Merry Christmas!!

Hi everyone!  I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday!  It's December 23rd, and as I write this, it is about 98 degrees, rainy, with the sun fighting to shine through.  I haven't posted in a while ( 10 days as my mother so kindly reminded me today).  We've been keeping busy, just living the life, as Larry says.  He switched his hours again to second shift, and will go in around 11, and be home around 10 pm. We celebrated Christmas with a few Boeing people last night.  We went to a Japanese restaurant, had sushi and sashimi, and a few other fish, chicken and rice dishes, with green tea ice cream for dessert. I love sushi, but am a newbie when is comes to the raw stuff.  I did pretty good, and only gagged and politely reached for a napkin once. Not sure which piece I didn't like, I just know it had a weird texture, and it got the better of me.  Our companions acted like they didn't notice.  Ha!  Larry and I opened our presents from my parents, as well as each other, and enjoyed all of our loot. 

Christmas in Sing has been different to say the least.  I've been fighting a pretty bad case of homesickness this past week or two, and with the warm weather, it's been a challenge to be my normal holiday frantic, jolly self.  I've been reluctant to post about it, or even tell anyone, because really, who wants to hear from a newly married woman that won the love lottery, moved to a beautiful tropical country, is retired for the moment, gets to travel all over the place, that she is homesick?  Puuaallese....No one.  Believe me, I am fully aware people have real problems. So I was loathe to post about something that seemed, a little, well, shallow.  As I was crying the other day, thinking about going to get the Christmas tree with my dad, I suddenly heard my Grams voice in my head  "OHFERGODSAKE!!! quit your boo-hooing and get over it!!"  Warm and fuzzy, she was not, just a practical midwestern farm girl. Hearing her voice, which after a few years of her being gone, now sounds in my head like a mix between Harvey Firestein, and the woman cop in Fargo, I came to the conclusion that I can feel crappy about this for a bit, as long as I realize just how good we have it.  I do.  We both have our health, each other, and our families are doing well, we live in a groovy place, and get to do and see things most people only dream about.  So, missing everyone and everything from home is one thing, whining about it is another.  

Things are just different. By this time, in the states, I would have probably seen It's a wonderful life 15 times, eaten about a pound of my dad's fudge (yes, I'm serious, and not the least bit shameful) I would have shopped for my family and friends, and would probably be running to walgreens right now for tape or something to finish wrapping.  I would have gone to a few parties, helped Jimeyer with his gingerbread party (helping 12-15 kids, strung out on sugar construct a full gingerbread house in 3 hours) shoveled several inches of snow, and gone to pick out a tree with my dad, riding in the yukon, base bumping the latest itunes purchase.  I would have distracted my mom as I snuck yet another of her raspberries butter cookies, and we would have both gotten a little teary eyed as we decorated the tree and looked at the angel ornaments that remind us of Debby.  I'd be helping my parents get ready for the annual Christmas eve party, getting the last of my cards in the mail, had several colds from being run down, and generally doing what we all do during the holidays. We are doing things differently this year.  First of all, we're married.  Hello! Big change.  Second, we're going to Bali (another reason I didn't want to publicly whine) on December 24th.  I've been dying to go since before I even got here. Larry does an impression of me talking about Bali that he thinks is accurate.  It's not.  It is funny though, I should try to get him to do it on the video camera, and post it. So, instead of the usual christmas activities with our families, we'll be spending Christmas day on the backs of elephants, cruising through the rain forest.  Um....who's life is this?? Just some chick's that is lucky in life, and love. So, no more whining, or boo-hooing.   I have you all in my hearts, and I am counting the days till I come home for a visit (approx. 129)  Thank you all for the wonderful support and love you have given both Larry and I as we enjoy this crazy adventure.

Merry Christmas everyone, we love and miss you all so much it hurts! Be safe, happy and enjoy the little moments, that's what matters the most anyway.

