Omm (mmmmmmm....)

Thinking about coming back to Malaysia after three weeks away was almost painful. But, as Ez and I stepped off the airplane in Kuala Lumpur a little over a week ago, we were immediately at ease. It felt like our place, and almost like our home. We appreciated the familiarity of the people, the language, and the culture and, of course, the fact that we knew our way around. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all!

We spent that afternoon in KL before our flight back to Terengganu getting a little bit excited for the next two months. We bounced comforting thoughts off of each other, such as "it will go by so fast!" and "we don't have to live out of a backpack anymore!" and "we get to see our students and really give them our all!" Realizing then that we had no one to pick us up from the airport in KT at 9 o' clock at night, Ez called Acik, his Mr. Fix It, and given the kind man he is he agreed to pick us up and drive us home. We both felt comforted that at least in Malaysia, we had friends-- people who looked after us. I was further soothed when Acik really did pick us up, and he drove us all the way home, Indian music blasting from the speakers as we watched the darkened fields of palm trees fly by. Finally, after weeks of the hustle and bustle of traveling, we could finally rest and relax. This was going to be a nice last 2 months.

Unfortunately, I could not have been more wrong. The second we arrived at our house at 10:30pm, my visions of rest, relaxation and a great last 2 months were shattered into tiny shards of glass all over the floor. We walked in through the front door to find that the same leak in our ceiling that they had supposedly fixed a month ago had become 4 leaks, and the floors of the dining room and kitchen were inundated with about 2 inches of pipe water. All the papers I had left on the table were drowned in their own ink, and the bottoms of the table and chairs were starting to mold. There's no telling when the leak started, but it could have been as long as three weeks earlier. Exhausted, we cleaned up the mess and made some water-catching devices before we went to bed. After two days of telling us he'd come, the school's handyman finally came and fixed the leak. For some reason, he left the ceiling tile in the attic, so now, over a week later and after asking him to put it back every day, we still have a gaping hole in our ceiling. WELCOME HOME!

Since then, I have been struggling to stay positive. The last two months, if the last week is any indication, are going to be rough. It is always better to end on a positive note, so let me vent a little bit first, and then I'll tell you about how wonderful it all really is and how I am learning so much.

THE BAD NEWS

I arrived back at school last week excited to see everyone. Of course, it had been awhile since I saw anyone, and I was looking forward to reuniting with my teacher friends and students and finding out how they spent their vacations, etc. I should have seen it coming, but I am either slow on the uptake or just insanely optimistic. As I smiled and greeted people at my school, I was completely ignored. I asked everyone how they were, how their vacations were, like you do, and the nicest response I got was "Oh!" as if I frightened them. What was going on? By the end of the day, my closest teacher friends had come around and started to be friendly, but with everyone else, it was "Ignore Sarah day" if not "Give Sarah the Evil Eye Day." To say the least, I came home and cried into Ezra's arms. 

The next day, I woke up bright and early as I always do, gave myself a pep-talk about how from now on, I was just going to engage with the people I knew were friendly as not to put myself in the situation of feeling hated and unwanted, and headed off to school. As I was walking, the kids who lived at the hostel and their Warden, Saidi, offhandedly mentioned that there was no school today. "Terengganu won the Malaysian Olympics (Sukma), isn't that great? They declared a state holiday!" 

"Great." I responded, when what I really wanted to say was, "Yeah, its great when all 900 teachers and students who attend this school are informed of a day off and I am walking to school at 7am like a complete idiot. How considerate of you. Just Great!" I walked home and went back to bed, realizing that being bitter was only going to make it harder for myself, as obviously no one else seemed to care. So, the bad news is, the next two months are going to be really difficult. I figure that the least I can do is be good to myself and try not to hold any anger, bitterness or hostility in my heart. 

THE GOOD NEWS

Despite the frustration, our trip made me appreciate a lot of things about this country, and helped me separate my unfortunate circumstances from the country as a whole. It's easy to blame everything that goes wrong on "Malaysia," but that is extremely unfair. Coming back to Terengganu after being in other parts of Asia showed me how beautiful the state can be. In what other place would a taxi driver take us out for coffee after driving us to our destination? Where else in Southeast Asia can you find an unpolluted river that actually looks gorgeous up against the green palm fields and rolling hills? There ARE really special things about this place.

