17 Malaysia - Nor Phoenix Diana heads to the UK making her farewell matches and MYPW Endgame 2019 review

I finally made it to my first wrestling show in Malaysia, and it was a great experience. What follows is a focus on the success story of one particular Malaysian wrestler, an overall commentary on the show I went to, and some pictures that I took. 

Nor Phoenix Diana

Nor Phoenix Diana heads to the UK making her farewell matches

At 19 years of age and with 3 years of in ring experience, Nor Phoenix Diana has been making waves in the Malaysian & Asian wrestling scene, and at her peak had a run as the MYPW 'World to Regional' champion. This young high flyer is one of the first female Islamic wrestlers to perform wearing a hijab, following a short stint at the start of her career wearing a mask. 

The promoters of UK based, feminist pro wrestling company 'EVE', have obviously taken note, and have booked her to appear at their marquee event 'WrestleQueendom 3', which takes place at the legendary York Hall in London in January 2020, in front of a sell out crowd of over 1000 fans, which will give her a platform and a springboard opportunity to make waves across the world. In fact, I can reveal that she is going to spend a whole year living and working in the UK, so many grapple fans throughout that part of the world can look forward to seeing her in action. This could well be a trailblazing opportunity to not only showcase her talents, but set a positive example and become a role model for many female and Islamic wrestlers and fans throughout the world.

At this show, Diana will have her final three farewell matches before heading over to the UK to start the next stage of her journey. 

Link to mini documentary about her: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6BQh-WznUs8

MYPW Endgame 2019 Match Results & Event Analysis:

For more information about the start and history of wrestling in Malaysia, see this link about MYPW

There were probaly about 100 in attendance, with individual plastic chairs spread around three sides of the ring. The venue was an open-sided Futsal Court, which was part of a sports complex, and next to the MYPW performance centre. Three people provided live commentary over the matches during the night. The card went right through with no breaks. 

This was a 'mini-show', mainly used as a showcase for all the recent trainees that had graduated through the boot camp, and was propped up by experienced wrestlers peppered in throughout the show. 

Nor Phoenix Diana over Development Centre Trainee Graduate - Surprise match following an interview with the traineem and an excellent opportunity for the young graduates in her  debut. Basic match.

Eddie Powers over "The Trickster" Kyle Black - Black had some cool magic tricks that he worked into well the match, and he was allowed to shine thanks to Powers. Solid match.

Harpokratis (with Izz Dolus) over Khai. Khai was the babyface flyer announced as from the village, and Harpokratis is actually mute and deaf in real life, and he sported a clown mask whilst using a stiff gimmick - the manager was a classic well dressed cocky heel.

Steektin Hill & Fionn McCool over "Lethal" Daus & Revolver Roy - Good, fast and well worked tag match from all the debutants here, with each given a chance to showcase their talent. Fionn McCool is actually Irish too, and Revolver Roy is a great name. 

Mojo Fist vs Ace Rizzo - Not sure who won this, yet the big guy went over the enthusiastic guy. Big guy had a good look about him and carried well despite having the ring movement of Yokozuna. 

Nor Phoenix Diana over Orion Black - Decent, well-worked match, which went a lot longer than previous matches, and slotted in nicely on the bill as a pre main event. As it was a number one contenders match for the Wrestlecon Championship, it leaves the door open for a Diana return.

Shaukat over the Feral Alliance - Veteran & established wrestlers in the main event. It was orginally meant to be a handicap match, yet it was changed to a triple threat before it began, with the angle of giving the newest established star an equal shot at the belt. Shaukat became the four time 'World to Regional' Champion. A long, slow placed, hard-hitting match, featuring an array of moves, which must have gone nearly 20 minutes. This stood out compared to all the other matches on the card.   

Following the match, Shaukat cut a promo, in which he broke kayfabe somewhat - talking about how hurt he got in the match, and how physical wrestling is - you could tell be his mannerisms that this was true. He even got a worker to hold up the aprons to show how hard the mats were. He put over Diana for being put through the training in the same way as everyone else, and made public that she was leaving to go and fight for EVE. 

This then led to Shaukat going over Diana in a post-show farewell match. It was a no strikes / grapple only match that ran for a few minutes before Diana bowed out on her back. The segment ended as she took a few moments and a bow in the ring, before leaving to applause from the crowd. 

Following the conclusion of the event, Shaukat thanked all the trainees and congratulated them for graduating from bootcamp, and then they all came out to take a bow to the audience. Now we can wonder which ones are going to make it to the regular roster. 

Photos

The Venue (from outside)

MYPW Development Centre before the show

View from the back

The entrance way

The Action

The trainees watch on from the back

Nor Phoenix Diana says goodbye

The trainees take a bow

16 Malaysia - Friends From Far Away Places - Pop Punk For The People @ Angkasa, Kuala Lumpur

Winningshot

If this was an advert for the Malaysian pop punk scene then it was Christmas all rolled into one with a John Lewis premier standard; polished, somewhat unpredictable and putting the message over strong. 

I arrived in time for the second half and caught the last two songs from PASCA SINI - the crowd were going wild with plenty of singalongs, circle pits and stagedives. Their last song was an abolsute banger, with a catchy chorus of "We will carry on". There was a big crowd of youths at the show, and they all went batshit crazy again when HACKTICK! played afterwards. They had a keyboard player too, and they played a great set of songs covering lots of different styles. The band were full of as much energy as the crowd, and it was a real treat to see them play in this environment - they kinda reminded me of China Shop Bull from Leeds with their eclectic style, but with more New Found Glory for the pure pop punk parts. I'd definitely like to see this band play again.  

One thing I love about the Angkasa venue is that they have real plants on the stage, and the sound system is of a good standard. Something else I noticed, this time about the crowd, is that the bulk of t-shirts being worn were mainly made up of Malaysian bands, which was good to see, people showing a sense of pride in their scene. Whilst much of the music tends to be borrwed and influenced from the Western bands that pioneered and dominated the genre, the identity of the scene is very much Malaysian. 

The band I was most looking forward to seeing was WINNINGSHOT from South Korea - a three piece that played a more old school pop punk sound - fast, melodic, and straight to the point. They were awesome, and reminded me of many a band from the Lookout / Asian Man Records era of pop punk - their chord progressions were amazing. They even dropped in a sweet sounding cover of 2002 by Anne-Marie. I hopefully will get the chance to see them again one day, and will definitely follow their journey on social media. 

The penultimate band I saw were SICK, who played a mix of Rage Against The Machine,  Limp Bizkit, and heavy hardcore extended bridges - it was nice to have a break from the pop punk. Unfortunately the crowd had filtered out as it was getting late, yet IMANS LEAGUE from Singapore finished the night off perfectly with their well crafted late 90s / early 2000s pop punk sound. With 6 albums down, they were polished, tight, and full of quality melodic riffs.  

