Kota Kinabalu

This Christmas was a Christmas like no other. With us being so far from our family, staying in Brunei just didn't seem like an option. So we decided to head to Kota Kinabalu (KK) in Malaysia. KK is only a 20 minute flight from Brunei, but it is said to be on of the best places for scuba diving and snorkelling. The hotel we booked was about 40 minutes out of KK. Here we were able to enjoy the beach which we had almost all to ourselves.

On Christmas Eve, we took a taxi into the actual city of KK. From the waterfront in KK there are five islands that you can visit for snorkelling. So off we went to Jesselton Point to catch a ferry. On this day we headed to the island called Manukan Island.

Besides being a little bit touristy, the island itself was beautiful and the shore was littered in coral. The boys were amazed at all the fish we saw. I have been snorkelling before, but never have I swam with so many fish surrounding me. Of course we saw Nimo, and that was a highlight of the day for Evan. Before we knew it, the time to catch our ferry back was near. We gathered our treasures we found on the beach and caught our boat back. It was a fabulous day! We finished off the evening by eating in our "new" favorite local restaurant.

Kota Kinabalu Cont...

More Photos from Manukan Island

On Christmas morning we had decided to have a relaxing day enjoying the beach at the hotel. After breakfast we noticed that the tide was out so far that it made the island opposite us accessible. It took us just under an hour to walk to the island. As we approached the island all you could hear was the sounds of the jungle. I can imagine if you were to spend the night on one of these islands these awesome sounds would be a little unnerving in the dark. Actually the island to the left of the one you see above is the actual island that was featured on the first Survivor show. I did want to visit it, but time got away from us. Soon after the tide started to come in, so we headed back before we had to swim. We had a nice lunch on the deck of our chalet, then cleaned ourselves up for our Christmas dinner.

For Christmas dinner we again headed back into KK. We booked a table at one of the ritzy resorts whose Xmas smorgasboard was meant to be amazing. And amazing it was! I have never seen such a spread. They had traditional Christmas food from all over the world. As well they had a whole row of seafood including lobster, crab, oysters, salmon and much more. I always wish I were a man when I eat at a smorg, as I never seem to have room for it all! The boys jaw dropped when they saw the dessert counter. They had about 30 different cakes, assorted cookies, icecream, and a chocolate fountain.

::

The following day we decided to leave our hotel and stay in the city. That way we could walk most places and not have to have the 40 minute drive at the end of the day. We booked into a hotel right on the waterfront and spent the day wandering around the city.

::

On the 27th, we had previously booked a snorkelling tour. So again we boarded a boat excited for our day on the water. This time we went to an island called Sapi Island. This island is the most popular for snorkelling. We jumped in the water right off the boat and had an amazing time exploring the reefs. I can't tell you all the amazing sights we saw. The fish were vivid and beautiful and until recently thought I'd only see them in fish tanks. There were many times when I seemed to be swimming within a school of these beautiful fish. This is definitely a place I will be taking anyone who wants to come and visit me!

Christmas 2010

With our plans to be away over Xmas we decided to celebrate Xmas early this year to avoid packing the gifts to bring with us. So in the early hours of December 20th the boys were eager to open their presents. Shopping in Brunei is very difficult to get quality presents. So we were able to get the Ripsticks brought over from the U.S. by one of Rob's work friends. The rest was a combination of mail order and hunting around the shops. I think the boys were happy with all their gifts!

In the evening we had a few people over for turkey dinner. The ovens here are quite small and unreliable. So this year, as many others living here do, we decided to try and deep fry a turkey. It turned out well, but I missed the smell of the turkey roasting throughout the day. We had a nice time visiting with friends. But I find this holiday season only emphasizes the distance we are away from family. I hope you all had a wonderful Xmas! Thinking of you as always :)

:: Bubbles ::

Instead of fun in the sun, the monsoon season has brought fun in the rain! The boys who seldom have played on their trampoline that we brought over, found a new use for it. They had a great time pouring dish soap on the trampoline while the rain lathered it up. With all the slipping and sliding it was amazing that no one got hurt.

