Oh Happy Day!

As I am typing the moving company's handyman is here hanging pictures and mirrors, he's done with the first floor and now working on the 2nd floor. It is amazing how much more like it home it feels with our familiar pieces on the wall :)

Last week was Eric's spring break and this week is Katy's. Katy also had Friday off and Eric doesn't have class on Mondays so we had a 4 day overlap. We left Friday morning for Rawa Safaris, a small private island off the east coast of Malaysia. The island is in the South China Sea. It's about a 3 hour drive from our house to Mersing, the town where we picked up the boat. A little Malaysian information; the state just over the causeway from Singapore is Johor. Peter works in Johor 4 out of 5 days. There are 13 states and each state has a sultan, they rotate who gets to be King. Rawa Safaris is owned by the Sultan of Johor, he gave each son half of the island. Each son built a resort, side by side. One looks like some buildings were thrown up (30 years ago) and then they never did anything else. The other resort (the one we went to) has ongoing construction projects, they have continually worked to improve the resort. It is a lovely island, nothing fancy but a nice getaway from the city and not too commercial.

Back to the beginning of the trip. This was the kids first time in Malaysia, their first encounter with Malaysian bathrooms. Malays don't use toilet paper, they have a hose and somehow they work out their hygiene with water. Honestly, I don't want to think too much about it. Sometimes they spray water in the stall, on the floor or toilet. Public bathrooms aren't my favorite spot anyway but the addition of water to the mix makes my skin crawl. Add to that "Eastern" style toilets; imagine a toilet seat sitting on the floor, your feet go on either side, now add to that water. Well, this was a bad way for the kids to start their time in Malaysia, neither was comfortable in the public bathrooms. One bathroom you paid .30 Ringgit (about 10 cents) to use the toilet and then you got a little wad of paper handed to you. Eeew, somebody touching my tp. Add on top of this a 2 1/2 hour delay waiting for the ferry and by the time we got to Rawa all our nerves were frayed!

Once we got to Rawa we all relaxed, they had nice facilities :) We woke to steady rain Saturday morning, it finally let up after lunch but it was still quite gray. The kids both were hoping to lounge in the sun and there wasn't any. Peter and Katy went ahead and did a little snorkeling but the visibility was poor. We all kayaked around the island but the water was so choppy we were afraid to venture too far. Sunday morning we awoke to a lovely day. We all snorkeled. Now I am a big water weenie, I never learned how to swim well. I never ever put my face in the water. Peter and Katy have both gotten PADI certified for scuba diving and I have to admit I'm envious of what they are going to see. However, not enough to scuba dive. So, I decided that I would learn how to snorkel by golly so I could see some of the aquatic life. Eric for all his swimming doesn't do open water swimming. My fear is drowning and his is being attacked by fish, seriously.

So, we all snorkeled Saturday. Guess what I did not drown and Eric was not attacked by anything! Basically you swam a few yards from shore, stuck your face in the water and there right in front of you was a wonderful aquatic world. Coral - rock shaped, spiky, huge flat plate pieces; sea urchins - black with interesting neon spots (eyes?); Sea Anemone; Sea cucumbers - weird blobs on the ocean floor; Clams - iridescent turquoise growing in the coral; Fish - oh my gosh the color and variety - parrot, clown, wrasse, sergeant, puffer, and many many more.... So, now I'm hooked and planning the next trip where we can snorkel!

Now, that I'm done typing the handyman has finished hanging and I am a happy camper. No more pictures leaning against walls, no more huge expanses of white walls mocking me with their barreness. There is color in my life once again :)

Happy Day and happier yet - my loom is warped and tomorrow I will weave! More on that later.

Tracy