Revisiting Past (Expat) Lives: A Wrenching Echo or a Beautiful Swansong

Some postings are ones that you get to return to again and again, even after you leave.  Others you expect, for one reason or another never to see again.  Warri (Nigeria) and Maracaibo (Venezuela) are hardly tourist destinations to bring the family to for example.

Nigeria was beautiful but not the easiest posting to return to.

My many postings fall into a variety of those two categories.  I go back to the town we lived in when we were last in the UK an awful lot because, by a complete co-incidence, we ended up living 5 minutes from where my parents had bought a house many years before and where they chose to retire.  These days, going back to visit my father and step-mother is strange, I was a local councillor there for 6 years so relatively well known to a number of people through my party and through campaigning.  I often run into old colleagues of my husbands or old pupils of his.  It is home (the children and I stayed there for a significant part of the 4 months we were waiting for Saudi visas), and yet it is not.  My mother loved the town, she was not English but it was where she chose to settle and live out her days.  This town was the place she returned to every year from around 1992 when my parents bought the house and we spent most of our short half term holidays there from around that time to leaving school.  It is more home to me than any other place on earth ... and yet....  I see her ghost everywhere I walk and it is incredibly painful; harder now to go back than it was to live there after her death.  I love seeing my father and my step-mother and the children adore their visits there but I find it very, very sad.  I wonder if people who have lived in the same place all their life have a similar response post bereavement, do they suddenly want to move away or is it just my complete and utter lack of true ties to any place? 

Our beautiful old home town in England

I had a similar feeling when, following a visit to my Uncle and Aunt in their home town in the Netherlands, I drove to show Mr EE and the older children the place where Oma & Opa had lived.  I spent a lot of time with them as a child, living with them for long periods and often visiting them for short holidays when I was first in boarding school.  I was ok in the town, it was rather fun to walk in my old steps, but when we went to the building their flat had been in I broke down, racked with sobs.  I still don’t really know why (I don’t have the same reaction when I see my other grandparents’ house in Dublin or when I wander around Den Haag, the town where I was born and where I lived 4 times in my life), perhaps it was a realisation that a place that had been so pivotal, so important to me, now has no connection to me at all other than an ageing uncle and aunt. The ripples my life had made on the surface of the Assen pond have almost disappeared for ever.

Revisiting past pleasures in Ipoh

Other than that, by and large when I leave a posting I leave, I put it to bed in my mind and look forward to the next one.  I rarely hanker after the life that has been. I have been back to some of the other countries I have lived but never to my old homes (except on Google Maps) or even cities until last month.  When I had to rush back to Malaysia to see our very sick dog I ended up in our old town.  It was a strange visit because it has not been long since we were there, Ipoh was our home until December last year.  In between seeing to the dogs I revisited old hunting grounds, traces of our life there were everywhere.  My hair needed colouring so I went to my old hairdresser, I was still on record.  On the two evenings I was there I ate at two of our favourite restaurants.  I was welcomed back to both by name and asked if I wanted ‘my usual’, when I parked at the mall (I treated myself to a cinema trip, something we can’t do in Saudi) the mark made when our power steering fluid suffered a catastrophic leak in August last year could still be seen in our favoured spot.

Our old home had the most amazing view.

On a whim I went back to our old home.  We lived in a gated development with some beautiful park land and the guard, remembering me, waved me through with a big smile.  Our old house was occupied by a new family but I parked nearby and walked around the running track where we had walked the dogs every day (the plan had been to scatter Bessie’s ashes there if she had had to be put down).  The fish, the monkeys, the monitor lizards were all still there.  Sadly there is a lot of development going on at the theme park across the lake and I can see that we were lucky in our time there.  Unlike the feelings of sadness I have when visiting my old home in the Netherlands or the UK I felt a feeling of closure that I have never sought and had not expected to want or need. Our ripples are still there, though fading fast, they will be gone before long but, unlike Assen, I feel no sense of sadness about that.

We were happy to leave Ipoh, it had only ever been a temporary posting and had we remained in Malaysia we would have been in KL by now but we left with a short turn round, with Mr EE being asked to start his new job very quickly (6 months notice is more normal in education).  Whenever we relocate we try to spend as much time as possible fixing memories of our posting, memories that will last us a life time.  We do our favourite things and make the most of our remaining time there.  In Ipoh the time we had to do this was very short.  The little swansong visit was, in many ways, the perfect way to put that posting to bed.  

Have you ever returned to a previous posting?  How did it make you feel?

