You've got to be kidding me!!

On Tuesday morning about 4:30 am, Andrew and I woke to.......no, not singing birds this time.....but dead silence (except for all the many insect noises in the jungle of course).....we had lost electricity!! We both laid in bed talking about how long we thought it might take for them to actually get it restored - given the Malaysian efficiency. As we tried to go back to sleep (I think we've become accustomed to the white noise the air cons and standing fan make), I began thinking about just how hot is was going to get in another couple of hours when the sun would begin to rise. I was remembering the time in Houston during the hurricane when we lost power and it was 90+ degrees outside and how completely miserable we were....this only made it even harder to fall back asleep!! Just about then, guess who else was awakened by the lack of white noise...yep.... Evan wasn't having it either. He began crying so I rocked him for a bit and laid him back down in his pack-n-play, but he still wasn't having it. So I caved and took him to lay in bed with us. Of course, that did the trick....he was out in about 5 minutes! What I did notice when I went to get Evan was that no one else seemed to have lost power....great....that meant the problem was just with our house. I guess Andrew must have fallen back asleep and not thought about it again, but as I lay in my tiny space in the bed the boys had left for me, I started wondering if maybe it was just the fuse box. But then I thought, how in the world am I going to find it....ahhhh, then I remembered the candle lighter we had purchased just last week. My next thought was, where on earth did I put it? Oh yes ,of course, the kitchen drawer where we've just thrown everything else (I hate being so disorganized, but I'm still waiting for our things before I start trying to find a permanent home for everything)! So, I carefully managed my way down the dark stairs and into the kitchen....luckily the POWER FROM OUR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE provided some light in order to find the lighter. I then went into the utility closet and hit the main switch.....and voila....power!! It was the most wonderful sound ever, hearing all the air cons start back up!! I went back up stairs and got a 'job well done' from Andrew and then attempted to take Evan back to his room. He resisted for a bit, but about 10 minutes of some rocking and singing, I had him back in dreamland! He is such a good sleeper these days...we are so very blessed!! I'm sure he can't wait to finally get his crib back...hopefully he will sleep just as well in it!!

So that was the drama of the week! Andrew had his 1st big board meeting at work on Monday......look at my 2 most handsome boys!! He says it went very well, a bit of a non-event!! I guess that is a good thing. He says the Refinery has had its 2 best months since he has been here....that always helps you shine a bit more....even though you usually have nothing to do with it....timing is everything!! We are going to Singapore on Sunday because Andrew has a refinery economics class there on Monday and Tuesday. I think he is a bit nervous about leaving Evan and I alone while he is in class.....not because he is worried about our safety (which I'm sure that is always a concern for him).....but because he is turning us loose right in the middle of Singapore's main shopping area!!! He tells our driver that could be very dangerous :-) He's probably right!!

So, we heard on Monday that our sea shipment that was set to arrive on Tuesday has now been delayed until Friday because there is a back-up at the port.....fantastic!! But I think it will work out well since it should be available for delivery just about the time we return from Singapore - since it takes about 3 to 5 days to clear customs once it finally reaches the port. Let's pray that there aren't any further delays!! It will be so very nice to have our own belongings, I can hardly wait! We've already purchased most of the Malaysian appliances that we need (ie. coffee pot, alarm clock, television, telephone, DVD, toaster, water cooler, CD player, etc) so I think we'll have a complete house once we get our things. We do have one more television to purchase (luckily we are buying ones that are 110V as well so we can at least take them back to the states with us), but I think that is about it!

I had my ladies pot luck lunch yesterday. It was alot of fun. I had mentioned I wouldn't be serving my famous queso because of how expensive the Velveeta was, so I had decided to go with a spinach and artichoke recipe my mother-in-law had given me...but no one here has heard of artichokes, so that was out too!! I ended up with some easy cucumber, tomato and mozzarella salad. Anything that doesn't require baking it usually a good choice for me!! We had a nice time - there were about 30+ expat ladies there - from all over....South Africa, Canada, Britain, India, Australia, Singapore.....oddly enough I was the only American! My other 2 American friends were not there - one is back in the states and the other volunteers at the expat school on Wednesdays. I ended up leaving Evan with the nanny for the 2 1/2 hours I was gone. We put him down for his nap right as I left, so he was actually only without me for about an hour while he was awake. Of course, I think it was much harder on me than it was on him. It took everything I had not to call the nanny every 15 minutes to check in on him. I did call about an hour and a half after I'd been gone to see if he was up from his nap and I gathered everything was okay....actually it went something like..."yes, yes, yes madame, no problem, playing" and then click.....I guess she had nothing left to say to me!! So when I got home, Evan was just as happy as he could be. I think he really likes his "grrrrandmother"! I sure wish she spoke more English because she is quite helpful and Evan really gets excited when he sees her!

My posting was much longer than I had intended, but I think that covers what we've done this week. I have to go up and take a shower now while the nanny is still here watching Evan..... this is when I really do enjoy having her around!!

Until next time.......

