The Coldness

In the days in Singapore leading up to our trip, the boys had talked incessantly about refreshing cold Canada. En route, there was already a foreboding sign of the things to come. We had just de-planed and entered the Tokyo airport when Frunty announced that he was cold and wanted to go outside to warm up. Go outside to warm up? Not in Japan where it’s around 10 degrees. Wait till we get to Canada.

Yesterday evening, we told Pit to get into bed but he complained that the bed sheets were cold. The Mommy explained that this is what it means to be in Canada - things are cold. Pit simply stated that he likes the snow in Canada but not the coldness.

27 Hours

27 hours is the time it took to get from Singapore to Toronto. Spread out over three flights, we crossed the globe and gained back a day. The boys were fantastic little travellers who knew the drill at the airport and on-board. I was worried at the start of the trip when I realised that the in-flight entertainment was not great for them and that we didn't pack many toys or activities. But the boys didn't disappoint and they kept the peace throughout the journey. Actually, what am I saying - I slept through most of the trip and missed most meals, all movies and any fist fights. Even the fact that our special diet request meals were not provided on board didn't cause panic. Thanks to the 2 stop-overs, we managed to get appropriate food in the airports.

We left the house in Singapore at 5:30am for our 6.5 hour flight to Tokyo. We landed there to see a wonderful early sunset at 4:30pm before our 9 hour flight to San Francisco. The strange part was that we landed in the morning of the * same * day. We had just enough time for a sushi breakfast and Christmas story time in the bookstore before we were back on-board for the last leg to Toronto of 4.5 hours. Final destination arrival was smooth with an on-time landing at 8pm, retrieval of all of our luggage in one piece, and my parents pick-up.

All in all, the boys were great and the trip was almost easy (especially since I slept through most of it).

No Clouds

When there are no clouds in the sky, it feels super hot. I mean, scorching. I mean, Kenny Rogers Roastin'!! And that is when I am so happy that we are on holidays and ever-so-grateful that we have a swimming pool. In and out of the water, aaahhh...relief. Of course, we could have our air-con on but that kind of cold is unnecessary. We just need some refreshment from this tropical heat. Each morning, I boil a big pot on the stove and add a couple of tea bags. Chamomile, honey vanilla, Chinese tea...whatever. When it is cool, I transfer it into a container that goes into the fridge. Later we add ice, lime, cranberry juice, etc. or nothing at all. The kids like tea too.

Singapore boasts the healthiest water available in its pipes on the planet. There is a free shuttle bus from our MRT every two hours to check out a New-Water plant nearby. I hope to take the kids in the future to check out this water supply and learn more. On top of this supposedly clean water, we are filtering it and/or boiling it depending on our needs. I am happy to have a bigger fridge than in Brussels where we can have lots of different types of refreshments. It may seem like very little to our readers but after you have lived with a bar fridge for 6 years, a fridge like ours now seems incredible!!

Must hit the hay as tomorrow, another new day is coming full of play and I need to be ready. Ready for fun! Happy holidays!

Room Sale

Today the kids and I went to a nearby garage sale. If you have been reading my blog over the years, you'll know how I feel about garage sales. Well, my kids love them too and with $2 each in their tiny, brown hands, they headed off with me trying to keep up, to a house down the way. We came home with some books and toy cars and a new, second-hand monkey. What fun!

Daddy and I just found on our bedroom door a sign written by Frunty inviting us to a sale tomorrow at the bedroom of Pit. It seems that Pit is selling some toys. Normally at Christmas time, the kids and I go through toys and deliver them to a nearby women's shelter. This year, we haven't found a charity yet and so the kids have come up with a different idea. I'll be darned though since we just sent all those toys over from Belgium and therefore, we won't be getting rid of them quite yet. I may purchase one of Pit's stuffed toys though. I like his new, baby Kangaroo if it is for sale!

Today I did my third load of laundry with my brand new machine. The first load of laundry I did in our new home never dried. After three days outside, it remained wet as storm after storm drenched the clothes over and over. I had to re-wash the entire load as it started to smell yucky. That was my second experience with my new machine. Today though was the third and third time lucky. With gorgeous blue skies and an incredible breeze, my clothes swayed in the sun and now smell fresh and feel great. I have bamboo poles set up outside to hang the clothes on and inside, a hanging system with a fan which circulates air. So I did several loads because of such favourable conditions!! And heard other tenants' washing machines going too! What fun! Oh, did I already say that?!

The kids and I went for Chicken Rice at Market 58 by bike. What a lovely evening. Daddy had to work so couldn't partake but next time will indeed join us. While we had pasta and sauce last night with Australian ground beef chez nous, most nights we eat out at nearby markets. It is so nice to sit outside and try all the Asian food stalls. I feel so fortunate to be experiencing this Singaporean way of life. Yes, you've heard it before! What fun!

Tampines Primary's Historical Day!

We got a letter today from Frunty's school. Currently, the students are at a temporary site while their brand new building is being completed. This Friday, the students are to report to the new site for the official opening and celebratory walk. I am so excited. We will have to wake up extra early to take a taxi. With life being so exciting over here, it is hard to get to sleep and indeed, the other night, Frunty stayed up way too late. But who could blame him? He just got his report card with favourable reviews! I am so proud of him. Here is his report card after two months in Singapore:

"Fruny speaks well and confidently. He accepts new ideas readily. He is a calm pupil who thinks before he acts. He shows respect towards teachers and peers. He is always willing to help his friends when they are in need. Frunty has shown sustained commitment that is highly commendable."

And like my school reports as a kid, Frunty got 38/38 for attendance!! His overall conduct is "very good". Of course, as a proud mom of a son who transitioned so well from the Belgium system and way of life to a completely different experience in Singapore, I think his conduct is, like his new, rocketship-decorated bedroom, out of this world!! Honestly, from the moment he sat alongside those "strangers", Frunty has attended Tampines with a glad heart. Jumping out of bed, getting his uniform on with glee, riding through the early streets to get to his school, chatting the whole way there and back about what he was going to do and what he had done, I have to stay that this Tampinesian is 100% impressive. Well done, Frunts! You are a star.

Too Many Socks!

Today I went up to Pit's room to play and saw a whole bunch of socks on top of his dresser. I started to put them into his drawer when he said, "No, don't put them back! I don't want them anymore!" I checked in his drawer and saw 4 pairs. Quite enough really since he wears crocs everyday anyway and will have special socks eventually with his school uniform! I think Pit is a minimalist!

Speaking of the kids' rooms, they are super great and I am so thrilled with how they decided to decorate them. Frunty has a silver and blue space room with stars and planets and a rocket ship on the wall. His bed is high up with table and cool, red chair underneath. He chose it all and honestly, I am impressed. I think the red chair is just perfect. I really tried not to sway him in any way. Pit's room is orange/green/brown and will have African animals on the wall. I went downtown today to purchase them but they were out of stock. It seems all of Singapore is too so they have to be ordered!!

Speaking of going downtown today, I got a babysitter from China named Yajing to play with the kids for three hours. I went back to our old haunt, Orchard and Scots Roads. It turns out the plaza near our first home at Cairnhill Towers, has three second-hand book shops. I got a bunch of books for the upcoming Christmas season! Yajing used to work at the massage center where we go. This was her first babysitting job, she said! I guess she is somewhere in her twenties and married. Hopefully the kids were as good as she said they were...wouldn't want to scare her!

Yajing practised Mandarin with Frunty and said he was really great. She said some 7 year olds she knows in China don't write the characters as well as Frunty does. What a nice compliment! Maybe she'll babysit again!

Tomorrow we are expecting a special shipment of furniture from the Gallery House where Uncle "Candy" works, a man the kids got attached to during several of our visits. (he gives them candy each time!) I am looking forward to two small tables and a unit for odds and sods by the fish tank. So far, we have the two whicker chairs I purchased from the previous tenant in front of our tank so we can enjoy "fish tank dinners!" (In Brussels, we sometimes had "tv dinners!") We are just loving our tank and a lot of other things here in Singapore! Wish I could snap my fingers and you could all come and see!

Fish Spa and IKEA Fun!

Frunty has holidays these next two days and luckily, Daddy could enjoy some time with us. We all went to Mainland Fish Farm to choose a stand for our fish tank but also, to try our hands at prawn fishing (very hard, only a few nibbles!) and a fish spa (tons of little nibbles!) What is a Fish Spa? I don't know if you really want to know but you put your feet and legs up to the knees into water containing two gazillion fish. They instantly gravitate towards your feet and start eating all the little icky things they can find. When I first put my feet in, I screamed. The fish were a lot stronger suckers than I expected. Frunty tried but couldn't stand it as did Daddy. Pit didn't even try. It was pretty creepy but since I had already paid, I suffered through it. Honestly, it gave me a bit of an anxiety attack!

Afterwards, a truck drove the three of us to the nearby IKEA and proceeded to take Daddy home with the new stand for our acquarium. We went directly for chicken wings and then chose bedroom items for Frunty and Pit. Frunty's room will be space age with silver and blue. Pit's is full of earthy tones and I think he wants animal stickers on the walls. We found pillows with orange and green in them to match his walls. I am really excited about putting it all together in the next few days.

When we got home, we all headed over to our new local hang out called "Zazze's" which is the name of one of the guys who works there. Another guy is called Mr. Satay by the kids. He is quite friendly and likes to goof around with them while our satay sticks are being bbqed. Tonight Daddy and I tried some Indian food. It was really good. I was just getting a bit tired of satays! Pit always orders his plate of greens and eats merrily away. Frunty can't wait for the red bean dessert with sugar cane flavoured ice shavings! It is a fun spot to go and with the warm, balmy breeze, we enjoy our dinners there quite a bit.

