Domestic Help...

So today began our entrance into the world of the "oma" or is it "ohma"...not sure, for us it is "Rita". She was on time today and really did a great job, even taking care of some things that we had not discussed when we first spoke. Folding clan laundry, doing dishes...she was a huge help! I am still not all that comfortable with sitting around while someone else does stuff that I can (and have) do. Because of the construction going on next door our porch has been a filthy mess, covered with all this black dust, she spent a good 20-30 min cleaning the porch as well, and it looked awesome...Rox and I actually sat out there together tonight...it was nice. I could get used to this whole "Oma" thing, and next week she will begin to cook for us, she insists on only fresh produce, fresh spices, and nothing that comes out of a can...I really do like this lady, my hope is that she is not too good to be true! So The first part of the day was my morning run, then meeting with Rita, then Brenna came home from school...she actually walked up on her own...I don't like that though, so that is the last time for that, Brenna asked if she could come up on her own from now on...ah no...I am really proud of her though, she has started to just come home and do her homework without even being asked...it is so nice when she does that!! Sometimes she just flat out surprises me...I love my Brenna Boo! So dinner was simple, the BBQ chicken and duck from the market, with rice and steamed pole beans...awesome!! well it should be an early night, but Rox has a call tonight and I have a new episode of the AMC show "The Killing" god bless Itunes!! so it is goodnight gang, I hope you all had a great memorial day, not something that is celebrated here, but we recognized it in our own way. Brenna does have off at the end of the week for her mid term break, and then Monday is a national holiday...I think its called "Kings day" not sure about that...I really wish that some of you could see this place, Penang has more to offer us every day, and although we know this might be the only way to share it with some of you...deep inside it is a dream for the three of us that we will have visitors here, just so we can share with you this beautiful and magical place!! Until tomorrow, Goodnight!

Monday at the Market!

A very gentle morning, Rox off to work and Brenna off to school, no problems...I was feeling a bit run down after our exciting weekend and my early Sunday wake up call. It was a market day though, and I had to get some fruit as well as produce today...before my visits to Pulau tikas were just fruit and veg, today it will also include some chicken, duck, and fish...That will be interesting!! So on the way up to the market, my walk has become somewhat routine...there is always this little old Malay man just outside the market, an he has fruit also, I usually try and buy at least one thing from him, today it was a huge papaya, and some more of the longan fruit that I got last time...he says they are from his own farm...not sure about that, but ok. The funny part is he tries to hit me up again when I come back out...I don't think he remembers me...Anyway, I got going a bit late, so the lady I have gotten duck and pork from the last two Mondays, was not there anymore and the husband and wife right behind her were still there, but nearly everything that was there was spoken for, I did get some duck, and also some chicken from them, already BBQ, so that will be good, but I have to get there earlier...to get the good stuff!! So the uncooked chicken lady was right at the front and she had only two full birds left, so she cut up one for me...I wanted two full breasts on the bird, but she cut them up too...something got lost in the translation...I think that there are times when I need to speak slower, and listen more attentively! Onto Dallas, my veggie guy and the stall next to his for my fruit...picked up corn,sweet potatoes, baking potatoes and tomatoes. Again I got there late so the broccoli was gone and his stuff was pretty picked over. The fruit guy was no better, got banana, mango, blueberries (from Plant City, no less)...not as much as last time as the selection was poor...late, damn!! Onto the fish...very first guy i came to had a beautiful cut of snapper already filleted, and tried to give me the head also, I said no thanks, we are not at the stage where we can do the fish head curry at home yet. Ok so this was a heavy bunch of stuff, and by the time I made it back home I was drenched...good workout!! So the next bid was to change and then off to the gym for a workout, see running blog. Back home again and almost time for Brenna to get off the bus, when I get a very odd email from my bride, she is begging me to take our lovely peach of a child, to McDonald's...and get this, so she can get a coke-a-cola glass!! McDonald's has glasses that are part of a meal deal giveaway, they look like coke cans, and come in a variety of cool colors...Roxanne wants the neon green one. the reason why this is so funny to me is that this is a woman who never has a want for anything...they only time i see her truly excited about "stuff" is artwork and pictures...so for her to be that much enamored with a glass from McDonald's, that's just funny!! so Brenna got McDonald's again tonight so Roxanne could have a neon green Coke glass...Brenna was thrilled!! Well we have continued to think and plan for the summer, and what we are going to do to make the time go a bit quicker, and we have lots of ideas...we just need to get 2 nailed down and then book them so we don't miss out on the good airfare and the good hotel rates. Our Oma starts tomorrow, this should be interesting indeed!! Early night to bed...Another great day in Penang!! Goodnight all, until tomorrow!!

What a Day!! (Sunday)

May be one of the best Sundays in Penang, thus far!! I had my first race here this morning, so I got a very early 4:30AM start to the day, The race went very well, and I finished 9th in my age group, and from the looks of it, in the top 25 overall, so not a bad start to the racing part of this adventure!! I got home to find my girls still sleeping in, as it was barely 9:00AM I cant blame them!!. We had two things planned for this afternoon, Brenna and I to the Soccer experience, and Roxanne to the Gym! We figured it would be a light day at the experience as the Mn U vs. Barcelona game was on at 2:00 this morning, so we figured some parents and kids would be sleeping it off. Brenna and I had a good time, she had a tougher time today, getting hit once in the face and another time in the chest, the latter a pretty hard knock...she soldiered on though and kept playing...I really hope that this team sport experience gives he a bit of a tougher exterior and may be, just may be, puts the kibosh on some of the drama. Brenna played well and got another assist...her first goal is coming, I can feel it!! We had a nice lunch with out Friends Jo,Simon, and their son OB and Kevin who was headed to a play date with OB and is another kid in Brenna's class. Subway was the choice today as it is reasonable inexpensive, and close to the soccer experience. We had some good conversation, discussing some of the destinations around to visit over the summer. We walked back home, showered and changed quickly and got over to Gurney Plaza to check out Kung Fu Panda 2...The movies here are very different, as I think I have said once before, other than the cost which is very inexpensive. There is the process...seats are assigned, you must wait for them to open the theater that you will be seeing the movie in, no going in early, and the sound is at times unbearable, but we seem to be the only ones who have a problem with it...It was a really good movie, I recommend seeing it!! We exited the movie and then went right to get some groceries...just provisions, fruit/veg/meat this week will all come from the Pulau Tikas wet market!! That will be my adventure tomorrow. A nice relaxing night at home, followed by early to bed, we were a tired crew after a long day in the sun for Brenna and I and a good workout at the gym for Rox!! Great day in Penang today!! Goodnight all!! Will try and post Mondays at the proper time...I am even getting a bit screwed up with which blog goes with which day....

Saturday!!

So nice to have a day off with the family...it was a long week for some reason, still just 5 days, but felt longer. So we watched the Lightning game this morning, ASTRO, the local cable company picked up the feed, so disappointing...The Lightning had a great year, and although the talking heads have had Boston picked to go to the final all year..The lightning gave them one hell of a run. Its looking like the days of being bottom feeders is over, hopefully the fans will continue to support them. I just have one  thing to say to the Boston fans though...at least the ones that I have seen post on the social networking sites, where do you get off calling us bad fans...you guys jump on and off bandwagons so much its almost criminal...Tim Thomas is a perfect example Rask was the second coming all season and into the first round, Tim Thomas was washed up, too old, DONE. now he is your hero and savior, so don't act so high and mighty, besides the only thing that was ever good that came from Boston was the Dropkick Murphys...and you know it!! ok that's enough of that...So we headed off to the Youth park, so I could pick up my bib, and stuff for the race tomorrow. The bib was cloth, I have never seen that before, we usually have paper bibs, or that weird plastic paper stuff...no chip either so it is not a timed race. The Youth park was really nice, and the Monkeys were everywhere, and not the singing kind either!!

