From California to Singapore

Introducing... Butternut!

2009-12-29T02:54:00.003+08:00

With the excitement of Christmas behind us, this seems as good a time as any to announce our big news...

We are expecting a new baby!!

Since we don't yet know if it's a boy or a girl, we have lovingly nicknamed the baby "Butternut," though "Elly" enjoys coming up with new nicknames on an almost-daily basis.

It seems the biggest question I've had when telling people the news is, "Are you going to have the baby in Singapore?" The answer is, "Yes." I've found a doctor who I'm very happy with and I'm really impressed with the hospital. I hope it will be as easy a birth as "Elly" was.

That's all for now. I just wanted to make the announcement before the new year. I'll try to start blogging again so my friends and family can follow along on this new journey. Although, as of yet, there has been little to report. Let's pray it stays that way . . . that is, of course, until the peaceful, easy birth of a new little Arel.

Two Anniversaries, One Week

2009-08-03T23:55:00.007+08:00

July 27, 1996

&
August 2, 2008

Can you guess the significance of these two dates? Both are anniversaries and both are dates that mark life changes for us. The anniversaries are within one week of each other (barely).

I'll start with the most recent, August 2, 2008. - - It was 1 year ago that we moved to Singapore. [Well, technically, we left the U.S. on July 31 but we didn't arrive in Singapore until August 2 so that's the date I'm using.]

It's been over a year, now, since we have been home. I call it "home" because I still don't feel entirely like this is home. It's where our home is for now. I'm very happy here and I'm not ready to leave yet, but I can't imagine that I wouldn't want to go back to Southern California to live again at some point. Sure... Singapore is great and there are definitely some advantages to being here rather than in the U.S. but that doesn't change how I feel in my heart.

Now, on to the other anniversary, July 27, 1996!

Thirteen years ago, "Gander" and I were married. As our officiating minister said during the ceremony... it is probably the best we would ever look in our entire lives. I won't comment on "Gander" but I will comment on myself simply by saying, "True, true."

If I had the energy and time, I'd take a photo of a photo from our wedding day to show you just how wonderful we looked. I know that sounds conceited but, if you saw the picture you'd agree. I know you would. :-D (And if you didn't agree, I know you'd be too polite to say so, right?) Unfortunately, it's past midnight and I just don't feel like messing with it so, sorry. You're just going to have to trust me when I say I was a beautiful, elegant (well, maybe not elegant) bride and "Gander" was a handsome, charming groom and we were clearly thrilled to be husband and wife.

Fast-forward 13 years - - -

We celebrated our anniversary in Langkawi, Malaysia. We stayed at The Andaman for a family vacation (a different post) and had a babysitter from the hotel watch the girls while we enjoyed an amazing, beautiful, and romantic private dinner on the beach.

I know we don't look as "amazing" as we did on our wedding day. That's ok. What's important is we are still thrilled to be husband and wife.

My Baby Is Now 6 Years Old

2009-07-20T22:06:00.008+08:00

I'm trying to come up with something more original to say then "It's hard to believe..." but I have no other words. It's just that simple -- it's hard to believe my baby is already 6 years old. Lately Elly has been telling me she wants me to have another baby so that she won't be the youngest in the family. She doesn't like to be the "baby." But she is. She'll always be, no matter how old she gets. But, of course, that's not an original statement either, I know. I suppose a commonly experienced motherly emotion calls for a common phrase to express it.

About 10 days ago Elly turned 6 years old. I took Elly and GG to the water park "Wild Wild Wet" to celebrate (just us girls). We went on all the rides/attractions Elly was big enough for. We had a blast floating down the "Shiok River," riding the waves in the "Tsunami," playing on the playground and slides, and "white water rafting" on the Ular-Lah. The next day, we headed back for more with Daddy this time for Elly's birthday party. Because many of Elly's friends are away for the summer, the group of kids was small. Even so, we had a nice group of kids and parents and a great time celebrating Elly's special day. She had cupcakes with cocktail umbrellas on top (Elly's idea for an added decorational touch).

All these photos are from my friend, Jane. Thanks for being our photographer, Jane!

Just her luck!

2009-07-19T21:31:00.003+08:00

Have you ever been locked inside the stall of a restroom?

It's never once happened to me. You? Maybe only once or twice in a lifetime, right?

Ask GG how many times it's happened to her. Nevermind. You don't need to ask her. I'll save you the trouble and just tell you.

GG has been locked/stuck inside a toilet stall 4 times. Yes, 4! And it has all been within the last 3 1/2 months.

It happened again today (the fourth time). I couldn't help laughing (pretty hard) when I realized what was taking her so long in the toilet. I did have the common sense, though, to leave earshot before laughing.

Today was the first time GG had company. Elly was in the stall with her. I hope that doesn't mean GG's luck will rub off on Elly.

This wouldn't be such a big deal except that, for some reason, the doors to the stalls in most of the restrooms in Singapore are made so there is only about a 4 inch clearance from the door to the floor. There is no way to slip in/out under the stall door, even if you are really skinny. The only thing to do is wait for someone to come rescue you. GG's rescue has come in the form of:

1. 2 maintenance men working together with a hammer and a screwdriver (used as a wedge); this was after a string of about 5 other people tried to get the door to open

2. a key to the bathroom that had to be obtained from the management office

3. a storekeeper's skillful use of her finger to turn the lock from the outside (it looked like it wasn't the first time she'd done that)

AND

4. a 20-cent coin used to turn the lock from the outside

The good news is... with each "imprisonment" GG faces, the method of "release" is becoming easier and easier.

I'm wondering if any of you can beat the record for being locked in a restroom 4 times in 3 1/2 months?

Summer Vacation... It's Not Just for Kids

2009-07-13T21:26:00.003+08:00

I hear parents complain about summer vacation. They get sick of the kids being around. They want some peace and quiet. They look forward to the day that school starts up again and they no longer have to listen to the chorus of "I'm bored" or "Can't we do something fun today?"

I can relate to a certain extent but, to be honest, I am loving summer vacation with the kids. I, actually, may be enjoying it more than they are. Sure, there are times I'd rather have more time to myself and less noise and mess to deal with. Like today when we I had to take them grocery shopping with me and the checker told me I looked "really stressed." (Yeah, I don't enjoy grocery shopping with my kids at ALL!) However, there are some definite advantages to being on break from school.

I think top on my list of reasons to love summer vacation is probably sleeping in. I'll probably regret it come August 11 (first day of school) but we've been sleeping in until between 8-9 AM most mornings. I haven't decided if we'll keep this up as long as possible or if I'll start easing us into an earlier morning schedule about 2 weeks before school starts. The thought of waking up early unnecessarily makes me sad (and tired) but, then again, the thought of dealing with kids that won't/can't wake up on time to catch the school bus isn't too attractive either.

Another perk to summer vacation is the freedom to "fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants." I don't like the feeling of being too scheduled. I like to have loose plans and vague ideas of what's going to happen during a day/week. Waking up in the morning to a variety of options for the day's activities is fun for me. Yes, we still have commitments throughout the week but the majority of our time is spent relaxing and doing what we feel like doing. I'm enjoying the playdates with friends, spontaneous outings, and hours spent beside the pool watching the girls play together. Most the kids in the condo are in school right now (local schools follow a different holiday schedule) and most the girls' friends from international school are either out of Singapore for the summer or not close enough to meet up with every day. That means the girls mostly just swim and play with each other most days.

This brings up something else I love about summer (or at least, our experience for this summer). GG and Elly have been getting along so much better. They still disagree and bicker (and, yes, even fight) but spending more time together has made them closer. I'm really enjoying watching them play together so well.

Since this post is rather long already, I'll limit myself to one more reason why I love summer vacation. There has been a sharp decrease in the cost of medical care. I happened to walk by the kids' doctor's office today (it's in the same shopping center as Grace's gymnastics class, different level) and it hit me... we haven't been to the doctor since before school was out. It's probably been almost 2 months since we've been to the doctor. I'll just say this - having contact with fewer children has sure helped on the health-front.

To wrap it up, I just want to mention how thankful I am to be in a position where I can enjoy summer vacation. I know many people don't have it so easy and I recognize that. I feel incredibly blessed!!

Now tell me... what do you love (or hate) about summer vacation, assuming you experience it in some way, shape, or form?

See what happens????

2009-07-08T22:59:00.005+08:00

I warned you this may happen. Well, kind of. Maybe I didn't say it in so many words but you could have read between the lines and figured this might happen.

Remember this post? -- My New Year's Resolutions

I made a new year's resolution to blog more. Since then, it was a steady and quick decline into a world of complete blog silence. It's been almost 4 months since I've blogged anything at all. It's been longer if you don't count the last couple posts as *real posts,* which I don't.

Now you see why I almost never make new year's resolutions? It's a nearly surefire plan for failure. I have about as much resolve as a ..............
uh...... hmmm.....
Well, I don't know what that would be. Any suggestions?

Don't be too harsh. After all, I managed to squeak out this post, didn't I? I'll refrain from any predictions about future success or failure, though, and just stick with my good intentions for now.

Fun with Photo Booth

2009-03-18T20:36:00.007+08:00

In lieu of a "real" post, here's a photo showing you what GG and I were having fun with the other night.

Tell me how my 8 year old daughter knew how to use the program "Photo Booth" on my (er... our) Mac. Not only that... she was able to find this program (that I didn't even know existed) and open it with no help whatsoever. [My guess is maybe they've used the program at school during I.T. class. ~It's a Mac school. ~ Even so, I'm still impressed.]

Gander added the background and the comment at the bottom. You can click on the picture to enlarge it.

Yes, I know it's been more than a month since I've blogged. I'll fill you all in soon, hopefully.

Something I won't be trying

2009-02-17T08:13:00.005+08:00

I won't say there is a shortage of sweets/desserts in Singapore, at least in the areas that I frequent. That would be far from the truth. I haven't had any trouble finding sweets to sample. Some are pretty good, some aren't worth eating again, and very few are the stuff that dreams are made of.

To my dismay, I've found that there are quite a lot of vile creations masquerading as sweets. Apparently, some Asian cultures have a thing for beans in their desserts. All I can say is, "Huh?" I know, I know... to each his own, right? Well, thank you very much but I will stick to my own beloved favorites that do NOT includes beans, that is unless they are of the espresso bean or cocoa bean variety.

Speaking of beans, you guys all know of that happy little place called "The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf?" It's the home of the "Original Ice Blended" line of drinks. Back in the U.S. I'd sometimes treat myself to a "black forest ice blended" - iced mocha with espresso beans and maraschino cherries all blended together. I've tried it at The Coffee Bean here. I can't put my finger on it but it just doesn't taste the same. Last time I went to The Coffee Bean, I was presented with a new variety to consider. I think I'll stick with a latte but would any of you care for a
Red Bean Ice Blended Drink?

Only 10 more years...

2009-02-09T23:57:00.006+08:00

'Til our baby turns 18, Lord willing. (How's that for looking to the future?)

GG will be 8 years old in about 18 hours from now. I know I sound just like any other mom when I say this but: "I don't know where the time has gone. How can she possibly be this old already?"

If you post a comment to tell GG happy birthday, I'll be sure to pass along the message. :-)

In celebration of GG's birthday, I will take homemade cupcakes to school tomorrow for her class. Her birthday party won't be until the 21st of February. She decided she wanted to have a "make your own pizza" party at our favorite Italian restaurant/pizzeria. Gander will still, most likely, be in Australia at that point so I'm a little stressed about having to handle the party all on my own but I'm thankful we are having it at Madrina Pizzaria. The people that work there know us well, considering we eat there every Sunday after church, and they are wonderful, kind, and helpful people so, in reality, I won't be all alone handling the party.

I may end up baking the birthday cake for her party because:

(A) I have not been able to find anywhere in Singapore that makes cakes that taste like and have the texture of what we're used to. The cakes that I've tasted in Singapore are more "spongy" than we like and taste different. I can't even remember seeing a chocolate cake except for the ones I've seen at restaurants that would rival the Claimjumper's Chocolate Motherlode cake in regards to decadence. That's not exactly the type of cake I'd use as birthday cake for an 8 year old, no matter how special and wonderful she is.
&
(B) From prices I've seen thus far, it would cost *at least* S$100 for a birthday cake. Thank you, but I'll pass. Where's the Albertson's bakery or Costco when I need one?!?!

I still haven't decided on a gift to give GG for her birthday. I'll, obviously, be shopping while the girls are at school. Wish me luck! :-)

Time to find my sanity

2009-02-02T08:17:00.004+08:00

After the girls' week-long vacation from school (for Chinese New Year), I'm extremely thankful for the events of the last 15 minutes.

~~They left on the school bus!~~

The combination of Gander being gone in Australia, not having a car to go places quickly and more easily than the public transport, and not having friends to hang out with like we did back home resulted in overload for all of us, I think. We did get out and do some things and spend time with some friends that the girls have made. It's just more stressful, in a way, because it all takes so much planning and the girls are still "finding their way" with the friends, not having had many opportunities for play with them.

