Here goes another guilt-induced blog, brought to you by none other than Kelly...
Let me begin by saying that I am STOKED to go to Malaysia. I don't have many hobbies, but I can say that I'm fascinated by modern architecture. I remember seeing the iconic Petronas Towers many years ago and was just astonished by their beauty. They are the tallest twin towers in the world, and very much the centerpiece of KL. I have already booked (after EXTENSIVE research) my aparthotel (I think that's a word), which gets rave reviews, but one of the coolest aspects is that it has a rooftop infinity pool that looks out onto them. I guess the rooms themselves don't have much of a view, but hell, when you are giant towers, I guess you can be seen from pretty much anywhere (well, besides my hotel room window of course).
I fly in on Thursday afternoon and from there, will go straight to the hotel. After that, I don't have much planned besides hitting an Argentine steakhouse which my co-worker promises will be an amazing piece of meat. Although I have had some beef since getting to India, none of it has been particularly good. And in fact, one of the most memorable steaks I've ever had was during my NYE trip to Buenos Aires back in 2007. After getting to my hotel, I remember being told that people didn't eat until REALLY late, so, I took a nap until 9:00 PM (thinking that was late enough). I was shocked to see pretty much nobody in the restaurant. Thinking it must just be an "off" night, I proceeded to eat my porterhouse and chase it with a nice bottle of malbec. Lonely dinner? Yes. Amazing steak? Also yes. So, we'll see how the two stack up against each other.
From there, I'll probably just wander around the downtown area a bit. The next morning, the tentative plan is to book some sort of walking tour, because if there's one thing I know about myself, it's that I'll find a way to get lost and pretty much completely waste the day. That evening, I have a 7:00 reservation to go up to the towers on a tour, which will hopefully be just a bit past dusk. From there, I hope to get some amazing city views and more "point and click masterpieces" from my trusty iPhone.
The same co-worker who gave me the restaurant suggestion also happened to live there for a number of years (and coincidentally also worked at the Columbus School prior to me) working at the International School. Because of that, she has some old contacts there that she's going to email to see if they are interested in meeting up with me after. I told her that I'd be waiting at "The Whisky Bar." That way if they show up, great, and if not, well, at least I still have an extensive array of whiskeys from around the world to keep me company (and if I drink just the right amount, maybe I can have a conversation with my glass).
From there, not much planned. KL is supposedly truly an international location, with people and cultures (and food) from all around the world. Dining is supposed to be first-class, with everything from street food to fine dining. And what's even better, they're supposed to also have crazy shopping options and over-the-top malls. Hopefully I can keep some semblance of self-control when it comes to this department. After all, I only have one carry-on to bring it all back with me!
So, the really neat part about this all is that if you begin from the end of October and go forward two months, I will have visited four countries during that time, and that just blows my mind. India is enough, but to get to see some of Thailand and Malaysia, and then be able to top it all off with NYE in Dubai with one of my best friends? That's just amazing!
In other news...I've petitioned my principal to consider moving me to first grade next year. Yes, I know that sounds insane, and yes, most would immediately remind me that you need tremendous amounts of patience, but here's the thing: there's a teacher in first who'd like to try out intermediate, and the first grade team is amazing. The ladies working in it (including the head of school's wife) are all rock solid and totally experienced. Also, the two ladies I'd be working with more closely are incredible and super supportive. Add to this the fact that I'd have a full-time TA and the regular 15 kids, and I think you can see why this could be a good move. So why first? Well, it'd truly be jumping in with both feet, and professionally, it'd do wonders for my CV. Even though I'm not quite even halfway through my school year, it's never too early to start thinking about the future, and with that said, I'm already looking at some specific countries where I'd like to work next time around.
Some of my friends here have already said things like, "You know, you really should stay three years. It looks better." To that I say, "I'm a guy who teaches elementary school." Enough said. I figure that if I pull off first grade without losing my mind completely (and hopefully even enjoying it enough that I'd consider doing it again," this really opens up my options for the next hiring season. Speaking of which, hiring season is fully underway at this point, with our school's positions officially becoming confirmed by December 1st. Schools like mine are already aggressively seeking candidates, holding Skype interviews and paper screening. It's crazy to think that by this time next year, I'll be hunting for my new job. But who knows, maybe something will happen that will make me want to stick around. I can't rule it out completely, but seriously, this is a hard place to live. The traffic, the people, the noise and garbage (not to mention the 58% tax on alcohol which makes cocktails in the $12-$15 range)...it all just adds up and gets to you sometimes. So, we'll see in the next couple of weeks whether this first grade thing materializes. I'll keep everyone posted!
Alright, sorry for the size of this one, but I've gotta run. The PH is calling, and after eating an entire Domino's pizza (hey, it was only a medium) the other night, I've gotta answer this one.
