New Year's Resolutions

I'm packed and leaving for the airport soon. I'm not looking forward to the 20+ hours that I'm going to have to spend on planes. By the time I land in Kuala Lumpur it will be New Year's Eve. When I look back at 2007, it was one of the best years of my life. However, I still have some things I want to change. Here are my 2008 New Year's Resolutions:

1. Chill out!
2. Buy some nice clothes and stop looking like a bum.
3. Get a haircut similar to this:



4. Stop wasting my money.
5. Exercise

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas

All photos borrowed from my uncle Rayambo's blog.



The Saint and Papa Saint.



Grandma Saint and Grandpa Saint



About 20% of the Saint clan. Rayambo is at the head of the table. I'm wearing the green crown at the back.





Kenny Saint

Merry Christmas to All

I'd like to wish all my friends and family a very merry Chirstmas.It's Christmas in Malaysia, but it's only Christmas Eve here, so I'd better get out and do some shopping. I've adopted Malaysia's last second mentality. Saint Boleh!

Note: I forgot the cord that alows me to upload photos from my camera. All Canadian photos will be posted shortly after I return to Malaysia.

Teddy Case Closed

I finally received an e-mail from the anonymous giver of the teddy and cake. Turns out they were from two people. Great gifts:) Thanks a lot. This photo provides indisputable evidence that Tim had nothing to do with the gift.

Paintballin

Left to right:
Dave a.k.a. Spragga Killa, Roger, Ryan, Bryan


Highlight

- Roger "accidently" unloading three rounds into Ryan's family jewels while we were taking a break and planning our strategy for the next game.

Home

Questions About Living in Malaysia

I often have people write to me to ask various questions about living in Malaysia. I'm happy to answer them all. That was the original purpose of this blog afterall. There is one question that I couldn't answer reqarding schools.

"I have a daughter that will be starting grade 7 in September. International schools are too expensive. Are there any schools in KL that teach mostly in English and have reasonable tuition?"

If anyone reading this in KL can help, please leave a comment. Also, feel free to comment if I've given bad advice in any area.




Can I buy a car for around RM 5,000?

Picking up a car for about RM 5,000 shouldn't be a big problem. Don't expect the best car in the world. There is one called the Kancil that's pretty small and cheap. I imagine a used one can't be too expensive.





What's traffic like?

Traffic can be a bitch. You will become very familiar with the word Jam. The infrastructure in KL simply isn't good. If you want to explore the country, once you get out of KL the traffic is fine. You'll always be paying tolls though. That might get on your nerves.



What's the closest beach to KL?

- The closest beach that I've been to in an island called Pangkor. It's probably a little less than two hours away from KL. Nice place. It's not touristy. Great place to bring your family. Mostly locals. Not great if you want to party.
- Penang is between 4-5 hours away.
- Langkawi is a couple of hours north of Penang, but it's a world class beach and duty-free island. It's well worth the trip.
- There are numerous top-notch beaches on the east coast, but I've never been to any of them. I always leave the country on my holidays.

"Can my husband find a job once he's here?"

I imagine that he should be able to find a job. The problem might be his salary and what he expects. Don't expect him to get a big fat expat salary.

"Do you think my family can live off RM 1,200 a month after rent?"

- Water RM 8
- Electricity (I pump the a/c) RM 80-100
- I think that budgeting to live off RM 1,200 per month for a family will be extremely tight to impossible.

Home

It took about 26 hours to get from my home in Subang to my home in Scarborough. I came damn close to missing my flight in Hong Kong. I got to the airport three hours early, but I was waiting for the wrong plane, which also hapened to be going to Toronto at 4:10 pm. I had to sprint across the whole airport to catch my flight.

It's going to take some time to get used to this cold again.

If you know me, give me a call. Same number ;)

Saint in Canada

After a year and a half of living in Malaysia and travelling all over South East Asia, I decided I needed to do something different this holiday season. I think it might be fun to visit a place called Can-A-Da. I think my decision was heavily influenced by the fact that the aircon in my bedroom is busted. I Hear it's cold up there in Canada, eh?





"I went to a boxing match and a hockey game broke out."
Rodney Dangerfield




Yummmmm!

Thanks

I worked at home on Friday and this was my lunch. Thanks to Lauren, Relina, and Helenna for this delicious chocolate.

P1

Dear P1,

I think you're all 4++++. Let's just call it Level 5.

