Fresh Start, New Year!

Who doesn't love September? For those who base their annual calendar around the school schedule it almost feels like the ringing in of a 'New Year'. Refreshed from extended holidays, 'new year' resolutions have been made and the mental 'clock' has been reset. Overall, it's been one for the books!

First, I am getting a do-over with my students. Both myself and my eclectic group of children have embarked on Year Two together. It was the smoothest first week of school to date, and I am excited to continue to watch the little grasshoppers hop...seriously, one month away from them offers a fresh perspective as to how bright and special each of them are! I know it sounds cliche, but for a student who wasn't reading when they left in June to casually mention "Did you know there is a two, to AND too!?" I almost fell off my chair! On an even brighter note (as if that description of my day-to-day couldn't get any more sun-shiny yellow) my newest colleague, Mr. Tyler has brightened all days! I still get shocked when I look up from some playground drama to see Tyler just strolling by.

As always, the first weekend before the school year starts is Malaysia's Independence Day...filling our deeply ingrained need for a 'labour day weekend' before heading back to school. Hutchy had rented a 14 seater van (which none of us were sure he could handle) and we were set to cruise through the night. Destination; Kapas Island. I had my quiet reservations about heading back to the island where I had picked up dysentry in the Spring, however, I hand-sanitized like a Mo, questioned the source of each ice cube, eventually said *^% it, and made it out unscathed....save the horrendous jellyfish stings. As most of our regular crew was still away on summer vacation, we got to know some new peeps and caught up with some old faithfuls. If time has proved anything, three days on a deserted island makes fast-friends.

Although things are fresh, new and exciting, as they often are in September, the city of Kuala Lumpur is currently none of those things. Since we have returned back, the haze levels have been fluctuating from moderate to hazardous due to the out of control burning of forests in Indonesia (all in the name of palm oil). It feels like we haven't seen the sun shine in days and days, face masks have become my new favourite accessory, school has been closed, and generally we're going a bit shack wacky  (with a hint of asthma) from all the indoor living (how indoor cats do it, I'll never know).

Rooftop view pre-haze & now during the seemingly perma-haze

 So what do you do with your time when the 'fresh air' is deemed poisonous? Well it's a bit like being in the deep freeze of winter-- You stay inside--We play poker, go to movies, spas, order-in, wander the mall...and celebrate fabulous people! With heavy hearts we have bid adieu to our original KL bestie, Sweet Dee. After working, living and traveling with Danielle for the past two years, it's hard to  imagine life in Malaysia without our ever-constant, over-ordering, drink-spilling, pun-loving, bright smiled, third wheeling, social butterfly. She and Damian are off on the next adventure!....However, not before one more night of Regalia nonsense was had to send them off <3

Adios amiga ♥♥♥ We love you!

 On the docket for the coming months...Thailand, Malaysian Oktoberfest, Deepavali, Indonesia and India! Anyone planning to be wandering around these parts? Let us know, we'll plan a weekender :)

Dog Days of Dysentery

So in my last post about Kapas Island, I smugly highlighted some different camping approaches found between our group, and groups of local campers. One being a remark about the excessive use of fresh water while camping. I am here to eat my words (or crow).

Turns out, yes fresh running water is a necessity when 100+ people are using the same four squatter toilets (so is bleach). Where am I going with this? Well, I'll tell you where I ended up for the last four days...

What started the day after we returned from our weekender as a suspected bout of food poisoning (which is more common than I care to admit), I started to grow concerned when I couldn't shake it after the 5th day. On the third visit to the doctor, he decided to admit me to the hospital for fear of dehydration. After two days in the hospital, when blood tests had been done and symptoms had not subsided, it was concluded that I had picked up dysentery somewhere along the way.

No one likes being admitted to the hospital, and my hospital stay in a foreign country was no different...except perhaps the conversations about my bodily functions were much more bizarre and colourful than they needed to be, as language was often an issue. As it took a couple days for the doctor to figure out what exactly was wrong with me, and Tyler was away on a work-trip, my stay-cation came with its highs and lows.