And look for a bazillion fabulous pictures from The Snapper when we return!

xoxoxo

Pam

Chinatown

I went to Chinatown last weekend with my friend Lydia. We had a mission...to find a beauty supply store that I could buy hair supplies at, and get my scissors sharpened. I met her at the Chinatown MRT station, which by the way, I am getting quite adept at taking all over the place! It's so easy, now that I have it figured out! ha! Doing it on my own when Lar was in Seattle is what really helped. I learn by doing, so I dove it, and have it figured out. It's a pretty cool feeling, and I feel like the city opened up for me a lot more. I still take cabs when I need to, but the MRT is cheap and fast, plus it makes me walk, which is good. And since I rarely get a seat, my balance is getting good enough where I don't always have to hold on for dear life, and sometimes I get pretty bold, and let go for a moment. I do kinda miss driving, and just hopping in my car if I need to go somewhere, but it's amazing how quickly I've gotten used to not having one.

Anyway, after Lydia and I found the store, and I bought a few things I needed to do Larry's hair, we walked all over Chinatown.  Lydia is a native Singaporean, so she's been a huge help when I want to explore.  She's a wealth of information, and very eager to show off her town.  We went to a Chinese temple that just opened this past May.  It was so beautiful.  Such a gem...it's new, but still very traditional.  There were many Buddas that people were praying to, and I'm sorry to say I don't know more about them.  I do know that certain Buddas are for certain things, like happiness, or wealth.  I just enjoyed exploring, and savoring the peace and tranquility that can only come from a house of worship.  The rooftop is a traditional chinese garden, and it was spectacular!  There was a huge cloisonné prayer wheel, and if you spin it, it is said that your prayer goes out over the whole world. Love the thought of that.

After the temple we walked around the market of chinatown, and it was pretty touristy, selling lots of little trinkets and souvenirs.  Very fun to check everything out though.  I'm still on my quest to find a jade bangle bracelet that actually fits my giant american wrist.  The sellers are funny...when they see what I am looking for, they usually get wide eyes, then sadly shake their heads no.  It's a hoot.

I saw a spa that was doing eyebrow threading for a pretty cheap price, so Lydia and I went to check it out.  I had heard it was a pain free form of hair removal, and signed right up for my eyebrows, and upper lip.  I barely made it through my brows....tears were streaming down my face the whole time.  She started the upper lip, and I knew there was NO way in hell I could tolerate the pain.  She felt terrible, and kept coaxing me in Singlish " Can, yes?  can, can"  I kept frantically saying " No, cannot, cannot".  A typical Pam moment.  There truly are times that I feel like I am recording my own reality show, or an episode of I love Lucy....I'm always getting into little scrapes.  It was very funny, and my brows look great!  My upper lip, however is still in need of care.  Too bad I'm such a wimp!

After that fun little 15 minutes, we went to a hawker stand for lunch.  I had noodles with shrimp and vegetables, and shared some dumplings with Lydia.  Everything was really yummy, and I spilled chili sauce on my white t-shirt, using chopsticks.  Rookie.

It was a great day, and I came home with lots of fun stuff for Lar's hair, and a few little things for the house.  I'm sure we'll go back soon, Lar will love taking pictures at the temple.  I also found a perfect spot for us to watch Chinese new year festivities.  Definitely a cool part of town!

We went out to dinner with Kevin, on Saturday night.  He is a friend of ours from Boeing.  He is leaving for his new assignment in Thailand, so we brought him on our weekly Holland Village excursion for dinner to celebrate, and wish him Bon voyage. We tried a Lebanese restaurant, and it was pretty good.... not as good as in Detroit, or as good as my Mom's grape leaves, but still pretty yummy.  We're thinking we will try the Turkish place this weekend.  Kevin is a fun guy to hang with, and we're looking forward to visiting him in Thailand in a few months.

Today was the first sunny day we've had all week.  The rainy season is in full swing!  It pretty much rains and storms now everyday.  My swimming regime is on hold for now, and I go to the gym at the hotel across the street just about everyday to workout.  Still hate it, but I do occasionally get a little endorphin rush, and feel pretty good.  Getting in shape is a slow process, but I'm committed, and sticking to it.

