2007-12-31
2007-12-30
2007-12-27
Christmas/New Years Letter from Ann.
Dear friends,
This year Christmas letter is a bit different to say the least! We hope that many of you are following our experiences from living in Malaysia on the blog http://joda58.blogspot.com/
Last time we sent you a mail we were just setting off for a few days in the Jungle. We went to Tamana Negara a forest reserve in the middle of Malaysia. It was a three hour boat ride on a river before we arrived to the cabins were we were going to stay. The boat trip was great and we saw some interesting animals. Once at the cabins where we were going to stay there was so many people! After a good (?) nights sleep, wondering if the animals were inside or outside the cabin we set out to go for a canopee tour. At the starting point we had to wait for two hours since there were so many in line waiting. As you can imagine they were not too quiet so we did not see many animals. Ann was not pleased with the tour 80 meter up in the trees walking on ladders held by ropes. With good moral support from the boys and Jonas taking pictures we made it! We also made a visit to a tribe village and got to see how they live. It was interesting but we wondered if it is not just a matter of time before they are part of the normal society.
Back in Kuala Lumpur the hard schoolwork for Christoffer and Andreas got on its way. They have really had a hard working term both coping with a new language, new way of teaching, finding friends and not the least trying to catch up with the part of the term that they had missed. Besides normal subject like math, English, physics.. they have been taking some interesting classes like Story in Art and band. The boys have been really extraordinary with their schoolwork. They have studied all week round. If it is not homework then it is projects to conclude. Jonas have been supporting them as much as possible and now all of us are happy that there is a break.
Andreas is still very interesting in singing. The school cannot offer anything to his liking so a few weeks ago he did an audition to a youth choir and came straight into a group with 13-15 years old. The conductor introduced the idea behind the choir to them and they were told that they do not sing pop song, much to Andreas liking. Rehearsals begin in January. We all hope that this will be a nice experience.
Andreas has also found badminton as an after school activity. In the facilities where we live there is also a badminton hall so there are plenty of possibilities. On top of the wish list for Christmas Andreas has an electric guitar so we have to see what Santa is coming with. Maybe there will be guitar playing annoying our neighbors in our 36 story condominium!
Christoffer has been trying to keep up his French horn. He has band as a subject and is amazed that you are getting grades for a subject that you do for fun at home! Besides school he has also been involved in a movement called Young United Nations. The international schools in Asia meet a few times per year and they then get to "play" that negotiation play in the UN. Christoffer had at one point to try to argue for the military regime in Burma. That was interesting for all of us.
Jonas is more then fully occupied studying and taking care of the rest of us. Everything you need to here do takes so much more time then at home. Since Ann has been traveling a lot most of the family matters falls on Jonas. Even if the boys have their school bus that takes them to school (even home after school activities) seems there to be a number of occasions each week when Jonas is required at school. Fortunately Ann is carpooling with some colleagues so Jonas can have the car most days. Ann is not to found of driving in KL either! Jonas is also doing a lot of physical exercise. Two to three times per week he walks for an hour with some of the other Swedish women that are at home. They are so fit that Jonas has a hard time to keep up with them! In the heat you think he has gone via the swimming pool before coming home!
Ann is traveling just as much as usual but it feels a bit easier when the flights are not as long (only 12 hours to Australia and Japan!) and the time differences are minimal. The time differences though makes her work some nights when Sweden is awake and working. The work is though still very rewarding. The work will take Ann home to Sweden in January and it will be nice to meet the family again.
We are all on and off longing for Sweden, it would be a lie if we said something else but we all think that the experiences that we get is worth it. In Christmas times you long more for home then usual. Celebrating Christmas in 30 degrees Celsius is not what we are used to and the coziness disappears somewhat. We will over the Christmas days go to Lankawi, a Malaysia island close to the border to Thailand. We will hopefully put up our feet, bathe and just be lazy. For the New Year we will go to Borneo and have a look at longhouses and orangutans hopefully. Since we will be away during Christmas we have already celebrated a bit with having Swedish Julbord. Jonas had arranged so that we had ham, smoked salmon, herring, cheese … Andreas said it was the nicest food he have had for long. When you do not have it everyday you appreciate it more!
We wish we could meet you all but …
Form us all to all of you
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Ann, Jonas, Christoffer and Andreas
ps. Andreas and Christoffer are known as Andrew and Chris at ISKL.
2007-12-26
2007-12-25
2007-12-24
2007-12-19
2007-12-16
2007-12-15
Christmas Tree 2007
2007-12-12
2007-12-01
2007-11-20
I would buy one, I would give one!!!
If I lived in USA I would have bought one laptop just to be able to give one. It is even tax-deductible in the US. I have had my thoughts of buying one anyway. So what am I talking about .... check out for your self one laptop per child.
So when can I get one outside of the US??
2007-11-16
Can a car be Christian?
I have never heard about a car that was made for Christians, but the local car maker Proton has an idea to make Islamic Car for Muslims. I would like to know what makes a car a Christian, Muslim or a Buddhist??
Shut up and drive
Driving here is an experience in it self. Road signs are a recommendation, not something you live by strictly. Do not be surprised if you meet somebody driving the wrong way on a one way street. Reverse driving on the highway is not a problem. Somebody is driving against a red light, no problem as long as there isn't any Cops around.
U-turns are a problem though... usually you have to drive for 1-4 kilometers before you can make the U-turn.
