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!
