Week 55: Dec 31 to Jan 6

Monday morning we again slept in and missed breakfast. After we all got up, we went to the bank to close our account, then had some lunch. We went to Michelle's at the Pavillion for a last catch up and the kids had a swim, then we went back to Dua to pick up some of our things we had left and to say goodbye to the Leech family. We went out for dinner and then went to Ed's for what was supposed to be a few drinks. As we had to leave for the airport at 3 am, we were still undecided about watching the fireworks at midnight. Not long after arriving at Ed's we decided to just stay up, the fireworks were spectacular and we had one of the best views in KL.(I wanted to put video up of the fireworks, but will have to wait until we have better internet). By the time we waited for at lest half the crowd to dissipate and walked back to the Prince, it was almost time to get a cab to the airport. We got to Singapore by 8 and got a cab to the black and whites in Sembawang. I wasn't sure what to expect but out place was perfect! It's a colonial 3 bedroom house in a patch of military housing, out near the zoo. It was so quiet and peaceful and we all crashed into bed. Later in the afternoon we walked to the nearest shopping centre for some groceries, then got a cab back because it was almost half an hour away.
Wednesday we went into the city by train. We went to vivo city mall, then to Marina Bay Sands and went up the top. After looking around a bit we had dinner at one if our favourite places to eat, Todai. We had a yummy seafood and sushi feast, topped off with macarons.
Thursday we stayed in Sembawang. Steve and the kids went for a swim at the Terror Club, the social club for Defence people in the afternoon. For dinner we went to a local Chinese restaurant, the food was so good and the butter prawns were amazing!

We got up early on Friday morning and went to the zoo. We had breakfast with the orangutans, it was a great experience and Steve and I had a python around our neck. For someone who doesn't even like looking at snakes through the glass at zoos, I was surprised I actually did it! The zoo was fantastic and the way the animals interact with the people made it even better. When we got home we were invited to the Aussie bar across the road that they open up on Friday nights. We met the RANLO and his wife Tonya, as well as some other Australian and American families based in Singapore. We had a great night!

 
Saturday we caught the train back into the city. Steve and the kids went to Sentosa and did a few of the activities there like the luge and Segway. I went shopping on Orchard Road and met up with them in the afternoon. We picked up some dinner (a whole roasted duck for $15) and headed home.
We had a relaxing morning Sunday and packed ready for the cruise. In the afternoon we went to the Terror club and met up with some of the families we had met on Friday night. The kids swam, then we had a game of beach volleyball. We ended up staying for longer than we had expected and had dinner there as well.

Week 54: 24 to 30 dec

Monday morning Danae got a birthday cake at breakfast from the resort. We did a little last minute shopping in Patong, then checked out and went to Katathani resort. We spent the afternoon relaxing and swimming. In the evening we went to the buffet dinner, we were a bit peeved at having to spend $600 on a compulsory dinner and that not only did that not include drinks, but the prices for drinks were inflated, but it was spectacular.
The kids woke up to new iPod touchs from Santa on Tuesday morning. I got a new Canon DSLR and Steve got his Ripcurl watch. We spent the morning by and in the pool (a different one to the day before). Then for lunch we went up to our room and had our complimentary fruit basket and the birthday cake they had left in our room the night before for Danae. We spent the afternoon relaxing and checking out our gifts and found a local restaurant for dinner.
Wednesday was a fabulous day. We went down to the beach after breakfast and spent most of the day down there. Steve and the kids swam in the morning while I read under the shade of our umbrella. We had lunch on the beach, then Steve and I got massages on the beach nearby where the kids lay on our deck chairs reading. After that we had one more swim, a cocktail or two and went to shower for dinner. We ate at the same local place for dinner.
Thursday it was time to pack up again and go to our last resort in Kamala. It was pretty secluded and right on top of a hill but as soon as we saw our room we were all amazed by how fabulous it was! The main part had a living room and kitchenette with a bedroom off it. The kids had a separate room and ensuite off the main room and they both looked out over our own infinity pool overlooking Kamala bay and the ocean.
It was so quiet and relaxing, but by lunchtime Friday we were feeling a bit restless so we took a tuk tuk back into Patong for the afternoon and evening and spent a lot of the time at our favourite bar playing pool. After dinner we went back to the resort.
Saturday we had to be out of our room by noon because they had other people coming at 2, they would have let us stay if no-one else was coming. So we left our luggage and went into Patong again until it was time to go to the airport, our flight wasn't until 9. We mostly stayed around Jungceylon, the new shopping centre, and had lunch at an Irish Pub there.We got to the airport in plenty of time, and our flight was delayed another hour. By the time we got to the Prince Hotel in KL, it was almost 2am.
Sunday we slept in a bit, had a wonder around the Pavillion (Lachlan and I went to have a Gong Cha tea, because we had missed them), then went back to the hotel for a swim. In the evening we met up with the Leech family at Dua, Lakshmi looked after the kids and the adults went out to La Boca for dinner, then onto Healy Macs, Havana Bar and Yokos. It was a good night and again we didnt get back to Prince Hotel until after 2am.

