Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Scarlett and I hit Central Market and Chinatown today. We are still stumbling our way around but have found that to actually be a bonus. With no clear direction we just wander where our eyes, noses and stomachs send us. And boy did we find a gem today!

BookXcess at RexKL is on the upper floor of the old Rex Cinema, which used to house the first-class seats and the projector room. We had just finished having a wander through the main part of Chinatown after getting soaked in a massive afternoon downpour.

Jagged left then right after exiting the main market and fell upon this incredible space! Both being avid book lovers it was like falling into a big slice of heaven.













The building itself is marketed as a lifestyle hub offering numerous boutique-concept shops on the mezzanine and first floor, this mindblowing book shop on the second floor and a series of modern-concept hawkers and cafes on the lower floor as well as a table tennis table! I have been reliably informed the food is great so definitely coming back for dinner with the family. They even had a bar which was an added bonus!

RexKL Address
80, Jalan Sultan,
City Centre,
50000 Kuala Lumpur

Closed Mondays

Operation Alby complete!!

 ……and the eagle has landed! Check out Alberto sussing out his new digs! Making himself quite at home! 

Here We Go!!

We are off and running on next adventure! We arrived in Kuala Lumpur last Monday night. To say it has been wild is an understatement! My apologies for not updating you all sooner but it has been all systems go since our arrival! 

We arrived quite late but thankfully we had beds made up for us in our new home. It is a “furnished” apartment but a very loose definition of the word. Whilst we have the basics like beds, couches and TV’s it will be up to us to fill it with the things we take for granted. Our shipment has not arrived yet so for now we have a cardboard box for a rubbish bin and a small assortment of items supplied by work in a “settling in kit” which we return when our things arrive. Living the minimalist lifestyle! No complaints here though as the view from our lounge more than makes up for it. 

Hit the shops early to buy some food the next day and we are ordering plenty of Grab deliveries which is KL’s Uber. 

Scarlett and I have been out to visit her school and Nick has barely skipped a beat getting back in to work mode. Thankfully I do not return to work until the new year so I can really get us all settled. 

Went and bought some plants to liven the place up which were an absolute steal. 

Perhaps the hardest part of all is that Alby is still in Quarantine. It’s been the longest 11 days! The pet relocation company has someone who visits him every day and he sends us video updates. (We are not allowed to visit). I am assured he is fine but we can’t wait to be reunited TOMORROW!!!

I can’t imagine what he has been through and what he must be thinking but it’s nearly over! 

Once I have my computer set up I will be able to provide more updates on a much more regular basis. For now just know we made and all is well! 

Empty

 

Well, the uplifts are done. Half of our belongings are on their way to KL and the other half we won’t see for a few years! I culled as much as I could. It’s a very weird feeling to take a stocktake of EVERYTHING you own. Quite a reality check and a reminder to stop buying stuff! (Let’s see how that works out!) The house is empty and nearly ready for rental. Side note, I’m a bit of a clean freak and was horrified at how dirty things are when the place is empty. I mean I know you can’t clean behind the fridge every week but OMG! It’s a beautiful family home and I really hope we can find a family who love it as much as we do and they can create some happy memories there over the next few years. 

While Nick and I spend a few nights at a local hotel (and it’s literally nights as we spend the days getting the house sorted), Quiddy and Alby have the place to themselves. Alby bless him is super confused. If the disruption of a house full of removalists for days on end wasn’t enough he is now wandering around looking for his “stuff”. Thank God for Quiddy who has been Albys one constant. No greater love than a boy and his dog! 

Tomorrow is our last full day here as we leave on Monday. A day of goodbyes, and, for those who know me well, also known as “my worst nightmare”. I absolutely hate goodbyes and usually avoid at all costs.

Time seems to have gotten away from us and I don’t think we will have the chance to raise glasses with so many people whom we would  have loved to have seen before we go. It’s ok though as we know we will see them soon. Whether it be here in Australia or even better visiting us in KL. 