In chronological order, I give you a photo story;

Ok, so for someone who is firmly not a fan of selfies, I will be the first one to tell you it's weird to have so many pics of one's visit to the hospital, However, as Tyler was away, and my family in Canada were on constant alert...photographs needed to be taken and sent. As a result, a reflection of my boredom, frustration, happiness, and disgust (for plain rice porridge). You can also pinpoint the moment Tyler left, and returned three days later....he makes me smile in all situations :)

If you haven't thought to yourself that I am being a tad melodramatic (because I am), let me tip you over the edge (and I swear this is true). After being in a windowless hospital room for four days, I walked outside to the pouring rain on a sunny day (cue CCR) and a rainbow stretched over the sky. Do you have chills? As for my health, I am gobbling antibiotics and happily on the mend at home!

Return to Palau Kapas

Ahhhh, it's a four day-weekend, we managed to beat the traffic out of the city and were back on the quiet island of Kapas. Slipping into our bikinis and sipping on our first cocktail held only a brief moment of satisfaction as we watched overcrowded boats pull up on shore and human chains form to unload enough gear for a small army to set up camp. The little slice of heaven was about to be inundated with big, big groups ready to 'connect' with the outdoors...and we were unknowingly set up in the centre of shanty town.

As our group had previously joked that we had brought enough bbq-ables, snacks and beach games to survive a post-apocalyptic camp, we didn't realize that we were in for a weekend of real community living, that at times felt a little chaotic. When we travel we hope to experience and understand a variety of cultures. Aspects that tend to be easily experienced and highlighted when jumping into a new culture are religion, language, dress, food, etc. As one would hope and suspect, after spending an extended amount of time within a culture, the experiences and understandings would run deeper. As we experienced first-hand this past weekend, everyone does camping differently.

Camping crew- Minus photographer Ellie, and Kenny.

Who wouldn't want to camp in paradise?!

So within our groups' home countries (Canada, Australia, England, Spain, Switzerland and New Zealand) we have similar camping styles....You know the kind of camping where you lounge, swim, snack, throw a ball around, go for a stroll, have a bon fire, play cards kinda deal. For our local neighbors, there was certainly some of that going on, but so so much more. As there was a major over-population problem (due to the lack of planning and suspected greed on the part of the
campground owners) we, with little choice straddled the line between Malay/Western camping. I'd like to reflect that I always enjoy when we visit a beach and the local community is there appreciating it too. Sometimes we have visited beaches where the only beach-goers are foreign tourists, and the locals are walking up and down selling merchandise or services. It would be like Canadians running the chairlift but never getting to ski. It's nice to have the opportunity to appreciate what's in your own backyard!

First of all, no one sleeps. As our five tents called it a night there were constant groups of children and adults wandering around our tent chatting, crying, having a refreshing drink, playing tag. As it was so hot and the windows had to be open to our tent (apologies to all who saw us sweating in our skivvies...but you should've been asleep!), I opened my eyes on more than one occasion to someone just having a swat and a think outside our tent door. No personal boundaries, no segregated campsites, no sleep. Secondly, no one goes dirty. Amazingly, within twenty minutes of the groups arriving, there were mothers doing laundry, scrubbing the concrete in the cooking area and showering; everyone showers ALL the TIME. Tyler noted a man in the men's shower, fully clothed, marching back and forth under several shower heads. In general, the camp was a hive of activity... although we chose to spend the day finding different areas and positions to sleep in the shade. To each their own.

So how did we fair in the face of diversity? I would say pretty well (and our neighbors as well need to be thanked for their tolerance of us)! Again the simple differences in our approaches to camping seemed to create a natural berth from our neighbors, in an otherwise very crowded situation. Keeping to ourselves and smiling seemed to be a great tactic, however our camping practices were just very different;

Camping/beach attire: As little a possible
Camping beverages: Beer
Camping breakfast: Bacon
Camping entertainment: Gambling/poker
Camping sleeping arrangements: Co-ed
.....there's nothing halal about that.

The next morning, as Hutchy would look up from his book and declare that we were on the beaches of Normandy- the boatloads just kept coming....until a hush fell over the camp as the generator finally quit. It was like that moment in Dr. Seuss' The Lorax when the last trufflula tree was chopped. And just like that all the Whos down in Who-Camp packed their Who-tents and headed back to their Who-lives. Literally, as quick as they came, they had left. Turns out all that laundry, excessive personal hygiene and frolicking in the fresh well-water was, although annoying, our blessing in disguise. The generator that had been working tirelessly to pump ample water had quit. And there in lies the last of the stark differences when camping; we needed very  little fresh water (a large tub of rain water sufficed for the next 3 days).

