More of Malaysia...

I ended up going straight from the Cameron Highlands to the Malaysian equivalent of TF's offices and then on to their Institute. Unlike when I did TF, in its seventh year, they are in their second year of participants or 'fellows' and there are only fifty of them. It was actually very exciting to see an equivalent organisation at such early stages and there was much more of a sense of community and drive, as I suppose is more likely in a smaller company. They were also much better linked to and more aware of the global 'teach for...' network; they had a presentation on it and I met someone from the Philippines which is in its very early stages. There was a really enthusiastic bunch of people and it was really fun to see.

I also got to go and visit two schools where they encourage pupils to attend a school holiday camp which the fellows use as part of their training. A big insight into teaching in Malaysia - the world's longest assemblies and one teacher deliberately stamping on a child who was not wearing the right type of shoes... The organisation also fits into the state education system a little differently to TF, which makes quite a lot of difference. All round very interesting to learn about and really nice to see such a keen organisation!

Their institute is a little outside KL in the Genting highlands, so I went back to KL to meet Emma and one of her friends who had popped over from Vietnam for the weekend (as one does...). Unfortunately I don't think I got them quite as enthusiastic about KL as I am but we had a good time. We went out to the Batu caves where there is an Indian temple inside a huge cave. I think it was particularly busy and colourful as Deepavali is imminent. This was followed by going up the KL tower and getting some good views of the imminent rain approaching... I also showed them around Chinatown, Little India and the colonial district, before we explored the Golden Triangle, which is the wealthy shopping/business district where Emma and Hannah were able to buy some normal person size clothes (!).

We finished off with drinks in a swish hotel's rooftop bar not quite looking out over the Petronas Towers, but close enough, followed by one of the world's best Indians. The towers are quite amazing in the dark - they sort of glow!

 





From KL E and H made their way back to HCMC and I moved on to Melaka. Melaka is renowned for being attractive and beautiful to Malaysians and not just Western tourists, so I was very much looking forward to it. Unfortunately, as the school holidays have just started and there are two public holidays this week, a lot of Malaysians had had the same idea, which only slightly tempered my enthusiasm.

Again, it is just a fun place to wander around as there are such a mixture of cultures. It was part of the British Straits Settlements along with Penang and Singapore and the colonial history is very evident with a big red town hall built by the Dutch and then painted red by the British, called the Stadthuys. There is also an old Portuguese Church that the British turned into a lighthouse and gunpowder store (why not?) which has great views over the Straits of Melaka. Lots and lots of Chinese buildings and temples and, more weirdly, cyclos that have been covered in Indian style colourful flowers and play music really loudly out the back! Lots of bursts of 'Gangnam style' as you walk around an otherwise relatively peaceful town...

 

I'm now off to Singapore, hopefully less mosquito-y than here - Malaysia definitely has had the most mozzies.