Christmas Traditions

With us being so far from our home, Christmas this year feels quite different and to be honest not Christmasy at all. So as I sit down to write this post my house is filled with the sweet smell of Ginger Snaps baking in the oven. The smell alone makes me think of Christmas! I guess this is a family recipe since I got it many years ago from my cousin Tracy. The Ginger Snaps are soft and chewy. They never seem to last long in our home! So here is the recipe...

:: Ginger Snaps ::

2 Cups of flour :: 1 Cup of sugar

3/4 cup of margarine :: 1/2 cup molasses

1 1/2 tsp. ginger :: 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda :: 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 egg

( I usually double the recipe)

Combine all the dry ingredients. Mix molasses, egg, and butter together, then combine with the dry ingredients. Once all mixed, place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. I usually mix this the night before and save the rolling of the balls to do with the boys the following day.

Once chilled form the balls the size of a walnut. I use a great tool by Pampered Chef. I think it is called the medium scoop?? Roll the balls in regular white sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Place in a 375 degree oven for 7 to 9 minutes. It is better to under cook these.

Leave the cookies on the tray for a couple of minutes prior to removing to cool. The doubled recipe should make about 40 large cookies.

Voila!! A full cookie jar, but not for long....

Lately...

While Kieran and I were in Kuching he came down with an ear infection. We experienced a Malaysian hospital and thought all was said and done. Well a week into the antibiotics and the ear was not improving, but getting worse. His ear was almost closed entirely from the swelling and he had a huge swelling behind his ear. After two more emerg visits and another Dr visit we were finally referred to an ENT specialist. Rob raced him up to Bandar to see the specialist. They wanted to admit him there as the infection had spread into his brain. Since we lived an hour from Bandar they agreed to let him have his treatment in the KB hospital. We arrived in the hospital shortly before 5 and tried to prepare him mentally for the IV he was about to receive. If any of you know Kieran closely, you would know he doesn't do well with the dentist or any medical procedures. So as willing as he seemed to be brave about the IV, when the time came for the needle to be inserted he freaked. It took 5 nurse and 2 men to restrain him. It was a horrible but necessary scene! Since then we are at the hospital 3 times a day getting IV antibiotics. He now is miraculously better and should be done treatment by tomorrow. He will still be on oral antibiotics for awhile, but thank God he is better. We're hoping his ear will be totally healed by Xmas so he can still take his scuba diving lessons.

::Painted Cracks::

Here I sit in the wee hours of the morning. What has prompted me out of sleep? The chatter of the insects, the rain against the roof, or possible God himself. Whatever or Whoever it is I have this urge to step out of my comfort zone and share something about me with you. I am a Christian and have been on somewhat of a God quest for many years. However, I don't hide this about myself nor do I let my lamp shine for all to see. You see my perfectionistic side of me thinks I need to know all about God in order to be a good model of what a Christian should look like. But unfortunately my life and me for that matter are not perfect. I have many thorns in my side that perhaps keep me pressing for more wisdom from God. I have had a few moments in life where it has been near impossible to doubt that God exists. I have also had far too many times when the mysteries of God seem so hard to reach and leave me doubtful. But what I do know to be true is that each life from the outside is painted in such rosy colours that it causes others to doubt that any cracks exist. We all wear masks in order to hide the real person beneath as if it were something that needs to be hidden. My life may look rosy on the outside, but I too have struggles that at times seem unbearable in day to day life. So I believe that the author of my life has blessings and pitfalls around each corner in order to bring me to where I'm meant to be. If nothing at all this brings me hope. I'm here for a reason. So as I reveal my vulnerablilities out of obedience, I hope that is was meant for someone to read at a moment when they need to hear it.

Trip to Kuching

This term for Science Kieran and I have been studying Ecology. His final assignment was to research an ecosystem. So since we live in the Borneo rainforest we chose this topic to study. We decided to fly to Kuching, Malaysia as I had heard there is a great place to stay where you actually sleep in treehouses in the jungle. The above pictures are of the actual city of Kuching. It is known as the city of cats which is what Kuching means in Malay. We arrived at our hotel around 1pm and did a little shopping and touring of the town before dinner.