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A Photo Tour Of Miri and Ipoh - Show Me Your Neighbourhood

The other year I was privileged to post a Show Your Neighbourhood article on living in Astana, the fascinating and beautiful capital of Kazakhstan.  When we left there we moved to Malaysia where we spent 18 months, 9 in Miri, Sarawak in Eastern Malaysia and 9 months in Ipoh, Perak on the Peninsula.  Both of them are fairly typical mid size towns - big enough to have everything you need but smaller than the large commercial centres of KL and Penang.  Our life in the two towns was very different but rather than do two separate posts I thought I would combine them into a single (but perhaps a little lengthy) post. 

Malaysia is, of course, a world famous tourist destination and, as a place to holiday it has it all, caves, modern metropolises, old towns, varied food and beautiful scenery.  We enjoyed all of that in our time in the country but, of course, day to day life is about so much more than and very different to a tourist experience.  With that in mind here is my ‘tour’ of day to day life in Miri and Ipoh.

Playgrounds

Malaysia does playgrounds really well, at least for the people who can afford them.  Most neighbourhoods will have one although the quality of these varies greatly.  High end developments will have good set ups whereas children in less affluent areas have, of course far less luxurious equipment or even nothing at all.  Most larger towns will also have playgrounds in public parks that are freely accessible to all children.

A typical playground in a high end development in Ipoh

And in a smaller, less affluent town.

Our favourite public park was the imaginatively named Tamam Awam (Public garden) in Miri.  Set between the town and the airport this garden had an aerial walkway, a dry playground and a water playground.  Our children used to love to bring their swimming costumes and water pistols to the park and could happily play for hours, making new friends in the process.  The park was also fitted out with many barbecue spots and, on weekends, would be filled with groups of family and friends enjoying a convivial evening.

Skywalk in the Miri Public Gardens

Public Waterpark In Miri Park

Transport

In Miri and in Sarawak as a whole there was very little in the way of public transport other than buses.  Most people drive cars (Proton and Perodua, the two Malaysian car manufacturers having a near monopoly on the non 4x4 market) or the ubiquitous mopeds and the standards of driving are generally poor.  The city roads are well maintained but outside Miri, with the exception of the plantation roads, they become rather ramshackle and poorly maintained. The state is crossed by many rivers so boat traffic is popular.  Some of the boats are gigantic, closed and air-conditioned to give a comfortable ride.

Mopeds, Motorbikes, Perodua Myvi and Proton Saga Cars are everywhere

On the peninsula there are wider options available.  There are still local and long distance buses and a very good train service that connects the length of the country.  Driving standards are a little better and the roads are well maintained.  Malaysia has one of the best motorway systems in the world, it is tolled but the prices are not expensive, at least for expats and foreigners.  For average wage Malaysians who live in KL and need to use a minimum of two toll roads twice a day on their commute the price can become a drain.

In Sarawak anything that is not a main road is still an adventure to drive down.

Sometimes the road just...ends and you have to get a boat instead.

With so many people relying on private transport parking can become a nightmare with double parked cars being the norm in some commercial centres. 

A Typical House/Building and Streets

There is no such thing as a typical house in Malaysia.  The housing in a chic condo or high end housing development in any main town will be very different to that in the kampongs (villages).

In Sarawak the traditional house is a long-house where the whole village will live under one roof.  Traditionally made from wood and palm they are now made from concrete and tin and look rather like terraces.  In the kampongs all over Malaysia you will still see houses raised on stilts. 

A Sarawak long house - modern in build but traditional in outlook
the whole village lives under one roof.

Wooden houses in kampongs are often raised on stilts

Modern housing built in the interior of Sarawak

Large housing developments are now the norm in many towns, ranging from terraced one story homes to detached bungalows (while a bungalow is a single story house in the UK it is a stand-alone house of any number of floors in Malaysia).  Many of the developments are soulless and built without reference to the environmental pressures of the area, one modern development near the Miri airport seemed to flood up to knee height or more in any period of heavy rain – not ideal in a tropical country.  We lived in an independent house in a garden suburb in Miri but moved to a detached bungalow on a development in Ipoh.  We were very lucky to live in a development where a lot of attention had been paid to the communal gardens and areas and while the house was not ideal the environment, next to a lake, was stunning.

A typical suburban row of terraces in Ipoh

A development of 3 story 3 bedroom town-houses

Houses will often have large verandas where people can relax in the shade and with enough space to park the car underneath.  This has the dual advantage of keeping it out of the sun and out of the rain making it easier to load and unload.  Many Malaysian homes will have a double kitchen which can take some time for expats to adjust to.  The wet kitchen is usually outside and a connecting door will lead to the indoors, dry, kitchen.  I think the idea is to do all the messy prep and cleaning in the wet kitchen (many Malaysians buy food fresh daily) but I made sure that our houses had an integrated modern kitchen. 

Our development in Ipoh - a little greener than most.

More houses are being built all the time.

