BISMILLAHIRRAHMAN-NIR-RAHIM ......

First of all thanks to my hubby who has created this blog site for me. I have been meaning to do it myself for a while but as usual, when it comes to internet matter, it is not my forte.

So welcome to me. What do one write for the his/her first blog? I am not really sure. Few topics came across my mind and I have decided that I will try to write about those in time. For today I would like to share my insights about Gamba particularly Yenzi Camp, where we are currently residing.

It is a small residential housing area with about 100 houses (??? or so, I don't really know, I am guessing). This housing area was built for the company staff and their family. The houses design and layout are similar to those in Miri Camp.

When we first came here for a preview visit way back in April last year, I couldn't really gauge the feel of camp life as we came during school holiday time (Easter) so most of the residents where flying out for their holidays. At the time, I had no specific impression on the camp except that the houses were decent considering this is a country in Africa. The town is called Gamba and it is similar to Bekenu. Now I just say to folks back home that Gamba is the same in size with shops like those I have seen in Engkelili, my late father's hometown. There is only one airport, one supermarket (½ the size of Kenyalang in Miri) plus few more wooden shops in town.

Come mid September last year, the family moved to Gamba to follow my husband's work posting here. So for the last few months, we have been experiencing the expat life staying in a remote foreign place like Gamba. Definitely it is no place like those of the more glamorous postings like Manila, Dubai, Holland, Norway etcs. Life here is still very simple, exciting (come elephant season), humbling (when you see how the locals live) and to a certain extent, sometime difficult.

Difficult is to find food that you are used to back home. Coming from beloved Malaysia, I am sure this is the common problem all Malaysians faced when they moved overseas. The richness in taste and variety of our food coupled with the passion we have for eating, we often carry that wherever we go. So yes, good food is difficult to get here, no decent takeaway shop and not much halal food option available. Fresh fruits, meat and fish are hard to come by.

But there are definitely things to LOVE about Gamba and Yenzi Camp. I don't know where to start because there is plenty. School for my children is only a stonethrow away (no joke, I can throw a stone to the school compound from my house, I think). I can see the school from my house patio and my kitchen sink view is children cycling to school every morning. The office is about 7 minutes by car and hubby cycles to work everday, weather permits. The school is excellent with good teachers and interesting teaching methodology.

The school follows the British syllabus so my children has to brush up on their English, whether they like it or not. The school has excellent after school activities (we called it co-curriculum back home). Now where we have Scouts, Girl Guides, Red Crescent society but guess what the children here are doing after school? They are learning skating ( a.k.a rollerblading), water-skiing (I know, I know, I myself is envious at Hasanah who is doing this), line dancing (not just poco poco), nature club with experts from WWF (with real bird watching, fishing in the pond) and many others that can't be mentioned for fear of invoking more jealousy out there :P

These incredible activities are possible due to the talented and very supportive parents we have in Yenzi camp. They have allocated their time one day every week to teach the children these new skills. Merci beaucoup!!! I should also mention that swimming is an official subject at the school. Now what is there not to love about going to school with this much exciting stuff happening??

For me, I am thankful for these opportunities for my children to be exposed to new things and making friends with different language, nationalities and religion.

One more thing that the family is enjoying tremendously here, is the freedom to cycle anywhere we want in the camp. I think I forgot how liberating it was to feel when you are cycling with the wind in your face. I cycle to send Wajdi to school and yes, a 3-year old like him also cycles to go to his kindergarten. So cute with his blue bike and helmet! Now this would not be possible back in Miri with the dangerous traffic. My bike (my beloved Gazelle bike) is attached to a 2-seater child carrier at the back (my kids called it the taxi). So I can bring my little Shukri and Wajdi even when I am cycling. I love it and am so glad that we managed to get it just in time before we left for Gabon.

The girls cycle to school, to swim class and to their after school activities. Aliyah even perfected her cycling skill here as she was still on training wheels when we first came and graduated to two wheel within the first month (out of necessity as she was determined to cycle to the pool like the rest of her classmates). Everything in camp i.e. school, the kindy, the club, your friend's house is all within 2 to 3 minutes of cycling time. Heaven! Hope I can slim down a bit with all this cycling ehem ehem.....

Our house is a single storey with 3 bedrooms and a patio. There are no gates and the house compound is huge. While I am typing, I took a peek outside and can see our flower garden beginning to take shape. I didn't realise how much I love having a huge compound. We had a tiny patch of land at the back of our Miri house, just enough for a cherry tree and a swing but not much left for a flower garden.

This a long first posting but I didn't know how to condense it any shorter. There is beauty in living here. To be able to enjoy the simple things in life like cycling, great school and the convenience of having everything nearby is something be thankful about, syukur alhamdulillah. We have also made some great friends. I am hoping when it is time to go, that we will be able to find a similar charming housing area like this in Malaysia. I shall have faith.

Till next time, insya-ALLAH