Back from Vietnam...

...and all I can say is that the country is truly wonderful. Funny, we've tried to plan this trip three times over the past ten years, but for some reason we always ended up going somewhere else instead. So, we are very happy that we finally made it!

We had no idea what exactly to expect, particularly because of the War (known there as the "American War"), but we were thrilled with what we found. We avoided trips to the "Hanoi Hilton", Cu Chi Tunnels, and all of the other popular war memorial sites, so perhaps we missed a big part of the recent history that has formed today's Vietnam, but as far as I can tell, the Vietnamese seem to have put the war behind them. I was also surprised, as I was during our brief stop in China, that the usual icons of capitalism (McDonald's, Starbucks, Coca Cola) have pervaded the socialist landscape, making all of the fighting that has been waged over conflicting ideologies seem particularly meaningless. The transcendent desire to "buy stuff" seems to have led nearly all the world's people to arrive at the same place anyway...  

Our trip started in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), and although our stop was brief, we did get a chance to soak up the atmosphere of the city. The streets are well-labeled and easy to navigate, with beautiful colonial buildings and lovely green city parks. Although we heard lots of talk of corruption, and I am aware that there are gangs of homeless kids that roam the streets of Saigon, we didn't witness any of this; instead we met friendly locals and teenagers in school uniforms, eager to practice their English with us.

After only a couple of days in Saigon, we moved to the central part of the country, to the town of Hoi An (near Danang). Hoi An is an old trading port dating to the 15th century, which managed to avoid being damaged during the war. On the full moon of each month, the lights are turned off along the riverfront, and everything is lit by lanterns. Although touristy, it was absolutely beautiful, like a dream. Southeast Asia at its most romantic:) We took a fantastic cooking class, ate the most amazing food, and spent a day at a nearby beach.

After four days in Hoi An, we headed north. We cruised Halong Bay on a Chinese-style junk for two nights, gliding past karst formations and hanging out with some really interesting people. One of the highlights was dinner in a cave (which was not nearly as corny as it sounds), which came to an abrupt end because a storm had hit. Making our way down 99 steps (Isabel counted) from the mouth of the cave to the dinghy, then crossing the bay in the dark, with the rain coming down sideways, wind gusts rocking the boat back and forth, lightning and thunder in the background, and an obviously near-panicked young crew, was more than a bit exhilerating, albeit the tiniest bit terrifying:)

We spent the last few days of our Vietnam adventure in Hanoi. A totally frenetic and atmospheric place, I think Hanoi is my favorite city of all that we've visited in Southeast Asia. Scams are aplenty (there was a slight altercation between Chad and a shoe-shine guy (actually, almost any scam that we've ever been involved in has had to do with a shoe-shine guy...) and we had a rigged meter in one of the taxis that we took), but I guess that's all part of the excitement.

Hanoi has fabulous museums (we visited the Women's museum and the Museum of Ethnology), restaurants, old temples, and a fun water puppet theatre. In the Old Quarter, women carry baskets of chickens, prawns, fruits and vegetables, selling their goods to cooks at street foodstalls, which people crowd around on tiny little plastic stools slurping up bowls of phở and drinking down bia hoi (fresh beer). Shops selling herbal medicines, headstones, tools, toys, really everything, line streets crowded with motorcycles and people moving in every direction. One of the most fun things to do there is to grab a table at a cafe and watch it all. I think that I could spend a month in Hanoi and not get bored...

Back here in Singapore, things are well. Recently we went to the Chingay Parade, an annual event  held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year festivities. This year's theme was "fire and snow" --  and really, how could it not have been great when fire was part of the theme? It was truly impressive, and a great evening out for the three of us.