Overall, it was a fantastic showcase for some of the Malaysian & Asian pop-punk bands at the top of the game, and I look forward to checking out some similar shows and some of the same bands, further down the line. A nice early Christmas present for Ont Road Fanzine. 

15 Malaysia - World Cup Qualifier, Malaysia vs Indonesia

A classic at Bukit Jalil

Once again I found myself at Bukit Jalil for a World Cup Qualifier. Unfortunately I missed the previous game, where Malaysia beat Thailand 2-1, as I had to prioritise going to see The Cavemen at Rumah Api. Following the Thai victory, it gave the Malaysians a boost following their 1-0 loss away to Vietnam, and kept their hopes of world cup qualification alive, setting up this match perfectly.

As it was a local derby against their local rivals, it was a sell out of 80,000. Thankfully I scored my tickets way in advance, so had no trouble on that front. This was evident as it took nearly two and a half hours to get to the stadium from door to door. Sinchan had provided the perfect hook up once again, and got us parking opposite the stadium at his friends house, the drummer from SARJANT HASSAN. It was so busy that there were huge queues outside the turnstiles, and it got to a stage where the gate staff were just automatically scanning people (and us) into the stadium without checking the tickets. 

We managed to get a spot on the aisle, on the cusp of the ultras section, so we got a great view and place to absorb the atmosphere and singing. After a nervy start, Malaysia settled our nerves with a spectacular free kick that sent the crowd into rapture. The Indonesian fans were irrate, and they started throwing objects, flares, and smoke bombs at the Malaysian fans. This just made the crowd get louder, and the party atmosphere was in full flow.

One common rule amongst ultras sections across the world is 'no photos' (hence my lack of), and the leaders in the stands do well to police this. In the second half we were joined by Ken, who I observed for a while. He had a Manchester United badge on his phone, and he shared a video of the atmosphere on his Facebook story; and over the course of the rest of the game he was checking it every few minutes to see how many likes he had. He left early, probably to beat the traffic. 

In the second half, the same Malaysia player scored again, this time at our end, and the place erupted once more. For the next few minutes, in addition to the cheer and chants of the ultras, there were Mexican waves going both ways round the stadium, on all three levels. As well as that, many people were holding up the torches on their mobile phones, creating a unique sight that was akin to a Bray Wyatt entrance in wrestling. 

The other hero of the game was the reserve goal keeper who came on during the first half. Not only did he keep a clean sheet, he also saved an Indonesian penalty in the final stages, to rub further salt in the wounds of the team that are bottom of the group. The game finished with a salute from the players and the whole stadium belting out the national anthem, which brought goose pimples all over my body. 

If Malaysia win out in their final three games, or win two and draw one against the right opponents, then they are going to the next stages for World Cup qualification. The tail of the tiger, continues to dream. 

14 Malaysia - The Cavemen, Playburst, Milo Dinosaur @ Rumah Api, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Cavemen, Playburst, Milo Dinosaur @ Rumah Api, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Cavemen

I'm stood at the hotel desk, checking in, and I notice a sign displaying the room rate that reads "2 hours, 50RM". It's at this point when I realise my plight to save money has led me to staying at a "Love Hotel". These are quite common in Malaysia, allowing consenting adults to have some privacy to engage in some extra-curricular activity. The demand for these types of establishment is down to two things. One, due to the commonality of extended families living in one household, it offers a degree of privacy from prying eyes and pricking ears. Two, the religious laws of Islam that permeate the existence of Malay citizens forbids sex before marriage, so any liberal minded couple is forced to seek pre-marital physicality elsewhere. Given the state of this hotel, I'd go so far to say that this one was more primarily for strangers in the night to engage in a monetary exchange of happiness. More on that later.

I decided to take the opportunity to enjoy a few drinks, and paying for a 'hotel' worked out significantly cheaper than taking a taxi to and from the gig. As soon as I hit the bar at Rumah Api I was greeted by the drummer of THE CAVEMEN, and within minutes I was holding court with other members of the band. At a previous show I had made acquaintances with Rizman who sings for BAD IDEA, and he was hosting the band the previous night in Johor. He had put us in contact, and here I was picking up that lead in true punk rock solidarity. Not that it was necessary, yet it was a simple lead in, as they explained how the previous night they had played a wild show to a bunch of slam dancing hardcore kids, and had stayed up late drinking with the locals. Two nights in to a world tour was bound to give the band an opportunity to cut loose, and the freshness of their faces and sharpness of their wits showed how tour life fatigue was nowhere near taking root. 

The band members were easy to talk to, and I felt comfortable in their presence for the remainder of the night. There is a romantic story behind the band, all in the same high school when the band started 11 years ago; turning heads in their local New Zealand before being ostracised from many venues, and then collectively deciding to move to London, England to carry on the party. Fortunately for most of them they had family members with British passports, so they were able to take advantage of that and live in England for four years, where they have taken part in at least 10 tours in Europe. It sounds like quite the rock n roll lifestyle that we all crave in our youth, and certainly will leave them with many a tale to tell as they transition into adulthood. 

The reality for a band playing that type of music isn't as glamorous as it sounds, as we discuss making ends meet by working short term contracts in shitty warehouse jobs, and  the relative merits of cheap beer offered by Aldi & Iceland. Thankfully the band have been successful in pulling audiences, selling merchandise, and shifting records to make the rock n roll aspect of their lives sustainable. That is quite an achievement for a band with one of their feet straddled in the roots of punk-rock. Humble, down to earth, and eager to have a laugh and joke was a perfect mix for some good company for the rest of the night. Now onto the gig itself.

The first band I saw were MILO DINOSAUR, which is an awesome name for a band. Milo is an Asian institution, a popular chocolate milk drink, and the lead singer / guitarist has the aura and presence of said prehistoric animal category. The band were awesome to say the least - a mix of driving melodies combined with a traditional emo feel. Their other guitarist in particular, was playing some sick solo notes to accompany the melody. They were so good that I even liked their band page on social media, and would seek out seeing them play live again. Up next and in a similar vein were PLAYBURST, who can be pigeonholed in similar categories, yet made sharper transitions to different parts of their songs. These guys were tight, and like the first band I saw, had mean drummer that was competent and liked to hit the skin hard. Their singer was full of charisma and kept the crowd on their toes in between the songs. It was great to finally see some of these types of bands here in Malaysia. 

