Redang Island

Amy decided to grow her hair long again. With her tan, the pink hair piece and those eyes, she looks good.

We took a trip to Redang Island with Tom and Ann. It was like an Eden on earth. A beautiful spot that Amy found for us. Shelley and Jim Dale also joined us for our March break. I was ill for the first three days, busting headache and stomach cramps. Once it passed I was good to go...but it was time to go home!

Amy, in her new Barbie Girl look, and Asia's version of Wyatt Earp. Actually, I don't think they had sunglasses like those ones way back in Earp's day. So that would make this a picture of Amy and a wanna be "cowboy". There...that's more like it eh?

Amy's morning sunrise photo. She got up early and took a number of awesome sunrise photos. I think she will be the new team photographer...I'll take up a new hobby...basket weaving with rose stems. Now there's a prickly feat.

It is love!

Why am I dancing in the kiddy pool you ask? Yes that's the kiddy pool. I was not allowed to swim in the adult pool because my shorts were too LONG. Yes you read it right...too LONG. They had to be above my knees to swim with the adults. They even offered to rent me a pair of shorts.

Redang beach and our resort!

My quotes

Drama should be something we have no control over, not something we create. 
Mimic the heart of a child.
There is no worse feeling than standing graveside; wishing you had said this or done that.
You're the author of your life so write the happiest, most fulfilling book you can imagine. You only get to write one book, make it count!
Life is awesome, optimism is a choice,
forgiveness is a choice, regret is a choice.

Staff Game Night!

After a half day of parent/teacher interviews, we hooked up for a games night. This is the Texas Holdem table. I lost my shirt and then some, but we had a good time. A few people cashed out some "extra funds" while some of us made a donation.

Below, is the Settlers of Catan game "box" area. I don't know how to play but it seems like a blast. John, Michael, Christina and Lindsay are hacking it out.

The Wizard group played a few rounds under the fan, near the aircon while we sweat it out at the Holdem table.

Tom and Anne in KL

Tom and Anne smiling at the Luna Bar with those beautiful twins behind them. It looks like only one tower, but there are absolutely two. Seriously...I was there, I saw them.

Coming Home!

We arrive in Toronto on June 19th. We are quite excited. Three weeks in Canada, many people to see. My children will be a priority. James is in China, we are hopefully going to hook up either in Malaysia or in China before Amy and I head to Canada, our home and native land. My job is still awesome, the honeymoon has not eroded at all. The students are exemplary here; no such thing as classroom management issues, discipline or any other issue. 70 Minutes of class time involves a full 70 minutes of teaching/learning. Pinch me!  It feels like a dream.  See you all soon. We miss everyone.

A Taylor's Event

We enjoyed a nice meal, good socializing, and some very fine music from a live orchestra at Taylor's new campus. From left to right: Moaz, Jim Dale, Jim Leonard our program director, yours truly, Tom Cooke, Anne Cooke and Amy.

Strauss & Beethoven

Tom and Anne are with us from Canada. We are having a very comfortable time hanging out.  We escaped the realities of life during a 2 hour concert featuring Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat, The Emperor and and Strauss' An Alpine Symphony. After the concert we sang karaoke for three plus hours. A fine day it turned out to be.

Aerial Flowers

Our weekly pleasure

Faking Fun!

Lindsay and I acting British.  "D'you drink tea? Nooooo, I don't even like the smell of it!" I guess the Habs t-shit kinda kills the whole British thing eh? BUT....it's always better the Habs than the Leaflets...ahhhhhhh!

Heads and a sunset

I am playing photographer again. Sunset, Shelley through amy's triangular shaped arm, taking a photo and I'm obviously behind Amy taking a picture. The interesting thing here is that Jim Dale was on the left taking an angled shot at the same time. I thought it was a cool shot...maybe I had too many Carlsbergs?

Bookstore

There are plenty of good bookstores here in South East Asia. Some, like the one below, even let you know before you enter, that they don't have the book you are looking for, it's stated in the name... Innovative eh? Saves time...everytime!

Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra

We spent last Sunday afternoon, soaring with the sounds of Halvorsen's Passacaglia, Schubert's String Quintet in C, and Saint-Saens' Violin Sonata No.1 in D minor. Violins, Cellos, Violas and a Piano played by excellent and passionate musicians. It was a relaxing, yet exciting concert. Before the show, we enjoyed the Traders Hotel buffet. It was splendid! Sorry, no photos here. They don't allow it, so, you will need to come to Malaysia for a visit and we'll take you to a show. Deal? This Sunday we will see Scaling Heights at the same venue. Canadian pianist Alain Lefevre will be featured.

My Red & White Connection!

My brother-in-law, Kevin, made my day, my month and my year. He sent me a reminder of my home and native land for my Birthday. Thanks Kev. You rock!