Mr. St. G

The Game is Over :(

For the past three semesters I went to great lengths to make it appear that the events taking place in classroom D7 were actually educational. I even added photos on this blog to maintain the charade. In fact, D7 is actually an illegal gambling den. I was always careful to have lookouts stationed at strategic positions to give us enough time to reorganize in case the heat came. Well, it's all over thanks to this surveillance photo. Lets just call it "Exhibit A" at my trial.




P2



Thanks to Yi Peng for sending the photos. Yi Peng is modelling the new ICPU shirt that she designed. I was planning on wearing mine that day, but I put it in the washing machine the night before and it came out dirtier than it went in.

P5

Here is a picture of me with Mahbub. You can see a nice tanline from my golf glove.



This picture pretty much captures P5 perfectly. Unforgettable:)






Thanks to Sylvester for sending the pics.

Cousin Ryan Online

They don't come much more Canadian than this guy!

http://ryansaint.blogspot.com/

I should be appearing on this blog a few times from mid to late December.






The original Trailer Park Boy

Beat Down to End P4

I.B. Reflections

Yesterday I took two Panadol Actifasts and washed it down with Kickapoo Joy Juice. These girls saw me do it and freaked out. They told me it was so unhealthy. I guess the carbonation and medicine don't react well together in the stomach.

Left to right:

- My mentee Chee Cheng
- Eilin
- Mr. Saint in his uncharacteristicly expensive shirt.
- Wen Yi
- Evone




Representin' Subang!



This team created swimwear that changed colour according to moods. They created a scandalous commercial for their IBP presentation.



Here is a picture of a nice surprise I received on my birthday. Alina, Hann, Chi Khan, and Chee Yong surprised me with a carton of Marlboros. I didn't really know how to react to this one. Luckily, the carton was full of chocolate bars and candies. Thanks:)

When I get angry, I invite the offending student(s) for a "hallway conference". I had a total of 11 hallway conferences this semester.

Chi Khan = 5
Hann = 3
Chee Yong = 2

Other 114 students = 2


For assignment #4 I made my students create a product to be sold in a foreign country. Yong Jian told me he wanted to make a jacket that will keep you cool when it's warm and warm when it's cool. I was expecting a drawing of the prototype, but he actually made it. Well done!


Here I am looking damn sexy in Yong Jian's Jacket.

A Great Birthday Card

Check out this awesome birthday card. Thanks to Balqis for this. My students are awesome.

Bop! Bop! Double Trouble

No story here people.

Pals

James, Sangeetha, and David

An old photo from my summer trip to Cambodia, but I'll be chillin' with deez peeps back in Canada soon.



I just love this photo. This is Sangeetha and I in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Canada Day. James and Sangeetha asked me what we should do to celebrate. I suggested getting hammered under the Canadian flag by the riverfront. They both broke out in laughter. I was serious:(

Yes, I am trying to look like a nerd in this photo. That's not my hat.

I-Shades

This is a sample advertisement from the latest I.B. assignment. Props to Fei and Celina for this one.

Up and coming models from left to right:

Mr. K
Mr. Saint
Brian
Erica
Philana

Almost a Year Ago

I was lucky to survive an accident I had with a dump truck. Not only was I lucky to survive, but my bike wasn't damaged and I rode it home. Luckily, at that time I lived across the street from Sunway Medical Center and I managed to limp there like a zombie. I was freaking out when I got to the hospital, but they stuck a needle in me and everything felt so good.

Actually, it took about two weeks for my foot to scab up and I was slightly worried that gangrene might set in.

Don't worry about me people. The problem was that I was still stuck with this Canadian safe driving mentality. Now I drive like a Malaysian and everything makes sense.

Chill Sir!!!

I'm not exactly sure what is happening in this sequence, but I like it. It seems that three in one photos are the new trend. Maybe it's time for me to replace my Nokia 6600.

Thanks to Philana for the pics:)

Colbert '08

Deadly Serious in I.B.

Great photo that captures the chaos of I.B. P4. Thanks to Alina for sending me the pics.



Not sure why this picture was taken, but I suspect Hann was plotting something.



Here I look like a good teacher. I'm probably telling the student about something I did on the weekend, but at least it appears that learning occurs in the I.B. classroom.

I don't like this photo because my back looks really weird. It doesn't look like that in real life.