The following morning we went to a Orangutan Santuary. There are about 20 orangutan's who live in the wild in the sanctuary. There is no fencing separating you so we were able to see them up close. On the one hand it is neat to see them so near, but as we were told orangutan's can be quite unpredictable. A mom and her baby actually attacked one of the feeder's from the sanctuary. They really are such neat animals. I could have watched them all day!

After a 45 minute taxi ride we arrived at the Permai Rainforest Resort. This was to be our home in the trees for the next two days. Upon arriving and after checking in we walked along the boardwalks to find our treehouse. The resort is built in such a way that it blends in with the jungle. You really feel as if you are in the thick of the jungle. From the ocean side the resort is totally invisible. Our room was amazing. My favorite part was falling asleep with the doors open hearing the ocean beneath with ceiling fan lulling us to sleep.

At the resort they had a high ropes course that Kieran wanted to try. I'm not a big fan of heights but decided to give it a whirl. After we were harnessed, I bravely lagged behind Kieran. The only part that was sheer panic for me was when I had to cross a 20ft long pipe with little to hang on to. We finished the course with a trip along the zipline.

(Remember to click on any photos you want a closer look at)

Kuching Cont...

After our high ropes course we headed to the beach to explore. As it turned out the monsoon season brought with it big waves on the beach. We must have spent a good 2 hours letting the waves carrying us on the shore in it's current. This was Kieran's favorite part of the trip. I must say that we had sand filling every crevice of our bodies, but it was fun. We headed back to the room to get showered before dinner.

The next morning as we had feared Kieran's earache had turned into a full blown infection. Our resort was really in the middle of nowhere. So after figuring out how to get a shuttle in, we headed to the hospital. The hospital was really nice. We were given an appointment with the ENT specialist, got the medicine and the bill. The sad thing about the bill was that I paid the same amount for the shuttle in as the doctor made.

Once we got back to the resort, we headed over to the Sarawak cultural village. This is village that you can visit to get a feel for all the tribes current and historically that live within the rainforest. There were about 10 houses representing how the different tribes live that you can walk inside. Once inside they have cooking demonstrations, carving, music, and dancing. In the area where we live the Penan tribe still live. They are a nomadic tribe who due to cutting back the rainforest have been forced to move closer to the cities and live in a more permanent village. In order for them to sustain their village a number of charities collect clothes and canned good and also help them to sell their handicrafts. I recently visited a sale of their goods. I purchased a shadowbox with a set of their traditional earrings displayed.

Pictures from top left... 1. An Orang Ulu longhouse. These longhouses were built to last for many generations. 2. A lady making tapioca cookies. I was unaware that tapioca comes from a root. It looks similar to a yam but white. She grated the roots, added sugar, and then deep fried it in oil. It was quite tasty. 3. Melanau tribe home. This tribe traditionally lived near the sea, hence the houses were elevated 40 ft above ground. 4. Kieran trying the antique rice grinder 5. Bidayuh traditional house. They built their homes high in the mountains usually tacked to a steep hillside. This was partly for protection and partly for access to the pure, fresh water.

The St. Andrew's Ball

This weekend we had planned for quite sometime to go to the St. Andrew's Ball in Miri, Malaysia. The ball is organized by the Scottish community who are living here in KB. It was a great night. I was a formal dinner and it was lovely to have a place to get dressed up. We had a yummy 3 course dinner consisting of stuffed jalapenoes, prime rib with all the trimmings, followed a berry crisp and coffee. After dinner there were some speeches followed by Scottish Dancing. The dancing was quite fun. It reminded me a bit like square dancing. They had a couple of dances that were a little simpler, and some that took some time to master. Both of the boys had some friends there. They had a great time hanging out with there friends. Kieran was wandering the hotel until after midnight. We are all a little sleepy today and are having a quiet afternoon home before the week starts.

A New Look...

Normally I count the days until I can head to the salon for a cut and colour. However, as bad as my roots were looking I was dreading trying out a new hairdresser in a foreign country. The salon did not have the usual decor or atmosphere you would expect back home. However, she came recommended and that is all that mattered to me. As the colour was being applied I prayed the entire time that my hair would not turn green or break off. Five hours later came the unveiling... I was pleasantly surprised and quite relieved! She wasn't used to cutting curly hair, so after she straightened it she gave it a quick trim. I came home a new woman. Both of the boys had looks of shock on their face when they saw my straight hair. I assured them it would be back to normal after a shower in the morning! Now I am ready for the ball! More on that to come...

