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Thursday, January 1st, 2009
Happy New Year!
We choosing to slot our vacation fiasco into last year, even though we arrived home on the 1st, and make a fresh new start to the New Year! After a few hours of sleep we each staggered out of our bedrooms in search of much needed coffee! Unfortunately, we got back so late that we didn't have chance to get groceries so Rory had to make a quick trip to 7-11 to get some milk and bread! Amazing how long 10 minutes can seem when you haven't had a coffee in over 24 hours!
After some breakfast Max and Rory went to get the dogs from the kennels -they were very happy to see us! Especially since it's stormed all afternoon - it was actually wonderful to see rain again! This afternoon the kids got to open the few Christmas gifts that were too big to carry to Perth. Maxine got a jewelry tree for holding all her necklaces and bracelets and Sydney got the new Monopoly World Edition.
This afternoon we all tried to get a nap but with the thunder the dogs just weren't playing along, so I think tonight will be a very early one for us!
Friday, January 2nd
Happy Birthday Granny!
Yesterday was spent getting back into routine, albeit very slowly! Maxine went downtown with her friend to watch a movie and shop, more!!! Sydney read, and read and read. She finished almost 200 pages of the second book in the Twilight series, in one day! She just can't put it down. We went grocery shopping and she even brough it with hoping to read while I shopped! I wouldn't let her read while walking around though - it's enough of a safety hazzard navigating the narrow aisles as it is! All the stores have their Chinese New Year decorations out so it's looking very festive - very red! Lots of hanging lanterns and garlands.
It looks like we had some rain while we were away, enough to keep all the plants alive - thank heavens - since two of them actually belong to someone else! It's definitely a few degrees cooler - I think the cloud cover helps. We even turned the living room a/c off for a few hours yesterday afternoon!
Saturday, January 3rd
Sydney woke up at 4am and started reading this morning - she's almost done with her book! Hopefully, we can find the third in the series - it's sold out wherever we've been!
Sunday, Januaury 4th 2009
I nearly hacked my thumb off today! I was sitting at my desk and reached over to adjust the floor-fan upwards so it was blowing on me and not the floor, when the front cover came off and my fingers went into the blades. My hand was covered in blood and it just splattered everywhere! The fan blade broke after cutting into my right thumb four times, cutting down the side, and stopping when it hit my nail. It also hit my right pinkie once and left thumb once. My thumb is slowly turning a morbid purple and I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose my nail - yuck! So, now I can only type left-handed, with my right thumb and pinkie stuck up in the air - mouse-work is impossible - blog updating is a little slow......
Monday, January 5th, 2009
I got a bunch of stuff crossed off my 'to do" list today! Yippee! I made hair-cut appointments, called about passport renewals, called orthodontist, emailed friend about the Phillipines, booked tours, called relocation company, finished the laundry.....
I've booked numerous morning tours through March, all around different historical and cultural parts of Singapore, as well as a tour of the colonial black & white houses. Six in all, starting January 30th.
During spring break - March 20th thru 30th - we're hoping to go to the Phillipines for a vacation. One of my scrap-booking buddies lived there for a few years so I'm going to get together with her for coffee and to pick her brain over where to go, where to stay and what to do. Some of the best snorkeling and diving spots are there. She has some wonderful embroidered tablecloths from there too, so I'll need to find out all the shopping secrets too! There's apparently some great scuba and snorkeling locations around the different islands so we'll be sure to visit those!
Now that it's the new year we've got a bit more energized about moving to China. There's a fair bit to sort out, mostly the timing, movers and selling of the cars so there's not much we can "do" right now, but it's all in the preparation - we've learned that already!
Rory's having to travel to the plant everyday now, which is a 45 minute drive - uuugh! He got a "Learn Chinese in 15 Minutes" CD from the library the other day so we'll see how well he does!!!
The company will actually pay for Chinese lessons for all of us, so I need to enquire about that - soon!
Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
We eventually found a bookstore with the 3rd Twilight book in stock, last night. Sydney's almost half way through it already! So, I'll be searching for the 4th one now....
Maxine has started reading the 1st book, but she saw the movie first which has spoiled it for her I think. Not so much motivation to read it when you know what's happening.....
I figured I'm going to have to take about 100 books with me to China! At the rate I'm reading now, I finish about two books a week. The bookstore has only one shelf of English books, and I think the library only has classics and not much else! Oh well, I could always start reading the Dickens novel I was supposed to read in high school!! It might make more sense now. Might.
