We arrived in Melaka a little over a month ago (wow, has it already been that long?) and we've finally settled into our new house... with only the bare essentials until our sea shipment arrives! (They say it is still scheduled to arrive at the port on May 22nd and then 3 to 5 days to clear customs....we can hardly wait!!) We have been living out of the Renaissance Hotel since we arrived on April 14th (well, we actually started out in a different hotel and after 4 nights we checked out....since it was right in the middle of the city center, it was way too loud....which made it impossible for Evan to nap...and we liked the other hotel much better anyhow). The staff on the club floor at the Renaissance became our family instantly. They adored Evan and couldn't keep their hands off of him. They would help entertain him while Andrew and I had our meals. They were so very helpful. We will miss them dearly.
Here is a picture of our new home....
It's been quite a month for our little guy - at 6 months of age, Evan started eating solids, had his first Easter, moved half-way across the world, got his first 2 bottom teeth, and had his 1st trip to the zoo!!! Without a doubt, it has been the most interesting he has had. I think he is adjusting well into our new home. Ever since we moved in a week and some ago, he has been sleeping 11 to 12 hours straight through the night (actually, he had been sleeping well before then, but this is without interruption....it's been wonderful!!). Here are a few of the bug's recent photos (I'll send more via our Kodak Gallery website):
Evan's 1st Easter
Evan in the Texas Bluebonnets before heading out to Malaysia
Evan's 1st 2 teeth
A happy, drooling Evan, hanging out at the Renaissance Hotel (our temporary home) 
Evan's 1st trip to the zoo - the Melaka Zoo (looking at the monkey below)
This monkey was one of the only animals that caught Evan's attention...I think he was ready to make him his new best friend!!
This monkey was one of the only animals that caught Evan's attention...I think he was ready to make him his new best friend!! Well, needless to say, life in Malaysia is MUCH different than back in the states. We've had alot of adjustments to go through. I shouldn't complain, I know things could be much worse, but it is taking some getting use to. Food is one of the biggest......if you like Chinese, Indian or Malaysian food....Malaysia is the place for you. Plenty of rice, noodles and curry dishes as well as the local Malaysian cuisine to go around. Actually, the food is alright, you just aren't able to get Mexican food or a good steak and baked potato around here. And due to it being a primarily Muslim country, pork products are not served at restaurants (except for some of the Chinese restaurants), so we've had beef bacon and chicken sausage for breakfast and beef pepperoni on our pizza. You never realize how much you miss pork until it isn't available. Actually, we are able to buy pork products at the local Tesco or Jusco (the Super Walmarts of Melaka, although hardly like what we are use to), but they are in a separate part of the grocery store. Andrew said he felt a bit guilty purchasing ham and bacon while he was out shopping with our Muslim driver, Azman (he made him turn his head as he put it in the grocery cart!!). Azman, is our wonderful driver who has been assigned to us for 3 months while we get accustomed to driving in the city. He helps with all our shopping, translates for me when I can't seem to get the utilities connected or my cell phone service set up, and he even helps with Evan occasionally (I told his wife he probably helps more with Evan than he he ever did with his own 5 sons!!).
Air conditioning is not used much around here....which completely amazes me given how hot and humid it is here year round. But they say it is very expensive and people are just used to the climate. Of course, Andrew being the hot natured person he is, has the aircons (these air conditioning units mounted on the walls in each room...which actually do a pretty good job of keeping the house cool) in each room running full blast 24 hours a day. I think our realtor thinks we are completely nuts, but I explained to her we weren't picking up the utilities, so why should we suffer in the heat of the day. Evan is much like Andrew, the poor little guy's cheeks turn beet red when he gets too warm....it's going to take some getting use to for him as well!! People leave all their windows open around here, which explains why people speak of the "insects" in their homes.....well, of course - you leave your windows open, so you are just inviting them in. So we've noticed that since we've been in the house, we've had fewer and fewer insects in the house. Geckos are our newest "friends"....I can't stand those things and they are everywhere (including inside occasionally....living in the aircons, I think!). We hear them everywhere (at least that is what Andrew says we're hearing....I sure hope he is right....and that is all it is!!). They seem to peak Evan's interest as well. We will hear them make this noise during the day and we both look in the sound's direction to see if we can see anything.....nothing thus far, so we hope the sounds are coming from outside!! Andrew and I were laughing tonight at how accustomed we are getting to hearing them now that it doesn't even seem to phase us any longer.
Evan and I saw our first monkeys the other day. We were out with Azman on our way to run errands and right near the tee box of a Par 3 near our house, we noticed 4 little monkeys just hanging out. They were pretty cute....from afar of course!!! We still haven't seen any from our house.....and I'm completely okay with that. We've seen plenty of squirrels, but that is about it!!! I'm not complaining.....while, it's funny to think we have monkeys living in our back yard, it's another thing not to be able to go outside.
Andrew's job has been keeping him very busy lately. I'm not sure he is completely enjoying it right now, but he thinks it may grow on him over time. I think it's a very different atmosphere than he is use to. I'll have to let him make his own post about how he has had to adjust. He seems to have some interesting bathroom stories (as always, for those of you who know Andrew) as well as lunchtime stories (he says they have eaten at some pretty shady places). He did have an audit committee meeting the other day, where he took the lead role in facilitating (even though the CEO thought the interim CFO was going to do it) even with being so new in his position, and it sounds like it went really well and he got many kudos for a job well done. I told him I had no doubt in my mind he would kick butt!! I think the meeting going so well helped put his mind at ease in regard to the job at least. Of course, this is only my side of the story, Andrew may have completely different feelings about his new job!! As I said, I'll let him post his own views in regards to his daytime work.......