Thanksgiving

Today we went to our American friends home to celebrate American Thanksgiving. I was amazed that she was able to fit 14 kids and 14 adults for a sit down dinner! We had a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings. One of the turkeys was roasted in the oven and the other was deep fried. Both versions were absolutely delicious and super moist. After dinner we had a huge spread of desserts including pumpkin pie, key lime pie, trifle, and berry crisp. I had a taste of each of them as if the turkey wasn't filling enough!

I also wanted to introduce you to a few of the friends we've met that I'm sure you heard me talking about. In the top left picture is Evan's friend Zack. He lives right next door to us and we happen to like his parents quite a bit as well. Below that photo is Elaine on the left. Elaine has lived here the longest and has been a huge help to me adjusting to life in Brunei. In the same photo is Angie on the right. Angie is Zack's mom and she is expecting her third baby any day now. On the bottom right picture is Cactus. She hosted this wonderful dinner and it has been great getting to know her. This group of girls are the wives of the guys who work for Weatherford. We all tend to meet on a Friday morning at the club for coffee. I'm thankful that they have welcomed me and have shown me the ropes to adjusting to life in Brunei.

New Spa Treatment??

I can't believe I am putting this on my blog for the whole world to see! Today for Social Studies Kieran had to make a replica of King Tut's mask. So guess who got to be the model? So after I covered my hair in a plastic bag and saran wrapped my eyes I lay on the floor at my son's delight waiting for the layers of paper mache to be applied. The feeling for me was much like being buried alive. I had a small air space around my nose and I felt quite clautraphobic the entire two hours I waited for the mixture to dry. It really gave you an insite into living life blind. After baking my face in the sun in hopes of the mixture drying faster I was finally able to unveil the masterpiece! Stay tuned for the final results...

Waterfall Walk

Today after a leisurely start to the morning we decided to drive to the waterfall that is nestled deep in the rainforest. Kieran has met a new friend named William. He spent the previous night at our house, so he joined us for our walk. We attempted to drive to the waterfall last weekend but we ran out of time before we reached it. The drive is about an hour from our house. Once you leave the highway you drive about 45 minutes deep into the jungle.

At the beginning of the trail head we ran into a troop of gherka's. The gherka's are specialized soldiers and they were doing a week long training session in the jungle. Evan was so pleased to get his picture taken with them.

It had just finished raining as we arrived, so the jungle was damp and steamy. There is a lovely creek that follows you up the trail. The vegetation is so thick but quite beautiful. I tried very hard not to consume my thoughts with snakes and scary bugs, but to enjoyed the scenery around me.

The hike in was about 15 minutes. I was aware that the water was not crystal clear but more of a coffee colour. So I had decided ahead of time that I was not swimming. However, I don't think the water was dirty, but just murky from the fine sand beneath it. I had just last night watched the movie Eat, Pray, Love. So in the spirit of adventure I decided to forego all vanity and swim in my clothes. OK, I didn't go all the way in, but I did wade in all the way to my waist! The water was suprisingly cool. The boys loved it. They swam out to the waterfall and played around on the rope swing. We arrived back to our car just in time as the rains came again. It still amazes me the amount of water that can fall so quickly.

Friday Night...

Last night Evan was invited to go to the cinema (as it is called here). Where we live there is not much in way of entertainment. But about an hour away is the Empire hotel which was originally built by the sultan's brother Prince Jeffrey. It is a lavish place dripping in gold and marble. It is the place we celebrated Kieran's birthday if you recall from an earlier post. Anyway, within the hotel is a movie theater. So Evan and his friend went there to see the new Harry Potter movie.

Our regular Friday night consists of having dinner at the club as the Youth Club meets on a Friday night there and the boys usually have a hub of friends to hang out with. Kieran who has been on the waiting list for the youth club since we arrived was finally given a spot. So he was quite excited to go with his new cell phone in hand. We dropped him off and Rob and I decided to try a Thai restaurant that we heard was good. After dinner we still had time before picking up Kieran so we headed to the massage parlour. I think I've told you about the foot massages they offer here. An hour long foot reflexology massage is about $20. It was an great way to end the week.

