Open House

7th October, me and the Sabah gang set up our "Orang Puteh Corner" (White People Corner) and helped to fundraise in the annual Open House event in Kinarut. Despite the half 5 start, it turned out to be a very pleasant day. We were selling homemade flapjacks that we had all made the day before, and were selling fresh pancakes with a variety of toppings. In retrospect, buying 20 lemons was a bit of an over- estimate as we only used one and a half, but other than that our margins were good and our products were being snatched up. The last 3 years of watching the Apprentice finally came into it's own- as front of house salesman and pancake toppings man, my salesmanship charm and desire for a quality product steered me well clear of the board room. With killer lines such as "this is very popular in the UK" and "sadap! sadap!" (delicious), we were never going to fail. After a long, hard day of grafting and other business jargon words to indicate effort, we managed to sell out of everything, making about 750RM from 130RM. Margins margins margins! A satisfying effort, and the ultimate reward was to go up to the jumble sale to find some outstanding local garments which cost me less than a pound. Happy days all round! Finishing the day with a Doctor Who session and some air con was possibly the finest way to end an otherwise tiring but rewarding day.

Bonnie Tyler- Total Eclipse of the Heart

We are just over a month in now, and I feel truly settled in now. Life is good and there are plenty of things for me to look forward to in the coming months, including camping on the beach, white water rafting, travelling to Vietnam and Cambodia, Christmas on the beach and climbing Mount Kinabalu. So many more blog entries to come, don't worry about that.

The rest of September- less scenery, more outrageous posing.

Hugo and Melvin bossing it. 

Not sure this needs a caption.

Hugo trying to match the sublime modelling of the fine Asian gentleman in the background, but  until he gets the "thumb in pocket" look going he'll never quite be on the same level.

Completely destroying Hugo's lesson but at least I didn't swear in front of the kids..

Enjoying an outside film night with my two main men, Rex and Hugo.

Having an emotional moment out at sea in the Rasa Ria Resort.

For all of you doubting Thomas', I am actually teaching out here.

All the lads!

Cooking the evening meal, we're all having a laff. 

All the lads having a ball in our camp site. Casual machete pose.

River banter- Not the most clean river I've swam in I have to admit. There was a point where I was fighting desperately against the current and thought I was going to get swept away, never to be seen again. Then I realised I could stand up. Problem solved and near death experience swiftly avoided.

Riverside banter.

Fun!

Gap yah banter.

First blogston

Hello John on Tour fans across the world, you'll be pleased to know that the John drought is over, and my blogging shall commence. The first two weeks have been spent settling into my new humble abode, but unfortunately the staff at the hostel are insistent that we are to set an example for the boys by keeping our rooms and belongings very tidy, so it will never truly feel like home... Alas, the hostel is great. There are 57 boys staying in the hostel, and I take a class twice or 3 times a day. Those who attended fundraising events and donated their hard earned money will be pleased to know they weren't just paying for my gap yah holiday, this teaching malarky is hard work! The boys have got exams coming up so I've got a lot to do with them, but then I've got a nice long Christmas break where I'll hopefully be travelling around Sabah seeing all there is to see, and then spending Christmas on some remote island watching the sunset surrounded by cute little turtles. That's the dream anyway..
As you can see in the pictures, my surroundings are just stunning. Basically all of those pictures were taken in the hostel or 5 minutes away, so with scenery like that it's hard to get bored. The jungle football pitch will soon be hosting John on Tour's first football academy, a fitting arena for what will surely be the best academy   Asia has ever seen. Another project I'm working on is setting up a library. My plan is to get nothing but Roald Dahl classics. Whether the boys understand it or not I''ll be loving life! You can also see from my pictures that yes, I am happy (a picture I'd like to dedicate to Matthew James Dunne), and I can't see myself being anything else but for the foreseeable future. Thanks for reading! Signing off, Jom.

Malaysia snaps

A picture taken in Seremban on the main Pennisular. Dedicated to Matthew Dunne.

Sunset Gangnam Style.

Just beyond the football pitch, a tranquil haven, full of beauty and wonder, with a giant buffalo dump taking centre stage.

The real Theatre of Dreams. 

The death trap I have to walk across everyday to get to the football pitch. It was funny the first time but the novelty has worn off..

Fishing lads! Great day, caught nothing.

I'm definitely in my zone