Time to work on the fish tank! Wait to you see our equatorial paradise!

Deepavali Learning Journey

Frunty brought home a letter the other day which stated,

"The P1 pupils will be going on a Deepavali learning journey. Through this learning journey, pupils will learn more about the Indian culture from the various exhibition stations set up at the venue. Pupils will also get to watch an epic performance. Pupils are to be in their PE attire and bring the following items: a small bag and a pencil case, storybook (silent reading in the morning), water bottle with sling, finger food for recess. Warmest regards, P1 Teachers."

How exciting! Although I thought Deepavali was over and well-celebrated last month, it seems that yesterday's journey was another festivity to further explore this Indian holiday. I was so excited for Frunty. He loves the performances at school whether they are about health or about holidays. But when I picked him up, he was so tired. I took the boys for sushi and then a massage where Pit almost fell asleep in my arms. It is nice to stay somewhere cool during the very hot afternoon.

That night, Daddy came home and told us we were going on an adventure. We were so excited. The kids got on their bikes (Pit needs help as Daddy took off the training wheels) and we headed towards the river for chili crabs. The kids loved decorating the cleaned shells after dinner and two of ours will be hung on the beams of the restaurant. The two others were brought home.

Frunty has the next two days off of school. Stay tuned to hear what we'll do!

Happy Birthday, Nonno!

We will call Nonno for his birthday but because of the time zone difference, it'll be on the 9th for us. We hope he has a great day in San Francisco.

We had a great day here in Singapore. We invited some new friends and colleagues to come to our home for a little house warming party. A few of our closer friends called to cancel due to illness. Shucks. Before they arrived, I rode my bike over to Market 58 to get tons of fruits and made fruit-kabobs. I also like paos and rice in pandan leaves and steamed chicken and traditional pork. Lots of yummy stuff. The basket of my bike was overflowing and a woman came and helped me back in all of my bags to make it fit well!

During the party, we moved by the pool so the kids could swim. Then afterwards, Frunty and I rode our bikes back to Market 58 to get massages. We both went for a back massage this time. Frunty said he loved it.

We also, by the way, enjoyed the Song of the Sea show last night. We didn't have enough time to see the pink dolphin as planned so that'll have to be another weekend. After the show, we did the night time luge ride which was really fun and beautiful with all the little lights in the trees. What a great weekend!

Family Massage Time

Yesterday Daddy joined us for our afternoon massage time. We had lunch together at Market 58 after picking Frunty up from school. Sushi, chicken rice, fresh fruit and iced teas. Then we headed over for reflexology/massage. I had a much needed back/neck treatment. Pit snuggled with Daddy during his massage still preferring our massages at home only.

After the massages, I took the kids to see Astro Boy at the Tampines cinema while Daddy got back to work! It was a good movie which the kids enjoyed although thought was a bit too scarey in parts.

Today we are off to Sentosa Island to see the pink dolphin and the Song of the Seas show. Can't wait!

New Fish

Daddy purchased a secondhand fish tank the other day and adopted, in so doing, three fish. Well, one doesn't really seem like a fish but more like a salamander. He came home very late at night with a huge grin on his face! The next day, those three fish didn't look so well but after a visit to the fish shop to get some anti-chlorine drops, those creatures have really perked up! Their survival after the last few days meant that the kids and I could go back to the shop and purchase a few new friends.

Frunty chose a black and white angel fish, Pit chose a Glass Catfish and I chose several little orange, guppy-like fish whose name was not on the tank at the shop. They all look pretty happy in there and when I read bed time stories to the kids, they like to stare at the tank. I think it is pretty soothing.

Irene came for 3.5 hours today to play (practise French) while I went furniture shopping. (I am actually considering some Asian-style furniture instead of all IKEA! Stay tuned for our new, equatorial look!) We won't see Irene til Janvier as she has exams and then travels. Today was a super rainy day here again so perfect for the kids to stay in and play with Irene. They seem to really enjoy their French time and start practising with me from the moment I mention that Irene is on her way!

Rainy Season

Since we arrived in Singapore, we have heard different stories about when rainy season would begin. Recently I heard it was supposed to be two weeks in December. Now apparently it is, well, now! The showers are pretty heavy and the wind blows the rain into our home. It is 9:15pm and a big rain pour just hit and now it is cooler outside. I tried to collect some of the rain water for our plants as tomorrow will surely be hot and sunny until the next shower hits.

After story time, Frunty sang me the Singapore National Anthem in Malay which he sings everyday with his fellow classmates. It was really lovely. I am myself learning some Malay at the nearby wet market but one or two words only. Of course, Frunty is way ahead with his daily exposure.

Afterschool we had sushi and fruit before heading out to look at Asian furniture shops. I think we'll choose some IKEA "pieces" for the kids but go for a more resort-look in other parts of the house. We are going to take our time. We took it easy choosing our home and now are really pleased so it is worth waiting to make sure we get it right.

I wish I could snap my fingers sometimes and have it all set up! But half the fun is the journey, I hear! The journey east.

Our New Home

A gorgeous breeze is wafting over me as I type this blog entry tonight. My very own palms that I purchased from Katong Floral Market are swaying. I can hear the fountain by the pool which I can also see where I am sitting. The small lamps around the garden are very attractive and the sound of our wood chime that Daddy just gave me, gives me the impression that I am at a resort in South East Asia. Wait a minute! I am!

We have been in our new home for just over a week and are enjoying it immensely. Setting up home is challenging but both kids are helping me. Pit and Frunty take turns with leaf patrol as we have two decks and also help unpack our boxes. (a few glasses that made it across the world have since broken on our tile floors which is pretty funny, actually!) Even though we don't have furniture yet and are still on air mattresses, we will have our house warming party this Sunday. Don't forget to bring your swim suit!

Although I enjoy living near Frunty's school so we can ride our bikes, some great markets where I am getting to know people (Victor at the Bao stall is really nice and will try to get me some red bean paste, the guys at the coffee/stall are teaching me...Malay!) and having a pool that I can jump in anytime I wish, I find living beside the Buddhist temple to be the most interesting experience. The chanting is soothing, the drums are mesmerizing... the scent of the cooking is tantalizing. Time to introduce myself!!

We were lucky to move in just before Halloween in order to enjoy a fun party, trick-or-treating and the chance to meet lots of new neighbours. Our gated community has such a great mix of Singaporeans and westerners. I feel so grateful to have the chance to commune with either depending on my mood.

I am also really proud of myself for some small home improvements that I instigated. I painted my ensuite bathroom an Oyster Grey and hired a guy to help me paint Frunty and Pit's rooms. The kids chose their colours and even which wall would have which colour. After this huge transition, I wanted to make sure they got to choose how to make their very own rooms special. Pit chose Mandarin Glow for one wall and Sprout (green) for two walls. The wall overlooking the Buddhist temple remained cream. Frunty chose Blue Mist for three walls and the one wall remained cream. He does want some green stripes added to one wall. It's going to be a bit tricky but I'll try.

I am also grateful that our Chinese teacher and French babysitters have been able to continue coming over twice a week respectively especially since they don't have comfortable chairs to sit on. It is a testament to how great our kids are that their tutors would sit on the floor to teach them. I am so proud of our guys. Frunty sings a song now in Mandarin and when the two of them are playing together, I often hear conversations in French. Frunty is also, I just heard, fluent in Singlish! When he is talking to Singaporeans, he speaks this hybrid dialect. The first time was a bit shocking. He knows with us though, he has to speak Canadian English and Italian.

Well, that's it for now although I could write for hours. I can't tell you how nice it is to have this life experience. A bat just flew by. Pit told me at dinner (gluten-free sausages that were delivered by The Butcher!) that if I were very quiet, I would see a bat tonight. He was right!

Sentosa Luge

The four of us went to Sentosa this afternoon for an exciting time at the concrete luge and then a relaxing dinner at the beach side Japanese restaurant. Frunty is a speed demon and Pit is very cute riding with one of the grown ups. He tries to affect the driver so we can go faster. It's amazing to have this tropical island fun zone / theme park a 30 minute metro ride away. Good thing we have the annual pass to go there because we'll certainly be going back.

Happy Halloween

The local family group at D/Manor hired the common function room that's provided to condo residents. (our townhouse is part of a condo complex) and the families celebrated Halloween with pot luck barbeque! Yum. Pit was an adorable pumpkin and Frunty was a vampire/monster. I was a geek with a huge afro hairdo and the Mommy was a witch. Happy Birthday to Nonna!

Furniture Shopping

The Mommy asked the baby sitter from France to look after the kids tonight while we went furniture shopping. So many choices of furniture made from teak from Indonesia, acacia from India, and water hyacinthe rattan from Thailand. We basically need to furnish everything so it's a real adventure and opportunity to design an new look from our tropical home. Standard mattress length in Singapore is 190cm about 15 cm shorter than North American/European sizes and only 5 cm longer than my full height. I think I'll be needing to buy an import. Despite the compact mattress, the one I tested in the store was comfortable and I had a short nap while The Mommy jabbered on in the kitchen table section. Meanwhile, the boys at home were practicing French and we're happy that Frunty doesn't miss a beat.

New Bicycle

With the arrival of our things from Brussels, Frunty got his bike so The Mommy went a bought a new one for herself with a little seat on the back for Pit. Now they can scoot to and from the school in about 10 minutes!

Our Boxes

Our personal effects were delivered today. The boys were excited to open the boxes with their toys. I'm still not sure if having our kitchen things makes a difference - it's too hot and too time consuming to cook at home. The gas stove top just makes the kitchen like a small oven. Our refrigerator arrived at 6:30 and by 10pm it was making ice!

