Exodus..

To new home via old homeland...

We traipsed to UK via Malaysia. It would be the last time that I would set foot on Malaysian soil for the longest time. Still haven't been back yet. We left on the last day of the year in 2004. I wanted to feel the sense of dread and sadness for leaving our marital home, the home that we had started our family in but I could not find any. I needed to think that there was a future out there for NJ. I was going to do my Masters as well while we were in the UK( Hurray! time to WD40 my brains). Whatever that lay in store for us in UK could not be worse that what we had in our home country. I had visions and high hopes after spending hundreds of hours online ( instead of ironing ) looking at what's in store for NJ. My family ( Aunt and cousins) in UK were so helpful. Got the pathway for NJ setup, school looked at etc. Both boys needed schooling and I had to go to school as well.
Mum came the day after we arrived. She was to stay for 3 months to help me out. We were all thrown into the deep end, with the weather ( which was the killer!), the culture ( kids going to bed at 7pm) and colloquial terms that befuddled me - dinner at lunch time and tea at dinner time?!?
NJ got into a special school that was focused in getting him acquainted to the English language in every form and nj got into a Catholic Primary School. I remember how NJ used to behave when we could not communicate with him. He had tantrums, did silly things etc.
First, they taught him Makaton. He came back with pictures and simple stick diagram books. He was by now, 5 years old and had no language whatsoever. He had lots to learn and catch up and I had lots to do, learn and catch up. This was the good stuff. This was the light at the end of the tunnel.