:: Friends ::

A friend is someone who fills our lives with beauty, joy, and grace.

And makes the whole world we live in a better and happier place.

A friend is someone we turn to when our spirits need a lift.

A friend is someone we treasure for our friendship is a gift.

Before I left a very special friend gave me this bracelet with these words cascading around it. I've worn it many times and have reread the words so much that I thought I'd share it with you. As much as I miss my home, it is the people that I shared life with that I miss the most. I have made some new friends but the friends I have left behind are never far from my thoughts. I don't need an armload of friends, but I feel very blessed for the handful of friends I have back home!

Miri Crocodile Farm

Yesterday was a holiday here in Brunei. So with no school or work keeping us home we headed over the border to Malaysia to visit the Miri Crocodile Farm. I'm not a real fan of zoos, nor am I ready to become an activist, but it was quite hard to look at the way these animals have to spend their remaining days. There was at least 1000 crocodile at the farm. Most were confined in overcrowded pens where territory was regularily being fought over. My boys did however love it. We saw many animals up close which were quite neat. We saw several poisonous snakes, sun bears, monkeys, turtles, deer, and of course crocodiles. The neatest bird we saw was in the top right picture. It would repeat what you said to it, and could also meow like a cat, and had a superb cat calling whistle. We talked to it for quite some time. The monkeys were also hilarious to watch. There was a family of about 6. They even gave us a candid display of reproduction where my boys were asking "What are they doing??" We ended the tour while watching the crocodiles being fed. It was another lesson in a healthy fear of these great animals. We headed home with one quick stop at the duty free. It seems you can never pass picking up booze when out of the country as it is unavailable in Brunei. Once home we finished up the day with dinner at our friends, also our new neighbours.

Kampong Ayer

Today we went to drove to the capitol city of Bandar. We wanted to visit the water village called Kampong Ayer. Kampong Ayer is made up of 28 water villages and housing an estimated 20,000 people. This jumble of wooden planks and shacks is considered to be the biggest water village in the world. We boarded our boat with our tour guide in tow ready to explore the village and the proboscis monkeys.

As we cruised along the river in our long boat we came upon some monkeys. I didn't think we would really see them as they are said to come out more at dusk. But we did! I think there were about 10 monkeys swinging from tree to tree. It was amazing to see them up close. As we were heading back to the village our guide spotted a crocodile sunning itself on the beach.

Near the end of our tour, our guide brought into the actual village. It was neat to see how life on the water made no impact to their lifestyle. The top picture with the blue building is the village's elementary school. The picture below it is the high school. Finally the picture below the high school is the fire station. The families were living life just like you and I with no thought to the waves lapping at their doorsteps. I even saw a little boy riding a toy car on the boardwalk with no railings. The river was a hub of river taxi's running from here to there. It was pretty neat to see how each of us who lives on this planet lives in such different ways.

More Exploring...

Today we had a couple of things to do in the morning. I had to get my Brunei license and we had to get some fresh fruit from the market. Evan was invited to a birthday party in the afternoon. So as a last minute thought we decided to take a drive to the waterfall we had heard so much about. While on the road we realized that the waterfall was a lot further than we had anticipated. So we stopped the drive short and pulled into this park along the road. It was a lovely setting of boardwalks spanning the river. We originally thought this was the spot that we had heard about that let you observe crocodiles from a safe distance. We didn't see any crocs, but there were quite a few tell tale signs of bubbles in the water. One the way home there were some beautiful viewpoints of the vast rainforest that we are in. We arrive back in KB just in time for Evan's party. We are having a few hours of downtime until we need to be at the pool for Kieran's first swimming lesson. We're hoping with weather permitting to drive to Bandar to see the floating village. More on that to come...

Leche Flan

Today Lisa made our family a delicious dessert. I watched in the background hoping to recreate it myself in the future. Here is the recipe...

