Where am I?

Nearly every day, I find myself asking myself a question. Well, I find myself asking lots of questions. For instance, one of last week's questions was "Did you really think that the glass closet door wouldn't break when you threw a golf ball at it??"

But that's a different story.

I see or hear something almost daily that makes me wonder where in the world I am.

Recently, it was the song "Cotton Fields" playing in the grocery store. Sure, we hear all if the recent popular songs, but that one is sort of our of left field (and the sixties). When I was in Indonesia 18 years ago, a Filipino cover band was singing it in a restaurant, and it took me a moment to figure it out. They didn't speak English, so the were mostly just approximating the lyrics. Once they noticed me singing along, they tried to pass me a microphone. Didn't happen. Definitely a "where am I?" Moment - both times with a very random song.

Then, there's the variety of cultures here in Singapore that make me stop and think about where in the world I am.  For instance, I see this place when I take the bus to the grocery store:

Madeleine's Original Portuguese Egg Tarts.  Right under the Buddhist Center. 

Now, given the crazy mix of nationalities here, it's not especially odd to see something Portuguese or food from anywhere else for that matter.  We have an American barbecue restaurant (that tries too hard and isn't very good), Brazilian steakhouses, Ethiopian restaurants, and everything in between.  In fact, we celebrated Mexican Independence Day by eating some decent Mexican food; if I closed my eyes, I could imagine I was at the Orizaba Holiday Inn again (and that's not a bad thing.  At all!). 

Most days, we have nearly all of the comforts of home, and it's easy to forget where we are.  And then, there are times when our shopping list has mundane items that send us on a scavenger hunt all over the island.  This week, it was Ivory soap and cumin. The Ivory soap was found in the third grocery store we looked in, but the search is still on for cumin.  I'm sure it's here; I just haven't been in the right place yet....
It's always an adventure, and it's never dull.  At least we have Madeleine's egg tarts to keep us going.

Getting Over It

Soup.  I love soup!  It's a comfort food.  It's warm goodness in a bowl.  It isn't fancy or pretentious.  But soup is not an everyday food.  Soup is a cold weather food.  Normally, in Mid September, I'd make sure the pantry was stocked with everything necessary to make taco soup and chili.  Then, on the first day I could see my breath, I'd plan to make a batch.  (I'd also email my sister and announce that I'd seen my breath.  I used to mark it on my calendar.  It's one of my favorite days of the year; it signals sweaters and snow and holidays and fires and all sorts of greatness.)

I couldn't eat soup last fall.  It was too hot, too sticky (Singapore. Not soup).   I hoped that I would get over it if we were here long enough, but I had my doubts.  Surprisingly, it didn't take as long as I thought it might.  I think it was after Christmas last year that I finally decided that I could eat - and even cook- soup. 

Last week, B3 and I shared a miserable cold.   So, the weekend found me in the kitchen cooking up a pot of taco soup and a lot of chicken and dumplings.  I think I was subliminally channeling a Fall that will not arrive. There will be no nip in the air;  I won't see my breath.  The sweaters and boots and jackets are all packed away in hopes of a trip to somewhere wonderful, but we won't need them in Singapore.  Even our Halloween plans must be calculated.  No costume that covers more than Summer play clothes is practical. 

But I can eat - and enjoy - soup!  I'm over the "It's a cold weather food" thing.  I've gotten over some other things, too.  Like:

• The price of Dr. Pepper
• White sandals and sundresses after Labor Day
• The fact that my daughter prefers to wear the same outfit every time we go anywhere.  So all of our photos look like they were taken on the same day.
• People taking pictures of my kids
• The smell of taxis
• Pushy old women on the train
• Geckos in my house
• No power outlets in the bathroom (another post for another day.  I could go on and on about the bathroom.  And I probably will sometime).
• Not having our meals arrive anywhere near the same time at a restaurant
• Not having a car
• Cute shoes. Don't get me wrong; I still appreciate cute shoes.  But if I can't walk a kilometer in them, they're not going on my feet. 

Somethings, I simply NOT get accustomed to.

