The Year of the Horse and tremors in Ranau

The Pagoda in Tuaran

So the lion dances, red lanterns, fireworks and loud firecrackers announced the beginning of the Year of the Horse.I was in Tuaran staying with friends for the start of the Chinese New Year and apart from the beautiful Chinese Pagoda being lit up there was very little to see because it is like Christmas with us, it is a time of families being reunited and spending time together. There are of course the red envelopes with money and oranges given out to represent prosperity and good luck for the year but most of the celebrations go on behind closed doors amongst the Chinese community. Tuaran, which is a small town situated on the coast at the bottom of Mount Kinabalu, is where I am going to be actually living when my house will be vacant in March. 

Wild horses on the beach

 I was staying with Ayfer and Mathieu and on the public holiday we went on an exploration of the beaches and found 2 deserted beaches which I think were at least 2 or 3 miles long. There are a few rather run-down "resorts" on the beach which have seen better days and we came across a huge millionaire's house which looked abandoned and that was it. There is so much potential for tourism in Sabah but the roads and lack of funding mean that it will be hopefully kept a secret for a little longer. Meantime I continue to lead a nomadic life staying with friends and in backpackers and then this weekend I have returned to Ranau and the Homestay where Emily and I arrived on our first evening in Ranau - nearly three years ago.

Mount Kinabalu looking splendid this morning

   Four months isn't so long since I left Ranau, however it did feel strange returning and my goodness what a lovely welcome I had from Lungkaim and Othman and the staff of the homestay. They really thought they wouldn't see me again and as I wandered around Ranau yesterday afternoon I visited my old haunts - the sarong shop, roti chanai restaurant, the market etc... it felt good to be back. This morning I had lunch with my dear friends and mentees, Sister Caroline and Asmah and it was so great to see them again even though KFC was not my preferred choice. It was then that I learnt that there had been 2 tremors on Saturday evening which I'm afraid I didn't notice. Apparently it was about 4.5 on the richter scale which isn't very large but apparently they haven't had any tremors since 1994 when a relatively large one broke windows and cracked walls. Now I never knew that I had been living in a seismic area before! I have promised I will visit my village school at Kinapulidan tomorrow who seem to one of the few schools open. As with every Chinese New Year the school holidays seem to vary according to the whim of the schools although the official line is only one day. Well I wish everyone a prosperous and lucky New Year and hopefully the fire element in the horse doesn't spark off any more tremors.

Dear friends in KFC !

Fireworks in Kuching

The End of the World?!

It is Sunday already and it seems like weeks ago since I last wrote, not just a week. I have been in Kuching helping, watching and contributing to the induction of 13 new mentors, some of whom I interviewed for the job. It was really interesting to meet everyone in person rather than just imagining what they looked like which is the downfall of telephone interviews. They were a lovely group of people who all seemed to gel and were a wide range of ages, nationalities and work experience and I'm confident will all be fine in their new jobs. We were staying at the Hilton which has the most amazing view over the river and there happened to be a huge conference for Tourism in Asia in Kuching that week with delegates from all over.

The view from my hotel room

 The Prime Minister of Malaysia was there to make the opening speech and of course was staying at the Hilton. I'm afraid I can't tell you that I went in the lift with him as all the lifts were guarded but I did walk over his red carpet by accident and watched and listened to his speech live on a big screen which was interesting as I was amazed at what a plummy English accent he had - UK public school I suspect. At the end of the evening there was an amazing firework display and I felt that I had the best view ever and the final firework just lit up the sky and it felt like the end of the world had come. Thankfully it hadn't and I got back safely to KK for Friday and a visit to a school .

 A busy beach nearby!

    As I am still homeless, a very kind mentor is allowing me to stay in her 3 bedroom flat which is in a huge block with about 8 other identical blocks. We are in D block which sounds charming! Having never lived in such a flat before I'm trying to decide whether I like it or not. The flat is very clean, modern and new with 2 bathrooms, kitchen and living room. There is a swimming pool, gym, badminton court etc... for everyone in the centre and a security guard at the gate. Although the corridors and lifts are rather bleak, it is all clean and there is no graffiti and everyone seems to keep behind their iron gates and doors. I can certainly see the advantages of living in a place like this but I don't think it is for me, long-term anyway and I'll wait until Rachel's house becomes vacant in March. It is Chinese New Year on Friday and the celebrations will continue for two weeks. In Ranau I usually see them practising the lion dance for weeks before but so far nothing except lots of red lanterns and Chinese music played everywhere. Hopefully this week I will see some more.

