Hot, sticky, dark and, when I finally found the light switch,
surprisingly big. These were my first jet lagged impressions of the flat late last
Tuesday night. Our new home. Flat 308, The Arts Centre, Mantin, Malaysia. That
was the moment it sunk in. This is real.
Having first decided to emigrate in February, August’s move
to Malaysia always felt like a far off theoretical concept. It loomed somewhere
in the distance, to be dealt with at a later date. “London living” seemed to be more immediate,
predictable and important. My cycle to work, the ten o’clock banana, lunch
break, three o’clock tea and the rush for the office door at the earliest
socially acceptable time; this was the rhythm
of my life. Malaysia was always well after a work deadline, a birthday, a weekend
away or wedding planning. There was always
something more immediate until, on 1 August there wasn’t, my
new nephew was born and then the only red letter day was the flight.
After being dropped of at the flat we made vague attempts
unpack and make the place look presentable. Neither of us knew what to do or
where to start. That night I slept restlessly in
two chunks, my body not being able to process the loss of seven hours and my
mind wondering what I had got myself in for. The white washed walls looked empty
and alien and I was reminded of similarly sterile walls and miserable evenings
in Accra. This was not home. Even Lucy next to me did not seem the same Lucy I
was talking to in London. Somehow,
everything that was once firm and solid seemed to shift.
Opening the curtains in the morning, we had our first glance
at the outside world, a turquoise blue swimming pool and tennis courts sandwiched
between playing fields. Behind our accommodation block is the school itself,
an array of long colonial style blocks linked by covered by pan tile walkways. Perhaps on reflection, there are certainly worse
places to end up. Certainly a little different to my living arrangements in Ghana.
The school at the moment is very quiet, only being populated
by administrative staff, the new teachers and senior management. It is hard to
imagine what it will be like when 700 hundred boarders turn up this Sunday. I think
we are all looking forward to their arrival so life can take on some form of
routine. That said, the gradual introduction to school and Malaysia has been
most welcome. We have been given the opportunity to explore the school
ourselves, use the array of sporting facilities and get to know the local area.
Little by little what was alien is starting to become more familiar. Thanks to
the arrival of our shipping from the UK, and various forays into Kuala Lumpur,
Tesco and Ikea, the flat now feels like home. We have also seemed to have
settled into a good social scene, with a number of friendly faces only too
ready to invite you out for dinner.
As you will see from the photos below the grounds are
gorgeous, if a little quiet.
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