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!
