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