• Jeans and scarves.  It's the Tropics, people!  Fashion trends are irrelevant if you have a heat stroke.
• Shoes 2 sizes too small.  I declare - most women have their toes dripping off the front and their heels hanging off the back.  It simply can't be comfortable.
• Pushy old women on the train (yeah, it's on both lists.  I've learned to stand my ground, but it still annoys me).
• Having no Air Con in the kitchen.  Whew. It's hot in there when we're cooking! 
• Turkey bacon/chicken ham.  They should name it something different. Bacon=Pig.   Ask Ben; A Baconator isn't a Baconator if the bacon isn't from a pig.
• The grocery store.

Even after a year, the grocery store is still a place of amusement.   I never fail to find something that makes me laugh.  For instance, Octopus. Right there next to the good ole Tomato Soup.

Even when I'm stuck in my routines of buying most of the same things I'd be buying on the other side of the globe, I can't avoid the not so subtle reminders that I'm Over Here.

I can't help but wonder...does my favorite Charlotte Harris Teeter stock Octopus in Garlic Sauce?  And if they do, is it by the tomato soup?

367 Days

As of yesterday, we've been in Singapore for a year. A leap year, so that's 366 days.  Today marks our 367th day in Singapore, and I can confidently say we've learned a lot in the past year. 

Today, we started our First Day of Our Second Year celebration by riding bikes to lunch.  This is a Big Deal in our house; AK had learned to ride her bike in May, but she hadn't ridden since then.  So, I was determined that before school started, she'd master starting and stopping (those are sort of crucial details, right?) herself so she could ride further than around our practice loop.  Last week, we rode along the river trail one morning.  She did well, but I was constantly having to give her a steady push to get her started once she stopped. Which, incidentally, was every time she saw a pebble or a stick or a bird or a crack in the pavement; she had zero confidence in her abilities.  Little by little, she gained a little speed and distance, and she ran over one good natured jogger and a group of  3 not so good natured women.  Later, on our way back, she left me far behind and actually figured out how to ride without stopping.  When I caught up with her, she jumped up and down and grinned, obviously thrilled with her performance.
    "I saw those ladies again, Mama.  Those ones I ran over?  I didn't hit them this time!"  Fabulous.  She was getting a little confidence.  I didn't have the heart to tell her that those women were quick learners; they saw her coming and cleared a (wide) path for her.

Today was different. She no longer needs any help to get started, and I've given up keeping up with her.  I just find her sitting on a bench, waiting on us to catch up. Our destination was the neighborhood food center, which is only about a mile away.  They were looking forward to some fresh fruit juice.  By fresh, I mean the juice lady takes some fruit and mashes it directly into your cup. Today, they chose strawberry.  Oh my. Delicious! 

We finished out our day by having dinner and groceries delivered. Delivery is one of my favorite perks of Singapore life.  This time last year, we could barely carry enough groceries home from the store (walking about a mile each way) to get us through the next day. Oh, how things change!  Tonight, apples, peanut butter, flour, oil, juice, rice milk, Diet Coke, and a variety of other necessities arrived on our doorstep. 

In the past year, we've learned to deal with the heat. We still prefer snow to sunshine, but we're managing.  We've settled into our car-less life, but a year ago we were anxious to get a car of our own.  Now, buses and trains and taxis get us where we want to go.  It's not always convenient, but it works.  The sticker shock that made me break into hives last August is long gone; if we want it, we buy it. Sometimes.  Old habits die hard, after all. Those $8 USD Cheerios don't even make me flinch anymore, but some of our eating habits have changed a little. 

Last August, I wondered what we needed to do to make AK and B3 feel comfortable here in Singapore.  I didn't want to feel like we were just biding our time here until the next US bound flight.  I knew we needed to be all here or it wouldn't work, but I didn't know how to do that.  It's not been easy; we've all had our moments.  AK still says her favorite thing about living here is being able to swim year round, and I'm still trying to figure out how to keep our home from looking like a rented beach house.  There are always towels draped over dining table chairs drying, swimsuits hanging behind every door, and pool toys piled in the entry way.