I hate to say that I'm glad the girls have gone to school but... well, it's the truth. I love them and (when they are not being difficult) I like to be with them. It's just that after this week I've been missing something. So please excuse me now. I need to go look for my sanity. I can't remember where I placed it. I'm afraid it may have been stolen but I'm hoping to be able to track it down.

What I like about Singapore, Part 4

2009-01-29T00:39:00.003+08:00

It's been a long time since I wrote a post on this topic. It's not because there aren't things I like about Singapore, I've just been busy with other things.

If you missed parts 1-3, click on over if you like - - Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I'm going to have a hard time explaining "what I like about Singapore" this time. There isn't a single word that comes to mind and even the multi-word descriptions I'm thinking of don't really explain it clearly. "Innocence" isn't exactly what I mean and "childishness" isn't right either. The best I can do to explain it is just to say that it is not like Southern California's so jaded and "been-there-done-that" environment. Read this article (yes, click on "this article") on Yahoo! News and maybe you'll see what I'm trying to describe. Pay careful attention to the last line of the article, a quote from a Singaporean blogger. I don't think you'd ever hear anything like that from someone in "too-cool-for-you SoCal." [On a different note, I also think you'll find another interesting tidbit in the article about the law regarding protests in Singapore.]

I don't know how long that link to the news article will stay active but I hope it will be for a while. It should link to a story titled, "Naked couple surprises diners in Singapore stroll." The place where it happened is somewhere that we spend quite a bit of time shopping and eating, by the way.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

2009-01-28T00:14:00.012+08:00

I'm not exactly sure what "Gong Xi Fa Cai" means but I know it has something to do with the Chinese New Year. I think it roughly means "congratulations and be prosperous."

As promised, here are some photos of decorations for Chinese New Year that I took around Singapore. I am trying something new - a slideshow. You should be able to see it automatically playing below with captions. Let me know if it's not working.

Below you'll find a 2-minute video of a lion dance that was probably about 20 minutes altogether. I would have taped more (it got more interesting) but, unfortunately, my batteries died. I enjoyed watching the lion dance and am impressed with the skill of the dancers. Later on (after my batteries died) there was a second lion that joined the dance. Pretty neat how they can stay synchronized while not able to see the other dancers is impressive. And my sympathy is with those poor fellows dancing as the tails of the lions, just seeing the rear end of the guy dancing as the head. [I know my grammar's off. Sorry.]

Enjoy the video and watch for the lion blinking his eyes. For some reason I especially liked that aspect. (And, by the way, at no point in the video do you hear me talking so... that lady talking loudly is not me.) The drums are really loud so you may want to turn down your volume first. Quoting from wikipedia: "It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the dragon or lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits."

I hope you've enjoyed your "taste" of Chinese New Year!

Just a quick note to say...

2009-01-27T11:38:00.002+08:00

I'll be back later to post pictures that I took of Chinese New Year decorations and a video of the Lion Dance we watched today. With the girls on vacation from school, I'm not getting much time on the computer for myself but... I WILL prevail (eventually; at least for a little while; I think; maybe). Come back soon to check for an update. :-)

Holidays and why I think Singapore is like a pot of stew

2009-01-21T23:37:00.003+08:00

Before I start... a little disclaimer. The following is my opinion from what I've observed. I could be wrong. I mean, really, I've only been here 5 months so I'd be awfully foolish to say that I'm an expert, by any means. In other words, don't take what I say as gospel, just my take on things at this point in time.

***************************************************
Singapore is a truly unique place, I feel. The U.S. is unique, as well, but in a different way. You often hear the U.S. referred to as a melting pot. I've never heard that description for Singapore. It's different -- more like a stew pot than a melting pot, if I had to call it a "pot" of any kind. Everyone, from different races, cultures, and religions come together to make a single, wonderful group (the stew) while still maintaining each of their various heritages and identities. (You know how in stew you can still see what the different ingredients are rather than all being blended together so you can no longer recognize them or pick them out.) It's really a very interesting thing to observe: Singaporeans are proud of their nationality and, no matter their heritage, view themselves as "Singaporean" but they are also, still, strongly and, usually, obviously something else, too.

Most Singaporeans are Chinese (about 75%, I think). The largest groups, other than Chinese, are the Malays and Indians. Behind all of them in percentage of population would be everybody else (like me). I'm still not exactly sure what Malay means but I do understand it is necessarily a Muslim; that's part of the definition. And, for the sake of simplicity, a lot of Chinese are Buddhist and most Indians are Hindu, though there are quite a lot that are Muslim. So the largest religious groups in Singapore are Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims. To be fair, there are also a large number of Christians and those who practice other various religions such as Sikhism, Taoism, etc. But all in all, Singapore has 3 "big" religious groups. What I think is interesting is how Singaporeans are so culturally and religiously sensitive to all the different groups. It's part of being a Singaporean, apparently. You have to be respectful towards everyone's beliefs and any attempts to create division or animosity can truly get you into trouble with the government. The government here is very strict about all sorts of things, this being one of them. I'm not going to say whether I think this approach is right or wrong but I will say that it makes for a very nice culture (at least as far as I can see so far) and, since people are raised with this attitude since birth, it is genuine.

It's wonderful that we're all free to worship as we believe without fear of being persecuted. The other, less noble and embarrassingly selfish, reason I enjoy this is because the government observes all of the different religious holidays (plus some non-religious, as well). So, since we've arrived in Singapore, we've had holidays for things that I'd never heard of before - Hari Raya Puasa (Muslim), Deepavali (Hindu), and Hari Raya Haji (Muslim). There was the Hungry Ghost Festival (Buddhist) (not really a holiday but it is widely celebrated here, as is that of the whole lunar month as the Ghost month). We, of course, had Christmas (Christian), New Year's Day, and will have several other holidays as this new year continues. Coming up next week is Chinese New Year (a.k.a. Lunar New Year). I wouldn't really say it's a religious holiday, though, more of a cultural one. The girls get a whole week off of school. It's a REALLY big deal here, considering what a large majority of the population is Chinese. There are decorations everywhere (very pretty). I've been meaning to take pictures of some of the decorations but keep forgetting.

I'm not saying I, personally, celebrate all of these holidays, nor would I, but it's nice to get the benefit of having a holiday for the family. It's also interesting learning about the different cultures and religions. The most unexpected, though, is an official holiday for my birthday. I've always known my birthday, May 1, was on May Day. I didn't realize that some places in the world actually still celebrate May Day (called "Labour Day" here). So this year, the whole family will have a holiday for my birthday!! What fun!! :-)

"I can't believe it's snowing in Paris!"

2009-01-19T10:33:00.003+08:00

Adding on to what Gander already posted from our trip to Paris, here is a short video taken on our last day there. Please know that GG was being "dramatic." It was about her third time having to open the video for me because I kept goofing up with recording. The rest of it is "authentic." You'll catch glimpses of my mom trying to take pictures of the girls.

Wild Wild Wet!

2009-01-19T09:43:00.003+08:00

We went to a birthday party for a classmate of Elly's this weekend. It was at a waterpark called Wild Wild Wet. Get it? Like wild, wild west. I wish I had taken a swimsuit to join in the fun. Lately it's been quite windy here so I thought I'd be cold but, turns out Saturday was a perfect day. Oh well. I think I'm going to buy annual passes for us because it's so cheap and it would also give us admission to a theme park with rides and bumper cars and such. Wet Wet Wild isn't as big as Raging Waters and the Escape Theme Park, I'm sure, is a far cry from what we're used to (Knott's and Disneyland) but it'd still be fun. (Oh, how I miss going to D-land any time we wanted.) Only drawback is these places are on the opposite end of Singapore so it takes over an hour to get there if we take the MRT and bus. Still worth it though, I think.

Here's some photos of the girls:

GG hamming it up

Elly being mellow

This isn't the greatest photo but I like it because it shows that sometimes GG and Elly actually get along and work together. GG (blue vest) is getting the tube for Elly and helping her get in.

London and Paris

2009-01-18T16:10:00.009+08:00

I have declared the following 15-20 minutes an official break time for me. I am writing this in my hotel room in Sydney, Australia and looking out the window on a beautiful Sunday afternoon without a cloud in the sky. I should be outside walking around and exploring this great city, but I'm working and have a busy week ahead. I leave on Wed eve for two days of meetings and presentations in Singapore and then fly back to Sydney on Sunday for another 4-6 weeks. Anyways, I am deliquent in posting some pics and video from our holiday vacation in London and Paris - There are a lot, so I'll post a few select that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Have a G' day mate'....
The Singapore Gooseman

Princess Diana Park - London

U.S. Embassy - London

Me and Mrs. - London

The Louvre -Paris - The Largest museum in the world!!!

Gracie - Top or Eiffel Tower - Paris

Mirror Photo; having dinner - Paris

Seinfeld shirt in London - Lauren was a good sport thinking it was a gift - in actuality it was a gag gift from my Sister in Texas :) Starlene is in the background laughing so hard, she's crying.... :)

The Unexpected...

2009-01-13T16:08:00.002+08:00

When we first moved to Singapore, I didn't expect to find a lot of American chains here besides Starbucks and McDonalds. Since then, I've been surprised by some of the things that I've found here. I thought some of you might find the observations interesting.

*KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken)- It's huge here. There are lots of billboards and tv commercials. You can get free delivery -- just call 6222-6111. There's a jingle for it: "6, triple 2, 6, triple 1." (I know you can't here the tune but I am humming it in my head as I type it.) There menu's not exactly the same (they don't have biscuits, for instance) but, for the most part, it's the same. Gander insists the chicken tastes better here but, to me, it tastes the same.

*McDelivery- I expected McDonalds but, this? Free delivery! Sure helps this worn out mom on busy nights when I just don't have any energy left. Thankfully, Gander has been very gracious about understanding when I take this route and, though he won't eat McD's, he is willing to eat some simple leftovers in the fridge for his dinner.

*Pizza Hut- It's pretty big here. The free delivery doesn't surprise me since that's normal in U.S. What surprises me is that they have actual Pizza Hut "restaurants" with a full menu - pizza, pasta, salad, etc.

*Coffee chains other than Starbucks- Gloria Jean's, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Spinelli- I'd never heard of Spinelli before coming here but it is a San Francisco based company. Unfortunately, I have become (nearly) addicted to their Mexican Wedding Cake cookies. While there is an abundance of US based coffee specialty shops, I've found the flip-side of that is... coffee from anywhere else (unless they use a cappuccino machine) is almost always instant coffee or this other different kind of coffee that I haven't figured out yet (made with powder different from instant granules, poured back and forth through a nylon-looking cloth). The other unfortunate part is, a regular cup of black coffee from any of these specialty shops costs roughly S$4, at least.

*Swensen's- I remember this from my childhood as an ice-cream parlor. At some point, they all disappeared... or so I thought. Apparently, they just moved out of the country. Here, Swensen's serves ice cream but also has a full menu. We ate there once but were very unimpressed so we haven't been back.

That's all I can think of for now but if I remember anything else, I'll be sure to write a Part 2 to this post.

My new way to waste time

2009-01-12T11:16:00.002+08:00

Now that the girls are back in school, what will I do with my free time?

Hmmm.... I could list a bunch of things that I *should* do (like unpack our boxes from the move over 5 months ago) but instead I opted for something else, more fun, you know?

I joined Facebook this morning. I got an invite from Monica so, being unable to turn down an invitation to anything that sounds like it might be fun, I joined. I have no idea WHAT to do at Facebook but I imagine, before long, I'll get the hang of it.

It's just what I need, don't you agree? More ways to spend time on the computer. Actually, I don't think I spend all that much time on the computer these days. I'm not home a whole lot and when I am home, I usually only get on the computer if no one else is home and that is only if I don't have to cook or clean or any of that *boring* stuff. When the girls are here, they are begging to either play on the computer or watch something on youtube. (I'm going to have to start using a timer for how much playtime they get because they are taking over the computer.) If they aren't on the computer, then I'm probably busy helping them with something, cleaning up a mess, or refereeing a disagreement of some sort. OK... I'm probably exaggerating (a little). It's not quite that bad but I will admit - - I didn't realize being a mother would be so much work. It doesn't look like this on tv, you know? I guess that's because if they showed the real life of a mother, no one would want to watch. It would be too agonizing.

What's going on here

2009-01-12T10:48:00.006+08:00

I said I'd blog more but it's been almost a week already. Where does the time go? Thanks to Jenny for reminding me to get blogging. I really didn't realize it'd been so long. I don't know how time moves so quickly these days.

I'm not promising any *interesting* blog posts. But I hope I don't bore you to tears, either. Here is an update on what's been going on with us.

Those last 3 posts I wrote while sitting beside the pool, watching the girls swim. (I LOVE the weather here!! Not many places where you can hang out next to the pool all year round.) Here is the sum of activities we have done since then --
*went to Elly's friend's condo for lunch and playtime
*went out to eat too many times (I'd be embarrassed if I said)
*hung out at home - almost unfinished packing from trip to London, did laundry, cleaned (ugh!), let girls play on barbie.com, etc.
*sent Gander off to Sydney, Australia with hugs and kisses
*spent almost all of Sunday at church - service (1 1/2 hrs.), girls joined Awana (2 hrs.) and choir (1+ hours)

Exciting. I know.

