A week from day, I head to Selangor in Malaysia to start my new job

[Feeling the Bern]

I am the Dean of Humanities at an International private school near Kuala Lumpur.

This will be my second jaunt into Asia, after being in East Asia, now it's Southeast Asia.

Other than the job, the best part is I am no more than a 2.5 hour flight to some of the best beaches in the world (Bali, Phuket, Krabi, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Maledives) and 90 minutes from Bangkok and Singapore!

Luckily, I speak fluent Mandarin and Cantonese, so hopefully picking up Bahasa won't be too hard, as it will be my 6th language.

[a la izquierda]

1. Congratulations!

I have been pondering an overseas move lately. There's a job in Kazakhstan that I might apply for, just for a three year adventure.
Life's too short to be bored and underpaid.

[DFW]

2. Make sure you travel around!

Not too many great beaches left here in Europe, but being less than 2 hours away (in many cases less than an hour) from London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Zürich, Geneva, Milano, Budapest, Prague, Barcelona, Brussels, Amsterdam, København, Warsaw, etc etc etc, well you get the idea. You GOTTA take advantage!

PS--fluent in Cantonese? I'm impressed! Jaosan!

[Feeling the Bern]

3. Cantonese was hard. Nine tones. Mandarin was a bit easier

Korean and Spanish were very easy.

I hope Bahasa is easy because it uses letters, not characters.

[DFW]

4. I don't know Bahasa at all

But if it's anything like Tagalog, it should be a breeze compared to Cantonese.

[oldandhappy]

5. Wonderful! Have a grand experience.

I loved working in Asia.

[cyberswede]

6. The name "Phuket" amuses me

But seriously, congrats and best of luck with your new job!

[Kali]

7. post pix and stories like recursion and DFW

I just love daily life and adventures from DUers abroad.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

14. +1

[redwitch]

8. I so admire people who are fluent in more than one language!

I never even heard of Bahasa! Safe journey to you and I hope the job is all you want it to be!


P.S. Don't forget to get your absentee ballot next year!

[Feeling the Bern]

9. If my idiot Country Recorder doesn't get it to me six weeks before the election

I will be up her ass with phone calls since I have a Magic Jack.

[redwitch]

11. That's the spirit!

[magical thyme]

10. somehow I doubt it's strictly luck that you are fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese,

so much as hard work!

Congrats on the new job and access to great beaches!

[Feeling the Bern]

12. Wife is Chinese and speaks both. It's all we speak outside, while it's English in the house

You're right it's not luck.

I improved my Spanish to near fluent by living in Mexico for three years too.

[WinkyDink]

13. Congratulations! And MANY kudos on your language skills!

[Joe Shlabotnik]

15. Congrats! and Bon Voyagee

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[panader0]

16. Hearty congratulations and respect are in order.

What grades? What will you teach?
My grandfather (history) and mother (English) each taught for over forty years.

[Feeling the Bern]

17. IGCSE History and working on developing IGCSE geography

They already offer IGCSE History, Business Studies, Government and Economics.

I will need to start working on developing the AS and A2 Level as well.

[HeiressofBickworth]

18. Best wishes for success with your new job.

You indicated your wife is Chinese so I thought I should mention this: There's a Wikipedia article that may interest you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism_in_Malaysia I have a friend who is Chinese from Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and knows first hand the discrimination against Chinese in Malaysia.

I hope your experience is better than the forces that induced my friend's family to leave. Time has passed since they emigrated, but the laws favoring Malays over Chinese or Indians hasn't changed.

I don't mean to diminish your excitement for your new job and new residence, but I thought I should mention this. Perhaps because you will be with an International private school, you may be insulated from any effects of Malay policy. I certainly hope so.