Also, as usual, I love my students. Last week I decided it was time I really do what I think is important in my classes. I started a new unit on globalization, and have been teaching my kids to think about how technology is affecting Malay culture in both positive and negative ways. In some of my classes I had them discuss these changes, and in others I had them simply draw a picture of what their village might look like in 50 years. I think it was a good exercise for them in looking at the possibilities for change even within a system that seems so against it, and also to think about what it means that the West is "getting closer" to them. For the record, every single student had a reason why globalization was better for Malaysia, and it wasn't until I introduced the idea that there could be some negatives that they actually thought about it. They came up with some great reasons: more pollution, the replacement of traditional foods, styles and entertainment with Western ones, etc. I also taught them about the increasing gap between rich and poor in most countries, and felt pretty awesome for putting my college major to use finally. So yay!

Finally, the real good news is that despite all of the you-know-what I have to go through, I think I am capable of remaining calm, present and together in my mind and heart. I taught a yoga class last week to my yoga girls and, for the first time, I introduced them to the Omm chant that is normally done after a yoga session in order to calm the mind and body (I had been reluctant to teach it to them until now since I thought they'd think it was non-Islamic or something). As the nine of us sat facing each other after 45 minutes of stretching and balancing, we chanted together in perfect unison, "Ommmmmmmmm." They loved it, and I felt so happy to be able to share it with them.

And now, to make sure I share it more often with myself.

Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Cambodia: Same Same But Different

Any traveler in Southeast Asia will tell you that if there's anything continuous among all the countries, its that slightly endearing, slightly annoying phrase "same same but different." In Malaysia & Singapore you hear it every-so-often, in Cambodia it was definitely there, and in Thailand, where I'm guessing it originated, you'll even find it on t-shirts.

Every time I heard this (usually said to me when a local was explaining a certain custom or traditional food, and trying to tell me that it was similar to what I know, but different in some way or another), the English Teacher Demon inside of me wanted to explode at how this grammatically incorrect English saying was the most popular in the region. However, I am fighting that demon for the moment, as the phrase happens to be a great way of explaining how I felt about Cambodia.

A Happy Couple in Angkor, Cambodia

I'm no expert of course, having only been there for 6 days, but Cambodia felt like a really different place to me. Of course it was still SE Asia with the rice, curries, stifling humidity, and endless hawkers and touters, but something about it felt more genuine and more familiar to me than any other place we've been so far, including Malaysia. I have a couple of theories as to why this is:

1) It could be more familiar because it is definitely the poorest country in the region, and the sight and atmosphere of poverty and begging children reminded me of traveling through Central America. I suspect this is part of the truth, not all of it.

2) It could be more familiar to me because, growing up, I had a series of Cambodian babysitters for about 10 years, and apparently I understood the Khmer language as a baby. In fact, I was hoping that the language would come back to me within minutes of being there, but I guess 23 years is long enough to forget something completely. So yeah, I don't think this theory works too well.

3) It could feel more familiar to me because my personal values and outlook on the world is more in line with what I experienced as Cambodian values and perspectives. I think this is my favorite theory. The general "feeling" of being in Cambodia was different. It was as if the people we spoke to actually recognized us as fellow humans, not just as white tourists, which has been most of our experiences here. Even in just quick conversations with people, I could see their personalities and their senses of humor right away. Maybe it was just a more open, friendly culture, I don't know. When I travel, I try as hard as I can to connect with people on a personal level, and in Cambodia I felt this was actually possible. Even in Malaysia, after 5 months, I still find this to be a challenge. I guess that the importance I place on personal, human connection was finally returned in Cambodia, and that felt great. In a way, I think I'd rather spend our last 2 months there...