Milo Dinosaur

THE CAVEMEN lived up to all the hype I had read about them online. They dived headfirst into their set, stomping through their snotty fast punk-rock / garage rock n roll influenced songs. They raced through at a blistering pace, full of grooves, moves, and visuals in bloom. As with other bands who have been playing together for so long, they were tight, and everything felt in rhythm and in time. It was a real pleasure to get to witness them in action, and it reinvigorated my soul and love for punk-rock. After the show, I stuck around for more conversation and beer with the band, and I didn't leave the venue until 2am - which when you are 38, with 2 kids and a professional job that requires you to get up at 6am, is pretty damn rock n roll.

Speaking of love, I found myself back in my hotel room unable to sleep, as out in the street there were some guys with their ladies of leisure who were having a loud dispute with the worker about not being able to stay at the hotel, and they rebelled by staying outside and blasting loud music. When I awoke after a sobering sleep, I took a quick breakfast and set off back on the road, to be back with the ones I love the most, having spent a night in the midst of the music that I love the most. Love family, love punk rock. Peace!  

The Cavemen (Day 3 of a World Tour) - Listen to them here

  

13 Malaysia - Unscripted Moments

For many not the few. The ordinary, banal, and mundane, is just as fascinating as the blissful, surreal, and hypereal moments that rarely desiccate our lives. This post is a run down of some of the average day to day experiences and reflections that have permeated my life recently.

The big news is that the UK is going to have another general election. Wooooooooooo! I can't think of a more welcome distraction from the run up to Christmas than a daily trawl of the Guardian Live news, and my social media posts being filled up with political memes. I have registered as an overseas voter, and I have organised a proxy to vote on my behalf. I guess there is nothing more to be said, I am sure the majority of readers of this blog come from my Facebook echo chamber, so there is no need to wax lyrical about my political thoughts. All I want for Christmas is a Labour government.

Work is still going well. I am really enjoying working at the school. To be honest, my experiences so far make me not want to step back into a UK school anytime soon. It is far less stressful, I am not overburdened with tasks, and I get a far higher degree of respect from my students. It is also making me into a better History teacher, having complete control over the curriculum, and making me carefully consider what knowledge and skills I am embedding. I am loving teaching Modern World history, and I am busy preparing to teach Russia 1905-1956 as the depth study, which is probably one of my favourite topics to teach. I am also enjoying my middle leadership role, and I am being active in improving teaching & learning across the school. There is also a strong assembly culture, where staff and students get to regularly cover important topics and show off their talents - it helps build a great school community and culture. I did one on 'Selfie Culture', which got the whole school out an about in a an activity, which was well received. As well as that, I have a far greater degree of expendable income a month as well as being able to save a considerable amount, and the life outside school that Malaysia is offering me is still novelty and fresh. 

Without my CD collection in tow, and the faff of playing music from my phone via bluetooth for a short journey, I have been listening to the radio in my car. The rotation of music for modern pop songs is pretty limited, and any old songs they play seem to be average pop songs from the 1990s. The funniest bizarre thing about Malaysian radio is that sheer volume of Public Service Announcements that scatter the broadcasts. They are done in English and cover all sorts of anti-social behaviour such as: throwing your take away rubbish out of the car, speaking in the cinema during a movie, and not eating too many fatty foods. In fact, I wish I had kept a list because there are tons of them. I guess they are good for altering mindsets amongst the population, yet for a woke person like myself, they get tedious after a while. Just as tedious as the limited amount of songs on rotation. 

TV habits have remained mostly the same - I can still get access to online wrestling companies, NFL gamepass, and as a bonus, I can now watch most Leeds United games on an international service. We also have Netflix, so we can still watch good TV drama and comedy. 

Alcohol wise, we have found a shop run by a couple of Indian guys, who sell us behind the counter duty free alcohol, so we can get it a bit cheaper. Compared to back home alcohol is more expensive, and not as widely available, so we have benefitted mentally and physically from not drinking as much. The only time we really drink is when we are at home with friends on a weekend, and I am quite OK with that - it's a refreshing change. As for food, my two new favourite things are Laska (a spicy fish broth that comes with noodles and vegetables) & Tempoyak (fermented durian turned into a spicy paste).

Over the past 6 weeks we have had both mothers visiting for a fortnight at a time. We made a visit to Little India, an enclave in central KL callled Brickfields, where we had an amazing selection of curries served on a banana leaf, and took in all the sounds of the Deepavali celebrations. During the October half term, we made a visit to Port Dickson, and spent a few nights at a luxury 5 star hotel, where we stayed in a chalet which was on top of the sea; something like you see in the movies or in Dubai. It was so luxury that we even had our own swimming pool and steam room on our balcony. That was an experience we have only been able to have by making the move to live and work out here. 

It's also worth noting that raising children is still the best job in the world, yet it can be stressful, and they can be pain in the arse at times.

I recently discovered that my educational Youtube account has been deleted, due to some service changes. I unknowingly missed the deadline to get it transferred, and all the videos I have been making over the past 5 years are gone. This is a real shame. Thankfully, none of them will benefit my teaching in my future practice, yet they would have been great to have for looking back on in the future, and also many students could have still benefitted from many of the advice videos I made from my Sociology examiner role. Some of my videos had over 10,000 views, and the all time classic 'Sociology of Moana' video is long gone into the ether. Never mind, it wont be long till this 21st Century Digital Boy is back being creative again. 

And finally, it was great to hear that Candian xenophoic Ice Hockey analyst Don Cherry, has been fired from 'Hockey night in Canada' for his unapologetic nature following another rant live on air. I just hope that Propagandhi still play 'Dear Coaches Corner' live, despite the game being cleansed of his presence in the national media.

Only three more weeks left at work till a four week Christmas break. Keep calm, and fingers crossed for a new & better government.

12 Malaysia - The Mindless Show @ Rumah Api, Kuala Lumpur

The Mindless Show @ Rumah Api, Kuala Lumpur

The parents were visiting, and as a result my partner and I had the rare opportunity of going on a night out together, so we booked a 'healthy living' concept hotel near the venue. Upon arrival at the check in desk, we were upsold a bolt-on massage & treatment for a reduced price, at the attached health spa. There is a phrase I never thought I would ever say "upsold a massage at the hotel check in". The hotel was so pure in it's beliefs that even the complimentary apples upon arrival were 'cleansed with oceal mineral salt - removing 99.9& of pesticides'. Further to this, alcohol was forbidden so we had to discreetly dispose of our cans, and no smoking was allowed within 5 meters of the building. Also part of the complex, was a healthy living cafe, where we ate our tea. I had a 'Sauna Mee', which was essentially raw veg and noodles dropped into a clay pot full of sizzling water. The welness treatement involved dipping our feet in a pool of water whilst fish ate our dead skin - quite the sensation. We then had a long massage in a room designated for couples, and the masseurs were clearly well trained and professional - we felt great afterwards, and that was one of the best massages I have ever had. 

