I am busy busy busy, but this comes as no suprise to no-one since the holiday season is approaching and, as a teacher with a school term coming to a close, there have been lots of papers to grade, school plays and concerts to help out with and attend, parent-teacher conferences to set up and execute, report cards/grade reports to draft up, and a whole host of teacher-related minutiae to keep me running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
I was also sick with the flu for a couple of days, ran a 10k race, and have had numerous coffee dates and dinners with friends in an effort to catch up before shipping out of Hong Kong (only 10 days Christmas vacation in Europe)!
I am lost beneath a pile of papers, my apartment is a mess, and I am SO behind on emails, so for those of you who have written me and I haven’t responded to… Please take this as a heartfelt (and belated) apology and rest assured that I WILL respond to you… even though it might be later rather than sooner.
In other news, Hong Kong, in the space of a week, has gotten colder. I put on a long sleeve shirt AND wore my jean jacket this morning. The change is good, but jarring, since three nights ago, I was sweating while I slept, and contemplated turning on the aircon to keep cool. But I hesitated- air conditioning in December is a foreign concept to this Canadian girl. After this cold snap, that’s no longer an option. But then again, the weather here is mighty fickle. It’s possible that I’ll be in shorts again next week.
Anyway, Xmas’ quick approach reminded me that Chinese New Year is fast approaching (it’s at the end of January this year!) and, as many people in Asia know, it is one of the busiest and most expensive times to travel as EVERYONE gets it off. Last year, I went to Vietnam with Liebling, and while it was a good time, the trip was a lot more expensive than I would have liked (since we had waited to long to get our butts into gear and buy tickets). Not so this year. I started looking at tickets for CNY about a month ago to avoid the massive ticket price hike that happens just before Xmas. Which destinations were on the menu, you ask? I was originally planning on going to Indonesia with a friend, but after the latest volcano eruption many flights out there have been grounded.
So… I had to come up with a plan B and suddenly Malaysia got back onto the radar (I was thinking of going this past October, but ended up going to Korea instead). In my search, I found a (relatively) cheap ticket on Air Asia.com and didn’t hesitate. I booked! I’ll land in Kuala Lumpur on January 28th, and fly out of Penang on February 4th. I’ll be rolling solo, since the friend I was going to Indonesia with has already been to Malaysia and isn’t feeling going again.
To be honest, I am excited about this trip. I think I primarily am because the weather should be gorgeous, and I am looking forward to having a few days all by my lonesome to just chill out. I’ve been told that Malaysia is strangely “un-cultural” and that there isn’t much to see in terms of temples and stuff. Kuala Lumpur, from what I’ve been told, is full of shopping malls and not much else. Fine by me! Penang is apparently a food lover’s paradise, with food stalls and tasting stations everywhere. And the beach in Langkawi looks and sounds delightful, judging from the pics I’ve seen online and the reports I’ve gotten from friends who have already been. I looking forward to having a totally superficial, “all about me” vacay. Because why not? I deserve it. Everybody does, at least once in a while. I also think that I will splurge on a really nice hotel. Right now I’m really feeling the Hilton Doubletree hotel in Kuala Lumpur…
Anyhoo, off to grade some more papers…
46 Comments
Why don't you use the staircase method for grading the papers, you'll be finished grading in no time, lol. Enjoy your vacation!
The staircase method- the preferred method of grading for university profs and TAs. I am so sure some of them use this or some updated pseudo version of this for marking. Be a good teacher and don't be tempted to do this, lol. Hmm, air conditioning in December, what a choice one has to make. For many of us, the choice is heat or more heat. Have fun on your upcoming travels!
Oh yell nah, there ain't a thing wrong with me time. And, wow, that hotel looks sumptuous. Have a great time.
Have a great time in Malaysia, one of my favorite countries!
The food is AMAZING. Hope you have the best time ever there! And eat lots of curries and satays for me, okay? 😀
Definately langkawi is a great place to go..
you'll enjoy it in Malaysia. you can refer to Tripadvisor for recommendation & tips to the malaysia.. have fun
http://langkawi-updates.blogspot.com/
thanks for all the tips and rec's, everyone!!!
@melissa and samantha- maybe setting the papers on fire would be the most effective option? LOL
@Rhona- agreed!! it s high time i pampered myself!
@travelwithjen- when were u last there? what should i do and see?
@Xtine- you betcha!
@Ana- thanks! i ll definitely keep langkawi in mind!
Oh, I want to go to Langkawi! Have a great great trip.
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