At work, I'm keeping busy editing the Singapore Botanic Gardens' magazine, as well as some book manuscripts that NParks will soon be publishing. Things are going well for Chad, too, at Gardens by the Bay, and he'll be going to the UK next month to visit the Eden Project and attend the Chelsea Flower Show. Isabel's back at school today after two weeks off for spring break. She's really flourishing these days, and she continually makes us proud. She recently played her guitar in the school talent show, wrote and read an incredible poem on stage at the school's "Poetry Cafe" evening, and has a role in the school's upcoming Seussical musical (she's playing a Wickersham Brother).

Till next time, take care everyone. Enjoy the slideshow...
             

February update

Wow, it's been a really long time since I've written. Although I've had good intentions to write over the many months (I guess six of them now) since my last post, too many things have come up to distract me...trips, sicknesses, work, annoying children, etc...

So we've now been in Singapore long enough to experience the major holidays and other annual events a second-time around, and even though they may not be as new, they've been fun and exciting nevertheless. Sadly, we've also already been around long enough to say goodbye to new friends that we've made here.

Since my last post, Isabel celebrated her birthday with an art party with her best girlfriends, we went sari-shopping for Deepavali, and pushed our way through throngs of people to score Halloween candy. More recently, we've enjoyed hearing the sounds of drums accompanying the lion dances being held all over the island to bring in the Year of the Snake. Coincidentally, we actually saw a snake while hiking a couple of weeks ago, which I'm hoping means more good things to come for us this year!

Last October we visited Yogyakarta, on the island of Java (Indonesia). The town is about 3 hours from Jakarta, and is the arts and cultural centre of Java. What I loved most about the town was the lovely maze-like neighborhoods hidden just beyond the major streets - although you can't really see them from the road, you can explore them via half-hidden footpaths that wind between the houses and shops. We learned how to make batiks in one of these wonderful neighborhoods. The other big draw to the area are the temples of Borobudor (a Buddhist temple) and the Prambanan (a Hindu complex), both of which are UNESCO sites. One of the highlights for us was an open-air Ramayana dance competition - held at night and back-lit by the Prambanan - which ended with much of the stage being set on fire!    

Another great trip for us was our visit home for Christmas. It's funny, but in some ways "home" seemed almost as foreign as Yogyakarta. The streets outside our house in Phoenix, which we drove on for over seven years, seemed unusally wide, and the people everywhere seemed exceptionally lively. It's truly amazing how much your frame of reference can shape your perceptions:) It was really great to see friends and family, although our visits with them were far too short, and there were too many people that we didn't get a chance to see. We were heartened to see how much the "buy local" movement is growing in Phoenix, which seems (at least to me) to be playing a big part in the improving economy. We were soooo happy to eat our fill of Mexican food, too:) Visiting Isabel's old school, shopping at the Farmer's Market, and running into friends around town reminded us that we're still part of a wonderful community there, one  in which we're proud to have roots.

Visiting friends and family in the Quad Cities was also great, despite our short time there. One highlight was ice skating with our niece Elaina, nephew Jack, and Grandpa Jim (who enjoyed the fun safely from the sidelines). Isabel's parting from her cousins was tearful, although she was somewhat consoled by the knowledge that they'll be coming to visit us in Singapore for the entire month of July - which we couldn't be more excited for.  

We also had a mini-adventure on the way back to Singapore. During our 10-hour layover in Beijing, we visited the Great Wall of China! We were tired, freezing, and jet-lagged, but it was absolutely amazing. We got there at sunrise, and either because of the time of day, or the frigid temperature (it was seriously cold), we had nearly the entire section of the Wall to ourselves. Truly incredible:)  

Our trip home marked the half-way point for us here in Singapore, as Chad's contract is up in June of next year. It also provided us an opportunity to reflect a bit on where we've come from, where we are now, and where we may be going next. We don't know if we'll stay in Singapore longer or what our next move may be, but we're definitely aware of the potentially diminishing amount of time left for us to explore this part of the world. We're doing as much as we can, both in Singapore and around the region, and are still loving every bit of our adventures here. Until my next post, take care...