We hung out for a bit watching them until the officers that patrol the park chased us away...I think they are really trying to keep them as wild as possible and avoid them getting aggressive with anyone, they can mess someone up if you piss them off!! We headed back home and decided that we would try and go to see Kung Fu Panda 2, and after waiting in a really long line for tickets, we found that almost all the shows for the rest of the day were sold out, so we bought tickets for Sunday. We headed home and cooked dinner and headed off to bed early, as it was an early day for me Sunday, up by 4:45am out by 5:15am...so off to bed, goodnight you guys!! until tomorrow! another great day here in Penang!!

Not much going on...

So Friday has been a really laid back day here, Run this morning, to give me at least 1 day off before the race on Sunday, Then some relaxing on the porch and by the pool. Brenna got home and we hung out and played some games, then Rox got home. we booked our flight home for Christmas time, and then went and got some dinner. Early night to bed...not much really going on today, the weekend should be more interesting with the Lightning playing game 7 tomorrow morning, heading out to the botanical garden, and then the race Sunday... Good day in Penang!! Goodnight all!!

No Show...

So today was the day our domestic help was supposed to start, This is really something that is very uncomfortable for me, I think more for me than anyone else, because I have to be here when she is. I really feel that I should clean up my own mess, I know that sounds juvenile...I guess this is just a very different part of this experience for me. So Brenna got off on the bus fine and Roxanne got off to work, I had a good workout at the gym, and a nice bit of people watching at the coffee bean, I really love their Jasmine tea, I'm sure that there is better tea around, but for now this is my BEST. So Rita was supposed to come by at 12:00...12:00 came and went, no Rita, 12:30, no Rita...13:00, no Rita...your getting the idea...I really hate that our first experience with domestic help is such a negative one, especially when she seems like such a nice woman...Maybe when I cancelled for Tuesday, she thought that it was for the week...for now we are going to see what happens next week, and if she does not show next week or we don't here from her...we will go in a different direction...Now the discomfort for me is rising...I need to just let it go. Oh, I got to watch the lightning win this morning, that was really cool, I liked the fact that our fans threw stuff at the Boston players, not because I think that it is right, but because we have always been seen as a bandwagon sports market, and I think sometimes we are...but throwing stuff at the opposing team puts us with the Philly and New York fans...in a really bad way, but still...I think even if they lose in game 7 this season is a win for them! Brenna got home, she finished her homework, so glad that is getting easier!! Rox got home and we again were in no mood to cook, so we went and got some food, and then spent a relaxing night at home. Well TGIF tomorrow, and a big race this weekend!! Another great day in Penang, goodnight all!!

Wednesday!

I look forward to Wednesdays, Brenna is home from school early, and i get to play some football also, both are good things!! Got a run in this morning, which was good, came home to the ants in the kitchen, which sucks!! Not like I can run to home depot and get some any bait, or call our pest control people to get a treatment...We will figure it out though!! Anyway. Brenna was home at 1:00, she got her homework done no problem...i am so glad that that is getting easier, wish this was the beginning of term and not the end, we are going to have to re-establish all these good habits that she is finally practicing, after the summer is over. Nina was again nice enough to agree to keep tabs on Brenna for the 2 hours that I was at the Soccer Experience, We are really going to miss them, It is nice for Brenna to have a playmate so close, they go back to the US at the end of the school year. Soccer was fun today, I still stink out loud, but I am getting better at the game itself, and i got to play goalie today...I did not do to bad, but I still have the hockey goalie mind...I still move in small arcs around the goal, and this is a much bigger goal. Still i made some saves, and did not make others...not bad though. It was a good run and a good sweat, walking here is a good sweat for me...I noticed that I sweat a lot, which id good I guess, effective cooling, but its uncomfortable... So back home, got Brenna from Nina's, and she had a great time with Katie, it seems they had gotten a care package from home and it had some of Katie's things in it and she and Brenna had fun with all of her new things!! Roxanne was home not long after that, and Dinner was on the table not long after that, and then it was family game night, and an early night to bed for us all...Good day in Penang today, tomorrow our domestic help starts, that will be very very weird, I don't know if I will be able to get used to that...Well until tomorrow! Good night you guys!

The days are becoming more routine!

Today was a good day, because the routine held!! YES!! With Brenna and Rox safely off to work and school respectfully, I got in a workout, and then spent the rest of the morning shopping at the Pulau Tikas wet market, mostly for fruit and veggies, I really love getting stuff this way, fresh, inexpensive, and the whole experience is just better! So back home with my purchases, and I am noticing that our ant problem is getting worse, they are those little "ghost ants" that we used to get in Florida, i think they call them sugar ants also, really tiny and move really fast...gotta get some traps or get an exterminator in here! so after a bit of porch time with the paper, I headed to Brenna's school to do the guided reading and also meet with Brenna's teacher to go over her progress thus far. The guided reading went great, the kids in her class are so smart and so respectful! The meeting with the teacher went off really well, main points...Brenna is doing very well academically, she is even in the teachers assessment a bit above the work they are doing, the "but" to that is when she actually chooses to put in her best effort! I am sure any of the Grace folks who are following this blog, will know this of Brenna first hand...She struggled in the beginning, with "playing" Mrs. Msaka, mostly the drama game (again Grace Lutheran folks, hello). Mrs. Msaka had no part of it and generally ignored it, reinforcing the expectation, or sending her out of the classroom...It has worked, as it always does!! the interesting part is that Mrs. Msaka was out for  a few days and Brenna tested the sub, for about a day...and then that was it, so I think she is finding that just as it was in Grace, the Brenna game is a no go! We are very happy that she had Mrs. Msaka as her first teacher, and although it is very different than it was at home, we have had to adjust also, Brenna seems to be adjusting well. the summer, and then the transition to year 4 next year will be interesting as there are quite a few kids that are in her class and the other year 3 class that will not be there, so although there will be a few left, most if not all of the girls that she has befriended will be going home...This we expect will be hard on our little girl, she is stronger than we think sometimes, and we have to remember that next year she wont be the "new kid" anymore, and Brenna LOVES to play host,teacher,cruise director,supervisor...pick your position of authority (it is a kind gentle authority) and she will have a chance to do that with the new kids that begin next year...that will be good for her, she will be the one to show them around and help them to get adjusted, like the kids this year did for her. Another interesting thing is that next year she is very likely to have a male teacher...she has never had that before and we are curious to see how that goes. Well with our meeting at school done, home was the destination, Rox had some work calls to make and take, Brenna had homework and I had dinner to cook...Well I ended up asleep on the couch and the hour grew late, so we scrapped the original meal plan and went with pasta, cooks up easy...again, you can see the routine beginning to shine through, we are more relaxed here every day. So that's it for today gang, another Good day in Penang...hope you had a good day too!! Goodnight!!

