Christmas in KL - December 26, 2007

For us, Christmas in Malaysia was obviously very different. For example, we swam in the outdoor pool here at our condo most every day. And, our artificial Christmas tree (on a table & all of 2' high) didn't exactly hold a candle to some of the 10' Noble firs we've had at our place in Keizer in the past.


Prior to Tracy and Reeve flying to Ohio, we had a "Christmas dinner" at our house on Dec. 9th and then celebrated Gabi's birthday one day late on the 11th since it was a school holiday - the Sultan's birthday. On the evening of the 14th -- the last day of school for Nancy -- we took Levi & Ramona to a Christmas concert in the beautiful KLCC concert hall, featuring a children's choir and the KL Philharmonic Orchestra.
From the pictures one can quickly discern that Christmas decorations, even in a Muslim country, are very much in order, especially if they encourage holiday shopping!

We celebrated Christmas with Levi & Ramona, Doug, Gabi and Rania here at our place on Christmas eve, and then went up to Doug's on Christmas morning to cook pancakes and bring Christmas dinner. It was great to have Levi and Ramona with us for the holidays.

Ramona invested much love and attention on the girls, becoming Gabi's favorite "playmate" for imaginary dramas about "horsies," Lego structures, stuffed animals and toy cars. Weeks earlier I had bought Gabi a white stuffed animal (a cat that she named Samantha) when we visited the KL aquarium. However, when Rania got a stuffed animal for Christmas (a cat that got the name "Tiger"), Gabi not only quickly decided that she preferred Tiger to Samantha, but also assured us that 1 1/2 year-old Rania was more than willing to trade. (How she knew that remains a mystery.)



Ron and Nancy's present from Doug and Tracy (pix at the top of this posting) was only one of the much-appreciated gifts that were exchanged. We obviously greatly missed Stateside members of the family, but were encouraged by frequent "visual-and-audio contacts" on our computer with Tasha and Mark, Marta, Daniel, Eli and Micah by means of Skype. - rw

Pre-Christmas Trip, Georgetown Dec. 16-20

When Levi & Ramona Willits told us they were coming to visit us in Malaysia, they said, "Feel free to book some hotels, and we'll pay!" So, when Nancy asked someone at ISKL where she should take her father in Penang, the reply was, "By all means: the Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Georgetown!" So, we booked it in advance and spent four wonderful nights there with Levi & Ramona, Doug, Gabi and Rania.



The "E&O," built in 1884 and completely refurbished and re-opened in 2001, is recommended by The Lonely Planet as "our pick." They say, "Undoubtedly Penang's grandest hotel ... The spacious suites are elegantly furnished in colonial style ... The pith-helmeted, short-trousered porters may be a touch over the top, though." Anyway, we loved it! Elegant buffet breakfasts were included, and each room had a "butler call button" with the promise that at any hour day or night our needs would be responded-to. The pool was delightful, and the hotel was within easy walking distance of many of the sites we explored in Georgetown.





We did drive to see the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia (Kek Lok Si Temple) and spent some time at a north coast beach so that the girls could at least get their feet in the water (a drop-off was just a few feet from the edge). En route to Georgetown we visited a very nice zoo in Taiping and in Georgetown, a butterfly park as well. The drive home in the two cars was safe and uneventful, taking about five hours. - rw

The High Cost of Service! - December 14, 2007

Today (Friday) our “inherited mechanic,” Aman, came over to our place at GCB Court with the plan to quickly replace the main bulb in our left headlight. Upon close examination, he discovered:
1. that the new bulb he had brought with him was the wrong one, and
2. that the space under the hood where he needed to work was extremely tight, making the work frustrating, long, and laborious.

So, after a trip on his motorcycle to the parts store to get the right bulb and 1½ hours of labor, he presented me with the bill for RM100—slightly over $30 ($24 for replacement bulbs in both headlights, along with 2 small bulbs for the “dims” + $6 for labor). I figure that $4 an hour for a mechanic isn’t too bad—especially when that includes a house call!

By the way, our Rover sedan, presumably made in Australia and not to be confused with a Land Rover, is quite rare in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, we have yet to see another one! But for a $2500 initial investment for an ’97 model with the odometer showing slightly over 110,000 km, it looks like we can afford some repair costs to keep it on the road.

My other interesting experience on this Friday, the last day of school before Christmas break, was a walk to the Ampang Point shopping center to get a haircut. I went to the same place where I’d had my last haircut (RM18 or $5.42). After going upstairs in the nice air-conditioned beauty salon, I was asked if I’d also like a shampoo with the haircut. Hearing from others about this legendary experience, I said “yes” and was told that the cost for both would be RM30 (about $9.05). The shampoo started out in the barber chair with sudsy shampoo being artfully worked-into my hair and scalp. That experience probably lasted at least 5 minutes. Next was a very relaxing shoulder and neck massage, followed by a massage of my back. Then to another room where I reclined in something like a dentist chair for the warm-water rinse. Delightful. Following that, my hair was blow-dried prior to the haircut. Compared to my normal experience in Oregon where a haircut lasted 15 minutes or less, this wonderful sensory experience took at least 45 minutes and was definitely a new cultural experience for me.

Thanksgiving in Malaysia - November 22, 2007

Here it is Thanksgiving Day in Malaysia, and of course it’s business as usual in regard to ISKL and normal commerce. However, as a commitment to those of us in the ISKL community who are Americans, the administration is hosting a 6:30 p.m. Pot-luck Thanksgiving dinner at the school tonight. Turkey is provided by the school, with those, like us, who have signed-up bringing the rest of the meal. So, it should be fun. (Note: As you can see, Ron even got-in-on the turkey carving!)And, Nancy's Dad, Levi Willits, and his wife Ramona are with us, having arrived from Tucson, AZ on the 16th.
Then, on Saturday night Tracy insisted that she wants to cook a 12 lb. Norbest turkey (which we obtained for RM 110, or $33 [ouch!] at the Ampang Grocery Store) on Saturday evening of this week.
So, Nancy and I and Levi & Ramona will be driving up to their place for a second Thanksgiving dinner. (And, even before that, we have reservations at the KL Tower [akin to the Space Needle in Seattle] on Friday night for dinner in the revolving restaurant—to celebrate Levi & Ramona’s wedding anniversary.) By the way, Nancy’s Dad is 85 this year, so we’re blessed—and impressed—that he and Ramona came over to visit for almost six weeks.