Need Appliances

Our townhouse did not have a refrigerator or washing machine so Pit and I went shopping. What a cute little helper. He was a real trooper walking in the heat to the store. The Mommy went shopping at the florist/nursery and had them deliver a small forest. My purchases could not be delivered same day.

Moving Day

We got the keys to our new townhouse today. We fully loaded a 7-seater taxi van to move all our belongings from Hougang - Central Place to D'Manor.

Sentosa and Magic Show

Two days ago I took the kids to a little island south of Singapore called Sentosa. It is a party island and feels a bit like Disney Land with a castle. There is a monorail which connects Sentosa to the mainland and the kids really enjoyed riding it. We bought three tickets each to take the chair lift up a little mountain and ride our luge down. Lots of fun!

Afterwards, we went to the Extreme Log Ride. I asked if it was scarey but they assured me it was fun and even appropriate for Pit. I gave them a piece of my mind afterwards as it was super scarey and Pit cried and Frunty felt sick. Anyway, we try our best to have fun but sometimes have to take some risks. Like when we were at Paris Disney and took Frunty on Crush's Roller coaster. That was terrifying for me!

We met Daddy afterwards and came home together. We can't wait to take him to Sentosa and are saving the visit of the pink dolphin to do with him.

Friday we vegged but today we took the kids to a Magic Show and Yo-Yo Show at United Square Mall, sponsored by Toys R'Us. Somehow I became a "friend" and now get emails regarding up and coming events. Pretty fun actually. The mall is specially geared to kids. I became a friend of "Vitakids" and got a bunch of allergy-free snacks/supplements.

Shea is here for Mandarin. Normally she comes on Sundays and Tuesdays but she is here today because tomorrow we are moving!!!!!! Gotta get to packing. Should be the last time for awhile as we just signed a two year contract, thank goodness!

Singapore's Night Safari

www.nightsafari.com.sg

We finally made it to the much anticipated night safari and it was worth the wait! What a great time! Last night we took the bus from Ang Mo Kio and who should we sit beside but a family from Frunty's school that we already met from Korea! A great start to a fun night. As we arrived, we could see torches in the dark sky. The night safari entrance feels to me like we are entering a village in Fiji, Bali or Indonesia with dancers performing tricks with fire, great music and even pumpkins lit up as Halloween approaches.

We got on the tram. Our Zoo family card gives us unlimited access to the night safari as well so we will definitely be back. We rode quietly through the jungles viewing different animals from all over the globe...even raccoons! Our tour guide, Abby, was excellent. Somehow, we got to sit in the very first row of the tram!

After the tram ride, we enjoyed a fantastic show about nocturnal animals. It was so well done. Then we had satays and a plate of freshly cut fruit before taking the taxi back home. We can't wait to go back. There is a Halloween themed night which looks pretty scarey for the kids so Daddy and I may go.

Before I sign off, I forgot to mention that last week I saw Christmas decorations already displayed in some malls. I was pretty surprised since we haven't even had Halloween or American Thanksgiving yet! People here seem to be pretty excited about celebrating everything!

Off to Sentosa Island now! More to write about later!

Pit's Kindergarten

Today we visited Pit's kindergarten which is called Bethesda Bedok-Tampines Kindergarten. It is located in a brand new building which also houses the Open Brethren Church. It is a really lovely facility and not too far from our home. The English classroom looks cute as does the Mandarin. Pit wants to join the computer class where there are tiny chairs/tables and of course, tiny kids. He was a bit shy during our visit and tour but seemed comforted by the idea that I would sit upstairs while he goes to school so that the principal can call me to come down if need be. After awhile, I hope I can use the three hours that he is in class to do errands etc.

For both schools, a bus will pick up/deliver the kids from our home. Starting in January, it is the law that children wear seatbelts on these buses so I am pretty happy that both kids will start using buses in January. I was planning on riding Pit back and forth and may do that at first as I promised to sit upstairs while he is in class, as I said. It'll be quite a change to put them on a bus, that's for sure. I am used to going back and forth so many times a day. I had better find another way to exercise! Maybe going up and down our 4 storey home will keep me in shape!

After the school visit, we had lunch at a great, hawker's market called Feng Shan 85 by the school and then got in a taxi to the Air Force Museum. It was small but interesting. We were the only ones there the entire time. Later Sakae Sushi followed by Mandarin with Shea. She sure is doing a great job and Frunty and Pit were saying lots of words. Frunty actually is having mini-conversations with Shea. Wait til you hear him! Kids are fast asleep so it's time to look through the IKEA catalogue. Moving day is coming up!

Deepavali

Last night Daddy and I went to Little India to enjoy some Deepavali celebrations. We entered an amazing temple with a very long name. Sri Veeramakaliam is one of the oldest temples in Singapore on Serangoon Road. Frunty and Pit stayed home with French babysitter, Ines, for story time followed by bed. The evening was so warm and lovely. We bought some interesting fruits and veg to be juiced this morning. The kids are with their Mandarin tutor, Shea, as I write this. I want to go back and listen. Off to the Malaysian Travel Show we go after the lesson for lunch and to learn more about our new neighbour to the north! I love how north here still means hot and tropical!

Thanks nonni for your call. I will pass along your messages to the kids. Hope you all have a great Sunday too.

New Campus

Afterschool today, it was another surprise journey but Frunty guessed what it was when we got on the MRT. He said, "we are going to see my new school!" and was so excited that he did some dancing on the metro! We took a look at the school which is still under construction and talked to some workers who said it'll be ready by January. It is a brand new building not a renovated building. It looks just great! By the way, here in Singapore they call all school grounds, "campuses".

We visited the nearby mall to see what it had in store! The kids chose towels for their bathrooms. It is hard to believe we may go from one bathroom in Brussels to five here in Singapore. Gotta choose a lot of towels!

Frunty told me his teacher, by the way, left class early today for a Deepavali celebration as did some other kids in the class. Tomorrow evening, Daddy and I will go check out the lights in Little India as I found a babysitter. We may go back with the kids another night. Frunty begins a week of holidays so we can sleep in! Pit will be quite happy that he doesn't have to go back and forth to school as he wants to stay home and practise his typing! (his new hobby!)

It's getting really late and Daddy is still working. He is working US hours and Asian hours. Can't wait til he gets on island time too!

Our New Home

Today Daddy and I made an offer for a home here in Singapore and we'll wait to find out if the owners accept. I'll talk more about that when we have some confirmation. The kids and I went there today to take a look after having gone swimming across the street at another condo project that is brand new and has awesome facilities.

Then we headed home to meet Eli for a sushi dinner. We met Eli from Japan in the elevator at our old place near Orchard Road. In about 30 seconds, we found out that she is off to Toronto for a year and we quickly exchanged email addresses. Now she'll be staying with a close family friend in Toronto and she is really happy about it. I was thinking about how my relationship with Japan continues to grow year after year. I did promise to promote ties between Canada and Japan and have done so faithfully ever since I left Japan in 1998.

Today was such a gorgeous day. It was grey and there was a slightly cool breeze. Cool is still about 26 degrees Celsius though! Although it rained a bit, it doesn't get cold afterwards. It gets steamy hot as soon as the sun comes out. It feels like you're in a steam room. I personally love it.

Frunty's First Reflexology Treatment!

Nonna has a poem on her fridge about how to have fun with kids and I have kept a lot of it in my mind all these years. Like going to the cinema in your jammies. Haven't planted licorice yet but have used it as a straw while drinking gingerale. I like the one about surprising kids sometimes too.

So today afterschool, instead of walking to the MRT and coming home, we jumped in a taxi. The kids tried to guess where our adventure was headed but I said, "It's a surprise". It was fun when we arrived at Parkway Parade and approached the area where kids can make a craft to stick on the window without making an appointment. The kids cheered! We had seen this craft corner when we first visited the mall. I think it was our first week in Singapore.

Afterwards, we had some time to use up before their tied-for-first place dinner spot, "Pepper Steak" minus the pepper! So I suggested massages. I have offered several times before. Boy was I shocked when Frunty said he would like to try a half hour reflexology treatment!!

And didn't he sit in that chair, forcing it to recline, with his hands behind his head, wearing his school uniform, having his feet massaged like a little prince? Afterwards he told me that it was "heaven" but during he said, "I love it. I want to come back everyday!" That's my son!

On the price list, there is a section for kids because isn't it lovely that children are encouraged to enjoy this healthy past-time as well? Pit sat and watched Frunty while I had a back, shoulder, neck massage. If you come to visit, and you like massage, you'll see how great it is to have these spontaneous treatments at incredibly low prices compared to the "west". Who can resist?!

After the massages came dinner and then another jump in the taxi to make it home. We did manage, just for the record, to do half an hour of math homework at a little wooden desk in a book shop called Borders at the mall while Pit looked through some books. Afterwards we read some together and it made me feel like I was at a Chapters again. It's been a long time! It was really fun and I just love the selection of kids' books. Soon we'll get library cards too.

Manicure

It seems to be part of the culture here to go for an express manicure or pedicure or back massage. So I say, why not partake in this Singaporean past-time! I am now typing with nails which are almost, I can see, the same colour as my champagne-pink laptop!! Go wild!

The kids are asleep. They had a great Mandarin lesson tonight. I could hear the three of them laughing a lot while Daddy and I discussed housing issues in the other room. I could hear Frunty and Pit saying words in Mandarin. Sounds great.