Now that Gander is away, I was able to enjoy sleeping with the entire bed to myself and with the air conditioner turned OFF!! He always has to have the air conditioner on the whole night so I normally sleep with the covers pulled up to my chin. I am now able to sprawl out and sweat as much as I please. So... I'm not saying I like having Gander gone but it does have some positives (or at least 1).

The girls had their first day back at school today. I'm enjoying the quiet and peace!!!!

"What's going on here" To Be Continued in the next post

Why blog more?

2009-01-07T18:37:00.002+08:00

My resolution to blog more has a simple explanation - I missed being in touch with my friends and family over this last month that I stopped. Plus, blogging is fun. I know having a blog isn't a "complete package" with regard to staying in touch with friends, but it helps.

So that's it. If I fall of the blogging bandwagon again, please feel free to pester me in an e-mail. Just don't make me feel like I "HAVE to" do it, or I just might quit blogging altogether. (See my original post telling my resolutions to understand what that means if you don't.)

Why smile more? (and another glimpse into my crazy mind)

2009-01-07T18:09:00.006+08:00

Why make a resolution to smile more, you might ask?

As I explained, I'm not big on New Year's resolutions. I generally have a bad attitude about them so I just avoid them altogether. This year, though, I thought "why not give it a shot?" Of course, being the perfectionist that I am, I know that if I made a grand goal with any level of planning/thinking whatsoever, I would be doomed to get lost in the research and planning phase of it. If I made a resolution with any type of quantifiable results (e.g. do this _ times per week), I'd be discouraged with my inevitable failure and give up entirely. So, knowing myself well enough, I realized that I'd have to stick to something that is simple to execute and that I'd be likely to accomplish. Don't you agree that "smile more" hits the mark?

The other reasons I picked this resolution:
*Smiling is good for me - the more I smile, the more I'll feel like smiling. (At least that's what I've heard.)
*I've become like most Singaporeans (that I see on the bus, train, streets, stores, etc.) by not smiling at strangers and keeping to myself. I figure I'll still keep to myself but that doesn't mean I can't smile. I don't really think that people are trying to be unfriendly. I think it's just the way things are here. But I don't think by walking around with a smile on my face, people will suspect any more or less that I'm not a native Singaporean. It's pretty obvious by my non-Asian physical features.
*I like to smile.

Good 'nough?

New Year's Resolutions and a glimpse into my crazy mind

2009-01-07T17:39:00.004+08:00

It's been many years since I've made New Year's resolutions. Actually, I can't even remember the last time I made resolutions. All I can remember is thinking: "Why bother? It's not like I'll actually keep them. If I really had the will-power to make a self-improvement, then I wouldn't wait for the start of a new year to do it." My other problem with resolutions is something I consider a personality defect - - if I feel like I HAVE to do something, then I'll fight against it even if I logically recognize the benefit(s). I really, really hate being forced to do things or even feeling like I'm trapped into doing something. (Then again, maybe that's NOT a personality defect; maybe that's just part of being human.)

This year though, I decided to make two resolutions. They are pretty simple and I am going to be relaxed about them. I reserve the right to break them (because if I don't, then I'll feel the need to break them just so I don't feel like I have to keep them). [See the mind games I play with myself?]

Without further ado, here are my resolutions for the year of 2009 (btw, how can it possibly be 2009?) ----
1. Smile more
2. Blog more

I'll explain "why?" in upcoming posts.

Have you missed me?

2009-01-07T17:24:00.003+08:00

It's been over a month since I have posted. I guess I needed a break. I pretty much took a break from the computer almost completely. The only exceptions were letting the girls watch Barbie movies on youtube or play games on barbie.com, occasionally checking/reading e-mail (but not writing a whole lot), and sometimes looking for a recipe. I didn't really mean to runaway from my online life. It just happened.

But now I'm back. I've missed reading my friends' blogs and staying in touch with people through e-mail. I don't know that you've really missed out on hearing about what's going on here - which is not much (other than our wonderful holiday trip). Gander has done a great job uploading videos and photos so we didn't entirely fall of the face off the web-earth. (I think there are more photos and videos to come but jetlag and being back to work have slowed down his progress in getting things posted.)

I hope you haven't missed me too much. I'll try to get back in the swing of things.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM LONDON!!!!

2008-12-25T22:56:00.005+08:00

Christmas Present Opening in London

2008-12-25T17:08:00.009+08:00

Christmas videos of opening presents - Enjoy!

"London Bridge is Falling Down, Falling Down, London..."

2008-12-25T01:34:00.011+08:00

"London Bridge is Falling Down, Falling Down, London..." I'm sure most of you know that tune and will no doubt be humming it for the next few hrs or more now that it's in your heads.... Ha!! Anyways, there are no London bridges falling down here, just our youngest daughter who didn't want to walk closer to the swans and geese over @ Kensington Gardens lake...she is terrified that the LARGE swans and geese will eat her alive (I have just a little to do with that). So as I tried to walk closer to them, she just falls to the ground in resistance and I end up laughing...Anyways, thought I would share some London photos with all of you and some funny videos. Today, it was just Daddy and the girls and we went to lunch together, and spent hrs @ the Princess Diana Children's Park right behind her home, Kensington Palace - the girls had a blast all bundled up and running around..... We then went to the Milestone Hotel for some hot chocolate and biscuits (cookies) - it was a great Christmas Eve day. My wife and her Mom went shopping so I got to spoil the girls with pasta, pizza, playing, chasing birds and large swans that chased back and to top it off, some hot cocoa!!! I LOVE spoiling them as long as I get to partake a little :) :) If my wife is a good girl, I may just take her for some fancy hot chocolate too...I added a short video of the Milestone Hotel that we stayed at for two nights...quite a place. (Listen closely to the dialogue)

Casino Royale Christmas Party Singapore

2008-12-24T18:46:00.009+08:00

Starlene and I had the opportunity to go to our Asia-Pac HQ Christmas party this year and the theme was 'Casino Royale' - Almost all of the men wore James Bond type tuxedos and the women got all dressed up for a night of fine food and fake gambling - It was very cool to get all dressed up and pretend I was James bond. Starlene, I mean 'Natalia' the Russian Spy, (Her name for the night) and I had a blast and both learned how Baccarat works - very fun game, but we're not ready for Macao or Vegas just yet :) Anyways, thought you would enjoy a few photos from this night; Starlene looked GREAT in her dress that she had flown over from the US and altered in Singapore. The party was at the Pan Pacific Hotel and we were fortunate enough to have a babysitter stay all night with the girls and we stayed overnight at the hotel. :) Notice the bonus photos of me next to my boss, one normal height of me and him and one with me stooping dramatically :)

Our Daughter's Deep Thoughts on Singapore

2008-12-16T09:20:00.006+08:00

Enjoy - This is our 5 yr old daughter giving us her take on life in Singapore :) We also threw in some additional photos for good measure from our trip last week to the Singapore Flyer; the largest in the WORLD.

Our youngest daughter, just like her daddy, loves a good chocolate shake - thank God they have such a place in Singapore or we may not have made it this long, especially with the heat and humidity!!!

Our oldest is VERY excited about going in the Singapore Flyer 'capsule' in the background. Like her daddy, she is very adventurous and not much scares her... she made the headband that she's wearing :)

Happy Thanksgiving from us 2008

2008-11-27T21:22:00.004+08:00

What are you thankful for?

2008-11-27T08:14:00.005+08:00

In honor of Thanksgiving, I'd love to know what you are thankful for this year. Something we always did at Thanksgiving meals was go around the table and say one thing for which each of us was thankful. I'll miss being able to do that this year (with more than just the four of us), so please humor me and leave a comment with what you are thankful for. I'll tell you what I'm thankful for in a different post.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Did you realize Thanksgiving is an American holiday that's not celebrated around the world? It is probably obvious to most, given the historical origins of the day, but it took me a while living here before I realized that Thanksgiving was not something with which most people here are familiar.

[Sidenote: I understand Canada celebrates their own version of Thanksgiving sometime in Oct., I think. I wonder if there are any other countries?]

Since Thanksgiving is not an official holiday here, the kids are in school and Gander is at work. No days off. No extra time to sit around gorging ourselves on way too much food then watching football (or sleeping through football, as the case may be) for us this year. [Actually, no American football for us at all. Gander has to settle for online updates and news articles to keep up with the sport. Now there's something I can be thankful for! ;-) ]

Since today (yes, it's Thursday here already) is still a school night and a work night, I decided it was too difficult for me to plan a Thanksgiving meal for tonight. I am going to shoot for at least a mini feast this weekend. Of course I still need to find a turkey. I know I can buy one here, I just haven't found one yet. I also need a good pumpkin pie recipe. Anyone care to share?

Be back in a bit to write a post on what I'm thankful for.

Look what GG did while Gander was away

2008-11-26T15:21:00.011+08:00

I thought someone might get a laugh out what GG and I did with our time this past weekend while Gander was in Australia. Elly was playing with us, too, but she didn't really help with the things in the photos.

Exhibit A:
Create a disguise for a vicious dinosaur so that it could successfully trick the unsuspecting Little People into coming close enough so it could eat them.

Pretty convincing, don't you think? No?!? I doubt you can see the tape over the poor dino's top teeth but GG thought that taping the teeth made them look less sharp. Of course, the dress is easy to understand... the dino is trying to look like a friendly, grandmother type (you know - like the big, bad wolf did in Little Red Riding Hood). You may be wondering about the slide. Well, that was an attempt to hide the dino's tail. At first we tried extending the length of the back of the dress (like a train on a wedding dress) using a facial tissue but GG didn't like the way it looked. She opted for the "look-like-a-playground" trick.

Those poor Little People. They never saw it coming!

Exhibit B:
This one was an entirely independent project completed by GG. She made wings for her horse and then posed it for a photo shoot, with a total of 25 different shots. (Thank goodness for digital cameras!) I'll spare you from all 25 pictures and just share 2.

I have to admit - I think GG did a great job on those wings. She taped them onto the horse's back by herself and everything.

On a totally serious note: I LOVE that GG is so creative and thinks these type of things up on her own. As annoying as it can sometimes be that she always wants to save empty tissue boxes, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, and other odds and ends (so she can make things out of them), she really has an amazing creative gift.

We're still alive... just not well

2008-11-25T09:18:00.003+08:00

Sorry for disappearing for the last 3 weeks. I'm not sure where all my time goes and what has been keeping me so busy but, trust me, I've been busy. I'd love to say I've been sitting around, eating bon-bons but I haven't.

Since more than 1 month ago, when we got that horrible bout of the flu, I haven't been fully well. I had, yet another cold, recently and am finally feeling functional. I've still got a cough but that's about it. GG is dealing with asthma, coughing, phlegm and more. Elly is feeling fine but I hear her coughing sometimes so I know she's not in perfect health yet. Gander's the only one that seems to feel healthy. He's just worn out from his most recent trip - 3 days in Australia, working early morning to late night.

Anyways... all that just to post a quick note to anyone who wonders what happened to us -- we are all alive, just not all well.

Singapore Gooseman's Travels

2008-11-09T16:51:00.014+08:00

Shanghai Traffic - VERY BAD! We had a green light, but green and red lights don't mean much...I guess the color just looks pretty...

Hey everyone!!!! It's the Singapore Gooseman here.... and NO, I am not telling you (7) things about me like my wife did :) I'm grounded for a couple of weeks before I head 'down unda' again for a short business trip. However, I just got back in town from Shanghai and Hong Kong. I was in down town Shanghai VERY quickly - took the speed train from the airport traveling @ 431 KM/Hr - for you Americans, this is about 200 MPH!!! It was AWESOME!! The train does NOT even ride on a track, but floats if you will with powerful magnets - the ride is very smooth and very fast. (VIDEO below)

Shanghai downtown area was really nice; it's clear that the gov't has invested quite a bit of $$ for this city. However, when you get out of town, it's quite clear that China's people are very poor and the cities are dismal at best. No color on the buildings, lots of dust, horrible pollution, bad roads, and bad traffic. HOWEVER, these people, who have very little, are very friendly and smile when you smile at them - that's pretty cool if you ask me.... I spent time with my team there every day and shared every meal with them; I thought I liked Chinese food, but Chinese food in Shanghai is VERY different that in Southern California!!! Shanghai does not have 'Kung Pao Beef' or 'Orange Chicken' like we're used to... They have Crab Eggs, King Snake, Fish Head & Prawn Heads that are eaten whole, etc, etc....I can tell you that I tried EVERYTHING out of respect for them - but was honest about what I did and did not like... All I can tell you is that I can't wait to eat more KING SNAKE!!! It was awesome - tastes like pork ribs, however, these have LOTS of little ribs that you have to dig the meat out of.... :)

LEFT CLICK ON THE PHOTOS JUST ONCE AND THEY BLOW UP LARGE ON YOUR SCREEN - THE CRAB LOOKS COOL ON THE BIG SCREEN. JUST HIT THE BACK BUTTON WHEN DONE.

