens are vegetarians why don’t you eat them?” ummmm I’m fairly certain almost all of the meat we consume is vegetarian it doesn’t mean it’s not meat…)

Thursday 25^th July 2013

This morning I had a PT session at 6.30am it was 90mins of me getting my arse well and truly handed to me on a plate! Thankfully it ended with a long stretch and some trigger pointing which left me ready and able to face the world! After work I did all my prep for Monday as well as writing all my exams for next week so I could spend the entire long weekend chilling out.

Friday 26^th July 2013

Today was a public holiday so what did I do? Got up early and hit the gym of course although I didn’t do much just went for an easy 5km run and then had a stretch (I’m still overjoyed at being able to touch my toes for the first time ever!) when I got home I went and lay by the pool for most of the day soaking up some much needed vitamin D. around 3.30pm we left to go meet Rachel and Nicola and get the bus to Penang. We got to the bus station and I had a panic I had forgotten my passport so wasn’t sure if I would be able to check into the hotel. Luckily I could buy some pay as you go internet for my phone and check to see if I had a copy on my email I did which was a relief and then I had free internet until midnight so spent the bus journey chatting to people on fb. We arrived in Penang around 10pm and got a taxi to Batu Ferrengi which was the part of town we were staying in right by the beach. We were staying in an apartment which was pretty cool. By the time we had got ourselves sorted and out the door it was already around midnight, luckily this country loves a good night market and so we trotted off in search of food (because who doesn’t want to eat curry and naan bread right before bed? Especially the best Indian since leaving India…) back at the apartment it was about 2am before we crawled into bed.

Saturday 27^th July 2013

We got up about 9am ready for a day sat on the beach. We got ourselves ready and out the door in search of breakfast when the sky started to cloud over next thing you know we are running off the beach for shelter from the driving rain (which also forced a couple to abandon their wedding photos) we took shelter in a nearby hotel bar and had milkshakes to try and fill the hole in our bellies. We passed the time with a thrilling game of scrabble (after all we were all teachers…) eventually the rain stopped and we headed out found some real food and then found a sunny spot on the beach thankfully the rain had passed and so we spent the day in glorious sunshine (a floating fanny pad stopped me actually swimming though…) the only time we left the sun was to get a good old foot rub then it was bake to baking ourselves. Around 4pm we headed back to the apartment to get changed and then we hit up the local Tesco travelling there by bus. We got some dinner at the shopping complex and picked up booze and munchies for the house, back at the apartment we showered got dressed boozed and at. Around 10pm we headed off to get the bus into Penang city although we didn’t make it as far as the bus stop a friendly Indian man offered to drive us there in his (white) van for 10RM so of course we jumped in. Me and Ayla sang him Jaya Ganesha much to his delight; he then delighted us with some banging Bollywood tunes. When we arrived in town we hit up the closet bar for a toilet break and then we went in search of somewhere happening. We found a club that did cheap bottles for the youngens so Rachel bought it and we started to drink… turns out that unlike in KL here you have to buy your own mixer so Rachel and Ayla left to smuggle something from seven11 in whilst Nicola and I held the fort. Hey took too long though so we got some Pepsi and resumed the drinkage. When they came back we downed the bottle and went in search of somewhere with a little more excitement which is how we ended up in slippery nips..I mean slippery senoritas. We danced the night away and ended it with a trip to maccy Ds just in time for a fillet o fish before they flipped the signs over to the breakfast menu.

Sunday 28^th July 2013

I got up about 10am and got myself sorted for the day we needed to check out by 12pm I was soon ready to head but the others weren’t so I watched some TV until Mr Warren the apartment man came and collected the keys etc. we were all feeling a little fragile and in need of food so were thankful when we stumbled across a delight filled little restaurant selling almost everything under the sun. We gorged ourselves and then headed for the bus back to Georgetown where we would pick up the coach back to KL. We made it with moments to spare but the bus was late anyway so we were all good. We sat down and headed off to sleepy land. We woke up sometime after dark when the bus pulled into a rest stop we were having a half hour break so we trooped into Dunkin doughnuts and ate doughnuts. Back in KL we wanted to get off the bus early as it was closer to home the driver made us pay extra to get off sooner which seemed like dodgy logic especially when he pocketed the money but we were to beat to care. We found a taxi and headed home. When we got there I discovered we had been signed up for a part in our flatmate Sidney’s latest flick (he’s a director) a public service announcement about addiction. Thankfully it didn’t take too long and was quite fun. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was asleep.