Frunty has informed us that he is a "master" bowler and has started his own bowling club at school. While Pit wants to return to Brussels where the sushi tastes better, Frunty doesn't want to leave his school and new friends, not ever. Apparently they bowl each morning before classes and he has formed a team with Miguel, Isqandar and Amira, the tiny girl with glasses. How cute can you get?! He told all of this to me while we were in the sauna afterschool today. (we need to warm up as the pool can be chilly...I never thought I would use the word "chilly" while in Singapore except when inside a department store!)

We enjoyed kuru-kuru sushi again. It is fun to watch the kids take the different dishes off the conveyor belt and Frunty orders different dishes himself using the mouse. (each table as its own computer.) Luckily Sakae Sushi delivers because we may not live very close to one of their branches in our new home...wherever that may be! In the meantime, we'll enjoy sushi and purchasing bags of fruit afterwards. While I pay at Sakae, the kids run over and choose a gorgeous, freshly cut piece of fruit at the little fruit bar where we get or got freshly squeezed juices. I give them the money and they really have fun doing the transactions themselves. They are very gracious and tell me they say "thank you"!

What fun!

Juicing Queen

On Saturday we visited Ikea. It was a lot of fun to take a look at what we can purchase when we get our new home. We are still in temporary housing but because we are in a fun area called Hougang, it is nice. The commute to school is tiring though so I hope we can finalize something soon.

Anyway, after Ikea we visited a shop called The Courts which has home/electronics and a fun, play zone for Whiz Kids. We put the kids in for an hour and walked around to check out furniture, beds etc. I found myself in the kitchen department and came home with a Philips Juicer! The representative gave me a bag of apples and carrots so I could juice that very night. I had asked for one or two but he insisted I take the whole bag "compliments of Philips!" He also gave me a thermos and two mugs.

So we have been juicing ever since. Apple and carrot and I have had celery and green apple. I plan to make different variations. It's a good way to get the kids to try different veggies and with the pulp, we can make carrot cake or something else. On Sunday, we made pancakes with the pulp.

I don't think the fun ever does stop!

French Babysitting

After our camping trip in Corsica, we were taking the bus up to Ajaccio to catch our plane when we met a French guy traveling with his wife. It turned out that on that very same day, their daughter was commencing a university year in Singapore. After several emails, Irene came over today for the first time and gave me a list of her friends, one of whom already came to us when we were near Orchard Road, who will be able to babysit en francais.

The kids were thrilled. Frunty raised both arms up in the air, shouting "J'adore le francais!" It must be a comfort food for them. I surprised myself by talking quite well with Irene when she first arrived and eventually, I needed to make some calls and go to the shops. She will come over next week and hopefully on a regular basis to help our kids continue their French. I was really impressed to hear so much French coming from Pit, by the way. I couldn't be prouder of my two little guys, conversing away, en francais.

In the meantime, I am in the middle of negotiations regarding several properties we are interested in and definitely feeling the heat. The agents are working on behalf of owners and their tactics are good. Luckily I am getting some insider information on these properties as I have been hanging around the area and talking to people who actually live there, pay rent and one such woman who is herself a property consultant. I appreciate her support at this time. This blog is supposed to be about having fun with our darlings so I just want to comment briefly on how I am a little, Canadian blow fish up against some big, hungry sharks over here. Today I was actually followed down the street by another agent. They are all competing with eachother and it is pretty intense.

Frunty has successfully completed his second week of school and got 29/30 on his spelling B. I am really proud of him as we studied the words in the taxi on the way to school and he seemed a bit sleepy. Meanwhile, he clearly was learning them and his printing was really lovely to boot.

I think I have found a lovely kindergarten for Pit near our potential new home. It is a toss up between the one with a Montessori method which is very close by but in a tiny home and quite expensive versus the government run, brand new kindergarten facility a little farther away but considerably more reasonable. I figure the bike ride will do us all good and I took the route already to test it out. The side walk is quite wide and there is a piece of grass dividing it with the actual road plus big, beautiful trees along the way. The kids wear tiny, orange and yellow uniforms and look absolutely adorable. Unlike the Montessori one, I did not see another International student but only native Singaporeans. I still think that Pit will fit in okay and will take him there next week to have a little visit. He would then begin in January.

Well, I don't think I can get any more tired than I am right now and am so grateful for the Sakae Sushi resto down below us where we had dinner. Daddy is on his way home and will find some sushi take-out waiting for him which I am sure he'll enjoy. These days are a bit tiring and overwhelming at times and I wouldn't change them for anything. It takes a lot of work to build up a new life from almost nothing...again. But with smiling faces all around, including my own kids, I know it is all worthwhile. Frunty, on one last note, has gone from never wanting to leave Brussels to wanting to become a Singapore citizen...he told me tonight during story time. Imagine that!?

SAM

After breakfast this morning, we headed to the pool for a family swim which always includes time in the sauna and the playground. When Daddy finishes his weights, he looks for us. We are hiding in the slide, laughing. What's fun is sliding down really quickly with wet swim suits on!

At 11 am, we had our first Mandarin lesson with Shea from China. Our kids have already picked up some Mandarin so today was more of a review and an introduction to pinyin. (the Chinese sounds converted into our Roman sounds) The kids got the 4 (+1) tones right away while I struggled to get my voice to go up and down and crinkly, like Pit's eyebrows! It'll take me time but the kids will probably be conversing by next year! (aaargh!)

We took the kids to visit SAM today: Singapore Art Museum for an open house which we read about in the Straits Times newspaper. It was funny to run into Daddy's colleague and his family as we had just seen them on Friday night at the Lantern party. Plus, it is a big city and we are already running into people we know. We have only been here a few weeks!!

We enjoyed some free candy floss and balloon dogs and signed up for several activities including the Animal Trail and Safari (hunt around SAM for hidden animals and colour your own animal designs) and best of all, making a terrarium (fit an entire eco-system into a jam jar.) The jar was made in Italy, by the way! We took a long time creating a doll using recycled materials so brought it home to finish it here. There is so much to do in Singapore. I am looking forward to the night safari at the zoo which has a Halloween theme right now!

Frunty cheered because he has completed his first week of school and thought he wouldn't have to go back. Then I explained that very soon, he'll have a week's holiday followed by a bit of school and then two months off. It looks like he'll return happily to school tomorrow. I am happy he has this time before starting P2 in January.

Mid-Autumn Festival

This morning, Pit asked me how we were going to bring the fish that we caught at the Fish Farm back to Brussels. This hasn't been the first time that he has asked me a question about Belgium. He says it is too hot here and he wants to go back. Of course, I don't hear him asking these questions when he is frolicking about in the pool because, obviously, he is distracted and having fun. Eventually, and once we are settled in our home, I hope that he'll feel better about being here.

Yesterday afterschool, the three of us went to the Shaw Center to see the new Meatball movie. It was a way to celebrate Frunty's first week of school having been completed and to escape the heat during the hottest part of the day. Apparently, fires in Indonesia are creating a haze here which in turn makes a greenhouse-like effect. I don't find it unbearable in the least. What I did fine hard was the air-con in the theatre. I had to wrap a beach towel around myself and was happy that Pit was sitting on my lap. The movie was quite fun and afterwards, we took bus #36 to Parkway Parade to go to an afterwork office party hosted by a colleague at his condo to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with mooncakes and lanterns.

In the mall's food court, the kids ate beef and rice and this way we arrived at the party at 6pm with food in our bellies. This was smart as most of the food there had things in it we couldn't eat and also, the kids were so excited that I don't think they would have eaten even if they had been hungry. Instead, they got into the pool which had a jungle gym beside it and splash away.

The party was great and we got to know some more colleagues. The hosts' daughter played soccer with our boys so well that we were the very last to leave the party having had a marvelous time. Highlights were the pomelo contest in which the guys had to race against eachother to peel their fruit. I think Daddy came in second which was pretty good! For me, standing around the pool, watching the kids have fun, chatting about life in Singapore with a local, seeing all the palm trees lit up with little lights made for a magical evening.

We did come home to find some of the aforementioned fish dead but luckily, many new babies are still doing okay. What a week!

National Childrens' Day!

Frunty's first week of school includes a day off to celebrate Childrens' Day! Kids are so reverred here and the motto at Frunty's school is: "Enriched beyond limits. Loved beyond measure." So far, our experience at Tampines Primary is that this is true! He was placed in a Tamil class but after telling us he wanted to be with his friends in the Mandarin class, we got him moved over there which is where we ultimately want him to be. Everyone seems to be very accomodating and we are enjoying the friendliness of the school very much.

So today we enjoyed our "new" pool with adjoining jungle gym. We have moved from the Orchard/Scotts Road area to Hougang which is a nice change. Quieter, less hectic and more ethnic, less touristy. I did love starting our sejour in Singapore down in the center because it is pretty exciting.

In the afternoon, Daddy headed off to the office and I took the kids to Qian Hu Fish Farm where you get to keep what you catch! www.qianhu.com Now we have two, tiny fish tanks beside the kids' beds!

Tomorrow night is yet another celebration at a colleague's house where everyone from the office is invited. We'll be making Chinese lanterns together and enjoying a buffet and sparklers too. I would say that the main goal in Singapore is to play as hard as you work. Work hard in the classroom but goof around with balloons and games in the gym wearing your chevalier costume. Work hard in the office but make sure you enjoy your colleagues while swimming at night in a pool surrounded by lanterns. Does the fun ever stop here? No wonder the people are always smiling and are so friendly!

Costume Hunting

I wrote a lot about Frunty's first day yesterday but didn't mention a few key things. First of all, his enthusiasm and desire to share with me a great many details was really great and I appreciated hearing all about his day. Walking to the Tanah Merah MRT, he regaled me with many details. He told me that they had a "spectacle" and talked about good and bad bacteria and how it affects the body. He said that if we eat too much sugar, we get too much bad bacteria so we need to eat lots of fruits and veggies. Ms. Devi said that Frunty did very well and behaved excellently which was great to hear.