So we happily remained on the little piece of paradise for the rest of the weekend, marveling at its beauty, peacefulness and lack of activity. We feasted on BBQ buffets, lost game after game of poker to Kenny, snorkeled everywhere, played badminton, dealt with persistent mosquitoes and generally loved life.

The March Malaysian Tour

I think we blinked and March was over. We spent the month working (hard) for the weekend, indulging in late nights, early beach days, and making some headway on our ever-growing list of Malaysian weekenders.

First up, we headed off to the food-famous island of Penang to gorge on streetfood, trape around on rickshaws and to soak in a bit of colonial-vs-Malaysian-ness. Penang did not disappoint, although the intense heat was a killer (you know the wonton soup is AMAZING when you are willing to sweat it out at midnight just to have a taste)!We didn't do much exploring of the island as a whole, but mostly wandered around the city of Georgetown dipping into gitchy cafes, dim sum dives and the odd museum...mainly for the air-conditioning (although I can now tell you all about the Penang Hill Railway which opened its doors in 1923). Anyway, Tyler and I didn't get a chance to explore as much as we would have liked due to the onset of a month-long bronchitis saga...however, we liked what we saw!

Even though I was super sick, Holi festival was in town and although not in India, I figured this was the closest I was going to get. We put on our whitest clothes and headed for the Hindu temple a couple blocks from our house. We had a blast throwing powder at each other, pretending we knew how to Bollywood dance...and then trying to find a taxi to take us home. Having a giggly paint fight with a 9 year old is something teachers can only dream of; If you can, get to a Holi Fest within an Indian community.

Literally, metaphorically--Night and day.

About mid-March we got the sudden news that our friends Ali&Serkan were being quickly relocated to Europe. As the sound of breaking hearts echoed through the halls of our condo, a going away party was planned and executed with what some may call sophisticated poise ($1.50 mojitos, a live band and a taco stand on the corner is really all the class I can handle at this point in my life).
We miss you boys!

As the departure of Serkan and Ali was somewhat abrupt, Tyler and I had unwittingly booked a 6am flight for the next morning. As we had already considered ditching the flight before the farewell party got rolling, I was pretty proud of us for packing, getting to the airport, taking one seriously rocky boat ride and arriving on Perhentian Island by 10 am...it wasn't all family-fun smiles, but we got there.

So the chain of islands on the east coast of Malaysia are BEAUTIFUL, but are not always available due to weather. The Islands had just 'opened' up in February, and the seas were still rocky....however the weather and water had calmed closer to land and were awesome.Tyler and I spent the next 8 days seriously decompressing. We feverishly read our books (everyone should read A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry), snorkeled around, played cards, marveled at the seriously crystal clear water and celebrated Tyler's 27th birthday! As we had been warned about the lack of alcohol on the island as it is in a more traditional Malay part of the country, we had a few tricks up our sleeves, and spent our evenings watching the Sugar-gliders make their way home while hitting the Uno hard. The lack of party that usually comes along with an island paradise was really refreshing. It was the most relaxing vacation I have ever had!

Photographic evidence of doing pretty near nothing for a week....but THAT water!

 Unbelievably enough, when Ty&I got back from the Perhentian Islands....I still had a week of vacation (I have very little to complain about with my work situation). A group of co-workers headed to the hills for some gossip, laughs and continued R&R. Cameron Highlands is a mountain area three hours up a very windy road where there is copious amounts of fresh air, tea fields, scones and strawberries. With Magesh who kept the tour group on its toes, we had a great time chatting and chatting and chatting....and buying strawberry themed souvenirs.

Ok, so as you can see we have been a bit manic about seeing bits and bobs of Malaysia in March. Although we are still pretty enthusiastic about our Malaysian tour, we can pump the brakes a bit and start to throw in some international trips again...bbbeeccaauuussee we are considering spending one more year in Malaysia. Yes, we've been threatening to leave Asia for a few years, but Tyler and I are really excited to sign contracts at the same school (the whole working at separate schools is really just not working for our lifestyle). Here's to one more time around the block!

Kuching, Borneo; The Cat's Meow

Tyler and I have pledged to see more of Malaysia. We figured that it would be a real shame not to have really explored our host-home for the past two years, previously having really only scratched the surface with rendez-vous to Langkawi (any-beach S.E Asia) and Sabah, East Malaysia. So now added to the hopefully ever-growing list of Malaysian cities explored is Kuching. Kuching is located in East Malaysia on the island of Borneo, in the state of Sarawak...as that means very little to me without a point of reference, check out the map.