End of summer blues

Hi! We've just wrapped up a whirlwind of summer activity, starting with the opening of Gardens by the Bay, then a trip to Cambodia, followed by visits from Grandma Linda and our friends Danielle and Jamie, and ending with a trip to Bali. This flurry of activity was punctuated by rushing Iz to her first day of school from the airport last Tuesday. Needless to say, we had a great time this summer!

Our trips to Cambodia and Bali were both incredible adventures. Although the rice terraces and temples are amazing, the real beauty of both of these places is the people (those of you who have been there will know this well). The warmth and friendliness of the Khmer was very easy to experience, despite the huge economic disparity between us. Yes, they try to sell you things on the street, and yes, they may ask for money, but once you get past that, its easy to talk to them and find commonalities. Especially when you're traveling with a kid:) The Balinese touched us, too, in their ability to retain beauty and simplicity in their daily lives, which is exemplified in their religious offerings (we heard that 40% of their income is spent on offerings) and love of kite-flying.

We also had great fun with Grandma Linda and visiting friends, and enjoyed seeing Singapore through their eyes. Isabel's growing maturity shone through in her ability to guide Grandma around Singapore and navigate the public transport system by herself (she's now taking the public bus home from school by herself three days a week). Although I don't have any photos, she had an amazing time, too, at summer camp in Indonesia. She says her favorite parts were zip-lining and boom-netting (jumping from a moving boat into an attached net that hangs into the ocean). She's happy in her new class, and already has had two birthday parties added to her social calendar:)

I think I promised lots of photos from the Gardens by the Bay opening, but I decided that there's no way I can do it justice. There are lots of images online (much better than anything I could get), as the project has had a lot of local and international media attention. Unfortunately, the opening hasn't led to fewer work hours for Chad, as there seems to be an endless stream of dignitaries, royalty, and otherwise very important people who require private tours. On the up side, Chad gets to bask in the glory of being part of the greatest spectacle in the botanical garden world (at least for right now, before the next big thing is built:)) He also got to meet the Thai princess, which isn't too shabby either!

Well, I wasn't planning on writing so much, but there you have it. I guess I can't control myself:) I've also been doing quite well, although I now have to reconcile myself with the monotony of daily life again (you know, life is soooo much more fun when you're constantly flying off to exotic destinations!). I hope you've all had a great summer and I wish you all luck with re-adjustment back into your daily routines:)  Enjoy the photos!

Greetings!

I thought that I would post an update to let you all know what we've been up to lately. Nothing too exciting, really - mostly we've been working. I'm officially three weeks into my new job at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Unfortunately it hasn't worked out for me to work from home, so I'm trekking my way to a desk four days a week in the heart of the Gardens. I can't complain though, since it's in a beautiful setting and I'm getting a good workout.  The other day, as I sat at my desk editing a document about a plant expedition to Indonesian Borneo (which resulted in the collection of a handful of undiscovered species), I got a little thrill as I realized how close I am to what led me to study botany as an undergrad (exploration of tropical jungles, discovery of new plant species, encounters with indigenous people,...). After all, Indonesian Borneo is in our back yard, and it's just a matter of time 'till I can work my way into one of those plant expeditions:)

Isabel has been busy at school, working hard at learning her times tables. She and her class hosted the school assembly a couple of weeks back, when they demonstrated how to do "Kung-Fu punctuation" (it was just as entertaining as it sounds). The end of her Year 3 / 2nd Grade experience is rapidly approaching, with her last day on June 22nd. We've got lots of fun things planned for the summer, but the highlight for her will undoubtedly be a week-long summer camp on a beach in Indonesia. She and a friend are going together, and they'll get to learn sailing and kayaking, go zip-lining, and even spend the night on "treasure island." I'm more than a little jealous!

Chad's almost down to the last crunch to ready the conservatory for the grand opening. I think things are going well for him, although there's still a lot of work to do and endless changes which are a constant frustration. But he's getting some really good (and interesting) experience and learning how to cope with unusual situations:) (someday maybe he'll tell you about them...). In March, he got to travel to Spain and the Canary Islands on a plant-sourcing trip. He even ran into someone that he knew in Spain (small world, huh?)!