Week 53: 17 to 23

Monday I took kids to Alex's party at Redbox karaoke, then met up with the Leech's at Pavillion food court. We had lunch then took them to Chinatown. I picked up kids and we all went to Suzi's for dinner.
Tuesday, did some last minute errands, lunch at Wendy's, met up with Belinda and the kids at Dua for a drink and a swim. For dinner we went to Jalan Alor and also showed them Changkat.
Wednesday was an early rise and Alex picked us up in the van to take us to the airport. We arrived at Blue Ocean Resort in Patong at about 10am and went for a walk around while our room was being made up. We found Sweets restaurant for brunch, it was somewhere Steve and I ate at a lot when we were in Phuket many years ago, so it was pretty cool that it's still there, and that we were able to find it! We went back to the hotel and waited in the meeting room until our room was ready. In the evening we went out to try to find Wai Thai for dinner, couldn't find it and ended up going to Burger King as we were all tired.
Thursday and Friday were spent relaxing by the pool or beach and a bit of walking around. We finally found Wai Thai restaurant and it was great cheap food. Lachlan also finally got his game of pool at the dolphin bar Friday afternoon.

Saturday got up early to get to the pier for our tour. We went to Maya Bay (where the movie The Beach was filmed), then we went past Loh Samah, Phileh lagoon and Viking cave. We stopped at Monkey Beach, then did some snorkeling in Ton Sai Bay. Lunch was on the beach at Phi Phi Don Island. We then went to Khai Nok Island and had a relax on the beach, some more snorkeling and swimming and a drink at the quaint bar, before heading back to the pier and back to the hotel. It was a great day.

I went to the shopping mall on Sunday morning and got a facial and had a wander around Robinsons. Then I met up with Steve and the kids and we went to a shabu and sushi place for lunch. We went back to the dolphin bar in the early evening, played pool, had dinner and got some DVDs from Jimmy, the persistent guy who thought it was hilarious that we were from Wagga Wagga. We had walked past him a few times and he had asked us if we were from Wagga Wagga and Steve had said yes, but he hadn't believed us. We got talking to him last time we were at the Dolphin bar, and told him we actually were from Wagga and had met and got married there and he cracked up. It was obviously his line to get people to talk to him, so he could try to sell them dvds and he hadn't met anyone who actually was from there.

Week 52: dec 10 to 16

Monday morning I went to school, to watch the middle and senior school awards assembly as we were told Lachlan was getting an award. When it was announced he got the award for art, I almost laughed out loud. He doesn't enjoy art at all, he is ok at it, but I was not expecting an award for art. He also got a highly commended for his class (which is like the good all round student). Steve had the car at work, so I went to the school with Yi. When I got back I went and had teppanyaki lunch with Cathy and we had a wander around the Pavillion looking for something to wear to Steve's graduation.
The kids had day off school on Tuesday for the Sultan of Selangor's birthday (Steve didn't as he works in KL and the kids school is actually in a different state) and went to the movies to see Rise of the Guardians with Miyo, Hanson and Ryan, Keira and Allysha. I stayed home to organise some stuff for the move.
Steve's graduation was Wednesday. We had the ceremony in the morning and the ball in the evening.
Thursday the packers came and we went to dinner at las Carretas with Cathy and kids after checking into our accomodation.
Friday was the kids last day at school, it was only a half day. Lakshmi and I cleaned the apartment. After the kids got home we had drinks by the pool with Cathy. It was supposed to be for a few hours but in true Bender/Wall style it ended up being all night and we got pizza, then the kids stayed overnight at the Benders.
We were able to do some last minute Christmas shopping Saturday morning before we picked up the kids at lunchtime. In the evening Laksmi came to the hotel to look after the kids, I went to a Christmas party at Louise's and Steve went down to the airport to pick up the Leech family, the new people who are taking over us. Steve was able to come to the party for a while after settling them in.
Sunday morning we met up with the Leech's and took them to Antipodean for breakfast, then Toni and I drove the new girls around and showed them a few places they might want to know, and the men went for a drive to the college in the afternoon. That night we went to the Uren's place for a farewell/welcome party.