Tyler and I were meeting an array of people in Kuching. The Chinese New Year crew included Amanda Juray, Hutchy, Danielle, Damian and two new Swiss friends, Johanna and Dino. We had a pretty spectacular welcome to Kuching as we landed at the stroke of midnight marking the beginning of Chinese New Year. Much like the Western New Year, midnight gave the green-light to thousands of fireworks being sent up into the sky. It was a pretty neat perspective to enjoy the show! Upon arrival we checked into our hotel,  The Pullman and chilled. (I would have highly recommended it up until the last night. That hotel is totally haunted...in a 'I don't think I believe in ghosts, but that just got real' kind of way.) Otherwise, The Pullman was host to lounge cocktails, poolside poker games and a whole lotta robe-wearing.

As it was Chinese New Year (Gong Xi Fa Chai!) most of the town was shut and things were pretty quiet. This did not stop us from hitting the parks. First up was the Orangutan Sanctuary. Last year Tyler and I had traveled and trekked in Sumatra, Indonesia to catch a glimpse of our distant cousins (we could probably marry them in some States). As we fell in love with them then (in a platonic way), and they only inhabit two islands in the world, AND we found ourselves on the second of the two islands, we had to go. It was a very easy trip, and we weren't disappointed as we saw 10ish orangutans just hanging, swinging and being generally awesome.

 The next day we hit up Bako National Park to try and catch a glimpse of the weird and well endowed Proboscis Monkey. These monkeys are a rare species with an usually large NOSE (perverts...), and can only be found in Borneo. In order to get to the park you need to catch a bus to Bako Village and hire a boat to the park. Not realizing that there needed to be high tide in order to leave the village, we spent some serious time lounging, pacing, playing charades and puzzling each other with useless trivia. A serious quality I look for when choosing friends is the ability to shoot the breeze; these guys have got it (...said the guy with two NOSES). Finally, we headed off down the crocodile infested river. Having examined the various killer characteristics of crocs during our wait on the pier, we figured we were headed the way of Captain Hook as the boats ran aground. With all hands in tact, we arrived at the park, spotting a big Bearded Pig straight away, and the illusive Proboscis Monkey not too long after. Trip satisfied. Otherwise we walked and climbed along a jungle trail for a an hour or so, then headed back to the boat. With the water levels much higher by this point, we were flying!

It's no Bay of Fundy, but we were appreciative of the rising tides!

Obviously not my picture, but check out that schnoz!

Otherwise, we wandered the lovely town of Kuching for a couple of days. It was awesome being in a Malaysian town that wasn't Kuala Lumpur. We spend 97% of our time in Malaysia in KL (a blind estimation) and as a result, have a pretty one-sided impression of the country. Although the good far outweighs the bad, the things that can grind my gears about KL (insane traffic, never-ending mall culture, obscene piles of trash) were by and far removed from Kuching.  I know things always look shinier and brighter while on vacation, void of work responsibilities, free to have a day-beer, but it really felt like the best parts of Malaysian culture were being highlighted in Kuching-- totally recharging my love for Malaysia.  Gotta love that!

As the town began to slowly open up after the holidays, we indulged in some great food (as always), putted around the river, breezed through the natural history museum with 10 minutes to closing (blowdarts, mutant jungle animals, and headhunters can really capture your attention) and marveled at cat memorabilia. Did I forget to mention Kuching means 'cat' in Bahasa? A truly puuuuuurrrfect fit for a feline fan! (Feel lucky I only managed to throw in one bad cat pun. The trip on the other-hand was riddled with cat gestures, props, puns and sightings).

Kuching is the cat's meow!

Honeymooning in Langkawi

Our dear friends Jack and Amy recently tied the knot in Hawaii!  Although not our honeymoon, we were able to ride on the coattails of the newly weds' S.E Asian honeymoon as they made their first stop in Kuala Lumpur and later to the beautiful island of Langkawi.We certainly couldn't be happier for Amy and Jack, and feel truly blessed that we had the opportunity to spend time with them over the Chinese New Year!
The first days we spent together were filled with Kuala Lumpur tourist hotspots (most of which I have written about before). However, since it was Chinese New Year, and most of the Chinese people in KL go back to their hometowns, our week was significantly less crowded, and by enlarge, coloured red.