We enjoyed a month in the US this summer, and I wondered what it would feel like for B3 and AK to come back.  I got my answer before we even cleared immigration.  As soon as the wheels touched down, AK sighed one of those contented, tired, but happy sighs.  "Home sweet home Singapore!", she said.   As we exited, B3 told every single flight attendant, "I'm going to my house!" or "My Daddy is picking me up and will play cars with me!" or my favorite, "My Daddy is in Singapore and he has a taxi!" 

Clearly, at least for now, Singapore is home.  Who knows how much longer it will last, but for now, we'll look for new ways to make Year Two as good as the first!

Picture Time

For the past 10 months, our kids have had their picture made hundreds of times.  You've seen some evidence of these photos here. Some of those photos, however, none of us will ever see.  The reason??  Because complete strangers have taken an astounding number of snapshots of our kids.  Nearly every time we're out in a crowd - at the zoo, Disney, the park,  - someone is going to sneak a photo of one or both of them.  At first, it was shocking.  Now, it's just annoying.  I enjoy blocking their shots whenever I can. I wonder how many folks have shots of my derriere instead of the cute Caucasian kid?

Yesterday, AK had a school holiday to observe Vesak Day.  Some of our normal schedule was still in place, so we had a morning speech therapy appointment.  We met Daddy for a quick lunch and then headed over to Merlion Park to catch a river cruise.  As we walked across the river, There were three women walking towards us.  One of them started to squeal and point.  Another clapped.  The third fished for her camera.   It was the typical reaction to "cute".  I looked around, halfway expecting to see cuddly Yellow Lab Puppies, a  baby bear cub, or even maybe Justin Beiber.  The only things I saw were my children.

My children??  Certainly the women weren't reacting that way to my kids.  But, oh, they were.  One immediately asked if they could have a picture with AK and B3.  They've been photographed lots, but it was the first time anyone had been kind enough to ask first.  It was also the first time anyone wanted to be in the picture with them. To say I was amused would be an understatement.

How could I say no?  They were polite, and they actually asked.  Immediately, one picked up B3 and started to squeeze him.  Another hugged AK while the third shoo'ed someone off of a bench (!) so the five of them could sit. 

And the cameras came out.  All three of them.  Of course, I made them sit just a moment longer while I snapped one with my phone. 

It's obvious that AK enjoyed the attention; 6 year old girls like to be called "adorable" and squealed over.  Apparently, the same does not apply to 3 year old boys.

A Singapore Christmas

If it weren't for the temperature and humidity, this December would feel like any other. The malls have been decked out in Christmas finery, Christmas music is playing in every store, and B3 squeals, "Santa!" every time he spots him in an ad, on a store counter, or even in person.  Indeed, it's been looking a lot like Christmas around here for quite a while!

We brought a small Christmas tree with us since we didn't know what we'd find when we got here, and it was a thrill for B3 and AK to decorate it Thanksgiving weekend.  We paid S$20 a strand for lights; they would have cost even more had we waited to find the LED kind.  It's decorated with some ornaments from home and lots of homemade ones from AK's last few school years.  She seems to remember a story about each one, so it's a trip down memory lane for her every time she pulls one out of the box.  There are her fingerprint angels from the year she turned 2, snowflakes made of beads during a Colorado ski trip, and the glitter bell from last year's class.

Singapore's main shopping street, Orchard Road, gets a fancy light display every year.  It's a big deal; the president switches on the lights during a festive celebration.  Each year, the lights are different.  This year, Ben says it looks like a Dr. Seuss Christmas.

The malls are decorated, too. 

Sometimes, it's easy to forget where we are; by looking at the stores, we could be in any American mall.  Although, I wonder who's wearing the wool sweaters and boots from the Gap around here.

AK and I celebrated the Season with a trip to see The Nutcracker last weekend, too.  It was our first visit to the Esplanade theaters, which are architecturally unique buildings on the Singapore River.  Our seats stunk, but we managed to fix that during intermission, and the show was terrific.  The story was a bit different, but it was similar enough that we didn't get lost.  She loved every minute of it!