We haven't had a chance to do any vacationing since we've arrived due to Andrew's schedule and not being settled in our home, so we don't have much to share in the way of what the rest of Malaysia is like just yet. We've only been to Kuala Lumpur and even then, we only went shopping at the shopping center at KLCC, called Suria (it's much like the Galleria in Houston). We've not done much sight seeing in either Melaka or KL. With Evan, it's quite difficult to go out for long periods of time because it interferes with his napping schedule. As he gets older and sleeps less, I'm sure we'll be able to do alot more. We did go buy a ton of groceries while we were in KL. They tend to have more of the American products that we are use to that we can't get in Melaka. And we got to eat at a TGI Fridays and Chili's while we were there!!! Not the best places to eat when in the states, but let me tell you, it was the best thing I'd had in a month!! It's nice to know we are only a couple of hours away from some American food!! We also noticed an Outback steakhouse in one of the shopping malls on our way out....we'll have to try it during our next visit. It seems like Andrew has a need to go on business at least once a week, so I told him he has to take Evan and I along with him occasionally so we can get our American food fix!!
Alright, sorry for the long post, but I wanted to get everyone up to speed on how things were going with us. I'll try to be more diligent in the future about keeping everyone updated. I'm also working on getting all of Evan's pictures from the last month in order so that I can share with everyone. It's amazing how much he changes daily.
We love you all and miss everyone terribly!!
Air conditioning is not used much around here....which completely amazes me given how hot and humid it is here year round. But they say it is very expensive and people are just used to the climate. Of course, Andrew being the hot natured person he is, has the aircons (these air conditioning units mounted on the walls in each room...which actually do a pretty good job of keeping the house cool) in each room running full blast 24 hours a day. I think our realtor thinks we are completely nuts, but I explained to her we weren't picking up the utilities, so why should we suffer in the heat of the day. Evan is much like Andrew, the poor little guy's cheeks turn beet red when he gets too warm....it's going to take some getting use to for him as well!! People leave all their windows open around here, which explains why people speak of the "insects" in their homes.....well, of course - you leave your windows open, so you are just inviting them in. So we've noticed that since we've been in the house, we've had fewer and fewer insects in the house. Geckos are our newest "friends"....I can't stand those things and they are everywhere (including inside occasionally....living in the aircons, I think!). We hear them everywhere (at least that is what Andrew says we're hearing....I sure hope he is right....and that is all it is!!). They seem to peak Evan's interest as well. We will hear them make this noise during the day and we both look in the sound's direction to see if we can see anything.....nothing thus far, so we hope the sounds are coming from outside!! Andrew and I were laughing tonight at how accustomed we are getting to hearing them now that it doesn't even seem to phase us any longer.
Evan and I saw our first monkeys the other day. We were out with Azman on our way to run errands and right near the tee box of a Par 3 near our house, we noticed 4 little monkeys just hanging out. They were pretty cute....from afar of course!!! We still haven't seen any from our house.....and I'm completely okay with that. We've seen plenty of squirrels, but that is about it!!! I'm not complaining.....while, it's funny to think we have monkeys living in our back yard, it's another thing not to be able to go outside.
Andrew's job has been keeping him very busy lately. I'm not sure he is completely enjoying it right now, but he thinks it may grow on him over time. I think it's a very different atmosphere than he is use to. I'll have to let him make his own post about how he has had to adjust. He seems to have some interesting bathroom stories (as always, for those of you who know Andrew) as well as lunchtime stories (he says they have eaten at some pretty shady places). He did have an audit committee meeting the other day, where he took the lead role in facilitating (even though the CEO thought the interim CFO was going to do it) even with being so new in his position, and it sounds like it went really well and he got many kudos for a job well done. I told him I had no doubt in my mind he would kick butt!! I think the meeting going so well helped put his mind at ease in regard to the job at least. Of course, this is only my side of the story, Andrew may have completely different feelings about his new job!! As I said, I'll let him post his own views in regards to his daytime work.......
We haven't had a chance to do any vacationing since we've arrived due to Andrew's schedule and not being settled in our home, so we don't have much to share in the way of what the rest of Malaysia is like just yet. We've only been to Kuala Lumpur and even then, we only went shopping at the shopping center at KLCC, called Suria (it's much like the Galleria in Houston). We've not done much sight seeing in either Melaka or KL. With Evan, it's quite difficult to go out for long periods of time because it interferes with his napping schedule. As he gets older and sleeps less, I'm sure we'll be able to do alot more. We did go buy a ton of groceries while we were in KL. They tend to have more of the American products that we are use to that we can't get in Melaka. And we got to eat at a TGI Fridays and Chili's while we were there!!! Not the best places to eat when in the states, but let me tell you, it was the best thing I'd had in a month!! It's nice to know we are only a couple of hours away from some American food!! We also noticed an Outback steakhouse in one of the shopping malls on our way out....we'll have to try it during our next visit. It seems like Andrew has a need to go on business at least once a week, so I told him he has to take Evan and I along with him occasionally so we can get our American food fix!!
Alright, sorry for the long post, but I wanted to get everyone up to speed on how things were going with us. I'll try to be more diligent in the future about keeping everyone updated. I'm also working on getting all of Evan's pictures from the last month in order so that I can share with everyone. It's amazing how much he changes daily.
We love you all and miss everyone terribly!!
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