We then counter-balanced the physical and nutritional wellness, with some mental and soulful welness by attending a punk-rock show. We tried to go for a pre-drink at some of the local bars, but they were predominantly full of drunk Chinese men, murdering K-Pop classics on the karaoke, surrounded by women who were looking for additional ways to supplement their income - so we had a sneaky can back in the hotel room. 

We got to the gig, and decided to have a change and drink cider (they have Somersby here). We met up with Sharizal (who was featured in the Accidente article), and had a quick chat before his band THE MINDLESS SHOW opened proceedings. This was their first show for a year, as their singer had been completing his PhD, and they have been playing together for many years now. We enjoyed their set of 90s style melodic punk (surprise surprise) and they had similar song structures to older LAGWAGON songs. After their set, we hit the bar in the venue and met with a Finnish guy who was also living and working in Malaysia. We all got on great and spent the rest of the night in the bar. It was great to talk about Finland again, and discuss Finnish punk rock - he was about 24 and from Lappeenranta and also knew some of the obscure bands I once booked shows for in the UK, such as KAUNIIT POLIISIT. There were a couple of hardcore bands playing whilst we were in the bar, but it wasn't really our cup of tea, it was just nice to feel and experience the 'bar' culture again, banter, drinking, and loud music.

Thanks once again to Rumah Api for putting on the show, and thanks to the parents for looking after the kids. Get out and support your local punk venue, and get out and spend some money on looking after yourself. 

11 Malaysia - Papa Hero @ Petronas Petrol Station, Semenyih

Papa Hero @ Petronas Petrol Station, Semenyih

Getting the opportunity to watch any heavy music in a live setting usually involves a 40 minute drive into Kuala Lumpur. However, on one particularly uneventful Sunday, I took a drive out to my local petrol station to fill up the car. When I stepped out of the vehicle I could hear some killer electric guitar solos. After attaching the nozzle I took a walk over to the busking station by the cashier (there are regular buskers in this spot - authorized - and I usually go and take a closer look and give them some money). This time I took a photo of the act, because he was a full on Heavy Metal guy with Pantera shirt. I listended for a bit longer, and gave him a passing wink of the eye as I dropped some money in the donation box. 

Upon getting home, I did some more research on the guy, as I was able to zoom in on his backdrop in the photo. It turns out this guy has 110,000 likes on Facebook, and his sole purpose in life is to dedicate it raising money and taking action for stray & rescue cats. There is nothing more Heavy Metal than that! I found some further biographical information about him, and there is a video of him on Malaysian National TV, in a one to one interview setting, talking about what he does. At one point he breaks down in tears, and it just made me emotional watching him. So there you go, that is Papa Hero. It wasn't enough to make it onto my spreadsheet, where I have documented every single gig I have been to in my life (at last count I was just passed 950), yet his passion, dedication, and musical tastes meant it was a worthy article for the blog. Papa Hero - the Ace Freely of the Semenyih Metal Scene - I salute you!

Give him more likes at https://www.facebook.com/KakimotongFanClub/

10 Malaysia - The Argies, 199X, The Caesar @ Rumah Api, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Argies, 199X, The Caesar @ Rumah Api, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Argies

I had missed out on going to the Boom Boom Kid / Systematic Death show on my birthday, so I was keen to get out the following weekend. There was another band from Argentina this weekend, who were advertised as 'ska and punk', and having checked out their profile, it seemed that these older gadgies had been doing it for a while, and had played a previous show in KL years back, so they were bound to be decent. I am glad I took a chance on this one. 

After grabbing a beer as I arrived, I was about to start chatting with some of the other gig-goers but the first band started, and as many people hadn't arrived yet I decided to show my support and go and watch them. This was THE CAESAR - a new band on the scene, playing a classic ska style - and it got me shaking a little. They played a nice short set of four songs and a cover, and it was an ideal warm up for the rest of the night.

199X

Next up were 199X, which was another draw for coming to the show. I had previously read about them on a 'Top 10 pop punk bands in Malaysia' style blog article, and they sounded interesting as they were the only one mentioned that gave a nod to the 1990s EPIFAT style I love so much. There were definitive elements to parts of some of their songs that hooked me, yet overall I felt that they covered many different pop punk styles (including modern) in the range of songs that they played, so it was somewhere in the middle for my overall enjoyment. They dropped in an INTERUPPTERS cover in the middle of the set, which went down well with me. 

The Caesar

And to round of the night we had THE ARGIES, who played a blinding set. They threw a knock out punch from the start of the set, and just started ploughing through their own songs at 100km/h from the get go. The crowd had filled out by this point, and a bit of dancing was taking place. Mid set was the true highlight for me, because they played a run of cover songs that I knew, and got me dancing and singing along. They played Bella Ciao by Ska-P, followed by Olympia, WA by Rancid (with a Ruby Soho outro), followed by White Riot & Should I Stay Or Go by The Clash, and then rounded this part of the set off nicely with King of Ska by The Skatellites. They then raced through a few more of their own numbers, and they were relentless, just going straight into the next song almost every time. The guys were a pure visual joy too, rocking around the stage hard, and it was clear that they were tight having done this for so long. I left before they finished, with a great buzz, and another enjoyable night down at RUMAH API. 

9 Malaysia - Groundhopping at Bukit Jalil Stadium for Malaysia vs UAE

September 2019 saw the start of the joint qualifying campaign for World Cup 2022 and Asia Cup 2023, and anticipation was running high here, as this is the highest position that Malaysia have held in the FIFA rankings. The expectations increased after their first game, beating local rivals Indonesia away 3-2, coming back from 2-1 down and scoring a winner in the 97th minute. It feels like a great time to be living here, supporting the Tigers in their quest. 

I drove down to the stadium with my main man Sinchan, and he's got all the hook ups, as we were able to park at his friends residence opposite the stadium. We grabbed some food from one of the countless stalls dotted outside the stadium, and I was amazed by the sheer amount of stalls selling unofficial merchandise. We managed to hook up with the ultras as they marched to the stadium gates, and got warmed up with some chanting. I must say that we both looked the part as football casuals and Malaysia fans, sporting black Fred Perry shirts (black is the natural colour of the ultra) with yellow trim (yellow is the colour of Malaysia).