As for Thanksgiving, since I wrote this week’s devotionals for the Fruit of the Vine, I’m quite familiar with today’s meditation which refers to Eugene Peterson’s translation of Colossians 3:17 in The Message: “Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.” Since it’s a good idea to practice what one preaches, I’m trying this week to work at the business of thanking God every step of the way. It’s a great endeavor!

Reading
In the past couple weeks I’ve been checking-out biographies from the ISKL library and have read a brief one on Ben Franklin, one on Mao, one on Joseph Smith (fascinating), and am now reading a very well-written biography on Galileo. In 1606, fairly early in Galileo’s career, apparently in Italy there was a huge power struggle between Pope Paul V & the Vatican on the one hand, and the political entities in Venice on the other. When Venice was unwilling to grant the papacy authority in temporal matters and wouldn't submit to the Pope in "extraditing" a powerful prelate accused of heresy, Friar Paolo Sarpi, the pope put Venice under the interdict. Many priests sided with the state and went ahead and conducted mass; however, one priest "replied that he didn't know yet [as to whether to conduct mass], since he had the matter under pious reflection and would do as his conscience and the Spirit moved him. This answer was delivered to the doge's cabinet, known as the Council of Ten. After some serene reflection of its own, the council sent word back to the priest that they respected his position. But they were obliged to inform the priest that if the Spirit prompted him to close the doors of his church on Sunday, the same Spirit would move the council to hang him from his church door that same afternoon." (I thought that paragraph was a real classic! - Galileo by James Reston Jr., Harper-Collins, 1994. (But, I'm not far enough yet in the book to get into Galileo's own conflict with the papacy.)

Place names
One thing that’s fascinating to me about being in a new country is the almost onomatopoeic sounds of many of the place-names in and around Kuala Lumpur. A main thoroughfare that we take often—and always use to get to Doug and Tracy’s—is called Ulu Klang (Can’t you almost hear the klang?) For some reason, I love the sound! (Ulu is also an old Inuit “knife” with a bone handle, a cutting implement made from an old saw blade and used for all kinds of things including butchering a beluga on the beach!) Then, there’s the area of town where Doug and Tracy live—Bukit Antarabangsa (An-tar-a-bangsa—with the third a as ahh). I’m impressed! Even Jalan Ampang (the main drag from our place downtown) has a ring to it. Then, there’s Putra Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Damansara Utama, etc.

The Church Scene
Nancy and I are still struggling with the need and desire to get fully involved in the life of a local church. So far we have gone back-and-forth between two churches: St. Andrews Presbyterian (downtown) and “The Bridge” (much nearer to our condo). St. Andrews is much more traditional, while “The Bridge” has almost a 45-minute time of worship singing (contemporary choruses) at the beginning of the service, with everyone standing for the entire time. Preaching at both churches is solidly biblical and usually quite helpful and practical. My real desire would be to discover that in one of these churches I could find both a nurturing small group and an opportunity to minister in some small way. Anyway, this is still a major prayer request!

Plans for the future include a 4-night stay in a classic old “British resort hotel” in the city of Georgetown—up north on the island of Penang—with Levi & Ramona and Doug, Gabi and Rania Dec. 16-20 (Tracy and Reeve fly to the U.S. for Christmas to be with her family). Then, Nancy and I fly to Cambodia on January 2nd to visit Angkor Wat for 4 days… and, at present we both plan to join an ISKL trekking venture to Nepal over the school’s Spring Break, March 27 – April 5! The latter trip should be exciting since it involves some high country trekking and views of Mt. Everest.

In short, the Lord has been exceedingly good to us; we are richly blessed! - rw

Week-end Trip to East Coast - November 8-11

October was ushered-out with Halloween, and it was fun seeing Reeve and Gabi all decked-out in their costumes. All of us took-in a Halloween party at the American Association of Malaysia and enjoyed the food & festive atmosphere in spite of a very warm afternoon.
Shortly after Halloween

it was fun seeing our very good friend from Kenya days, Connie Buford, who was in town representing the State Dep't. at a conference of international school administrators.


On the Nov. 8-11 Deepavali long week-end (Hindu holiday), Nancy and I, along with Doug and Tracy and kids drove across Peninsular Malaysia to the east coast at Kuantan to stay in the Swiss Garden Resort and Spa, right on the South China Sea. Doug and Tracy had booked for 2 nights; Nancy and I stayed for 3. This hotel had fine accommodations and, as usual, an expansive and delicious buffet breakfast each morning was included.




A relaxing time was had by all, and Reevi, Gabi and Rania especially enjoyed alternating between the swimming pool and frolicking in the surf less than 50 yards away. - rw

The Great IKEA trip - October 20, 2007

On Saturday morning, October 20th, Nancy and I had committed ourselves as volunteers for ISKL’s once-a-month collection of recyclables, so we showed-up on campus at about 9:45 and worked for an hour and a half until everything seemed to be well under control. (ISKL collects newspaper, cardboard, flattened grocery boxes, miscellaneous paper of various kinds, tin cans, flattened pop cans, milk cartons and plastic containers of assorted sizes and descriptions.)