Busy day in Penang!



nice sunset tonight over the straits of Malacca

Well I was busy, Rox felt really badly when she got up this morning, so she spent most of the day in bed. Brenna got a rid into school this morning, as Nina (neighbor) had to take her youngest in via car, so she offered to take Brenna also, such nice people. I got a run in this morning (see blog 2). then got home and decided to register for another run, which took me down into Georgetown...I decided to walk down and really get my exercise in, almost a 3 mile walk. Walking around here can be interesting, not only the sights and the smells, but you do take your life in your hands...I actually had a man on a motorcycle turn towards me (I don't think he saw me) so I figured "pedestrian motorbike chicken" Lets Play!! I stood my ground and he swerved around me, he had to beep though so I will call it a draw!! My walk back from 31 Lorong Seratus Tahun, where I had to drop off my registration, found me facing the torrential downpour that seems to come every afternoon right around 12:30 -13:00...I did bring an umbrella too, the problem is that the rain does not fall strait up and down, it tends to fall sideways, so an umbrella is only good for one thing...it keeps the rain falling from the trees from getting right on top of your head, the rest of you, including the underside of the umbrella is soaked! As the rain slowed I was passing a street cart selling fresh fruit and decided that since I did not get to the Wet Market on time today, I would treat my soaked to the skin self with some fruit. I got some golden watermelon, pineapple, papaya, lyeche, and longan...I was the happiest soaking wet guy I knew...and can you believe it all of that for only 3 Ringgit!! that's like $1US!! Awesome, I mean street food is always your best option here, its fresh, its well made, and it is generally inexpensive, some of it is down right super spicy hot, but if you know what to get, you are pretty safe. So the long walk home was made better by a big bag of fruit. the skies cleared as I walked into the entrance way of our apartment (of course). I found Roxanne feeling a bit better, and spent some time watching a little football, but it was nearly time to go down and meet Brenna's bus. Brenna got home and begrudgingly did her homework, you know i give her a hard time about not wanting to do the homework, but i hated doing it also, and took the same shortcuts that she tries to take. She is just so much smarter than I was at her age that I feel like if I don't push her a bit she will get lazy, and as we have said already the school tends to expect a bit more from her. We have a meeting with Brenna's teacher tomorrow after school, I have my reading group at school tomorrow, and we are supposed to have Rita our domestic help start tomorrow, so tomorrow might just turn out to be very busy as well. I texted Rita though to see if we can wait until Thursday to begin, I have not gotten a response yet so I am expecting to see her...not sure what to do then, i guess just leave her here to do her stuff and lock the door when I go. that makes me nervous as hell, we will be locking up the valuables if that is going to happen (we have most of them locked up anyway. I hate that I think that way, but I do... We finished the night with a relaxing meal at our favorite Dim Sum restaurant, not on the menu for today, but we were all a bit tired and did not feel like cooking...better for you than McDonald's!! (I guess). so that's it for today, hopefully I can get over to the wet market tomorrow morning after I get Brenna on the bus, I am missing my nightly Mango fix!! I just set up another 5 liters of Kombucha to brew...I'm going to try and leave this one for 10-14 days rather than the 7 I have been doing, and see how it comes out, i will check it on day 10, just to make sure that it is not bitter, I do like it a bit sweet. Well you guys, Another great day in Penang, for me anyway, and I think for Brenna, Rox had kind of a rotten day, but seems to be feeling better! Good night all!!

Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!!

Well it turned out to be a fairly lazy Sunday, we were all a bit worn out, so we slept in (that was not the plan for this guy, but that is covered in another blog). We got out at around 11:00 to go to the Soccer Experience, and Rox went and worked out. Brenna is really getting so much better, she is now not as scared of the ball and really tries to involve herself in the play...she is still unsure of the rules and is often running with the ball in the wrong direction...mostly because the other team will not try to take it from her if she goes that way...the cry on the football pitch that can be heard often is "Brenna, wrong way!!" she is having fun with it though and there is still a strong group of girls her age who like to play and show up every Sunday. Martin really runs a great program and has been a big part of our positive transition to Penang. We will be watching him tonight on ASTRO channel 817 as he does his commentary and analysis of the English Premiere League games. This is a big night in the EPL, it is the night where teams fight to stay up in the big league, and there are a few games on that will decide if they do or not, should be fun to watch! So after the soccer experience, we decided to get some stuff done around here and then get some lunch (late) and then get some groceries. For lunch we ended up at...I hate to say this...McDonald's...I was not willing to eat that crap, but Brenna really wanted McDonald's, and she has not had it since our first day here, so we gave in and figured we would eat something else somewhere else. I know I have said this before, McDonald's....PACKED...I mean it was 3:00pm and it was wall to wall people, 4 registers going and a 5 person line at each register...I was so hungry by the time we finally ate that I did have a chicken sandwich...if anything will get my butt motivated to get back to the running in a big way, eating like crap is the ticket!! Grocery shopping done, back home. Brenna had a small melt down, when she was told no play date with Katie till she finished her homework...we are having some trouble with her thinking that the house is hers to run and that the rules although laid down by mom and dad, are often up for debate, whining, or outright defiance. So we had a little family discussion, laid down some ground rules, and the homework got done. I then helped the boo hang some of the pictures in her room. We had some dinner, home made french bread pizza! yum! now rox and Brenna are watching a movie, while I blog...gotta get to bed so i can hit that 5am wake up and run...Another good day in Penang!! goodnight you all!!

Another day of unpacking, and time out with a friend.

So I did get a run in this morning before the rain started, a bit over 4 miles, but quick, little tempo run to see if I could still make 7's here...more on another blog. Anyway, we did some more unpacking and organizing and decided that we brought WAY too much stuff! The only one that has not made that decision is Brenna who is very happy to have her room full of her stuffed animals and her stuff in general...I am glad for her because it seems to have made her more at ease...she seems to feel more like this is home now, because her room looks more like "her room". The next big project for us is to try and get the pictures hung on the wall, these are concrete walls so getting a way to hang stuff up is a bit of a struggle, at home we would go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get some of those 3M picture hangers, here I have no idea what to do or where to go...we have seen some of these weird plastic hooks with 4 small nails that you can tap in around, I am just not sure how much they can hold, our mission at some point today will be to find them and see! So the house is getting better organized, and we are finding that the place is "smelling"better, I think with as much open space as there was it was difficult to move the air around, and it would often smell quite stale, we now have more in the house, so the air moves better and the staleness seems to be leaving, even Brenna has commented that it smells better. Well after a day spent organizing and unpacking, we met one of Roxanne's friends and colleagues, at the G-Hotel, so that we could get some dinner, so we walked down to Kapitans, and had a great meal, and really good conversation. We headed home and decided to continue the conversation and show off our place, and there was some good football on TV. We had a nice night, and although it was well after midnight, we enjoyed ourselves very much...nice to have guests! Well another good day here in Penang!! Goodnight everyone!!

Sea Shipment arrives!!

So today was a big day for the Neilson clan here in penang, the arrival of our Sea Shipment, the larger of the two shipments that we get. This one had some of our furniture in it, the rest of Brenna's toys, alot of our Kitchen stuff, pictures and nik nacks that make a house a home. Before that arrived though we did get to watch the lightning...lose, that was disappointing, one of the only hockey games we have gotten to see this playoff, and they lay an egg like that...ah well, they have had a great season!! We spent a good part of the day directing where boxes should go, then another significant part of the day directing where to put things when the boxes were empty. The sad part is that we are missing a box and we are missing some of our things, mostly our pottery from Maine, and a piece from a Lakeland art show. The saddest thing we are missing is Tigger's (our cat) ashes, in the urn we bought. We are hoping they find our missing box, the things in it are not replaceable. We were happy that we got the rest of it though, especially Brenna, her room is filled to exploding with stuffed animals now, and she was so happy that it all made the house "smell like home!" After the unpacking was done and some sorting, we decided to go up to the Persian/Indian rug auction and the Malacca Woodwork's show at the Eastern and Orient Hotel. We loved a few of the rugs that were there, and thought that we might be able to leave our highest bid with someone there, but before we did that we looked at the Malacca Woodwork's furniture...Wow, that's all I can really say, WOW, we loved a few pieces, but were looking for a book shelf, we decided on one we liked and went with the furniture instead of the rug, and we will be ordering at least one more piece at a later date. This is such beautiful furniture, and all hand made. We decided to get some dinner as we were all starving and ended up at Dome (with all of the great food around us we seem to end up at these crap food joints all the time) It is sometimes easier with Brenna to just do the places that have burgers, kills the eating right stuff for Rox and I, but Brenna boo was happy and that is a good thing!! Home again to finish some further sorting of stuff, getting Brenna's room sorted out, and in general getting more organized. Brenna got to Skype her school class back at home, that was fun for her!! Well here I am it is 24:44am on 21/05...It has been another great day here in Penang, until tomorrow!! Goodnight all!!