We did manage to get in a trip since my last post. In April, we went to Pulau Tioman (Malaysia). This is the same island that we visited last October, but this time we stayed on the relatively undeveloped east side of the island. It was a nice relaxing trip, with three whole days in a small village on a beautiful beach that was clean, quiet, and surrounded by mountainous jungle.

Besides lounging on the beach, we did some hiking and snorkeling. We also had the most incredible experience on a kayak, which we paddled up a small channel into the jungle. The channel was narrow, the water murky, and the banks lined in mangroves...definitely suitable crocodile habitat (don't tell Isabel:)). Coming back, we paddled downstream to the sea, just as a full moon was rising. The water was calm and crystal-clear - like a swimming pool - and the memory of gliding over the surface back to the beach will last with me forever.

One other little adventure of note was a cooking class that Isabel and I took on Pulau Ubin (one of Singapore's small islands - an hour-long bus ride and 15 minute-bumboat trip away). The class was held in a traditional kampong house in the jungle, and included a trip around the forest to learn about some of the herbs used in local cooking. We made four dishes - nasi kerabu (a Malay dish with cooked rice and a variety of up to 25 fresh herbs), butter prawns (exactly what it sounds like, plus curry leaves), sambal belachan tumis (chili paste), and ice kachang (this one is a little bizarre to me - shaved ice with various gelatinous-type substances and a combination of not-deserty sorts of ingredients like beans and creamed corn - it tastes pretty much how it sounds:)). Isabel got to play Junior Masterchef, and we definitely came out of it with a greater appreciation of local dishes. Lots of fun, and a really great day!

So, as we are nearing the end of the first year of Chad's contract (which will officially be June 6th), I think I would say that we are well-settled and happy here in Singapore. We're looking forward to a full and exciting summer, including trips to Cambodia, Bali, and Yogyakarta. We have good friends coming to visit us (finally!), as well as Grandma Linda (Chad's mom), and we're excited to show them all our new home. We think often about all of you, and hope that you all have fun adventures planned for the summer. Please continue to write to us when you can.

Hi All!

So, several weeks ago, Chad ran into this Indian guy in Chinatown, who stopped him on the street to tell him he had a very strong forehead, and that if he didn't cut his hair on Tuesday or Saturday, then many good things would come to him soon. Well, Chad hasn't cut his hair, and while we haven't won the lottery, it does seem like we've had some good luck lately. Chad will be getting a raise, I've gotten the job at the botanical garden, and Isabel has become very good friends with two little girls that moved in next door. Of course, it's always much easier to notice (and appreciate) the things around you when things are going your way, so I thought I should take the opportunity to reflect on and share some of the most remarkable parts of our new lives here in Singapore:

*The presence of tropical wildlife, even though we're living in a concrete mega-city and Singaporeans do everything they can to keep the environment at bay:). Giant monitor lizards can be found nearly anywhere there's water, monkeys are all over the reserves, and parrots roost in the trees outside of Isabel's school (she can see them out the window of her classroom).

*The climate. The rain, heat, and humidity mean having to share our outdoor dining room with giant snails, but I absolutely love it. By the way, side-stepping these guys as we walk the path leading to the back of our house is lots of fun (especially in the dark)!

*Observing subtle changes in Isabel that indicate that her frame of reference is broadening. I notice this when she asks me what the conversion of her Malaysian Ringgit into Singapore Dollars will be, when she jokes around with a fake Aussie accent, when I hear her describe what India is like to her Indian-Singaporean friends, or when she distinguishes between the American and British spelling of a word. A few weeks ago, after Air Asia announced a huge sale on regional travel, Isabel told me and Chad “only 8 more dollars and I’ll have enough for a one-way ticket to Borneo!" Not only is she unafraid of her surroundings and other cultures, but she's got a healthy sense of adventure. I am so proud!