I love the Cambodian Sense of Humor

On the note of personal connections, Ez and I had a GREAT one in Siem Reap. We were strolling the main tourist area looking for a place to eat dinner, when a Cambodian man at one of the cafes we passed got our attention.

"Are you from Costa Rica?"

We both immediately noticed that Ez was wearing his "Universidad de Costa Rica" t-shirt, and hence the question. Without giving the particulars of the question much thought, Ez replied,

"Yes."

I still don't know (and neither does he) if he meant to say it, if he misunderstood the question or what, but that's the way it went. Turns out, I am so glad he did. The man proceeded to speak to us in almost perfect Spanish! He explained how he studied English and Spanish in school, but that he always loved Spanish and loved to practice it with tourists. So, we had an entire, flawless conversation with a Cambodian in Spanish. I'm pretty happy about that.

Streets of Siem Reap

Our time in Cambodia also included seeing the famous Angkor Wat and temples of Angkor and, for those of you who know about it, the incredibly frustrating journey across the border from Bangkok. Angkor Wat was incredible. We spent a whole day (we could have easily spent a week if we had more money) walking around looking at the ruins and imagining how way back when these places were actually bustling, important cities. Ez pointed out that they still are bustling cities and always have been, since thousands of tourists are there every day. I liked that a lot. It's definitely a different kind of city, but one just the same. (At this time, your túk túk driver would point out that it's "same same but different.")

The Bustling City at Angkor Wat

The border trip was less amazing (the way there, that is; the way back was strangely pleasant). After a 5 hour bus ride from Bangkok to the border, we had to argue with a túk túk driver about how much he was charging us to take us to the immigration station (turns out he gave us a fair price and we were being the jerks. Sigh...you never know). Once through the border, we were met by a shady guy holding a sign with my name on it. What?? We did not request to be picked up by anyone, and knew that this side of the border was full of scammers. So, I told him we wouldn't be going with him, but asked how he got my name.

"Your hotel, Golden Temple Villa, sent me!"

"Why didn't they tell me they were going to do that?"

"Oh, yes, that's always a problem, but I promise they sent me."

Luckily I had a phone number to call. I called the guesthouse, and sure enough this man "worked for them." He led us to a taxi, asked for a tip (Ez gave him 10 ringgit because it was either that or a $50 bill, and the man sneered). We later found out that this man "working" for our guesthouse meant that he paid them for my name so that he could get a tip for helping us find a taxi. Anyways, we then took a 3 hour taxi ride to Siem Reap, which went really well, despite the fact that it was a dirt road filled with potholes, "Beware of Land-mines" signs lined the street, and that we couldn't tell which side of the road Cambodians drive on until about 2 hours into the trip. It's the right side, though you might never know it.

Honestly though, that day was my only complaint about our travels there. After that it was smooth sailing, as peaceful as my butterfly friend:

There's one more thing I have to say. Cambodia has a deeply troubled and violent recent history, and that sadness is still palpable. Although the Khmer Rouge is long gone, the effects of the genocide and the repressive regime are everywhere. Cambodia is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, and men, women, and children who weren't even born during the years of Pol Pot are often injured (sometimes killed) by land-mines. Obviously, people who survived the terror still live with the trauma, both mental and physical, as well the memories of what happened to their neighbors, families, and friends. I think its easy for us to forget the atrocious things that have happened in the world, especially if they were in the past, but being in Cambodia (and Vietnam of course) reminds me that the legacies of violence are alive and well, unfortunately, and its our responsibility to educate ourselves about them, learn from them, help fix them, and help prevent them.

Ez and I are back in Malaysia now, and hopefully we'll be able to take all these experiences and lessons to heart. I don't know how they will affect us yet, or what we'll do with what we've learned, but I won't forget this trip and I certainly won't forget how lucky we have been to take it.

This post has gotten way too long, apparently. I'll sign off now.

Cambodia pictures are posted!

Love,

Sarah

Thailand: The Other Side of the Coin

At first glance, Thailand couldn't be any more different than Malaysia. You probably already know why: Men and women aren't allowed to touch vs. full body massages on every corner, halal meats and lots of fish vs. everything pork, and no national beer vs. at least 3. Our first few days in Thailand, these stark contrasts were all I could see really. And I wondered, how could two neighboring countries be so incredibly different?