When we arrived at school today, the security guards said the word "fire" to me. I really had no idea what he was talking about and quickly forgot about it as was honestly too dead tired to worry much. Afterall, I couldn't smell any smoke!! After school, Frunty again recounted a great deal of the day's happenings and first on his list was how the fire brigade came to the school in their trucks for a demonstration! It sounds like the first two days have been very exciting even though Frunty really wanted to stay in bed this morning. Who wouldn't? We have to wake up extra early to get to school so far away but that won't last once we get a home closer to TPS.

Tomorrow is a Childrens' Day Celebration at school so the kids need a costume which will be worn all day instead of the uniform. So when I picked up Frunty today with Pit we went to a costume store I read about near Lavender MRT. Okay, they had two million costumes for rent/sale, admittedly none that great but I thought Frunts could have chosen at least one. We left with him in tears. If only all of our own costumes were still not on the slow boat from Belgium!

When we got home I pieced together a bit of a pirate costume but called Daddy and got him to stop at another shop and he brought home a chevalier costume. Frunty put it on and Pit laughed his head off. It was pretty funny, a King Arthur costume. It is actually really nice but I don't think Frunty will wear it tomorrow. We'll see what happens. The following day, it's the actual day off around the state so we'll all sleep in again, like old times!

Gonna go snuggle with Frunty now. He deserves it. I am so proud of him. By the way, his friend loved the picture and frame Frunty gave him and thanked him many times. Hopefully we can make a play date soon.

Tampines Primary School: Faith

Today was a very auspicious day for us as Frunty joined his class called Faith to stand at attention for the Singapore National Anthem in the assembly hall of Tampines Primary school. With his new teacher, Ms. Devi, at his side and a sea of nameless children surrounding him, Frunty didn't look back. At that moment, I have never been more proud of him, not ever. As he walked away towards his class which he had never seen before, he gave us a quick smile. Daddy, Pit and I, invited to watch the opening exercises this morning, were thrilled by such a warm reception by the principal and by Frunty's positive disposition and strong character.

I also could have called the following entry "redemption time" instead as it wasn't always this easy. All the years of tricky times with taking Frunty to birthday parties which he didn't want to go and then ended up having a ball...those frustrations were erased as we watched him today join his Primary 1 class. Frunty will finish up this year and be ready for Primary 2 in January at the schools brand new facility in Tampines. (pronounced Tampinese)

It has been a roller-coaster ride since we got here with me phoning International and public schools and not being able to even get in the door because of swine flu and/or waiting lists that were too long. Getting into TPS was a tiny miracle as a space just happened to have opened up when I visited. I was so shocked but needed a night to discuss the location etc. with Daddy. When I returned the next day to tell the General Admissions Officers that Frunty would attend, all of a sudden he didn't seem to want to accept us anymore. He asked a lot of questions about why we would want to attend and voiced negative statements regarding the possibility that Frunty would disrupt the class and the Singapore system.

Looking back, I am so pleased at how I stood my ground. Not desperate to get into any school and quite enjoying homeschooling/being on holiday, I replied that I wanted a school where my son would be happy. With his first ever resume in hand, I pointed out Frunty's amazing abilities and what a contribution to his school Frunty would prove. Being a teacher myself, the Officer seemed confident that Frunty would get the support from home to transition nicely into the Singapore system without disrupting it (I could, by the way, completely see his points) and by the Friday, after the four of us met with the Officer, we left the school with Frunty's new uniform and books in hand!!

Daddy had to go off to work so I took the kids shoe shopping on that Friday so that Frunty would have the required white shoes which he loves so much it is hard to get them off! We went over to our friends' home and Frunty was thrilled to borrow a bike and ride around in these shoes! The next morning, Saturday, Frunty was up, dressed in his full uniform and sitting at the table ready for breakfast and homeschooling. (I really should call it practise and review of Math and English)
Not once has Frunty shown any negative spirit towards going to school. I kept waiting for that to happen today but it never did.

In fact, the opposite happened. We were invited to stay from 7:40-1pm to see Frunty during recess. I thought this was super so went home with Daddy and Pit to get some documents and then came back in time for recess. I hid behind a poll as Frunty approached and saw him walking with a boy. When he caught sight of me, all smiles! I met many of his new classmates in the half hour to come and watched Frunty eat with them, share some of his foods, run around and play tag. Boys would come over to me and ask me where Frunty was...he seemed to already be well known. One boy put his arm around him. Girls were sitting with me, boys would come over and chat a bit...I got to ask lots of questions and although their accents are hard to understand, I picked up information here and there. Mostly I picked up that Frunty was very warmly welcomed to the class, thanks to a nice introduction by Ms. Devi. He was even carrying a $1 coin given to him by a boy who was worried Frunty didn't have a "collation". (yes, some French words are still sticking)

I took a picture of Frunty with his new friend who stuck out, Isqandar, and we made two copies. One of them is in a frame that Frunty decorated and will give to Isqandar tomorrow at school. The other is on Frunty's pillow as he sleeps soundly away. Despite getting up this morning at 6 am to get to school by 7:30am, Frunty was in fine form all day and even cracked a very funny joke at bed time while we were doing animal riddles. Frunty's turn "I am really hairy....etc. Who am I?" Answer: Claudio. (I can't go into details but we laughed our heads off!)

On Wednesday is Childrens' Day so the children are invited to wear costumes of fairy tale characters all day and participate in games etc. It sounds like a lot of fun. All of our costumes are on a boat so Frunty and I will stop at a place on the way home to find something. When I looked back, I always pictured Frunty wearing a white shirt and navy blue short as a uniform here. It's funny because during these last three weeks I have seen many different colour variations for school uniforms and yet, the school that accepted Frunty has a white and navy blue uniform. Luckily, I had faith.

Possible School: Tampines Primary

As many of you know, Daddy has been doing the bulk of homeschooling while I have been exploring both possible homes and schools in Singapore. I love being out in the sunshine and heat, the dark skies that give birth to a heavy shower followed by intense humidity. The jungles, the flowers, the friendly faces. Stopping for a quick dish of veggies and skewers of marinated beef, chicken or mutton, a freshly squeezed juice or a big coconut cut open and straw popped in. I have travelled by foot, bus, taxi, MRT (metro) and perhaps tomorrow, on bike.

I have narrowed down the areas I think would be nice to live and they are near Bedok and Tanah Merah and have even found some "cluster homes" that look fine, with shared pool and other facilities.

I have also phoned and then visited several schools in order to put Frunty's name on the list. We are leaning towards trying the public school system and if reports are true and it is too strenuous, we can move to an International school. Every time I visit a school, I hand the secretary or vice principal Frunty's CV with photos of him doing various sports like karate, soccer, and cooking, working at his desk etc. and then fill out an application for admissions form. I have met some very friendly people at the front gates of the school, inside the general offices, and even in the halls. I met a Relief teacher who gave me his number in case I have other questions. Each time I am sent away with the same answers that I should try other schools in the meantime and that we are at the bottom of a very long waiting list but perhaps we'll get a call at the end of November. One school yesterday said that parents were volunteering for a year before their child was admitted. At that same school, a bunch of parents camped for two nights to get a few available spaces.

You can perhaps imagine my surprise when one school actually went through their data base and announced, "we have a spot for your child to start immediately. He can finish P1 and then start P2 in January." I was a bit speechless but tried to sound calm and not nuts with gratitude. I even said I needed to talk to my husband about it. Because ultimately, we are not desperate.

Even greater news is that the school I visited is their temporary location while their permanent location is being completely renovated. Frunty would transfer to the new school in January. Check out their website: www.tampinespri.net

I had hoped that Frunty could join a school now and use the time before Christmas as a review period. He would also get used to the system a bit, the routine of early morning classes and make some new friends before beginning P2. We would also have this "grace" period to get to know what is expected so that we can fine tune before January. So now Daddy and I will research and make sure that this is a good "fluke"! One good thing is that Daddy's colleagues have stated that Tampines (pron. Tampinese) Primary is a very good school.

So I am pretty excited as I write this because I do think we are really lucky to have this opportunity. On the way home, I noticed a woman wearing a MOE shirt on the MRT. (translation, a Ministry of Education shirt on the metro) and I asked her a few questions. She said that if we are not happy with the school, we could transfer providing their is a space available in another school. In other words, it is not a prison and there are always other options.

Both kids have fallen asleep beside me on the couch while I type all of this up so I had better carry them off to bed. It was a really fun day with Frunty going to Daddy's office to study there and work on his P1 math book. He went out for lunch with Daddy and two of his colleagues and had pumpkin soup which was creamy without cream! (potato) Pit and I visited several different schools and got to know some neighbourhoods, stopping at two food centers, the Bedok one for freshly sqeezed juices and one by the Tampines school for chicken and rice. When we met up with Daddy at Citibank for our appointment, Frunty wanted to take me for pumpkin soup so afterwards, with Daddy back at work, we headed out for a nice snack before stopping at the Newton Food Centre to visit our new, East Indian friends who own a stall with yummy food which we took home after hugs and kisses for the kids...and for me too!

Too much fun!

Little India

Just a stone's throw from our serviced apartment (which is in a fantastic location tourist-wise by Orchard Rd) is a pocket of Singapore known as Little India. The kids and I took the MRT there after "school" and ventured into a world full of sights and sounds that were very interesting and authentically Indian. Up a tiny flight of stairs, we entered a beauty parlour where a technician was performing "threading". We watched her twisting a thin thread around a woman's eyebrows and pulling the hairs off all the while listening to loud, Indian music from the street below.

