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.