Then, this week, AK performed in her school's Winter concert.  It was an experience to hear them sing, "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow" as we sweated and fanned and searched for cool water, but she was thrilled to be on stage with her friends. Santa showed up, too, and he even spoke to B3 on his way to the stage.  B3 was starstruck!

Here's a video of her performance; bonus points if you can find her!

In addition to the Concert, her school had a little event last weekend, too.  She was able to shop for us with an Elf and choose her very own gifts.  She also had a chat with Santa and reported that she knew she would get a Barbie on Christmas morning. How could she be so certain?  "I whispered it in his ear!", she replied. 

Cookies were also enjoyed after her visit with Santa.

She also took a moment to show off her newly acquired, mad hula hoop (or, as she calls it, hulee hoop) skills.

AK was thrilled to buy her own gifts, and she managed us to con us into opening them on the 14th of December.

She chose the perfect gift for her Daddy:  a light up snowman ornament that changes colors.  They both love it!

She bought a turtle puzzle for B3, which he seemed to really enjoy.  He's into counting now, so the five numbered pieces were a hit.

Lastly, she chose some lovely beads made from recycled paper for me.  She was happy to model them for me. 

 All of the local condo complexes are also decorated for Christmas, and some are really nicely done.  Just down the street, there's a great big snowman and some lovely lights.  Our complex is decorated with a certain flair of its own.  The red, white, blue and gold stars are more reminiscent of the Fourth of July than Christmas, but it's festive. 

And then there's this...

We keep wondering if there's going to be a dance with some 70's music, but nothing so far. 

We've enjoyed the sights, lights, and sounds of Christmas this year.  We haven't missed the busyness and stressof Christmases past; it's been blissfully slow and quiet.  Amazon has taken care of most of our shopping, and we're looking forward to enjoying the Holidays in Georgia.  While I'm not looking forward to the long flights, I can't wait to hear the giggles of cousins playing and  watch Grandmas in the kitchen with AK and B3.  I'm looking forward to unlimited Dr. Pepper and small town Mexican food, a trip to Target, and driving a car (for the first time since August 5).  It's certain to be a busy nearly 3 weeks, and we'll be glad to return to our routine on January 4.  One thing is for certain:  it will definitely be a Christmas to remember!

Going Back in Time

I don't even know where to start with this one....

Have you seen these?


They're handsets for a cell phone.  I first saw them on Pinterest, and I thought it was a joke.  You know, one of those things you'd open at a Christmas party gag gift exchange. 
 
I was wrong.  Last week, I was walking B3 down the street to a playgroup.  There was a woman standing on the sidewalk with her iPhone in one hand and one of these in the other.  Her model was a lovely bright blue color, and she was carrying on a conversation with a 1986 handset connected to her iPhone. 
 
Certainly, this is not what Apple had in mind.  But someone's making a mint off of what I thought was a joke.  But the lady on the street?  She wasn't laughing.  She was chatting.  Crazyness. 
 
I guess our kids might know what those things are, after all!

Thanksgiving Recap

**Note - this one is mostly just for a record of our first Thanksgiving in Singapore.  Not much to see here.

Thanksgiving 2011 has definitely been one to remember.  We started the day in a doctor's office, and we closed it out by attacking our refrigerator with a hair dryer.  Thanksgiving might as well be synonymous with tradition, and we managed to fit a bit of that in, too.

B2 arrived home after 10 days in London only to be greeted with a text that said, "B3 is throwing up.  Welcome to Thanksgiving.".  He shouldn't have been surprised; someone is sick everytime my immediate family gathers together.  Every Time, Every Holiday.  Ahh, the memories.  His symptoms looked an awfully lot like Strep, so we visited a doctor to have him checked out.  Since it was a holiday, we made a family outing of it.  B3 and AK wandered over to a mall to wait on us, and AK decided that a mac and cheese lunch was just what she needed.  I've heard some families wouldn't celebrate Thanksgiving without macaroni and cheese, so I suppose she started her own tradition. 