Schools and Nursery’s

Most towns have a profusion of ‘Tadikas’ or nursery facilities.  These cater to all groups with specialist nurseries ranging from ‘Little Caliphs’ Islamic Nurseries to Chinese language nurseries or those who seek to educate in English to give children a head start in that language (one we saw claimed that it could have your child reading English confidently age 2 – I want to know how as I wish my native English speaking children could do that!).  Montessori nurseries are very popular although how true they are to the Montessori principals varies from one to another.

A typical nursery

Schools are housed in specially built compounds, because of the weather they tend to be in 2 or more story buildings with classrooms set along an open air corridor and set around the playing fields.  Most classrooms will have open windows along at least one wall to promote air flow.

Rural school

Education is a political hot potato in Malaysia at the moment.  Of course it is difficult for an expat to comment insightfully on domestic politics but my understanding is as follows.  Vernacular schools for Chinese and Indian Malaysians are guaranteed under the constitution.  These tend to be more academically rigorous than the Malay language state schools and as such the children tend to get much better exam results.  As a result there are some sections of society that wish to do away with the vernacular schools while others, of course want to keep them.  The vernacular schools are not exclusive, however, and it is not unknown for children of other ethnicities to go to, for example, to a Chinese school. 

City School 

International schools, often teaching the iGCSE and offering either A Levels or the IB are very popular with more wealthy parents as these are seen as giving a smother entry into high class universities worldwide.

Markets and Supermarkets

Many Malaysians still prefer to buy their food at the markets and a bewildering array of high quality produce is available, particularly if you go early in the morning.   In Miri where we were by to the sea the seafood was particularly fresh – being loaded into the markets straight from the boats.  Even in Ipoh which was a little way in land it was possible to get good fresh sea food.  In Ipoh we were also lucky to be close to the Cameron Highlands were a lot of temperate vegetables were grown meaning that we could purchase locally grown varieties instead of expensive imports. 

Beautiful fresh fruit from the market

Fresh fish

And ducks...

And pigs - you could make your own brawn
if you like that sort of thing!

Malaysian supermarkets, particularly on the peninsula, are excellent.  They stock a full range of fresh and dried goods and it is possible to find the ingredients to cook just about any type of meal from Indian to Mexican, Chinese to Western.  The only thing that is hard to find in Malaysia is good quality meat.  The meat that is available is very expensive and sold in small portions and the quality is dire.

Supermarkets are excellent and stock most things

I hope you have enjoyed this whistle-stop taster tour of what it is like to live in Miri and Ipoh.  For more posts on life in Malaysia you can click on the button below or any of the relevant ones in the side bar!

Kek Look Tong

Kek Look Tong was one of the last places we ever visited in Ipoh and was also one of the most stunning.  We had heard about this beautiful cave temple from a number of friends but had put of visiting it for some months. 

The entrance to the Temple

Finally, a few weeks ago we decided to go and have a look for ourselves and we were not disappointed.   The temple had originally been part of a mining operation with the natural cave mouth being widened to allow the ore transport trucks to drive straight in to the middle of the cave.  Even during this time a part of the cave was used for worship and when the mining operations came to an end it was decided to develop the cave as a full scale temple.  The cave was enlarged, the lower portions lined with marble and the land to the rear of the cave filled in to create a beautiful garden area.

The Goddess looks over the carp pond

The Turtle and Tortoise Pond is relatively clean

Arriving at the temple it is clear that this complex receives many more visitors than the other temples we have been to in Ipoh.  There are extensive car parks all of which have been beautifully landscaped.  Before coming to the entrance of the cave we took the time to look at the carp and turtle ponds which are situated to the front of the complex. 

Exquisite miniature scenes line the stairway climbing to the entrance

Each one is unique.

The steps up to the main entrance of the cave are wide and shallow and decorated with many small sculptures, most of which are works of art in their own right.  In the entrance to the cave more miniatures adorn the side walls.

There are lots to choose from

Walking further in you come to two side chapels where much of the original geology of the cave has been left untouched.  Mr EE, a geographer by profession and who has more than a passing interest in geology rather enjoyed this section.

The first section of the cave is vast

Towards the rear of the cave we found a selection of more than 10 Taoist and Buddhist statues, some of them set on plinths that left them towering over the worshippers.  Every single one of these bronze statues were brought over from Taiwan. 

The rear of the cave contains the largest sculptures

They are huge and each one was brought over from Taiwan

While initially underwhelming a closer inspection shows meticulous attention to detail.

Going through to the other side we came to some steps leading down into the garden.  This section of the temple grounds is nestled into the hills and set around a large lake surrounded by a peaceful jogging track.  More statues line the track and, those who are gluttons for punishment can enjoy what is touted as the ‘longest reflexology path in Ipoh.  While I enjoy going to the reflexologist (it is one of the perks of living in Malaysia) I have always found these paths a painful and deeply unpleasant experience rather similar to hobbling along the stones on  Brighton beach.  The garden is also home to some rather aggressive geese and some very friendly monkeys.