A rainy start!

Up early with Rox, Brenna could not sleep, might have been the rain...not sure, but we were all up early. Rox hates it when we get the morning rains as it always makes her drive in trouble. Brenna hates the morning rain, because the school bus windows leak and daddy hates the morning rain, because it gets in the way of running...so it was a happy house this morning but everyone was grumbling just a bit! So with Rox off to work and Brenna off to school, I had the morning to relax a bit, then head to the gym and face my nemesis (see more in the running blog). Following my workout, i needed to get up to the post office to pay our phone bill, water bill and sewage bill. I really do love the convenience of this "one stop shop" for all the bills, especially since we don't have a checking account and cannot mail stuff in, we could pay online, but we don't have a local account to do that, so the fact that I don't have to travel to three different places is a blessing!! After my trek to the post, I made a little lunch, and then Boo was home, she never went to her after school class, but it was nice to have her home early. She and I took a trip to Cold Storage to get some provisions...A friend posted a really delicious recipe for healthy pancakes that I just had to try, so i needed some stuff for them as well. We also had a visit from Peggy and she advised that we should be seeing our electric bill soon, and we need not worry...I hate to say it, but not only is that EXACTLY what I expected her to say, it also offered me zero relief! Rox will be home tomorrow as we await delivery of our sea shipment, I think each of us is excited by that for different reasons, for me, its the scale...and the movies! A routine sort of day round these parts!! Another great day in Penang!! until tomorrow, goodnight all!!

school and soccer...ooops sorry "football!"

So Brenna went back to school today and Roxanne went back to work, it was nice having 4 days off with my wife I actually felt like I saw her and spoke to her...good things indeed!! Brenna has a short day today so not much for me to do in-between, so I did some more hamstring work with my TP roller and my regular roller. then iced it, did some stretching, it is feeling better, but my hamstrings are known to be cagey buggers, feel better, go back out and try to do stuff and "ping/wrench" it just binds back up again...so I will take it easy today if I head down to the soccer experience...Brenna got home from school, with some homework to do, so she ate some lunch and started her reading work. I noticed that in her homework book she was given high praise by her teacher for her last reading assignment and she earned two points for her house (she is in red house). Daddy is so proud of his little girl, especially when she gives something her full effort, she is so smart!! Anyway..at around 1:15 the sky's opened up, and I was hoping it would at least slow down by the time we had to leave, it did, and cooled it off a bit. The walk down to SE was uneventful. today was actually allot of fun, the two teams were pretty evenly matched, and I did not stand out (badly) with my sub par play too badly...I scored again...a garbage goal though, made some good passes, still having trouble where to be on the pitch...getting there though by watching the better players...Its fun, and I will continue to use it as such. While we were there I spoke to a woman who is currently running an after school program for younger kids, its about hand/eye coordination and spacial relationships, and fun...she is not going to be able to continue the program after the summer and asked me If I would like to take it over, so I am going to arrive earlier next Wednesday, and see what she does...I know, I see some of you shaking your heads already, ME and a group of 4-5 year olds...not a pretty picture...well you are kinda right, but I did work for the children's home for almost a year, so I think I can do this!! OH COME-ON!! ye of little faith!! Brenna and I had a nice walk home, she got in an hour nap, which means she wont go to sleep tonight, ans then we had a nice dinner after Roxanne got home. We skyped all the grandmas, Nanny, Grandy and Grandma, which was good! Then Rox and I spent the rest of tonight trying to figure out why we have not gotten an electric bill and if we would suffer the same fate that many who have worked with Peggy before us have suffered (you remember Peggy...) having there electric cut off because the bill went to her and she never paid it... so we will, strike that, I will, be meeting with Peggy tomorrow to get it sorted out. Roxanne did email the owner and he offered an explanation, but it entailed him having paid the bill up until the next billing cycle, which does not seem fair at all...so we will see what Peggy says and we may end up having to go down to the Electric company....I will however be paying the sewer bill, the water bill and the phone bill at the post office tomorrow...very convenient!! I hope...something tells me that I may have some problems...ah well it will all work out!! Well that will end another good day in Penang...until tomorrow...Goodnight all!!

Happy Wesak Day!

Hey, Happy Wesak Day everyone. Big celebration day today for Buddha's birthday, Friends invited us to watch the celebration with them and get some dinner beforehand, at Kapitans! The day began very lazy, since Rox and Brenna had the day off, we ate a relaxing breakfast (I LOVE coconut milk on cereal, and in oatmeal, and just cold right out of the box). We spent the morning getting some stuff done around the condo, and then headed for lunch at Chili's (ok I hate Chili's for anything, garbage processed crap, but we do have Brenna and although she ate duck last night, and her tastes are changing, she does need that hamburger fix now and again, I think we all do. Anyway, after that it was up to Parkson for some needed kitchen supplies and to Wilson's (the drug store, not the volleyball or the company that makes him) for some real "Tiger Balm" and an Ice pack...I really need one, stupid hamstring. Parkson was necessary because we cant run our ice maker anymore without flooding the kitchen, you see the last time that we had that bad leak, it was from the feed for the ice maker, the solution to fix it was just to leave it without being hooked up, so it still is not hooked up, and unless we want to wait out another plumber, we need to come up with an alternative, so Ice Trays it is, Roxanne likes ice in her drinks! I also needed another bottle for my Kombucha, I am up to brewing almost 6 liters at a time, and it seems to be getting better as well, last batch was the best I have brewed so far. We also needed envelopes. Boring stuff yes...Ok so we dropped off our stuff and relaxed a bit, watched the monsoon come in across the mountains, and then headed down to Kapitans to meet our friends; Simon, Jo and their two sons Oliver and the baby Sami. Brenna always has such fun with Oliver, we were hoping that she would watch the parade if Ob did, but instead she found a dog to play with and she and Ob ran around (it was good for her though)

The Wesak parade was really cool, lots of music and chanting, some really cool floats and the majority of the rain held off until the end. We also got some small Buddhist flags, and the kids got candy. As one of the last floats went by i went out into the street to get a blessing from the monks. really cool how people here embrace the many cultures that exist!! here are a few pictures from the parade.

An interesting tidbit that we learned tonight, in Buddhism, a Swastika represents resignation. It is usually found in the images of Buddha on his chest, palms, soles of feet. It is called the WAN symbol in Chinese and MAN in Japanese. The word Swastika is derived from the Sanskrit and means, "conducive to well- being". S-vasti in Sanskrit is translated as, "It is well".
The Swastika represents the Heart of the Buddha Shakyamuni, resignation of spirit, all happiness that humanity desires, mind, infinity, all, many, 10,000. The Germans actually reversed it for their symbol, and the floats tonight were decorated with the correct symbol...little strange to see it adorn  a float for such a happy occasion, until you know the history of the symbol. We had a blast and really felt a part of the community tonight. Brenna got some time with her friend, it was a good night and a good day in Penang. Well I think that is it for today you all, have a good night!