Week 51: dec 3 to 9

I had a minor surgery on Monday, and spent the first half of the week recovering.
Wednesday night we went out for dinner at Las Carretas with a lovely couple, Helen and Ed who we met through the High Comm.
I aslo spent a lot of this week preparing for Danae's party coming up this weekend.
Friday was a busy day. Donna organised a cooking class with her amah, Poh Lai in the morning and during lunch. She taught us many dishes, including her yummy wontons and Gula Melaka. Danae got a trophy for her group coming third in a dancing competition at school, but unfortunately I wasn't able to get to the school to see the presentation. Then when the kids got home from school we went to the DUSC Christmas party at the High Comm.

Saturday was entirely spent preparing for Danae's party, which was on Sunday. We treated Sunday as her actual birthday and gave her presents so they could be packed to come back to Australia. We had a clown and a giant inflatable slide into the pool. As soon as the guests started coming it poured with rain and I was a bit worried for a while. But it all turned out fine and the inflatable eventually went up and everyone had a great time. I also met some parents from school that I hadn't met before.

Week 50: Nov 26 to Dec 2

Monday I finally had no-one else at home so I went for a long overdue pedicure, and I went to IKEA on Tuesday. We went to Suzis for steak on Tuesday, fogetting that the steak hut is closed on Tuesdays. So we had Lebanese there instead. 
Wedesday morning I had morning tea at BIG at Publika with Michelle and Julie, then we did a little shopping.
Thursday I went to Little India with Toni. I had to get some clothes for us all to wear the following night to a Deepavali night at Steve's work. I bought suits for both the kids, a cotton shirt for Steve and 2 saris for me because I couldn't decide on just one. Then we went to an Indian department store and supermarket and spent ages looking at all the yummy food. That night we went to Red Box Karaoke with Kate, Corrine and one of the other guys teaching the course with them. It was a great night, we had our own little room and a buffet dinner and sang our hearts out.
Friday night we all got dressed up to go to Deepavali night, then as we went to leave the car wouldn't start. Mr Foo, the car guy, couldn't make it until the following morning and we decided against a taxi because Friday night traffic is always really bad. Apparently we missed a good night.
We had a pretty quiet day on Saturday and went out to Out of Africa with the Benders on Sunday for lunch after going to 1 Utama Shopping Centre. We left Out of Africa at about 4 as the clouds started rolling in and went to their place for one more drink. One more turned into a few more and we were there till after midnight. We are really going to miss them next year!

Another great unplanned margarita night with the Bender family; a drink at Tom, Dick & Harry's before karaoke with Kate,Al and  Corinn; dressed up for Deepaval; love the teacups at BIG cafe; IKEA purchases.

Week 49: Nov 19 to 25

I had lunch at Levain with Cathy, then we did a bit of shopping for Christmas presents on Monday.
Tuesday I went on a lego advent calendar search at Mid Valley, which was a success!! I got the Friends advent calendar for Danae (I had already got the Stars Wars one for Lachlan at Legoland). The kids got their calendars in the afternoon, as it's 25 days until we leave. We met up with Kate, a collegue of Steve's who we knew from Sydney and took her to Jalan Alor.
On Wednesday I did a drawing workshop with a lady I had met at one of the expat Christmas bazaars. It was really interesting and we learnt about relaxing through doodling, right and left brain, and we did some zantangling. That night I took Kate and Corrine (who was also here instructing, and Steve knew from ADFA) to ladies night at the Traders.
Thursday we had a High Comm spouses morning tea, again at Levain. Then I met up with a scrapbooking aquiantance who was here in Malaysia for a wedding. We had a coffee and did some shopping around Bukit Bintang.
Danae came home with an award on Friday and Steve and I went out for dinner at Frangipani. Ever since I had gone there with the girls, I had wanted to take Steve.
We had a quiet morning on Saturday, then we took Kate out to Bukit Melawti to see some monkeys, Chinese seafood dinner on the river and a river cruise to see the fireflies at Kuala Selangor. It was a great night!
Sunday we went to Chinatown in the morning and a Chrismas party at Rod and Gail's in the afternoon.