After working on campus we drove home for showers (we did work-up a sweat on a warm, humid morning), and then headed-up to Bukit (hill in Malay) Antarabangsa to pick up Tracy at their place. Since Tracy was willing to drive, and since their Jeep would hold more stuff to transport home, we left our car and headed out “Middle Ring Road” (something akin to the beltway in D.C.) with some pretty good directions on how to get to IKEA. Tracy did a great job driving, but with both Ron and Nancy acting as navigators, we got-off at the wrong exit, knew it almost immediately, and spent about 15 minutes before we could make a U-turn and head back in the direction we hoped would take us back to Middle Ring Road. Through some small miracle we succeeded, drove into the huge underground IKEA parking garage and begin our great IKEA shopping adventure.

After a couple of hours wandering through the IKEA maze, we collected the shelf numbers of 4-5 items we needed to find in their warehouse and also accumulated smaller items in our grocery carts. Since I’d had only a few apple slices for lunch, I talked Nancy into heading for the cafeteria at about 3:30, where I consumed a small shrimp salad and a baked salmon plate with broccoli and boiled potato (the delicious salmon plate cost an extravagant 12.5 Ringgit [$3.70!]). While shopping we’d kept in touch with Tracy by cell phone and connected with her at the warehouse where we picked-up the boxed versions of 3 wooden storage units, a straight-back chair to supplement the 6 around our dining table, a chair for reading in the bedroom (Ron’s need while Nancy watches 1st and 2nd year re-runs of ER on TV), and a chest of drawers for the guest bedroom. From the warehouse we headed to “check-out” and then to the delivery desk where we paid an additional $33 to have most of the boxed-up stuff delivered and assembled. As we were getting ready to head home we witnessed another of KL’s famous sound-and-light thunder and lightning storms, complete with pouring rain. Tracy, however, did another great job of driving and, aside from gridlock part of the way, we were most grateful for a safe arrival home and a successful IKEA trip. At Doug and Tracy’s we collected Reeve and drove to our place for his Saturday night sleep-over. (Kraft macaroni-and-cheese was his menu choice since an adequate supply of it was left-over from the day before when I’d cooked it up for Gabi while I was hosting her for swimming, computer games and a nap.)

Today (Sunday), we went to church at 10:00 a.m.—after watching the Red Sox amass a 10-1 lead over Cleveland in game #6 of the ALCS on “Malaysian ESPN”—at “The Bridge” (an interdenominational multi-racial international church which meets in a very nice rented facility) where we connected with Doug and Tracy and the kids, Anita Stansell, and two others from church, and came up with a decision to eat at the food court at “The Great Eastern Mall.” No sooner, however, had we sat down to order when Nancy’s cell phone rang with news from IKEA that our furniture delivery would arrive within 30-45 minutes! So, we both made a hasty decision to skip lunch and head home in time to meet the IKEA truck. It was a fortuitous decision since we’d no sooner exited from the car when the IKEA truck pulled-up at the gate. Three workers carried boxes to the elevator, rode up with me to the 19th floor, carried all the stuff down the ½ flight of stairs to the 18th (the elevator stops only at every-other-floor) and began their 1-1 ½ hour task of assembling all the items we’d purchased.


After the IKEA workers left, Nancy and I got to work organizing things on the three wooden storage units in a small room adjacent to the laundry area. And, since that task involved some perspiration, we concluded the afternoon by cooling-off in the beautiful swimming pool downstairs. - rw

Holiday Trip Report - October 15, 2007

On the Hari Raya week-end (end of Ramadan), Nancy and I, along with Doug and Tracy and family, set-out in our two vehicles for a 3-hour drive to "Bukit Fraser" (or Fraser's Hill)-- one of the early Colonial "hill stations" where privileged Brits went when they sought cooler air at a higher altitude.

Our hotel accommodations (2 nights) were all in the same suite -- two bedrooms and a living room with a fridge and sink. Reeve & Gabi slept in our bedroom; Rania was in her porta-crib with Doug and Tracy.



We packed quite a bit into two days -- golf at a very rustic 9-hole course, horseback rides around an arena for the kids, a forest hike where Nancy got nine leech bites, a short hike to a waterfall, and tea and scones at another hotel that advertises a special "British flavor." - Ron & Nancy

Ron’s Journal – October 10, 2007

Today is Wednesday—a rather uneventful day for me. But, in mid-morning I got a “Help! call” from Nancy in reference to the coming Hari Raya holiday (end of Ramadan) this week-end. It so happens that it is the custom at ISKL for expat staff to give gift baskets to members of their Muslim support staff prior to the holiday—and since one of her library assistants was leaving after work today for the long week-end, two gift baskets had to be obtained and given out today. (Nance just found out about this “custom” at work this morning!) So, I picked up Nancy over her lunch hour and drove her to a local grocery store where Helen, the Asian owner, was very helpful in not only explaining what was usually included in such baskets (cookies, candy, munchies of various kinds, etc.), but she dug-out the last two baskets she had available and helped us fill them … and then decorated the baskets with typical cellophane and ribbon. Mission accomplished for c. $30 per basket.