Pulau Tikas Wet Market.

Today was an off day for Roxanne, the plant was closed for the holiday (Wesak Day, in honor of the birth of Buddha). We decided to walk down to the Wet Market after getting Brenna on the bus for school. We also had some things to mail, so we swung into the post office as well. Ok the wet market was a great idea, and we will be going back for all of our produce. the fruit was all good, fresh and inexpensive. We bought Bananas that had been freshly cut from the tree, mango (two kinds, the local and a larger Indian mango. We checked out the veggies and got some corn, we ill go back for the carrots, potatoes, and perhaps some of the greens, once we are more familiar. The we moved onto the seafood, it smelled great in the seafood house, very fresh, and many varieties of fish, crabs, and huge prawns. We will have to look at what and how to prepare the fish and that will be a regular part of our cooking as well. We made it back around front, when we walked in there were two stalls with smoked and grilled meats (Chicken, Duck and pork) I had to go with the whole duck for $29 ringgit (about $10US). The butcher was nice enough to cut it for us, throw in the head and neck parts, and also throw in some chili and soy sauce, AWESOME!!

We headed home with our stuff, and decided to head to the gym. We walked down and had a nice conversation on the way. the gym is good and we got in a nice workout. We walked back, and Rox had some work stuff to do, I watched some TV, and then it was time to get Brenna from the bus stop. We had planned to meet with "Rita" our prospective domestic helper today, we had some trouble getting with her and two earlier appointments had to be cancelled. She cam by around 18:00 hrs. We met, talked, expressed to her what we were looking for and came to an agreement on schedule and price for service. she will start next Tuesday and work two days for now, cooking and cleaning. This is a very different part of our Penang experience. We could never afford the services Rita will provide to us back in the states, and we are blessed to have this chance to experience her local cooking (we have heard she is a great cook) and get some help keeping this place clean. The night closed with some excellent grilled (although it may be smoked) duck w/rice and dessert of fresh mango. Excellent!! Well another great day here in Penang, I will get more pictures of the wet market next week, we wanted to check it out before we committed to it, now we are committed!! Goodnight everybody!!

Lazy Sunday...

Today was a rather lazy Sunday for the Neilson clan, other than soccer for Brenna and me at 11:30, Before that I went on a rather long and disappointing run, that is for another blog though. The Soccer Experience is beginning to become a great vehicle for both meeting new people and for getting some clients, once my table arrives. Martin is just a great guy and he is always welcoming! Today was an extra special day, because Brenna, despite not wanting to go, assisted on a goal, via a corner kick!! It was awesome, she had no idea that her kick had caused the goal and sorta hung around the net until the ball was moved back to the center line, the rest of her team was celebrating the goal, and she seemed ready for the play to continue!! Soccer (football) is not second nature to American kids, although she is catching on really quick...We were proud of her today, because she really tried, and although she does not want to admit it, she had fun...the smiles on the pitch were evidence of that!! After soccer we walked home to get some lunch, a haphazard affair as we cleaned out the fridge before grocery shopping later today. Rox continued to work on pictures, Brenna and i napped a bit, and then it was off to the mall, a mob scene on Sundays, to get some grocery for the week. Roxanne and I plan to go to the wet market tomorrow, as she has a day off from work, with the plan being closed. It is Wesak Day on Tuesday in commemoration of Buddhas Birthday and there is a huge parade and services all day, the kids get sweets and flags from the floats, and it is a night parade, so we plan to meet some friends at our favorite restaurant, Kapitans, and ten watch the parade from their condo property. Should be fun!! So dinner at home tonight, Rox is going to make her Shepard's pie, which is always good. Another good day in Penang! Goodnight all!!

Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa and Georgetown!

Georgetown Street

Well our day began at the Rasa Sayang Resort, at a shopping event put on by a company called "Spiral Synergy" we have hooked up with them twice before, for the Orang-utan reserve trip and the Tri-Shaw treasure hunt. This was an event showcasing local artisans and crafts. We of course found 100 things we could not live without. We only bought a few, mostly Indian linens, however Roxanne and Brenna both got some small art pieces, Roxanne a small clutch purse and Brenna a sewn hamster key chain. We also saw some original Chinese Flags that were antiques. the detail and craftsmanship were astounding and for the price we almost bought one of them as well, we took the card of the seller though and will get back to him after the rug and furniture event next week (when we see how much we spend there!). We hurried home, to get down to Georgetown and meet a colleague of Roxanne's at Amelie's Cafe, which is supposed to be a great "off the beaten path" place to eat. The rain made things a bit rough, but no problem getting there, we met "Victor" at the cafe, and had a really nice lunch, to include some delicious "Longan and Lime freezes"!!

Amelies' Cafe

We pressed on to the Cheah Kongsi Clan house, one of the nicer clan houses along the Armenian Street walk, and I would say in Georgetown itself, not as big as the Khoo Kongsi, or as opulent, but very nice indeed, and offered up some great picture opportunities for us all. It was however getting HOT!! the rain had cooled it down for a bit, but the sun was out and it was broiling in the sun!

Cheah Kongsi Clan house

We walked onto the Kooh Kongsi Clan house which Roxanne and I had seen and photographed the last time that we were in Penang. Since then they had done allot of work on the house itself and the surrounding property. You see the surrounding buildings were also part of the clans ownership, I think that over the years they had fallen into disrepair and that they had decide to renovate, when they are done it will really be quite a stunning complex of buildings, there is even a stage for operas! That would be very very cool to see, we have heard that it is difficult to purchase tickets however! This Clan house is a photographers paradise, there is so much to see and so many opportunities at great pictures, it is always crowded though, so getting the perfect shot without someone else in it is tough, we managed with a few of our shots though.

Khoo Kongsi Clan House

We were all pretty heated up and needed a cold drink, so we made our way up to a small cafe that makes its own ice cream and cakes. We got ourselves something cold, Brenna got to pet a few dogs, Heaven for a Brenna boo, and we moved on to see a few more of the sights before calling it a day. Including the clan house that Roxanne likes most, the Han Jiang TeochewAncestral Temple, Which in comparison to the others is quite simplistic, but still very beautiful, especially when the entrance way doors are closed, the doors are beautiful!!

Han Jiang Teochew

One of the doors

The last and possibly the best was the Kuan Yin Temple, the oldest Chinese Temple in Penang, It is also know as the Goddess of Mercy Temple, and today there were many, many incense candles burning and many, many people praying, so it was very smoky and very crowded, so we looked, but we did not take any photos out of respect for those in prayer. Our final task was walking to a Taxi stand. We were all tired and despite the fact that it seems as though we saw very little, this was a trip that began at 1 and ended at 4, so three hours of walking around in the Penang heat is enough, especially after a morning of shopping! so home we traveled, bidding a fond farewell to Victor. Once home, we all got in some down time and then had some Pizza for dinner. We had a very good day today in Penang! Until tomorrow, goodnight all!!

Brenna and Daddy time Redux!