Boxes

There is something very strange about packing up your life is almost like a stock take of not only your current possessions but a reality check on what means a lot and what is just “stuff”. As hard as it is to pack up your life I have found  it a fantastic opportunity to cleanse and donate. Over the years we have collected so much and this has been the perfect opportunity to really look at what we have. What do we need? What can I live without? What can be better served by donating to others who will benefit from it more than it being stored in a cupboard that I will rarely use?  Apart from these altruistic sentiments it’s also a really good time to just throw out the stuff that we have just stored away because “we might need it one day”. I started out conservatively .By the end of it, I was very much, nope, it’s gone! I remember coming back from our last posting and thinking “what the hell was I thinking keeping this!” With this in mind I was pretty ruthless. 

So, can’t tell a lie, when you stand there and some stranger says sign here and you confirm that your life is enclosed in 100 boxes,  it’s a little confronting. My kids will attest to the fact my favorite saying is “rewrite the narrative”. My life is not enclosed in 100 boxes. My possessions are. My life is travelling with me. My amazing husband and children. Part of my life will remain with my friends and family who are not only in Australia but all over the world. As bizarre as it is too see all of your worldly possessions in the back of a truck it has had also served as a reminder to me that that if I were never to see them again I’d be ok. My family and memories are worth more than my possessions. (It’s still weird though!) 

Good to Know!

My Home Town

Some amazing shots of the place I call home. Will miss you Melbs but I know you will be waiting for me when I return. Chris manages to capture the true essence of Melbourne. Each of these pictures is a snapshot of a moment that any Melbournian can experience on any given day. I don’t know how he does it but he is able to really find the heart and soul of my stunning home town. Thanks to Chris and Humans of Melbourne for these amazing moments showcasing  the city I love. Check out Chris’s incredible work on Facebook  https://m.facebook.com/100064311056519/

30 Days Out!

 

In the crate Alby! You need to get IN the crate!!

So we are 30 days out! It’s been a crazy time to say the least. As far as our plans are going….we are getting there. Slowly, but we are getting there. 

I am methodically working through sorting what is coming with us and what is going to be stored in Australia. We will have 2 uplifts. One for export and one for storage here. It’s actually quite cathartic to take stock of what possessions you have and have a big “Marie Kondo” purge of thing that don’t bring me joy. Aside from the fact I can’t throw out the kids (kidding!) I have offloaded huge amounts of “stuff” that we have accumulated over the years. The benefits of this not being our first posting are huge as I am being ruthless. I can clearly recall unpacking when we got home from Vietnam  and thinking “What the hell were we thinking keeping this!”  

We are also preparing the house for rental which involves such fun things as new gas pipes, new stormwater drains, electrical checks, new front fence, front stair upgrade, new roof and general improvements to make it a solid and safe rental for potential tenants. 

We are in the midst of year 12 exams for Christopher who is handling it like a trooper. 

 If I could sum it up at the moment, and I hope you will pardon the language, shit’s getting real! 

Grief Is The Price You Pay For Love

Albys turn!

 So the rest of us have endured the pain of numerous vaccinations in order to be cleared for post. Yesterday was our beautiful dog Alby's turn for his medical. As I have previously posted, it’s a bit of a process to export a dog to Malaysia. We have engaged a pet shipping company who are guiding us through one step at a time. The first official step was to have him vaccinated against Rabies. He will need to continue to have a booster yearly to ensure a smooth transition back to Australia when the time comes. 

Not all vets here in Australia are qualified to administer  pet export vaccinations however my local vet was able to recommend a local who could do the job. I’m not sure who was more nervous, me or him….and he was nervous! All in all it was a painless process with a single shot. (Except for the bill….$230!). We needed to make sure his microchip was working and fill out the required paperwork which I need to send on to the pet exporter who will have an official government vet sign off on it. No side effects afterwards and it seemed no different to his yearly vaccinations.