On Monday night of this week Nancy was talked-into going shopping at a Ramadan bazaar downtown with her 3 library assistants who were all determined to outfit her in traditional Malaysian (&-or Indian) dress. So, she & I walked about 1 km. to an "LRT" station (rapid transit) and were met by 2 of her assistants who took us to the bazaar on the LRT (c. 83 cents each way). It was a rainy evening and many of the "shops" were temporarily set-up out in a street with tents used as covering. It was a fascinating experience—with everything under the sun being sold, including food items. (But, the majority of booths were selling clothes in kind of a huge pre-ending-of-Ramadan sale.) Anyway, with help bargaining from one of her assistants, Nancy bought material for a tailor to make her a sari + a traditional Malaysian dress and slacks (worn underneath the dress) for 90 RM (c. $27). The material for the sari (her assistant—Indian by descent—is going to take her to her tailor to be fitted) was 65 RM. ($20). Anyway, we had eaten supper before we ever left home at about 6:15, so when the others in the party (the 3 assistants and an expat teacher who met us down there) headed for a restaurant at about 9:30 p.m., we headed for the LRT station in the rain (using our umbrellas, of course), got on the train—only to discover at the end of the line (which we supposed to be Ampang where we started out) that the line had split at a half-way point and we'd ended-up on the wrong train that went to the other end of the line which was at least 40 minutes by taxi from home! So, at the advice of a transit employee, we got back onto the same train we'd exited-from and waited c. 10 min. until it headed out of the station back the way we'd come. (Made us realize that it's important to understand "the Metro!") Fortunately, after asking at least 4 people if they spoke English (all said "no"), Nancy found a young guy who worked for the transit assn. who spoke excellent English. He told us to get off at his station—one station beyond where the line had split—and he took us to the platform where we waited c. 15 minutes for the Ampang train to arrive! So, all in all, we wasted about 45 minutes and, since it was still raining, we ended-up waiting in line for a taxi at the Ampang station for about 20 minutes (taxi fare c. $1.15), and got home at about 11 p.m. So, all in all it was quite an adventure.

We are still somewhat frustrated in not getting any clear discernment on finding a church home. We’ve been to two churches with very different worship services and have not yet had a sense that “this is it!” So, we’re continuing to pray about it and trusting that our next church visit may resolve the issue.

Since I arrived in KL I have been doing devotional reading in the Gospel of John and have been blessed in doing so. So far, in reading through the first twelve chapters, I’ve been struck once again by the very strange way in which John uses the term, the Jews. In many verses the Jews almost seems synonymous with the bad guys (referring to the Pharisees & the chief priests who come across as classic examples of unbelief). In other places the term doesn’t seem to have negative connotations but still seems strange in that John was a Jew, Jesus was a Jew, and most all others in the narrative—aside from the Samaritans—were Jews. Anyway, it’s both perplexing and fascinating to look over the passages where the term is used.

Until a volunteer or ministry opportunity opens-up, I’m continuing to have lots of discretionary time. Today I finally finished a fascinating 500 page biography of John Donne (John Stubbs, W.W. Norton & Co., 2006) entitled John Donne The Reformed Soul. Until I got into the book I had never realized that Donne, like St. Augustine in his younger years, was so committed to sexual pleasure—with multiple partners. His evolutionary journey to the priesthood in the Anglican Church was both lengthy and torturous. After a brief stint with the British Navy, for many years Donne sought a political appointment, and only when that goal seemed out of reach did Donne decide to enter the priesthood. However, once committed to the church, his spiritual life deepened remarkably and was reflected in his poetry, his highly articulate sermons, and his tireless labors. For ten years prior to his death in 1631 he achieved considerable fame and honor as the Dean of St. Paul’s in London. A central conviction of his was expressed in his most oft-quoted lines, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main … any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

Ron's Journal - October 2, 2007

Just a quick report on a Monday evening stroll that Nancy and I took toward the grocery store—with the thought of getting a bite to eat on the way ...

There are a lot of open-air "stalls" within walking distance of our building that serve food (roof overhead and tables & chairs), but we had not yet visited one. So, walking towards Jalan Ampang (the busy road that heads downtown), we stopped at one and noticed that the menu was entirely in Malay. Inquiring with the host, we discovered also that he didn't speak English. Struggling to make our wishes known, we "ordered" a chicken-and-rice dish, along with freshly-squeezed watermelon juice as a beverage. The meal was delivered to our table at about 6:30 p.m. and was quite tasty. It even included a very small bowl of tasty broth-like soup. And the price? -- a total of $3.10 for the two meals and beverages.

One of the interesting cultural experiences at this "restaurant" was the fact that most, or all of the people there were Muslim and were observing Ramadan. Hence, when they were served their meals (shortly before 7:00 p.m.), the food sat on the table untouched until some announcement in Arabic (or Malay) came over a TV suspended from the ceiling announcing that "the sun had set" and that it was time to break the fast.

On the day before (Sunday late in the aft.) we happily "ran-into" Doug and Tracy and family unexpectedly at Ampang Point shopping center (also in easy walking distance) where they were ordering 3 Domino's pizzas which were later consumed at our place. (By the way, Ampang Point not only has Domino's, McDonalds, K Fried Chicken, Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins, but also a very new and modern bookstore, along with a host of other shops.)

Okay ... so much for the report on "expensive food" in KL ... By the way, in several places one can buy a pint of Haagen-Dazs ice cream for the equivalent of about $8.35!
- rw

"Ron's Second Impressions" - Sept. 21, 2007

When tomorrow rolls-around, I will have been in-country two whole weeks! So, impressions have changed and I have a much greater sense of how to get around, at least within the immediate confines of our neighborhood.

- On Monday I sent-out on foot to visit Gleneagles Medical Center—about a ½ mile down “Jalan Ampang” (Jalan is Malay for road & Ampang is the region of the city where we live and where the International School of KL is located). So, heading down Jalan Ampang (beyond where I walked to the Medical Center), the road continues downtown to KLCC, the very modern hi-rise shopping center. I walked to Gleneagles in search of a local supply for the prescriptions that I brought with me from Oregon. In a very modern building I was directed initially to the pharmacy on the second floor, only to be told that the retail pharmacy was on the ground floor. Arriving there I was told that I needed to report-in at Emergency in order to see a doctor who could write the prescriptions. So, I checked-in at the desk, filled out paper-work with insurance information, and was told that I could see a doctor right then, so please be seated. I waited less than 15 minutes when my name was called by a male nurse who asked me to sit down at a small desk. He took my blood pressure and temperature, wrote down the results on my record and told me to be seated until called by the doctor. Again it was less than 15 minutes when an Asian doctor opened the door from Emergency and called my name. Stepping just inside the door, both of us remained standing beside a counter while I laid-out my prescriptions. I wasn’t with him more than 5 minutes when he told me to wait until one of the girls at the waiting room counter called my name and gave me the prescriptions. Again it was just a few minutes before I was on my way back to the retail pharmacy where I was highly impressed with their efficiency and organization. (I was given a slip of paper with number 1065 on it and information that they were presently waiting on #1057 and that the wait would be approximately 12 minutes. Two electronic panels—one on each side of the room—gave the #’s that were presently being served [1057 and before] and the # of the clerk at the counter [1-4] that was handling that prescription. It was about 15 minutes before I saw #1065 on the screen and stepped up to the counter to get what I came for—except for one medication which apparently isn’t available in Malaysia.)