Well, I am off to bed...miss you all, and feel free to call us on the new vonage phone.

xoxoxo

Pam

Night Safari

I'm a little late in posting this, we actually did the night safari over thanksgiving weekend. Oh well, better late than never. It was pretty neat! The Singapore zoo opens up at night, and showcases it's more nocturnal animals, and takes you around on a tram. I think Lar and I were both hoping for a little more excitement, and the line of the the night was " it's the zoo....at night." But they try to make it more of a night time event, and there were bars all over the zoo, which I thought was kinda funny. The best exhibt was the fruit bats...they were very active, and were flying around our heads. It took me a minute to gain a little composure, and not run around screaming, but once I did, it was pretty cool to be able to check them out up close. Some of them were huge, and the wing span really surprised me. They also used their wings as hands....super cool. Overall, it was a pretty cool thing to go and see. We can mark it off our list! ha!
I'll post again this week...I've been slacking!
love and miss you all!
xoxoxo

A Cozy Nook

The whole time I've been here, I keep saying that Sing reminds me of a very hot, tropical, clean and Asian New York City. Tall buildings, excellent mass transit, and plenty of it, many different cultures, beautiful parks, food galore, and shopping that rivals 5th avenue. The only thing that was really missing to me, aside from bagel stands and bodegas every few feet, were the little neighborhoods I always loved about NYC, that almost seem hidden. You can take a turn and bam, you're in a tree lined neighborhood, with little grocery stores, people walking and chatting. Real life. I always loved that aspect of NYC, that when you're in a huge concrete jungle, there are still little nooks with character. Well, Lar and I think we found a cozy nook! It's about 10 minutes by cab from our house, and it's a neighborhood called Holland Village. I instantly felt at home, and said how much I love it about 8000 times, until I caught the thought balloon over Lar's head that read: " if she says that one more time, I might have to throw her out of the speeding cab". We went to find an electronics store Larry had heard about. We found so much more...cute little shops, a small wet market, a reasonably clean looking hawker court. And resturants! Lots and lots of cool little places. The first one we sampled was my beloved Pho (of course!) I almost knocked several tiny chinese women down when I stopped dead in my tracks and screamed: PHO!!! LAR! PHO!!! It was a really pretty day, slightly cooler, lots of sun, and a good breeze, so we walked around a little and explored. It's a little area, that seems to be situated in a circle. It's an European ex-pat area, but unlike the posh, razzle dazzle of our neighborhood ( that gets a little old) this has character, and is a little bit worn around the edges. We went into one of the shopping centers, and found a cool home store called Lim's. It reminds me of pier one, but cheaper, and cooler stuff. We bought some dried weed looking things for the living room, and a few Christmas presents. I think Larry even liked it a little. There are also lots of spas in the neighborhood, offering everything from massage,and reflexology to facials and nail services. The prices seem cheap enough to where I would consider checking it out occasionally.
We ended up having to go back on Monday night to return something, and we had planned on going for Pho again (because it makes me so deliriously happy), but at night, all the restaurants were lit up, so we ambled around and checked out the possibilities. There was everything from Lebanese, to Japanese, burger bars, thai, Italian, you name it. We settled on Cha-Chas...we're pretty sure the only mexican restaurant in Sing. We looked at each other, shrugged, and said, "What the hell!" It was pretty good! They aren't afraid of chillies in Sing, so it was pretty spicy, but we like hot stuff, so it was good. We were glad we stepped out of our safe little Pho box, and tried something new. We decided to pick a new place each week, in Holland Village, and check it out. I'm sure I'll let you know how they are in future posts. I have gone back on my own to run an errand, and I tried the local breakfast that is so popular in Sing. It's called Kaya toast, which is homemade bread, toasted, and spread with butter, then coconut jam, called Kaya. It is served with a soft boiled egg, and really strong, pre-sweetened coffee. I'm not a wiggly egg kind of person, but I was so inspired to keep stepping out of the box, I tried it. Not bad...not sure I'll get the egg portion again, but the toast and coffee were yummy.
So, that's what we've been up to....still doing the exlporing, touristy stuff. I'm missing everyone pretty bad, and even miss snow! It's so surreal here right now....christmas lights, and music everywhere, but it's still 98 degrees in the shade. Weird, and kinda hard to get in the spirit.
Hope you are all well, and enjoying the holiday prep!
xoxo!!

