First impressions

Today marks the 1 week anniversary of our recent closed eyed high dive into Malaysia. It's been a whirlwind but I can say that I think we're holding our own. With the boys now at school and Micah starting work today, I've been left alone with my own thoughts for the first time. It's crazy, a little scary and a lot overwhelming. I wanted to try to organize the huge whirling mass of experiences and first impressions in my head. So here goes...

The trip
The travel was generally easy, other than the stress that comes with a family of 5 living out of a hotel for 2 weeks now. Flying on the heels of another air tragedy, my anxiety was at a high, but I made it onto the plane, which I consider a win. The boys were troopers, as they've proved they always are and took full advantage of their bumped class status. Tyler repeatedly came back from the plane toilet heavily scented as he was impressed with the complimentary cologne. Owen enjoyed every button a million times over, reclining his seat, closing his window shade, raising the pod divider, etc. The electrical system functioned well under strain. Barrett enjoyed the air sickness bags, as is his reponse to total exhaustion due to marathon movie watching and refusal to sleep. Luckily, it only began the last few hours of the final flight and passed that evening.

The area
So I must admit, I was a little (very) on the fence about Malaysia. Singapore, yes, no problem but this just over the border thing had me worried. I had read and heard some expat remarks about the border town stereotype that left me uneasy. We have only just begun to explore, but so far it is amazingly beautiful. It's quiet and green and warm. We've seen monkeys on the side of the road like squirrels, pass a coconut plantation of endless palm trees just next to the school, and watch the harbor boats sailing by. I can't complain. I still do have a level of uncomfortableness from a health background. Raw chicken, barefoot stores, mosquito armies, stray dogs have me seeing salmonella, hookworm, dengue fever, and rabies. That takes some getting used to.

The food
You can smell it when you step out of the airport. It's a mix of salty sea air and spices. It's powerful. It's very tasty. Considering that we are without a kitchen, we've been solely eating out. The older boys have been adventurous finding favorites with mango curry and laksa. Owen is a but pickier, true to form, but has found rice and noodles are always options. The biggest change coming from Norway is the price. A dinner of all five of us runs about $30. Crazy!

The school
The school is a British establishment's international campus. It's huge, like college campus huge. Multiple buildings, boarding options, a pool, track, climbing wall, art and drama building, etc. It is very proper with strict uniform requirements, merit and demerit systems, and house affiliation (as in House of....we are Hunt as opposed to Seymour, Chichester, or Merlin). Honestly, it feels like we might pass Harry Potter at any time. Fun fact, the school was actually the inspiration for JK Rowlings' Hogwartz. All that said, the teachers and kids are friendly and welcoming and the boys all came home smiling. They have a long day, until 4:30, but have private instrument lessons, sports, religious education, and design technology as a part of their school day along with the academics including Mandarin Chinese. It's intense but my boys do best with structure and clear guidelines so hopefully it will be a good fit for them.

 The house
The house is perfect for us (and I will make sure to credit Micah with the housing choice. He's 2/2 folks). It's a brand new house so right now there are several small kinks to repair, but nothing major. It has a lot of outdoor space and pool and a neighborhood park next to us. It also has 2 kitchens and a maids quarters (the boys are currently calling that the time out room as that has been its major function thus far). Concrete and modern, it is polar opposite from our Norway house, but it will be a comfortable home. Many of the school families live in the same neighborhood so the boys will likely have close friends. I am anxious for our furniture to arrive so we can begin enjoying it.

The people
This has been my biggest surprise. I suppose i grew accustomed to the eye diverting non small talking of Norway, so smiling, nodding, and speaking to strangers has caught me off guard. We look different here, of course, so there is a lot of staring, but somehow it's not at all rude. People have been very friendly and helpful for the most part (and we tend to look pretty in need of help at times). The expat population is close knit and have already included me in gym class, coffee morning, and grocery store expedition offers. I appreciate the hospitality.

Overall, we're off to a good start. I am relying a lot on my Norway experience. When moments are difficult, I can remind myself that it was so hard in Oslo in the beginning as well. We are just at the beginning of this adventure, I know there is so much more to see and learn. Not everyday will be easy. I won't always love it. Sometimes the sacrifice is really glaring. But I also know that there will be moments when I will say "oh, okay God. Now I get why I'm here."  Patience and persistence, trust in Him. That's my mantra. Now, I need to go repeat that a thousand times before I venture out to drive to pick up the boys again. Time to be brave.