Act II: Post Intermission

Gosh, it's been a year since my last post in this blog! Just shows how busy my life in KL is eh (work AND outside of work?).

Anyway, It's official - I am not renewing my contract to work in Malaysia : unfortunately I am affected by the revised expat policy requirements made earlier this year. Well, it was great while it lasted! KL that is. Because I finally have time (too much time actually) to reflect and write whatever thoughts i wanted to about my experience/ observations here in KL (and perhaps compare it with Singapore).

I definitely will have more time from tommorrow onwards especially that fasting month starts then! :)

I am on my short 'sabbatical' and hopefully get a job that i'd be excited about by October. In the meantime I need (and want) to do some personal research projects - mainly out of my personal curiousity (aka 'kayponess') and also I'd might help me to 'justify' to the Sinaporean employers of my hiatus from work. Plus i want to show (tangibly) show them that I am quite passionate about qual research.

Gosh, I am missing work already. And my colleagues and friends (and lifestyle) in KL... More so when I move back to Singapore for good by the 1st week of September back to my 'overcrowded' HDB flat with my (dear) family.. :p

Intermission (2)

In my 2 weeks back in Sg i am planning to accomplish the following:

1. meet and catch up with friends - YAY!
2. check out Fitness First gyms around Sg with my "FF Passport" from KL - wonder how different it is..
3. visit Sentosa! - just miss the place.. / and the fact that its so accesible!
4. visit the library - i have yet to visit any library in Msia but i just miss Sg library
5. swim (and tan) at the public pool!
6. Admin stuff - bills/ application/ etc..
7. celebrate Raya of course - and my birthday? still havent decided whether i should organize anything... and its this Friday!!!
8. visit Geylang - i dun quite like overcrowded places but i have to get that 'perfect' songket for my baju raya. :p
9. Salsa Social of course!!! :D - and maybe attend one of LADC's classes at their new studio @ Dance on Us..
10. Online stuff - i.e. blog/ update profiles/ upload pictures! :)

.... and possibly many more!

Intermission - Southern side of the causeway

[Intermission : 2 weeks in Singapore for the festive Raya. break from work. time to blog]

It's been close to 4 months since i started and last posted up anything on the blog. rehearsals for the Ismail -the last days musical had been very intense. More intense were the performances itself - 6 shows a weeks for 21 shows. leading to the Merdeka day - Aug 31st. And to top it off, it was a mad rush between work too (the constant race to complete as much work as possible so that one can rush off office beofre 6pm to make it in time for the 6.30pm cast call!) But nevertheless it was all worth it. It was indeed a wonderful experience to be given the opportunity to be performing in the ensemble of my very first musical! the experience and people were really fun. And the support from friends/family and colleagues especially made it all worthwhile. :D Oh, one of the task/to-dos when i get back is to go for vocal classes - i just wanna get my singing confidence and see how i do (hopefully when i get in another musical in the future i'll actually sing more!)

Post the production, somehow work seem to speed up (kinda remind me of the F1 finals which i was supposed to watch earlier btw however i was too drowsy post breaking fast.. :p). It speed up so much that i was staying back a lot after office hours. It was kinda of a mixed feeling knowing that u have lots of work to do though sometimes you wish that you need more time for life outside of your work. Anyway, there was finding a new place to move to task to juggle on top of work.

I've finally got a place (and changed my address from Ampang, Selangor to Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, not that it make much of a difference though it prob would save me RM5 per taxi ride though). This was way overdue. I've always known/planned that i would move place/get new housemates so that my experience in Malaysia would be richer. Furthermore, i thought it'd be such a waste if i didnt get the chance to live with Bumiputeras in my 2 years in M'sia. Plus staying with them will hopefully give me the chance to improve my BM (bahasa malaysia) - i still am not very comfortable with doing interviews in BM, though of course there's an increased in confidence comparing to when i first came over. Anyways, I managed to somehow juggled work (reports/ observing groups, etc) with the task to paint my room (which was really fun cause i get to choose the paint/get equipment e.g. ladders, etc and learn to paint decently too!) Another task when i get back from Sg is to MOVE to the new place!

Oh yes amidst catching up on work adn finding/painting my new room I did manage to attempt to sit for my Basic Road theory in M'sia. Unfortunately i only managed to take it twice before the year expired!! And more unfrotunate is that i didnt pass! Well, its ok i'm not good with numbers guess have to memorize those demerit points/ duration of eligibility in the future. So yes, another task will be to pass my Basic Road theory and taking car licence (or bike - yes im still not very decided.. I just know i have to take at least either one so that my 2 years in KL would be even more fruitful).

Back in Singapore, I have lots of catching up to do with people i miss especially my friends! (ok, family too). Perhaps i shall post another on things to do/things achieved in my 2 week break eh?

Repertoire - in the works

A lot of times I make mental notea to myself, and sometimes verbal comments with others on what to blog IF i had a blog. Here are some topics/ issues/ things I had previously thought of before:

• spoken Bahasa Malaysia vs. spoken Singaporean Malay Language - lol!
• getting around in KL - yikes!
• observation: everyone drives (or rides) in KL, except me - :(
• how (bloody) long it is taking me to study for my basic driving theory test!
• observation: differences in youths (i.e. shuffling?!)
• thought: racial integration in Singapore is actually not that bad after all.
• question: how often does a typical Malaysian get their car washed?
• etc....

Director's message

I have always wanted to blog my working & living experiences here in Malaysia since I first flew here (haven't flown here from Singapore since then actually as it makes much more economic sense1 to take the bus). Despite not having much of a social life (or to be more precise - out of work/office activities2) here, it's rather difficult to sit down and blog as I still have yet to have proper internet access3 at the condo after one year!

I think I'm pretty settled down now - today marks by one year annivesary living in KL! (technically i'm residing in Selangor, and my office is in KL but they're much closer than most Singaporeans may think). I generally have a lot of time to myself thus i think it's probably a good idea to blog so that I can one day relive and recollect memories of the past in an organized way. Hopefully this will also be a good way for me to express my observations (and in research terms - insights!) and thoughts.

So I shall dedicate this blog to sharing, especially with my future self, on my experiences, thoughts and observations of my expat journey here in Malaysia! Please feel free to share your thoughts!

1 economic sense - possibly more fashionable compare to saying "i can't afford it"?
2 out of work/office activities - generally revolve around enjoying solitude at the mamaks (refered to as indian muslim coffee shop in S'pore), Salsa social, clubbing, finding other things to do, etc.
3 internet access - didnt feel like committing to internet at the condo, despite suggestion by housemate: Mainly because I didnt intend to stay for more than a year in the condo and wouldnt feel good if i left my housemate to pay for the internet which he probably wouldnt need.

The Overture

Singapore Management University. graduation. searching crunched numbers in MB Singapore. yawns. application to RI Malaysia. success. inspiring qualitative research. Ampang Prima Condo, Selangor. searching. salsa. clubbing. 2 round of auditions. realization of a dream. Ismail - the musical. juggling rehearsals and work. one year in Malaysia. missing Singapore(ans). searching...