Bikers swarm like wasps around your car. I can not say if these bikes are mopeds or motorcycles, but they are on two wheels with an engine and they drive "Like a bat out of h*ll". I do not know how many of them die a day, but my guess is that is has to be a one to two digit number. One has to lookout so one do not run one over while changing lanes.
People talk a lot about the traffic jams here, but they are not as bad as in London.
Shut up and drive is song that is on the hit-list here in Malaysia. I hear it constantly on the car radio, that is when I shut up and drive.
PS. I think my brother had a bigger problem driving in Hanoi (15 years ago). He had bikes of all kind shooting of in all directions.
Care about Car?
Below you can find the car we currently driving around in.
It is a Toyota Innova which we will drive around in until we get our new car. It is a nice car but the engine is not the hottest. There is heaps of tax (RM) on imported cars down here. Do not ask me why we could not keep this car; but we will get the same model and color on our new Toyota Innova. One of the reasons why we wanted this car was because you can drive 8 people around in it. Click here if you like to have a closer look.
2007-11-11
2007-11-10
2007-11-08
Pangkor Island Sunset
Sitting thinking of how lovely life is. Tiger beer in my hand. Waiting for our dinner. Cheers mate!
2007-11-06
Funny Family
Andrew likes to play around with our new phones. Maybe it is not a phone but a camera or a mp3 machine? With the phone I use you can even send pictures to this blog straight from my pocket.
Who needs a facelift? We do not!
PS. We only use Sony-Ericsson Mobile/Cell/Hand phones.
2007-11-05
New Family Member -- Betty/Bettan
We have a new family member Betty (Swedish Bettan). She lives in our car and talks to us whenever we need to drive somewhere.
WE DO NOT LEAVE HOME WITHOUT HER!!!!
She is a Garmin Nuvi 610 with local maps. Garmin does not have any maps for Malaysia but there is an Internet Community that updates the Malaysian maps.
Me and the boys took a Taxi downtown the second week we were here in order for us to be able to (or dare to) drive around here. If you would like to drive in Kuala Lumpur BUY ONE!!
We got ours at Low Yat Plaza downtown Kuala Lumpur. Take the elevator to the third floor and go to lot "3.IT.28" and talk to Leen Chew Long.
A fresh new Expat had problems finding his way back to his hotell; it took him 2 hours to get home.
2007-11-03
Humor about being a Swede from Gothenburg.
If you like humor about Gothenburg verses Stockholm (Sweden); then you should look at this SVT (Swedish Television) program. Some is in English but most is in Swedish (Sorry).
Some scientists have found a portal while excavating; that goes back to Gothenburg of 1973.
Makes fun of Gothenburg, Stockholm and being a Swede.
Thanks to J.H.
2007-11-01
Solaris 3 -- To all my friends at Sun Microsystems.
Mon´t Kiara Solaris Shop-Office is a brand new business complex with Stores, Restaurants and Businesses. If you like to locate your business here then you should visit the Solaris @ Mon´t Kiara page. Looks like it is going to be a nice place at a nice location.
The word Jalan can be translated to Street. There is also a Solaris 1 Street and a Solaris 2 Street; personally I am more interested in Solaris 3. Not all Operating Systems have streets or business complexes named after them.
PS. Ages ago Sun Microsystems had a research project called "Spring" which some believed should have been Solaris 3.
2007-10-29
Boys in School -- ISKL
After about 1½ month the boys started school. International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL). is the first international school in Kuala Lumpur that follows the US curriculum. More information can also be found in Wikipedia.
Christoffer (Chris) started grade 9 in High School and Andrew started grade 6 in Middle School.
It has been some things getting used to.
- Change of classrooms. Both Chris and Andrew went to a small School in Sweden. Andrew ask´s why can´t the teachers change classroom they are fewer than we (the kids) are.
- School uniform. You can see the uniforms that the School have by looking at the pictures below of Andrew and Chris. The blue shirt is more common than the white.
- School bus. The buses here have the same color as the US buses but most of them look have a newer design than the old Army buses they use in the States. The boys have to leave home at 7am and it takes the bus about 30-40 minutes to get to ISKL.
- Canteen. In Sweden all the lunches are free. Here there is a chose of things to eat, both healthy and unhealthy food.
- After School Activities. Andrew has signed up for choir and Chris is still thinking what to sign up for.
- The Panther is the mascot. The School colors are blue and yellow (the teams look like the Swedish National teams :-) )
Here are some pictures from the outside Canteen.
If you are interested in what is happening at the School then you should read the Friday Flash. If you like to view a presentation of the High School then it is here or for Middle School then it is here.
Below is the soccer field and the swimming pool.
They also have tennis court and a basketball court and other facilities.
I have never felt more WELCOME visiting any school!!!! We feel this is the School we would like to recommend if you are about to move to Kuala Lumpur.
Summer Time -- Winter Time -- Any Time
Living so close to the Equator who needs Winter Time and Summer Time. Sweden changed to Winter Time yesterday. So now Malaysia is 7 hours ahead of Sweden. Who needs time changes when the Sun goes up and down about the same time every day.
By the way, it is around 30 Celsius all the time down here.
2007-10-23
Appreciate what you have... and try to help others!!!
This movie gives you a bit of perspective by downsizing the numbers to something that simple people like me can comprehend.
(I have not heard about the organization before so I can not vouch for it -JD)
2007-10-22
First Malaysian In Space Returned
Last year Sweden had a man i space and this year Malaysia did the same. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor left Earth on a Russian Soyuz spaceship 11 days ago. He stayed at the ISS spacestation, before returning yesterday.
Here is an interview with him.
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