The bus ride home was a thrill for AK and B3; it was a double decker, which is the ultimate ride if you're under 6 (or 40.  Right, Alicia?)   Unfortunately, B2 was struggling with jet lag, and I must have had sympathy sleepiness.  A dose of Motrin revived B3, and he showed no signs of his persistent lethargy.  Two hyper kids in the front upstairs seats probably made for a less than enjoyable ride for the other passengers, but we finally made it home about an hour after a taxi would have brought us home. 

While we always look forward to Thanksgiving, the traditional pumpkin and cranberry aren't our favorites. We're looking for dressing and gravy and strawberry pretzel salad.  We compromised with dressing for us and cranberry sauce for the kids.  There was no strawberry pretzel salad; while we could certainly have eaten the entire thing between us, it was a better choice to wait until Christmas when there are others to help us enjoy it.  I couldn't bring myself to buy a $40 turkey breast, and my source for cheaper ones ($15 - much cheaper!) has been out of stock for weeks.  So. our meal was roasted chicken, dressing, gravy, fresh green beans and cranberry sauce shaped like the can it was in. Simple and delicious.  AK ate her share of all of it and went back for Ben's and my portion of cranberry sauce.  She loves it!

After dinner, the moment AK has looked forward to for months finally arrived.  She got to help her dad put up the Christmas tree!  Its ornaments will be added tomorrow, but both she and B3 were absolutely thrilled to see it shining before they went to bed. 

Since our fridge has been creating a river of water across our kitchen floor for about 2 weeks and I wasn't ambitious enough to fix it myself while B2 was travelling, we decided to tackle it after the kids were in bed. A quick google search pointed to the problem, and we got to work unloading the fridge, only to discover that the problem spot wasn't accessible from the inside panel.  So, we refilled the fridge and pulled it out from the wall.  Ben figured out the problem was an iced up drainage hole in the freezer, so the hair dryer joined in on the fun.  After at least an hour of Ben mopping up water while I was de-icing, the drain was unplugged, and we were in business.  Until he opened the fridge again.  It was flooded. There was standing water in the door shelves, and everything was completely soaked.  Once again, everything had to be emptied and dried before we could call it quits.  Over two hours after we started, we were finally done. 

While it isn't the Thanksgiving we would have planned, it was a good day.  B3 didn't have Strep after all; it's probably viral and we're hoping he's much better tomorrow.  We've got lots of Motrin to keep his energy up, just in case we need it.  AK loved the "Thanksgiving food" and her wholehearted appreciation for the cranberry sauce made whatever price I paid for it completely worthwhile (I didn't eat any, and I don't intend to!).  The dressing was delicious, and it reminds me of many family meals when we've enjoyed that same recipe around tables from Frog Pond to Charlotte (and even one Christmas dinner for Mexican friends in Orizaba).  The fridge is fixed (we hope), and our tile floor was more than accomodating of the floodwaters. 
 
We end the day thankful for what we have and where we are!

What Does a Singapore Thanksgiving Look Like?

More than one person has asked me, "Do they celebrate Thanksgiving over there?", and I've tried to be polite and understanding when I answer.  But, really...why would Singaporeans celebrate a holiday that's 100% American?  Have we forgotten the history behind the celebration?    I know other countries do celebrate their own day of Thanksgiving, but they're not gearing up to celebrate this Thursday.  However, if you take a look around our grocery store, you'd think that all of our neighbors were, indeed, getting ready for Thanksgiving. 

For instance, I wonder if there's a Singapore version of the Butterball hotline, since they're clearly going to need one:


And, if your idea of  the perfect Thanksgiving side involves Pepperidge Farm bread crumbs (Heaven forbid!), you're in luck. Don't worry about the S$7.50 price tag; it doesn't take long to become immune to all price insanity.

Likewise with the pie filling for $7.50 a can.  It's not a Thanksgiving staple for us, but it's amusing to see so much of it so suddenly in the stores.  I'll likely buy a can of cherry pie filling to keep on hand since it's a main ingredient in one of B2's favorite desserts.  One can is cheaper than a purchased dessert, so it makes sense to splurge for something special. 