Leche Flan

2 whole eggs

4 egg yolks

1 can of condensed milk (sweetened I think)

1 can of evaporated milk

She mixed all the ingredients until the mixture was quite smooth

Melt some brown sugar and water to make the caramel topping and pour into an aluminum pie plate that fits into your double boiler

Pour egg mixture on top of caramel

Cover pie plate with aluminum foil pierced with a few holes

Place in your double boiler with the lid on

Cook in the double boiler for about an hour and a half or until egg mixture has set

Once finished cooking, place in the fridge to cool

Loosen the edges of the flan and turn flan over onto a serving tray

Recipe should make 2 leche flans

Enjoy:) I think this recipe is similar to Creme Brule

A Touch of Home

A couple of weeks ago, the boys and I went to a market in a town near us called Seria. I wanted to pick up some pots to make our front entrance a little more homey. Well the pots sat there empty ever since. Yesterday we decided to head to our local fruit and veg market as I had heard there is a great plant selection there. Sure enough we came home with some greenery to liven up our doorstep. The funny thing is, the plants we bought are plants that are indoor plants in Canada. It definately is a change from the plants I would normally be planting in Canada at this time!

Guy Fawkes Night

Last night the boys and I went to an event called Guy Fawkes Day or also known in England as Bonfire night. Guy Fawkes is a widely known traitor from English history. He was among 13 men who conspired to bring down the entire parliament by igniting barrels of gunpowder under the House of Parliament. His attempt failed, so now the tradition is to burn a replica of Guy Fawkes on the bonfire to show how traitors should be treated.

We arrived at around 5pm, and the boys enjoyed playing in the waves as the sun set.
The event was really well done. There is a beach shelter which was constructed in the past for such events. There was even a bar to toast the event. As you can see in the top picture, several of the kids made Guy Fawkes dolls. There was a judging of them prior to setting them ablaze on the bonfire. After the dolls were lit the fireworks started. We had roasted pig on buns for dinner. It was delicious. We came home full of sand and probably a few sand fly bites, but it was a great night!

Evan's Rainforest Tour

Today Evan's class gave all the parents a tour of all the things they have been working on for their rainforest topic. There was a basket weaving station, a smoothie making station, face painting, and bead making. Evan and his friend were in charge of tallying who were for or against cutting down the rainforest. Each parent was given a card with a scenario on it and were asked if given the circumstances written on the card were they for or against cutting down the rainforest. He manned his station very well and gave all the relevant information needed. He seems to have settled very well into school here. He has made several friends and loves going to class each day.

The Days Events...

This morning after dropping Evan off at school, Kieran and I went to the club for a swim. After doing a few laps we headed to the restaurant for some breakfast. Kieran's favorite breakfast at the club is called Roti Pratha. It is an East Indian dish that comes with a fried egg, a huge roti, and some curry sauce for dipping. I had a Mozzerella Fritatta. After breakfast we headed back home to get some schooling done. Kieran sent in his science assignment he had been working on, read some of novel, and finished up some homework. I had a lovely chat with my mom and sister. Then Kieran and I went to do some exploring of the town. We picked Evan up at 3:00 today as he had after school activites where he is learning basketball. We had a quick dinner at home and then dropped Evan off at his Math course. Evan has been taking an extra math class called Math Monkey. It follows the ancient philosophies of Indian mental math called Vedic Math. It is really quite interesting the formulas they teach in order to be able to do math mentally and with speed. Evan seems to like it and his math has greatly improved. So while he was at his class, Kieran and I headed to the massage parlour which is conveniently located just around the corner. Normally I get the hour long foot and leg massage, but today I went for the hour long body massage. It was heavenly! Not a bad way to end the day!

Halloween Tropical Style

Halloween is not officially a Brunei holiday, but there are so many expats living here that they bring Halloween to life here. Last night Evan and I went trick or treating around the Panaga homes. Kieran thought he was a bit too old to participate this year. Normally in Canada we would be planning the boys costumes to include room for winter jackets and long johns. It was quite strange to be trick or treating in flip flops and shorts. Not all the homes participated in the event, but the ones that did went all out with their decorations. Although the candy haul was small compared to Canada, it was neat to experience it Brunei style.

::Time for a Facelift::

With a bit of time on my hands today I thought it was time to give the blog a facelift. There is still some tweaking to do, but for now I hope you like it!! It almost gives you the same satisfaction as rearranging the living room!

A Good Day...

