Am feeling rather extravagant. We now have two places to call home.

The photos show the block of apartments in Sabah where we are renting; the view from one end of the block; and the pond at the other end.

Ramly assures me the pond has kingfishers although I swear he’s imagining things. It does have a metre long water monitor, though, that does high dives into the water from the bank every time we approach.

And the bird life in the huge compound (takes two or three minutes to walk to the front gate!) is magnificent – our balcony looks out over some fruiting ficus, for a start, and the Pink-necked Green Pigeons rummage around inside them like kids at a lucky dip, groaning and muttering and moaning under the mistaken impression they are producing birdsong.

For quite a few days after we arrived, I could have sworn that Mt Kinabalu was imaginary too, but it finally popped its crown out from under the clouds and – if you look closely at the third photo! – you will see its summit.

And finally I am online again. It took days to get a bright orange telephone installed (even though there was already a line) and when they did not give us a choice as to colour I didn’t say a word.