Tonight, for supper we had the ultimate in lazy, couch-potato, fast-food indulgence - McDonalds DELIVERED!!! Yup, McD delivered! Rory's working late, I couldn't be bothered to cook a full meal, we're out of cereal, and it's raining so I don't really want to drive - so there's my sorry excuse for justification! We had to try McD delivery some time!!!
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009
Maxine and Sydney went for haircuts today. The staff at the salon always recognize us - we're probably their only caucasian customers! Sydney had her hair cut similar to Maxine's and she looks soooo different - like a teenager - it's scary! Afterwards we went for some Subway lunch and then took Maxine to get a second hole pierced in her ears. The place that was recommended does both piercings and tattoos and not only did we feel out of place, we probably looked quite out of place too! Maxine got small diamante earrings and when the guy was about to shoot it into her ear the back fell out of the little hand-held machine thingy, down inside Maxine's top! She was sooo embarrassed and quickly jumped up before he went fishing for it! Luckily it eventually dropped out after some jumping and shaking!
Thursday, January 8th, 2009
I got an electric pressure cooker! I've been wanting one for ages but they're not as popular here as rice cookers - hmmmm - I wonder why??? Now I can make our favorite stew!! I'll be taking it with to China too - I'd seen one there but the dials and instructions were in Chinese - just a small problem! If it was anything other than a pressure cooker I probably would have taken a chance figuring it out, but I don't fancy scraping beef stew off my ceiling! I'm going to have look up some more recipes online since my pressure cooker recipe book is sitting in Dallas! Let the veggie chopping begin.....
Friday, January 9th, 2008
Since I can't use up the remaining facials in the course that I'd paid for, I had them transfered to Maxine. She went for her first facial today and came out 1½ hours late looking very sleepy. She had in fact fallen asleep during her treatment which I have to admit is quite easy to do. We caught the bus downtown to Centre Point Shopping Mall - the first time for me, but one of many bus trips for Maxine. It was very easy and inexpensive, but taxis are just so much easier......even though they cost a whole lot more.
Frisco hasn't been well the last few days so I managed to get him an appointment with the veterinarian at 6:30 on a Friday evening - a miracle! He's got three lots of med's to take. We were amazed at how inexpensive it was - $78 dollars for everything - consult and meds! And we were out of there within 30 minutes - which is never the case in Coppell. Right next door to the vet's is a Gelato shop! So, of course we had to make a stop there - Rory and I had a scoop of Irish Cream, Syd had Chocomallow, and Maxine had Cookies & Cream. It was an old "mom and pop" shop. This old Chinese couple make the Gelato on the premises - and you could tell - it was delish!
After dropping off Frisco back home and giving him his meds, we took a taxi to Chinatown to see all the street decorations and lights for Chinese New Year. When you think of Chinese New Year with all the red and gold it sounds kind of tacky, but I think it all about quantity - the more you have the better it looks! There were dozens of shops, stalls and vendors just filled with amazing paper lanterns, tassels, and garlands. The vibrant red were so eye-catching and so festive. There were also lots of stalls selling tangerines, a symbol of good luck and oranges, a sybol of wealth. Plum blossoms, peonies and and white flowers, which I think are narcissus were also popular. After weeding our way through the crowds for a while we stopped for a beer and some satay, and spring rolls. No supper - just lots of delicious snacks! All the while, Rory and Maxine had been snapping away with the camera catching some great night-time shots.
Saturday, January 10th, 2009
We went to the first Singapore Tattoo Show today! Some of my favorite shows on TV are the tattoo and bike-building shows so it was quite a treat!
We got to see at least 100 different stalls, each showcasing their different styles, and many of them actually tattooing someone, or they had live models. Some of the work was incredible - a lot of different styles were showcased from around the world. The asian styles tend to be more striking in both subject matter and color. We also got to see Chris Garver from Miami Ink who actually looked a whole lot better in person!
We were supposed to have a pass to take photos but we managed to sneak a few!
In the afternoon, Rory and Maxine went to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to take more pictures. I think they took the "steep" walk because that's all I've heard about - how steep the pathway was! They came across some monkeys too - they're really wild and quite mischevious so there's plenty of warnings about them.
