Confession: I have NEVER heard the term "Oceana" until I came to these boards.

Hey gang...well there is more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100110/ap_on_re_as/as_malaysia_allah_ban So I think that is 7 churches hit so far and the recent ones in Taiping are only an hour away. But most of these attacks seem more like ill-planned vandalism...the "bombs" are home-made and poorly done and they aren't even going off. It feels more like they are just trying to intimidate us or like it is a bunch of teenagers who don't know what they are doing. weird. We went to church this morning. Our entire congregation spent the morning praying with one another over the bombings, praying for the ones who are attacking the churches, praying that the response of the Christians in this country would be God-honoring, etc. There were no fiery speeches of anger meant to incite retaliation...just words of love and forgiveness. It was exactly what I needed to hear. The bible tells us we will face persecution. We are ready if necessary to flee the country but we will not let fear rule our lives. We will go about business as usual with an extra dose of diligence. And Spycar is correct...he has warned me. Our school does not have any Muslim children in it so we are not prosyletizing them. We do have many missionary families but I do not know which ones if any work directly with the Muslim community because if they do, they don't talk about it. The ones I know work with the buddhist and hindu communities of which there are many in Penang. And while the rest of Malaysia is 60% Muslim, Penang is 70% NOT Muslim. Does that mean we are safe? Of course not. It just means that it may be a while before violence spreads this way. At least I am hoping and praying. We are still on holiday. School doesn't start for another week so I am praying this dies down a little before then. Your prayers are appreciated.

OK my diet coke almost came out my nose when I read this. :lol:

Yes, we have strong ties to the Ministry of Education and I know if there is anything we should be worried about they will tell us. The other problem is that we are still on christmas holiday right now so there isn't as much communication as usual with the school since it is closed. So far all is quite on the Penang front.... but we have money and passports and a car and the airport is 30 minutes away...just in case! My big worry is that my MOM is going to find out about all of this! :tongue_smilie:

I would totally chuck a mental over that.

You are right. And that is why the court ruled in favor of the christian church's right to use the word. But some extremists disagree and are apparently willing to use violence to make their point.

This reminded me of a comedian I heard...he said "Do you think it is a tense moment in training school for dogs? you know, the day they find out if they are going be drug-sniffing dogs or bomb-sniffing dogs? Do they draw straws?" :D Honestly, as long as they do not ask for a body cavity search, I just shrug the rest off. If some airport security guy gets his jollies from looking at me through a body scan...well, whatever...that's his issue.

Life is too short to feel guilty over paper plates.

I don't know that they haven't and I don't know enough to say that they did anything wrong that they "should" apologize. I am not sure of the entire back story. I do know that "Allah" was not used in a derogatory manner (from what I read it was simply used as a translation for the word "God" for those who do not speak english). I also know that there was a lawsuit involved and the courts ruled in favor of the christian church's right to use the word in translation and NOT in favor of the muslims' claim that they own the word...hence the backlash. I do know that the Federation of Christian Churches in Malaysia issued a formal statement saying they forgive the bombers and do not hold ill will towards them which I thought was pretty gracious since the bombers destroyed their church. But some Mulsim owners of a hotel/convention center nearby offered the use of their facitlites for services for the Christian church until they rebuild which I also thought was great.