Then it was my turn and the kids watched as I received some henna designs on my arm and back. Absolutely gorgeous. The woman could not do Chinese characters so the kids said "no thanks". However, I did buy a tube of ink down the way and will do henna on them tomorrow. We managed to get some allergy-free desserts and a bag of dark orange mangoes and grabbed the #48 bus back home where Daddy was waiting eagerly for dinner and the desserts that he had sent me a text message about! The skies went very dark grey and we just missed getting soaked by a tropical downpour. Being 13 flights up means we can see a lot of the big, open sky and the grey clouds encroaching. Lots of lightning too.

This week there is a celebration of lights at Little India so I hope that Daddy and I can come back one of the evenings to see...providing I find a babysitter! Time for me to practise Chinese characters so I am ready for tomorrow. Never a dull moment with the Bello Boys, that is for sure! Lucky for us! Namaste.

Juicing and Massage

The title may seem funny so let me explain. Last night we went for a bbq at our American friends. They are a lot of fun and one highlight was juicing different variations of fruit and veg. Daddy went to Carrefour with Pit and bought a plethora of this food group so we could see how our friend's juicer works. (yes, I am in the market!) Frunty and I went to see a really nice home that is available near Tenah Merah and then we all met up at our friends' home.

During dinner, we got to talking about how Daddy is the only one who hasn't gone for a massage yet. Massage parlours/reflexology centers are all over the place the way that chocolate shops were in Brussels. At that point, our friend Scott said that the two of them should just go on over to the mall and get a treatment when I piped in that we should do a double date and Scott said, "let's do it!" Luckily, spontaneity is easy when you have a live-in helper that can babysit last-minute. Rosanna is just lovely and besides juicing and doing two million other jobs, she took care of our three boys while we went and enjoyed one of Singaporean's favourite past-times.

It was awesome and we laughed all the way home. It's funny because in Brussels we would enjoy a gorgeous, ice-cold bubbly with friends to unwind after a long week but here, we enjoy massage therapy and freshly squeezed juice! Not saying that I don't miss the champagne which is now, by the way, completely, ludicrously expensive. But different can be beautiful!

The kids didn't really notice we were gone for that hour either as they watched Mickey Mouse classics together. Pit and Frunty curled up in a big, leather chair together while Ethan stretched out on the couch. I feel grateful that we already have friends with whom we can relax and have some good laughs. Life is fun and some say it is the "honeymoon stage" that occurs when you first move to a new place. Hope it lasts!

Singapore Zoo

Today we met Daddy's colleague and his family at the Singapore Zoo which was really spectacular. We all enjoyed it very much and are happy we purchased a year pass so we can visit the adorable monkeys with their tiny babies clutched to their necks and the crocodiles and pink flamingos. Normally I am not that crazy about zoos but this one is impressive. The orangutans are "loose"! And you can bring in your own food and still sit on seats at the restaurants to enjoy it.

The four boys, ages 7, 5, 4, 3 had a real ball and said they were eachother's best friends which is music to my ears. Leaving Brussels was a really painful experience not just for me but we are all resilient and are going to seize each day as it comes. Tomorrow I think we'll rent bikes and visit some areas and I would like to go to an open-house before we head over to another colleague's for a bbq. We hit it off so much last weekend that we made another date during the week to see eachother on the weekend.

When we got back from the zoo, we had dinner at the Ion Food Court and then Daddy took the boys home while I had a foot massage. I really think it is heaven to just walk-in, sit down and without an appointment have an excellent treatment. I found another place that I would like to try maybe tomorrow or the following day in between house viewing and school visits. I think I owe it to myself! I can hear someone calling me a spoiled brat in my head but really, I think I am just enjoying Singaporean life and I deserve it!

Afterschool

Afterschool, Daddy took Frunty to pick up our employment/dependant passes. We thought we weren't supposed to smile in the photos so we all look kind of sad but that is nowhere near the truth! I took Pit to the Museum of Asian Civilization to check it out. Pit was a bit scared as it was kind of dark inside with sombre music so we spent more time in the museum shop looking for things we would like to buy for our new home when we eventually get it!

We were walking around afterwards when we got a phone call from Daddy and we decided to meet for kuru-kuru sushi. Yum! And a great way to celebrate getting our passes. I still can't really believe we are here because I was listening to the news this evening and when they said, "Singapore" I couldn't connect it with the fact that I am indeed in Singapore. It is a funny feeling to all of a sudden realize that you are in the place you've always heard of as being somewhere else from where you were. I don't think I can explain the previous sentence!! Never matter, as the kids would say.

After they hit the hay, Daddy had to start work and I went off to the center of the city as it is especially beautiful at night. I have trouble believing it will always be summer here. Pit argued with me about this actually today. It was pretty funny. He said, "no mommy, it'll get windy and cold and rainy!" and he insisted that it wouldn't stay warm. It was kind of cool today but I was still in shorts and a sleeveless shirt. If this is as cold as it will get, it's pretty amazing. All those damp, cold, miserable days in Brussels are a thing of the past. I never really minded them but it is nice to have a change. I was frozen at the Toys R Us yesterday and I did complain about that! A little overboard with the air-con!

Mandarin Lessons

We have started homeschooling with the kids and Daddy made an excellent schedule up which includes math, reading, writing, PE (in the exercise room followed by pool/sauna!) and on Wednesdays, "petit jour" just like old times during which we'll go on a field trip in the afternoon! Once or twice a week the kids will have French. Yesterday, Mathilde (a friend of our new teacher from Switzerland who couldn't start yet) came to our home to give three hours of French instruction which involved games, books etc. and just playing Lego en francais. I made sure I had lots of resources to make a teacher's job easy here by purchasing materials just before leaving Brussels. We will continue French in this way and the kids seemed thrilled!

School chez nous begins at 8:45am and finishes at 2 pm with snack breaks and lunch of course. Daddy is doing most of the formal teaching while I make phone calls to schools, go with agents to see homes etc. I appreciate the break from teaching because the two months of practising reading/writing in English over the summer really wiped me out. I think Frunty likes the variety of having different teachers as well.

Part of our homeschooling programme involves Mandarin lessons also and I found a teacher from China by googling. Shea Shen Le seems really great just having finished her masters in Mass Communications in Oklahoma and her undergrad in Shanghai. She came over tonight to get to know us and discuss our needs and our first group lessons will begin on October 4th. When she left, she taught us how to say "good bye" and Frunty said it perfectly. I am hoping that his several years of casual exposure with our Taiwanese friends plus some slightly more formal, weekly lessons with Yoshinobu's mom also from Taiwan, will help him ease back into learning.

We checked out an area called Holland Village as a possible area to live. I did not have a good feel there. I wouldn't mind going in the evening for dinner but the homes I saw were expensive and not very attractive. Last week we saw the northern part and although very green with wide open spaces, it would take longer for Daddy to get to work. On Sunday an agent will take me to some other areas of Singapore that we don't know yet to check out some other places. In my mind, there are one or two places on the East Coast that I like but before I take Daddy and kids there to make a final decision, I would like to make sure it is the right area of Singapore in which to live.

We are enjoying our time here so far. The weather is really gorgeous and I am enjoying the lovely, warm breezes and am very grateful for this experience.

New Friends

Today Daddy's colleagues invited us over for a visit and then offered to babysit Frunty and Pit so the two of us could check out some other parts of Singapore. We are looking for a home and we need to get to know as many areas as possible. Daddy's colleagues have an 8 year old son and they just arrived here 2 months ago after having lived 8 years in London. They are from the States.

We had a really nice time getting to know them, headed out by MRT and taxi to visit the north part of Singapore and the Woodlands before heading back. Just before we all went to hawker's market for all of us to have dinner together called LongHouse, we visited the Macritchie Reservoir right near their home. It has boardwalks and best of all, turtles in the big ponds and little monkeys in the trees. The boys sat together on the boardwalk, looking at these adorable, furry little creatures.

We got home a bit later than we had planned but sometimes that happens and it was worth it because we made some new friends. Frunty and Pit really seemed to get along with Ethan which was nice, despite the age difference. We look forward to getting together again soon and hopefully going to the Wet and Wild World together, or some such theme park for pools with inner tubes and slides!

Raffles Place, Singapore

It was bring-your-kids to work day, otherwise known as Junior Day at Verizon! We all got up early and took the MRT from Newton to Raffles Place right where Daddy works. When we came up out of the metro, I had a huge shock. I felt that I was in downtown Toronto. It looks to me exactly like being downtown. Really uncanny. Except here and there you can see a palm tree!

We met the secretary and some other colleagues and before we knew it, were having fun! Frunty and Pit made some new friends, twins Joshua and Joseph and their sister. Some kids did a little talent show and Shetty won first prize for dancing to "The Hokey Pokey!" He is only three and tiny. Very adorable. Another girl, named Summer Tan, sang. We just thought her name was so cool. Frunty and Pit felt too shy to perform and that was okay. I thought it was really brave of them to meet so many new people all at once. One highlight was the live telecast during which we talked to and sang for colleagues in the Philippines and Hong Kong. One guy did some magic. It was really neat.

Later we wanted to get some pass holders for our metro cards so Wiu Lee took us to a little shop where the kids each chose a holder. Ben 10 and Doraemon. Daddy had stayed at the office to finish up some work. When we got back, the four of us went for a special drink at Fullerton Hotel, one of Singapore's finest. Daddy had a special coffee with chocolate (yes, we still need our fix!), I had a Singapore Sling and the kids had a freshly squeezed orange juice.

If a party at Verizon and special cocktails at a fancy hotel were not enough, we decided to visit Singapore's famous symbol, Merlion and take a bumboat to Clarke's Quay. We eventually had a Japanese meal before heading home!