*The cultural diversity. I love finding myself in a group of British and Indian nationals one day, and Cambodian, French and Germans the next. It's kind of an odd thing...living in Singapore has definitely illustrated how much culture impacts human behavior (we've witnessed differences in problem-solving, acceptance (of everything ranging from a person's lot in life to everyday challenges), and willingness to take responsibility, just to name a few), but also how many things cross cultural divides (not just the desire to get an education and a good job, but humor, interests, and taste - as I write this, I can hear Isabel and her Singaporean friend in her room singing Katy Perry's Firework:)), enabling us to have amazing shared experiences. While I have always been drawn to traveling just for the sake of exploring cultural differences, settling down and living in another country has made me realize that there's a lot to be said for similarities, too!

So, since my last post, we have of course been keeping busy. We visited Sungei Buloh Wetland Preserve, a very impressive wetland area in the north of the island with crocodiles, otters, and giant monitor lizards (one crept through the visitor’s center while we were there!). Isabel and I also got to see proboscis monkeys at the zoo (sooo cool!) while on a field trip with her class (lots of fun, although completely exhausting!). Isabel got dressed up in her cheongsam to sing in a performance for Chinese New Year at school, and the three of us counted down to midnight in Mandarin on Chinese New Year Eve with thousands of our closest friends. Isabel has also kept busy making forts and having sleep-overs with the neighbor girls, and learning the guitar.

The most interesting event over the past couple of months was Thaipusam. This is an occasion celebrated by some of the Tamil Indian community in Singapore and Malaysia. Devotees of Lord Murugan walk 4.5km from Little India to a Hindu temple in central Singapore to make offerings of milk and prayers. Some of the devotees pierce their skin, lips, and tongue and attach these amazing headdresses (called kavadis) to the piercings. As they walk in the progression, they stop every once in a while to break into dancing (the kavadis are very large - I can't imagine how painful this would be). The event is unique to Singapore and Malaysia - it's actually banned in India, which says a lot! It was absolutely amazing, and really my favorite cultural experience so far in Singapore.

Things have been going well for Chad in the conservatories. He’s been researching how to import avocado trees donated by Jason Mraz (yes, this is very random, but apparently he owns an avocado tree nursery - he will also be performing the first concert at the garden). Chad also got to have lunch with the Mexican ambassador (who is unfortunately leaving this summer, so we'll have to start all over with forging our diplomatic relations!). He also will be travelling to Spain and the Canary Islands the end of March for a plant buying trip. If any of you would like a preview of the conservatories, you can check out the Amazing Race Israel – the contestants tightroped across Marina Bay and finished an episode inside the conservatory!

In addition to putting in a lot of effort to get the job at the botanical garden, I've been volunteering as usual, and have been lucky enough to get some freelance work. I enjoyed spending some time researching the feasibility of growing and exporting lemon grass for a Jamaican farmer living in Cuba (yes, also very random, but very interesting). And as always, I have also been busy travel planning. We head back to Tioman the first week of April, where we'll be staying on a very undeveloped part of the island. We're hoping to see lots of sea turtles there, as they nest on this part of the island. We've got 4 days in a basic chalet on the beach, with not much planned but hiking, swimming, kayaking and snorkeling. Yes, I know, we are so lucky! We're going to Cambodia in July, and also just bought tickets to Yogyakarta, Java for October (that Air Asia sale was incredible!). We’re also hoping to fit in a trip to Bali sometime this year. We're saving vacation time to come home for Christmas, otherwise we would hit Vietnam and/or Borneo this year too. So, unfortunately, we won't be able to travel all summer long; our door is always open - if any of you would like to visit Singapore this summer, we've got a blow-up mattress with your name on it!

Until next time...

Happy New Year!

