Local language you already know
mostly phonetic spelling
10% seem to speak bit of English (cos near to Singapore
MANDARIN
mayo gu-an-je= no problem Chao Fan- fried rice, myan- noodles
Numbers 1- yi 2- R
- Chinese_phrasebook
Ni-ho-ma - Hello shia shia - Thanks - Ching Wen - Excuse me Dao bui chi - sorry Good Morn/afternoon - What is your name?
-
Wasa Stewart - My name is Stew Yes - Day (actually you are saying Have ..as word yes doesnt exist) No -
examples :
INDONESIAN
Carry, Jodoh = minibus (they don't say oplet)'
teh - tea
air puteh - drinking water
Numbers same as Malay
half = s'tengah' duta - million
quarto - room
M'arf' = excuse me let me pass
- GOOGLE Translate Indonesian
Malay - c=h
cekup Melayu
Terima Kasih = thankyou
bumiputra
Top Links
- main newsblog : Use Twitter but beware gossip exagerration
Good Weather page
| Safety
- FCO Warnings for Indo
Batam :
Seems a bit like Africa, most people OK but neeed to be wary of crazy knife robbers
| * Accommodation not in guidebook
- check the WWOOF places
Also worth checking http://www.hostelworld.com
or http://www.hostelz.com
| Rationalist Connections
- nothing just Web meetup
Some of These in Singapore
- rationalist : none
- Science - Cafe Scientifique not found
- skeptic - NOTHING
- freethinkers - NOTHING
- secularist -
- Humanist - NOTHING
- brights - NOTHING
| Other Sources of Info
: Libraries, newspapers etc
English libraries
- in a corner of the big public libraries ..6th floor opposite RTM building in Satok, also South City Hall,
nr Hockey Stadium, Jn Putatan
- Sarawak Tribune, Borneo Post
table> Mo |
Tu | Wed | Thu | Fri
| 5 | Sat
| Sun | 7 |
| | | | | | | | |
HOT LINKS : Some useful stuff
TOURISM
-
Pariwisata Kota Batam not often updated
-
unofficial FB page
Test on web and FB: Expat, English
http://www.expat.or.id/info/batam.html maybe not upto date
same http://www.smilinghillbatam.com/newsletter.html
DIRECTORIES - main newsblog
Couch Surfing Forums (sometimes hidden on FB) - Complainers are moving to
bewelcome.org only 1 member or forums are active
- Batam CS page
- South East Asia Forum
Batam event button mostly Singapore
- Around 2010 a redesign screwed up the CS website, so check, but no FB Group Couch
Surfing - Hitchwiki Nothing found or
from couchwiki.org Nothing found
- wikitravel
- wikivoyage
KK extensive info..
Labuan -
LP Sabah ..
KK ..
Sabah LP Forum thorntree thorntree Forum
| EVENTS
*
Best FB Batam Events page
*
workaround :Batam Events page
These also but shows mostly Singapore events
* Facebook local events, problem is FB often resets to wrong location workaround by finding city page
explore .....
nearby
* BatamEvent.org nothing much
CLUBS
FB page of Gabfest
English Conversation club ..meets at Alun Alun Park 4pm on saturdays
Sundays - They do volunteer English classes at 1pm
- Water Ski Park S$25/hrLadies day Wednesday ..Waterfront city
* Check Newspapers : Batam Today
Another whole Borneo list bombasticborneo.com
checked not much
FB page of Friends of Sarawak Museum good talks
FB page of Kuching Branch of Malaysia Nature Society good talks
Sarawaktourism.com list festivals
Sarawaktourism FB page covers events
No Sarawak Society found
- see
meetup.com
| Events Calendar
Regular events
- Friday/Saturday nights : NIGHT MARKET Civic Centre park (called Satok Uptown after old location)
Annual Events
Best list
?? Where are the interesting events ?? I can't find much by searching in English .
|
Clubs Want to practice English ? check groups for
Cultural and languages exchange meeting ( CLEM ) checked on Google and FB NONE active
but there is always similar on - Babel's meetups are NOT language lessons, we just meet,
talk and have fun together while making new friends. - no group find
| - Expat Forums
-
alloexpat.com Sabah/Sarawak not very active
Not checked ones below
-
forum.expatsinkk.com an expat forum but little used
- Anglo info nothing found
- expatexchange.com nothing
-
britishexpats.com nothing found for Sabah
- expatfocus.com not active
Too many Asia TA & VT to keep track -
TA Madeira_Islands loads of posts
TA Madeira Forum the busiest forum
-
TA Funchal travel guide is hidden away (not on the main Funchal page)
Useful cos already answers most of peoples questions that they post in the forum...can't edit from
Internet Explorer
TA FUNCHAL Forum - VT Madeira island
..some under province also
VT Madeira island Forum quite active
-
VT Funchal Guide
VT Funchal Forum on VT (renamed TRAVEL ANSWERS)
| JOBS
Hi, English guy hanging out , looking for live-in job. Engineer & internet expert, but with wide variety of
experience from farmwork to festivals, taught English in 7 countries.Super flexible Not afraid of work or
dirt, ..but not all artistic... and I don't work for mafia.
- justlanded.com not much
some beware only top of page is jobs rest is ads and most are people looking for work-
employment Agencies list not found
Gov employment Offices ??
|
Volunteer Jobs checked
-
workaway
- WWOOF.org is an alternative to staying at a hostel You pay by
working half the day on the organic farm.
- From
Helpx.net
VOLUNTEER check vfp.org- but
UK site has
better search to filter out younger age projects
| Kuching City
The Sarawak Tourism Board’s MOved away from Old Courthouse to UTC open late but further away go up to the Hills shopping Mall and down the other side
Some guide sites
- One page
mysabah had a great list of destinations I cant find it
- Sabahguide.com 60 things in KK
- second hand shop - don't know
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