(Pix above: view from our living room) - Last evening at about 7:00 p.m. Nancy and I drove past ISKL (less than ½ mi. from our apt.) to the golf course since some of the staff at ISKL had said that teachers often got there at about that time for 9 holes of golf “under the lights.” We paid 65RM (approx. $19) each and joined two other ISKL teachers at the first tee. As it was getting dark, we noticed that the lights had not yet been turned on, so one of the teachers made a couple of calls on his cell phone which, after about 20 minutes, resulted in a guy showing up in a golf cart who flipped some switches in an adjacent building. Ten minutes later the course was fully illuminated and we teed-off. Fairways were narrow and tree-lined, and the course had several long 4-pars. Add to that some misjudged distances on holes we’d never played before. The result: probably 8 golf balls lost between Nancy and me! Neither of us kept score (Nancy’s normal practice anyway). I hit the ball fairly well most of the time while Nancy suffered from not being on a course, or even a driving range, since we’d played in Ireland way back in late June/early July. Strangely enough, as far as I could tell our foursome was the only one on the course that evening. Since it hadn’t rained at all for 2-3 days (unusual), it was hotter and more humid at night than it had been since I’d arrived in KL. But, since green fees included a 10RM voucher for food or drink, both of us had 2 glasses each of freshly-squeezed juice (watermelon for Nancy, pineapple for me) prior to leaving and getting home by about 10:15.

- Since I just now finished lunch at about 12:45 p.m. and had some left-over fried rice with chicken, I do need so say something about Shirley—our maid who comes two mornings a week to clean, iron and fix an evening meal that usually has left-overs for another meal. Since Shirley really wants to find out what Malaysian dishes we really like, she actually came on Monday bringing with her spring rolls that she and a friend (Juvy, the live-in maid and nanny who works for Doug & Tracy) had prepared over the week-end on their own time and with their own money! So, to supplement the spring rolls, Shirley made the most delicious fried rice (with chicken, egg, peas & carrots) that I think I’d ever eaten. When browned in oil on top the stove, the spring rolls were crispy and also super-delicious.

- This morning I walked ¼ mile to Ampang Point shopping center to visit the upstairs office of “Mercy Malaysia” (an NGO relief agency) where I wanted to make an appearance and inquire about volunteer opportunities. One Malaysian clerk in particular was very helpful, giving me a full-color 225+ page pictorial-and-text description of their extensive relief operation in Banda Aceh and Sri Lanka after the Dec.26th ’04 tsunami, having me fill-out a volunteer application, and letting me know that they would call me about volunteer opportunities. From there to an air-conditioned coffee house (no Starbucks at Ampang Point) to get a mocha—10RM (approx. $2.90). Then into the shopping mall (5 stories with shops in an oval shape, with “down escalators” on one side and “up escalators” on the other side of the oval) and up to the 3rd floor to the bookstore at about 10:15 to purchase a couple things for grandkids. (By the way, Ampang Point has a number of very modern shops but is much more Asian or Third-world than KLCC or The Great Eastern Mall further down Jalan Ampang.)

- Yesterday Nancy came home with the information that one of the teachers at ISKL is heading-up a 9-day high school trip in late March (the school’s spring break) to Nepal for trekking. Cost for the entire trip, including airfare, is estimated at about $1200 per person. We’re both highly interested, and it looks like if Nancy went as a chaperone, the 9 days out of Malaysia wouldn’t count toward the maximum of 14 days that you can be out of the country in order to qualify for “tax residency” during your first year. (We’re also planning to go to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat shortly after New Year’s.)

- Sunday we’re checking out the 11:00 a.m. “contemporary service” at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church as we continue to discern the Lord’s direction re: a church home (perhaps my #1 prayer request at the moment). - rw

Nancy's KL Journal September 19, 2007

It’s been a month since I sent an update. Ron’s been here a little over a week. It is so nice to have him here and not be alone. I hope we can explore KL some in the next few weeks. There are so many places that I haven’t visited. Ron got over jet lag fairly quickly. We’ve gone to Ampang Pt., the shopping center across a 6 lane highway, the KLCC (Petronas Towers), Doug and Tracy’s several times and to ISKL (school).

Work is wonderful. On Friday I went with a teacher to purchase books for the library from the Malaysian Nature Society. It was fun to know I had enough money to pile up the books and add them to the library collection. The school paid for a taxi to take us to the place and we went during work hours – imagine that! The library is busy and I’ve started weeding the AV collection. We need to do lots of sorting and cleaning in the AV room.

Tomorrow ISKL is hosting 30 US colleges for a school visit. They will all be in the library so it will be a fun and busy day. I’m working on the budget for 2008-09 which is due to principals by the end of September. It seems so strange to be working on a budget for a year away when I still have this year’s budget to spend – but that is the way it is with international schools.

Some things I’m getting used to but would seem different to a newcomer. Eggs are sold in cartons of 10, not a dozen. There are many, many spices and fresh fruits and vegetable for sale and I have no idea what they are. A good cook would have fun experimenting. You have to make an effort to recycle – it’s not common in Malaysia. The school has a good recycling program and we can take our things to recycle there once a month.

This is the month of Ramadan and traffic patterns have changed a lot. All Muslims hurry to get home by 7:15 PM to break the daily fast. So traffic is very heavy from 4:30 to 7 PM. Many stores are still open in the evening so you can go shopping and there’s little traffic.


