Living in a Foreign Language

Update from KL

Thought everyone might like an update from our side of the world...

1. Ken is doing really well after Chemo Round 2. The update from his DR was really good last Friday, his blood work is still all within normal range, his weight is maintaining (and I might say it's the weight he was when we met, so while he seems thin, he's really just back to his normal weight), he has an excellent appetite, his ankle is completely healed, and he's doing PT once a week to improve his agility in the ankle. All in all we feel very blessed at how it's going so far, and we are very happy, even surprised, at the level of quality medical care he is receiving.  And, I am so amazed on a daily basis at his strength and endurance going through all of this.  He's my hero.

2. It's been raining here for two days and nights, solid rain...I know it's the rainy season and all but, I for one am ready for some sun.

3. You may or may not know that in the U.S. my birthday frequently falls on Superbowl Sunday (weekend)...meaning that really the whole country celebrates my birthday! Cool, huh? So, for several years we had a party commonly know as ... the Diva Bowl. This meant that lots of friends would come over, guys would watch the game, girls would, well, be girls, and at halftime everyone would answer 20 "Diva Bowl" questions, 10 about the birthday Diva, and 10 about football; prizes were awarded based on who answered most correctly...they were some tense times particularly surrounding the question of if I played softball or not :)...but all in all I believe a good time was had by all. This year, seeing as Superbowl Sunday is on February 6th, I was wondering, WTH? No nationwide celebration...no Diva Bowl and this a milestone birthday and all. Then I found out Malaysia, not to be outdone by the U.S., has a Federal Territory holiday on February 1st! Yep, the whole of KL will be off work to celebrate...then everyone is off work for Chinese New Year on the 3rd and 4th. Meaning practically my whole birthday week is a holiday!!! I was thinking too bad I don't know anyone here to have a National Diva Day party!! So, this leads to...

4.  Mr. Ken took me out on the weekend for some shopping...he really needed new pants, what with his whole "back to fighting weight look", and he let me buy some new clothes for my birthday.  I went with a whole new look...let's just call it British India look because, well, that's where we shopped!  It's a lot of loose cotton-y but dressy sort of look, super smart casual.  Love it.  Thanks Mr. Ken, shopping with you is ALWAYS fun!  And, so, then...

5. Mr. Ken is taking Mr. Ken wife to the Ritz Carlton hotel in downtown KL for her milestone (30th) birthday tomorrow and Wednesday. Along with enjoying this luxurious hotel, we will be dining in the city (don't know exactly where yet but probably Q'Ba for my birthday dinner), plus, of course, there is a Spa Day booked in there somewhere.  I guess if you can't have a Diva Bowl, or a National Diva Day party, then the Ritz is a pretty good substitute!

6.  Desi is driving me crazy!!!!!!!!!  Yesterday he stole a bag of Twizzler Nibs and ate all of them...today he has torn up kleenex and receipts from the trash.  I don't know what all this acting out is about but he couldn't have had more attention this weekend.  Crazy dog.  My theory is his stomach hurts from the Twizzlers and is eating paper as some sort of dog Pepto Bismal.  Or maybe the Nibs and receipts are a welcome taste change from the Geckos!

7.  On Saturday the 5th we fly to Singapore, then on the 6th we fly to Perth.  We have dinner plans with different friends every single night in Perth.  Really looking forward to seeing everyone!  Plus I've got my eye on a little side trip for me to visit Cohunu Koala Park where you can....HUG a Koala Bear.  Yes, that's right, HUG.  Seriously, that is on my 1000 Things to Do list.  I have a thing for Koalas.  But this does entail renting a car and driving an hour because the guide book says it's hard to get there without a car which is a shame because I really did have the train system down well...and driving, let's just say my track record over on this side of the world isn't so good.  But, Australia is a lot like Texas in that it's BIG and there are real, normal parking lots...so maybe it won't be so bad.  We fly back to Singapore on the 13th, and back to KL on the 16th.  It should be a good trip.

8.  The next trip we are looking at is South Korea.  (?!)  I know, right?  The thing is, to get where Mr. Ken needs to go is about 2 days of travel.  Fly into Seoul, then take another flight to somewhere I totally cannot pronounce, then take a BOAT to the shipyard in another town name I totally can't pronounce.  You know when Mr. Ken promised me I could see the world with him I didn't really have in mind a shipyard in South Korea.  I more had in mind, well please review #5.  The only place to stay at the shipyard is the Samsung hotel, yes, owned by, Samsung, for all of their visitors. I want to visit Bangkok, I even want to go to China, and I guess I could be convinced I'd like Seoul but a shipyard on the southern most tip of South Korea.  Not so much.  At least it is as far opposite North Korea as you can get while in South Korea.  That's certainly a plus.

9.  Black Heels to Tractor Wheels  the new book by Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, hits the shelves tomorrow.  My sweet mommy (well, with a HUGE hint from me) ordered the book for my birthday and I will get it once we get back from Perth.  I seriously cannot wait.  She is hilarious, a link to her blog is posted on the left over there...she also has fantastic recipes!!  I have no doubt I will be reading her book cover to cover in one sitting.  I'm jealous that Angela (whose fabulous blog link is also listed on the left), will be reading the book tomorrow!!!

10. I feel like I should have some sort of prophetic thing to say on this eve of my (30th) milestone birthday...So, here it is, you can't have enough Spa Days.  LOL!  Did you really think I have anything prophetic to say????  Have you met me?