KING SNAKE!!!!

Crab eggs - eating from under-belly of crab near the stomach....

I insisted that we eat 'American Food' one of the nights I was there - so we ate @ Lawry's Prime Rib!!! They just opened one in Shanghai and it was AWESOME!!! My colleague, Leslie (he's a guy), ate EVERYTHING and loved it!!! If you haven't been there, you should check it out!!! After a few days I was off to Hong Kong...what a city!!! This is the most beautiful city by FAR that I have ever been in. Yes, I know there are lots of cities in Europe that have beautiful architectural design, but this is a modern city with lots of high rise buildings and at night, it's a site for sore eyes. Not only does the city glimmer and shine, it has WONDERFUL cuisine and fine hotels right on the water - they have one of my favorite places - MORTON'S!!! :) Anyways, there are LOTS of people walking around town at night and it's a lot of fun... I must have had at least 30 guys walk up to me asking if I wanted to buy a watch or if I wanted a custom tailored suit - everyone in this town is a salesman!! :) OK, I'll stop now - enjoy the pics and video's of China and Hong Kong. (Missing EVERYONE TERRIBLY - BUT, be diligently ready at anytime for the big, heavy smack on your back from an old friend when you least expect it AND for the shaking front door when I pretend to break it down...)

P.S. Keep an eye out for our family Christmas video on our blog.... we'll be singing a X-mas carol or two :)

Floating billboard in Shanghai...

Hong Kong @ Night

This is an actual HUGE sitting area for people to just relax and enjoy the beautiful view of downtown HK.

Jackie Chan Star on HK walkway next to ocean boardwalk...

Bruce Lee's Star!

Bruce Lee Statue and HK skyline in background..

I've been tagged :-) Who's next?

2008-10-31T22:29:00.007+08:00

My friend Monica over at Souter Life in the OC tagged me. For those of you unfamiliar with the weird games that bloggers play, here are the rules of this particular game of tag that has been making its rounds in the blogosphere. Like my last post, where I accepted my first blog award (thank you to all of my fans; um.... I mean my 1 fan), this is the first time I've been tagged.

So now I have to tell you 7 random and/or weird facts about myself. (Before you read my list, you might want to click on over to Monica's list and enjoy a few laughs. She's got some doozies.)

(Just for fun, I'm using Mandarin numbers for my list since I've been learning some of these from GG who has Mandarin at school 4 days a week.)

一 I used to drive a red Jeep Wrangler with the soft-top down much of the time. I still miss my Jeep. It was the best!!! (Thanks Dad and Mom!!! - And, no, I don't think I was spoiled, just well taken care of.)

二 I dyed my hair black when I was a freshman in high school and part of it turned green. :-0 Now that's what you call embarrassing.

三 I went through a phase when I spelled my name "Starlyne." Yes, I thought it was cool. I realize now how incredibly goofy/dorky/dumb/immature it was. What's even worse is, in my attempt to be original (btw, how much more original can you get then my name as it is?), I was really being a copycat. My cousin Kim had started spelling her name Kym.

四 I worked at Weinerschitzel from the time I was 16 - 18. I actually enjoyed the job, for the most part, and I was pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. My favorite, believe it or not, was when I got to work the opening shift during the summers. I'd have to be to work at 6 AM but it was worth it. Those were the only shifts when I got to work in the back as a cook instead of at the front counter, bagging, drinks, or drivethru. GG enjoyed hearing me tell her about when I used to have to dress up in the weiner dog costume.

五 I went through a stage where I actually wanted to be a hairdresser. If you know anything about me, you can understand why that would not be a good career choice. At that time, I was trying to figure out how I could get out of going to college and beauty school seemed like the perfect choice. No offense to any hairdressers, cosmetologists, etc. but, for me, it would have been a very unsuccessful choice, I'm sure.

OK... that's enough embarrassing memories from my teen years. I'm having trouble coming up with the last two things without drawing from that awkward time in life but I KNOW I can come up with something. Here goes...

六 My birthday is an official national holiday in Singapore. I never realized that people in other places actually celebrate May Day.

七 The verse from the Bible that I claim as "mine" (kind of related to my name) is Matthew 5:16 - - ...Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Now that I've told you more about myself than you probably wanted to know, I am going to tag everyone that I know who blogs (unless you've already been tagged). Sorry to my friends for "giving you awards" and then tagging you all in the same day. You don't have to participate if you don't want. Sorry I don't have a larger base of "blog friends" to pick from.

Home is Where You Start From
Crazy Mommy, punk music is for kids!
...thoughts and ramblings from the edge of the world...
The Balance Quest

My first blog award!

2008-10-31T15:03:00.009+08:00

After all my time off (from being sick) it's time for me to catch up on blogging. I have a whole page of hand-written notes about things I need (er... want) to blog about so, stay tuned. It may be busy here for a while. Also that fact that Gander gets back from China tonight means that you will probably be getting an onslaught of posts from him, too.

[Please know that I'm trying to catch up on e-mails, too, so if you are waiting to hear back from me, please keep being patient. I promise I will e-mail you back soon. :-)]

Now time to get down to business....

I was honored with a blog "award" from my friend T. at Send Chocolate because, apparently, I am "charming." {Stop that snickering!} According to the instructions, I am supposed to include the following blurb on my blog and then pass on the award to 8 other bloggers. I don't think I even know 8 other bloggers to pass it on to so I am going to pass it on to everyone I know that blogs BUT I am doing so with the disclaimer - I won't be upset with you if you don't keep the chain going. So... this is a "no pressure" type of award, as far as I'm concerned.

The Charming Award
The Rules: Leave the following message on your post when you pass the award on to their chosen eight blogger buddies. “These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

So now, I pass on the Charming Award to all of my charming friends in the blog world (in no particular order). Go say Hi to my friends if you want and see how charming they are for yourselves. :-D
Souter Life in the OC
...thoughts and ramblings from the edge of the world...
The Balance Quest
Hey, I have to tell you something
Home is Where You Start From
Crazy Mommy, punk music is for kids!

I hope I didn't forget anyone.

Do you need a good laugh or 2 or 20?

2008-10-31T14:45:00.005+08:00

I imagine that some of you have probably seen FailBlog before but I just found it. I'm telling you, I could waste a good day or two. at least, just looking at all of these funny photos and videos. (If you click on the words "FailBlog" either here or at the beginning of this post, it will take you to the website. FYI- I linked you to the G-rated version because I'm just that kind of girl. Sorry - you're on your own to figure out how to get to the non-G-rated stuff if you want to.)

Just as a taste of what you'll find, here are a couple of the videos I found on FailBlog that I thought were especially funny.

Enjoy!! It's like watching America's Funniest Home Videos but it's not just America, it's not all home video, and you don't have to put up with the annoying commentary from the host.

New and Improved "After" Photo

2008-10-29T11:49:00.004+08:00

A little while back I posted before and after photos of myself showing my eyebrow makeover. The after photo wasn't very good so I've been wanting to post another one that better shows the change in my look. So, with no further ado...

Yes. I know it's a shocker. I'm actually wearing makeup. I've taken to wearing (very little) makeup a couple times a week now. It's amazing what a newly shaped pair of eyebrows does for a person.

When I first told you that I got my brows done, I said there was more but I'd save it for a later time. Now's that time.
(...........................................drumroll..................................................)
I got a perm and tint!!
What do you mean my hair still looks the same? Of course it does! I didn't mean that hair. I meant my eyelashes.

Did you know that you can actually have your eyelashes permed (with a curl, of course) and tinted, just like your regular hair on your head. For someone who hasn't spent much time or effort on physical appearance and who has little interest in it, this was a pretty weird thought. Like a miniature perm and hair-coloring on teensy, weensy little hairs.

I'd heard of permanent makeup - aka tattooing your face to look like you always have makeup on. There's no way I'm letting someone stick me over and over again with a tiny tattoo needle so close to my eyes in the name of beauty so, NO, I won't be doing that. But, hey now, just getting a little perm and tint... that didn't sound so bad.

It wasn't soooo bad. I won't say it was painless. I would probably do it again. Overall, though, I have to say, waking up every morning looking like I already have mascara on and my eyelashes perfectly curled is pretty cool. Even when I was so sick I looked almost dead, at least my eyelashes looked pretty. I can tell myself that now. At the time, I didn't care in the least.

So there it is. The full story of my eye makeover and a better "after" photo.

Don't worry. I haven't become obsessed with external beauty. But if you ever hear me considering that permanent makeup business, be sure to slap some sense into me. (And if you are someone who actually has permanent makeup, please don't try to convince me that it's not so bad. I'm a big baby when it comes to pain so needles on my eyes is NOT a good idea.)

22 prescriptions and $471 later...

2008-10-25T11:45:00.007+08:00

It's been a little over a week since an unwelcome visitor invaded our home.

Elly caught the flu at school and brought it home where every single one of us joined her in her misery. And misery it truly was. At one point I seriously considered going to the emergency room. I don't know if this is the worst flu I've ever had, but, if it was not, it was pretty close. Even Gander missed four days of work. And that says something because Gander rarely gets sick and when he does, it usually doesn't make him miss work. The girls missed school all week. We stayed in bed for almost the entire week. It was not fun, to say the least.

I seem to be the only one left who is still struggling but hopefully I'll be back to normal soon.

I understand this is a normal part of adjusting to life somewhere new, with new germs and strains of disease that our bodies aren't used to. I hope this is the end of our "germ-related welcome."

Before and After of me

2008-10-16T12:05:00.007+08:00

While Gander was away on his last trip, I decided it was time to beautify myself just a bit. See if you can guess what I did from the pictures below. (You have to ignore my hair -that's not what changed. I mean, I know it looks different but, trust me, I realize the AFTER pic does not show a more beautiful me if you focus on the hair, or, sadly, on the smile or the chin. I guess that's what happens when I take a picture of myself when I should be sleeping. It was close to midnight. I definitely like the before pic better, overall, but there is one small thing in the after pic that's better, I think.)

BEFORE

AFTER

I'll give you a hint. It's not what GG guessed when I asked her the next day if she noticed anything different about me. (Word of advice: Never ask a 7 year old if you look different.) She looked me over and seriously replied, "Fatter?" Ummmm..... no. (Well, maybe. Those all too frequent trips to McDonald's to get an American food fix may be having an effect.) But that wasn't what I was going for. At least Elly has a kind heart and after hearing GG's remark and my embarrassed laughter, she guessed "Skinnier?" Anyways, neither of those are the correct answer. Have you figured it out yet?

I'll give you another minute.

Times up! YES! It's my eyebrows. I'd been wanting to have my eyebrows shaped for a long time. They were way past due. Gander noticed the difference right away but I don't think he likes them much. He asked why I had them made so thin. I like them but maybe he's right. Oh well. It doesn't really matter too much. I feel like they liven up my eyes and I'm not self conscious anymore about my brows being too bushy.

There's more to the story. I went back a couple days later and had more done but I'll save that for another post.

RESULTS- "The Price is Right" box of Cheerios

2008-10-15T21:15:00.006+08:00

The WINNER is.........................

LisaD.

LisaD guessed $7 US dollars. The item in question was a 14 oz. box of Cheerios. That's a normal size box... not too small, not too big. Here is the actual price: (Singapore)$10.75 = (US)$7.35. It doesn't seem quite as bad when I convert it to US dollars but when you see almost $11 for a box of cereal, it is kind of hard to swallow.

Congratulations, Lisa!! I'll make sure to send you a postcard. :-D

And, in case anyone was wondering, yes, I did buy the box of Cheerios. Fortunately (or unfortunately, I'm not sure which), I am starting to get more used to the prices here.

Kuala Lumpur

2008-10-12T00:25:00.009+08:00

KL is the best city I've ever visited! It has beautiful architecture, nice restauarants line the streets, night life abounds with the sound of live music everywhere and then there's China town, which is a large swap meet. To top it off, the people are really friendly... if you're wondering about the fish head above, YES, we ate all of the FISH BODY, did not touch the head - other than my fingers to open it's mouth for this pic :) All of the food was awesome - here is what I ate: Tiger Gruper, Tiger Prawns, soup called Lala which had clams in it, and Indonesian Sea Snails!!! The sea snails were the BEST!! Seriously, I would not have ordered them, but glad my colleague did!!! This restaurant was amazing - you get to pick out your food LIVE while it's in fish tanks... YUMMY! By the way, our youngest daughter just got a new fish and I told her that I was going to eat it when it dies - she agreed that I could eat it ONLY when it dies, and we also agreed that I can call her fish 'YUMMY', and she calls it 'Princess Fish'.

Bangkok Video

2008-10-11T23:53:00.009+08:00

Bangkok

2008-10-11T22:28:00.012+08:00

Hey there everyone - I just got back from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Quite a trip!! From Elephants, subways, fresh fish eating, and large, tall buildings - all was amazing!!! Here are some pics and videos. Enjoy! Can you spell Coke in Thai? (above) Language was the largest barrier - very difficult to communicate with people in Bangkok - I am learning sign language quickly!!! :)

A night at the zoo

2008-10-07T21:00:00.002+08:00

A couple weekends ago we went to the Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo. We had hoped to be able to post some really cool pictures of our adventure but, the funny thing is, animals in the dark don't really photograph well. Go figure. :-/ So instead of seeing photos of some really amazing animals, you'll have to settle on my description. Or you could always make a trip to Singapore and go to the Night Safari with us.