Life is settling into a routine – work, family, reading, emails, some exercise. We still need to find a church home and get involved in ministry. We’re going to babysit for Doug and Tracy each Wed. night so they can have a date night. Tonight we swam after work. Ron actually said it seemed cold. The pool of course isn’t heated and it was pleasantly cool outside.



I have hired a maid (Shirley) to help out. She’s Filipina and comes twice a week – 8 AM – noon on Tues. and Friday. I discovered that the house needed cleaning more than once a week. It is nice to have a clean house, ironing done (no dryer = no permanent press) and a meal fixed twice a week.

We have ASTRO cable so Ron watched Sunday night NFL football live this AM and tomorrow he can watch Monday night NFL live. It is at 8 AM here. We get CNN and BBC plus ESPN. These channels are quite different here – Asia and European flavor. We get little US news which seems rather nice.

I guess we’re pretty well set-up. I need to get a few more kitchen items but we have the essentials. Today my landlord paid to install ceiling fans in the master bedroom and in the guest bedroom. That’s nice has they cool better than the floor fans.

We do have space for guests. I learned at the Nature Society that Malaysia is a wonderful location for birders. There are rainforests to explore and lovely beaches. Eating one’s way through all of the varied cuisines is also a highlight for locals and tourists. So far Ron and I have tried out a Thai place, a French one, and a steak house. If you went with us you’d learn that the Thai place was at the Petronas Towers and quite formal, the French place was at Ampang point and rather noisy and not very special and the steak place is only about two blocks from our house. It’s called Susie’s Corner and has the reputation of having the best steaks in KL. It’s a covered outdoor place – that’s very local and to a visitor might seem “unsanitary” but the food is good. The fresh fruit drinks are very tasty – I had watermelon but you have many choices.

Ron's First Impressions - Sept. 10, 2007

Arriving Saturday evening, September 8th, I was a happy camper. All flights were on time, my luggage arrived okay, and Nancy and Doug met me at the airport at about 7:30 p.m., after which we rode in a taxi for about an hour to get to our condo in Ampang. After church on Sunday and a visit to Doug & Tracy’s rented house 15-20 minutes away, and two mornings when I was wide awake at 4:00 a.m., my “first impressions” are:
• It’s not as hot and humid as I’d expected. Air conditioners in the 3 bedrooms in our apartment are on the fritz (the one in the living room works fine), but I’ve slept very comfortably with a sheet and windows open and 2 fans running in our bedroom. (The landlord will fix the bedroom air conditioners, but I haven’t sensed we’ve needed them so far.)
• Thunderstorms are spectacular! Last night after dark there was an electrical storm like I’ve never seen anywhere. Bolts of lightning were awesome, with thunderclaps following within a second or two. (The onset of such a storm is a clear signal to unplug the computer.)
• The air is really clear in Kuala Lumpur. At least compared to big cities in China, there appears to be very little air pollution—perhaps mostly due to a breeze and the tropical rain which seems to fall most everyday.
• There’s a fantastic view of the city from our 18th floor apartment—a very modern city with lots of skyscrapers and high-rise apartments. Verdant jungle-carpeted hills surround the city, with high-rises protruding from many of them.

• I’m impressed with our apartment. There’s a large sliding door in the living room which opens to a small patio and creates a 7’ x 10’ opening for a nice breeze. With windows open, Nancy has gotten mosquito bites in the night, but so far I haven’t seen any of the flying creatures that have somehow ascended to the 18th floor. Each of the three bedrooms has a bath. The kitchen has a very small 4-burner stove and oven and a small but adequate fridge. Nancy bought a microwave and toaster, so we’re pretty-well fixed. The washing machine runs on a 90-minute cycle (!) and spins more water out of clothes than would be the case with U.S. machines—mostly because dryers are not commonly used. Clothes are hung-up on drying racks in the laundry room behind the kitchen—a room that does have “window” screens that provide air-flow through to the living room.

• I’m also impressed with what I currently don’t know! I know how to walk out and lock the front door, take the elevator downstairs and take a swim in the very nice swimming pool. But, I don’t have a clue on how to walk or drive anywhere, where to go to get a haircut or a meal (Nancy and I plan to eat-out tonight after she gets home from work.), or where to go if I want to buy a temperature gauge for our apartment (You’ve got to know how hot it is!). Nancy tells me that when you need gas for the car, you pay first and then have the attendant pump the gas, but I have yet to experience this. I also don’t know anything yet about how to access our Malaysian bank account or where to go for a Starbucks mocha—but I will learn! (So, the learning curve is considerable.) I do know how to use the computer, log-onto the internet and check news, MLB scores and the latest on the NFL. (Our dish TV has Sports Center on “ESPN Malaysia,” but it has very different coverage from ESPN at home.)
• A visit late yesterday to a “Giant” grocery store on the way back from Doug’s place assured me that we can buy most things that we need at reasonable prices. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Special K, Rice Krispies and Great Grains are currently in our kitchen cupboard. The Nestle’s ice cream we bought was quite good, and—as Nancy had previously written—white rice comes in huge 25’ sacks! Yesterday Nancy opened-up a delicious watermelon only to discover that the inside of the melon was yellow instead of red. - rw

Doug's Birthday September 4, 2007

We celebrated Doug's birthday at the KDE sports club near ISKL. The purpose was to give Doug a set of golf clubs with the hope that Doug, Reeve and Ron will get some time on the golf course while in Malaysia. The gift was given and we headed to the driving range. I was surprised to learn that you hit into the water!

Doug and I figured out the the last time we celebrated his birthday together was fifteen years ago in 1992 in Nairobi, Kenya, the year he worked as an intern at ISK.
Dinner was fine and we even had cake!