My brother-in-law Rick, brought us a suitcase full of stuff only available in Canada, when they came for Christmas. "Secret" for example, you know...strong enough for a man but made for a woman...a good cooking knife, and, among other items, 13 DVD's of my children growing up. He had a good buddy transfer 13 VHS videos to DVD. Now that's a friend.

Titanic & Popcorn Combo

A cop in Thailand, with a gun, a radio and a mask. I didn't know if he was gonna hit a local 7/11 or do the Moonwalk. Ok, maybe it's a smog issue. Bangkok Dangerous...that's all I have to say about that!

We took a boat to Ko Lanta. Midway, in the middle of the sea, three smaller boats pulled up against our much bigger boat; the driver yelled the name of some remote island resort, then they began tossing luggage and passengers in to the smaller boats. They were headed to secluded spots on the island. The waves were chucking us about like kernels of popcorn in a roaster. Some luggage landed in the sea. Some passengers almost landed in the sea. It was scene from a movie...I think I heard a husband yelling "Rose...Rose", and she yelled back "Jack?".

Electric Eel & Ummmm...

Having a moment in the calm Langkawi water...deciding which shark to tackle next. Maybe I'll look for Moby Dick again. I did see an electric eel though. I grabbed it by the tail and shut it's current down...or did I send it down current...gee I can't remember...what's that disease where you loose your...whatddya call it again...Ummmmmm

Snuggling!

Some good ol' snuggling! Never gets boring.

Cement Galoches...Yikes!

I'm heading back to my old hood around June 19. I think the boys from my old crew are looking to fit me with a pair of cement galoches because I left.

Well...BRING IT I say, cause I'll be packin some Malaysian Durian Fruit...the smell alone will make them "book it" quicker than Bill Clinton during a Monika Lewinsky deposition. See ya soon fellas!

Valentine's Day 2010 KL Malaysia

Valentine's Day was simply the best for us. We went down to KL., watched the Chinese Dragon Dance. They leapt around these small pillars...yikes. Two guys manhandled a dragon suit as they jumped around these very small platform areas, in sync. It was awesome!

From there we, spontaneously, walked by the Red Box Karaoke club. So...naturally we checked it out. Well needless to say, we signed up for a three hour, private session which included two free drinks, a buffet meal, three microphones, and an amazing song list in a sound proof booth to ourselves. We sang our valentine's hearts out for three hours.

We left our karaoke session and went to Chinatown, our favourite spot in KL. We played rummy, sitting at an outside cafe (Malaysia style) and did some people watching. Then we joined Steve and Pam at the No Black Tie club and enjoyed some of the finest Brazilian Samba Bossa Nova while sipping Cosmopolitans’. What an awesome day. We concluded our lovers day by coming home and watching some good old "Frasier" until we both fell asleep on the couch.  It is Love!!!!

Chanty, Bayon & Rick

My sister Chantalle posing like a flight attendant.

This Bayon, at Angkor Thom in Cambodia, had a rock solid grip on his facial reflexes. However, I tickled his nose and he busted up laughing...get it? busted. Ok! Ok ! It's lame.. but I'm French!

Our pilot look alike Rick, also decided to join us on our whirlwind tour.  Here, he was having problems finding a parking space for his plane...the lady at customs was checking available spots.

We didn't see Lara Croft...or Angelina Jolie at Angkor Thom, but these faces are much prettier anyhow!

The Killing Fields/S21

I stepped back when I saw this picture at S21 in Cambodia. This young boy looks identical to my son Mitchell when he was young, and even today. However, this nameless young boy didn't get the same opportunity that my Mitchell has. This young boy was murdered under Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge savage regime. He would have been tossed into the air and caught on the end of a bayonette or he would have been hit behind the head with a steel bar. He was killed for no reason other than he belonged to a parent or family, that Pol Pot considered an enemy. This young boy's photo, is one of thousands, displayed at the S21 Torture Museum in Cambodia.

These are some of the thousands of innocent, beautiful young children who were murdered for no reason, and dumped into huge graves in the Killing Fields of Cambodia's country side.

This is S21 (Tuol Sleng ), the high school turned into a torture site where Pol Pot's soldiers extracted bogus confessions from innocent women, children, and men of all ages. From here they were trucked, blindfolded, to the killing fields. These were innocent civilians, guilty of nothing. I walked through each torture room; I wasn't the only visitor shedding a silent tear.

The killing fields were the final resting place for some 2 million innocent Cambodians. Piled into pits and burried.

Despite their atrocious past, Cambodians are very peaceful and receptive.

Angkor Wat is a beautiful place. The grandeur and atmosphere of the site really left an impression on me. I'm eager to return.