Since it's been a couple weeks, I can't really remember everything but here is what I can remember. First, we went to a show. It was probably the best show I've ever been to at an animal type place. There were real live bats flying overhead every once in a while, not just as part of the scheduled demonstration of animals. They had the cutest little otters that fulfilled the "environmental awareness" portion of the show by sorting recyclable materials into the correct containers. There was a mountain lion, hyenas, and a sloth bear that walked above our heads on a tightrope-type thing. There were several other animals, too. The person who narrated the whole show was very entertaining and they did a great job making the show memorable. There is one very "exciting" part of the show but I am not going to tell about it because I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone that may some day actually get to see the show him/herself.

After the show, we took the tram ride around the park through portions of 8 different "areas" of the world (Himilayan Foothills, Equatorial Africa, South American Pampas, Burmese Hillside, etc.). What is truly amazing is this zoo does not use any cages or cage-like enclosures. At one point, all that was separating our tram from a hippopotamus was about 30 feet and and some end-to-end logs forming an outer border of his area. I was actually a little nervous about the fact that he could have come right up to the tram if he really wanted to. I suppose they know enough about the animals' typical and individual behavior to keep it safe but it was really pretty strange. During the ride, we also passed by a pair of elephants that were truly no more than 4-5 feet from the edge of the tram. Two of the handlers had taken them out for a walk and we drove right by. All I can say is they are amazing animals up close and I was surprised by how much expression you could observe on their elephant faces. To my relief, the more dangerous animals were kept at a safe distance by greater obstacles than the hippo would have had to overcome. Yet none of the animals we saw on the tram ride were behind glass or wired caging. (Is that what it's called?)

After the tram ride, we walked through the "Fishing Cat" trail and a portion of the "Leopard Trail." Elly was so sleepy she had to be carried most of the time. The highlights from the walking trails were the fishing cats, the Indian gharials, and the Malayan flying foxes. The fishing cats were actually on the banks of streams and in the water fishing. The gharials are fish-eating crocodiles, which we actually were able to see capture and eat their prey. It was pretty freaky watching them as they would surface out of the water where they could not be seen beforehand and submerge in the water to disappear. And in case you were wondering (I was) if the flying foxes were really flying foxes... no - they are actually the largest bat in the world. And they are pretty darn big.

So now that I've written a novel, here are some pictures of the girls. Remember we couldn't get any good shots of the zoo animals but we at least got some cute shots of the girls when we stopped for an ice cream break at the Z-bar. (clever, huh?)

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

2008-10-06T22:16:00.007+08:00

Anyone out there???

So far only one person has tried to guess the price of the box of Cheerios. (Thanks, Lenora.) I hope more of you will leave a comment to guess the price.

I know there is no real prize for winning but isn't the thought of being mentioned on my (I mean "our") blog as a "WINNER" motivation enough? NO? Well... um.... ok. How about a postcard from Singapore? Alrighty, then. I hereby amend the official rules of "The Price is Right blog-style" and declare that the winner will be sent an actual postcard through snail mail as a prize. (I know. It's a pretty pathetic prize but not nearly as pathetic as the fact that I've resorted to trying to bribe you to play my game. Am I beyond help?)

I hope you'll play along. Anyone is welcome to play, whether I know you or not. Be sure to leave at least your first name if you post anonymously. If you win and you want your postcard prize, then I'll figure out how to get it to you at that point. (I'm not going to worry about that issue right now.)

A smile only a mother could love?

2008-10-06T21:39:00.009+08:00

No.... Not quite. But it is definitely a smile that brings panic to the heart of the tooth fairy: "How will I possibly keep up with leaving money for this ONE child when there are so many others in the world losing teeth, too? Will my funds hold out if this kid keeps losing teeth at this rate?" I'm sure those are just a few of the thoughts running through the tooth fairy's mind. Oh... just kidding! I know the tooth fairy has plenty of money growing on her dollar tree. Nothing to worry about, right?

So GG lost her third tooth in the last 2 months. Here's a close-up so you can get the full effect.
See that big front tooth on the top (sticking out kind of at an angle)? You know... the first one that she should have lost on the top? It's a stubborn one! It's been loose, off and on, since before any of the three missing in this photo even wiggled for their first time. But it is still holding strong. It's not even close to falling out - just a little bit of a wiggle. I'm considering tying a string around it and yanking it out (while GG is asleep, of course, because she would never go for it if she were awake). Wouldn't it be perfect timing if she were missing all 4 of those teeth, right in time for Halloween? She wouldn't even need a costume. She'd be a real-life jack-o-lantern. (Maybe some orange face paint might add to the effect, I guess.)

OK, OK... I won't yank her tooth out. I know... how could she ever trust me again? But it's still funny to think about what she'd look like if that stubborn tooth would finally fall out like it was supposed to do already.

"The Price is Right" - box of Cheerios

2008-10-04T21:10:00.006+08:00

I didn't plan on taking this long to do another episode of "The Price is Right" blog-style. Sorry it took me so long.

For directions on how to play, see this post:
How to Play "The Price is Right" (blog-style)

Here is the item you are guessing the price of ---

One 14 ounce box of Cheerios

I'll post the winner in a few days. Have fun!!

Bryce Canyon 07'

2008-10-02T21:40:00.006+08:00

OK - This post is for two reasons. One - This is proof positive that I am not the only one to make fun of our kids - my other half does also. Two - This is proof that our kids are VERY funny and one can't help but laugh till it hurts. This is our youngest daughter having a hard time staying awake at the dinner table at the lodge @ Bryce Canyon. We got stuck in a major storm while walking back up a trail that we had just walked down well over a mile.... the girls all worked very hard walking up hill and this one just couldn't keep her eyes open (notice how her nose crinkles on her arm as she fights the heavy, heavy eyelids) This is just too funny not to share with all of you!!!! :)

Texas Fun in 07'

2008-10-02T21:04:00.006+08:00

Here's a a short video clip of us having fun in TX. Me and the girls took a surprise road trip to Texas to surprise my two sisters and Mom - it was a blast. This is a video clip of a TX water park...it had a huge pool, slides, teeter totters, basketball court and blaring music in the background. This video clip is one of my favorites because it shows just how adults can't sit on the sidelines and watch kids have fun - we have to partake in the fun also as my big sis does with my favorite nephew who lives in CA :)

As you can see...

2008-10-02T11:34:00.006+08:00

My blog is no longer mine. It has become ours. As with most other things that become a joint effort or are shared, there are positives and negatives.

One of the positives of having Gander contribute to the blog is, I'm sure you will now laugh a lot more. In addition to his "talent" for taking the most unflattering photos of people, he also has a talent for being funny. The negative side of that is, now that Gander has the ability to post whatever he wants, there is a strong possibility that I (and some of you) may be embarrassed (if you haven't already been embarrassed by any of the photos he posted recently). I'm afraid I'm going to wake up one morning to ... Oh wait. I better not say anything. I don't want to give Gander any ideas. He doesn't need any help coming up with ways to embarrass me as he is already an expert in this area.

Another positive is you'll get to see a lot more photos. I've been holding back on posting tons of photos because I didn't want the blog to take a long time loading for you. Hope this won't be a problem but please leave a comment if your loading time increases drastically so we can figure out a different way to show you all of the embarrassing photos that Gander wants to post.

It doesn't feel so "peaceful" and "calm" around here any more but, I guess, for some, that could mean that it's become more interesting. In any case... Enjoy!

Oh, and a big welcome to Gander! Have fun posting on the blog (but not too much fun or you'll be getting your own blog, honey).

Ambrosia!!!!

2008-10-01T22:07:00.009+08:00

What can I say? God knew not to let me find out about this restaurant in downtown Santa Ana until about 2 months before we left for Singapore, otherwise I would be broke. Ambrosia is probably the best overall 'experience' restaurant I've ever been to and to top it off, we went just prior to coming to Singapore with our awesome food aficionado friends, Steve and Monica....what do I mean by 'experience' restaurant? Well, it has everything you could ask for in a restaurant or at least all I could ask for...great ambiance, great food, great service, great wine selection, live jazz band that will play whatever you ask them to, numerous private rooms to match your occasion however large or small - the best room, which we've toured before, has wall to wall cigars and you can smoke em right at the table. Oh, I'm not done yet. Just like an old castle with secret passage ways, one of the cabinets that has wall to wall cigars folds out to expose a secret passage way to the top of the theatre that is right next to us with private seating if you reserve that room...you guys gotta go check this place out...I'm not paying though :) :) But wait, there's more....there is a VIP lounge in the basement called the 'Vault'. It's actually an old vault and when you walk in they have large leather couches and chairs to chill out with friends...highly recommend this place. It was awesome to have a goodbye dinner with our good friends, Steve and Monica - enjoy the photos!

More Misc photos - I'm in trouble now!!

2008-10-01T21:59:00.007+08:00

This is the Singapore Gooseman again - I have to have fun while I still have access :) :)

Misc Photos of Family - Enjoy!

2008-10-01T21:27:00.005+08:00

This is the Singapore Gooseman writing - Thought I would toss out some misc. funny and cute photos for all to enjoy...

Singapore Subway - MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)

2008-10-01T21:19:00.006+08:00

This is just a glimpse of what it's like to travel on the Singapore subway called the MRT....very crowded most of the time and what the majority of Singaporeans use to get around. One can only hope that everyone on the MRT has recently showered and has used deodorant :)

Video taken on my trip to India

2008-09-30T23:09:00.006+08:00

Check out this short video of India....

1st F1 Night Race EVER in Singapore

2008-09-30T22:47:00.008+08:00

We went to dinner this past Sunday at Morton's :) :) YUMMY! However, here is the really COOL part....... when dinner was over, the 1st EVER F1 Night Race started and we were right next to one of the fastest parts of the track - it's loud, but turn up your speakers when you play this video anyway - it was simply amazing to see these cars going by @ 200+ MPH - talk about heart rates being sky high!!! (Be patient and TURN UP THE VOLUME - it's a 58 second video)

Gander's India Photos

2008-09-30T22:28:00.008+08:00

Misc photos of India - Enjoy!

Out on the streets of Chennai and Mumbai (Bombay) --

In the comfort of the hotel --

TROUBLE, TROUBLE, TROUBLE!!!!!!

2008-09-30T22:03:00.009+08:00

("Fountain of Wealth" at Suntec Towers in Singapore)

I finally convinced my wife to give me 'rights' to the blog - boy, she's a risky cat to say the least!!! ANYWAYS, all that aside, I thought I'd toss in some contribution to her blog effort. The experience of living in Singapore and traveling (Australia, New Zealand, and India thus far - Thailand on Sunday and then Malaysia, Shanghai and Hong Kong) thus far has been absolutely more amazing than I could have ever imagined. Thank God for this awesome opportunity to live abroad and be challenged professionaly in ways that are REALLY streching me.... I am SO excited to see my wife and kids enjoying the adventure with me and I thank God everyday that my wife was willing to come on this ride - otherwise, I would not have come. THANK YOU SWEETIE :)

Now on to some fun stuff....Here are some photos of India - All I will say is that when you see poverty on the TV or read about it in the paper it has some meaning - but seeing it live in front of you is a whole other ballgame - We all have a LOT to be thankful for.....catcha guys luego...if my wife lets me blog again :) Enjoy the pics and video if it works...
(Inside the hotel)

(Outside the hotel)

GG at school

2008-09-24T13:22:00.009+08:00

Since my last three posts were so long-winded, I thought I'd throw in a post with some pictures. Enjoy the lack of words. (Not complete absence of words, though. Sorry - I just can't bring myself to be that quiet.)

A week or two ago I was at school for a meeting. GG's lunchtime was about the same time my meeting ended so I joined her in the "canteen." Can you believe the number of kids? And this isn't all of them. There are over 3,000 kids in this school. Needless to say, the girls have had to adjust (especially GG). Imagine going from homeschooling and a few classes with about 10 kids each to this. See if you can spot GG. In the last two photos, she is standing behind her teacher.

What I like about Singapore, Part 3

2008-09-24T12:45:00.004+08:00

The public transportation.
Ok, so this is actually a mixed "like/dislike" because my liking the public transportation has come out of my not liking being car-less.

Yes. In case you didn't realize, we do not have a car. Not even one. We went from being a 2-car family that spent a good majority of our time in our cars to a 0-car family. Now Gander spends a good deal of time on airplanes, taxis, and buses and the girls and I spend a good deal of time in buses and a little time in taxis. We also have the option of going on the MRT (train) but it's about a 15+ minute walk to the station from our condo so that's why we usually opt for a bus, or a taxi if we're in a hurry, I have lots of groceries, or I'm feeling especially self-indulgent.