Block H beside D

Flooding and Schools

A bridge washed away

So what does a Project Manager actually do is the question that I have been trying to find out this week. One thing that I've discovered is, that it is mostly up to me and apart from responding to many more emails, attending  meetings, doing recruitment interviews....., I can plan my day as I want. My first aim is to try and get to know the areas and schools where the mentors are working and with that thought I went off to Tuaran district on Thursday. On Tuesday and Wednesday there was very heavy rainfall and flooding in the area but it was quite a shock for the mentor to find out that one of his schools had been hit by a landslide and two of the classrooms had been washed away. Apparently one of the parents had seen it coming and all the children were evacuated just 10 minutes before it hit. We went to see the school, which is now closed until they can clear it up, and walked through the oozing mud. The flooding had been the worst for over 10 years and I believe the unfortunate Philippines are still having the heavy rain and suffering the consequences.

A landslide by a road

The school hit by a landslide

 On Friday I went off to visit a couple of schools near Kota Kinabalu and much to my surprise in the middle of this city we drove off behind a shopping mall and drove over a very muddy gravel road for a few kilometres and suddenly came over a hill where a huge water village spread out over this hidden inlet. I had no idea that this village even existed and the children of the village go to school on an island opposite. The mentor caught the teachers' school boat to the island for the first time this week and was amazed about the lack of safety on the children's school boat when it arrived. Are there no life jackets for the children he asked. Of course they were all given life jackets but they all disappeared within a few weeks, was the reply! Hopefully I will visit the island school to see for myself but we continued on to visit another little school built fifty metres from a beach.

The water village

 It was so enjoyable to be back at school again and see all the lovely happy faces of the children. The buildings were a mixture of old wooden ones and a few new ones. All of the schools in Sabah have new computer labs built by the government a few years ago and it seems like with very few exceptions, hardly any of them are used due to no electricity, the electricity fusing everything, computers not working, computers missing and so on. This little school had tried once but the whole village had a black out and feared ever to try again! And so even in the big city of Kota Kinabalu, there are small neglected schools that suffer the same problems that other more isolated areas do too.

Happy Faces

Water tanks in city schools

  Tomorrow I fly off again to Kuching where I will be facing 12 new mentors on their induction. I am only leading one session but it does seem a bit surreal when I remember being a new mentor too... hopefully they won't read my blog!

A New Job!

Chinese New Year is approaching

Well although it is less than a week since I wrote my blog it seems like a month ago! Apart from being delayed in Colombo and missing my connection in Kuala Lumpur and arriving late on Sunday evening in KK, the flight was uneventful. I seem to go into"a long flight" state of mind and the hours seem to disappear without seeming too long. Sri Lankan airlines were very good and I would have loved to have had a quick look outside the airport in Colombo  however I did have a lovely view of Sri Lanka when we flew over. The induction started at 9 am on Monday morning and it was good to see lots of familiar faces that  I recognised at breakfast despite the fact that it was the middle of the night in France. The Director of the project Tricia was presenting the induction and as I walked in she took me aside and said  "Congratulations  on your appointment- I will be announcing it later to the other mentors."

Kuching

Congratulations on what, I hear you asking? Well,I have been appointed as a Project Manager and I'm still rather shocked, surprised and dazed by the fact. I had a phonecall on Christmas Eve telling me that I had been short-listed for an interview; on Monday 28th December I had an interview in Tanya's flat in England, which I really thought had not gone well and on the Friday 3rd January, just as I was packing, I received an email telling me that I was successful. Why me I wonder? Andrew said that they were probably desperate ( which filled me with great confidence! ) but they are still interviewing and have turned down quite a few people who applied. So I don't know why. I feel like that it is mistaken identity and somehow the correct person may appear.

My delightful colleagues

 Anyway, as soon as we finished lunch on Tuesday, I flew off to Kuching for a 3 day induction with 2 other new project managers. I felt I had to pinch myself as I walked into the marble pillared lobby and fountain of Merdeka Palace Hotel in Kuching. Is this really happening to me?! This time last week I was quite happy baking brownies in the kitchen while listening to Radio 4 and now I seem to be in a play where I've got the wrong part and don't know the lines. Fortunately the other new Project Managers are a charming couple who feel very much like me and we will certainly be able to give each other support. The induction was rather overwhelming as there seemed to be so many things to remember but I expect we will get used to it all eventually. Andrew tells me he has often been in the wrong play too but eventually you get to learn the part and my wise daughter Naomi also reminded me that I didn't know what I was doing as a mentor either! So here I am, a week since I left France, with a new role, new car, new computer, new phone but I hope I'll stay just the same old me!

Au Revoir et Bonne Annee 2014

This is going to be a very short entry on my blog. It is 7 a.m. and I'm sitting with my cup of coffee with Phoebe beside me trying to explain to her that I'll be back soon and that there will be someone around to take her for walks and give her cuddles. Yesterday we took down all the Christmas decorations and it was then that I started to really think that I am actually leaving today. I still can't imagine it but in two hours I will be leaving my lovely La Ferme des Vallots and going off to Paris with Andrew to catch my plane, going via Sri Lanka this time. I have still some more last minute packing to do, papers to print and I'm sure other things to do such as plant the rose that I bought! It has been very stormy and wet but there seems to be a lull today before another storm sweeps in tomorrow. I have so loved being at home especially when all the family are here and it is a full house. However,Patrick returns to university tomorrow and Andrew is off on his travels next week. So a new chapter or part 2 of Fiona in Borneo starts and this time it will be in a different place with different adventures and experiences. Thank you all for your support and encouragement about continuing.... Happy 2014 to you all.