Banner reveal prior to the start of the game - the ultras are known as the tail of the tiger

The UAE are the number one seed in the group, and in their last match with Malaysia a few years ago, had beat them 10-0. However, the momentum was with the Tigers, who couldn't have got off to a better start, scoring a header from a corner in the first minute. The atmosphere was already electric and now it was put into overdrive. We were sat right in the mix, and we were joining in with all the chants, clapping, and jumping up and down - we were fully immersed in the collective spirit. 

Unfortunately just before half-time, the UAE playmaker scored an equaliser, so that quelled the party somewhat. By the start of the second half the party was back in full swing, however, their playmaker put another one through the sticks and now the tide had turned, and the reality had set it. Malaysia made a strong showing at the end to try and get an equaliser, and the ultras responded well with all their noise, yet it was not to be as the final whistle was blown. Malaysia did dominate the first half, and will rue not putting away more goals when they had the chance. Still, there were lots of positives from their performance and their start to the campaign, and I look forward to joining the ultras again at the next home games against Thailand and Indonesia. 

Overall it was a great experience, and it felt quite unique being with ultras for a national team game - it's something that doesn't seem to be common here in Europe - only at club level. From checking out all the different ultras t-shirts, there were fans from all over Malaysia, who all support different teams, yet united under the banner of the Malaysian Tigers. I think this relates to their cultural context, being a relatively new state with a vast mix of different ethnic groups united under the Malaysian banner, and that is probably why this easily crosses over into the football arena.

8 Malaysia - Phuket, I'm outta here

With school closed for two days due to the unhealthy levels of haze, and my family far away, I decided to take their lead and book a flight to Phuket to join them. I had originally planned to go to a gnarly gig in KL for my birthday, but the feeling of missing my children, and the need to escape the haze which was making me get more sick, was too much for me to resist the urge to join them.

It was amazing stepping off the plane to see blue skies and cumulus clouds. I could smell fresh air again, and I instantly felt better. The family had booked into an upmarket resort called Laguna, and it was no problem to add me onto the booking. This area was unlike anywhere I had seen on my previous whirlwind tour of Thailand 6 years ago - it felt a lot more developed and catered to the 'holiday market' tourists here. It was beautiful though, and the natural environment still felt part of the landscape.

Blue Skies & Cumulus Clouds

The Thai hospitality was once again, second to none - the people on the resort couldn't do enough to make our stay as special as possible. The highlight being on my birthday, where the housekeeping had arranged a birthday message made out of flowers on my bed, and then a team of staff sang happy birthday to me at the poolside whilst presenting me with a birthday cake. Also on my birthday, we went to play a game of mini golf. I must say that the course was a grade 'A' standard - well kept astroturf, long & challenging holes - I won the round on the last hole, so it was a perfect TV finish. 

A massive lizard

The resort was massive (like the lizard), so much so that there were buses constantly doing the rounds taking people to different parts of it. Not only did we have the use of our pool, but we also went to other hotels on site to use their pools, and also to a private beach area that belonged to the resort.  The whole experience was a much needed purification exercise - physically, mentally, and emotionally - it was nice to feel closer to nature again. The haze had been beating us down for over a month and we just needed to escape (and this is where I start feeling guilty for being privileged because it isn't possible for most here in Malaysia).

Cheeky Birds...also migrating for better climates, or in the case of the sparrows in Malaysia during the haze...death.

7 Malaysia - Environmental disaster

I have just got back from the airport, where I was in tears as I was cuddling and saying goodbye to my children. It's not been easy at times since we have arrived. Jesse has hit the 'terrible twos' stage, he has had some irregular sleeping patterns, and has not been well the past few days. So on paper, the thought of having a 'rest' and a 'break' from the kids sounded marvellous. It's not until I actually wished them goodbye that all my emotions came pouring out and I wished they weren't going. I am not going to see them for a few days. 

Part of the reason they are leaving Malaysia for a short period is that there is a serious environmental problem rearing its ugly head right now. They are going to escape it for a few days and visit Thailand, along with their grandma, who is here visiting at the moment. It all began last week, when a haze descended over the country, affecting the air quality and the visibility. It has been getting worse, and over recent days it has been recorded by weather stations as 'very unhealthy'. The visibility is shocking, the smell is toxic, and the feeling I have in my head, throat, and chest is painful. I think my family have done the the right thing for their health and happiness - I am stuck at work unfortunately. As I drove away from the airport, I started to think about this problem on a wider level. Not only was I upset about not seeing my children, I started getting upset as to why this problem exists in the first place, and also at the thought that the environment may get so bad in the future, that I may not even have the chance to see my own children have kids of their own. A bit dramatic I know, yet I can't help but feel we have been ignoring the environment for too long. 

What is actually going on? School was closed for students on Tuesday, all over Malaysia schools have been closing, and it seems to getting worse. It's been due to haze that comes from illegal agricultural fires due to industrial scale slash and burn practices, mainly in Indonesia, and some other parts of South East Asia - all for the pursuit of profit (burned land can be used for palm oil and pulpwood production) over the environment. Now we all have to suffer indefinitely. 

I used to teach Global Development in my previous schools, and a past question always makes me shudder - "Development needs will always take priority over safeguarding the environment". To what extent do Sociological arguments and evidence support this view?  Well I have seen and felt it first hand now. Environmental problems are largely created in the West (either by direct policy or inadvertently through economic policy) and the effects are largely felt in the developing world. People in the developing world aren't as bothered as the masses in the West because they are too busy worrying about getting out of poverty. We have never been in such a position where have the capital, research, and public will to put the Sustainable Development Goals into practice. Governments take note - the time to act is now. 

There was some other recent events I was going to talk about this time round, yet I felt this story needed priority at this time. I will be back next time to talk about going to watch the football, and some more general observations about life here in Malaysia. Here is a song by a Malaysian punk band about the haze...

6 Malaysia - Apparatus, Langsuir, Atomic Death at Rumah Api, Kuala Lumpur

Apparatus, Langsuir, Atomic Death @ "Absurd 19", Rumah Api, Kuala Lumpur

It felt weird turning up to the show in my SUV and H&M underwear (well maybe not the underwear because it's bloody hot here in Malaysia, and bloody boiling on the 18th floor of an apartment complex with only fans for air conditioning, which is where RUMAH API is located). For more information about the history of this punk project you can watch a short documentary about it here. The H&M underwear is borne out of a new epoch of thinking about work dress wear - where I have taken a more active step to look good and smart (in the past I always settled for cheap work wear - why pay more to work for the man etc.) and I must say that looking the part helps feel and exude a greater sense of confidence and contentment in my ability (hence why I went so shop at such an establishment) - yet I digress slightly. I got changed into my punk clothes before I set off to the show (black vans hi-tops and a black Zounds t-shirt, complete with black shorts covering up my H&M underwear - oh the shame!). Then comes the SUV - I live in a quiet area outside of town, and I tried for 30 minutes to get a taxi, so I could have a few beers, yet there were no taxis available, so I decided to drive. Despite the lack of drinking there was no way that I was going to miss the legendary brutal crust noise of APPARATUS - especially as they have now moved to the Eastern peninsula of Malaysia - so I had to make sure I went to this show because chances are, they may not play in KL again during the next two years of my contract.