Gecko Poop, and other fun things about living in the tropics....

I've resisted posting about this for a while....I feared if I dared to post it to the world, the problem would persist, or get worse. I can no longer stay silent.

I found a gecko poop the other day. In the house.

There, I said it. I may be tempting fate, but I feel the need to give a full representation of life in Sing. Like my house, I must come clean. There are gecko, lizards, and snakes. They occasionally enter the house. So far, I've only encountered a few geckos, in our house and that one giant size iguana at the bird park. I realize they are tiny, harmless creatures, and my size and appearance scares them way more than they scare me. I know they have their own very important role in the eco-system. They eat the bad bugs that cause disease. But still. Yuck. Lar finds this endlessly amusing, and my tell tale shrieks delight him. He finds the way I flatten myself against a wall, if I see one, hilarious. I'm sure if he saw the way I enter the kitchen at night, a la The Charlie's Angels, throwing my hair in first, and crouched down, he'd practically split his pants from laughing. I also realize that given the area we live in we are very lucky we only see the little guys occasionally. The complex we live in is very proactive on critter issues. They spray monthly, and come into our apartment to do 'something' to the drains. I fear it may have something to do with bugs or snakes, so I don't ask. Am I being a big wimp? Probably. Do I care? Not even a little. I can handle a lot, but like my dear friend, Reverend James L. Meyer (Jimeyer, one word) says; "I don't live with bugs." Amen, Father.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hi Everyone! It's Thursday morning in Sing, and you are all probably getting ready for bed on Wednesday night. So, technically, it's Thanksgiving for me and Lar. However, we decided to celebrate on Friday, so we're right in sync with our families, and because Lar is off on Friday. We're having roast chicken, and all the other thanksgiving stuff. Then we might walk up to Orchard street, and see all the Christmas lights and decorations. We just got an invite to go for turkey dinner tonight at an american resturant, with some Boeing guys...should be fun! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, eat well, rest, and be safe. And Mom? Put turkey on the list of things I want when I come home in the spring! And vernors. Preferably together. And a coney dog. Preferably not together.

Lar returned home from his business trip to Seattle, late Tuesday night. It is VERY good to have my Hubby home. I did fine without him, but 13 days alone in a new country is a loooong time. I was worried I'd start actually answering the voices in my head....kidding...heehee. His work stuff went well, because he's a genius....(you can pay me later), and he had a good visit with Ryan, Annabella and Ronnie. Ryan and Bella are doing great, and Lar reports that Bella is getting tall and sassy! Excellent!

While he was there, he had a shopping list for Target that we had compiled. Because stuff is so expensive here, we figured it would be a good idea for him to bring an extra suitcase, and stock up on some things we use, but that are too expensive here, or that we can't find. I asked for bubble bath, and poultry seasoning, bendy straws ( they make me sooo happy!) pretzels, among other things. Lar had 2 cases of his beloved 'Best Made' dill pickles shipped to Seattle, and packed those up too. It was fun unpacking all our goodies, and I just love that we now have enough poultry seasoning to last us for a good 25 years of marriage, maybe even more. I might try to sell some on the Ex-Pat Black Market, along with the 10 packs of bubbalicisous bubble gum.

Gobble Gobble everyone! Miss you!
xoxoxo

He was REAL happy! good hair too!


Me too!



Perhaps I shouldn't have turned on the jets...