Monday 29^th July 2013

It was hard to wake up this morning but I pulled myself out of bed and into the gym. After school I went to the supermarket and filled my cupboard with food. Then I sat about all evening did some yoga and went to bed.

Tuesday 30^th July 2013

Today was the last day of exam prep before exams start tomorrow, the students were all really nervous and quiet which made a nice change. I already know exactly who will fail and who will pass. This afternoon I had nothing to prepare so sat in the sun by the pool eating chocolate. I finished the day with about 40mins of yoga and then fell into bed.

Wednesday 31^st July 2013

The students only had one lesson today and it was just used as study time. By the time 10.30am rolled round and they were filing into their first exam I thought there might be some nervous tears. My students all had writing and speaking today. Some of the students left the exam after only 15mins so I started grading papers as I supervised. Despite having marked all my papers we had to sit about at school until 4pm after school we had a wonder about the shops and then swam and did some yoga.

Thursday 1^st August 2013

Today was full of exams my students had listening and grammar and then reading after that they could go home but I had to stay to do the speaking exams of the higher levels. After all the exams were done we still had to stay until 4pm but there was a lot of paper work to get through. I finished mine by about 2pm so sat and drew a complex maze that looked like a brain. After school we went to SS2 mall and had dinner at an organic veg place last time we went there it was a hit but today it was a huge whopping great miss I had pesto spaghetti which I think was pureed pees with spaghetti… at home I caught up on some writing and emails before yoga and an early night.

Friday 2^nd August 2013

This morning was devastating I finished at the gym and got to work but there was no water to make my porridge I spent the entire morning whinging about how hungry I was. All the teachers sat in one room and the students came in any time between 8.30am and 11am to pick up their results. Surprisingly most came closer to 11am and a lot didn’t show up at all which means they have to wait until Monday to find out if they passed or failed. We had to stay at school until 12pm then we were free for the weekend. Lane bought in his snake so I chilled out with him for a while well we sat about. Back at home I did all my washing cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen and then did my lesson plans for Monday before heading into KL central to get my haircut I stopped in little India on the way and got my eyebrows threaded. I went back to Toni and Guy and Ewern cut my hair (the girl who did Aylas last time) it took a while but the end result was brilliant and I spent the entire time playing with her pet sugar glider (a popular pet here in Malaysia they are tiny Australian marsupials) it took forever to get back to Tropicana in rush hour and then even longer to get a taxi but finally I made it. I met up with Ayla and we headed to the cinema sneaking in a feast with us.

Saturday 3^rd August 2013

Happy four months on the road! It has now been four months since we left jolly old England and who knows how long until we return! We have already been in Malaysia for a month! This morning I got up and did a long slow yoga session and the re-cleaned the kitchen I cleaned yesterday then showered and dressed I headed to the mall and got some food and a couple of books. Back at home I had lunch and then spent the afternoon reading by the pool. About 4.30pm I headed in and showered and got dressed we were meeting up with Nicola and Rachel but at the last minute Ayla decided to stay at home. I headed out and we had a long dinner followed by some shopping and another trip to the cinema. We saw the conjuring which was freaking scary but funny as I was sitting between Rachel and Khai and they were both shitting their pants! Thankfully afterwards Khai drove me home I wasn’t really keen on taxiing by myself! Ayla was already asleep and it was quite late so I headed to bed.

Sunday 4^th August 2013

I got up at 6am this morning to go for a hike with our flatmate Emily and her mate. It took about 10mins to drive to the hiking spot and then about an hour to go around the trail. We had only just started when we lost Emily her mate said this was normal and that she would take an easier track and meet us at the end. It was quite intense with a lot on uphills and barely any downhills but I managed to just about keep up with Emily’s mate who was storming through. We got home around 8.30am and after a quick munch I headed to the pool. I spent the day in and out of the water and reading and baking. About 5.30pm we headed to Tropicana for an early dinner and some cheesecake which topped the weekend off nicely.