First of all, this was a free show, so it was busy. APPARATUS were about to embark on a European tour, and they will have had to fly out of KL anyway, so this was a warm up show of sorts, and a chance to sell some merchandise to raise some funds, as I am sure it is far more difficult for bands out here to tour Europe compared to those from developed countries. As well as the gig floor itself, there are some punk merchandise and music shops as part of the complex, and a few distros had turned up to sell their wares too. There was bar that sold cold cans of beer and cider for 7 or 8RM, and smoking was allowed in the venue, which made it feel like I was stepping into a time warp - it took a couple of days to wash off the smell from my skin. Even as a vaper, and coming from a country where it is illegal to smoke in public places (a policy I am supportive of), I felt awkward vaping in there.

The first band I saw were ATOMIC DEATH who were decked out in leather jackets (how did they manage the heat for so long?) and played a healthy crossover of Heavy Rock, Metal, and Crust. The crowd enjoyed it, and there was plenty of headbanging all round. Between bands I said hello to Big Sexy Panda, Melon, and Nobby, whom I met at ACCIDENTE show. The next band was LANGSUIR who were a weird type of grindcore band, which is a style I am not that into, so I watched a few songs and then headed to a quieter area, where I met two Canadian guys who live in China, and I had a good chat with them about their experiences there, and about the political situation there - I wanted to dig a little deeper as I am going to be teaching some Chinese history later in the year, so it was useful to get a deeper insight- read here for some 'beyond the firewall' articles about recent events there.

To round off the night was the mighty APPARATUS (the older guy original member and two young lads - likely from Kota Kinabalu), who blasted out 20-25 minutes of heavy, brutal, and straight up crusty noisy hardcore. I was hooked instantly, and I was in the middle of the pit for the first few songs, banging my fist like a true crust punk, (without the dirty underwear). I took a break for the middle of the set, then got stuck in again for the last two songs. It was great to have a good dance at a show, and I was absolutely covered in sweat by the end of the night. As the show was free, I bought a nice APPARATUS shirt after the show, and now I have my first Malaysian punk shirt - so next time I can try and blend in (not). Then it was back in the car for the drive home, listening to a PET SHOP BOYS compilation, winding down from another awesome, bespoke, Malaysian punk rock show.

5 Malaysia - Kuah Banjir

We have made significant progress with our lives here over the past couple of weeks, and a degree of normality has kicked in as we have started to get acclimatised to the weather and culture, as well as the familiarity of being back in 'work mode'. 

On a social level, we spent consecutive Thursdays hanging out with Couple 1 and their children, at our respective houses. The kids have enjoyed playing with each other, and the adults have enjoyed some nice food, chat and most importantly, cold alcoholic drinks together. We feel quite fortunate to have met some kindred spirits so soon into our journey. Being back at work has also led me to meet more of the expat teachers, and we now have Couple 3 in our lives, who are from South Africa originally. They are a good laugh, and like to sit around and talk too. My partner and I hosted a drinks night for all the couples we have met so far, including Couple 4, who also have a child and work in a senior role at the school. It was a nice opportunity for us to all socialise and get to know each other. Where we live and work is far away from the main expat hub in KL, so we are sort of the only White foreigners in the village - I kinda like that though. Therefore, it's quite important for us all to make strong social bonds so quickly. 

As far as adventures go, we have maintained our commitment to getting out and about and seeing the new society we live in. With our new Malaysian Couple 1 friends, we had a day out together, eating lots of nice food and visiting a waterfall in the jungle (unfortunately the main hub was closed due to some  recent deaths, yet there was still a nice part of the stream where we could swim and take in the natural flow of the water). It was great to escape the city and feel at one with nature again - and the kids did really well consider we drove for 4/5 hours of that whole day. 

On another trip I took the kids out for a 'day of culture' to Putrajaya, a beautiful city on the outskirts of KL, which is designated as the administrative and civil service hub for the region. It's full of magnificent buildings and a vast array of Green Spaces. I took them to the 'Iron' mosque, which is a well known for its modern and contemporary architecture - people there were super friendly, yet unfortunately Child 1 was whining, and Child 2 was asleep, so we didn't stick around long. They were too hungry, and even though it would have been an ideal place for our picnic - I realised we had ham sandwiches, so we had to eat our dinner in the car park. I then took them to the Millennium Monument, and I was able to read some of the history of Malaysia, as it is all represented in words and pictures on gold coloured plates along the path to the top - being with kids though meant I only got snippets though. The other plans I had had to be curtailed due to closures, but we have left plenty to see on future return visits.

My partner took the opportunity to spend some time with some of the other women from the couples, and they had an afternoon/night out in KL, for food, drinks, and a bit of late night karaoke. I also managed to get out to my second Malaysian punk-rock concert, this time at a different venue, with different styles of bands. As per usual, I will post a separate report about this in my next blog post. 

We also made a family trip to central KL to do some tourist stuff: use a rooftop infinity pool with a view (which KL is famous for), eat at a Mamak (Malaysian cafe - although we do that regularly where we are anyway - the title of this piece 'Kuah Banjir', means 'flood my plate with all the different curry sauces'), get some photos outside the famous Petronas Towers (oooh an oil company), let the kids play in the huge central park kids playground, and visit / eat at Jalan Alor night food market (lovely Thai food, and cold beer). We did manage to fit a lot into 8 hours, and the hotel we were supposed to stay at wasn't as advertised, so we kicked off, got a refund after going back and forth for an hour, and then made it home by midnight, fresh for another day. 

Speaking of complaining, you have to do it a lot to get things done here - the Malaysian attitude to some things is a lot different than we are used to. I am doing my upmost to not be 'that complaining westerner' but we have had a few minor disputes already with our landlord, housing agent, and internet providers, which wouldn't have got us moving forward into the position we are in now if we hadn't followed the BR philosophy of 'Raise Your Voice'. We still don't have Wifi installed in our house yet though, I love my computer god damn it! 