The public transportation is dependable, easy to use, and takes me almost anywhere I need to go. I don't usually have to walk more than 5-10 minutes to get to a bus stop. No, it's not as convenient or quick as a private car but it does the job.

Even more impressive is how clean the public transportation vehicles and MRT stations are. It really is amazing! I took the MRT yesterday and I was literally thinking that the train "sparkled." Yes, "sparkled" was the exact word for it. It was beyond clean. The buses don't quite sparkle but I have yet to see one that has graffiti or more than a tiny bit of litter.

On the topic of "easy to use" - we have these cards called EZ Link cards that we use to pay for bus/train trips. Much easier than dealing with money! And I can use my NETS card (basically what we call an ATM/bankcard) to "top up" the EZ Link cards with more money. Even cooler, I can use the EZ Link card to pay for McDonald's. Oh wait... I'm trying to avoid that place so I won't eat another apple pie.

I have become pretty good at reading a bus schedule and figuring out how to get places, if I do say so myself. Gander, of course, would prefer to just take a taxi but, as for me, I enjoy the logic "puzzle" of trying to figure it all out. Shouldn't be surprising if you know Gander and me -- he likes to get things done quickly while I tend to drag things out; he doesn't mind spending more money to get there quickly while I am pleased with myself for getting a "bargain." And a "bargain" is just what the bus is! Depending on where I go, it can be less than $1 to get there, maybe a little more than a $1 if it's a longer trip.

What I like about Singapore, Part 2

2008-09-24T12:37:00.003+08:00

Speaking of humidity (in my last post), that brings up the next thing I like about Singapore - McDonald's Apple Pie.

Huh?!?! What does that have to do with humidity, you may wonder.

Here's my line of thinking - with how much I sweat here (a good part of the time I'm outside and even much of the time I'm inside), I kept thinking "I really ought to be losing weight." (Yes, I know it would just be water weight, but still.) Until I realized, "It's the darn desserts everywhere I turn around." I can't avoid them. I can't go anywhere without seeing some sweet that tempts me. You have no idea how much time I spend walking past displays of sweets, telling myself "no" and coming up with reasons why I shouldn't get one to taste. (That would be, of course, besides the obvious reasons of it being bad for me and not helping my figure. Let's face it, those reasons aren't very effective with me.)

Anyways, I went for a good 2 weeks or so before finally breaking down and buying an apple pie at McDonald's last night. And, mmmmmm, it was as good as I remember from my childhood. These are the real apple pies, not the far inferior baked version that they sell at McDonald's back home.

So there. It may not be a noble reason to like Singapore but, hey, it's a reason!

Edited to add: I forgot to mention - sorry the photo is kind of blurry. Elly kept trying to get my apple pie while I was taking the picture so it made me move the camera. When I saw on the computer how blurry the photo actually was, I honestly considered going back to McD's today to buy another apple pie. I successfully managed to talk myself out of it, though, you'll be glad to know.

What I like about Singapore, Part 1

2008-09-24T11:09:00.006+08:00

In an effort to focus on positives and minimize negatives, I wanted to share with you a few of the things I've found that I like about Singapore. So this post and a few more after it will be just that.

Of course, this isn't everything I like about Singapore. I don't want to sound like I don't like it here; I do. I just miss home and despite liking it here, I could spend way too much time thinking about what I miss. So instead... I'll think about what I have here that I didn't have at home. So here we go!

The rain.
Today is a beautiful, not too sunny, breezy day. It rained for about an hour or so this morning, reminding me how much I love the rain. I believe it really makes the weather here much nicer. I liked the rain before coming here but, being so close to the equator now, I realize how much of a blessing the rain it.

We walked outside to go to the school bus and it actually felt cool this morning. It wasn't like walking into a sauna. For about 5 days before this, there had been very little rain so it felt hotter and more humid than normal (or at least what I think is normal, given that I've only been here about a month and a half). The heat doesn't bother me so much as the humidity.

In any case, I love when it rains (which it does quite often).

Gander is home!

2008-09-19T10:01:00.006+08:00

Gander arrived home late Wednesday night, very tired. He brought all three of us girls shirts. Isn't he thoughtful?

These are just some of the pictures he took while in Sydney, Australia.

The 2 pictures below were taken during his two days in Auckland, New Zealand. I guess he didn't have as much time for sightseeing in NZ.

"Free to pee! Free to pee!"

2008-09-16T22:14:00.005+08:00

If you haven't seen The Bridge to Terabithia movie, you have no idea what I'm ranting about: "Free to pee!" If you have, then you know it's the rally cry against a mean bully that charges the kids at her school to use the restroom (or "toilet" as it is so discreetly named here).

I really wish I had a picture to share with you but I just couldn't work up the boldness to take a picture. I even tried to sneak a shot using the camera function on my cell phone but I just knew the guy sitting behind the sign would see through what I was doing. I couldn't bare the thought of him thinking, "Look at that idiot taking a picture of my sign."

"WHAT SIGN?" I bet you're wondering. And "WHAT GUY?" And "WHAT does this all have to do with 'Free to Pee?'" I'm coming to that.

You know how shopping centers almost always have a public restroom? Well, today Elly had to go so badly that I had no choice but to take her to the public restroom in a shopping center, a place that I, generally, do my best to avoid. Lest you think this shopping center is like those that I posted photos of back in August, it is not. This place is far below the caliber of those shopping centers; in other words, the stores are nothing like Louis Vuitton, Prada, etc.

Back to the story... We walk up to the restroom to find a man sitting behind a counter/desk outside the entries to both male and female restrooms. On the front of his desk is a professional-looking sign that said something like:

20 Cents Per Toilet Entry
Present a toilet pass or
kindly pay 20 cents to use the toilet.

So I paid the guy 40 cents (since GG decided she needed to go, too) and he let us in. I guess I should be happy I got a "buy 2 get 1 free" deal but there is something about paying to use a not-very-clean restroom that just doesn't make me happy. Hmmm... wonder why.

And just to make the story even better, Elly refused to use the toilet because it was not up to her standards of cleanliness. I can't really blame her but I still tried to convince her as I loudly proclaimed, "I just paid 40 cents for you to go to the bathroom so you had better go now!" She didn't. Oh well. Live and learn. I am at least thankful that it was only 40 cents.

"Hmm... which pool shall we go in today?" ask GG and Elly

2008-09-13T22:59:00.007+08:00

If only the question of which pool to swim in was really that dignified and calm. Unfortunately, the (now daily) dilemma of deciding on a venue for swimming has become an ugly, whine-filled, no-way-to-make-everyone-happy occasion. Actually, it's turned into a lesson in taking turns. Since Elly and GG can't agree, I had to step in and lay down the law. Thursday was GG's turn to choose, Friday was Elly's turn, today was GG's turn, and so on.

As wonderful as the pools and outside area are at this condominium development, it has become a source of intense disagreement and more than a few tears. To put it simply, GG and Elly are spoiled by too many choices. Even after I turned it into an alternating schedule, there is still crying and begging and accusations of injustice (of course, not in that terminology). I suppose if the bad attitudes don't clear up soon, the next step would be to suspend swimming privileges for a while. I don't want to have to do that, though, so hopefully things will improve.

They really have no idea how fortunate they are.

In an attempt to try to lighten the negative tone of this post, here are some pictures of the "happy times." (Sorry. Just trying to share the joy [snicker] of this adventure with you all.)

Gander has flown South

2008-09-09T01:03:00.007+08:00

Sunday morning Gander left for his first trip which will last a total of 10 days. He is now in Australia and he'll go to New Zealand for awhile before coming home. He'll be home for 3 days before leaving for India.

If this is the last blog post you see for a long time, you can be sure it's because they had to take me away to the looney bin.

Please pray for my sanity!

Inside our home (BEFORE the ocean container arrived)

2008-09-08T23:37:00.019+08:00

I hope all these photos don't make it take too long for the webpage to load. My apologies if it does slow things down.

This is the main living area, what you see when you first walk in the front door.

Looking back toward the front door, this is what you see -- our dining area. The window is just for air. There is a wall outside the window, about 7 feet away.

On your left, while facing the dining area is a hallway to the bedrooms and bathrooms and there is also a door to the kitchen. What you see in the first kitchen photo is almost the entire kitchen. The only thing you can't see in that picture is what is shown in the third kitchen photo: the refrigerator and some more storage cabinets and drawers. The size of the kitchen and the bathrooms is going to take some major adjustment.

The door that you see on the right side of the first kitchen photo leads to the laundry area, garbage chute, and "domestic help quarters," which includes a tiny bathroom and "bedroom." We are using this space for storage. The "bedroom" is about 5 feet by 4 feet, if even that big. I don't think a twin size bed could even fit in it.

This is the master bedroom; one shot looking in and the other looking back toward the doorway. Actually, the door that you see in that second shot goes into the master bath. You can't see the bedroom door in these photos.

The photos below are the master bathroom. I didn't show a photo of the common bathroom because it looks pretty much like the master bath, just minus the tub and reverse direction.

The two regular bedrooms look the same. One is just slightly larger than the other. The larger room is GG and Elly's room. The other will be our "office." For anyone that was ever allowed to see our "office" at home in CA, you will know that this is code for storage/junk room. Honestly, I DO (and will) try my hardest to make it neat and organized and presentable but, if the past is any indicator, the "office" will continue to be an eyesore in our home.

Outside our new home

2008-09-08T22:45:00.009+08:00

As promised, here are some photos. I'm going to do several different posts with pictures so that there won't be 20+ photos in one post. I wish I could figure out how to do one of those neat little slideshows like I've seen on other blogs but I will have to save that for another time. It's already 11 PM and my rear end and back already hurt from sitting in a child-sized wooden chair with a box as the "desk" for my computer. (You'll see what I'm talking about in a different post.)

All of the photos in this post show the outside of our development.

This is part of what you see when walking in through the main entrance. The building straight ahead is our tower.

The next picture is a closer shot of our tower. You can't see our windows because they are behind the palm trees on the right.

The next two photos are taken looking out of the windows of our condo. (We are on the 7th floor. I am dealing much better with this height than I dealt with being on the 16th floor at our temporary apartment.)

This photo is 1 of 2 of the pools specifically geared toward children. Can you see part of the red slide on the right side of the pool? Water sprays down into the center of the kids' pool from that big structure you see. There is also a play area right next to the pool which you can't see here.

The photo with the three colored pillars is actually the "adult" pool. The kids are allowed to swim in there but it is much deeper and larger. It is to the right of where the kid's pool photo was taken.

This is one of several BBQ areas that can be reserved. It is in between the kids' pool and adult pool you saw in the previous two photos.

The last two photos are more detail of the kids' pool and play area.

Checking in very quickly

2008-09-03T22:22:00.003+08:00

Sorry to be absent for so long. We moved into our very own condo/apartment this past Saturday-Monday. Our ocean container (full of our items we shipped from CA) was delivered on Monday. The movers assembled and arranged the furniture that we shipped, which wasn't much, and unpacked the boxes that I wanted them to unpack. Because we don't have much storage space and very little furniture that can be used for storage (bookshelves, dressers, etc.), I decided to have the movers leave a lot of the boxes packed. I have a very bad feeling that it is going to take me months, if not longer, to work my way through all of this stuff.

I promise to post photos of our condo sometime (hopefully) soon. However, with a home full of boxes, my blog is taking a bit of a back seat. I actually just got signed up for internet service in our condo on Tuesday and was able to figure out how to get the modem and connection all set up on Wednesday afternoon. So... YEAH! I'm back online. But... aaarggh! I won't be around much. I'll get back in the swing of things soon, though. (I hope.)

P.S. I made a change to the look of the blog again. Hopefully it makes it a bit easier to read. Keep the feedback coming and I'll see what I can do with the HTML to work things out. :-)

The post about my blog's new look

2008-08-29T15:18:00.004+08:00

I spent way too much time today clicking around from blog to blog to blog today. Yes... I had more important things to do but I figured with the busy weekend we have coming up, I wanted to spend some time being unproductive today to make up for it. I'm thankful for the opportunity to "waste" some time and don't plan on making it a habit. Trust me... I know what it feels like to not have time to spare for such "leisurely activities."

As a result of my blog visits, I found Leelou Blogs. She has wonderful blog designs and I managed to figure out how to change mine, using one of her **free** (!!!) layouts.

I think it is much prettier than what I was using before. However, I think it is a little more difficult to read. I made a few changes already in an attempt to make it easier on the eyes but I'm not really sure if it's enough.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think. (Unfortunately, I can't change back to my layout from before because I didn't bother to save it, but I could try to make some changes when I have time to muddle through the HTML. I don't know how to write the code but I muddle through by guessing.)

Two Embarrassing Things That Happened to Me Today

2008-08-28T22:21:00.004+08:00

I don't know why but I feel compelled to share my embarrassments with the world (wide web, that is). I hope you get a laugh, or at least a giggle.

1. I fell into someone's lap when I failed to hold on or sit in time before the bus started driving after I boarded. What can I say... the whole "riding on the bus" thing is pretty unfamiliar for me.