Don't forget the cranberry sauce!  Whether you prefer the smooth canned kind (like my kids), the lumpy canned kind, or freshly made with fresh cranberries, you're in luck.  All three varieties are readily available this week.  Now, if I only had that small brown rectangular Pyrex bowl from my Grandma's house for the cranberry sauce leftovers, it would really feel like Thanksgiving.  It seems like every year, we ate cranberry sauce out of the same bowl.  It just isn't the same from any other. 

For some, the French's fried onions are a high priority on their Thanksgiving shopping list. My family is not from the People of The Green Bean Casserole, but my inlaws are.  As a result, I've learned to eat it (once a year) and actually enjoy it, but I'd only make it if someone requested it specially.   It must be a tradition for every other American on the island (all 19, 996 of them), however, since the stores have pallets of mushroom soup and these onions.  I did notice some of the cheddar cheese flavored ones last week, and I remembered last Thanksgiving with a laugh.  We were on our way to celebrate in the North Georgia mountains with the Marion side of the family, and were were asked to stop and pick up the onions. Of course, the Ingles in Clarksville was out of everything but the cheese kind, and they certainly added a little something to the casserole.  Again, I don't have a long history with the dish, so I'm just guessing that the cheese variety is not preferred. 

Again, just ignore that S$7.95 price tag; everyone else who wants those French's onions certainly is.  It's a small price to pay for the comforts of something familiar. Even I might admit to enjoying some green bean casserole if it was part of a traditional Thanksgiving meal in Singapore.

I'm not sure we're having Thanksgiving dinner; I can't bring myself to pay the outrageous price for a turkey that no one is really even passionate about. Spending a day cooking for just the 4 of us probably isn't the best use of my time, either.   I'm beginning to feel a need for cornbread dressing, however, and I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be making cornbread for dressing after tucking kids into bed on Wednesday night.  I've made a shopping list of ingredients to have on hand...just in case!

From all indicators, it appears that a Singapore Thanksgiving looks an awfully lot like an American one. 
Maybe the next time I'm asked if we celebrate Thanksgiving over here, I'll just say, "Yep."  Want some green bean casserole?

Halloween in the Tropics

For a country that doesn't really celebrate Halloween, our costumes were enjoyed on three different days at three different events.  That's fairly remarkable, even for US standards.  We found a small (really small) selection of candy in nearly all of the grocery stores we frequent, but it wasn't always easy to find. 

As always, I made the costumes. I wasn't very inspired by the costume subject, but I did what I could. I knew it was going to be really hot and sticky even without a costume on, so I kept them very simple and easily removable.  Since two of our three events were a taxi or bus ride away, it was imperative that they also be easily portable.  Normally, we don't do trendy costumes, but this year we did.  AK was thrilled to be an Angry Bird - "The Blue One", more specifically, and Ben was the poor target - The Pig. 

We started the celebration on Friday night at AK's school.  We Trunk or Treated and enjoyed a few festival games.  Unfortunately, I forget how creepy Halloween can be, and most of the trunks were decorated to remind us of the darker side.  I'm a fan of happy Jack O'Lanterns, kids dressed in storybook costumes, and really good chocolate in their buckets.  Of course, not everyone shares my version of Halloween, and it was evident.  Blood and guts and bats and spooks were around every turn. Luckily, AK was too busy chasing her friends to really notice.  B3 was too busy chasing AK, so he didn't seem to mind, either. 

AK enjoyed the face painting table, but our Pig wanted none of it.

AK's favorite part of the evening was the doughnut walk. Marion family folklore tells of a B2 who always won the cake walk, but evidently, it isn't genetic.   It took AK a gazillion rounds, but her patience was rewarded with the sprinkle doughnut she had eyed for what felt like hours.

B3 settled for a Dum Dum from the treat bag.

On Saturday, The Blue Bird enjoyed a friend's costume birthday party, but The Pig refused to wear his costume.  It was strange since he didn't want to take it off on Friday night, but he wanted nothing to do with it.