So Brenna woke up miserable, fever was up and the rash looked the same...she was also complaining of a sore throat and her neck hurting. We decided to keep her home and get her back to the doctor, just to make sure that everything was ok. She went back to sleep and slept till almost 10am. Called the doctor got an appointment for 3:30pm, so we hung out the rest of the day...I had explained to Brenna that there would be no video games and no TV, if she was too sick for school she was too sick for all that, so she decided that shopping would be ok...not! The day continued to be rainy and nasty and began to clear about 2:00 or so. We caught a cab to the Dr's office, and she gave Brenna a check up, She said she was fine and that the rash was due to the fever and virus. We decided to walk home and pass by the "sleeping Buddha" temple...VERY cool from the outside, I think she and i will go over there after school one day and check it out!! Arrived home, cooked some dinner. Brenna went to bed at around 8:00...watched some TV and Skyped with Nanny mom...Ok here is something I have been curious about. All the TV here begins at :40 or :50 past the hour, WHY?? Its not like they are connecting to a live feed from the UK or the US...and most of the TV over here is edited for any off color or sexual references anyway, oh and the shows are all named with the season that it is, like "The Simpsons 22", "NCIS8"...weird!! another weird thing, I have found that most Asian men have extremely long finger nails, especially the thumb nail...what is up with that?? I am going to start include some of these unanswered questions on the blog, when I have boring days to report...Ah well so Brenna is better, I am curious as to what tomorrow morning will bring us with our little trooper, school is on the menu!! Well Goodnight you guys, until tomorrow!!

Back to school, Feeling better!!

So Brenna went back to school today, She was feeling better, the fever broke and the rash was gone. She was not happy, but seems to be getting used to the idea that we are not on vacation an that the two years here is happening!! I do feel bad for her sometimes, so much change for her, she is so brave and handles it so well, I forget that she is only 8...you want them to grow up so fast, and then when they are grown, you wish they were little again. It was a cleaning afternoon for me, and 3:00 came around fast! Brenna got home from school and we went over to the mall, she had wanted to go to the 7th floor, near the movies and check out the "toy machines" they are like gumball machines, but have all these small plastic toys, most of them are modeled after the Asian Anime shows. Brenna was very happy that the change machine that gave the tokens was working, and she got her girl doll, happiness!! I stopped by the Sony store, something there I wanted to see also. Back home we went. Brenna read and relaxed and I went out to the porch, it was very cool, for Penang, and there was a nice breeze, so I people watched for a while, its fun! Rox got home, takes her an hour + when it is, or has rained, we decided to go back to the Hawker stalls, some Char Koy Teow was on the menu. I also wanted to try the grilled duck tongue I saw last time. We figured that Brenna loved the Char Koy, so much last time that this would be easy, and as things are sometimes with the Boo, it was not...I think sometimes food to her tastes better if it comes off of someones plate...on hers it tastes different...so getting her to eat anything was difficult. Roxanne and i enjoyed everything fully, and some fresh mango and pineapple juice topped it off!!

Back at home, we watched "How to train your Dragon" together, and then it was off to bed, Big day tomorrow, with Shopping at the Rasashaya, and then meeting one of Roxannes colleagues down on Armenian street to go through the art and antique district, may be a stop off at the Cheong Fatt Tze house for a tour (we have done that tour already, but it was good). Then some lunch at the "Soul Kitchen". No unanswered questions today...I am fearful of offending people here if they happen upon the blog. I am not trying to be offensive, but there are cultural quirks in every society (hell our kids walk around with their pants down) not sure that I should be deemed overseer of social protocol, little "arrogant American" not sure if I want to come off like that. Anyway, another great day in penang! Until tomorrow!! Goodnight!!

Back to school.

Brenna went back to school this morning, grudgingly yes, but since it was a half day, we thought it would be a good day to see how she did. Her fever was way down, almost normal, and she had not had any other symptoms. So we are waiting on the bus, it arrives and just as she is getting on I fix her collar and notice that she has a rash around her neck, faint but there. She got on the bus, but I called Rox right away...during the conversation she asked if I gave Brenna her water bottle, i did not so I figured I would run (literally) it up to her, and at the same time see how she was. That was where my real life game of "Frogger" began (on another blog). I got to see Brenna in the classroom, she seemed fine, relief there!! The day flew by, I got a good run in, and before I knew it it was 12:45 and time to go down and get her from the bus stop. She seemed full of energy when she got off, She and Katie just chirping along together. The "pleases" for a play date started, the condition was that her homework needed to be finished. Today that was an undertaking, Brenna is very smart, at least we think she is, but that can work to a negative, because she seems to have figured out the "minimum line" for school work. This is the line where if you cross it the teacher is not happy with the work, and if you don't but sit right on it the work is done, but could be better, so the teacher is well "accepting", Brenna is good with accepting. In St. Christopher's, it is a new "Minimum Line" which is a bit higher, so we are trying to push Brenna to do the work she is capable of (I know that Grace did that as well). After 2 hours of "educational discussion", the homework was finished. Katie came over at that point, and she and Brenna has some fun before Katie had to go to swim lessons. Roxanne had a work related dinner tonight so Brenna and I decided to do Daddy daughter dinner, I let her pick (anything but McDonald's), she chose "Dome" a little western food cafe, not to my liking but would have things she likes. I think her main reason for liking it was that they serve the kids two milkshake like drinks "The Fuzzy Koala" and the "Chocolate Frog". she loves the "Fuzzy koala" drink!! We had a nice meal and she seemed like she was fine, her appetite was good, her behavior was normal, not lethargic. Things looked good for her feeling better, but the rash, although very faint was still there, very mild fever and no other symptoms that she reports (the doctor had said it was just a virus). We would check again in the morning and see how she was. After all is said and done it was a good day in Penang. Goodnight all, until tomorrow!!

still not feeling up to snuff!

Well boo was home again today, I am very lucky to have connected with the room parent, as i had guided reading today, but could not make it. I also asked if we could get Brenna's homework, which she was nice enough to forward on, I don't want her getting too far behind. She was much more active today and her appetite was back. Hopefully she will be back at school tomorrow! We had a little discussion at the dinner table tonight about school, it seems that Brenna is not all that happy with how strict things are. I know that more is expected of her in the way of responsibility, so we talked about school and the expectations, she seems to understand, but you know our girl, she is busy figuring out a way around it!! Well folks not much to report it was a day of rest for Brenna, and a day of boredom for me. She seems to be feeling better, but we are being cautious, tomorrow might be a good day for her to go back as it is a short day. I do have soccer in the afternoon, but if she has her DS and plenty of cold water, she should be fine. We will see though, I may have to beg off from playing tomorrow...ah well, even a day inside is Ok by me, just looking forward to getting back to my routine, and having our little girl back to her old self!!
Goodnight all, Until tomorrow!!

Is there a doctor in the house.

So Brenna was still running a fever through the night and Rox and I had been up with her throughout, Rox more than me, So we all packed it in this morning and got some extra sleep, no sense all of us getting the bug because we are exhausted. Its strange you know, if we were home a 101-103 fever would have meant little too us, especially if Brenna's personality had changed little. Here though we both start thinking shes got Dengue Fever or something...not sure why that is I guess because we don't know exactly where to go to get what we need. So out came the handphone and the expat support network was called into action, our friend Jo and her family are a fantastic resource, she was again so helpful with the name, phone number and basic location of a local children's hospital (Hope Children's hospital) and a local Family Doctor, who seems to be the choice of most expats and the Australian RAF folks who are here also. Dr. Goh is not too far from the house either, as the crow flys, the problem is there are lots of 1 way streets and not all of them are marked well. We decided that we would just keep an eye on things for the day though, see where the Fever went and if things changed. Brenna seemed normal except for a loss in appetite and a desire to rest every few hours. The fever kept fluctuating throughout the day, no other symptoms presented, so we decided to take her to see Dr. Goh. Brenna of course thought that it meant more shots and was terrified, we explained that there would not be a need for shots, she was still nervous though. Off to Dr. Goh we went. Now when we first got the car, there was still so much fear of driving, that we would often take a cab instead of getting behind the wheel, rox is so comfortable now, that she just goes. the problem with Dr. Goh is that she is in a little strip mall with few parking spaces, so with all of them full, we had no idea where to park? after a trip around the block we found a spot. Dr. Goh was very nice, however the whole experience is quite different, the technology is not the same, but the care, concern, and professionalism is still there. Brenna turned on all of her best Brenna behavior and we found that she would have stayed and talked to Dr. Goh for the rest of the evening if we had let her. $35 ringit for the visit which is about $10 us. We arrived back home, Rox jumped right back into work mode, I made french bread pizza for dinner, and we all got an early night in. Despite Brenna not feeling well, it was still a good day, and we have checked a few more things off the list of necessities, Doctor: Check, Hospital: Check...confidence in Roxanne's driving double check, confidence in my own...not checked off yet. A good day in Penang, we are making a life of it here, that is a good thing!! Good night you all!! until tomorrow!!

