Week 5 Penang

Dear Ethel, Family and Friends,

We have been in Penang 3 weeks now with only 1 week of our course left. We have been busy getting around the Island in our little car this weekend. We went to the Botanical Gardens on Saturday. It's a beautiful area and was especially unique on Saturday because performers from the Penang World Music festival were practicing and doing sound checks, very eerie.

Sunday we did a drive around the Island. It would probably only take 2 hours if you put your foot down, but we made a day of it, stopping along the way. Lots of jungle driving through the hills and mountains, very scenic... until you get back on the eastern side anyway.

Michael & Joyce arrive this Monday to visit us on their way back to KL. We will be seeing them in Borneo the following Saturday as well. We are having a graduation dinner on Friday and Saturday we head off to Kota Kinabalu in Saba, Borneo.

All the best for now
Ric & Louise

Week 4 Penang

Dear Ethel, family and friends,

We are here in Penang and have now finished the second week of our English Language course. This week we have been doing some practical work as well as study. Monday we gave a test lesson to our class mates and tutors, which was nerve racking enough. However on Tuesday we had to teach live teenagers. Yes we went to a school here in Penang, Sri Palita, an international high school. A lot of Asian countries send their children to safe areas like Penang to study English. At Sri Palita there are kids from Thai, Korean, Japanese, China, Malaysia and more. It’s been an interesting week to say the least.

Apart from our schooling this week, we hired a car on Thursday. Our friend How Seng from school, as a native Chinese Malay, helped us negotiate with a local Indian man a good price. It pays to have a local on your side. We have the car until we leave, about 16 days or so for about $280 Aust dollars and leave it at the airport. It’s great to have transport now, as we have a bit of free time.

This weekend we went out on Saturday to do a bit of touristy things. We went to the other side of the Island to have a look around, and went to the Butterfly Farm and National Park. Its good to be mobile and explore a bit. We spent Saturday afternoon with our friends Danny & Barbara. Sunday has been a quiet day doing some school work, swimming and lunch out at a nice Indian Restaurant.

We have news that our friends Michael & Joyce have made plans to visit us in Penang on their way back to KL. So we look forward to seeing them the week after next.

All the best for now

Ric & Louise