On a side note the crate training is going well. The top is now on his transport crate and he makes the odd trip onto it to have a sniff around. I put a treat in every now and again  to make it a happy place for him. 

Keep Calm and Carry On

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There are varying degrees of miracles in life. There are some I thought I would never attain. Well, one at least. Alert the media…..I have for the first time ever travelled internationally with just carry on! 

Nick and I did a whirlwind trip to KL for one week to sort out some stuff for the posting. Having a bit of lead in time until we move we decided to purchase our own tickets and do a bit of a reconnaissance mission to check out our future home. A sneaky week to hopefully secure accomodation and to help us figure out what we need to take with us and what we can leave behind and buy in Malaysia. 

I honestly can’t remember when we have travelled with just the 2 of us sans kids. We flew Malaysian Airlines and had a grand total of 7kg each for the trip. Thankfully it’s much easier to travel to somewhere where it is hot. 7 pairs of undies (I don’t know why I always feel the need to pack more, it’s been more than a few years since I have wet my pants), and a few changes of clothes for casual and a few nights out. The biggest problem was the liquids which travelling from Aus you need to keep under 100g and place in a plastic bag for inspection at customs. My sunscreen that was 110ml was confiscated but otherwise we made it through unscathed. I cannot tell you how much easier it was without checked in bags! Straight though at check in with a seperate queue at both ends for those with no checked luggage. Saved us hours as the queues were huge. Best bit was landing back in Aus. Landed at 7.15pm and we were sitting on the couch at home eating a pizza by 8.15pm. 

I felt a bit like a snail carrying my home on my back. Everything was accessible the whole time and packing up was a breeze. We actually purchased a ticket with checked bags just in case but it all went smoothly. Malaysia was much more relaxed with weight limits than Australia. Not sure it will ever happen again but boy was it awesome! Who said I was high maintenance. (Well Nick did but I proved him wrong!)

 

Tall Tales

Thankfully the last of the family medical appointments are done. Gotta love a nurse who thinks on her feet when measuring the 17 year old giant!!

95 Days and Counting

Tick Tick Tick……. It really creeps up on you!  Things continue to click over at a blistering pace. So this happened this weekend…

It has begun! We have started the mammoth task of the dreaded “uplift”. So we have 4 categories to place our belongings in. Coming with us in uplift , storage in Aus, and coming with us as luggage. The fourth category is the “Donate” category which is actually quite cathartic. We have started donating things we will no longer need as well as selling a few things to make a few extra $$$.  It was a challenge to know where to start so we have started with our clothes. The moving company does not pack our clothes so it was a natural place to start. It was like Christmas for Scarlett as I found a heap of clothes that I had kidded myself I was going to fit back in to one day. Let’s just say she has a new “vintage” wardrobe. It still freaks me out that she is more or less fitting into this stuff! She looks great and it makes me so happy to see the clothes used again! I knew flares would come back! 

I have also started to buy a few things that may be hard to source  in KL. If Vietnam is anything to go buy, my size 14 is ENORMOUS so I have bought a few new clothes as well as some shoes for my apparent clown sized feet at size 8.5. 

We have all been to the dentist this week to get us cleared which forms part of our medical clearances. No biggie for most of us except for me who is petrified of the dentist. I had a heap of work done in Vietnam which stood me in good stead and I got the all clear. Phew! 

We continue to navigate the balance of the reality of leaving family and friends behind whilst juggling a son entering year 12 exams and the everyday pressures of work. It would be an understatement to say it’s not easy. This move is proving to be the most challenging we have ever undertaken for so many reasons. We continue as we always have, one bite at a time and chewing like hell…..thanks to you all for you amazing support and encouragement. It means more than you know. 

The Human Pin Cushion’s

So obviously the hot topic over the last few years has been vaccinations. 

It’s a bit of a no brainer for us. Basically our employer has a standard of vaccination that clears us for a posting. We have absolutely no problem with this. To each their own. My personal opinion is that years of research backed by science leaves us in good hands and best placed to have a happy and healthy posting. When we first deployed to Vietnam back in 2010 we all underwent a raft of checks and vaccinations. Thankfully that meant that this time around it would be a little less full on. Sort of! The kids obviously being older now were consulted and happy to receive the vaccinations that were required.