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
Sydney went to sleep over at a friends house last night so Rory, Maxine and I went for an evening walk through Singapore's Civic District to take some more night time photographs. It's definitaly been a weekend full of photography! We started out at St Andrew Cathedral, which is beautiful at any time of the day, but is stunning at night. It's totally white and the lighting is very well done, highlighting all the different architectural details. From there we crossed over to City Hall which is also quite majestic with tall columns and relief carvings. We sat across the road in the middle of the cricket fields taking pictures. We took the tripod so Maxine had fun using that along with the remote shutter release so she could take longer exposures without moving. From there we walked towards Boat Quay passing by some of the old Parliament buildings. Instead of one huge building they're actually a grouping that have each been converted into theaters, art studios, restaurants, etc. It was a beautiful evening with a wonderful breeze so the walk was very pleasant. We strolled along Boat Quay, down to visit the merlion, stopping in at Starbucks for a refresher along the way. After walking along the opposite side of Boat Quay, along to Clark Quay, we stopped at Cafe Iguana and ended the evening perfectly with some fajitas and delicious margaritas! We all agreed that it was probably one of the best evnings we've had since being in Singapore!
Tuesday January 13th, 2009
Got my hair done yesterday! Lord knows it needed it! Got to relax in the strange bed/chair at the wash station and have my head massaged for 30 minutes - makes the stress of paying that check at the end of it all a whole lot lighter! It takes forever - I was there for over 3½ hours! I managed to read half a book!
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
Can't remember what I did yesterday....obviously nothing exciting! Today I went to get my hair re-touched - she didn't do a great job on the color on Monday and I called to complain since I paid so darned much for it! So, today I got all the grey covered and treated to another head massage - an extra-long one too!!!
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
Sydney came home from school today very pleased that they didn't have to run laps during PE. Apparently, there were too many monkeys in the trees around the track and it was a safety issue! Awesome excuse!!! Not often you hear that one!!
Friday, January 16th, 2009
Rory took the day off work today - he gets every second Friday off now that he's working at the plant. We went out for breakfast at a restaurant in the grounds of the Turf Club just up the road from us. It backs onto the old racecourse so there's stables, and horse-rding lessons, etc. in the area.
Afterwards we came home to look up and schedule all the different dates for our move to China. It took the whole morning! Trying to find flights to Nanjing from Singapore, and from Dallas. There's not many at all so we really had problems getting connections on the right days.
The kids got their report cards today which was very strange since Maxine only starts her exams on Monday! They both did very well. They grade very stangely here - no A's B's etc. so it was difficult to compare to their Coppell grades, although the "report cards" were more like a report "package" since they got a page write-up from each teacher!
Maxine has signed up for basketball and has her first tournament tomorrow. They're just playing four - 20 minute games so the league organizers can match the divisions evenly. They haven't even had a practise yet - they only did try-outs on Tuesday afternoon! She doesn't want us to go - I think she's worried that I'll shout and cheer too much! She did pretty well in try-outs - was fastest in the dribbling and passed the ball correctly, unlike most of the other kids!
Monday, January 19, 2009
We had a somewhat quiet weekend. Sydney had friends over on Saturday night to sleep over. They went to a nearby mall first to do some shopping and get some supper then home by dusk. Maxine spent the weekend studying math, science and humanities with Rory. She, actually both of them, worked really hard and managed to clear up some things that she was unsure of or confused with.
Last night the three of them were goofing around and Maxine stubbed her toe. Oh boy! She's been hobbling around ever since. I keep trying to catch her out but it's either really sore or she's a really good actor!!!
We haven't had any rain since we got back from Australia, on the 1st! Everything is so dry and the plants are all wilting. The air is really dry, which I'm pleased about!!! But, we really do need rain. I know that when it does come, it'll rain for weeks on end - monsoon season!
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
Many of the local houses have all their Chinese New Year decorations out and it looks very festive. In a way it's nicer than Christmas since it's less commercial and the decorations all have some meaning, which has kind of been lost with Christmas. There's no huge inflatables or yards full of lighted ornaments. One of our neighbors has a beautiful array of handmade lanterns and decorations hanging from her porch - I'll try to sneak a photo on my morning walk if I get a chance! A lot of houses have ben given a fresh coat of paint and new plant pots have been placed outside the gates. Bright red sashes adorn the main walkway into the house and can usually be seen with two pineapple ornaments of some sort on either side.
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Yesterday I went to the library to see if they had the latest beading magazine - no luck :(
I picked up a few travel books, on Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia. We're still trying to decide where to go in March - better get a move on!
I called in at the quilt store on the way home and bought a pattern for a wall-hanging with Chinese ladies wearing traditional cheongsam dresses. I'll probably only make it as three separate blocks and frame them. Haven't bought the fabric yet - want to mull it over first. Plus, the shop owner was driving me nuts and I just wanted to get out of there! Lessons? Thanks, but NO thanks! I'll be teaching myself how to paper-piece.