Meanwhile ... back in Oregon - August '07

Believe it or not, after Nancy flew to Kuala Lumpur on Monday night, July 16th, my calendar was pretty full until I flew out to join her on Sept. 7th.
- I celebrated our anniversary on July 17th alone, had a medical appointment, then went to the dentist on the 18th. On the week-end of the 20th-22nd, I had a great time hosting an old friend, Ron Harvey, who came down from Seattle by train and spent the week-end at our place.
- Then, during the next week I spent a lot of time in Newberg for the sessions of Northwest Yearly Meeting, rejoicing in the positive atmosphere and the approval in business sessions to a major reorganization of the YM board structure.
- On the Saturday after Yearly Meeting I was up by 5:00 a.m. to do a shift at a Kiwanis Club fundraiser in Salem.
- The following week was not so busy, but the highlight of late summer occurred that week-end when Mark and Marta, Daniel, Eli and Micah flew out from Maryland to spend about ten days in Oregon.
Tasha took a week-off work and spent most of her time joining in the following activities: dinner at Friendsview with G'ma Woodward, a visit to the Gilbert House (a kids' activity center in Salem), two nights at the Sandoz beach place in Manzanita, an overnight camping trip to Lost Lake near Mt. Hood, a trip to the Portland Zoo, and some fun times at our condo on Trevino Ct.


- Late in the week after Mark & Marta flew back home I drove 700+ miles in two days to Bishop, CA to fulfill a "pre-Malaysia dream" of mine, i.e. - to go backpacking for one last time (?) in the High Sierras of California. At a Forest Service campground near the Bishop Pass Trailhead I met Jim & Sara Orvick who had come west from Wisconsin on Jim's BMW motorcycle to join me for the trip. After two nights getting acclimated to the altitude, we hiked over Bishop Pass (11,900 ft.)and had a glorious time in perfect High Sierra weather, spending four nights camping in Dusy Basin at nearly 11,000 ft.


- En route home from California I spent two nights enjoying Tom & Nelda Dehm's hospitality in Bend, OR as I fulfilled the last phase of an "NCD Coaching Commitment" I had made to the New Hope Church of Bend 9-10 months earlier.
- I was home in Keizer a couple days unpacking gear and cleaning-up from backpacking before my sister Elaine arrived from Lincoln, NE for a 5-day visit with our Mother. Elaine stayed with me in Keizer, affording good times together as we shared our concerns and our love for Mother as she approached her 102nd birthday.
- Five days after Elaine left, the condo was ready to be turned-over to Lisa Magee, our housesitter, my bags were packed, and I welcomed Tasha's hospitality overnight in Portland prior to flying out early on Sept. 7th for Vancouver B.C., Hong Kong, and then Kuala Lumpur. - rw

Nancy's ISKL Melaka Trip August 23-24, 2007

This week I was one of the chaperones on an 8th grade trip to Melaka. The entire 8th grade went on the trip. I had 9 students to watch over. Doug went also. It was nice to get out of KL. Melaka is an historic town south of KL that has a medley of Portuguese, Dutch, Islamic and Chinese architecture. The students had big research assignment to complete prior to going so I deicided that I’d better do it also! We left Thursday AM and returned Friday afternoon. Nothing like getting paid to learn about a famous city in Malaysia!

Nancy's KL Journal August 18, 2007

Today marks one month in Malaysia. So much had happened! I have lots to be thankful for and am ready for Ron to get here in two weeks. He’s off backpacking in the high Sierras this week.

I’m listening to NPR "Wait Wait Don’t’ Tell Me" as I type this. I’d listen to this on Sat. in OR and now I listen at my own convenience.

Here are some updates – first work. Since I came because of the job it’s a good place to start. I am really happy about work. The library has a good collection and a great budget. I have 3 fulltime assistants and they have been very helpful. The first day of school we had 11 classes in the library and the second day we had 19 classes. Most were coming in the checkout library books. A few were there for research.

There is a computer lab in the library with 20 computers and on Friday I was in it for 4 periods teaching students about our databases and how to do citations. It’s such a delight to be teaching and doing library work instead of managing textbooks for the first two weeks of school.

Class sizes are small – no classes seem to have over 20 students.

I am on the HS Department Coordinators team and it’s interesting to learn the inner workings of the HS school. The administrators are so helpful and discussions include the nuts and bolts of running a HS and also about curriculum and how to be excellent teachers.

I got a desk for me on Friday and so now feel like I can get organized. I’ve been working at the circulation desk and it has been OK but not the best for helping students and teachers. All in all I know that this is a wonderful profession opportunity for me.

Next is life in KL. I’m getting more comfortable about driving in KL and have made it to some new stores. I got some things that make life easier at a large store called TESCO. So now I have a DVD player, a CD/radio, a hair dryer and a rice cooker. TESCO is like the local Fred Meyer – (downsized Wal-Mart with grocery store). My staff said they shop there. The grocery selection is good and it’s close to our house. Today when I was there I was thinking this seems close to shopping in the US and then I came to the aisle of rice and there are bags of rice the size of large dog food bags piled high on both sides of one long grocery aisle – no small boxes of rice here. Another difference was that there were 4 or more small birds flying around and eating rice that was on the floor - all shoppers simply ignored them.

-Nancy

Nancy's KL Journal August 4, 2007

I’ve been in my “condo” for a week now and am beginning to feel settled. I have food in the refrigerator!

As for utilities I’m set on the essentials - home phone, electricity, water, and Internet. I’ve called about installation for ASTRO cable so I’d get CNN, BCC, etc. and could see the news.

As for the layout we have fair sized living and dining area, a large master bedroom, a good sized guest bedroom with 2 twin beds and the port-a-crib for Rania, and a third bedroom that I’m using as a den sewing room. We can use it as a 3rd bedroom if needed. Each bedroom has a bath connected to it so I have 3 baths with showers. The best view in the house is from the shower in the master bedroom – the window looks right out on the Petronas twin towers.