If there is ever a shortage, we're SET!

Sentosa and the Wet Market

Last weekend, Larry and I went to an island that is also part of Singapore, called Sentosa. It's kind of a resort type place, very touristy, but fun. That's where the beaches are, and underwater world, dolphin lagoon, etc. It was a hoot...we rode the cable car over, and for a simple gal like myself, that was treat enough! ha! I was soooo excited! but then we got to do one of my favorite things...look at underwater life, up close. I love that kind of stuff. Lar was in heaven, taking a million pictures ( good thing he shoots digital!) We have a digital camera that can go under water too, so that was fun for me ( it's the point and shoot). They have a Sting Ray pool, and you can touch them, feed them, etc. They were super friendly and personable. They were pretty rowdy too, it was a hoot. Lar stuck the camera right in the pool, and got some good shots. One of my favorite moments was when a man asked Lar if the camera was waterproof....um.....yeah. We cracked up to each other, and said, "gee, no, it's not, we're just dumb tourists!" In all fairness, I think he was just amazed it could go in the water, and was trying to start a conversation. Still funny though. The aquarium is actually a big underwater tunnel, so the fish are all around you, really cool. After that, we went to the dolphin lagoon by bus. I'll try to describe the bus...it was jammed with too many people to start with, and as always, it was HOT. There were seats lining the walls of the bus, but then a row of handles to hang onto. Lar and I got stuck with the handles, which is no big deal, becasue we ride the subway a lot. It's different in a bus, a lot more room to swing, especially on curvy roads. Just as the doors were closing, about 20 more people crammed in, all around Larry and I. We think they were Vietnamese, or at least that was the language they were speaking. They were all very tiny, and very loudly and excitedly talking and gesturing about Lar and I. I just caught Lar's eye, and we both started giggling. It was just such a mind blow....barreling down a curvy road, in an Asian country, hanging on for dear life, and being the hot topic of conversation. I said "Let's just take a moment, and soak in where we are". Truly, it was a hoot....
The dolphin presentation was pretty cool, and we plan on going back to swim with the dolphins, maybe for our anniversary in March.
After Larry left for Seattle, I met a woman he works with at one of the local wet markets. They sell fresh veggies and fruits, as well as meats and fish. It was pretty neat. It was the first day of Deepavali ( I found out what it is!...Hindu new year!) so we went to a Indian temple, and right next to it was a Buddist temple ( that sums up Sing perfectly) both were beautiful, and busy with people praying, lighting insence, and rubbing the big Budda ( of course I did!) Lydia and I had breakfast at the hawker stands (I had noodles and chicken...for breakfast! ha!) Then we walked around, and she showed me all over that area, which is called Bugis. She was telling me that in the 1970's, it was a big area for transvestites, and they'd put on shows on the roof tops. I'm gonna do more research on it, and find out more...I love that stuff! ha! Actually Sing is a big place for sex changes, but more on that in a different post. It was a nice morning, and I think I've finally found a buddy to do stuff with occasionally.
I went to a party on Saturday for Deepavali at another woman's house that Lar works with, Anu. In typical Pam fashion, I didn't want to go...I wouldn't know anyone, I didn't know the area. yada yada yada. But it scared the crap out of me, so I knew I had to go. It was a BLAST! Anu was a wonderful host, and her family and others from Boeing were a fun, lively bunch. And the food was off the hook....true indian food, home made. Sooooo good! And our plates didn't stay empty long, it was funny....I complimented Anu on the food, and she said " to really show me you liked it, you have to have 2 or 3 helpings!" She was serious! ha! I did my best....I live to please, you know. It was a really nice night, and I'm glad I went.
Lar is doing good in Seattle, and having a nice time seeing Ryan and Annbella. He did the big list we had for Target....I was a little jealous, but as I said this morning, if I had been doing the shopping, there would have been lots of stuff in the cart that wasn't on the list, so it was probably a good thing.
More soon...miss and love you all!
xoxo
Pam