Booked

Geez, I get so nervous when I book airline tickets, but I did manage to do it. We are booked to come home on the Monday 29th of November. I wanted to come earlier because I've got things I gotta do, but complying with ex's request that he have at least a full week to be able to take the kids on holidays meant that I had to concede a few days. See ex, I don't always get what I want and am quite happy to 'co-operate' with you and give you what you have asked for.

This time we are flying Qantas. The last time I flew with them it was great, but they've since had a number of 'incidents' in the air so there was a little bit of hesitation when I booked. They were the cheapest full service airline. I didn't want to go with a budget carrier, even for $400 less. I'd read some reviews online and Air Asia is not reliable, you can't contact them when you have a problem and a friend told me that on a flight to London, they ran out of drinking water. WTF??? I'm stressed booking with a proper airline - I can't imagine what I'd be like with a budget carrier with no service. No thanks, I am not emotionally equipped to deal with that kind of nightmare.

And booking with Qantas meant I didn't need to use my newly acquired Malaysian credit card. I'm sure my friends will be a bit relieved. I promised them I wouldn't use it if I didn't have to. But I must say, they were really great to get it for me in the first place. They really came through for me, which I was so grateful for. They are good friends and if they ever come to visit me in Australia, I'm going to show them a hell of a time. Good food, good coffee and good scenery.

So what else has been happening. Not that much to be honest. I'm reading up on the education issues here in Malaysia and it's just depressing. Everyone I talk to thinks this system is shit. Too much emphasis on exams, yet the authorities don't know how to change it - they're talking about changing it, but these conversations go on every ten years or so and they never come to an actual agreement. A lot of parents focus on the kids getting as many A's as possible. Starting next year, science and maths will no longer be taught in English at a secondary level - and all the secondary schools in my town are national schools. Also, after year 9, the kids get streamed according to the grades you get. One girl that I'm teaching has been streamed into science but would love to do language and arts instead - yet she has no option to do that until after she leaves high school. The government seem intent on alienating the students by forcing them to do subjects they don't want to do. One family I know is completely jumping ship when their girl reaches form 1 - they're going to send her to KL where she will attend a private Chinese college. Other families just have to bear it and the consequences - their kids will need to work extra hard to rise above the flawed grading system and the revers racism that gives most university places to the Malays. For people with money, there's no problem as you can send your child to a private international university and a few have campuses here. It will certainly be a gift to my children for them to be able to study in Australia. I know they can't wait.

My new little student, the one who can't talk is proving to be quite the challenge. I cannot get him to sign anything beyond 'want' - like 'want car' and though he's babbling in a more conversational way, the attempts to talk are just not there. So I'm switching tactics for now and working on his physical skills - crawling, developing his pincer grip using macaroni and play-dough, balancing activities and so forth. It's really quite fun. Sometimes I can't believe people pay me to do what I do, but there you go. I literally sit and play with him for an hour. I suppose they pay me to think of the activities and know what benefits will come out of what we do. And I am good at that - choosing toys to develop particular skills and using other toys in ways that some people wouldn't think of. Even ex thinks so. For this kid though, I'm really hoping to see some improvement soon. His behaviour with me is good now, but that has to generalise to his home situation for it to be of any benefit to him and his family. I'll keep you posted.

It's time for bed. Tomorrow is another day. I'm taking myself to the dentist (finally) and my daughter is coming with me. Ex is having trouble sleeping - he's needing more xanax now and I'm glad I don't have that problem. I can sleep most nights as long as I'm feeling secure and not thinking too much.

So, have a nice day tomorrow. I'll see if I can too.