It's 8:15pm, the kids are in bed. We turn on the air-con for them a little at night because I can't stand the idea of opening their windows which have no protection, 13 stories up. Daddy's work day in Singapore finished around 3pm but his work day in the States has just begun with conference calls now with Washington from 8pm onwards. Hopefully he'll be done by midnight. There will be several weeks if not months until that launch is done and other business wrapped up before he can work fully as a Singapore local. In the meantime, we are grateful that he has time during the day to sightsee with us!

Tomorrow we'll visit some more apartments and find a nice place to live. That's it for now. Hope all is well with our loved ones around the world!

Wow! Would somebody pinch me!? I can't believe we are in Singapore. It has taken us a loooong time to get here, a lot of patience, and tons of hard work by Daddy and support from the three of us. I am so proud of all the work that has gotten us here today. And I must say, it feels good being back in Asia.

There are so many things that make it special here. Where do I start? I love the little, clear plastic bags with slices of mango for sale. (70 cents?! What a healthy, inexpensive snack!) I love the friendly service everywhere. I mistakenly ordered two meals the other night and the chef insisted he take one back and that I do not pay. (the language barrier is tricky even though we are all speaking English!) I love how almost every mall has a reflexology center. People go in, sit down and their feet are massaged. Talk about heaven. (I went my first night here and again tonight. Daddy insisted both times!) I love the evening when it is just the right heat and people are walking around, eating, talking, shopping. It is a really vibrant city anytime of day but at night, it is magic.

The kids have been doing really well despite some jet lag. Frunty says he loves the heat just doesn't like the idea of school. On his first day, he said it was awesome here and on his second, he called Singapore "paradise". Both kids have enjoyed the Singapore Flyer, the world's tallest observation wheel and the renting of mini-Formula 1 race cars where they could zoom around on a track. Pit laughed his head off...at one point, I wasn't sure if he was laughing or crying!!

Tomorrow is bring-your-kids to work day! That was one of the reasons we zoomed over here but really second to trying to figure out the whole schooling situation. The kids are pretty excited to see where Daddy works and take part in games with mysterious prizes!! I'll come and go as needed, depending on how the kids integrate.

It really feels like a dream here. Because it is hot and sunny and there are palm trees everywhere and we are in temporary housing, it feels like a holiday. Of course, Daddy does have to work but we are fortunate for times together to do some sightseeing and eating at hawkers' markets. I just went out to get Daddy some okonomiyaki, takoyaki and a Fig Jelly drink. Better make sure he eats it!

Cheerio for now from Singapore!

Snuggle munster! But wants to be known as "Touch Neck Monster". Any guesses as to who this might be? Of course it has to be Pit. He and I are sitting on a comfy sofa chair at the Dome Café next to the Borders book store. I'm having a coffee while Pit gets a snuggle.

We're in shopping mall on the East Coast to check out some possibly living neighbourhoods. So we took bus #48 direct from our current place to here and had lunch in the food court. As usual, before I even have a chance to figure out what one place is selling, there are already people ready to take my order. It isn't over-bearing service but simply very attentive. What a change from Belgium.

Over the next couple of days, I will try to update the blog with back dated entries so that we can remember the flurry of the last 2 weeks.

Our first day here. After the overnght flight, we arrived at 7am local time and basically it felt like we lost 1 night of sleep. Not the boys - Frunty slept on the plane for many hours just before landing so he was sharp. At the airport, he helped identify our 10 pieces of checked luggage weighing a combined weight of 150+kg. (as a quick aside, we were only allowed to transport 110 kg free of charge and after some haggling, they gave us an extra 10kg and asked us to pay 30 euro per extra kilo. So we started to eliminate clothes right there in the check-in line to lighten our suitcases and pushed the time limit on check-in time. After dropping about dozen kilos of mostly my t-shirts and so forth, and The Mommy's charm on the check-in lady, she let us go free of charge saving us the 900 euros excess baggage fee)

The customs officer was friendly and did not give us any problems with immigration and we straight out to find the man who would take us to our apartment. He loaded all our suitcases and insisted we sit down and rest after our long flight. He was a good welcome wagon we got settled right away in flat 13-01 on the 13th floor. How lucky! 13 is a good luck number. Our flat is nice and The Mommy and Pit immediately found beds and went to sleep. Frunty was wide awake and I tried to keep him company but also passed out on the couch with one eye open. After about an hours nap, my stomach got the better of me and Frunty and I went exploring to find food.

And what food did we find! All along Orchard Road are shopping malls with food courts and even a food fair with delectables from Korea, Japan, China, and even Belgian Waffles! So we snacked and explored some more finding a book store and movie cinema that Frunty thought were great. Eventually, we brought back lunch to the sleeping beauties and later went back again to the same areas all together for dinner.

It was all very exciting but we were all on different sleep patterns so we didn't do too much exploring on our first day.

The pilot made an announcement to fasten our seat belts due to turbulence. Pit jumped to a conclusion and asked if we were arriving and it was time to land in Singapore. Unfortunately not, we still had five and half hours remaining flight time. Frunty had just fallen asleep but Pit had woken up 2.5 hours earlier after a 4 hour sleep of his own. So he stayed awake the whole time and mostly self-entertained until the time came when the pilot announced that we would begin our descendent. This time, Pit got it right and immediately started working hard to buckle his seat belt. He also wanted his shoes and basically wanted to get off the plane. We landed on time and during the taxi to the gate, he fell asleep.

We are sitting on Singapore Airlines flight SQ 25 row 42. We are occupying the entire middle section of the Boeing 747 - tail registration 9V-SMU. We are waiting for boarding to complete and have realised that we are plunging into another world. The feeling is like the exhilarating fear that you feel as you look down from a precipice just before splashing into nice waters.

The boys have been good travellers for most of the morning during our departure from Brussels to Frankfurt. But now, Frunty is grumpy because he does not like waiting. Oh boy, we have 12.5 more hours of this! We are hoping that after the first meal and a movie, they will sleep. After all, they went to bed at just before midnight and woke up at 7am.

This is our last trip from European soil for a while.

Phew! What a weekend! It stated with a bottle of champagne and ended with a touch of cognac and calvados. We must try to savour all Europe has to offer.... Friday was our last night in our apartment of 6 years so it was only fitting to have champagne with the dinner the boys had planned and partially prepared - chicken and hamburgers with brocoli and rice.

Saturday was moving day and we shifted most of our short-term belongings over to a friends house in the neighbour while a the same time trying to pack away the remaining things of our kitchen and bathroom into boxes. The boys were a big help: Frunty can be trusted to ride his bike to the various points in the neighbourhood to deposit glass at the recycle point and batteries at the collection box at the supermarket. Pit helped to place shirts and clothes in suitcases. Then together, we went by car to deliver some things to other friends houses and get famous sausages from butcher. By 6pm, we arrived at our Australian/Belgian friends T. and R.'s for a last BBQ with them and their girls, I. and M. The boys played really well but finally we went "home" to figure out our new sleeping arrangements. I don't why we bother to plan any sleeping arrangements since we always end up altogether in one bed!

Sunday was hard work: we finished all the packing and together with a cleaning, washed the apartment from floor to ceiling. It was non-stop work from 8h-18h and The Mommy and I took turns shuttling the boys between two sets of friends who enjoyed their company while keeping them out of the apartment. By 6:30pm, we went to our Canadian friends, M. & M. and their 2 boys, M & D., for a final thai feast with them. We ended the evening by toasting to good health and good luck with cognac and calvados. Just in time too because the boys had been super all day and with the time approaching 10pm a melt down was imminent.

Yesterday we went to the Italian Consulate to update passports. The boys photos were old and really not representative, especially Pits - his photo was taken when he was 10 days old. That photo shows our hands propping him up more than it shows him. The lady took the new photos and basically glued them into the passport then stamped and signed the page. I wonder what the Border Patrol will say the first time they see that handy-work... Nonetheless, it was all done with surprising efficiency and we were out at 12:30 looking for lunch. We settled on a nice Italian restaurant and then I scooted off to work but the boys had more fun and adventures with The Mommy who took them to Hagen-Daz, then Chocolatier Marcolini, the fancy toy store Serneels and a few other of the luxury shops in the Place Louise area.

This morning Pit over heard me reading something out loud in French and just when I thought he wasn't listening, he said, "Daddy, your French is not very good." The cheeky nerve of him... Pit has been doing something lately that reminded me of when he was a tiny two year old. When he was younger, we would give him a pen or pencil and he would make minute scribbles of nothing in particular but their intricacy, the fine detail, and the concentration he would apply was very impressive. Almost everyday for the last several weeks, he has been entertaining himself with using scissors to make super paper airplanes. The modifications he makes to his paper airplanes are tiny, precise cuts all over the plane requiring huge focus and we can see his tongue and mouth contorted with the concentration. This results in small pieces of paper strewn about his work area so we have to scold him because he doesn't want to clean up. But I find it very amusing to have to use a dust pan to collect these almost microscopic pieces of paper because it reminds me of when he was a baby.

I met the family and some friends at Mumtaz Indian restaurant last night. I think the boys were extra subdued in the restaurant because earlier in the day they had been run ragged by The Mommy. She had taken them to the movies in Stockel by bike there and back for at least 45 minutes each way. I asked if they liked the movie and Pit started to correct my pronounciation of the word "cinema" which in Italian is pronounced with a hard "C". He repeated the word in French, but he never finished correcting me because he realised that I was speaking Italian and then checked if "cinema" with a soft "C" was the Italian word. On the drive home at 9:45pm, the boys were discussing their next trip and Frunty was concerned that Hungary might be a hot destination. Pit was a chatter box and said, "I like sometimes hot and sometimes cold places. Spain was hot, right mommy?" And when The Mommy said yes it was hot, Pit launched into a stream of chattering about his trip to Mallorca a few months earlier in the year.