Our week included a trip to the Batu Caves, the National Mosque, street-food on Jalan Alor, henna in Little India, a stroll around Chinatown and poolside days coupled with celebratory drinks. For me, particular standouts were our day at KL's waterpark and a Korean BBQ feast.
Korean bbq was really great (for obvious reasons including grilled kimchi, samgyeobsal and soju) as it made us reminiscent of a place in time. I know it has only been nine months since we left Korea, but after a summer in Canada and six months in KL, it seems pretty distant. For whatever reason, whether it was because it was our first country we lived in abroad, the first real risk we took together, or the friendships we bonded while there, Korea holds a very special place in our hearts. Although not actually in Busan, for two hours we grilled, cheers-ed, and had a Korean friend order for us in Korean. We even topped it off with 'Shark-pops' and a beverage from the mart while watching students trudge off to English academy. Although we often remind ourselves when we are 'homesick' for Korea that one can only move forward in life, it's always nice to be nostalgic.

 The day after Chinese New Year, we figured that the water park would be pretty dead, as many Chinese would still be fulfilling their New Year obligations and family time (perhaps one in the same?). Tyler had been really pushing for a trip to the water park for quite some time and since the prospect of less people presented itself, we jumped on it! Arriving ten minutes before the gates opened and leaving as they shut things down, it was a full day of water slides, wave pools, zoo animals and roller coasters. All was pretty awesomely run-of-the-mill amusement park fun...all accept the fact that Amy and I quickly realized when we stepped out of the change room that we were shamefully unaware, and scantly clad in our bikinis. Have you ever gone to a water park in a Muslim country? Me neither. Have you ever gone to a beach and felt like everyone was staring at you, but in actuality you were just being self conscience and paranoid? If so, our day at the water park would have been your worst nightmare. Wandering around a water park where 98% of women are covered from head to toe, sporting the ever fashionable and liberating 'berkini', we certainly stuck out like sore thumbs. We got the looks, finger-pointing, and the question 'Are you from Europe?" shot our way more than once. We did however, ride the waves like champions and made it out with, (thankfully) no wardrobe malfunctions that can commonly happen while shooting down a water slide.. that would have been just the icing on the cake!

 Midweek, Jack, Amy and I (Tyler joined us a day later due to work) headed to the island of Langkawi, in the Northern part of Malaysia, bordering Thailand. Not having visited any peninsular Malaysian islands, I really had no idea what to expect. Turns out, it was pretty darn great! All things desired and required for a beach vacation were present with abundance. Besides lounging on a beautiful unpopulated beach, throughout the five days we (over)indulged in the most amazing food, duty-free chocolate and beer (a huge welcomed surprise was that the entire island was duty free..30 cent beer, yes please!). Each day was spent dipping in and out of the ocean, building sandcastles, sipping on coconut cocktails and taking in the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen (rivaling only one other we had seen in Bali!). To say the least, it was a pretty lazy and relaxing time away!

By the fourth day we felt like we should pick ourselves up and actually do something, so we settled for an island hopping tour. Although super touristy, it was great to see Langkawi from the water's perspective. We got off the boat and swam in a fresh lake, and at a couple of other beaches...but by about 2pm we were ready to be back on the familiar beach we had made home for the last three days.

Finally on our last day we headed to another part of the island and checked out a cable car up into the mountains. The base of the cable car was conveniently located across from Jack and Amy's new hotel, so we dropped our stuff for the day...ultimately ending up at the beach (surprise, surprise) and coming upon an amazing resort where we enjoyed one last island cocktail and swim before heading off to the airport.

 Although disappointed to leave such a beautiful island, we have benefited, as our eyes have really been opened to the potential of travel in Malaysia! To add salt to the wound, we were saying goodbye to Amy and Jack, as they continued north to Thailand, being totally envious of their upcoming adventures! Nonetheless, Tyler and I will continue our adventures to Singapore for a Valentine's Day this weekend!

Thaipusam Festival

The true beauty of working in Malaysia is that there are so many public holidays recognized. This past week we were at school 3/5 days as we recognized the Birthday of the Prophet Mohammad on Tuesday, and on Friday we celebrated Thaipusam. The Thaipusam festival that is held in KL at the Batu Caves is one of the biggest in the world, and the general buzz is that it is quite the spectacle. As Ty and I love our festivals, from the Fireworks Festival in Busan, to Applefest in Brighton, we were eager to add another to the list!