The rear of the cave gives access to some beautiful gardens

The lake is serene (but bring the mosquito repellent) and a beautiful place to jog

The geese seemed to be the only people 'enjoying' the reflexology path

It was as we left this temple that we received the call to confirm that we would be leaving Ipoh and moving to a new posting in a new country in 2016.  We were so pleased we were able to see it before we left.

Yet more miniatures can be found in the gardens

While it is not my favourite of all the Ipoh temples (that honour goes to the Enchanted Heart) it is certainly an interesting an a beautiful place to visit and a place I would have returned to time and again had we stayed in Ipoh.

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Lata Kinjang

Lata Kinjang is a spectacular waterfall visible from the North South Expressway when driving from KL to Ipoh. Every time we have driven past we have said that we wanted to visit but had never managed to get around to it.  Last weekend we decided to go and visit Gua Tempurung, one of the key show caves in Malaysia and used as a base for communists in the Emergency and, some say, as a Japanese prison during the occupation.  Sadly when we turned up it was closed for repairs (no notice to this effect on their website).

Bathing at the base of the waterfall

Rather annoyed at missing a chance to see it we decided to try to find the route to the waterfall. A short drive down the road later and we found the sign. We had to pay for parking but it was absolutely worth the RM15(£2.50).  There are a number of hawker stalls run by the Orang Asli (aboriginal Malaysians) who live in the village by the park.  Kampong chickens, including very plump, beautiful, healthy looking roosters just wander around and there are plenty of spots to set up a barbeque.

Making the most of the water

A little further on and we came to the pool at the base of the waterfall.  Although the water enters the pool with some power it is ‘gentle’ enough that those who want to can sit under the flow and feel brave.  Looking to the side it is clear that the waterfall doubles in width when the flow is at its heaviest.  Bathing is not supervised or regulated but the park authorities had placed a lot of very good quality information signs to highlight the dangers people should be aware of when visiting waterfalls.  In particular it warned to be careful in periods of heavy rain and the signs of the headwater phenomenon including sound of advancing water, foam and twigs that indicate that a headwater surge might be on its way.  

The path up the side of the waterfall is easy to walk and well maintained

We played around in the water for a while, as we had not been intending to go to the waterfall we did not have swimwear with us but the children were quite happy to just roll up their trousers and get a little wet.  After a good long play (the water was surprisingly warm) we climbed up a paved pathway to a rope bridge connecting the right and left banks of the fall.  It is possible to climb further although the children could not have managed the trails (which were very steep and not at all well delineated) Mr EE had Mini EE in the carrier and could not go off the path at all. It was possible to swim in the pools here as well but the water was cascading with more force and we decided not to allow the children in (we were not dressed to do more than wade ourselves so could not supervise them). 

People enjoy bathing further up the falls

A walk across the rope bridge allowed us to see to the very top of the waterfall and the water seemed to dance of the rocks in sheets.  On the other side of the rope bridge a forest path leads back down to the base of the falls. 

The falls are truly spectacular and mesmerising to watch

Malaysian forests are very thick and it is not unknown for people to go missing.  Just a few months ago several Orang Asli children went missing from their school and despite extensive searches were not found for weeks.  In the end only two survived, and they were located less than 500m from their school.  For this reason we do not go walking in the forests although we had been planning to wait until raffelesia were in season, get a babysitter for Miss EE and hire a guide to take us to see the plants. 

We could have spent hours!

The route from the bridge down to the base of the falls, while vague, was marked every few meters and was suitable for walking alone, it was also very short.  Master and Miss EE wanted a chance to ‘hike’ through the forest I took the children down this route while Mr and Mini EE took the wider and more sure path back down on the other side.  On that walk he had some time to explore the tributaries that entered the main fall and saw, in several places, some shrines of offerings of fruit and candles set up by some of the local Orang Asli from the village.  

The start of the forest path down - it got less
defined very quickly

The forest path that I took was indeed overgrown and barely visible in places with some trails going off to the side and had we not had the waterfall to our right to guide us I can see how it would be easy to lose bearings.  This was a safe way to give the children a taste of the forest – just challenging enough for them to feel they had done something adventurous and brave and close enough to the village and waterfall for me to know that we were ok.

The children get ready for a well deserved paddle

Back down with the children feeling on top of the world, we had another wade, removed some leaches the children had picked up in the forest (of which they were incredibly proud for some reason and whipped off with little complaint which surprised me as I loathed and was scared of them at that age) and picked up some treats from one of the stalls.  

It was a fabulous way to end what had started as an extremely disappointing day and we would love to return, properly attired, for a swim and relax.

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