Work has been lots of meetings. I’ve met my library staff and need to have a meeting with them soon – when all of us are together. They seem to function fine in their jobs with little direction from me. Students start on Wed. the 8th.

I’m starting to meet the returning teachers at ISKL – they are a talented and diverse group. The HS/MS is a sprawling campus. There are buildings connected to buildings because of additions through the years as the school grew. Enrollment is at an all time high of about 600 HS and 360 MS. It’s humbling to meet the staff and learn of their backgrounds. They come from all over the world.

Some things are similar to Kenya. Last night I moved a box and a gecko ran up the wall. I was happy to see him as he eats mosquitoes.

We’ve had presentations on culture shock. Once in a while the there is a strange clash of cultures. Thursday eve I drove to Doug and Tracy’s for dinner (20 min.) from my place. I stopped at a grocery store called Giant. While I was shopping I realized the loudspeaker had a voice telling a story. It ended with “This is James Dobson from Focus on the Family and this segment has been sponsored by Kentucky Fried Chicken.” It was so strange to hear this in a supermarket in a grocery store in a 60% Muslim country.

Doug and his family and Anita Stansell and I all went to an International church here last Sunday. It was truly international with worshippers from all over the world. There were about 250 to 300 people there. I plan to check out one other International Church this weekend.

I have been driving some. It’s working out OK. I try to get in one lane and stay there so the motorcycles can weave in and out and not bother me. Turn signals are important here to let the motorbikes know if you’re turning as they pass on the right and left.

-Nancy

Nancy's KL Journal July 30, 2007

The last week has been a whirlwind. My shipment was delivered on Wed. July 25th. Everything arrived in great condition. I unpacked on the 25th and the 26th and started a list of items that I needed to get at stores. It was a boring list – like a mop, toilet paper, dish soap, the bare essentials for setting up a house.

On Tuesday, July 24th I got my car from an employee at the American Embassy. Doug went with me to pick it up and drive it to my place as I didn’t have the nerve to drive yet. (I did drive it to church on Sunday the 29 and also to work today.)

Last week was lots of getting settled. The school took us on a tour of KL one day and took us out to dinner twice.
Yes, I’ve found a very good dentist in KL. My wisdom tooth broke off and I walked into a dentist office (the woman I got my car from recommended this dentist) and it was walking distance from my house. He fixed the tooth right then and the charge was less than $30.

All is going well. Last week was settling in and trying to get all arranged. I have a cell phone, today I got a land line (I hope to get Internet soon), gas for my cooker, my car (great car), of course my house, furniture from IKEA set up and delivered. Sunday Doug and his family plus Anita Stansell (a new teacher who we know from Newberg, OR)went an international church. I feel so blessed by how everything has worked out.

The pool here is wonderful and the kiddie pool is very nice. Reeve, Gabi and Rania love swimming here and I'm giving lessons to Reeve and Gabi. They will be swimming well soon.

Work has been lots of meetings and getting lots of orientation. Everything is done first class and very professionally. The administration on all levels are very impressive. I've had very little time to be in the library and need to spend some time there - hopefully soon.

It's been cooler here than I thought it would be. I haven't been using AC in my condo and with my bedroom windows open my wake-up is the 5 AM Muslim call to prayer.

I had orientation today and got tons of information. I have both HS and MS schedules to figure out plus just getting to my own computer and figuring out the library and how we'll schedule it. It's been crazy busy - getting settled. Everything takes time.

This AM we had professional development training and after lunch we had meetings with principals. So I met the 1st half with the HS and the 2nd half with MS. We had a very quick tour of the school and it's sprawling. I have notebooks and packets of information to read and digest. After work I came home and my phone was installed.

I found a fruit vendor at the corner by our place about a block and a half away and got fruit there. It was much better than I got at the supermarket and much cheaper - got a fresh mango for about 25 US cents.

Impressions of Malaysia – very diverse and fascinating cultures. I have a TV in my condo and it only gets local channels so my choices are stations in Tamil language with Malay subtitles, Mandarin Chinese with Malay subtitles, Malay that sometimes has English subtitles and some stations have commercials in English and also cartoons. I can get cable here and get CNN, BBC, Discovery Channel, etc. but that’s very low on my priority list.

KL is a city that never sleeps. At the hotel you could look out the window at all hours and there was traffic. From the balcony at my condo I can see a major highway that has 6 lanes and traffic seems to be heavy all day and night and all days of the week. I have a great view of the Petronas towers from my shower and bedroom.

Shopping seems to be a huge leisure activity here. There are lots of huge shopping malls and they are very crowded and we’ve learned don’t go shopping on Sat. or Sunday – so crowded and no parking. Shopping hours seem to be 10 AM to 11 or midnight for most places. I think people like to shop because it’s air conditioned and cool. I tried to go to a grocery store at 9 AM one day and it didn’t open until 10 AM.

Traffic is crazy. It’s the motorcycles that you have to see. They weave in and out of traffic and suddenly appear. I haven’t ventured out to drive outside of my very local area but will need to this week as we have meetings at the elementary campus on Thur. Aug 2nd. Taxis are easy to get and very cheap.

The people of Malaysia seem to be extremely helpful and friendly. Most speak English. Doug and his family and I went to a restaurant and the server didn’t speak English and the menu was in Malay but he got someone else to help us who spoke English.

My neighborhood has many places to eat and most are very reasonably priced. You can get a full meal for $3 or less and you can also pay up to $12 for a dinner.

The Renaissance Hotel was very classy. Doug and Tracy said they didn’t have time to enjoy it but I felt to same way. We had so much on and the first days here and I was just trying to get over jet lag. Getting settled takes time and lots of emotional energy.

For those of you who know Anita Stansell, Reeve and Gabi have adopted her as their new favorite person. I had Anita and Doug’s family over for dinner on Sunday after we went to an international church here. It was fun to have guests.

-Nancy