We were warned by coworkers that the insanity starts early, and that about a million people visit the Batu Caves during the one-day festival. Having experienced some pretty claustrophobic moments while at Korean festivals, Tyler and I set our alarms and did our best to beat the rush (with no real luck). Taking the already crowded train too early on our day off and feeling slightly off as per the Korean bbq and soju from the night before, Tyler did the faux-pas of jumping on the illusive 'ladies only' car. Feeling awkward, we found the other rogue males on the train car to stand near and tried not to make eye contact. Once arriving at the Batu Caves it was pretty apparent that this was unlike any festival we had been to. Sure there were the food tents, others selling clothing and jewelery, the music was pumping and there were hoards of people. The biggest difference was however, that it was all fueled by religion, and everywhere we looked people were expressing their faith in spectacularly colourful ways.

**Before I go on, I'd like to add the disclaimer that, although completely captivated by Indian culture, and learning more about the Hindu faith, I am pretty vague on the facts. Most info is based on observations, a bit of internet reading, and by and large conversations with my great co-teacher Magesh. For the most part, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

Thaipusam is one of the largest Hindu holidays in the year, where in the lead up people fast, or give up certain things (much like Christian's Lent). On the day of Thaipusam, Hindus visit the temple to pray to Lord Murugan for help in the future or in order to rid themselves of their sins. They make offerings, mostly of fresh milk. Once finished, they feast with their families. Seems pretty mundane, right? Like the case in all religions, the practices that one follows depends on their personal relationship with the deity. People practice their faith based on what works for them, and what brings them the most comfort. As we watched the droves of people making their way through the gates of the temple, as mentioned, we certainly witnessed many expressions of faith and interpretations of the festival.

For some people, walking up the steps to the Batu Caves with their families and pots of fresh milk works. Others will shave their heads, make pilgrimages, carry very heavy colourful offerings on their shoulders, dance, and most notably pierce their cheeks, backs and chests with metal hooks and skewers. Again, it is really whatever works for the individual and the family at that time in their lives.

We watched the steady procession of people and chariots for over two hours!

 As far as festivals go, Thaipusam ranks pretty high! With the basis of the celebration being religion it certainly offered a more dimensional experience than some festivals we have gone to (not that Applefest wants for sophistication or dimension!) If you're interested, check out an interview with a Thaipusam participant to hear his perspective on some of the practices carried out at the festival. 

In other news, the count down is on to Chinese New Year! Nine more working days until we ring in the Year of the Horse with a week's vacation..Let's paint the town red!

A Mixed Bag in Semporna, Borneo

Because of Malaysian tax laws, we had to be back in the country by December 30th. Since we still had a week left of holidays, we decided to check out the island side of Malaysia; Borneo! Although a bit of an emotionally conflicting trip (more on that), it was fantastic to have a look at another dimension of Malaysia..not to mention, being able to show Catherine Barker a bit of our host home (although not KL).

We flew into Tawau and made our way to the coastal town of Semporna located on the east coast of Borneo. Again, without doing any research, and taking for granted that we would be in Malaysia (meaning our bank cards worked and we could could confidently order from a menu) we had few preconceptions. We arrived in Semporna in the evening. Everything was closed, it was dark and the town seemed pretty dead. Having the excuse of wanting Catherine to sample everything Malaysian, we had a large feast of Chinese Malaysian food and as Tyler and I had spent the night before in the airport, we went to bed.

We woke up the next morning really excited for a day of diving and New Years Eve celebrations! We were super pumped, as diving was the main reason we chose to visit this small town and the surrounding islands. The waters and marine life were to be second to none, as most people venture here to dive in the world famous national park, Sipidan. We had been warned the night before by our friend Hutchy who had arrived a few days earlier, that the waters were absolutely stunning, however that the amount of garbage was equally staggering. After we geared up and cruised out of the harbour (where there is always a certain amount of garbage lingering) we marveled at the absolutely brilliant clear blue waters. The sun was shining, the water was relatively calm and we were in good company. As we made our way out into open waters however, it was amazing just how much plastic was floating on the surface of the water. So much garbage that our boat had to stop several times to rid its motor and propellers of the trash before continuing on its journey. Still the garbage didn't seem to hinder our day of diving too much. We did three dives seeing some beautiful coral, fish, turtles..and of course were serenaded by Hutchy's underwater rendition of the Mission Impossible theme song..which makes it seem like we we are on an important mission ourselves :)