Today started bright and early for the usual school day. Evan starts school at 7:30 so we are usually out of the house by 7:10. Kieran also had is day with his teacher. So after dropping him off at her house at 8:00, I headed to the beach. I had packed my breakfast so I sat taking in the view while eating my papaya and museli bar. Life here has had it's ups and downs, so taking time for myself without any interruptions was just what I needed. I don't know what you do to find balance in life, but for me I always like to get out in nature. My favorite place to gather my thoughts is at the top of a mountain. Looking over life from above seems to put life in perspective.

I picked Kieran up from his class at noon. We headed home to have some leftover lasagne for lunch. Then I went to the Panaga Club to start my first quilt lesson. My sister is getting married in May and for her gift I wanted to make her a quilt. Don't worry, it is not a secret. She did have some input into the colors, but I'm hoping she will still be surprised at the final result.

So today was a good day... I was able to have some space for myself, time to be creative, and now I sit in an empty house with a dinner made that I didn't have to cook!

All Moved in...

This past Wednesday felt like Christmas. The long awaited arrival of our container finally made it over the seas from Canada. In all the chaos of the move from Canada I had forgotten what we had packed for shipping and what was being stored. So it was exciting to open all the packages and see what was inside. The movers had the truck emptied in less than an hour and they had unloaded all the boxes shortly after lunch. There was no damage to our things except one glass was broken. No a bad move in my books!! The boys are happy to have their hockey nets and sticks, but especially excited to have their trampoline all set up. I even have two spare bedrooms if anyone wants to drop by!! Now our house is finally feeling like a home!

::Kieran's 12th Birthday::

(Click on any of the pictures to enlarge)

This past weekend my "Little Boy" celebrated his 12th birthday. We decided to surprise him and took him away to a fancy hotel for the night. The Empire is a 5 star hotel that we had heard great things about. It has 9 swimming pools, a bowling alley, movie theater, and a beautiful beach. I must say I was blown away at how elaborate the hotel was.
After arriving and settling into our room the birthday boy was allowed to choose one activity that he wanted to try. I had thought he would try parasailing, but my red neck boys who obviously have missed their dirtbikes chose to ride quads on the beach.
They had a great time and I enjoyed watching them do donuts in the sand.
Next we headed to the pool as the day was incredibly hot. The boys tried kayaking in the pool. We spent most of the afternoon taking in the beautiful sights from the pool. After we headed to Bandar to get some dinner. Along the way we stopped and toured the Mosque. I had envisioned a yummy dinner, but Kieran's birthday request was KFC. After we bought dessert to enjoy in the room we headed back to the hotel. We booked a lane at the bowling alley to finish off Kieran's day. What a fabulous way to spend a birthday!!

Art Class

For the past couple of weeks Kieran and I have been taking an art class at the Panaga Club. The class was called Painting on Silk. Because this was our first attempt we both decided to do the beginner project. Basically, you start with an empty piece of silk that is attached to a wooden frame. From there you trace out your design using a carbon pencil. Next you apply a material called Gutta which is basically clear glue to the pencil lines you traced. This stops the paints from bleeding into each other. Finally once you've chosen your colours you wet the area of silk where you are painting then apply the paint. The silk does all the work for you. It blends in such a way that makes you look skilled, which I am not! The texture on the trees is done by adding salt while the paint is still wet. I'm not sure Kieran loved the class, but it fullfilled an art requirement for homeschooling, and I had fun doing it! By the way Kieran's painting is on the left and mine is on the right.

The Perks of Homeschooling

Today Kieran and I took our science homework to the beach. We have been studying Ecosystems in our science class. We had to visit an ecosystem and find biotic (living) elements and abiotic (non living) elements. It was a beautiful day and quite hot I might add, so class on the beach was great. With all the struggles homeschooling has been, the beach was a nice perk. Another update about our homeschooling is that I've found a teacher to help me. She is fabulous. She is from Ireland, and has just arrived in Brunei after teaching in Hong Kong for the past 7 years. She will be taking over the math and language arts curriculum for me. Kieran goes to her house two morning a week for four hours per day. Not only is she helping me immensely, Kieran has taken to her and is benefiting from a one on one teacher. Hooray!!