That all changed on Monday night, when our complex hosted a night of Trick or Treating.  Those who wanted to participate signed up in advance, and we were given a list of units that were participating.  It was certainly different from walking down Greylyn Drive, where nearly every house knew our kids by name. I suppose it was both the elevator and cultural mix that, once again, made it obvious that we're a long, long way from where were last Halloween.

Waiting on the Elevator

It's nice to have costumes that go right over AK's school uniform. Note that The Pig is a John Deere Fan.

Headed down the corridor to the first house.  It was nice to be inside the entire time.

 Can you tell we're in Asia?  (shoes!)

This house made AK and B3 stick their hands in a bucket of "worms" to find the candy.  B3 didn't go for it, but AK was not deterred!

Checking out the Loot



The candy haul was underwhelming. The quantity was fantastic, considering we went to only one of six buildings in our complex. The quality, however, was mediocre. I suppose if you're a fan of "Taiwan's Best: Banana Rice Cakes" in miniature, however, you would have been thrilled. 


Overall, they had a great time, and they're still enjoying their candy. It's easy for me to stay out of it, so we'll keep it for a few more weeks before sending it to Ben's office or down the trash chute.


**NOTE: It has taken me a week to type this up. I'm too distracted by kids that demand to be fed and dishes that don't wash themselves to blog about all that I want to. Stay tuned for a summary of our recent trip to the beach in Indonesia and other adventures. Maybe I'll get to it before Christmas!**

Twenty Things

Last night at supper, we had a conversation about our favorite things about Singapore.  We've been here nearly three months, and that's been plenty of time to find some fabulous things about living here.  There are definitely things we haven't quite gotten used to yet, but we'll save those for another day.

AK's 5 Favorite Things
       1.  Having a pool to swim in all year round.

2.  Monkeys in the trees.  Well, not in our neighborhood, but in some parts of the island.
3.  Satay.  Meat on a stick. She's definitely her father's child.

4.  Riding the train.

5.  Riding the bus


Kristin's 5 Favorite Things
1. The trash chute.   It deserves a post of its own, and it will likely get one before we leave this country.  Until then, just know that there's great satisfaction in throwing your trash down a hole in your wall.  Dirty diaper?  No problem!  Rotten pineapple?  Just open and toss!  I don't really know where it goes, and I don't want to.  All that matters is that I remember to only use bags that, when full, will fit down the chute.  The rest is left up to the elves in the basement who take it from there.  Ah, sweet benefit of condo living!

2.  Wet Markets.  I love them.  I've got many more pictures to share.  Stay tuned. 

3.  Grocery delivery.  In fact, this time tomorrow, I'll be putting away peanut butter, potato chips, sugar, pasta sauce, and whatever else I ordered yesterday.  It wouldn't be such a big deal if we had a car, but we don't.  Just imagine lugging everything home from about a mile away, and you might understand.

4.  New foods, and not just the local Singaporean ones, although there are many of those.  Two  grocery store favorites of the adults in our home:

Until about 10 years ago, Jiff made a chocolate peanut butter that was terrific. Now, we're loving Skippy's striped version. Yum.

And Arnott's Mint Slice cookies.  Girl Scouts? Who needs Girl Scouts?

5.  The Passport stamp potential.  There are so many countries that are just a very short, and often affordable, flight from here. I must see them all (Hint, hint...Ben, are you reading?).  Last week was Indonesia (more on that later), and I'm off to Thailand in December. 


Ben's 5 Favorite Things
1.  Riding the train to work.
2.  Working in an office building that sits on top of a huge complex of shopping malls.  Yes, malls. With an "s".  I think he could walk for about an hour and not see all of the malls that are linked to his. Under streets, over streets.  On and on and on.  It's not shopping that he likes; it's the endless choices for lunch. He's a creature of habit and could eat the same thing each day, but his coworkers are instrumental in helping him branch out a little.  A great benefit of his office location is that if I let him know what I need by lunchtime, there's a good chance he can bring home whatever it is that evening. That's service!
3.  The view from our condo.  It hasn't gotten old yet.