1. PLEASE do NOT let this devolve into an us vs. them argument. This is not about all muslims vs. all christians. This is about some extremists causing trouble for everyone. 2. I am on the warning email loop for the U.S. Embassy here. I saw the information on the news first then the same day I got a warning from the US Embassy to basically stay away from KL and some other cities where there are protests and bombings. Luckily, we live a few hours from there. We WERE going to go to the Taiping Zoo but dh said no because it was too close to the action. 3. We just went to lunch at a local restaurant, completely halal, run by muslims. The staff was just as friendly to us as they've ever been, everything seemed exactly the same. But today's paper was FILLED with it...everything from those saying the Muslims will get their revenge to the prime minister and King denouncing the bombings. But it was still HUGE headlines. So I wonder...is Penang Island in a parallel universe from the rest of Malaysia and things on the mainland have no effect here? Or is this the calm before the storm? 4. We are not here as Christian Missionaries (Malaysia actually does not issue missionary visas...any missionaries that are here are either under a visitor's pass or some kind of work visa "front"). We are here on a bonafide work visa, complete with paying Malaysian taxes and everything. But we DO work at the only Christian school on the island. 5. Our church services take place in the ballroom of a hotel. I don't know if that makes us safer since they might not want to attack their own people?? 6. As far as the army is concerned: "Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja (Royal Malay Regiment) is the most senior regiment of the Malaysian Army. Its ranks are recruited from amongst the Malay population." which means yes, they are muslim. 7. One thing that I read today that worried me was the government saying they would impose a type of martial law (they had another term for it but I can't remember) if things get any more dangerous. 8. There is also a lot of "fear-mongering" happening now...people are posting hate messages on message boards about Christians. Others warning Christians to get rid of any religious symbols on their cars as cars are being vandalized. I am learning more and more as I live here. Malaysia has its regular constitution that governs the counry but then it also has sharia law to govern muslims specifically. Sometimes the two collide (like now) and trouble starts since the Malay Muslims are "bumiputra" which means they are the favored race with special privileges and what-not and they get really upset if any of the minorities step on their toes. As I sit here typing, I feel safe but I hope that is a real feeling and not naivete on my part. I know we are here because God wants us here and He will protect us...or not...but either way His will be done. I just pray that the matter would subside quickly (although it doesn't look that way).

I am in dire need of a little perspective on this. As many of you know, Malaysia is officially a Muslim country. Normally, it is pretty peaceful here. But there have been some events lately thathave me both confused and worried. There have been some things going on in court in regards to the use of the word "Allah". Apparently, the Muslims here think they should be the only ones allowed to use that word. Period. A Christian church in Kuala Lumpur printed the word "Allah" in one of their newsletters...not in a derogatory manner but as what it means..."God" ...because the newsletter had been translated into bahasa which is the Malaysian language. The Muslim community got VERY upset that a christian church typed the word Allah in a christian publication and sued them to make them never do it again. The Muslims lost in court two days ago. Things are now starting to get ugly. The next day, three Christian churches in KL were fire bombed. And the local newspapers are filled with the outcry of Muslims over the court decision. They are demanding the government do something about it and making semi-veiled threats. I have two issues: one is that I just don't get it. I don't understand how anyone can claim ownership over a word. I am a christian but I don't think non-christians should be banned from saying the word "Jesus"...although with the way some people use it, it upsets me. Second issue: how worried should I be about my family's safety right now? All of this is going on in KL which is 4 hours from me on the mainland. Everthing here on the island is just like usual...not even a blip on the radar screen. I am not used to this kind of thing so I tend to write it off as not a big deal. My friend asked me if I was still going to church on Sunday. ??? Of course, I am going to church. Am I being too cavalier about this? I am not going to live my life in fear but I also want to be smart. Here are some quotes from the local newspaper: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has been urged to make a courageous stand to ensure that only Muslims in this country are entitled to use the term Allah. In making this call, Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) president Mohd Fazil William said the premier must act as Muslims feel threatened. "Najib should be bold to take immediate action to declare Allah is for Muslims only. If there is a need to amend the Federal Constitution to do this or any other existing laws then it should be done. If there is a loophole in the existing laws then patch it up," he stressed. After the Friday prayers, hundreds gathered to vent their anger over the recent court ruling which allowed a Catholic weekly Herald to use the term Allah in its Bahasa Malaysia edition. Fazil also said Kimma members who "numbered about one million" were standing together with other Muslims to protest the court decision. Muslims must stand united Meanwhile, Selangor Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) leader Arman Azha Abu Hanifah made an impassioned plea for Muslim unity, particularly among Malays. "Because we are not united, they are challenging the dignity of Islam. So, lets stand as one and tackle this problem." Also expressing dissatisfaction with the court ruling was Abdul Rashid Mohd Fadzil, leader of Islamic proselytization group Pekida. According to him, the fundamental problem was Herald's insistence on using the term Allah. When told that Christians in Middle-Eastern and other countries have long used the word Allah to describe God, Abdul Rashid replied: "We are talking about Malaysia". Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz, chairperson of the Umno Youth media unit, was also present at the protest in his personal capacity. He too was of the view that the use of Allah is exclusively for Muslims who had been using it for years. "The church must respect this right and should not use Allah out of respect to Muslims," he said. Ikatan Rakyat Insan Muslim (IRIM) Malaysia president Amir Hamzah Allipitchay also urged the government to make a stand. "If the issue is prolonged, it would lead to unrest in the country. The country's leadership must take immediate steps to resolve it," he said. "Today, we will tell them that we have given them rights and religious freedom. But know this, do not play with Islam," a spokesperson, who did not name himself, told the crowd. Any thoughts?