Later and later... Everyday it seems like the boys are going to bed later than the previous night. Yesterday evening we visited our neighbours and stayed at their house until almost 11pm. The boys seemed to be fine but they were just beginning to go into "berserker" mode. So we made a quick exit and it was just past 11 by the time we were home and had the boys in bed. Pit fell asleep almost instantly after some quick hugs and Frunty managed to to stay awake - he was calm, just not sleepy. After a long day, it's very cosy to snuggle and share the bed with the boys especially when I haven't seen them for most of the day.

Full of beans! Most of us were trying to have a relaxing morning in bed but Pit was extra rascally. He had gotten out of bed and dressed himself then noticed that the 3 of us were still snuggling in bed, so he tried to squeeze himself in. He was chattering on about not enough room for his feet, that he was too squished, that he wanted breakfast, and so on so forth. I don't if it was a good idea to tell him that he was born in the Year of the Rooster - I think he's taking that job too literally.

Frunty and Pit rode their bikes through the park and along the green path to our friends house today. They are good little riders and Pit is almost ready to take the training wheels off. Just the other day, The Mommy said that he asked to remove them which they did at Antoinne's house but then he changed his mind and then they went back on. He's due for a new bike very soon and when that happens they wont come with training wheels. We'll have a lot more mobility once he's peddling the 2 wheeler with more confidence.

We finally went to the annual fair at the Gare du Midi with our friends. It has been years that we have known about this fair but never managed to visit until now. The boys were happy to go on some rides and the atmosphere was very exciting due to loud music, flashy lights and lots of people. At first they did not want to go on the bumper cars but once they started driving, they had loads of fun. There was also a water version of bumper cars where they sat in little boats and bumped along in a small pool. Also requiring a little convincing was the big ferris wheel but once we were up high, they enjoyed the nice nightscape view of the city.

Birthday bar-bee-que! The weather is hot and sunny so the boys wanted to get me special treats from our Irish organic butcher to cook up on the coals. They went this morning with The Mommy to each select a particular item. I got a herbed pork chop from Frunty and a spicy beef skewer from Pit who was extra keen to point out that my skewer had zucchini. We also had wonderful gluten-free hamburgers, lamb skewers and spicy Italian sausages. Pit wanted to eat the sausages but was in for a surprise just how spicy they were. He almost guzzled my glass of Mercier champagne. Afterwards, we were able to roast marshmallows on the hot coals. Actually, I roasted almond nougat which I think tastes better but it has soy and gluten so I was the only one enjoying that treat. The boys also made me special crafts and drawings for my birthday so all in all it was a great day.

Poor Pit – he's down in the pits. He had a very restless night that caused him (and us) to wake up several times for various reasons. At one moment he’s thirsty but then the next moment he needs to throw up the water he just drank. He doesn’t know if he’s hungry or needs to go to the toilet. The Mommy dealt with him the most because I had a human blanket called Frunty wound so tightly around me that I simply could not move. Thanks to the close contact, I now have the same dry cough and sore throat that is bothering him.

The boys are amazingly resilient though. Despite their poor health, they still are eager to go to people’s houses to play or go to the park on their bikes and run around, OR go to the chocolatier for fine treats! Luckily, the weather is cooperative and makes it easy for outings.

I couldn't get in the door! After a 6 day business trip, the boys were anxious to have me home but when I returned, I simply could not get past the entrance way. The reason? Mattresses, bedding and pillows had been piled up at the entrance so the boys could be super ready for my homecoming at 7:30am. I eventually managed to push my way through without waking up a single soul.

Later in the morning, around 9am when the boys started to wake up, they found me in their bed as if it was the most natural thing and we snuggled for a little while until their patience for gifts could not last any longer. So I crawled out of bed and we unpacked my luggage to give them various small gifts from America.

It was a slow start to the day, particularly since the morning was grey and drizzling but the afternoon was splendid so we went out to the street to bike and draw with chalk. Then our friend Shells arrived to babysit the boys so that The Mommy and I could go out for a little homecoming of our own.

We went to see a movie and later had drinks at the institutional Irish Pub before hitting another Brussels institution – Fritland. We took our cone of fries to the Grand Place just in time for the sound and light show displayed on the Town Hall - pop music in classical style. May sound cheesy but it actually was quite well done. That, and the fact that you can’t really go wrong when the setting is the Grand Place.

We're back to the civilized world. It was hard to say good bye to the area in Corsica known as Barcagiu. The trip home was a little difficult because of transportation and accomodation. Since it's peak season it was difficult to make sure we had seats on the bus and a camp site for the last night. But, we were able to figure things out and the only casualty was a forgotten lunch bag with fixings carefully prepared by the Mommy. We eventually made it home just before midnight on Saturday. On the plane on the approach to Brussels, Pit announced that he wanted to sleep and just moments before touch-down, he was snoring away. He was transfered from the plane all the way to his bed and didn't wake until 10am the next day. Frunty, instead, was energetic as usual and helped with luggage carts, baggage, and so forth. The boys are happy to be home and the next day they were thrown into the bath tub with a heavy duty scrubber. It's a cloudy, rainy, cool day in Brussels and I think everyone is nostalgic for the hot clear days and carefree lifestyle of camping in Corsica. Ah well, maybe next year!

Tooth Alert! Frunty lost a tooth at lunch today - twice! While munching on a dry cracker, his tooth lower left baby tooth seriously dislodged itself. Moments later it was proudly being displayed in his hand. It was put on the table since no one has pockets in their bathing suits but at some point I noticed in wasn't there anymore. We all figured in had fallen off the table in the dry dirt mixed with small pebbles that annoyingly have almost the same size, shape and colour as teeth. After 20 minutes of hunting in the dirt, we gave up the tooth as lost for good. The children finished their lunch and scampered off. Pit hadn't finished all his chicken so I lept his plate and reused his plate to eat my lunch. When I crunched through the 3rd last fork full  of salad, I knew the tomatoe or cabbage had an extra something mixed with it. When I removed the offending object from my mouth we were all surprised to find Frunty's tooth!

Today, we ate more sea urchin fresh out of the water and ate Giovanni's catch of the day sashimi style. The boys spent all day hunting for sea creatures, mostly tiny glass shrimps, amongst the rocks at the shore edge. Leonardo and Frunty have become best friends and do everyhting together. Too bad we need to move onwards tomorrow.

Arrived for the surprise! The Mommy and the Bello Boys sure were surprised when I jumped in the water to swim with them. And just in time too - Frunty had cried for me the night before I showed up for the first time in 3 weeks and Pit has clung to me since I've arrived and randomly tells me he loves me and plants big wet kisses on my cheek. Good thing I made the effort despite the difficulties of juggling various responsibilities. I booked plane tickets 30 hours in advance.
The setup is very nice and we take it quite easy during the day. So much so that the children don't eat supper until almost 9pm and the adults after 11pm. Today, Frunty has gone off with the Mommu for a hike to another beach and Pit is helping me tell this story. We're going to play Lego and generally stay out of the blistering sun.
Our little tent area has been tidied up and Frunty and Pit even won a prize for Best Setup. We grouped heavy rocks to make a round pit area for story time, a bunch of rocks make a little "sink", and Frunty and Pit had an idea to setup a tombstone for the Ghost of Pirate Giovanni, the protagonist during story time.
The water is crystal clear and a little cool getting in so it's refreshing swim after some hot sun and beach. The beach is made of tiny pebbles, the kind you find in fish tanks, so it's reasonably soft and we prefer it to fine sand because it's easier to stay clean.
I just asked Pit if I missed anything in this update and he said, "I like Mommy and Daddy!" There you have it - todays update.
* Claudio Scarabello, mobile: +32 477 27 97 10. Sent using handheld email device.

Like clockwork and with a certain amount of luck. I arrived last night in Ajaccio and found out that the next bus from the airport to the town would be 2 hours later. Luckily at the bus stop was a young woman who also needed to go to town so we split a cab and headed off. As it turns out, my hotel was exactly next door to the place where she needed to go. She was meeting 2 other girlfriends for drinks so I checked in and then went to meet them for drinks and dinner. Today, I walked 5 minutes from the hotel to the bus terminal and bought the 3rd last ticket to get to Sartene. I should arrive in about 15 minutes and hope to hitch hike the next 20km to Tizzano where I hope to find the rest of the family. Almost there!

They don't know it yet but they soon will. I'm off to Corsica and will make my way to the savage camping by Sunday noon. I'm on a flight to Ajaccio and will need to stay in a hotel overnight to catch the first bus Sunday morning. I'll spend the week and return on the same flight with the Bello Boys and the Mommy. Updates might be sporadic but I might be able to get them through.

Frunty got a "Z" shaved into his head yesterday. He copied the hair style of another boy at the "camping sauvage" who got a buzz cut and then a design razored into the short hair. Pit now wants the same thing too. This savage camping is turning out to be true to its name. I suppose this means the boys have made new friends and Pit is starting to warm up to the idea of speaking Italian to the other children. Frunty has a head start on the talking which would explain why he's sitting on Georgia's lap playing games. (Georgia is Frunty's little cousin only 2 years his senior.) Food continues to be an issue because of the lack of refrigeration and the special dietary requirements. Apparently the other kids love the corn crackers and other gluten-free products which mean the supplies have dwindled and are hard to replace in Corsica. I wonder if Giovanni is supplying the camp with fish from the sea. The cool air has died down which might mean the sea is calmer.