As time went on and Ez and I discussed it more, we realized that although Malaysia and Thailand are very different places, they are more connected than we first thought. They are both deeply religious cultures, very community-based, and very concerned with due respect, hierarchy, and saving face. What makes them so different is how they react to or interpret these aspects of their cultures. For example, in Malaysia, religion encourages the restriction of the body in most ways, and in Thailand, it encourages the celebration of the body. Both, however, come from a deep focus on the body. It's just the other side of the same coin. See Ez's blog for more about this.

So, keeping in mind this "other side of the coin" analogy, on to our actual experiences. We spent our first few days in Bangkok, where we pretty much ate, watched movies, got massages, and looked at Buddhist temples (wats) for 2 days straight. I was worried about Bangkok because a lot of travelers have had negative experiences there, but I have to say, food, movies, massages and Buddhism are not bad things. I really enjoyed myself.

At the Wat of the Reclining Buddha in Bangkok-- Wat Pho

Also, two things of note:

1. Thais love their king. I had been hearing that since I came to Asia, and always kind of figured that Thais "loved" their king because it was illegal not to (literally: it is illegal to say anything bad about him, or even to step on a coin because his face is on it). After being in Thailand for a few days, I actually believe that Thais love their king. Everywhere you go people wear shirts and Lance Armstrong bracelets that say "long live the king," and his picture, framed in gold, is everywhere. After the previews of every movie we saw, we were made to stand up while they played the King's Song and showed a montage of his life. I think I love the king now too.

2. Respect for Monks:

A sign posted above the bench on a water taxi

After Bangkok, on our way up to Chiang Mai in the north, we stopped at Thailand's ancient capital, Sukhothai, for a night to break up our trip. Even though we were there for less than 24 hours, it was one of my favorite days in Thailand. We stayed at the cutest guesthouse, that even had a pool! We spent the afternoon reading by the pool and swimming. That night, we stumbled upon the infamous....

We spent a few minutes marveling at its wonderfulness and taking pictures, when I heard a voice from behind say, in a somewhat offended tone, "it means 'crab' in Thai." It was a Western man with an accent, I'm guessing French. I responded that I had figured as much, but it was just humorous to us as English speakers. He looked less than amused. After a few minutes of chatting with him we found out he was the owner of the restaurant, which I guess was embarrassing for all of us. We ate there though, and it was very delicious. Although no crab on the menu.... ?

The next day before we got on the bus for Chiang Mai, we rented bicycles for $1 and spent 2 hours cycling around the ancient ruins. Just as beautiful as the ancient temples and Buddhas was the location itself-- ponds with lily pads, palm trees, a gorgeous lake. It was hot, but we were happy.

A peaceful Buddha from 100s of years ago

Chiang Mai was also a fantastic time. We had 3 full days there, which was enough time to experience a lot of things, but also to rest up and relax a bit. We literally had a massage every day, bringing up the total number of massages in Thailand to 5 each (we were only there 8 days) so far...we still have one more day when we get back from Cambodia. Also, we rented a moto for an entire day ($3), a great way to see the city. We took it up a mountain to see the "temple on the hill," Doi Suthep. A beautiful building with a beautiful view.

Doi Suthep

If you ever go to Thailand, you MUST take a cooking class. It was the most fun I'd had in a long time. After a full day of cooking on an organic farm and eating my own six-course meal, I was truly satisfied. I made curry paste, Green Curry Chicken, Coconut Chicken Soup, Cashew Chicken, Spring rolls, and mango and sticky rice. Ez made an entirely different meal, and together we had leftovers for dinner that night too.