On a work related level I have been back at school for two weeks now. It's been great to meet all the students and staff, and start to get my bearings. I have also had confirmation that the management have seen the value in my experience and labour, promoting me to Head of Humanities. This is a huge career step for me, and an opportunity that I am excited about taking on. In addition to this, I am the only History teacher too, so I am defacto Head of History too, which is another new area of responsibility to get my head around; alongside getting used to new cohorts of learners, working with English as an Additional Language students, and living in a new country - it's going to be quite the challenge in this first term, yet after that, things will start to settle down. Thankfully I have an ambitious, yet down to earth and supportive bunch of people around me, as we work to drive the school forward on its path to success. 

The next few weeks we have family visiting, so I am sure we will be still getting Ont Road during the weekends. Till next time, be nice and look after each other. 

4 Malaysia - Accidente, Bad Idea, Synkyyys at Angkasa, Kuala Lumpur

Accidente, Bad Idea, Synkyyys @ “Friendship & Rebellion” Angkasa, Kuala Lumpur 

After 3 weeks of settling into life in Malaysia, I finally got to take some time out and take in my first punk-rock show. Prior to leaving the UK, some punk pals of mine put me in touch with some contacts, and one of them came from Yorkshire pals DRY HEAVES who had toured SE Asia back in the day. So I arranged to meet Sinchan at the show, and I was able to purchase an advance ticket for the show using paypal. I live far out of central Kuala Lumpur, and there isn’t any public transport, so I took my new car out for a spin and made the drive to the venue. 

I soon met up with Sinchan, and he kindly introduced me to many different people. He was super friendly, and I spent a lot of time outside the venue, talking to him and others. It was great to just be there and meet some other punks. Unfortunately this meant that I had only a passing look at some of the other bands playing that night. I did catch 3 songs of SYNKYYYS who are a two piece band from the north of Malaysia. They played a fast, stripped down, crusty style, and concluded with a MOB 47 cover. Nice!

BAD IDEA were also on the fast sound and played a fast punk-rock style, with short songs. The singer was a super pumped happy guy who exuded heartfelt platitudes in between songs – they were pleased to be playing in KL, and the crowd really enjoyed the set. 

The venue itself was situated on the first floor on a busy street. It was a large space which I would say was a third full that night – plenty of people to make it an enjoyable show. There was plenty of merchandise and distro stalls, and there was also a relax area at the back, where there were even children present, which was great to see. Some of the children were even down at the front during the bands – Awesome!

The main pull of deciding to come to this show as my first was ACCIDENTE, who were on tour in South East Asia at the time. Prior to the show, Richard CUBESVILLE FANZINE and Adz from Lake District punk-rock scene, messaged me, urging me to go and check them out. I listened to two of their songs on bandcamp and immediately I was thinking ‘I have to go to this show’. That night they were just as good as I had heard – catchy, melodic punk-rock songs. The band members were full of gratitude and smiles, and they even swapped around some instruments during the set. They had a lot of fans in the audience, and I saw plenty of people singing along and dancing at the front. One cool middle aged punk-rock guy in a LAGWAGON shirt (Hello Shahrizal!) was having the time of his life, and he got up on stage and sang a chorus with the band. The crowd loved it so much that they were cheered back on for an encore. 

I left the gig very happy that night, and had a super positive experience – people in the Malaysian punk scene are very nice people, and the bands have passion for their craft. I gave my copy of the COMETBUS compendium book to Sinchan as a welcome gift, and bought a NICKY WIRE CD from the distro, before making the 30 minute drive back home.

Fantastic start to my new punk-rock life here, and I look forward to going to more shows in the future. Perhaps you may even here about a rare performance from MC POSITIVE BASTARD?

Unfortunately, later in their SE Asia tour, an Accidente show in INDONESIA was raided by the police and the band were deported, meaning they had to cut their tour short, and fly home immediately. What a massive shitter! There is a benefit sale going on to help them recuperate the unseen costs of this, so if you can help out then please go here: https://hardcoredetonation.bandcamp.com/merch/special-crowd-funding-for-accidente

3 Malaysia - First steps Ont Road

We’ve been in our new house for over a week now and we have almost all of the essential items we need in place now. For this update I’d like to share with you some of the adventures we have had and also some general observations from my time here. 

To be honest, there isn’t much I have been missing from life back home. However, one thing that I miss the most is carpets! Pretty much everywhere here is stone flooring. It still feels weird walking around in bare feet all the time – my feet aren’t used to it. Perhaps in time I will get used to it, otherwise I might have to buy those ludicrous looking sandals that have a fluffy carpet in the soles for me to walk around the house in. I’m already loosing fashion points for wearing crocs, so I may have to lose a few more. 

We made our first day trip to Port Dickson, which is the closest area to us that has beaches. There are several in the area, but we chose the most popular one for our first visit ‘Pantai Telok Kenang’, as we went on a Tuesday when it would be quieter and had lots of amenities to make the visit comfortable. We were able to rent a table and chairs under a canopy for the day, and there were plenty of street stalls behind us offering a variety of food and drinks to sample – our favourite was deep fried battered banana covered in cheese! There was also a sound system nearby, pumping out reggae, which was the perfect accompaniment to a chilled day out. The kids really enjoyed playing in the sand and the sea, and this was one of the only times we felt considerably relaxed around them since we’ve arrived. Only an hour from home, we are certainly going to be paying regular visits back here in the future. 

I have taken the new car out for a few spins, and one thing I have noticed here is that people either drive slow in the inside lane, or they speed in the outside lane; and there is little much going on in the middle lane. Our car is also an automatic, which has been super chill to drive – I don’t think I’ll ever go back to driving a manual, because of the convenience. First it was the electric mountain bike, and now it’s the car – I’m the paradigm of carefree living, your saviour, the automatic man! 

Alcohol wise, it is highly taxed here. The cheapest from the supermarkets is 6-7 pounds for 6 x 330ml cans of lager (Carlsberg, Asahi, and Tiger are amongst the most common). There are a few alternative options for a different experience, they have Guinness Foreign Extra for Stout, Anchor Smooth for a more ale feel, and Kronenburg Blanc for a white beer feel. I was in a restaurant the other day and they had bottles of moonshine made from coconuts, so I aim to give that a whirl soon. We also booked our first holiday for October to the tax free island of Langkawi in Malaysia, so we will be able to bring back some bottles of spirits from there. Speaking of holidays, we will be holidaying a lot in Malaysia over the first year (due to tax purposes), as we are only allowed a combined amount of 28 days out of the country.

I have also found there to be many hidden costs to starting life as an expat here (things that I didn’t seem to read about on blogs prior to starting this whole process). There is a Malaysian and Foreigner rate for some services out here, in particular for entry to tourist destinations and also for ‘sign up fees’, for example getting a SIM card. Along with a new taxation system, getting to learn a new economy is also something that will take a while to get to grips with. 