Christmas comes early this year

We went to Kuala Lumpur with Andrew yesterday (he had a meeting at the COP office)...well, actually, we left Wednesday evening and spent the night there. We stayed at the same hotel we stayed the last time we went - the Traders Hotel (that's the view of the KL Twin Towers from our hotel room on the left). Evan and I hung out while Dad had his meetings and then we met him for lunch at Chili's. We actually had dinner there the night before as well. You just can't get enough Western food sometimes....that is actually why we went along on the trip.....I had been craving it for about a week. We had chips and salsa, chicken quesadillas and nachos Wednesday night, along with a good ol' margarita.....yum, yum!!!

Thursday morning after our lunch, our driver Azman, took Evan and I to a new grocery store where we were told we could get alot of American products.....we were particularly in the market for some Hidden Valley Ranch dressing and some Tostitos tortilla chips. Guess what....WE FOUND THEM.....and oh so much more!! You should have seen my eyes when I noticed all these products I'm so familiar with.....it was like a kid on Christmas day!! I not only found ranch dressing and tortilla chips, but Funyuns, Lays Sour cream and onion potato chips, Jello pudding snacks, Kraft Italian dressing, ranch mix to make dip for vegetables, pepperoncinis and Folgers (Andrew's musts), Miracle whip, Bloody Mary mix (a definite must), and.......Velveeta and Rotel!!! I nearly freaked when I saw the price on the Velveeta (it converted to about $12....and it was the smaller one!!), but I thought what the heck, I'm an expat now - I should be able to splurge on occasion!! When I noticed they carried it, I initially thought I would make my famous queso dip (yes girls, I know you remember my awesome queso!!!) for our ladies pot luck lunch next week, but when I saw how much I was paying for it, I figure we'll have to enjoy it ourselves and I'll just have to find something else to take (I'm going to struggle with this....)!! Of course, everything else we purchased was completely overpriced (although more reasonably than the Velveeta), but when we can actually find things we are use to, we figure it is worth the extra $$$!!!

When we got home later that evening and began putting everything away, Andrew mentioned how with all the money I had spent and everything I bought, we were still unable to make one meal!! Yes, it was all junk food....but if you know me, you know I could live off of junk food! I do need to work on becoming a healthier eater, especially as Evan grows older and begins eating what we eat! I guess I can't very well have him prosper on Funyuns and queso!!

Anyhow, just thought I'd share our wonderful shopping experience with everyone.....we'll definitely continue to do our part to help keep the Ampang Mini Mart (which is about the size of a convenience store back in the states) in business - it's become my new favorite place in KL!!

Here are a few more pics of the bug from our trip (I was trying to get fancy in my photography):

And here is a close up of our little man......

Chirp, chirp.....huff & puff

At 5 am this morning, Andrew and I both woke to the lovely sound of some bird outside! The song it was singing wansn't so lovely given the way-too-early wake up call. We kept our fingers crossed that it wouldn't wake Evan...luckily it didn't!! It was surprising given that once this little guy started his "song", we knew it was just a matter of time before.....as Andrew put it...."he had the whole damn jungle chirping along with him". And sure enough, one by one the "singing" got louder and louder and then after a few minutes (which by the way, felt more like hours)......bliss....silence!! They didn't start up again until about 7am when the sun began to rise and 20 short minutes later the bug was up and ready to start our day! 7am singing is fine, but what I would have given for a pellet gun at 5am....I'm not usually the violent type, but to stun that one bird would have made me very happy this morning! Alright, enough about the birds......

Today, Evan had his "temporary" nanny come help us out. She is a very nice, older Indian woman....but, who doesn't happen to speak much English - which is why I mentioned "temporary". We really are hoping to find someone a bit younger and who speaks English fairly well. I know that probbly sounds a bit discriminatory, but when it come to your one and only child, you really want someone you are very comfortable with. Having Raymee with us today really made that evident. We struggled through every conversation we tried to have. When I leave Evan with someone, I want to be sure they completely understand the directions I leave for them, and when I return I want them to be able to share with me what all happened while I was gone....I don't think that is too much to ask for.... and we definitely will never get that with Raymee!!! So far, we are struggling to find someone who meets our expectations. Actually, we really haven't had anyone to choose from because it seems as though no one knows of anyone willing to travel out to our side of town. Because most women who works as nanny's don't usually have their own transportation, they rely on the bus. They say it is a long bus ride to get to our part of town - this is where I think not living in the expat community condos is going to hurt us! Although, I still think we'll be a lot happier in our house than we ever would have been in an apartment! So that said, I think we'll continue to use Raymee (she tells Evan to call her "Grrrrrandmother"....which I'm sure Evan's real grandmothers won't appreciate....good thing their names are BeBe and Nana and not Grandma!!) until we can secure someone permanently. I have to say it was nice to have someone to watch Evan while I went out for a quick jog this morning....which by the way, really kicked my butt!! I think it was the first time since I had Evan that I went out for a run (how pathetic is that!!). I'd like to blame my huffing and puffing on a change in altitude or something, but given that we are at sea level, I don't suppose I can use that one!! Okay, so it must have been the humidity.....yeah, that was it!! Believe me, it is definitely humid around here - especially after a good rain....which we seem to get often. I thought we would get acclimated relatively quickly given that we were coming from Houston, but it just seems so much worse here....I guess because the temperature is much higher!! Actually, it feels just like Houston in July/August....but it's only May!!!

Getting settled in Melaka

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!!

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!!