My Cashew Chicken

I guess the way I can tie this all together is by saying that although I experienced more "bodily pleasures" in Thailand like food and massages than I ever do in Malaysia, both places have made me aware of myself and my body in a cultural context in ways that I just never think about back at home. In Malaysia, my shoulder is offensive. In Bangkok, the cute halter-top dress Kiyomi gave me is the least scandalous outfit of anyone's. In both places, though, I am more aware of how my body is viewed by others than I have ever been before, and I think it is because of the common need to focus on something physical, whether it be suppressing that physicality or letting it run wild. Of course, America is not exempt from this, and is the "third side" of that coin if you will, but sometimes you need to be shown the other sides to know that the coin exists at all.

Enjoy the photos posted from Thailand, and as our adventures in Cambodia unfold I will post more.

Love,

Sarah

Hong Kong & Macau: A Culinary Vacation

If you’ve spent time with me at some point during the last 5 months, then you know that one of the things I have been talking about incessantly is food. This was never an issue with me pre-Asia, but after living in Malaysia where, to say the least, food and I do not get along, I pretty much am constantly thinking about either Mexican food or a big juicy burger from In N Out. To make matters worse, since pork is something that does not occur in Terengganu where we live, I have developed a craving for it all the time (even though I could probably count the number of times I’d eaten pork before coming to Asia on one hand).

Lucky for me, I just spent the last 5 days in Hong Kong and Macau, lands of delicious international food and more pork than a pork-deprived girl could ask for. We began our adventure in Macau, a small island-ish country off the coast of China, about an hour’s ferry ride from Hong Kong. We only had 1 day there, so we made sure to use our time wisely. Since we were traveling with Fay and Peter (F&P), and they had been there once before, using our time wisely was very easy to do. After walking the colonial streets (thanks to Portugal) and taking in the beautiful architecture and prevalence of Portuguese AND Cantonese, we hit the casinos and buffets.

A colonial plaza in Macau

Besides being known for being close to China and colonial, Macau is also known for being a huge gambling spot for Chinese and Hong Kong tourists. Fay and Peter had a great time observing them and eating buffet food the last time they were there, so we let them be our guides. We ended up at the Sands Casino, where after an incredible splurge on a $30 buffet (endless sashimi, desserts, Chinese food, and BBQ PORK!!) all four of us cashed in about $2.50 each and hit the roulette tables. Needless to say, we all walked away $2.50 poorer. Thinking about it now though, I probably gained about 5 lbs that night, so I think I came out ahead.

Fay enjoying all-you-can-eat sashimi

After this very exciting and eventful day, Fay and Peter lead the way to the Hong Kong ferry, and we jumped aboard and headed for our guest house in Kowloon, the part of Hong Kong that is attached to mainland China and is a short ride across the water from Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong is a fabulous city; F&P mentioned that they would be able to live there if they ever had the opportunity, and I would have to agree (don’t worry, family, it’s not in my plans for any time soon). It’s very cosmopolitan on the HK Island side, and slightly reminiscent of KL with the high fashion mall culture. The Kowloon side was much homier, and felt culturally closer to China somehow (well, it was).

Kowloon

In HK, we did what any travelers in need of a city would do—we ate and shopped. To Peter’s amusement and Ezra’s amazement, my eating of pork for almost every meal continued. Also, with the help of F&P, I discovered something amazing: The Buff. This beautiful, soft, stretchy, multipurpose piece of cloth has changed my life by working as a headband, hair covering, hat, facemask, neckerchief, scarf, sweatband, wristband, and so much more. I heartily recommend it. Even more so than pork at this point.

Other HK highlights include taking the skytram straight up the side of Victoria Peak and ending up at the very top, looking out over all of Hong Kong from the country’s highest point.

At the top of Victoria Peak

We also made it over to Lantau Island on our last day, and took a 45 minute gondola ride REALLY high up over steep green slopes, through the wind, rain and fog, until we reached the Tian Tan Buddha. The rain and fog made it truly mystical as we ascended the many steps to the world’s largest bronze Buddha.