2. I had to jump back on the curb when I almost got run down by a car because I was looking the wrong direction. (In case you aren't aware, they drive on the opposite side of the road here in S'pore than in the U.S.)

YES, I realize I should have been looking both ways,

which I actually kind of did, but apparently I didn't look hard enough the right way. At least in London they have arrows/signage to remind you which way to look for traffic. No such luck here. I've got to be more careful because this one had the potential to be more than just embarrassing.

I'm sure there will be many more "embarrassing moments" to share some time soon. Feel free to share your own in the comments. :-D

RESULTS- "The Price is Right" Single Serving Horizon Milk

2008-08-27T14:54:00.014+08:00

Sorry for keeping you hanging so long. I know you must all be dying to know the actual cost of the milk. (See this post if you don't know what I'm talking about.)

First, I want to say thanks to everyone who played! I'm so glad you joined in the fun and I hope you'll play the next time I do this. (I already have in mind the next item but I'm going to catch up on some other blogging topics before another round of "The Price is Right.") Anyways, thanks again for leaving comments. :-)

Next, I'll announce the price of the item, which was a single serving Horizon milk (any flavor)...

S$5 = US$3.52

[I used "Coinmill" to convert the

Singapore dollars to U.S. dollars.]

Can you believe it? Almost 4 bucks for a little thing of milk. Yeah, sure, it's organic but, come on! That is nuts, if you ask me.

Next - - THE WINNERS!!!!

(drumroll)

1st - Jenny in CA

(She barely beat out the next two contestants by a difference of 2 cents.)

(2-way tie) for 2nd -

"3boysmama" (Crystal) and Lisa G.

Jenny guessed US$4 and Crystal and Lisa G. guessed US$3. If I were doing "The Price is Right" TV rules, Jenny would have been eliminated because she guessed higher than the actual price. However, this is "The Price is Right" blog-style so she remains the winner, though only by 2 cents.

Honorable Mentions --

*Melanie - Extra points for trying to guess the size. You guessed 6 oz. but I THINK it was actually 8 oz., though I'm not certain.

*"justnessa" - Kudos for knowing how much a case at Costco costs AND how much Starbucks (in U.S.) charges for one. You didn't mention how many are in a case though. I'd be interested to use the per case cost divided by the number of milks in one case to calculate the cost of one milk purchased at Costco and compare it to how much I'd pay here.

General Comments --

*No... I did not actually purchase this item. Anyone who knows me could probably guess that there is no way I would pay that much money for a little thing of milk.

*Not all milk in Singapore is that expensive. It's the fact that it's organic and it's from America (I think) that makes it so expensive. In case you are wondering, a half-gallon of organic milk costs about S$16 here. That's a little more than US$11. Nope. Not buying that either. The non-organic is much less expensive (though still not cheap), but not enough to make us switch to soy or rice milk. Thankfully, we don't use much milk. I think cheese will be more of a problem. That's more than S$10 for a small block of cheddar. Yikes!

"The Price is Right"- Single Serving Horizon Organic Milk

2008-08-22T15:39:00.004+08:00

Can you guess the price of this item?

It doesn't matter which flavor. They are all the same price.

You are guessing the price of only one of these and they are the single serving size.

For directions on how to play, see this post:

How to Play "The Price is Right" (blog-style)

2008-08-22T15:21:00.007+08:00

I thought it'd be fun to play a little game - - my blog version of "The Price is Right." I'll show/describe an item I've seen in the store here that I know will be familiar to my American friends. To play, leave a comment with your guess of how much you think the item costs. (You can guess in American $ if you like.) [Please don't cheat and try to find the item online.]

In a few days, I will have a "Results" blog-post where I announce the actual price and who guessed the closest to it. (I'll tell you the price in both Singapore $ and an estimated U.S. $ equivalent.)

I'm sorry but I don't have any prizes. I hope you'll enjoy playing anyways. (To be honest, I hope this isn't a flop. Please leave a comment with a guess. Pretty please!)

If you post an anonymous comment, be sure to sign your comment with you're name so I can credit you if you have the closest guess.

Intro to Electrical Switches in Singapore - Course 101

2008-08-20T11:08:00.006+08:00

I know this is all pretty inconsequential and of little importance to you but I thought I'd share anyways. Here is what I have had to learn about operating electrical switches in Singapore.

1. Many of the light switches are outside the room. You don't know how many times I've reached to switch on the light in the bathroom just to have to stop and remember... "Oh yeah, I have to walk back out of the bathroom to turn on the light." Or, as I understand it, in Singapore, I ought to say "...walk back out of the bathroom to on the light." On and off are used as verbs.

2. The switches are quite a bit smaller and you have to press them with force rather than just gently flip them up or down as with traditional light switches in the U.S.

3. See the switch with a red light next to it on the right side of the photo? That is for the water heater. We have three of those switches in our apartment. One for the master bathroom, one for the common bathroom, and one for the kitchen. I have to admit, I actually like this because I can see why they do it this way. You don't waste money as with a whole house water heater that is on all the time and has to cycle on and off to keep the water hot and ready at a moment's notice. However, it is hard to get used to the need to prepare to shower or wash dishes by turning on the water heater ahead of time. It also makes it difficult to wash hands with warm water since we don't leave the heaters on throughout the day. Whenever the girls come up from swimming, the first thing I tell them is "Go turn on the water heater so you can take a shower."

4. Every electrical outlet (you know, where you plug things in) has a switch. Not only do you have to plug in whatever it is you want to use, you also must move the switch to the on position. (This has actually resulted in a few laughs for me. Just the other day, Gander couldn't figure out why the iron wasn't heating up. He had forgotten to switch on the electrical outlet.)

5. The on position is opposite how I think it should be. You know how in the U.S. if a light is on the switch is pushed up. Well, here if the light is on, the switch is pushed down. (In the photo above, everything is off.)

So now you know more about electrical switches in S'pore then you ever wanted to know. At least if you ever come visit us, you'll be prepared, right?

A few random photos

2008-08-20T10:55:00.005+08:00

This was the Friday of the girls' first week of school. Smiles!! A good thing. :-D (Elly is wearing her PE uniform, which they each wear twice a week. GG is just wearing a different uniform option than the first day.)

I thought I'd post a few random photos. Enjoy!

Another post about one of my favorite topics - FOOD!

2008-08-18T10:16:00.015+08:00

I'm starting to think that I should have given this blog a name related to food. Jenny originally suggested "All this and an eggroll, too" as a blog name. I'm starting to think I should have gone with that. Oh well. (Interestingly, I haven't yet had an eggroll in Singapore, though I did have some spring rolls on Saturday. Maybe they are considered the same thing. Not sure.) Anyhow... I thought I'd share some photos of new foods we've tried in Singapore.

About a week and a half ago, our housing agent took us out for a wonderful meal at Jumbo Seafood at the East Coast, overlooking the Singapore Strait.

These two pictures show "otah"

(fish paste wrapped in a banana leaf). Pretty good warm but not so good after it cooled off.

Next we have chili crab. I thought it was excellent!! I made a mess but it was worth it.

Eric's favorite was the black pepper crab. I enjoyed it, too. I just liked the chili crab better.

We had several other dishes but I did not take photos. They were all wonderful but I was feeling slightly embarrassed about taking pictures of food so I stopped. Sorry to disappoint you. ;-)

Mmmmmm . . . Morton's

2008-08-18T09:43:00.010+08:00

Is this the look of someone who is enjoying her food, or what?

We were eating a heavenly chocolate dessert at an amazing restaurant called Morton's Steakhouse. They are worldwide. We've been to Morton's in the U.S. several times and were not disappointed with our first time eating at the Morton's in Singapore.

We can't wait for an excuse to go back.

This is the object of our delight - -

We loved our Cajun ribeye steaks, too, but there is just something about a lava-flow of chocolate combined with vanilla ice cream that makes one temporarily forget about everything else.

Catching up - When we went to Raffles Hotel and the Long Bar

2008-08-14T13:34:00.014+08:00

One of the finest hotels in the world is located in Singapore. It's the Raffles Hotel. Located within Raffles Hotel, is the Long Bar, the place where the cocktail "Singapore Sling" originated. Being the suckers we are, we had to go just to say we'd been there. I say we are suckers because the place is WAY overpriced!! While Singapore is expensive, this was even more expensive.

Gander had a S$25 Singapore Sling and a S$21 Tiger Beer, ate the free peanuts, and had a few "nachos" (if you can call them that). Elly had a S$9 glass of coke. GG drank water and ate peanuts. I drank water, had a few sips of Tiger Beer, and ate a few chips from the so called "nachos." These "nachos" were the worst I've ever had. (I'm talking not even Taco Bell quality.) We should have known better than to order nachos in Singapore. At least we know now.

Oh, by the way, the Long Bar is probably the only place in Singapore where you are allowed to litter. Your supposed to throw your peanut shells on the ground. GG liked that part. She got a little carried away and started throwing her shells at Daddy but, as you probably guessed, that was only after Daddy threw a few shells at her.

Here is a photo of Daddy and his little girls --

It's definitely overpriced but I will give them credit, there is gorgeous outdoor dining area (in a

kind-of-like plaza type area in the center of the hotel property). (See the top of this post. The photo doesn't show how pretty it really is but you get the idea.)

Poor Elly couldn't keep her eyes open the night we went to Raffles. She is so cute when she falls asleep sitting up, don't you think?

2 out of 4 - Getting to the school bus on time

2008-08-14T13:19:00.005+08:00

So far, I'd say I'm not doing too well with regard to getting the girls to the school bus on time. They literally had to hold the bus for GG and Elly as it was pulling out of the driveway. They saw me running to the bus (probably not a pretty sight) and, most likely, heard me yelling to the girls to "HURRY UP!! It's leaving! RUN!!!" Poor Elly was in tears. I guess the positive side is that they did get on the bus without having to run down the street trying to catch up to it as it was driving. In all honesty, though, it probably wouldn't have been the girls chasing down the bus, it would have been me and we all know I NEVER would have caught it.

In my favor, though, I have to say that I have not been late picking up the girls at the bus yet. :-D

Yeah for me!!

Overdue - the post about our first day in Singapore

2008-08-12T14:37:00.038+08:00

As promised, here are some more photos. These are all from our first day in Singapore.

The building in the center of the photos is where we are living right now - - on the SIXTEENTH floor!! I kind of have to keep my distance from the windows. I don't mind looking out the windows as long as I don't look down.

In the bottom left-hand corner of this photo you can see part of a large shopping center that is home to a department store called Takashimaya. The tall tower is part of the development. I *think* it is condos but it might be offices. I'm not sure.

Here is what is hiding in the basement of the Takashimaya shopping center. Well, I guess it isn't really hiding but, from the looks of the rest of the mall I wouldn't expect to find this here. This is a store full of children's items.

Do these people like to shop or what??

The pictures here are inside another shopping center, just across the street. It is The Paragon. I feel like I'm in Beverly Hills inside The Paragon. It is full of extremely upscale shops - A/X Armani Exchange, Tod's, Cartier, Coach, etc. See how many people are shopping? Crazy!!

To greet us on our first day in Singapore, this orchestra from a middle school played outside The Paragon. Actually, they were performing to celebrate the 43rd birthday of Singapore. There were various groups performing the whole weekend preceding "National Day" (on August 9) to honor their country.

Finally, we found a restaurant for dinner about 8 pm. We left my parents house for LAX about 4:00 PM on Thursday, July 31. We arrived in Singapore at about 5:00 AM on Saturday, August 1 and took a short nap so we could make it through the day on Singapore time. So by 8 PM we were all exhausted. The poor girls couldn't even stay awake to eat. But at least they (mostly) slept through our first night here and had a good start adjusting to the new time zone.

The post about Elly's first day of school

2008-08-12T13:36:00.012+08:00

My baby is officially a "big girl!" This statement is accompanied by both smiles and tears. I can't believe it's been more than 5 years since I looked on "Elly's" beautiful face for the first time. You would think that I would have felt this last month, on her fifth birthday, but I guess it took watching her ride away in a school bus to bring it on. I wonder why I didn't feel the same way when GG rode away in the bus but I guess maybe it is because I was so relieved that she went, I didn't have a chance to feel sentimental. Or maybe it's because she is older so, even though it was the first day of school for both of them EVER, it just felt different.

As I suspected, Elly had no problem at all with saying goodbye. She hopped on the bus like she'd been doing it her whole life and smiled at me through the window. Can you see the top of her sweet little head in the picture below? I can tell she is smiling. :-D

Here is my confession - - The girls almost missed the bus. It's barely the second day of having to get to the bus on time and they almost missed it! I barely had time to snap a photo of Elly before we ran to the waiting bus, after everyone else had already boarded.

What kind of a mom am I? I guess I'm the kind that used to homeschool - - and one of the many, many reasons why is that I always thought (and now have confirmed) that I would have problems getting them to school (or the bus, in this case) on time. I've GOT to manage my time better.

You might be wondering...

2008-08-11T18:10:00.004+08:00

. . . why only GG had her first day of school today.

