Kuala Lumpur - Moving soon.

[Silibilimili]

Is there anyone in KL that can help me with the following questions. I am moving there in November this year with DH, and 2 DCs. DD1 is 4 and DD2 is 1.

What are the better areas to live there?
What schools are good?
What is public transport like if we decide not to buy a car?
How do I get hold of a nanny or home help?
What should I pack from here? (We currently own our property in the UK. We plan to be in KL for between 3-5 years. We have an option to take our furniture but I would rather not if it means more hassle. Anyone with any experience?

I posted on MN before but I think I posted in the wrong section so did not get a response. Hoping someone can help me.

[Thumbwitch]

You need to check which category of shoesizes are used in KL as well - do they use American or UK size? Just checked a website and men's sizes are completely different as well, just to confuse www.dancesport.uk.com/shoes/conchart.htm if anyone's bothered. :)

[ripsishere]

Thanks for that, I'll abort my Costco mission. I will go to Clarke's and see what's left, go to a bra shop and stock up and hit Evans. Good to know you can get shoes made. I had a couple of pairs done in Bangkok.
It is a bit daunting this time round TBH. Especially as my passport is in for renewal and shows no sign of coming back. Must get onto that today too.

[MarjorieAntrobus]

Good point Thumbwitch. Some shops have American sizing, some UK and some European.

It's a great place to shops for shoes if you have tiny feet!

[MarjorieAntrobus]

Rips, put swimming costumes on your list too. They are hard to find in bigger sizes.

[ripsishere]

Jolly good, keep the ideas coming. I've got around 5 weeks till we leave. So much to do, so little time.

[Thumbwitch]

What about pharmaceuticals? I know I have some troubles in Australia getting hold of some things, and some things are just viciously expensive here so I stock up in the UK - what's KL like for those?

[MarjorieAntrobus]

OK I think, though in two years I haven't had to buy much beyond paracetamol, and haven't been to the doctor at all. I am not the right one to ask!

[MarjorieAntrobus]

Rips, buy some good mosquito repellant, like Jungle Formula. (You can't get the kind that contains DEET (whatever that is) in KL). And you will need it. :o It is one of the few things we get visitors to bring out to us. We have too much of the stuff now!

My DC also ask visitors to bring Cadbury chocolate because, although you can buy it here it seems to be made in a different way, probably to withstand the climate better. Anyway, the DC claim it is not the same and that only UK Cadbury's will do!

Good luck with your passport btw.

[Silibilimili]

I'm still waiting for my move to be finalised.

[MarjorieAntrobus]

OP, is it still likely to be November as you said at the start?

[Thumbwitch]

Marjorie, Cadbury's is indeed made in a different way because of the climate, same in Australia - it has to be.
We get G&B chocolate here in Australia but that isn't made locally and you can tell - in the summer it frequently has cocoa bloom or tastes a bit funny, and I know it's because it's got too hot.

Just asking re. the pharma stuff because one cannot buy antihistamine cream (for insect bites etc.) in Australia. It isn't banned as such, you just can't buy it here. I also bring home a supply of Sure dry-stick deodorant, because Rexel (Sure in Australia) don't do the dry sticks here (no market, apparently) and the only dry stick I can get only works for half a day - useless in the summer! So things people might be used to being able to get may not be available in forrin parts.

[ripsishere]

I am astonished at the DEET. I used gallons of it in Thailand where malaria and dengue are a proper problem.
Looks like I'm going to be hitting Debenhams and M+S and Evans and boots.

[Silibilimili]

margorie, yes, there is a lot of approvals to be had before I can move. Governments don't move fast. I've been told visas take approx 4 weeks for entire family. I am due back to work from mat. Leave in nov/dec so i am hoping this will all go through by then. Till then, all this uncertainty. I have a baby and a preschooler. Not even sure on where to begin clearing out house for the move as we have so much stuff.

[ripsishere]

Final trivial question (for this week). This one is about teeth. DD has dreadfully wonky teeth and is seeing a dentist next week. I assume she'll be referred to an orthodontist of braces and extractions.
Should we bother with that or is dentistry similiar to Bangkok? good dentists at cheap prices? Not sure whether it's worth starting the treatment only for her to not be able to finish it in KL?

[MarjorieAntrobus]

I don't have much of an answer to that one! I haven't used a dentist in KL nor have the DC. We see our old UK dentist each summer - I have kept the Denplan payments up and I just get done what needs doing in the UK once a year. Obviously if I had an emergency then I would use a dentist in KL.

Friends have though, and speak highly of the dentists they have seen and, yes, cheaper than in the UK. Good facilities and short waits for appointments. No idea about orthodontics, but I have seen expat kids with braces so that must be available too.

Maybe somebody else will have direct experience? I am not in KL right now - am in the UK for the summer - so I cannot ask around.

Keep on asking the questions though!

[Silibilimili]

One of my concerns about Malaysia/moving family is jabs. My dc will need his final mmr vaccine. How does one manage this being an expat?

[LoopyLoopsHasAnAdventure]

Out littlest had her first MMR in UK just before we came, will be having 2nd here, is apparently easily available.

[Silibilimili]

Great! Thanks for that info. loopy. X

[ripsishere]

OK, here's today's daft and trivial question. What plugs do electrical things have on them and is the electric voltage the same as England? In Oman it was three pin brit plugs, once we left there, Thailand had a mixture of two and three. Fun days in Switzerland whose plugs didn't match any of ours and Belgium different again.

[Thumbwitch]

looks like they're the same as in the UK, Rips

[MarjorieAntrobus]

Yes, they are! Same plugs, same voltage. All your UK appliances will work just the same.

[ripsishere]

SMASHING. Shame I already got rid of a load of electrical things yesterday.

[Thumbwitch]

Awww, rips!

I brought all of mine (except large white goods) with me to Australia, including multi-socket extension cables - have changed plugs on a few things and put the rest into the extension leads. All bar the toaster are still going strong :)

[ripsishere]

TBH, we don't have a huge shipping allowance and since most of our stuff just arrived back from Belgium, it seems daft to try to ship it again.
DH was told not to bring anything like that with him

[MarjorieAntrobus]

There is an IKEA in KL, Rips so you will be able to get a lot of essential stuff, electrical and anything else, when you get to KL. And they deliver and assemble for a tiny charge. And the prices seem to be lower than UK IKEA prices.