I may have mentioned before that WhatsApp is used for everything here. Everyone is using it for social chat, and I am amazed by the amount of business and legal transactions that it is used for. It’s also useful for when somebody does not speak good English, as you can often ask them to WhatsApp you, and they usually can communicate better using the written word. 

The food continues to amaze me. We have had some amazing food from new restaurants we have tried, and I have found some amazing food from the food stalls that occupy the small town centre we live nearby to. The crazy thing I love about this place, is that it is cheaper to eat out than buy everything for home and eat in. 

Speaking of food, we also attended a welcome dinner for the new expat teachers that was organised by the school. It was nice to meet some of the new staff, and we have also had a HR and ICT induction at the school too. It feels like we are slowly easing our way into the new academic year, and there is certainly some exciting opportunities ahead for me professionally, which I can’t share with you at this stage just yet. 

As far as the weather goes we are acclimating to the heat a bit better – some days feel brutally hot, yet when there is cloud coverage we are fine, and the days are much more manageable. We experienced our first major downpour the other day, and a big storm passed through. The thunder and lightning started, and one flash went past every window, followed by a huge bang akin to a howitzer cannon being fired. My partner was outside, and came running in scared for her life. After she inspected the outside, there was huge hole in the ground on the other side of the fence, where the lightning had hit. Talk about a lucky escape! They do say that you never get struck by lightning twice.

Another bonus about working in Malaysia is that there are a large amount of public holidays here. So you know the score in the UK, Christian holidays count as public holidays for all citizens, and other religious holidays can only be taken by the respective religions, e.g. Muslims have a legal right to take a day off for Eid. However here, the religious holidays for the majority religious groups are public holidays for all people, so for example, everyone here will get December the 25th off as a public holiday, not just Christians. That is a fine example of multiculturalism, and also an example the importance of a deity here. The general rule of thumb seems to be that you are more respected if you hold a faith, rather than not. 

Speaking of religion, we also made another day trip to a nearby Taoist temple called ‘Sak Dato’. In classic Asian style, it is situated on a hillside, and features all the standard temple things, including lots of statues of animals. Even though I am not religious, I do find more affiliation with Taoism due to it not believing in an omnipotent being beyond the cosmos. The highlight of the area, is Malaysia’s largest monkey statue situated at the top of the hill opposite, which you have to get to by crossing a suspension bridge. We decided to make the ‘pilgrimage’ despite it being roasting in the middle of the day, and the kids did really well with the climb. As we were near the top, my partner decided she couldn’t carry on and turned back. A spiritual elder saw this and told her off, convincing her to carry on as she had made it so far. I am glad we did, because the views were stunning and the sense of achievement was strong, considering we had two kids in tow. As part of this trip, we also ate at a cool local Chinese restaurant, where the only person in the village who spoke English had to come along and help us order our food. My fish was hooked out of the neighbouring lake, and the English speaker also got us to try some exotic fruit he’d picked – something that we had never seen or eaten in our lives before.  

And finally, I managed to take a few hours out of everything to go and take in my first Malaysian punk-rock show, but in the spirit and ethos of Ont Road I will write a separate piece about this later. That’s it for now, I will be back next week to share some insights into my new life. Peace be with you. 

2 Malaysia - Two steps forward, one step back

We have now left the hotel and have moved into our house. The final week in the hotel was mainly spent trying to organise our lives, and I spent some extended time with the children whilst my partner finished her degree (this mainly consisted of me taking them to a play centre & the swimming pool).

We borrowed an old Isuzu Trooper for a few days through a private seller, which was cool to drive a tank style car, yet that was too much of a risk for potential repairs, and the air conditioning was inappropriate. After a few searches online, we finally found a car we were happy with, a 2011 Kia Sorento, which seems to be in good condition, has a safe frame, and has 7 seats so we can have our guests in with us during their stay. Book your places now!

We made a few trips to the house to take delivery of and assemble some of the furniture, thankfully we had paid a bit extra to have most of it assembled, because for me they are a bastard to put together, yet my partner seems to be able to whizz through them somehow. The house is situated in a newly built, sprawling eco township, and this is also where my school is located. We are renting a large property there, which has more than enough space for us all. Nearby is a park and a lake to walk around, and the security guards salute you as you leave and enter the gated community. The only downside is that we have to be on a waiting list to get Wifi, but we have managed to get round this by getting unlimited data packages on our mobile phones, and we can use them to tether the data to our TV and laptops. There is also a club house on site, which has amazing facilities (infinity pool, kids splash area, sauna, steam room, and jacuzzi), and offers a 360 degree hilltop view of the surrounding area, complete with hills in the background – it truly is a stunning location to raise a young family, and offers superior air quality compared to living in the city. The local town has a mall with a large Tesco, and other major shops an outlets. Surrounding it on all sides back to back is a square of properties where the local business’ are, and there is a street where all the street food sellers dwell – it has everything you need really. For more upmarket activities, we have a larger mall, water park, cinemas, animal sanctuaries,  and countryside retreats, all within 20 minutes drive from where we are. Further to this, we are 40 minutes from central Kuala Lumpur (KL), 80 minutes from the beach, and 40 minutes from KL airport – so we can easily come and pick you up when you arrive. Book your places now!

The children are doing well, and they seem to be adjusting to life here just fine. The climate hasn’t stifled them, and child 2 is even trying all the local food. As long as mummy and daddy are around, they are generally happy, bar the occasional tantrums. Child 1 will face the trickiest transition when school starts, joining a new class as an ethnic minority, yet wheels have already been put in motion with regards to that settling in process. 

This is because we have already made contact and met up with some of the other teachers who work at and are going to work at the school. The first couple we met at the hotel, and they have two young children too – so we met up and went out for some food with them one evening. They seem chill and down to earth, and they are also vegan, which will be a good influence on us, as we like to eat healthy as often as we can. Along with couple 1, we also were invited round for food, drinks, and kids play date by couple 2, and one of them is a leader in the key stage that child 1 will be in. They were sound and chill too, and they also have two young kids. So we are all in the same boat, and it was nice to be invited along, and made to feel part of the community so soon. It was also a perfect opportunity for the kids to familiarise themselves with each other, as I am sure they will also be spending time together inside and outside of school too.

The food continues to be wonderful, and I’ve levelled out a little by not having every meal as a spicy one. The best food we have found so far is in the banana leaf set, which is an vegetarian Indian dish, where lots of different things are served on a banana leaf. It’s similar to a thali, just served on something different. It was so good, we went two nights running.  

At present we are in our new house for the third night, and everything is starting to come together, following a two steps forward, one step back feel during the first couple of weeks. Now that we are starting to feel more settled, we might start making some trips out to places other than the mall or shops, prior to the start of the academic year.