Tian Tan Buddha

Now, as we fly to Bangkok for our 10 days in Thailand, I have time to think about what my first East Asia experience has given to me. Besides the pork and the buff, being in Hong Kong and Macau really underscored the importance of recognizing diversity in Asia. Even though I know better, I think have in the past lumped all of Asia together as “the East,” and haven’t tried very hard to see how truly different “Asian” cultures are. HK was just as different of a city from KL as it was from San Francisco or London in my opinion, something that I probably wouldn’t have expected if I’d thought about it. It’s quite an exercise to really let go of all your preconceptions about a place, because often we don’t even know we have them until we’re surprised by the reality. Even though I see myself as a very open-minded person, I still have a lot to work on as far as seeing the world more objectively, and not from the lens of my own culture. Not that 100% objectivity is possible (or desirable?), but I think that the more we see a situation without our own cultural baggage, the better off we probably are.

Onward!

(Photos from HK & Macau are posted)

Three Weeks Off

Well folks, I am very happy to say that today is my last day of school for 3 whole weeks! Ez and I are leaving one week early for our two-week mid-semester break, and in my opinion it's a well-deserved week early. Of course, that does mean sacrifices, and I have to admit that I am a little bit sad to be missing 2 things:

1. An all-expenses paid trip to Redang Island with the other ETAs

2. Teacher's Day

The trip to Redang is the one trip that the State Government is treating us to, and I'm sure it will be fun. We will be there in spirit of course, imagining all of the ETA drama that will most likely arise!

Teacher's Day is something that unfortunately American teacher's are not appreciated enough to get: an entire day of the school year dedicated to honoring all teachers all over the country. From what I hear, every teacher gets a gift from each student, and are presented with skits, songs, and words of loving-kindness all day long. It truly must be something special, as the school halls here have been abuzz with the news for weeks now. I've even had some students tell me they have a special surprise for me, and haven't had the heart to tell them yet that I won't be there. I will have to do that today. Sigh.

[BREAKING NEWS STORY: Just as I was writing this, my new mentor told me that I will get SO many flowers on Teacher's Day. I reminded her that I won't be here, and she got very sad and said I was missing out. Then she said, "Well if you were going to be here, I would tell you to wear earrings and make-up because you would look prettier." Oh the Malaysian roller coaster of life.]

So, that's what I am missing out on but, now, I must look towards the future:

Tonight we're taking the overnight bus to KL, spending tomorrow morning there picking up our last minute needs (bug spray, American dollars), and then meeting up with Fay and Peter again at the Airport. Fay just spent a lovely 5 days with us in Hulu Terengganu visiting our schools and writing her novel, while Peter stayed in the Perhentian Islands getting his advanced scuba certification. Tomorrow we will al be united as we travel together to Macau and then Hong Kong. 

After spending 5 days in Hong Kong, Fay and Peter will travel into China, and Ez and I will fly to Bangkok for our 10 or so days in Thailand. Our plans are not fixed, but so far we want to spend a few days in Bangkok, and then head North to Chiang Mai. After Thailand, we will cross the border into Cambodia and spend a little under a week in Siem Reap, visiting Angkor Wat and the many temples of Angkor. We return home to Malaysia the night of June 6th, giving us 2 whole days at home before we have to go back to school on the 9th. I have to say that I am pretty stoked about this plan.

It has become a bit of a routine for me the past few years to think about my goals before heading out on a new phase of life. As I leave the first 2/3 of my Malaysia experience behind, I have been thinking about what I want for the immediate future. This 3 week trip seems pretty important, as it is a time to travel, learn new things about the world, and reflect on my experiences in Asia so far. So, here are my four main goals:

1. Go with the flow. Life can be too frustrating in this part of the world if I try to plan everything out so, instead, I want to be prepared to take any path that is revealed to me.

2. Use my time away from Terengganu to think about what more I have to give here. Amongst all the frustrations and drama I've dealt with here, I've started to experience a little burnout. I know there is so much more I can do, so I want to use this break to forget about all the negativity and focus on how I can make the last 2 months of school really meaningful for both my kids and myself.

3. Consciously learn something new from every place I visit. What is the point of traveling if you can't take something away from each experience and apply it to your own life?