We just returned from a glorious week traveling in Malaysia, where we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in style! We visited Penang, an island off the northwest coast of Malaysia, near Thailand.
The major city on the island, Georgetown, is full of history, culture, and even has a little bit of an edge (well, compared to Singapore!). We had great fun wandering the streets, stumbling upon Buddhist temples and really cool old buildings, and eating naan fresh out of a brick oven in Little India. Careening into traffic at 5 miles an hour on a trishaw without a pause by our driver while blasting Eminem was also a highlight of our Georgetown experience! We also rented a car and drove around the island, stopping to ride a funicular 2000 feet to the top of Penang Hill, to check out an incredible Buddhist temple complex (Kek Lok Si - the largest in SE Asia), to swing on a giant swing at the Tropical Spice Garden, and to swim in the ocean at sunset.

After Penang, we headed to the highlands to enjoy cooler weather (nearly 60 degrees). The area is the source for much of the produce that we get here in Singapore, especially lettuce and tomatoes. There are also lots of strawberry farms and beautiful tea plantations. The area supports habitat for Rafflesia kelatanensis, which of course we had to see for ourselves!
The plant is actually a parasite on Tetrastigma spp. vines, and although the giant flowers take months to develop, once opened, each flower only lasts for 4-7 days. Hiking through the jungle to see Rafflesia was definitely a highlight of the trip. Chad also found pitcher plants growing along the roadside, which was too cool. After hiking in the jungle or wandering the tea plantations each day, we went back to sit in the garden of our hotel, have our fill of tea and scones, and play Cluedo. It really was an incredible trip, and we had a great time as a family. Also a great reminder of why we moved to this part of the world:)

I hope everyone enjoyed wonderful holidays. We certainly did. Isabel stayed home from school and Chad from work to celebrate Thanksgiving Singapore-style. Cooking was a bit challenging given our limited counter space and tiny oven, but we managed. My mom came out for two weeks to spend Christmas with us, and we had a great time playing tourists around Singapore. Actually, Christmas in the tropics doesn't look much different from Christmas in the desert, but the heat and humidity did take a bit of a toll. Our live Christmas tree barely made it through the holiday (I found it at Ikea - freshly shipped from somewhere in Scandinavia), and our gingerbread house lasted for less than one day before it collapsed into a softened heap. Other than that, we enjoyed the holiday the same as if we had made it back home. Oh, and instead of looking at Christmas lights from the comfort of our own car (as is our annual tradition), we enjoyed them from the top of the No. 7 double-decker bus:)

The World Orchid Conference (and public preview of the conservatory and outdoor gardens) came and went back in November. The conservatory was fabulous, of course! Chad's hard work definitely paid off, as he received lots of compliments about his succulent areas. I didn't get great photos since we went at night, but I promise to post lots after everything is completed and they have the grand opening in June. Chad's still working in the dry conservatory, but they're now starting to shift their attention to the second conservatory - for cool moist plants - which will host cloud-forest type plants and a mountain with a waterfall. I'm sure things will get crazy for him again in a few months, but for now Isabel and I are enjoying Chad's company on weekends and for dinner each night.

I was offered a part-time job at Singapore Botanic Garden, but I'm still not certain if it's going to pan out (keep your fingers crossed for me). The work would entail editing and some writing for the garden publication and a peer-reviewed journal that they produce. It would be great, and I'm hopeful, but it's in HR's hands now, and I've been told that I won't hear anything till February. Other than that, I'm continuing to do volunteer work for both aidha and the botanic garden, and travel planning in my spare time:)

The next adventure for us will be Chinese New Year, which is coming up in a couple of weeks. The stores are stocked full of red decorations and cheongsams, getting ready to usher in the Year of the Dragon. Isabel will be performing a song in Mandarin with her class, and I'm sure we'll be heading to Chinatown for the celebration.

That's it for now, but I'll try to post again soon. As always, I hope all is well with you. Please email when you can, I love to hear what you're all up to!