Tesco!

Well today the three of us slept in, I really think we all needed it big time. We decided that we would do one of two things today, head down to the Tesco market (the Penang answer to Wal-Mart) and get some stuff we needed, or head to the wet market and browse around...We decided on the Tesco, Roxanne decided to drive which was very cool, no cab meant no hassle, however we left way to late and may not be able to get a parking space. We were off anyway, the traffic down was a nightmare, it too us almost an hour to get there. we did find a place to park! hooray us!! Now the Tesco is something you have to experience first hand. Although I said its like Wal-Mart, only in its size and types of merchandise, you can antifreeze/coolant and frozen peas, motor oil and olive oil, however it differs from Wal-Mart in that you will find things that here would be more likely to be in a flea market. Off brand DVD's, items that had been open, used and then sealed and put back...The produce is also something closer to a street market than a true grocery store, whole chickens just laying out on ice, fish sold the same way, there were freezer cases full of loose french fries that you had to scoop into your own bag...and the smells were intoxicating (at times nauseating) from the fresh fruit, to the fish, to the veggies...it was an experience all its own!! We spent about two hours wandering and getting what we needed. Then we got some Pizza Hut, (could be worse) and headed home, the ride back was better as far as traffic, and part of it I filmed with my phone, got home and set it to music, I think it is cool, but I cant seem to put it up on here. so if you really want to see it I can figure on a way to get it to you or its up on Facebook. So we got home and we were supposed to meet with a possible candidate for domestic help, she was supposed to be by at 5:00pm, but we never saw her or heard from her...not sure what happened, but we both hope that everything is ok with her...we will see if she thought it was Sunday, and make sure that we are around tomorrow at the same time. Oh also this morning Brenna got to Skype with her cousins, that was very cool. We also got to see Marc and Nele and the Baby, but only for a minute or two before our connection started to go crazy and then Brian got ahold of us, and then Poppy and Diane were on...We never got back to Marc...Sorry my friend...we will catch up to you!! promise!!. I am not sure if I put it in yesterdays blog, but Brenna got to Skype with her class from Florida last night, that was fun, but she is such a ham...and she loves to ham it up for the boys!! Anyway, quiet dinner at home tonight and everyone is getting ready for bed...Tomorrow is "the Soccer Experience" in the morning, and then we will be going down into Georgetown to walk around and shop for Mothers Day!! Happy early Mothers Day to all the moms out there!! Well off to bed!! night all!! until tomorrow!!

Of gym memberships, Cable Bills, and Coconut Oil.

Well today started way to early I managed to get a run in, but the soreness won out and it was short, that is for another blog. Brenna got off to school with no problem today, she is so over the goodbye daddy kiss and hug, she sees that bus and she is ready to go...its now more of a "Bye dad I love you!" from the window, they gotta grow up!! Anyway, after that i hitched a ride with our neighbor Nina to the Gym down the street (I was way too sore to walk the whole thing after my run). I got Roxanne and i signed up for a month to month plan, hers is unlimited and mine is mornings on weekdays and unlimited on the weekends. All of that for $180RM a month, that's like $40us a month for both of us!! Its a great gym too, all the latest machines, spin bikes, free weights...all of it!! Walked back from there, and then got myself off to the Astro cable office, waited for an hour to pay our bill only to find that credit only at the office, if you want to pay cash you have to go to the post office...I can pay just about every bill at the post office, electric, phone, cable, and I can mail stuff from there too...what a concept!! these people have it figured out!! Anyway, the walk back took me past an organic market I wanted to try out, I did not find much in there, but I will go back, as I did find some Coconut oil...I can get coconut milk in the grocery store now, good thing, because the rice milk is not cutting it, trying to find someone with raw milk, but there are no cows on the island, except for the ones I saw while running the other day, but they were in someones back yard, and looked more like the beef cattle variety than dairy, and they were chained to a post too...they might very well have been pets! So the trip back home took me till almost Brenna time, needed to get some groceries, so swung by the cold storage, then went out to wait for the bus, and people watch...That is a sport all on its own...I love people watching on Gurney drive...it is just way too cool!! Brenna got home, and she read and did some homework...I began though, starting with the walk from the bus stop...to notice...my daughter sounded like an Australian!! She has picked up the accent very well and at times it sounds very cute and at others a bit like Madonna trying to sound British because she lives in London...we explained to our little girl that people from Australia might be offended by her talking like them, that they may think she was making fun of them...she seemed to understand, but that did not stop her from turning on the accent at least a few more times, until we finally had to get on her about it. We went out to our FAVORITE dim sum place and had a good meal out, we noticed that they were setting up a stage in the gurney outdoor atrium, for some live music...which as we noticed when we got home, you could here from our kitchen with the windows open...totally cool. Brenna got to skype with her class tonight which went well, she does love and miss her friends from the US...I just wish that she could understand that liking her friends here too, does not change that...Ah well, it is what it is...Anyway, goodnight all!! a great weekend ahead!! ENJOY!!!

What to do today....

After two "busy" days in a row, today was a bit of a letdown, I had no school things to do and no sports related stuff, except for my run this morning...have already talked about that, lets put it to bed! So got Brenna off to school, Katie missed the bus and I really thought Brenna was going to panic, but she was a trooper, found some other friends to sit with and was off and on her way!! Her school had a visit today from the Chief Minister of Penang, to officially open their new building...Brenna said it was "ok". I spent most of the day with ice on my Quads and Hamstrings following my morning run, the soccer experience was indeed an experience, new muscles that were not at all happy today. Got to watch the third period of the Lightning game, and watched the SWEEP the capitals, figures this team has a chance to go to the cup for the first time since 2004, and we are halfway round the world!! I also relaxed a bit by the pool, and then waited for Brenna to get home, she had the second of her "specials" today, which is supposed to be about writing alternative ends to Disney movies, Brenna said all they did today was watch a Disney movie and that the class was Boring...I hope that we did not pay 20 ringit so she could watch Disney movies, she can do that at home...It just means that we wont sign up for that one again! We will have to see how it goes. Brenna seems to be doing well  in her class, we have had no reports of bad behavior, but Brenna likes to play games though especially if she knows she can get away with it. I agree with the school wanting to place alot of the in class responsibility on the child, in fact i love it...she seems to be getting a VERY good education, hopefully she will learn the responsibility stuff also!! So the night was good, we had some leftovers, and Brenna got an Easter card from her Grandma. Going to try and plan something for mothers day for Roxanne, not easy though...Not a big holiday here either. Ah well getting late, and need to get to bed early tonight. Goodnight all!! Until tomorrow!

The "Soccer" experiance!