Really.  Love, spajunkie.

Schedule

It's been such a whirlwind last two (and 1/2) months.  I feel like we just went from thing to thing to thing.  Get here, get container here, get unpacked, learn a bit about where we are, house repairs, travel, house repairs, more house repairs, etc.  The last of the boxes has finally been gone through (and I'm being honest if Rogielyn hadn't made me help it wouldn't have been done yet), they still have to be gone through for discard or give away but they are labeled and they are in storage.  Who I am kidding - they will still be in those boxes when we move from this house!  Well, I just can't part with leather bound books and really good winter coats just because its summer here.  We will travel somewhere we will need coats.

So, I finally feel settled in and made a schedule for myself.  Mainly because devoid of one I will never get anything done!  Plus in the last seven years I can count on one hand the number of books I've read.  That's so scary to me...I love, love to read.  I guess I spent so much time working or being stressed out about work I just didn't make time for this.  Now, I definitely did read magazines and such when I traveled or in the bathtub, I'm a Vanity Fair devotee.  But, I'm talking about books, like I read the Twilight series, each book I got in the order I got it was read in 24 hours.  Seriously good reading.  Well, maybe I did read a few more books than that but not any I remember as being good reading.

So, what does that have to do with this schedule??  Here it is:

Get up (that is the hardest part of the schedule!)

Take Desi for a walk (Mom-can you send back with Ken the handy dandy little container thing with bags like you have on the scooter???)  He made it to the grass today but barely...and I just don't want to hear our male security guard say that word again, ever.

Workout - some mat work stretching, weight machines, free weights, 30 minutes on treadmill.

Back to the house, into the pool.  Then the Des and I have some fruit for breakfast (his favorites are watermelon and papaya) Oh, and papaya is truly delicious with lime squeezed over it (he prefers his sans lime).  Then sun for an hour while I READ.  A book.  So, you might ask what book are you reading?  I'm glad you asked:

Why start with this one when I've got 30+ books I've never read calling my name.  A few reasons:

1.  Angela turned me on to this great blog http://thepioneerwoman.comand Ree actually is prone to quoting random scenes from GWTW,  What interested me was when reading one particularly funny blogspot I stopped and pictured the scene in my mind, said all of the characters lines then read her synopsis of the scene.  I had every word correct.  And its been at least 10 years since I read the book.

2.  During the summer when I was growing up Tami and I went to the Bracewell library every Saturday and stacked up 5-7 books for the week ~ and read every single one of them.  But, I always read GWTW sometime during the summer.  Hence, I've read it likely 20 times in my life and well, you see the tattered books. 

3.  It is hands down my all time favorite book and movie.

4.  As well Scarlett is my all time favorite fictional heroine.  I mean what's  not to like about her?  She buries two husbands, one child, her mother, her father and her best friend.  She never really realizes she truly loves Rhett until the end when he's had enough of her shenanigans.  She survives the civil war, brings her plantation back to life and marries a man for his money while pining after a man who, well, "wasn't fit to wipe her boots" (and no this wasn't said about Scarlett but said by her to Rhett that he wasn't fit to wipe Ashley's boots...Oh Scarlett my dear you were so wrong).  The last two paragraphs of the book say it all "With the spirit of her people who would not know defeat, even when it stared them in the face, she raised her chin.  She could get Rhett back.  She knew she could.  There had never been a man she couldn't get, once she set her mind upon him. "I'll think of some way to get him back.  After all, tomorrow is another day.""  While some may say how conceded is she, I say she is the epitome of optimism...not to mention her 17" waist, the smallest waist in three counties! 

So, I've started reading GWTW again.  For the I the don't know how many times.  At one hour a day it may take some time...I do know this if anyone wanted to give me a gift, I'd love a copy of it that isn't missing pages!

And so, after reading time is blogging time (like what I'm doing now).  Then lunch.  I've found a lunch I really like for high protein, low fat, and good fiber (plus Desi enjoys some of the carrots).

1 package or can of albacore tuna, drained, mix with chopped up celery and celery leaves, dijon mustard and tabasco.  Serve with fat free crackers and

Crunchy salad of chopped up purple cabbage, carrots, celery, cucumber, red and green bell pepper, and tomato with vinegar and olive oil, salt and pepper.

Large glass of iced tea.  Yummy, yummy.

When Ken is out of town work stretches into the evening.  When he's here work ends, cocktails happen on the patio, then dinner.

Then there is the travel schedule which shall interrupt the other schedule:

Ken is in Jakarta this week until Thursday evening.

We leave for Singapore on Sunday, we are driving so it should be interesting to see what's between here and there.  We are going to meet up with my friend from Certified Safety that is working in Singapore now, Jason Beeson AKA Cowboy, and have dinner.  It will be nice to talk to someone from home in person.  We come back here Thursday.

Ken then leaves Saturday the 21st for Houston!  I know, right!  Houston. Texas.  I just cannot spend the money for the ticket.  I want to go to Australia with him in September, can't do both.  Anyway, he gets back the 29th.

We leave for Australia, Perth on September 3rd, returning the 10th.  I'm super excited to go here and to visit my only friend this side of the world, Hana.  Well, we actually have other friends in Perth but they are mainly associated with Ken's business and even though he's known the guys a long time I don't really know their wives all that well.

So, that brings us all the way to mid-September!  Then it's only three months and we are Houston bound.  I need some serious girlfriend time ~ girlfriends.