Week 1 done!

Well it's been a crazy week! There's lots to talk about; first impressions, school, flat hunting, making friends! It's pretty late and I have to work 9 - 5 at school tomorrow (unheard of in teaching! ;-) so may keep this short, but so far so good, I'm loving it, not had a hint of homesickness yet (but I know I will at some point and probably the things I will miss will be a) PG tips with proper milk b) being able to walk outside without turning into a shining red beacon c) my friends and family (obviously!).

So I arrived on Sunday afternoon after a pretty good flight (watched Iron Man 2, Toy Story and Date Night) and it turned out that the people in front of me on the flight were also teachers, one of them in my school and two from our partner school, which is WAY bigger than ours. Got picked up by the head of primary and the principal and taken to the hotel which is very very nice, met some other new teachers as well which was cool. The school is lovely, very big but not many kids yet as it's only 2 years old. They're currently building a boarding school which is quite exciting, maybe an opportunity for getting involved in that in the future. Everyone at school very nice indeed, all up for a laugh and in the same boat so we can get to know the place together.

Our hotel is quite far out of KL and we've been at school every day so haven't actually managed to see much of KL so far but I have been briefly to the Petronas Towers Shopping Mall looking for a cheap mobile - it's HUGE and TERRIFYING if you don't like shopping!! And I must admit I went in, found the relevant shop, made a purchase and legged it - I'll go back again soon and do the touristy thing tho! Also explored Bangsar (an amazing place full of modern and old shops, restaurants and all sorts), Chinatown (again, great markets and eateries, and this crazy place where you pay to put your feet in a pool which has these fish that EAT the DEAD SKIN from your FEET!!!! Singularly the most hideous yet hilarious experience ever) and a place called Petaling Jaya (lots of restaurants but not much else). I've been out a few times and most importantly met loads of people from our partner school which is great for my socialising and potential future holidays. SO much more to see and can't wait til I move to Mont Kiara next Saturday to be closer to the centre (have an apartment but more on that next time).

The people here are lovely, there are a mix of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Philipinos and Expats from all over the place and everyone seems to get on with their own lives, despite the many different religions. I'm sure there are underlying tensions but as a whole everyone seems very tolerant of differences and it really is a melting pot. Everyone speaks English and the other common languages are Bahasa Malay and Mandarin. Not sure if I'm going to learn one, I know I should but...how difficult!! Things happen a lot slower over here, for example a drink can take about half an hour to arrive in some places, but it's all part of the laid back attitude and it's definitely something I'm going to have to get used to!

Weather: it's hot, there's no denying that. VERY hot. After 5 minutes outside about 80% of people will be sweating. I guess you do feel constantly dirty and minging but actually it's a lot more manageable than I expected, and after the cold aircon in every building it can be a relief to come outside and feel hot. The temperature doesn't seem to change that much whether the sun is shining, it's overcast or raining, but I did get sunburn today despite being in what I thought was the shade the whole time (!). A record even for me.

Things happening next:
1. a week of 9-5 inset days on curriculum, planning and preparation, and meeting all the existing staff.
2. moving into my lush new (and hideously expensive) apartment.
3. a few more formal parties.
4. a few more informal parties.
5. more explorations (desperate to go to the Aquarium or Zoo).

Thanks for reading see you next time!!

Jen xxxxxxxxxxx