10 days in....

We are still flat hunting. We were considering 2 different areas of KL - both to the west of the city centre. Bangsar and Mont Kiara. Originally I was sold on Mont Kiara. However, after a second visit to the area this weekend I've decided it's just all a bit too sanitised for me. I would miss the hustle and bustle of being in a big city. I love city living and all the hassles that come with it.

I did consider living right in the middle of town, but think it's probably not the best place for babybear. There is an amazing children's play area in KLCC though, right behind the Petronas towers. It's fantastic - huge and varied slides, swings, climbing frames etc plus a wonderful splash pool. We do spend a fair bit of time there. I do think though that it would be better to be out of the city centre a bit where there are other mothers and kids the same age as babybear.

We're now focussing our search on Bangsar, there is a lot more happening there and it just feels a bit more Asian (even though it's filled with gringo expats :-). It's hard going though, trying to find a place to live with a toddler in tow, in the heat and humidity. Plus babybear is currently on some weird sleeping schedule which seems to go something like: wake up around 9.30am, nap around 2pm till around 4pm then up and with it till around 10pm. To be honest, I don't really mind it as a schedule, though it does mean I get very little time on my own, we do get to see daddy in the evenings and have a meal out. Besides, everything happens at night really once it gets cooler.

We often end up eating at a food court. Last night we went to one where babybear enjoyed climbing on to the seats, facing outwards so he could see people as they walked past and enjoyed high-fiving everyone that stopped. He also rather enjoyed dismantling a light (mummy and daddy were busy eating their yummy penang noodles and only realised what was happening when a passerby pointed it out to us - oops, how lax of us!).

I am missing my life in Wimbledon but do know that things will settle here eventually, once we've got a flat it will feel alot more like 'home'. I miss the ease with which I could get stuff done in London. I knew how things worked, where to go etc. Here I have to catch taxis to get places, fine from the hotel but once I'm somewhere I then have to try to flag cabs down on the street to get back again. I've been lucky so far, but anyone who has been to KL knows that getting a cab that will a) not rip you off horrendously b) actually take you where you want to go or c) even just say that they will take you in the vicinity of where you want to go instead of just flatly refusing the fare, is pretty hard going. Plus I have a 16 month old and a pushchair in tow! I live in fear of ending up wandering around in the heat of the midday sun, with no food for the bear, miles from the hotel and no cabs in sight......not happened yet, fingers crossed.

Babybear was a bit ill the last few days which was a worry, fortuantely he now seems better and hopefully his immune system is firing on all cylinders and gearing up to cope with the local diseases. It would be impossible to avoid him getting ill though, he is into everything (particularly drains, though he'd have to fight with the rats here in order to gain access to one, and they are bigger than he is :-).

He also seems to be going through a bit of a shy phase. I'm guessing it's his age and he'd be going through it at home, but I do think he sometimes finds the attention a bit overwhelming - he really has no escape from it. As soon as we are out people want to touch him, or hold him, or speak to him. He's taken to sometimes hiding his face into the side of his pushchair. I think this will get a bit better when we move out of town a bit, where there are more expat children anyway so it will dilute the attention a bit. He does not however have a problem with getting attention from the girl who cleans our room - whenever she is around he likes to strut around and pull his t-shirt up over his tummy to show off his milk-belly. Or he picks up a ball and holds it above his head, with accompanying 'strongman' grunts and groans. It's hilarious to watch, I guess it must be inbuilt in men then - pretty girl, show off, pick up football ;-)

Ok, the bear is waking from his nap (at 4.30pm, goodness knows what time he'll go to bed tonight), better get going.