4. Remember to appreciate all the opportunities and experiences I have. With all of the suffering that goes on in the world, especially in this region the past week or so, it feels unfair that I can just pack my bags and see the world for 3 whole weeks. There really is no way to make up for that, but I think it's important to remember just how lucky we really are to be able to live the way we do, and to promise ourselves that with the education we receive and all of the privileges we have, comes the responsibility to make the world a better place in all ways, big and small, that we can. So, that is my goal.

I will do my best to blog and post pictures along the way, so please stay in touch! 

Love,

Sarah

Photos & Videos

I finally have new photos posted from April, and a new video from a few weeks back. Enjoy!

Malaysia's Greatest Hits: Part 1

My grant is more than halfway done, and I feel like it's time for me to reflect on what I really love about this place. It's easy to get bogged down and frustrated, but there is a lot to appreciate here, so it's about time that I present to you "Malaysia's Greatest Hits: Part 1."

The Night Market (Pasar Malam) in Kuala Berang

Every Tuesday, I get a ride over to Ezra's school

 in Kuala Berang, and meet up with him for his improv class. After class, we ride over to the Pasar Malam for dinner. We get the usual; chicken satay with peanut sauce, roti canai, naan, seasoned garbanzo beans, vegetable porridge, kuey teow noodles (like chow fun), and another roti canai for dessert. We take a seat at the market-side cafe and order drinks. It is the best part of my week, as I get to spend time with Ez, eat food I like and gain a little bit of my weight back.

My friend Umi

On our way to the Pasar Malam on Tuesdays, we always stop off at our favorite little fabric

 store to visit my friend Umi. I met her buying pants at the store in February.  She was immediately my best friend, and I look forward to chatting with her every week. Something I really love about her is that she is not afraid of physical contact. Most Malays here avoid touching me other than shaking hands, and any time I've ever tried to hug anyone it is SUPER awkward. Not Umi. She hugs me tightly every time we see each other, and holds my hand the entire time we talk. I feel at home with her, and it is nice to have a home here. This is Umi (in the middle) sewing up my shirt when it ripped.

Riding the Moto

Living in such a rural area, 

I sometimes feel isolated, as it can be 2 or 3 days

 before I ever leave my school grounds. So, when I hop on the back of Ez's moto and leave the school, I feel free. There is nothing like feeling the breeze as you pass fields of palm trees and green hills. Ez taught me to drive the moto myself, but I haven't taken it out on the road. I'm not sure that will happen. Ez is a great driver, and I like being the passenger in this case. 

Laughter and Singing

Students at my school are absolutely obsessed with music. 

Therefore, every chance they get they ask me to play songs for them, and print out the lyrics for them to sing along. I've spent many a recess sitting in the library with a group of 10 kids singing along to songs ranging from "You are My Sunshine" to "My Humps." Recently, I seem to have formed a Latin American music club, where 5 or so kids who love Spanish soap operas have asked me to play Juanes songs for them. We sing along in Spanish and I translate for them. Now, every so often I am greeted with "Buenos días" and "Como estás?" which makes me feel right at home.

Also, laughter is a huge part of my experience here. Sometimes I am sure my students are laughing at me, but a lot of the time I am making them laugh, which is a fabulous experience. There is nothing like standing in front of a classroom of 30 kids and making a really corny joke, and then hearing them laugh for a good 3 minutes.

Ikman

This is Ikman. He is a Form 1 student (age 13) and is undoubtedly the best English student in the class. He is also the most adorable; the smallest in the class by a large

 margin, Ikman is always the most enthusiastic of anyone. Most teachers are always 5-10 minutes late for class, a habit which I have picked up as well. But, Ikman does not tolerate my tardiness. Every Wednesday without fail, as I am sitting at my desk and gathering up my teaching materials to take with me to my Form 1 class, in walks Ikman asking where I have been.

"Ms. Sarah, it's time for class!"

"Ok, Ikman, I'm coming!"

Then he walks me to the classroom smiling the whole way. 

It's good to have things to count on here. Whether its the night market or Ikman poking his head through the office door, it keeps me sane and happy.

Stay tuned for Part 2 in August...

(Also- see photo section for new pictures!)