I don't think I follow you.???

I felt the same way when we first arrived . I thought there was no way this country could have medical care as good as the US and I was very wrong. One family at my school has a 10 year old daughter with a rare heart condition that needed a rare procedure. They got it here and were very impressed. If Germany is as progressive as you say it is (I know nothing about it) then don't sell it short. You might be pleasantly surprised.

I have no idea what the malpractice situation is. Keep in my mind I am not saying the quality of care is necessarily better than the U.S. (in terms of medical knowledge...so far it seems about the same) but I AM impressed with the efficiency of the medical care here. It is very well-organized and stream-lined. Very little bureacracy and red-tape to deal with. That's what I mean when I say America could learn a lesson from the way they do things here.

Health care in Penang is wonderful so unless I needed some kind of operation that was extremely rare and needed some kind of rare specialist, I would have it here. There are several people on staff at my school who have battled cancer here and received excellent treatment. I got an appointment with a specialist the day after I called. Two days later I came to the hospital, received an MRI, the results to the MRI, and the outpatient procedure needed to correct the problem all in the same day. The staff was amazingly professional. The hospital and equipment were all state of the art. I received excellent, compassionate care and a specialist who actually came to the phone when I called to answer my questions. I never got that kind of care in the U.S. It would take months to get an appointment with a specialist. Weeks for an MRI appointment. At least another week for the results and even longer to set up the outpatient procedure and that is with excellent insurance. It is not universal healthcare here. It isn't about that. I have insurance. But even if I didn't I would still find it more affordable than the U.S. A few examples: On a large scale, you can get IVF treatments here for about $3000 where in the US it costs about $15,000. And the success rate is the same. On a small scale, my son complained of a tooth ache yesterday. I called the dentist to make an appointment. They said "bring him now, we'll fit him in." The office was like walking into the future. I have never seen so many high-tech gadgets in a dental office before. They examined him, took an xray, and discovered it is only his 12 yr molars coming in (thank goodness). The price of the whole thing? About $17. People in SE Asia travel to Penang for medical treatment quite frequently. So yes I would get an operation here and I would let my kids get treated here. Without a doubt.

:iagree: You just became my new favorite person. :cheers2:

Oh I get all that. I just can't stomach it. It isn't my style. I like books with strong female characters that don't let themselves get pushed around by men. I think the proposal put-down was great (probably my favorite part of the book)...Darcy was a pompus ass...so full of himself, his reputation, he couldn't possibly "lower" himself to court someone like Elizabeth because she didn't have enough money? Come from the right family? Her mother was too embarrassing? I would have told him to get stuffed too. Then he condescends to think that it might be ok to love a woman who isn't "of means" and decides to give her another chance? Is 'nice" enough to take her father fishing? Blech.

Definitely. My kids have seen Harry Potter movies and LOTR and Spongebob. But I won't let them watch teeny-bopper shows like Drake and Josh or iCarly or Hannah Montana because I don't like the heavy focus on all the boy/girl stuff. We do not have cable. My kids are not allowed on FB. My older ds does not have a cellphone. He just got an ipod for christmas but he only listens to christian music. My kids have little to no access to the internet except for sites preapproved by me. But then I let my older ds watch 24 with me last night on DVD. I am a walking paradox.

