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!!!
