Evening adventure

 

As our date night began we were led into the party by beautiful women dressed in traditional Malaysian attire...and then there was this masked dancer who performed a dance by the pool. Later in the evening, we were escorted into the ballroom by this masked wonder. There were all kinds of speeches, dance performances, cheesy old music, magical drums...and even the Head of State was there. Tons of media- it was a big deal for this "up and coming" city. And we were there...

Thistle Johor Bahru

 

This is the hotel as the sun is going down and we are having drinks by the pool...a great place to begin date night.

Date Night

 

Devin and I had a rare opportunity to go out on a date last night. Devin's co-worker Pam who lives here at Pulai Springs has her 19 year old daughter visitng. We asked Lena to sit for Nevi because we were invited to the Grand Opening of The Thistle Johor Bahru. The Thistle is a fancy new hotel here in JB. It used to be the Grand Hyatt and has been re-done. Awhile back, when looking for housing, we looked into their exectutive suites as a possibility. Of course they were not complete then or even open. Well, now they are as of one month ago. So Devin got an invite and we thought hey- free drinks, free dinner let's go.

Day 2 at school

Nevi had another great day at school today. Our drive this morning was a bit better- a little under an hour. We left about 30 minutes earlier and perhaps that makes the difference in some ways. So our timing is going to shift- earlier to bed and earlier to rise. This is the first school day morning I have had to wake Nevi. At home we could just let her sleep cause we were only a 5 minute drive to SunGarden Montessori- not the case here. From now on- I will wake Nevi at 6:30- out the door at 7! Some might say why in the world are you driving so far...well a public school is not an option for us. There is an international school about 20 minutes from here- but she was going to have to take a three hour placement exam just to see what grade she would be in and then they have exams all through the year- yes even the 5-6 year olds. That is a bit too extreme a shift from Nevi's Montessori background. So Hilltop it is, and we drive for the place that is just right for her! All in all so far so good once she gets to school. She is tired when she gets home and that is a good sign all the way around. With me not working here- I guess my work is that of a mother ~ doing what is best for her child's education and well being. And so it is!

Complete

 

Here is the dish complete and on the table. Nevi had two bowls and asked to bring it to school for her snack- now that is a good review!

Another home cooked meal

 

Ok here is dinner number two~ Mee Hoon Goreng with vegetables!

Hilltop Private School

These pictures are not a very good representation of Hilltop School, but they are all I could manage this morning. I will get some better ones this week when the rush is not so big. Anyway- Hilltop has been around for 69 years! Most schools in Malaysia are run and controlled by the government- NOT this one. Hilltop is as close to a non- profit as you can find here...only one we found even close to open minded. An Australian woman named Jennifer Ho has been running the school since 1973. She is married to a Malay man and has raised her family here etc. The school is basically called a parent run school although parents do not do anything...Jenny is a visionary and a modern thinking woman. The school is filled with music, dancing, exploring...and was the right place for Nevi- that is why we drive so far to get her here. I feel grateful for this school even existing! I know these pictures kinda make it look like a jail...but it is a peaceful and stimulating place of learning!