Christmas Break

It appears that our Christmas break may be from Dec. 12 to Jan. 15th. It's longer than usual and has something to do with the national exams, religious holidays, etc. We have a January intake for students and they can't get acceptance until they get their exam results back. It's all good for us though as the Christams break will be nice especially as our children will be visiting.

I personally would like to spend a weekend in Singapore as they really do Christmas well from what I have heard. Of course we will also need at least a week on the beach on a remote tropical island to reflect on our first winter without snow.

If I remember correctly, my friends and fellow teachers back in Ontario are heading back to teach some time in August. That means they must be looking over their shoulder as the rainy cold summer draws to a close and they have recurring nightmares about August back to school sales. I will think about them as I vacation on a beach somewhere, the first week in September.

Apparently the rainy season moves in about the second week in September and stay until the end of November. The rainy season here means it pours for 30 minutes and then the sky clears and the rest of the day is good. You must carry an umbrella as you are never quite sure of when it will pour. You do not get whole days of rain like we do back home.

My students from Sabah and Sarawak have mentioned that I really have to visit East Malaysia as it is beautiful and relatively undeveloped. East Malaysia is in the island of Borneo. Shelley and I will eventually get there. It is now 8:30 on Tuesday morning so I had better get my act together for my first class at 10:30.

TTYL,

Jim