October News

Has it actually been six weeks since I’ve posted? I can’t believe how fast time goes by – and in case you were wondering, it’s not any slower here in Singapore. The past few weeks have found the three of us doing pretty much the same as what we would be doing in the U.S. – just trying to get through each day. I think all of us, on some level, have struggled a little with homesickness (even me!), as the honeymoon phase of our move is now officially over. Still, I am amazed pretty much every day that we have this opportunity, and am working to find a good balance between indulging in the comforts of home and embracing the exotic here in Singapore. I find myself simultaneously irritated and amused by some things in Singaporean society (like the need to be first – which manifests itself in an unusual amount of pushing to get onto buses and trains – even if there’s only one or two people also trying to get on!), and have challenged myself to connect more with the amusement end of this spectrum than the other.

As promised, we attended the 201st Anniversary of Mexican Independence celebration at the Shangri-La Hotel, and had a blast. We witnessed a very impassioned “La Grita de Independencia” by the ambassador, which made me secretly wish I was from Mexico too:) “Viva Mexico,” indeed! The evening found us traveling in style (by taxi), childless (Isabel spent the night with a friend), hanging out with the Mexican ambassador and his wife (ok, maybe it was only a brief introduction...), with bottomless wine glasses and all the Mexican food we could eat. Overall, it was a really great night.

Another highlight for us was a trip to Tioman Island in Malaysia. It took a somewhat complicated border crossing, a 4 hour bus ride and an hour and a half on a ferry to get there, but it was worth it. Thanks to it being the beginning of the low season, we had a wonderfully peaceful weekend in a simple longhouse on the beach, ate apple pancakes and French toast for breakfast, and swam in blissfully clear water. Isabel and Chad snorkeled, and saw lots of coral and tropical fish, including parrotfish and clownfish. I loved it so much, I am in the process of planning no less than three more trips to Malaysia (including a big one to Malaysian Borneo next July).

The biggest events for us here over the last six weeks have been Isabel’s birthday (celebrated quietly with us taking a delicious chocolate cake up to the roof and then a late-night swim) and Divali, which was celebrated last week. Isabel’s school had a fantastic carnival, and the kids got to wear Indian clothing (lucky for us we happened to have a Rajasthani outfit just Isabel’s size!), be tattooed in henna, and eat Indian food. Of course, we visited Little India to check out the festivities, have dinner, and do some bauble-purchasing (completely on Isabel’s end – I’m afraid she may have inherited this from me!). And as I write this, it's Halloween day here in Singapore. Although it’s not really celebrated a lot by Singaporeans, due to the number of expats, there are definitely opportunities for trick-or-treating. Tonight we’re heading up to the north side of the island to go trick-or-treating in a well-known American neighborhood. We’re hoping Isabel scores enough candy for all three of us!

As far as things go for me, unfortunately the National Parks job fell through, as they needed someone full-time. Fortunately, though, there seems to be an endless supply of rewarding volunteer work to keep me busy. I’ve been volunteering in the Living Collections department at the Singapore Botanic Garden two days a week, where I’ve been doing some plant data entry and helping to map their rainforest area. I’ve also gotten involved with aidha, a non-profit organization that provides training to migrant women in money management, computer skills, and entrepreneurship. I’m teaching computer workshops when I can, and also am working with their research team to assess the impacts of the program. The remaining days of the week find me focused on the usual challenges of grocery shopping and trying to get clothes dried (this is becoming harder with the onset of the rainy season:)

Chad has been working nearly every day (including Saturdays and Sundays) to try to get the conservatory in order for the Orchid Show, which is coming up in two weeks. I know that he has dealt with MANY challenges with the project, but is finally starting to see the results. I visited the conservatory the other day and was blown away – not only by the scale of the thing, which is enormous, but by the planting and design that I know has absorbed much of Chad’s time and energy. It looks fabulous, and I know when it’s done Chad will be able to stand back and be really proud of it. But in the meantime, all three of us are counting down the days till it’s over!

That’s about it for now. Happy Halloween everybody!!!