Re-live the fun here! 

http://moggymekongmadness.blogspot.com/2010/03/if-we-have-any-more-shots-we-are-going.html?m=

 

In 2010 Nick was already overseas when I had to spend the day with the kids at the Travel Doctor to get us all up to speed. As the kids were so young back then a lot of the required vaccines were split in to 2 seperate doses over a period of weeks. Let’s just say it was quite a challenge corralling in a 2.5 and 5 year old. Ever tried to get a urine sample from a 2 year old? Let the games begin! 

So, Nick owed me big time. This time it was his turn to deal with the natural nervousness of health checks and vaccinations. Right?

Bring on COVID. Nick tested positive to COVID the day before our family appointment so I had to step up once again and manage the fun filled day at the doctor. Huge credit to the kids who were patient and brave. It may have helped that I threw $50 on the table for whoever needed the most shots. I swear it was not rigged when I took home the chocolates with 6 and a blood test.   

So we survived. As far as I can tell none of us are glowing in the dark but our 5G is awesome!!

Alby the Jet-Setting Labradoodle

 

When we all came together as a family to discuss accepting the offer of an overseas posting, there were a couple of things that were just deal breakers. Well, actually, that's not quite true.  There were perhaps less than a couple.  Ok...there was one, just one. Wherever we went, Alby went to!  Our beautiful boy has been a huge part of our lives for the last eight years and there was just no way we could leave him behind.

Relocating your pet from Australia to Malaysia is a long process that involves numerous health checks, vaccinations and document after document after document.  It’s hard but it’s not impossible.   It is also expensive so be warned.  Some people choose to undertake the whole process on their own but with so many other things to organise in the next 6 months we decided to leave it in the hands of the experts and engage a pet relocation specialist.  With so many to choose from it is hard to know which one to trust.  I belong to a FB group called Pets Relocating to Australia and made sure I received some recommendations from them.

My chosen relocation firm will provide the following;

• Collection from home.

• Final health check.

• Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) Health Certificate and Export Permit.

• Airline export documents and air waybill.

• Complimentary one night boarding.

• All airline freight charges.

• Booking and handling fee.

• Malaysian import permit, Customs & quarantine clearance in Kuala Lumpur & delivery to KL residence after release from 10 days quarantine.

• IATA standard airline approved travel kennel including fleece mat.

It EXCLUDES the following;

• Microchipping, 

• Rabies vaccination & Hendra blood test, your local vet can arrange this, note the Hendra test has to be done within 14 days before departure from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur.

Looking at the above all I need to take care of is the Rabies vaccinations and the Hendra blood test.  They have also advised that I can collect the crate now in order to get Alby used to it.  He has not been crate trained at all so this will give us 6 months to make him familiar with it.  Thankfully, it is only an 8-hour flight and is direct so hopefully not too distressing for him.  Upon arrival, he needs to spend 10 days in quarantine, which will be hard for all of us including him. I will organise with the pet relocation company to send someone out every day to check him and play with him, make sure he is eating and provide some new bedding.  We are allowed to visit but have decided that that would just be too heartbreaking both for him and for us.  I get the feeling it could be the longest 10 days of my life!

Pricing has been very up and down over the last few years due to COVID.  Mainly up!  At the moment we are looking at close to $5,000AUD.  Apparently, prices go up in peak periods just as they do for our tickets so thankfully we are departing in November.

Of course I am full of guilt at what my poor little dog has to go through but I need to just keep telling myself that it is short term pain for long term gain.  When the guilt overwhelms me, I try to picture the moment we are all reunited and just how amazing that will be.

 

 

Bumps in the Road

 Ok. Going heavy early here

 Last (and first) post was about eating the elephant. Taking things one step at a time. This one is more about addressing the elephant in the room. Well, my room anyway. How the hell do you leave all of the people you love and EVERYTHING that goes along with that. It’s a lot. 