Elly is in, what they call K-2 (second year of kindergarten). The children in kindy had a non-school day today. We got to go to a brief meeting with her teacher and the teacher's assistant today. Just the five of us met in the classroom so she had an opportunity to get a little comfortable in the setting before the craziness of a classroom of 23 little ones starts on Tuesday morning.

Elly is going to have a blast!! She was already making herself "at home." I'll update you on her first day tomorrow.

If today is any indication, this is going to be a great year. I am so excited for all of us. I'll miss homeschooling, I know, but I am feeling like this will be a very good experience.

GG's First Day of School Update

2008-08-11T18:03:00.007+08:00

I'm thrilled!! GG had a good first day of school. :-D

Before school started I had e-mailed her teacher to give her a little "insight" into GG, hoping it might help things go more smoothly. She e-mailed me back about a half an hour after school was dismissed with this message:

"Just to let you know that G.. had a very good first day. She was quite shy initially and chose to hold my hand in the line -up this morning. Once she was introduced to her buddy ( H..) however,she seemed much happier and was chatting and laughing throughout the rest of the day! During the afternoon, G.. was putting her hand up and participating in our discussions.

I know it's still early days,but I'm extremely pleased with the start G.. has made in Grade Two

Well done, G..!"

The post about GG's first day of school

2008-08-11T13:45:00.021+08:00

Today was GG's first day of school . . . EVER!

She went to a co-op preschool run by the moms of the kids involved and she went to learning center classes when we were homeschooling but none of those are the same as "regular" school.

While I can't say GG was excited about going to school, I am happy to report that it went more smoothly then I was expecting.

We had to get past the tantrum stage but at least that was while we were still in the privacy of our apartment. Here is what GG looked like shortly after the tantrum stage.

A few of the complaints GG expressed this morning were:

"I hate EVERYTHING here!!"

"I never want to go to school, EVER!!"

"I don't want to make any friends - - I only want my real friends from home."

But I have to be honest - I can't say that if I were in her shoes I would feel any better about the circumstances. We've all had to adjust to a LOT of changes but I think that it has been most difficult for GG. Overall, I'd say she is handling it pretty well for someone that normally

has a tough time with any type of change, much less a complete life change.

Once we got past the tantrum stage, GG did really did pretty well until she had to get on the bus. But even then, at least she didn't have to be dragged, kicking and screaming. She walked on her own two feet and I don't think she even cried. (Although I could be wrong since I wasn't actually on the bus with her.) In the photo below you can see that she needed some gentle help to get on but, like I said, she didn't have to be dragged!!!

And for that, I am thankful! Very thankful!!

The post about blogging and my new MacBook!!!!

2008-08-08T13:37:00.006+08:00

It seems I can't go anywhere without thinking about blogging. I am finding myself, more and more, thinking, "I should blog about this," or "_____ would be a good name for a post about this." I don't suppose this is a bad thing but it IS a frustrating thing. It has been difficult to get online. My last post was about overcoming the obstacles related to using a different electricity supply for our computers. Now my problem is actually getting an internet connection. I'll spare you the details and just say... it's a pain in the toosh.

So, just so you know, my plans for blog entries are grand and you won't be sorry if you come back to read them (I hope)! I just need:
1. more time to spend blogging (which I will have next week when the girls start school),
2. to figure out a way to get my photos from my old computer onto this computer or figure out a way to get my old computer to connect to the internet.
&
3. a more reliable way of connecting to the internet.

For now, will you accept my apologies for not blogging about more interesting things and a promise to do better in the future?

OH.... and I almost forgot. I was going to tell you about my new MacBook!!! Well, it's not actually "mine." It's more "ours" (for me and Gander) but since he will be working and traveling so much, I expect that I will get to use it more (lucky me!).
Here it is - -

Back Online!!

2008-08-04T22:21:00.003+08:00

The lengths we will go to in order to get online - - -

*1 blown out electrical supply/cord/thingymadoodle
*1 time blowing out the electricity in the outlets on the wall we were plugged into
*1 purchase and subsequent return of a converter that didn't solve the problem
*About 5 different stores visited by Gander to find a transformer/converter that would work
*1 purchase (almost S$300, by the way) of an adapter for laptops that seems to be working

Now we are finally back online!!

I still haven't been able to fire up my computer; I've just been using Gander's. I don't know how to download photos onto Gander's computer so, I'm sorry but you will have to keep waiting to see pictures. Maybe I can get to that tomorrow or the next day.

I just wanted to check in before bedtime. We need to get an early start tomorrow. Our "agent" (realtor + local guide type person) will be taking us to see 9 condos tomorrow so we need to get our rest.

A little funny

2008-08-02T13:22:00.002+08:00

Before we go on our errands, I had to share a quick "funny."

In an effort to be helpful, Gander e-mailed some people (not sure who) with a 800 number for the serviced apartment where we will be living until we find a permanant place. He did not notice on the website where the number was listed that it is a local 800 number, and thus would only work when making the call from within Singapore. So......... it turns out that when this number is called from within the United States, it is a number for some association of some type for "consenting adults." (LOLOL! I'm a little nervous about posting that phrase on my blog. If anyone does an internet search for the phrase, I hope I don't come up. Yikes! Wouldn't want people getting the wrong idea.)

So far, my dad is the only person that I know has tried to call us. He so kindly shared the experience with us when we called to let my parents know we arrived safely. He asked Gander, "What kind of place are you guys staying at?" Gotta love my dad. (I do love you, Dad!)

Anyhow... if you have that 800 number, now you know you can't reach us that way!!

The VERY FIRST post written in Singapore

2008-08-02T13:16:00.002+08:00

I'm just checking in quickly to let any faithful blog-readers know that we made it safely. The flight went very well and, in my opinion, GG and Elly were terrific. I only had to tell GG"shhhh" a few times and other than that they were perfectly behaved. We all got to sleep for a good part of the flight.

We touched down at Changi Airport in Singapore at exactly 4:59 AM on Saturday, August 2. Funny. I think when I post this it may show that I am posting it on Friday, August 1. I haven't changed my location to Singapore yet in my settings.

Now that I've checked in it is time to go shopping for a few essentials, grab some lunch (it's already 1:20 PM), and, hopefully, take a few photos to post here.

"See" you soon. :-)

Another post written in San Luis Obispo

2008-07-28T00:15:00.002+08:00

I'll tell you two big differences from our time here 12 years ago to now --

1. My parents didn't come with us on our honeymoon but they are here with us this year. (They came back from London yesterday just so they could see us before we leave for Singapore. It only made sense to invite them to join us, otherwise we'd miss half the time that we are all here. I know, kind of odd, but we really enjoy time with my mom and dad so it isn't as weird as it sounds.)

2. How do I say this without giving out TMI? On a scale of 1-10, 1 being worst:
Honeymoon = pretty close to a 1;
12th anniversary = pretty close to a 10!
:-)

The post written in San Luis Obispo

2008-07-27T23:57:00.003+08:00

Today is our 12th wedding anniversary!! Exactly 12 years ago Gander and I made a promise to God, each other, and our friends and family that we would love and honor each other no matter what. It hasn't all been easy or perfect but it has all been worth it.

EVERY anniversary we've gone away somewhere for at least 1 night to celebrate. A few weeks ago Gander surprised me by telling me we were going to go back to the same room we stayed in during part of our honeymoon, so here we are in room 300 of the Apple Farm Inn in San Luis Obispo.

The post where I express my gratitude (and some sadness)

2008-07-25T06:38:00.001+08:00

I'll be honest. There have been times before we made our decision to move, that I thought I wouldn't really miss my home and my life in CA. I don't know how I could have believed that. I guess maybe the stress and busy-ness of everyday life can make me lose sight of the blessings woven throughout my "everyday" days. As the time for us to leave gets closer and closer, I'm realizing more and more what I am leaving behind. And if that isn't bad enough, I think once I get to Singapore, it will get worse. I know I am going to miss my friends and family most of all.

I don't know how I could have missed seeing what was so clear -- I have amazing friends that I love and they love me. I can't believe how many people are praying for our family and how many people have made genuine offers to help us as we prepare to move. Right now I am making myself at home at my best friend's house (Jenny of "Home is Where you Start From"). Her very talented and generous husband did a whole bunch of work on our house for us as a favor. (That reminds me, I need to post a photo of our beautiful bathroom floor that he tiled.) Several of the moms from my homeschool support group bathed me and my family in prayer on Monday night - - what a beautiful blessing! And they plus others are keeping us in their prayers regularly.

I can't even list all the ways that friends and family have shown their love. (There are lots of other examples I could have listed.) I guess that's kind of the idea though, right? Friends are those that give and bless without condition or expectation of repayment or accounting/keeping track of everything. I don't deserve their friendship and I didn't earn their acts of kindness. Now that I think about it, it reminds me of how God freely gave me life in Him and I don't have to earn His perfect love.

So all that to say to my dear friends and family... thank you for all you do and say to show your love and friendship. Thank you for reminding me of Who loves me beyond all measure.

The post where I check in for just a few minutes

2008-07-21T14:17:00.001+08:00

I wanted to let you know that I didn't fall of the face of the earth. I've just been incredibly busy. I knew I would be busy getting ready to move but I didn't realize it would be this bad. The good news is, I *think* I am almost done with a good deal of the craziness. I still have lists galore or things to do, calls to make, etc. but...........(drumroll)............... the house is almost entirely empty!!! And that is a huge accomplishment. I wish I had taken more pictures but, alas, you will just have to trust me when I say... there was an awful lot of STUFF in our house. I mean... how in the world did I end up with 3 different computers, 4 moniters, and 3 printers? (None of which were being used, by the way.) Thankfully I found an electronic waste collection event and was able to take care of all of that fairly easily... if you can call TWO trips with the back of a Jeep Grand Cherokee full of items easy.

The movers came on 7/14 and, silly me, I thought that would mark the end of craziness and I would have time after that to actually spend time with friends before we leave and kind of relax. HA! I know that I am truly a pessimist but, oddly enough, this is one clear example of a time when I was being overly optimistic. Then again, maybe it was just ignorance about how much work it really takes to get ready to move to another continent.

I had better go for now. I need to wake up early to drive from my parent's house to my house in time to clean up some of the trash and dust in our house before the painters arrive in the morning. Hopefully I will be able to post some more soon. I have so much to talk about!

The post where I let you peak

2008-07-04T02:39:00.001+08:00

I don't have much time for blogging at the moment but I had to share a glimpse into my world. (Please try to hide your shock and disdain.)

And to think... this is just the tip of the iceberg.

I'll show you what it looks like later. Tomorrow we are having a Fourth of July party (combo b-day party for Elly) so very soon I will be hiding all of our messes in the room we call "the office." Ha, ha!

The post where I explain why

2008-06-28T09:11:00.000+08:00

Why did we decide to leave the only place in the world we've ever lived and drag our two daughters away from the only home they've ever known? Pretty much it boils down to 1 giant thing and 2 big things.

#1- Faith - We recognize that God has always led us and helped us grow in Him when we follow. We have put all of this in God's hands and He has been the one that worked out the details. We're trusting that this opportunity comes from Him.

#2- Adventure! I've never thought of myself as the adventurous type. Definitely, Gander, my husband is an adventurer but NOT me.) I can't blame this on him, though. He's not dragging along his unwilling wife and children. Well, maybe one of the children is unwilling but I'm not. I'm excited (and nervous)! I know this is going to be a MAJOR change and it's not going to be easy but, WOW! How many people in North America ever have the opportunity to travel to Asia much less live there? How many families get to develop a wider view and understanding of the world and cultures through first-hand experience? We're leaving our bubble and going to see what's out there for ourselves.

#3- It's called "career advancement." Gander will be working directly for the president of the Asia-Pacific region of his company. He'll get international exposure and gain experience and skill sets beyond what he could get if he stayed in North America. It would be an understatement to say that Gander is an optimist and a dreamer but, even this, I don't know if he ever dreamed of an experience like this. I am so proud of him and I know he is going to do an amazing job!!

The post where I introduce my blog

2008-06-28T09:08:00.000+08:00

It was about 1 month ago my husband and I traveled across the Pacific Ocean and set foot on the continent of Asia for the first time ever. Now we are preparing to move there for "who knows ?" how long. We're surrounded by piles and boxes of "stuff" and I am sweeping up miniature mountains of dust bunnies that have collected under/behind our furniture and belongings during the eleven years we've lived in the same home. My nose is stuffy and my eyes are itchy from all the dust. But in about two weeks our house will be completely empty and all of our belongings (with the exception of a few suitcases and their contents) will be either in storage, donated, or ready to ship to Singapore.

Since we made the decision to relocate from Southern California to Singapore, I've had so many people tell me things like, "You'll have to stay in touch. We'd love to hear about your experiences and what it's like in Singapore." I thought this blog would be the best way to let people join in our adventure, in a sense. I'll share about the experience of moving and, when we get there, you can read (and hopefully see plenty of pictures) that will show you what our new life is like. I'll be the crazy American walking around Singapore snapping photos like a tourist -- and all so you can "join me."

So I hope you'll enjoy hearing about everything. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know you're here. I'd love to visit your blog in return.