 
That night, we geared up for New Years Eve celebrations! Again, we gathered to share a feast of seafood, Malay, and Chinese food before hitting up a (the) small pub in town. We danced, chatted with randoms and rang in the New Year. As far as New Year's goes, it was pretty typical. The next day we were all feeling pretty lazy (myself in particular) so we sought out the only pool in town. We wandered into the hotel like we were guests, eventually were sussed out, and paid the fee. Little did they know how much we love a lazy New Year's Day. From the pool, we all visited the spa for massages, ate at the lobby restaurant, then watched a movie in their cinema room. We totally loitered and lingered perhaps too long.

The next morning we sadly had to say goodbye to Catherine Barker, as she was heading back to Qatar. Danielle, Tyler and I were off the spend the remainder of our holiday on Mabul Island, an hour trip from the mainland. After we arrived and got our rooms all sorted out, we were in utter awe of the beauty of our surroundings! The water was unlike anything I had seen before! We hung around our little resort for a while, then decided to venture to the beach. To get to the beach we needed to walk through the village. Walking through the village was a bit of a shock. The amount of children in the streets was overwhelming (Ty later looked it up..about 2000 people live on the island, with about 1000 being under the age of 14). Furthermore the amount of garbage piled up was heartbreaking. We made our way through to the gated resort, enjoyed the beach and made our way back. As we sat out drinking beer and enjoying the sunset, small children would float by in their canoes asking for money. When we gave them money, they would then ask for food. It was a heart breaker. Over the next few days we did some dives, swam and relaxed.We also spent a lot of time reflecting on topics such as poverty and trash.

Thanks to Danielle for some of the great photos! (Follow her on Instagram @daniellecorbett. Her pics are fantastic!)

 Although in the most beautiful place I have ever traveled to, I had a lot of trouble really enjoying it. It was hard to encounter naked children rubbing their tummies and asking for food, then turn our backs to head off to the gated resorts for an afternoon of spa treatments, ice cream and tanning. This isn't the first place we have gone where poverty is overtly apparent, but something seemed different about this one. I think (although I have no idea) it was that the children didn't seem to smile all that much. In other countries we have gone, the children seemed to play, and engage a lot. Perhaps they are just sick of tourists clicking photos. Again, I have no idea, nor presume to know what the true inner workings of the island, village or its inhabitants are. I do know, that it was not easy switching on and off the vacation/reality mode.

The second issue that weighed heavy on my mind was the apparent problem of garbage disposal. Since kids we have all heard about campaigns that read slogans such as 'Save the rainforest', 'Clean up our oceans', etc. We all know that these are important initiatives and serve a purpose. However for me, they didn't really mean very much. Yes, have seen the result of industrial pollution in Lake Ontario, and know all about the collapsed fishing industry in Atlantic Canada. I am well aware that I could be criticized as 'the pot calling the kettle black', however until seeing the ocean environments in East Borneo and the tangible damage that is being done firsthand, it was nothing I felt passionate about.
While in Mabul, we sat up scratching our heads about the devastating amounts of garbage in the water in contrast with the breathtakingly beautiful ocean. We discussed ways the problem could be irradiated, but nothing really seemed viable. In developed countries we create the same amount of garbage (if not more). Yes, we bury it, burn it, collect into one place. We are lucky enough to be able to put it in an out of sight location, and therefore it is out of mind. Ignorance is truly bliss. In a place like Mabul, they do not have the infrastructure to deal with the garbage, so everything is chucked in the ocean. Again an issue that I have really been now awaken to, however left unsettled and unsure of any solution. I suppose there is no one solution, but an array of possibilities; The simplest ones being, stop creating so much garbage, recycle, and educate. Don't be ignorant to where your garbage is going and what the long-term affects of it are. Tyler and I are as guilty as the next person, but now it's time to decide what we are going to do about. Before we left the island, we were in a gift shop looking for some souvenirs. I picked up a marine life book, and read this quote that seemed apt;
 “The oceans are the planet's last great living wilderness, man's only remaining frontier on Earth, and perhaps his last chance to prove himself a rational species.” -John L. Culliney 

The homes in Mabul were amazing!