I guess if you are expecting an answer here you will be disappointed.  I don’t have one. I struggle with this every single day. How do you leave everyone you care about most in the world? How do you be the ones who makes the decisions to take your children away from their friends and family? To leave our parents? Well that elephant comes with a big juicy side of guilt. I’m no psychologist but I’m going to cut myself some slack and say that what we are feeling is absolutely normal. Unfortunately It doesn’t make it any easier. 

My parents are in their 80’s and devastatingly mum had a fall last week. She is in hospital with a broken wrist and some small fractures in her spine. It’s going to be a long road to recovery. How I continue to organise leaving is a work in progress. With the support of my brother and sister and their families we are supporting her and my dad and getting things in place to get them the help they need and to get mum home where she is happiest. I think the truth is there is never a good time. 

 

There is always going to be something. Some minor and some major. And some of those somethings are heartbreaking. We cannot help but feel overwhelmingly selfish by moving. I find comfort in the fact that we are only a flight away and the time difference is only 2 hours. I  am always on  the other end of the phone and can do almost as much as I could from Australia. I liken it to COVID when we we were unable to be physically present. We made that work and I know we can make this work too. We still have 5 months to get the required things in place to support them. Not quite sure who I am trying to convince here, you or me. 

We are so lucky to have such an incredible family and support network. Their love is what makes anything possible. Mum is on the mend and I will keep you updated. We hope to repay them all one day with some amazing adventures in Malaysia on us! I am, and will be, eternally grateful. 

Eating the Elephant

Well it appears the cat is well and truly out of the bag and we can now officially announce that the Moggys are off on another adventure!  Come November we will be packing up once more and heading to Malaysia.  Kuala Lumpur to be exact!  So it's time to drag out the old blog and hopefully someone, somewhere, will find the content either useful or at the very least, have a laugh as we stumble our way through moving, settling and living in Malaysia. Hoping the blog will provide our friends and family with a bit of an insight on what we are up to as well as perhaps offering some useful information for anyone thinking of moving to Malaysia

My dad has a great saying that I have taken on board on many occasions throughout my life.  When faced with a task that appears insurmountable and you just don't know where to start, treat it like eating an elephant. Just take one bite at a time and before you know it you will be reaching for the Gaviscon as you swallow the last bite. Although six months sounds like a long time, the lead in to this move is quite condensed.  Me being the true Capricorn that I am have created a few spreadsheets/files and folders to keep track.  Nicks work continues to be busy so I have "volunteered" to cover the bulk of the organising.

So in a VERY brief summary, this is how we hope it will work.  Christopher will complete his year 12 exams in November.  He has been doing a VET course as part of his VCE for the last 2 years in Game Art and Animation. They school he attends one day a week at present have an Online Campus that offers a 2 year Advanced Diploma which he can undertake from KL.  Once we are settled we will need to find a local course that he can do in person  (both Monash and Swinburne Universities have campuses here!) to ensure he has an opportunity to interact with his peers, make some friends and get out and have some fun.  Scarlett will finish (just about) year 9 before we leave.  She has been accepted at an international school in KL. Their school year is from August to June so she will re-enter year 9 in November which will give her a great opportunity to assimilate before hitting year 10 mid next year. As for me?  My employer is very supportive of me continuing my current role from KL for which I am enormously grateful.  I love what I do and am so excited that I can stay on and work with my team!

And we cant forget Alby!  Of COURSE he is coming with us!  It was a deal breaker for the kids (and me to if I'm honest!).  Alby is our eight year old miniature Labradoodle who also happens to be an absolute legend! There is a rather huge list of things to do and consider in moving him overseas and I will outline the process as it progresses.  

So that's it for now.  If you feel like following along you can subscribe via email on the bottom of the page.  I will also post to good old Facebook so you can find us there.  Wish us luck!

Dani