I read P&P a few months ago for the first time and only because it was free for kindle. It was only OK. I thought the "mother" character was hilarious though. Honestly, the romance aspect of it seemed very flat, boring, without passion. I really could not believe the idea that they were that attracted to each other. It all seemed so sedate and sterile. zzzzz...... And the "sister" character? Are you kidding me? She was pathetic and boring and gives women everywhere a bad name. The way she was so mistreated by the next door neighbor guy (see the book was so boring I don't even remember the names) and she just accepted it all like a total doormat and then goes back to him??? IF I had a daughter, I would use that character as an example of how NOT to act. I finished it. And they all lived boringly ever after...yada, yada, yada... I only stuck it out because Austen does have a way with words, just not a way with writing an interesting book. YMMV

It's interesting that you mention this. I just had an amazing conversation with some Indonesians over the New Year's holiday. The general sentiment pre-tsunami was to dislike/distrust americans. But when the tsunami hit, the american military were the first to show up to help (according to what happened in his town). His town of 100,000 people lost 60,000. He lost his wife and all 3 children. I can't even imagine the devastation. But he said that the americans were there and helping right away helping with food and shelter and medical care. He said that people in Indonesia have a new respect for America now. Here in Malaysia they seem to like us pretty well but that is mostly because we spend a lot of money! Malaysia has government programs encouraging expats to move here because we support their economy. To be honest we get a lot of special treatment. Especially when it comes to renting a condo/apartment/house...the ads actually say "renting to american expats only". We can get car loans and mortgages here easier than locals too. And the police often set up roadblocks to stop and check vehicles for their "roadtax" which is the same thing as your license plate tab renewal. If they see you are american then they just wave you through without checking. When I asked about this I was told that Americans are seen as: 1. having lots of money 2. being more responsible (as in more likely to make payments on time, not let their roadtax expire, etc.) 3. more likely to follow laws/rules/regulations They tend to emulate us in a lot of ways and you will often see something advertised as being "just like in America"...like restaurants, hotels, store products, etc. and it automatically makes that place more popular. It's funny though because I think that some of the things they do here that is different than us is better (like healthcare) but they think American-style anything = better.

My dentist said this about my oldest ds too (his teeth are coming in yellow). When he has all his adult teeth (about 6 months from now) we will have them bleached.

For me it is a matter of real-life vs. fantasy. I don't let my kids watch "real-life" violence like movies with serial murders and what-not. But "fantasy" violence a la Lord of the Rings or Star Wars is OK (but that, too, depends on the level of gore). I don't allow them to watch movies with sex in them for a couple reasons: 1. It is real-life not fantasy and I think that sex is something that should stay behind the closed doors of a marriage relationship...not on the big screen for all to see. It cheapens the gift of sex that comes from God. 2. I do not want them to think that the sex they see on TV or in movies is the way things should be (i.e. casual, no consequences, no love necessary, outside of marriage, etc.). I doubt they will ever think "killing Orcs" or "battling Darth Vader with a light saber" is in the realm of possibility for their real lives. But seeing women as sex objects, engaging in reckless, casual sex, etc.....that's a real possibility so I want them to learn about sex the way God intended it. As far as bad language is concerned, I do not like when anyone uses God's name in vain so that can get a movie turned off. If there are a few swear words here and there, I can live with it. But if the actors are dropping F-bombs left and right, chances are it isn't a good movie anyways. No writers worth their salt are going to cheapen the dialogue of the characters by using gratuitous swear words.

It really depends. We are not anti-war or anti-gun either (ds has many sharpshooting awards) so SOME games are OK. It depends on the level of violence...is there blood flying everywhere? Is it gory? Is there bad language? Scantily-clad females? etc. That pretty much limits our choices these days. Ds was playing some Medal of Honor games someone loaned him and they DO affect him...he becomes rather aggressive after playing them so we limit that kind of stuff. Luckily he is not all that into videogames...he'd rather play strategy-type board games like Warhammer 40,000.

That is what I would like to see...traditional algorithms WITH deeper mathematical understanding. So perhaps it is less about the textbook and more about the teacher's knowledge/ability? I admit that I am an algorithm girl...it is how I learned. I was never taught to "understand" math...just follow the algorithm. I want my students to have both. I am thinking about using Liping Ma's book as PD for my teachers but I am a little nervous since my background is in languages.

I agree that people always say that when you move. Imagine the comments we got when we left America for Malaysia! Why would you want to move THERE? :D