Week 43: oct 8 to 13

Monday I attended a luncheon for all AHC spouses at the High Commissioners residence.
Tuesday the kids went back to school for the last term. I can't believe our time here is winding down so quickly.
Wednesday I met with a friend for lunch, we had yummy Vietnamese. Wednesday night Steve and I went out for a function.
Steve finished work early on Thursday and we went and did grocery shopping before the kids got home from After school activities.
On Friday afternoon we went to the High Comm and had drinks.
Saturday morning I went to the airport to pick up Sharlene and the twins! It was so great they were able to come and see us. After getting home we started walking to KLCC and it started to pour raining, we had to stop at a taxi stand but it took a while for a taxi to stop for us. Steve took the kids to Petrosains at KLCC and I took Sharlene to Sungei Wang to get her hair done. We had lunch at the Pavillion then caught the new free bus to Chinatown. We came back to the city and went to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. Then we walked home via KLCC for dessert. Steve stayed home with the kids and Sharlene and I had a shower, a drink and then went out to Chankat Bukit Bintang. We started at Havana Bar with a jug of margaritas, then moved onto a few drinks at Healy Macs, then ended up at Yokos having free drinks with the owner and his friends and dancing with the South American dancers and drummers. A good night!
It was difficult waking up Sunday morning after just a few hours sleep. Steve, Sharlene and the kids went for a morning swim, then they came up and got ready. We went to Antipodean for breakfast then took them to KL Sentral to catch the train to the airport for their flight back to Singapore. We decided to catch the train to Mid Valley Mall and came home a few hours later to get ready for the working week.

Week 42: oct 1 to 7

Monday was a quiet day. Robyn and I did a little shopping and we spent the rest of the day enjoying the air con. In the evening we went out to Jalan Alor for dinner.
Lachlan turned 11 on Tuesday. We took Robyn and Allen to Merdeka Square, the City Gallery, past Istana Negara and to lunch for Lachlan's birthday at plan B in Publika. The new Rick Riordan book came out on Lachlan's birthday and about a minute after we bought it, he was reading it already! Steve was home fairly early so we went home after lunch and had a swim.
Wednesday we went to KLCC for some last minute shopping before Robyn and Allen headed home. In the evening we went to Suzi's Corner for steak.
Robyn and Allen left early Thursday morning.We went and had dumplings for dinner as Lachlan's birthday chioce.
Friday and Saturday were pretty quiet, Steve and I had a date night on Friday. We went to Circus for dinner, then to Souled Out for drinks and Retro night. Sunday we spent almost the whole day at 1 Utama shopping centre. For lunch we tried the worlds best sandwich! I had heard about it a while ago, a Malaysian chef won this years best sandwich contest in France. It was inspired by a Vietnamese Bahn mi and it was really yummy!

Week 41: sep 24 to 30

Monday morning Steve left for Lumut for 4 days with work. he stayed at the same resort as Lachlan when he went on school camp earlier in the year. Danae and i went to the High Comm in the morning. After lunch I dropped Danae at Cathy's and took Cathy to the airport to pick up the boys. They had a great time in china, and were quiet at first, a bit overwhelmed by everything they had done I don't think they knew where to start. But once they started they talked the whole way home.
Tuesday I took the kids to Kidzania and went to the furniture shop we had wanted to go to on Sunday. I wanted to find a nice piece to bring back with us, but couldn't decide between two, so I got them both.
Wednesday I went with Cathy and the kids to find a pie shop. She had wanted to order pies for the grand final and wanted to try them first. We went to 2 different shopping centres and they had closed at both. After dropping the kids at Cathy's for a swim and a play, I went home to wait for the furniture to be delivered. Then I picked them up and stayed for a drink, and we decided to go to Las Carretas for dinner.
Thursday morning Steve's mum and her partner arrived. We had a quiet day and went for a walk to KLCC. Steve arrived home from Lumut in the evening and I went to the college to pick him up.
I took Robyn, Allen and the kids to Batu caves and the Royal Selangor pewter factory. On the way home I got a text from Michelle asking if Lachlan wanted to go to the Malaysian Open tennis with her and Alex. They watched the quarter final between
We all went to the Manhatten Fish Market for dinner at the Pavillion, picking Lachlan up on the way.
On Saturday we went to Cathy and Al's to watch the grand final. It was a great game and we had a good day (and night).
We had a quiet morning on Sunday, then went to Chinatown in the afternoon and had dinner at the Hard Rock on the way home.

Lachlan making naan, Robyn in the fish spa, Allen hammering pewter at Royal Selangor, Batu Caves, Petronus towers, the girls on grand final day, monkey at Batu Caves.

Week 40: Sep 17 to 23

Monday was a public holiday for Malaysia Day, which is why we went to Langkawi for the weekend. After breakfast and a swim we headed for the airport. We arrived home at Dua at about 3. We quickly unpacked and packed Lachlan's things, then Steve and Lachlan went to get haircuts and Danae and I met them at KLCC so we could have some dinner and get a few groceries. Cathy drove Lachlan and I to the airport with Ryan, and I will take her to pick them up next Monday. The boys were so excited, China is going to be a great experience for them!
It was a quiet week without Lachlan. We went out for dinner a few times and tried 2 new restaurants, La Boca (a newly opened Latin American place at the Pavillion and Souled Out).

Here is Lachlan's itineray for the week:
Tuesday:
6:35am arrive in Beijing
Dim Sum breakfast
Zoo
Lunch at local restaurant, then hotel check in
Acrobatic Show
Dinner
Wednesday:
breakfast at hotel
day at school
Thursday:
The Mutianyu Great Wall, cable car and tobaggan
Ya Siu market
dinner at local restaurant
Friday:
Forbdden City
lunch at local restaurant
Beihai Park and Hu Tong for trishaw ride and learn to make dumplings
Saturday:
Temple of Heaven
Panjiayuan market
China Museum and Tea House
Sunday:
Summer Palace and cruise on Kunming Lake
The Opera House of National Grand Theatre
Tiananmen Square
Beijing National Stadium and National Aquatics Centre
Monday:
transfer to airport and fly home

Thursday night after spending the whole day looking for something for Danae to wear to school for bookweek on Friday, we got news of a demonstration in front of the US embassy on Friday afternoon. We were told that there would be no transport home from school provided as the main road (the one we live on) would be closed, and were encouraged by the embassy to keep the kids home for the day. So Danae missed her last day of school and missed bookweek.
Saturday Steve did some study and we went to Viva, a mall of furniture and homeware stores and then did groceries.
Sunday we went to Damansara to look at furniture, but the shop we wanted to go to was closed and IKEA was packed so we came back home.