Last night was bunco and it was a really fun evening. There's quite a few ladies that are leaving - 4 of the 16 ladies at Bunco - their husbands companies had offered them retirement packages. All part of the economic downturn.
We had some good laughs - one of the tables was outside and being on the 20th floor of the apartment block, it was quite windy. I think a few score sheets were blown away, and someone lost a dice down 20 floors after it rolled off the table and through the small gap at the bottom of the balcony wall!!! We contemplated going to find it - you never know - could have been a Bunco!!!
Next month I'm hosting :)
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
Maxine and Sydney are staying over at friends tonight - tomorrow, Mon, Tues, and Wednesday are holiday - Chinese New Year. Rory and I went out for supper. Actually we went to have a beer & margarita and ended up staying and having various "snack" items off their menu, which turned out to be as good as a meal anyway. We ordered bacon wrapped shrimp, which were about 6 inches long and you got 4! We also had bruchetta with tomato & basil, stuffed mushrooms and a salad. It was all very good and the margaritas were excellent!! We even bumped into people we know! And I saw one of the ladies from beading! Does that mean we're eventually starting to "know" people in Singapore???
Sunday, January 25th, 2009
Happy Birthday Shane!
Yesterday we went looking for a suit for Rory. Marks & Spencers had a huge sale on so we started out there and at Metro, another huge department store. We went more to look at various colors and fit really with plans on actually getting one custom-made. After trying on a few and deciding which colors we didn't like, we headed to Far East Plaza, to Mohan's Tailors. Rory ordered a navy suit with a little bit of texture in the fabric - not a lot at all - just enough so that it wasn't a "flat" navy. He also got a flecked grey/navy blazer which looked really nice but would have been a bit too much for a full suit. After doing the initial measurements yesterday they'll make up a "mock suit" in cheaper fabric and then he'll go back for a fitting next Saturday. Then another fitting in the actual fabric. The price wasn't bad at all considering it was a custom-made - even compared to Marks and Spencers prices. If they weren't having a sale it would have cost way more to purchase their off-the-rack suits!
On Thursday afternoon I had teacher conferences. Both girls seem to be doing very well - perhaps a little too much in-class socializing going on but other than that all seems to be good. And I saw a monkey playing on the gym equipment while I was there!
Today we're going to Sim Lim to look for a camera bag. I have the distinct feeling we'll come away with more than a camera "bag" !!!
Monday, January 26th, 2009
Gong Xi Fa Cai
(pronounced "gong shee fah tsai")
It means "Have a Happy and prosperous New Year... Chinese New Year, that is! No sweeping today!(although vacumming is allowed!!!) It sweeps all the good luck of the new year out the door.
We took a drive around some neighborhoods last night and came across some that were decorated so beautifully with lanterns strung zig-zag across the streets from lamp-post to lamp-post.
Rory has been busy setting up a You Tube account so we can add links to videos on this site. Now we just have to do some editing before we can upload anything! So far all we have is a video of a funny bird .....
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
I bought some beading pattern books online yesterday, from Amazon. International shipping wasn't too bad so I should get them in a few weeks. Last time I ordered something it came in much quicker than expected, so I'm hopeful! I ordered some by a Japanese jewelry designer, who does a lot of two-needle beading, which is what I enjoy. Her books have been translated into English very well and have received many good ratings from people in the beading community. I also bought some patterns for beaded Christmas ornaments! I know, it's only January, but I figured I could do those while in China. I need to get hold of the beading ladies in Nanjing to find out if I need to stock up on any specific type of beads or supplies.
Thursday, January 29th, 2009
Kids went back to school today - thank heavens! I managed to get a quick tidy-up done and check through some recipes to make a shopping list, before heading off to get groceries. The shelves were empty! Bleh! No mushrooms, no zuccini, no eggplant, I got the last two bottles of milk, I also got the last brown bread, and the almost the last packet of chicken!!! Geez! Lucky I got that!
Tonight Rory and I went to a meeting at the school about the 6th grade excursion trip to Malaysia. They go on the 19th April thru the 23rd, to Taman Negara. It looks like an amazing trip and I wish I could go too!
No cellphones, electronic games, or parents allowed! Maxine is going to Thailand at the same time. And, Rory and I are going to China while they're both away, to find a house!
The relocation person came back to us today. Everything is "OK'd" - we're staying in a furnished apartment while we're in Dallas over summer - minimum 30 days - we're there for 33 days - phew!! We arrive on June 15th and leave on July 17th.
