Here's the Deal...

                                            Weekly Card Game with the Girls

So, many of you have wondered how I'm spending my time here in Malaysia now that I'm, ahem, retired (at least temporarily).  Well, to be quite honest with you, I'm not really sure I know the answer to that question either. I mean, I do stuff, kinda. I run errands, I go grocery shopping, I explore the city, I go to lunch or meet up for coffee or attend random social events through the American Association of Malaysia (AAM). We've gone to dinner parties and game nights at friend's houses. I've taken cooking classes, I've gone on walking tours, and I've even gotten a massage at the Blind Institute (I know, I didn't see that one coming either). With the endless amount of things to see and do here, the days just seems to magically fly by. At the end of the day I always find myself wondering where all the time went! I can honestly say that I haven't gotten bored yet, and I always look forward to waking up and seeing where the day is going to take me. One thing I know for sure though, is that Thursday's day is going to take me to the card table. A group of us get together each Thursday afternoon to play a fun little card game called Shanghai Rummy. We each take turns hosting the game at our respective home and always provide some sort of snack and specialty cocktail(s) for the big event. Not necessarily a game for high rollers, we play with 20 cent pieces. At the end of the game (and the end of the cocktails), someone is guaranteed to take home a money pot worth a whopping 3 or 4 ringgit (which at today's current conversion rates equates to $0.96 - $1.28. It's not much, but without being gainfully employed here, each of us expat wives have to do everything we can to try and bring home the turkey bacon (it's a Muslim country, remember) whenever possible. And it's a ruthless bunch, these Shanghai Rummy wives (or as we've lovingly dubbed ourselves, The Shanghai Rummy Fight Club - SRFC). We will fight tooth and nail for every little ringgit we can on that card table! Yes, it's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it.

A day in the life: 

Dinner Party at a Friend's House

"Cooking in the Jungle" Class

Bread Baking Class (My loaf is the one that's slightly deformed - woops)

Random man I took a picture of on China Town Tour