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!
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Friday, 11 September 2009
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!
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!
Thursday, 10 September 2009
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!
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!
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, 6 September 2009
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 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.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
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.
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.