Champagne!

Cracker jokes!

Games with the Tickners

Preparation for the wedding

silly hats!

Presents

Fiona in Borneo will continue......!!

 

Lots of Father Christmases going for a bike ride

Many apologies to all of you who have looked at my blog and noticed that I have done nothing for ages! I'm sure that there are very few of you reading it now but just in case there are still a few people left out there who are interested, I will endeavour to give a quick update. I can hardly believe that we are so near to Christmas and tomorrow night there will be everyone at home except  Naomi and her partner Neil, who are spending Christmas in New York with Andrew's sister. Since I last wrote I have been enjoying gardening, sewing, cooking and generally just getting ready for all the family being at home and not being under too much pressure as I haven't been working. Patrick arrived back last Thursday, just in time to accompany me to Lille to stay with Remi and Lisa. Phoebe, the dog hadn't a dog-sitter and I couldn't face putting her in kennels so she came to Lille too! She is 15 years old and has never been further than Livarot before so a 5 hour drive to a big city was quite an adventure for her.

Phoebe, Lisa and Patrick in Lille!

We took her to the famous Marche de Noel; a restaurant; street theatre; museums; parks and she took everything in her stride. Phoebe loved all the smells of the other dogs around the street and the bins and all the other things on offer in cities and I even had to carry those pooh bags. Anyway the highlight of the weekend was listening to Lisa singing a solo and then a song with her choir and I know that I am biased but I think she was fantastic !
   Anyway the big news that you may have guessed from the title is.that I will be returning to Borneo in January 2014. After much delay and anticipation of will they, won't they, the Malaysian Government have decided that they are going to continue the English Language Teaching Project for another 20 months. The official contract will be signed next week and we are expected to be in our post on the 6 th January! After much thought, discussion and looking at alternatives and not finding them, I have decided that going back to do a job I know and enjoy as a mentor, is the best solution short-term.. At the moment all I know is that I fly back to Sabah arriving on the 5th January and unless something happens to change the plans, I will be based in Kota Belud, which is a coastal town,  half way between Kota Kinabalu and Kudat. It will be very different and much hotter than Ranau and the majority of the local people are Bajau, also known as the Sea Dyaks, and that is about all I know for now.

   I have very mixed feelings about leaving home again because I really love being here at our lovely La Ferme des Vallots, however the family are only here for Christmas and special occasions now and Andrew is still travelling all over the world for his work and we really need two salaries coming in to make ends meet. I will of course be back for the wedding in July and will try and get back before as well. This evening as I write this  and look round at the tree and Christmas decorations, I can hardly believe that I will be off in 2 weeks time so the best policy is not to think about it and just enjoy the Christmas festivities as I hope you all do too. Here's to a very merry Christmas to you all!!
   

Livarot to Glasgow and back

An article about me in the local paper! 

Today it is cold and we have lit a lovely fire and I don't want to leave it so I am thinking that maybe this is a good time to write another post in my blog. Thank you for those of you who think I should continue my blog and as yet I'm unsure. Since I last wrote I have been to Glasgow and Carlisle and back to Normandie. I had a rather nerve racking trip to Beauvais airport where I was catching my flight to Glasgow and without going into all the details I ended up flagging down a car in Beauvais at the traffic lights and asked them to take me to the airport as there were no taxis.They proceeded to allow this mad woman jump in and took me to the airport and I got there with 5 minutes to spare! It was of course lovely to be reunited with Gen after 10 months and to see her and Mathew at Glasgow airport. As always I have a great time in Glasgow and despite the weather I spent a lovely week doing things like going to the cinema, museums, seeing the theatre production of The Lion King, rummaging around in lots of charity shops, eating in great places and sampling the many coffee shops around the west end of Glasgow.

The amazing costumes in The Lion King

Kilts and bagpipes

 On my way back to France I spent the weekend with my oldest and dearest friend, Katy who lives near Carlisle. We have known each other since we were 5 years old and her family have always been a part of my life. Sadly, Anne her mother, who was a faithful follower of my blog, died very recently and I was so sad that I didn't manage to see her for a last time. Now Katy and her siblings have the difficult job of clearing her house and I spent one day with them as they began the painful process of unraveling their family home with all the memories in every corner.

Glasgow University

 Fortunately my return journey was less stressful and all was well at home despite the cold! Andrew returned from 10 days in Uganda and we have been catching up with friends and I even sang with my friend Rebeka at a very small event on Friday evening which was fun. I know the school year is over in Malaysia and all you teachers and pupils are on holiday so enjoy yourselves and I'll be in touch soon.