4.  Lots of places outside to run. There are many miles of sidewalks, paths, and parkways around us to enjoy.
5.  A tie between his job and the trash chute. Seriously.  First, he said the job, because he really likes what he's doing right now (hooray!).  But, after I put the trash chute on my list, his face lit up, and he said, "Oooh.  Good one!  Maybe that's mine, too..."  See?  I told you it needs a post of its own!


and then there's B3, who really can't tell us what he loves.  Here's our best guess.

B3's 5 Favorite Things
1.   The boat.  That's what he said when I asked him, because we had just returned from a ferry ride from an Indonesian beach.  He loved the boat!
2.   The bus: the boy loves to ride the bus!
3.  His "Night Night Train" . It's not new; it was a Christmas present last year or the year before.  In Charlotte, he required that someone push him on it each night to AK's room so he could say, 'night night'.  Hence, its very original and unique name.  Here, it moves a hundred times better on these polished marble floors.  No pushing necessary!  He rides it all day, every day, filling the back compartment with cars and trucks. Sometimes, he calls himself "Choo Choo Man" and demands that I call him that, too. ( I suppose naming yourself at 2 is genetic; let's just hope folks aren't calling him "Choo Choo" when he's 37, because those  nicknames one chooses for oneself stick around for EVER. Ask me how I know.)

(Princess wand not necessarily part of  ChooChoo Man's outfit, but the John Deere had most certainly is)

4.  The view from our windows.  He stares at the construction site all day, identifying cranes, dump trucks, dozers, and back hoes. He loves to watch the traffic, always finding the fire trucks, garbage trucks, blue buses, police cars, and ambulances. 

5.  Outside.  He enjoys any outdoor activity, and he'll say, "Not raining. Outside?", as he pulls me towards the door.


So, there are a few of our favorite things.  Perhaps we'll think of 5 more in the next three months!

Where We Live: Take a Walk

After AK gets on the bus at 7:45 am each morning, B3 and I are on our own for the day.  Sometimes, we walk with B2 to the train station or we go to the market.  There's really no need to get in much of a hurry, because nothing around us opens before 9:30, and most things don't open until well after that. 

Our complex has a little trail that meanders around the second floor of the buildings, and B3 enjoys walking there in the mornings.  Predictably, he'll pull on flowers, try to separate the tree's roots, and talk to the cars in the car park below us. 

Some of the plants and flowers are familiar; either I've seen them as houseplants or growing in Florida or Hawaii.

For instance, there are schefflera plants everywhere.  We've had one of these as a houseplant forever, so it's nothing new.  It IS different to see them just growing along the sidewalk.

And, this one's for you, Tonya.  Isn't this the KK12 Plant That Would Not Die?  I think of you and laugh each time I pass by, which is daily.  Many times a day, in fact.

Some plants are all new and fun.  I think these are all varieties of Heliconias:

There are many different types of palm trees, but this type has amazing roots.  B3 never fails to stop and try to separate the roots.

This one has the best hair:

Then, there are staghorn ferns in some of our trees.  Mom, these are a bit bigger than that one you tried to grow years ago.

There are frangipani trees, too.

Perhaps you've seen them in Hawaii or even Florida (not sure about FL), but The Patton/Marion/Richwine families know the frangipani from another source - The Big Orange Splot , an all-time favorite book:

AK was excited to see the same kinds of tree that Mr. Plumbean planted in his yard!

There are other flowers, too...

There's a foot reflexology area, which I don't yet understand:

Another favorite spot is the Koi Pond, where AK and B3 enjoy feeding and watching the fish  and I try to figure out how I'm going to extract them from the water when they fall in. It hasn't happened yet, but it's only a matter of time before it does. 

All around the property, there are little gazebos with grill and picnic areas. These are also good for climbing in and out and in and out and in and out of chairs if you're two and a half.

Nestled behind the kiddie pool in the back of the complex, there's a small playground.  If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a little monkey playing there as you walk by:

We're enjoying our new home, and we're thankful for fun things to see right outside our door each day!