Well today was a great day here in Penang, i actually felt busy!! I got Brenna off to school, via Nina our next door neighbor. She offered to give Brenna a ride in today, since we were both attending the PTA meeting today. Ok ok, i know me at a PTA meeting, yes and the world did not stop, pigs were not flying about, and there was another non-working dad there as well. "Jeff" seems like a pretty good guy! So with the meeting over, I got a ride back home from Nina, and then, did some laundry and ran the dishwasher. I watched some of the Vancouver/Nashville game, and then it was time to meet Brenna for the bus. she had some homework to finish, and then while waiting for Katie to finish hers, she fell asleep...poor Boo boo...anyway. I gave her about 1/2 hour of rest and then had to get her up to get her to her play date with Katie, so I could head down to the "soccer experience". Decided I would run down there as the extra mileage would be good, and it would give me a bit of a warm up. I arrived got stretched and hit the pitch. The way this game was structured was 7 a side, and there were 3 or 4 kids on our team, along with a few adults, while the other team was made up of all adults. It was really fun, though we got our buts kicked. I scored, and thought I did ok for a guy who has not touched a soccer ball in about 20 years (I think I went to one practice with Roxanne's work team a few years back, but that was not anything like a game). I got in some good exercises, spoke to Martin a bit, and then ran home. I was tired and a bit sore. I picked Brenna up from Nina's, she settled in at home with her DS, i watched some news (BBC) and then Rox got home. We made some "Hamburgers" which tasted more like sausage...it said Beef, but the mystery meat in these things might have been a combination...they were not bad though. I got my next Kombucha brew bottled, and we settled in for the night. Skyped Nanny/Mary, and had a nice talk with her, Then off to bed for Brenna. I wanted to get this finished, and although this is a pretty short post it was a very full day. i would give you a better account of the soccer, but It was not anything all that organized. It was like pick up hockey, although the teams were in no way evenly matched, we were out there to have a good time, and i for one did. I was never a very good soccer player even when i played, so the fact that I can kick and pass the ball is enough for me!! Martin did say that he has talked to the guy at the soccer experience that plays "Floor Ball" locally, and I will need to hook up with him as well, that would be some fun!! Anyway, another great day here in Penang!! Goodnight all, see you tomorrow!!

a little volunteering goes a long way!

Brenna went back to school today after our long weekend in Singapore, she seemed to transition seamlessly and continues to ride the bus and also seems to be doing well in school. She has problems following a new set of rules, it is getting to the point where it is more "Brenna being Brenna" than "Brenna being New", but our little champ will milk that for all its worth!! we have been communicating with the teacher, we are glad that she is putting the responsibility on Brenna and not reaching out to us just yet, Brenna is 8 and way past the "I don't know how to do that" phase....its coming along, the responsibility i mean. Today was also a day for "specials" after school, Brenna has chosen three days of "specials" including origami, a writing workshop (its about finishing/continuing/or changing the endings of Disney stories, she is pumped for this one!) and Knitting, she has always been very crafty, so this will be good for her!! I have also made my first venture into the volunteering at school by showing up today at 13:30 to do "guided reading". Basically you are assigned a group of kids from the class (Brenna's class) and you take them away from the classroom, on the campus and they all take turns reading an assigned book. They are given a list of questions and you help to facilitate the discussion. Easy! Before this though I had to go "Top up" my 3G phone plan...Have I said how much more I like this Sony/Ericsson Experia phone than my iPhone...Well in case I didn't I do, and i am so happy that I can get whatever service on it i want when i get home!! Might invest in a Samsung Galaxy Tablet while i am here also, they are really nice, and I can save myself some money. So "top up" done, 3G service back and onto school. Well I got a really good group for "guided reading",very bright kids who needed little in the way of facilitation. they jumped right into a discussion of what they thought the book was about, the characters, and the things that they liked and did not like. It was great! Poor Brenna, she is bummed that I don't get to facilitate her group, but the rule is you cant have your own children. I'm actually ok with that...Brenna needs to have time away from mommy and daddy and begin to develop her independence, because at 18, she is out the door ready or not!! When guided reading finished up, Brenna had to go onto her "special" and i decided to see what "Floor ball" was all about, i had heard it was very much like hockey, so i was interested to see if the coach needed any help. It turns out the usual coach, a man who plays for the local "professional" team, was not there today, and I had a BLAST! It was fun helping the kids out, more fun to get to run around with them a bit (a bit hot). It is close to hockey, but mostly for a pure skill perspective, the stick play and physical aspects are not allowed, so there is lots of room to move around. the kids really had fun, and I heard latter from Martin the guy who runs the soccer experience, that another person who volunteers there also plays for the Malaysian national team, so I may have found something else to do!! My pot runneth over!! I have gone from nothing to do, to filling up the days. In fact I will spend tomorrow afternoon, playing a little football, with the less experienced players, i need to get my feet wet a bit before I try any league play, it has been 20+ years since i have touched a soccer ball. I am excited though! So the day ended with me having to drag Brenna off the school bus, so we could catch a cab back home, i figure next week she will grab the bus, so she can ride home with Katie, and I will just run home, the extra mileage wont kill me. We got home and then went Grocery shopping, and had a nice home cooked meal! Another good day in Penang!! well goodnight all, Until tomorrow!!

Home again

Thought I would do a quick post for today...Flight back home was uneventful, I took some last minuet shots of some of the art around our hotel and the city...not much but I thought they were cool. We looked around some antique shops before we left and saw about a million things we wanted, we will have to find shops like that here in Penang also!!

What a great trip we had, we are all tired, but it is back to school, back to work and back to life on the easy for me!! I think i may have a chance to volunteer at school tomorrow, Guided Reading!! should be fun!!
Another great day in Penang!! Goodnight all!!

Singapore Zoo and our flight back home.

Sorry we missed you guys on Sunday evening/Sunday morning, Internet was a bit too expensive at the hotel, and connectivity was average at best. Anyway, Sunday morning found us (following Chris's rather harrowing pre dawn run...see http://www.afloridianrunnerinpenang.blogspot.com/ for details) headed out to the Singapore Zoo, via subway and bus, which had become such a convenient and inexpensive way to travel. The trip to the zoo took about 45 min though, it would have been a bit shorter by cab, but not much. I can say this for the Singapore Zoo, it is Awesome!! As zoos go, it was clean, well maintained, the animals looked healthy,they had some amazing exhibits and the animals are so close you can almost touch them (sometimes!).

We got some great shots throughout the day, and they had so many exhibits and the animals were all very active, the Proboscis Monkeys above had beat up and chased the guy into the water , damn he looks guilty. Brenna got to pet the small deer above, also. This Lemur, was right above us in a tree, and three of his troop continued to

bounce around in the trees above and next to us. it was very cool, I love Lemurs!!

We continued to wander around the zoo until well into the afternoon, we saw Asian elephants, and huge Komodo Dragons, we got to see great big Flying Foxes, and stood for a long time watching a large group of Orang-utans get free reign over the tree tops throughout the zoo, there were times when they would be in the trees right above you. That is what amazed me about this zoo, it seemed as though the philosophy was that you are coming into their habitat, not that their habitat has been created for you. It was really an incredible experience. We had such a great time!! I will post a few more pictures that we took..

Our day ended with a trip to the gift shop, which is always Brenna's favorite part of any trip!! We picked up some nice souvenirs and then headed to the stop to catch our bus. We then picked up our train.

It was a really great day today, we had a blast!! We came home exhausted and then went and met a colleague of Roxanne's who lives in Singapore, He invited us to a small pub, and we got to meet his wife and daughter who was adorable, she and Brenna hit it off, Brenna got to play big sister, she things she is an awesome big sister!!

Oh and the really cool thing is that this was parked out in front of the Hotel...for a Hilton it does get the "bling" !

Great day in Singapore!! Goodnight all!!