Ben
Let me begin by saying that I am STOKED to go to Malaysia. I don't have many hobbies, but I can say that I'm fascinated by modern architecture. I remember seeing the iconic Petronas Towers many years ago and was just astonished by their beauty. They are the tallest twin towers in the world, and very much the centerpiece of KL. I have already booked (after EXTENSIVE research) my aparthotel (I think that's a word), which gets rave reviews, but one of the coolest aspects is that it has a rooftop infinity pool that looks out onto them. I guess the rooms themselves don't have much of a view, but hell, when you are giant towers, I guess you can be seen from pretty much anywhere (well, besides my hotel room window of course).
I fly in on Thursday afternoon and from there, will go straight to the hotel. After that, I don't have much planned besides hitting an Argentine steakhouse which my co-worker promises will be an amazing piece of meat. Although I have had some beef since getting to India, none of it has been particularly good. And in fact, one of the most memorable steaks I've ever had was during my NYE trip to Buenos Aires back in 2007. After getting to my hotel, I remember being told that people didn't eat until REALLY late, so, I took a nap until 9:00 PM (thinking that was late enough). I was shocked to see pretty much nobody in the restaurant. Thinking it must just be an "off" night, I proceeded to eat my porterhouse and chase it with a nice bottle of malbec. Lonely dinner? Yes. Amazing steak? Also yes. So, we'll see how the two stack up against each other.
From there, I'll probably just wander around the downtown area a bit. The next morning, the tentative plan is to book some sort of walking tour, because if there's one thing I know about myself, it's that I'll find a way to get lost and pretty much completely waste the day. That evening, I have a 7:00 reservation to go up to the towers on a tour, which will hopefully be just a bit past dusk. From there, I hope to get some amazing city views and more "point and click masterpieces" from my trusty iPhone.
The same co-worker who gave me the restaurant suggestion also happened to live there for a number of years (and coincidentally also worked at the Columbus School prior to me) working at the International School. Because of that, she has some old contacts there that she's going to email to see if they are interested in meeting up with me after. I told her that I'd be waiting at "The Whisky Bar." That way if they show up, great, and if not, well, at least I still have an extensive array of whiskeys from around the world to keep me company (and if I drink just the right amount, maybe I can have a conversation with my glass).
From there, not much planned. KL is supposedly truly an international location, with people and cultures (and food) from all around the world. Dining is supposed to be first-class, with everything from street food to fine dining. And what's even better, they're supposed to also have crazy shopping options and over-the-top malls. Hopefully I can keep some semblance of self-control when it comes to this department. After all, I only have one carry-on to bring it all back with me!
So, the really neat part about this all is that if you begin from the end of October and go forward two months, I will have visited four countries during that time, and that just blows my mind. India is enough, but to get to see some of Thailand and Malaysia, and then be able to top it all off with NYE in Dubai with one of my best friends? That's just amazing!
In other news...I've petitioned my principal to consider moving me to first grade next year. Yes, I know that sounds insane, and yes, most would immediately remind me that you need tremendous amounts of patience, but here's the thing: there's a teacher in first who'd like to try out intermediate, and the first grade team is amazing. The ladies working in it (including the head of school's wife) are all rock solid and totally experienced. Also, the two ladies I'd be working with more closely are incredible and super supportive. Add to this the fact that I'd have a full-time TA and the regular 15 kids, and I think you can see why this could be a good move. So why first? Well, it'd truly be jumping in with both feet, and professionally, it'd do wonders for my CV. Even though I'm not quite even halfway through my school year, it's never too early to start thinking about the future, and with that said, I'm already looking at some specific countries where I'd like to work next time around.
Some of my friends here have already said things like, "You know, you really should stay three years. It looks better." To that I say, "I'm a guy who teaches elementary school." Enough said. I figure that if I pull off first grade without losing my mind completely (and hopefully even enjoying it enough that I'd consider doing it again," this really opens up my options for the next hiring season. Speaking of which, hiring season is fully underway at this point, with our school's positions officially becoming confirmed by December 1st. Schools like mine are already aggressively seeking candidates, holding Skype interviews and paper screening. It's crazy to think that by this time next year, I'll be hunting for my new job. But who knows, maybe something will happen that will make me want to stick around. I can't rule it out completely, but seriously, this is a hard place to live. The traffic, the people, the noise and garbage (not to mention the 58% tax on alcohol which makes cocktails in the $12-$15 range)...it all just adds up and gets to you sometimes. So, we'll see in the next couple of weeks whether this first grade thing materializes. I'll keep everyone posted!
Alright, sorry for the size of this one, but I've gotta run. The PH is calling, and after eating an entire Domino's pizza (hey, it was only a medium) the other night, I've gotta answer this one.
Ben
I love how you downplay the shopping aspect...act like a walking tour isn't anything more than pinpointing stores to re-visit once they set you loose.
ReplyDelete