 I really apologize for the negative tone of this blog post. To say that our vacation to Boreno was life-changing might be a bit of a reach, however it was certainly eye-opening and thought provoking. Don't get me wrong, we left Borneo with killer tans, having completed six dives in unreal locations, sharing laughs with great friends and welcoming a New Year. The reason we travel is to educate ourselves, and beyond measure we have been certainly schooled! Just as we are expected to when we graduate, it is now time to do something with our experiences.

Blue Christmas

This past summer, when making the 13 hour drive from Tyler's hometown to mine, we stopped off at a campground in Quebec. By total chance (questionable luck..?) it was indeed the completely unecessary holiday 'Christmas in July'. As we sat around the campfire sweating, drinking beer and listening to Christmas carols, we both felt a little Scroogy McDuck, as we found ourselves not totally in the spirit of the trailerpark traditions.
Fast-forward six months; We are still sporting flip-flops, listening to Christmas music and trying to figure out how to get ourselves out of this perma-deja-vu funk and into the proper decking the halls, cookie baking, Bailey's drinking, candy cane spirit. Besides the fact that this will be the third Christmas spent away from our families and Canada, I can easily say that besides a broken heart (I've always been a  bit melodramatic) we are seriously suffering from seasonal depression. This is the first tropical Christmas we have ever had, and I can honestly say, the palm tree adorned with twinkle lights is not cutting it. Nonetheless, I'm not one to wallow..at least not too long. Here's some ways we have been trying to kick the 'winter' blues, and highly recommend to anyone who is not quite feeling the holiday spirit as of yet;

1) Find the Christmas lights. There's nothing more satisfying than hitting your favourite mall, only to realize that it has been blanketed with sparkly lights, over-sized Christmas trees and  mountains of fake snow. Although sometimes (often) tacky, no one can deny that an abundance of Christmas lights makes them feel some measure of glee. In a city where it seems like there are more malls than anything else,  Santa's villages are a plenty. That coupled with the blasting air conditioning, is the only place I can comfortably order a hot toffee nut latte and imagine that the winter wonderland isn't just a ploy. This really gives new meaning to 'retail therapy'!

'Santa's coming! I know him!'

2) Mention the word 'Santa' to a group of children. As a Grade One teacher I do admit that I have had to muster, encourage and put out some serious Christmas energy, in particular, in the lead up to our Christmas school concert. As we rehearsed our (spectacular) rendition of 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town', wrote letters to Santa, baked gingerbread men, made ornaments and erected our own Christmas tree, nothing, and I mean nothing winds my students up like the four simple words "Santa Claus is cooommmiinnnggg!". This instantly cues a jumping, arm waving, screaming reaction, and why not? Let's face it, Santa is a rockstar.

3) Help others. Recently, our friend Hutchy, Tyler and I headed over to a community centre in our neighborhood that feeds about 500 homeless and needy people. We spent the morning peeling, chopping, and in Tyler and Hutchy's cases working the woks. We met a couple of super friendly 'mom-types', Jackie and Jane. While the boys used their muscles to cook up over 200 chickens, and about 20 pounds of cabbage, I got to talking with Jackie; A spicy, 60 year old widowed Chinese woman. She had a great sense of humour, gave sage relationship advice and shared openminded opinions about all areas of life. She was one of those people that you find yourself having a deep and meaningful with, despite only knowing her for 5 minutes. In the course of our conversation she shared so much optimism and positivity. It was great to get out of our regular, self indulgent routine and connect with the community we are making our home!

4) Belt out the tunes. Void an embarrassing home video, you can imagine how this one goes.

5) Get together. I think the biggest difference between celebrating Christmas in Asia opposed to North America is it's only celebrated for one day. ONE! This is clearly not enough. To feel complete I need at least a solid two weeks of cheese platters, ugly Christmas sweaters, potlucks, eggnog, friends and family. This year, as we will be traveling over our Christmas break (to Sri Lanka and Borneo!) we won't be doing the makeshift Christmas dinner with all the other 'Christmas orphans'. Instead, we did it the best way we knew how; Santa hats and drinks by the pool...it is 40 degrees after-all.

If all else fails, draw the curtains, blast the air conditioner,and Skype yourself into a Christmas party!
When it's all said and done, that is pretty much it for us and Christmas 2013...We are off to Sri Lanka on Friday! Without a doubt, we will be thinking of all our friends and family throughout the holiday season with a big smile and lots of love in our hearts. xoxo